A Perfect Fit

It will also come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear. Isaiah 65:24 (New American Standard Bible)

I cannot tell you the number of times I have asked God a question or brought a problem to Him and He would give me the answer within the written words of His children. Sometimes these words were written many years ago and at other times they were recently penned. My point is that long before I asked He was already nudging someone to write out the very thing I needed to hear. This morning has been no different. As I read a devotional book entitled Jesus Calling I was struck by the exact nature of the words being the very thing I had talked with God about yesterday.

Yesterday was a day when my own weaknesses and searching surfaced. Frustration grew as I knew I still had tendencies to try and get needs met through relationships. There came a point when I wanted God to fix me in such a way that the needs would not be apparent to me and therefore I would not seek the meeting of those needs through others. I not only saw my “sources” as a problem, I saw the actual needs as a problem. Little did I realize that God intended to clear up my thinking in regards to this ongoing issue. What I was missing yesterday was shown to me in a precious way through the words of Sarah Young who wrote them four years ago! I share them with you now. Keep in mind that she writes as if Jesus is doing the talking.

Your needs and My riches are a perfect fit. I never meant for you to be self-sufficient. Instead, I designed you to need Me not only for daily bread but also for fulfillment of deep yearnings. I carefully crafted your longings and feelings of incompleteness, to point you to Me. Therefore, do not try to bury or deny these feelings. Beware also of trying to pacify these longings with lesser gods: people, possessions, power.

Come to Me in all your neediness, with defenses down and with desire to be blessed. As you spend time in My Presence, your deepest longings are fulfilled. Rejoice in your neediness, which enables you to find intimate completion in Me.

I am reminded once again of how lovingly and graciously God works to prepare answers for me long before I ask, so that when I ask I have no trouble hearing the answer. For years, I missed this aspect of Him and now I delight in it time and time again.

Father, my journey is filled with moments of Your perfect timing. I find pleasure in the times when my questions and Your answers come together with such unity and completion. Amen.

Will Lift My Eyes - Bebo Norman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FtAjrNqEsoM&feature=related

When Others are in Need

To bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. Isaiah 61:3 (New International Version)

I have known what it was like to choose ashes, mourning, and despair over beauty, gladness, and praise. Those were not times of joy and delight for me or those close to me. Consumed with feelings of hopelessness and sorrow left me with little ability to see the light at the end of my tunnel as anything but an on coming train! The exchange of my crown, oil, and garment came through God’s work in my life and He often used books, music, and significant people. One person in particular saw my struggles and knew the truth of what God could do. She patiently and persistently reminded me of that truth until it made its way into my mind and heart. Do I still have days where the old ways of thinking and acting are evident? Absolutely! But those days are fewer and farther between and their duration is definitely shorter. It is still a journey and process of growth.

Now I am finding myself on the other end of the scenario as a person in my life is struggling with a propensity toward negativity and despair. He cannot see the hand of God in his life and squirms under the weight of his present circumstances. What I know to be true is that while he doesn’t have a choice in where he is at or why he is there, he does have a choice in how he views it all and what attitude he will carry throughout his days. My responsibility is not to change his heart, alter his circumstances, or allow his mindset to become mine. I in no way am to become a fellow pit dweller with him. That would benefit neither one of us. What I am to do, however, is pray Scripture over his life, speak truth to him when he wants to talk things out, and keep directing his attention back toward the One who views him as precious in His sight. In order to do that I must be daily reviewing truth myself, connecting with God, and choosing God’s view of things over my own.

I cannot give to this person anything I do not first possess for myself and I will not possess those things through any other source but God Himself. I have been ministered to in powerful ways and now I am poised to do the same for another in need. With that in mind, I anticipate with joy the way God is going to work in mighty ways. He will show us that His ways and thoughts are higher than our own. In that I delight!

Father, I look to You to help the one who is struggling. He is Your son and the clay upon Your potter’s wheel. I entrust his heart, mind, and life to You. Amen.

Go Light Your World - Kathy Troccoli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVSHCbolJew&feature=related

He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food. Job 36:16

His View of Me

And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Jeremiah 18:4 (New King James Version)

There are times when I so regret decisions I have made and things I have done. The worst of them is when I feel I have spoiled, corrupted, ruined, or injured God’s plans for me and hence His thoughts of me. In the spring of 2004, God placed me on a journey with Himself that continues to this day. The starting point of that journey was in realizing that His love was not dependent upon what I was doing. My perception that He was tolerating me more than loving me had to give way to the truth of His unconditional and unchanging love. It was a truth that flipped my Christian life upside down and forever changed my view of God.

Last night, God brought to light another truth that was just as profound and He used today’s verse to do it. While my view of God had been through a change, I needed to realize something about His view of me. I thought He viewed me as a marred vessel in His hands and that I would continue to be seen as such. I couldn’t see that I was anything but a disappointment to Him because of the failures that still weighed heavy on my mind and heart. I couldn’t get beyond the shame of the issues that arose from my own struggles with emotional dependency. It had a three-fold effect on me…how I viewed myself, how I felt others view me, and how I felt God viewed me. I felt I had let myself, others, and God down and the opinions that resulted from it would forever be my weight to carry. How far from the truth I was living!

What God so graciously showed me was that He views me as one whom He is remaking in a way that seems good to Him. He is presently forming me into another vessel which will be different from the former vessel. In His eyes, I am not ruined but rather in process of being changed. He is not finished yet but what changes have taken place so far are just a glimpse of what is yet to come.

Once again I am reminded of the words I first heard from author and speaker, Lisa Bevere. “My past does not define me or my future!” When God looks at me, He does not see the person I was a year or two ago. That person is gone as far as He is concerned and He wants it to be the same for me. My question needs to be, “Who am I now and who will I be in the future?” My past along with my sins have been buried in His sea of forgetfulness. May I no longer don their garments again.

Father, knowing Your view of me is changing the view I have of myself. The view I have of myself will change the way I think others view me. I rest in Your hands as a marred vessel no longer. Amen.

Heal the Wound - Point of Grace
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3g_dhYDQIdg

Perhaps this devotional has been forwarded to you by a friend. If what you are reading is touching your spirit and increasing your thirst for God then you are one of the reasons I write them. I want to extend a personal invitation to you to join my email devotional family and allow me to send them to you directly! Simply send an email to shattuck7@sbcglobal.net and request to be added to my devotional list. It would be my honor and privilege to do so.

In Need of His Help

He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Isaiah 53:3 (New International Version)

It is not a pleasant picture to see the words which describe the “reception” Jesus received when He walked among the very ones He not only created but the ones He came to die for and redeem. Despised, rejected, sorrow, suffering, and not esteemed. I am trying to picture my reaction if I were treated in such a way. It doesn’t have to be that extreme for my instincts to kick in. Just the perception that I am being rejected, disliked, or merely tolerated is enough to cause me to back away from the source. Yet, Jesus never backed away but continued to initiate relationships.

True initiators don’t consider the response of the one they are reaching out to. They don’t limit their actions to the actions of others. They see a need and they take the first step to meet it even if that step is never appreciated, acknowledged, or wanted. They don’t wait for the other person to “get their act together.” They don’t avoid risk. They don’t stay away from uncomfortable scenarios. They reach out and then reach out some more. That is so like God and so unlike me.

I am reminded once again how necessary God’s intervention is in my life. Becoming an initiator will take a supernatural work in me. To step away from how something will make me feel and focus on how it will meet the needs of others and bring pleasure to God will require a lot of help from God.

Who better to teach me than the One today’s verse refers to. After all, He knows why I hesitate to make others feel welcome when I am feeling unwelcome. Why I won’t risk reaching out to any who might reject me. Why feeling unwanted or unnoticed makes me withdraw rather than spurs me on to actions of love. While I am so far from His example I am within reach of His help and I am asking for that help.

Part of the answer is quick in coming. It means living my life less controlled by my perceptions and feelings and more empowered by His Spirit. I know what it is like to try and fix things on my own and it is not working. My answers and solutions are faulty at best. It is time to allow God to create in me a clean heart out of which will flow the right words and actions.

Father, take me farther. Amen.

His Strength is Perfect ~ Steven Curtis Chapman
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LC_lld_vUCY

He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food. Job 36:16

The Targeted Place of Attack

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 1 Peter 2:11 (New American Standard Bible)

The truth I must realize and embrace is that my unhealthy lusts, desires, passions, impulses, and longings can have an effect on my soul. My soul is that which houses my mind, will, and emotions. I am an emotional person. So much of what I do and think about is driven by my emotions. Once those emotions are ignited, the heat and flames are actually coming against my soul which is as much a real part of me as my skin and bones. What I think about, determine to do, and strongly feel are all birthed out of my soul. Affect my soul and you affect those three components of my soul.

The enemy knows this. God’s Word is clear that my daily battles are more against him than against my flesh or anyone else’s flesh and his target is my soul. He can’t reach my spirit because my spirit is already seated at the right hand of God in Christ. My spirit is alive in Christ and connected to Christ. It is not a place the enemy can touch but my soul is another story all together. If he is able to gain some ground in that area, he is able to effectively bring about some painful consequences and sinful behavior.

This is a more serious problem than whether or not something bothers me or my feelings get hurt. So often, those consumes my attention and energy. God is inviting me to see the bigger picture. It is the attack upon my soul that robs me of peace, joy, and contentment. It is the attack upon my soul that spirals me into pits of darkness. It is the attack upon my soul that causes me to withdraw into places of pain and back away from God given sources of encouragement. Most importantly, it is the attack upon my soul that makes me unproductive and limited within God’s kingdom work.

So how do I counter the attacks? First, I stand on the premise that the battle belongs to the Lord. That includes the fighting of that battle and the outcome. Second, I ready myself with the armor of Ephesians 6:13-18. Third, I stand in truth and resist the lies. Fourth, I connect daily to God and God’s people. Fifth, I renew my thinking with truthful thoughts. Sixth, I place my dependency and focus upon God more than upon myself and others.

It is going to be a busy day as God and I stand guard over my soul. When I come to the end of this day and retire for the evening I want to hear Him whisper to me, “Well, done, my good and faithful servant!”

Father, the puzzle piece of truth You gave to me this morning is a powerful one. Keep teaching me and showing me the truths that will protect me and set me free. Amen.

The Battle Belongs to The Lord - Spiritual Warfare
http://youtube.com/watch?v=DMZ8D6nTKhg

I welcome your questions and comments to any devotional thoughts. I am honored and delighted to share my journey with you and privileged to hear of yours.

The Promise of Accomplishment

The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O LORD, is everlasting; do not forsake the works of Your hands. Psalm 138:8 (New American Standard Bible)

There are times I mistakenly think the accomplishing of things in my life is left up to me. With enough grit, with enough determination, with enough self control, with enough discipline I can do it…or so I tell myself. But I have had to learn that the Christian life is not about self improvement. It is about God’s accomplishments in me. He is the One developing my character. He is the One molding me into the image of His Son. He is the One weakening and demolishing the strongholds of my heart. While I certainly must cooperate with Him, I must never forget He is the One doing the completing of my transformation.

He accomplishes His work in me through two avenues….His loving kindness and His persistence. Although His techniques may seem harsh at times, they are always driven by a heart of love. Though I may at times throw up my hands in despair and discouragement, He remains an ever present Help. Though the areas of change in my life may seem impossible to comprehend or realize, He knows the beginning from the end. He knows what He will use to change me and how long it will take. While I may continually realize, “I am not there yet,” God’s answer is always, “I am not finished yet.”

Last night, I met with a study group and we ended our study with a discussion about addictions and deliverance. I had one example of deliverance in my life I could attest to and it was a deliverance from the addiction to junk food. It wasn’t a matter of self control on my part but rather a transformation of my thinking and God setting me free from something that controlled me from youth up.

At the same time, I had to admit there are still areas in my life wherein I seek deliverance. I live with an internal frustration that those areas of weakness and addiction are still very much a part of me no matter how much I detest them. What I know is this. The same principles of deliverance in the area of eating are necessary for my other areas. Deliverance will come through the avenue of renewed thinking, acknowledging of the truth, and the over all work of God in my life. I cannot change myself but I can experience change as I go through the steps of metamorphosis that God designed for me. Today is not the end of my story. There is still much for God to redeem, renew, and restore in me. His potter’s wheel and His gentle hands still move to the beat of His own heart.

Father, I have grown impatient with the process and timing of Your work in me. Forgive me for doubting that You will indeed accomplish that which concerns me. I know in the end it will be astounding. Amen.

Kathy Troccoli sings "My Life Is In Your Hands"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlmYxZAgrGI

He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food. Job 36:16

Eyes Fixed On Him

O our God, will you not judge them? For we are powerless before this great multitude who are coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are on You. 2 Chronicles 20:12 (New American Standard Bible)

When the children of Israel journeyed through the wilderness they kept their eyes on the cloud during the day and on the pillar of fire at night. These signs assured them of two things: God's presence and God's direction in their life. There are many instances in Scripture when God would display a physical manifestation as a way for His children to be reminded of who He was. The rainbow after the flood reminded them that God keeps His promises. The bronze serpent on the pole reminded them that He is a God who heals.

This morning God wants me to see what it is I need to remember about Him. The times when I feel powerless to withstand the storms of life I am reminded that He is my protector and provider. When I have no idea what to do, He can give me direction. All the things that overwhelm or confuse me are opportunities for me to keep my eyes on Him.

How intently am I watching Him? Like an orchestra who watches and follows the conductor, like a well trained dog who watches his master's every move I don't want to miss the slightest movement of His hand or smallest inflection of His voice. It is so easy to try and come up with my own plans and my own sources of security. But when I learn to fix my gaze on Him and tune my ear to hear what He has to say to me, then I am poised for His direction and enablement.

The Christian life is not meant to be a solo journey lived out in my own strength and wisdom. It is a cooperative effort between God and me. He has so much to teach and show me. Any attention I place on Him is not wasted or in vain. He delights when I depend on Him, wait on Him, listen to Him, obey Him, look to Him, confide in Him, follow Him, and trust Him.

I have no trouble knowing when my eyes are directed on to someone or something other than God. Those are the times when hurt, disappointment, and discontentment mark my mind and path more than peace, joy, and delight. While I may not always be able to avoid a shift in my focus, I definitely can choose to redirect my attention back toward God at any time. He is aware of the times I fail in this area and He is also aware of the times I get it right and do it right. Today is a day to ask for His anointing and touch on my eyes to keep them directed toward Him. To allow Him to be my focus.

Father, You have my attention. May I hear and see what you have for me today. Amen.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus - Newsboys
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQzAYQE-U4Q

I welcome your questions and comments to any devotional thoughts. I am honored and delighted to share my journey with you and privileged to hear of yours.