A Daily Choice

And you will defile your graven images overlaid with silver, and your molten images plated with gold. You will scatter them as an impure thing, and say to them, "Be gone!" Isaiah 30:22

One person astutely said, "We truly repent when we are finally done with our sin." But we will not get to that place until our appetites change. Only God can do such a work in us that what we once embraced we now abhor, what we once held on to we now abandon, what we once cherished we now despise. I am challenged today with a way to begin praying in regards to a change of appetite for my sin. Imagine the power of prayers like....

"God, help me to see my sin as You see it. Let my sin lose its appeal. May it disgust me and may I be repulsed by it. Let me become so attracted to You that sin would lose its attraction. Let me take it as seriously as You do. Let me remove its mask of beauty to reveal its true nature. For every sin is really an idol that needs to be taken down."

Until we are ready to say "be gone" to the sinful habits that we cater to, our lives remain unchanged. It must become a daily decision on our part to discard and denounce sin.

Father, You want me free. May I let go of those things in my life that are not OF You or FOR You. Amen.

Open and Receptive

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

(I dedicate today's thoughts to friends who presently are facing difficulties and hard decisions without knowing the outcomes. For them, faith has become tenuous and their inner world seems torn. Even so they have not let go of the hand that holds them tightly.)

There are times I want to be so filled up with all that God offers , that I squish when I walk! God is a God of extravagance. He does not use an eye dropper in meeting my needs. He wants to fill me completely with joy and peace. He wants me to abound in hope.

Give people anything in this world. Pour it on them lavishly. Friends, wealth, importance, notoriety, honor, prestige, property....the list is endless. But if their life is absent of joy, peace, or hope those things in and of themselves will not satisfy the longings of their heart. That's why Scripture says a man's life does not consist of the things he owns. The accumulation of external things will never accomplish an internal work.

Many times we make the mistake of thinking a change of job, circumstance, or possession will bring us joy, peace, and hope. But those are needs that can only be supplied by God. We must ask Him to connect us to Himself in such a way that the supply gets through to us. The Bible gives us roadmaps. For peace ~ trust in the Lord with all you heart. For joy ~ rejoice in the Lord always. For hope ~ look onto Jesus.

Imagine praying this verse over yourself or a loved on daily. Replacing the word "you" with the word "me" or with your loved one's name. It is then that God can begin that internal work that brings about radical change.

Father, Your extravagance is beyond my comprehension. Fill me completely. Amen.

As Good As Done

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people. Luke 1:68

The prophecies of Scripture are meant to be more than glimpses into the future, promises of what will happen, and assurances to hold on to. As far as God is concerned, once the words are spoken they are as good as done! Today’s verse is a good example. I noticed as I read it that the phrase “accomplished redemption for His people” is in the past tense. And yet this was spoken before Jesus was even born and definitely before He went to the cross. God does not see things as we see them. We are limited to what we see, feel, touch, and experience at the present. Because God is eternal, He is in attendance in the past, present, and future. Therefore, even before something actually comes about for us it is already as good as done.

This encourages me when I think about spiritual growth. As I journey my way through this life I often feel like the child on his way to a vacation spot asking, “Are we there yet?” With me the question is more, “Am I there yet? Am I getting anywhere? Is this working?” I don’t always see it the way God sees it. I see where I have come from and where I am right now. While I see growth, I also see failure, set backs, and obstacles. While I can revel in victories the path can also be strewn with defeats. I can too easily say, “Yes, I want to be THERE but I know I am HERE right now.” God does not want me to live my Christian life in such a state of mind.

Two verses come to mind this morning. Hebrews 12:2 tells me to fix my eyes on Jesus who is the author and finisher (perfecter) of my faith. And Philippians 1:6 is said with confidence as Paul reminds me that God will finish what He has started in me! In God’s eyes I am not only a project I am a finished product, because it does not all depend on me. He is the One working in me to bring about His purposes. As I listen to Him, cooperate with Him, and follow Him I experience a moment by moment transformation and become what He already sees me to be.

Father, I once again see You as the Potter and myself as the clay. Before I was even born You had me in Your mind and now I am in Your hands. Mold me and make me whatever Your heart desires. Although I don’t always see it, I am complete in Christ. Amen.

Hearing His Whispers

Your ears will hear a word behind you, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right or the left. Isaiah 30:21

I am rejoicing today over God's involvement in my life. He does not send me out on journeys and assignments without His presence. Each step of the way He is behind me with His hand on my shoulder. At pivotal moments, He leans forward and whispers into my ear the direction He would have me to go.

It is imperative that I tune my ears to hear His voice. Many are the distractions that would seek to get me off track. Many are the voices that long to lead me astray. But God is the one who can direct me along the right path ~ His path.

And what about the times I fall to distractions, listen to other voices, and get off track? God faithfully begins the process of wooing me back to Himself. The discomforts of wrong choices are just one way He has of bringing me back to Himself. There is never a point when I cannot turn back to Him. He never forbids my feet from stepping back onto His path. My decision to step away in the first place hurt us both. But after I have repented and rejoined Him, He once again places His hand on my shoulder, leans forward, and whispers, "Welcome back! This is the way, walk in it." That is when I once again know I am where I should be.

Father, You are a gracious Guide and Companion of my journey. I feel Your hand and I listen for Your whispers. Thank you. Amen.

Close Enough to Hear

And looking at them Jesus said to them, "With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." Matthew 19:26

How easy it is to forget these words and the power of them! A friend of mine recently shared with me five darts Satan loves to hurl at me: doubt, discouragement, diversion, defeat, and delay. Last night was one such time. I made the mistake of taking my eyes off the love and character of God and proceeded to look at what seemed to be an impossible situation. But this morning, through another friend, God has reminded me that He is still capable of taking a seemingly impossible situation and changing it into an extremely favorable one. That little phrase has revolutionized my thinking and therefore warded off the darts!

I am a firm believer that any and all discouragement is rooted in lies. It is imperative when I know I am discouraged that I ask myself what lies I am presently believing. Many times those lies are directed at the character of God. They tend to attack one of the five statements Beth Moore is known for:

God is who He says He is!

God can do what He says He can do!

I am who God says I am!

I can do all things through Christ!

God's Word is alive and active in me!

Last night I went to bed hungry to hear God's reassuring voice and longing to feel the embrace of His arms. It was my prayer each time I woke up. This morning BOTH are evident! Has my situation been resolved? No. Will I see God do what I asked Him to do? Maybe. Even so, my spirit has been revived and I am once again ready to hold my head up high and walk with confidence and the realization that God can be trusted. May I not doubt for one minute that God can turn things to me for good and may I not doubt for one minute that if the answer comes back "no" He holds my heart in His hands. His character still rings true! He is sovereign, loving, and in control. THAT is what I am strengthened by today!

Father, keep me close enough to hear Your whispers and to feel the brush of Your wings as they shelter me. Thank you for restoring my soul! Amen!

Asking To Be Taught

It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1

Have you ever seen something in someone’s life and desired to see it evidenced in your own life? One of Jesus’ disciples wanted to be taught to pray. Who better to go to for that lesson than Christ Himself? What would happen if we learned to take our requests before God in the same way this disciple took his request to Jesus?

Can you think of someone who is loving? Imagine praying something like this: Jesus, teach me to be loving like __________. Jesus, teach me to be a good steward of my money like _______________. Jesus, teach me to be a diligent worker like _______________. Jesus, teach me to be forgiving like _______________. Jesus, teach me to be a bold witness like_____________. Oh, the things we could pray for based on the example of individuals in our life! What better way to express what it is we want Him to do in our life, than to find people who exude those qualities and use their life as a basis for what we ask God to give us.

There must have been something in the way John’s disciples prayed that captured this disciple’s attention. What is it that is capturing your attention in another person’s life? It could very well be that God is urging you to bring that particular area to Him so that He can begin to do a similar work in you. You might even start by asking God to open your eyes to the qualities in other people that He wants to instill in you as well. He can do that without taking away your uniqueness.

Understand of course, that sometimes in order for God to teach you something, the learning process may not always be comfortable. I remember asking God to give me an intimate walk with Himself that I noticed in another individual. He is in the process of answering that prayer but the pain involved is great at times. There are things and people I have to let go of in order to be more dependent on Him. He knows this is hard for me but He has assured me there is no other way to get what I asked for. I believe Him and I trust Him.

Father, I see examples all around me of what I desire to learn myself. You are an exquisite teacher and I desire nothing more than to be taught by You. Amen.

Don't Fight the Life Guard

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

God’s ways are truly unique. In an age of self made men and women God’s prescription for salvation and strength remains the same ~ repentance, rest, quietness, and trust. It reminds me of a life guard who swims out to a person who is drowning. All the victim’s efforts are working against him. The more he thrashes around in the water the more his energy drains from him. In an effort to stay alive he may even fight against the one who has come to rescue him. As he ceases trying to save himself and places his life in the able hands of the life guard, it is then that he will be saved.

The same is true in my Christian life. As I read some earlier verses in Isaiah 30:9-11 I was struck with the determination God’s people had to remove themselves from the truth. May I not live my Christian life that way.

I must start with honest introspection. I make a BIG mistake when I decide to hide or cover up my sin. Fig leaves did not work for Adam and Eve and they will not work for me. There is a freedom and strength that comes from finally acknowledging to God what He has known all along. Ask anyone who is recovering from an addiction and they will tell you the first step is admitting you have a problem When I refuse to admit my sin to God I am once again “fighting the life guard.”

When my children were small , part of my parenting was in teaching them to do things for themselves. Yet God’s methods are to teach me to rely and depend on Him. Rest, quietness, and trust are gifts I must learn to value. May I not be found telling God, “I can do it myself.” If I would take all the energy I use trying to figure things out by myself, trying to control situations and people, and trying to get life to work for me, and instead look to God for His wisdom and ways I would then realize my salvation and strength.

Father, You continually extend Your hand and Your heart to me. Help me to trust You more each day. Amen.