Who Are We Listening To?

Thus says the king, "Do not let Hezekiah deceive you ....nor let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD...do not listen to Hezekiah." Isaiah 36:14-16 (New American Standard Bible)

We have to be so careful who we listen to. Everything that is said to us must be filtered through truth. The Assyrian messengers were seeking to chip away at those things which would hinder Israel from giving in to their requests. So much was being questioned and the accusations were arrows which were meant to wound and defeat. They were bringing in to question the worthiness of God's man, God's message, and God's character. Planting seeds of doubt was the same tactic Satan used with Eve. We must know the truth and hold it up against all attacks.

When a person's words line up with Scripture there is a foundation established that allows for truth to be given and received. No one wants to be deceived. It is a heart wrenching experience to wake up one day and realize you trusted the wrong source or stood on the wrong foundation.

It is one thing to be the victim of a financial scam or to purchase something that did not live up to its claim. But the worst case scenario is when the deception wreaks havoc on our view of God and the Christian life. Each of us wants to believe we are being told the truth about God when we hear a sermon, listen to a speaker, or read a book. Beth Moore says, "If the teaching you are sitting under is causing your view of God to get smaller, you are being deceived." So true!!!!

I want to surround myself with people who have a huge view of God. I want their excitement, passion, and love for God and the Scriptures to infect and affect me. For years I knew God could do anything but believed He was unwilling to do most things. I had such an extremely small view of His heart. But now I do two things that grow my view. I ask God to show me the truth about His heart and character in Scripture and I soak up as much teaching as I can that helps to enlarge my view of Him.

The Assyrian messengers had it all wrong. Their words could not survive when placed under the microscope of truth.

Father, let me ever live in the truth about You. Amen.

The One Who Holds Our Hand

The steps of a man are established by the LORD, and He delights in his way. When he falls, he will not be hurled headlong, because the LORD is the One who holds his hand. Psalm 37:23-25 (New American Standard Bible)

I love the thought within this verse. It shows human tendencies and Divine intervention! Within the Christian life there are strides of victory as well as times of faltering and falling. Ask any mountain climber to show you his bumps and bruises as he tells of his uphill adventures. I assure you, he has them to show! He will also let you know it is par for the course. There is no way to avoid them all. The same is true for any of us who have a walk of faith in this world. We will have our share of “falling” but the LORD is definitely the One who holds our hand!

When my children were small and learning to walk, they never went completely down if I had a hold of their hand. God wants me to see that picture of Him each day. Holding my hand, standing guard, watching over me. He is attentive to every need that arises and every situation that presents itself. This personal aspect of Him touches me deeply this morning. I drink in the reminder and it quenches the thirst of my spirit!

I sensed His hand holding me yesterday as I waded through thoughts and issues with Him. I took comfort in the fact that He already knew the fears and misgivings that had welled up within me. It became a time of taking Him up on His invitation to talk to Him about the very things that were bothering me. I didn’t have to hold back or hide any details. All the while I talked, I sensed no surprise or condemnation on His part. Honest dialogue with God has got to be part of every day’s experiences. It is part of the climb.

I don’t know about anyone else, but when I have been through a time of candid conversation with God, I come away amazed at the result. It is a time once again whereby He assures me He has a hold of my hand and is not going to let me go completely down. His grip is secure through it all.

So for any who would harbor secret thoughts about God, themselves, or others, find some time today to confide in Him. He will hold your hand and listen with interest. How gracious that the One who knows us so intimately still desires to hear the sound of our voice. May we each walk through this day feeling His hand on us.

Father, keep showing me the aspects of Yourself that I have often missed. Your tenderness and attentiveness astound me. Amen.

Reclaiming Who He Made

Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" Genesis 3:9 (New American Standard Bible)

Where was Adam? Hiding! Denying his actions! Living his life the opposite of how God intended for him to live! I can relate! All of us can at one time or another. God’s heart-probing questions throughout today have uncovered A LOT! Tonight, I sit in stunned amazement at not only what He has shown me but also what He wants me to start doing. I have spent the day trying to discern my own melancholy mood and tonight God has helped me to see the root and reason for it. I’ve been hiding, denying, and living opposite! Let me explain.

I have been trying to deny the person God made me to be while attempting to become the person I thought I was suppose to be. The bottom line? I was miserable. I am a people person! I love people and I enjoy connecting with them. A painful situation last year caused me to think it might be better if I shut this part of myself down and become a little less open to relationships. That was suppose to insure no further pain or disappointment. What it actually did was hinder me from enjoying an aspect of life that God instilled within me to enjoy! It would be like a nature lover deciding to never venture outside again. Or a mountain climber to avoid any more high altitude moments. Or an artist to put up his brushes and paints in order to devote the rest of his life to coal mining. Setting aside what they have a passion for in exchange for something that isn’t really meant for them.

Are there risks involved if I open myself up to relationships again? Absolutely! But I think back to the many precious relationships God has blessed me with and I wouldn’t trade what I gained from them for the world. There are bound to be goodbyes along the way and painful separations. I will have to continue to guard against emotional dependency. But I don’t want to miss the treasure for fear of possible pain. I well remember that for me the most painful separation came out of the most precious interaction. I know that God has many more friendships and relationships ahead as I learn to trust Him for them and see them for the gifts they are.

I am ready to stop denying this God-given part of myself and to start enjoying life again. I am not sure what will come of it but it certainly has to be better than what I have been experiencing for the last number of months!

Father, I feel alive again as I open myself up to all that You have in store for me. Thank you for who You created me to be! Amen.

When There is None to Help

Be not far from me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help. Psalm 22:11 (New American Standard Bible)

For any who have looked in places or to sources other than God, these words will eventually be their own. There are so many verses in the Psalms in which David is expressing the thoughts of my own heart. His cries for deliverance and help, his hunger for God, his feelings of loneliness and distress, his fears and insecurities, and his realization that God is his refuge and strength. Often are the times I relate with him!

People can do a lot of things for me. They can cheer me up, encourage me, walk with me through issues, comfort me, pray for me, advise me, draw my attention back toward God, and just be there for me. But I am coming to realize what they cannot do is deliver me from the troubles of life or the turmoils of my internal world.

There are 367 verses in the Old Testament alone that speak of deliverance. Most refer to deliverance from troubles, enemies, sin, or weaknesses. In those cases, it is God who is doing the delivering or being asked to do the delivering. For they saw what we need to see….God is the only true Helper and Deliverer! Thinking we can do it ourselves or that we can find someone to do it for us will eventually lead to disappointment and discouragement.

That use to bother me but any more it becomes a life lesson to me because it brings me back to the truth that God is the One I need. David said it this way many times, “You, O Lord, are my Rock, my Fortress, my Deliverer, my Strength, my Helper, my Healer, my Redeemer, my Hiding Place, my Shelter, my Restorer, my Protector, my Counselor, my Guide, my Instructor, my Stronghold, my Defense, my God…..my All in all!” Within any situation or circumstance, that list needs to become my personal mantra. No one else’s name can or should be slipped into it! No one!

Once this becomes settled in my heart and mind, it will be easier for me to see the place people ARE suppose have. It will no longer be a “balancing act” for me to see when I should seek out the help and advice of others. For now, that still is not clear and I am looking to God teach me the truth. He alone knows what hinders and blocks me from being free in this area.

Father, David knew how to cry out to You for EVERYTHING! I want to live my life like that. Teach me and change me! Amen.

Watching, Waiting, and Being Heard

Therefore, I will look unto the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me. Micah 7:7 (King James Version)

My actions follow decisions I make in my mind. It is interesting how many phrases are found in scripture that begin with "I will." I will bless the Lord at all times. I will lift up mine eyes to the hills. To name just a couple.

In Micah 7:7 I see two "I wills" and one "God will." Micah had a predetermined plan for when the difficulties of life arose. Problems are inevitable in this life. We cannot escape pain, suffering, loss, or disappointment. Sorrows cannot always be avoided but we can choose ahead of time what our course of action and attitude will be when the storms of life do come crashing in on us.

First, we can look to God. Watch expectantly as the New American Standard Bible says. Look to Him for direction, provision, protection, security, encouragement, counsel, empowerment, intervention, and rest. He can give us the pioneer spirit to continue on in the adventures and valleys of life.

Then we can wait on Him. Scripture says, "They that wait on the Lord, shall renew their strength." The children of Israel fastened their eyes on the pillar of fire by night and pillar of cloud by day. They waited for movement in the sky before moving forward on the earth. Waiting on God is not wasted time or blind faith. It is wisely aligning myself with God's timetable and plan. The waiting time is productive when spent drawing close to Him, recounting His faithfulness in the past, praying without ceasing, and standing on the truths learned so far. As I wait on God I can rest assured He is either preparing me or preparing others for what lies ahead.

The most assuring words in this verse are the promise that my God will hear me. He not only hears my words but He understands my thoughts and motives as well. I find that His desire is for me to be honest with Him. Fears, doubts, discouragement, and confusion always super-size themselves when buried in the deep places of my heart. They tend to dissipate as I voice them out loud to God either verbally or in written form.

Waiting does not mean inactivity. It simply means to continue at the task at hand until He opens the way for movement forward. That is why I am so encouraged by my Bible ancestors and the precious examples they left for me to follow.

Father, how comforting to know that my words to You never fall on deaf hears, inattention, bored looks, or sighs of exasperation. Amen.

Fashioned by His Hands

This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24 (New King James Version)

An email to a friend last night revealed disappointment and discontentment. Not with her but with the way things weren’t. I was begrudging the fact that the people I want in my life aren’t. For one reason or another, they are no longer involved. I no sooner sent the email when God began to speak to my heart about that issue and my attitude toward it. He challenged me with the question, “What if I chose to live each day with anticipation and expectation of what He had for me?” This meant approaching each day with an eagerness to see who God would cross my path with and what experiences He would bring into THAT day. Wishing for and wanting what is not mine, robs me of the joy and rejoicing that would be mine if I chose it.

I went to sleep with that thought on my mind and this morning I was awakened with the words of Psalm 118:24. Today is a day God has fashioned. Just like He created the world, He has made THIS day. He has put His time, energy, love, and creativity into each part. Today has been designed with care, not just randomly thrown together. Within this day will be opportunities to minister to others as well as be ministered to. I don’t want to miss any of it! I don’t want to continue sacrificing the day on my own altar of wishes, wants, and longings. I want to cultivate a heart of contentment, satisfaction, and rejoicing in the day with which God gifts me. That is only possible as I begin to live in the NOW and to practice His presence TODAY!

While the molding of this day is God’s doing, the rejoicing and being glad involves my will. It is a conscious decision I must make and a choice I must embrace. The wonderful part is that even when it is difficult, He is willing to give me the grace to rejoice! He can help me enter this day with wide open eyes of wonder and amazement. He has beauty, surprises, and treasures just waiting to be seen and discovered. How His heart must ache when I miss them due to wrong focus or desires. This is not meant to be just an ordinary day, although it may be filled with ordinary moments. It is meant to be an extraordinary day because it has been designed by an extraordinary God!

Do I still miss the people I was thinking of last night? Yes! Do I still wish they were a part of my life and journey? Absolutely! But God’s ways are higher than my ways and my heart is resting in that truth today!

Father, I confess to You my covetousness and discontentment. How You long for me to receive the gift You have prepared for me in this day! May there be no more missing of any moments. Amen.

Knowing the Truth

The LORD has appeared of old to me, saying: “ Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you. Jeremiah 31:3 (New King James Version)

I am so glad that God let us know the many things about Himself and His heart! He did not wait until eternity to tell us of His love and care. He has made sure it is mentioned on pretty much every page of Scripture. His words are meant to minister to us and reassure us as we walk our path of life. I am delighted He chose to speak plainly of His love, forgiveness, presence, purposes, protection, attention, acceptance, and desires. It has never been His intent that I go through life unaware and unaccepting of His spoken truth. It can never be said of Him, “But you didn’t tell me how you felt!”

It is difficult to go through life desiring the love and acceptance of someone and not feeling that you have it. Or to know that you had it at one time and now believe it is no longer there. While there are times when that may very well be the case, I am coming to realize how often my perception is my reality. The person may in fact care deeply for me but if I believe the opposite than I will live out of my own belief and I will miss the joy of living in the truth. I am a long way from wholeness in this area, but I am choosing to take the first step in admitting my problem is more my perception than it is the other person.

I marvel that at one time, for years, my perception of God was such that I couldn’t receive all the truths I listed in the earlier part of this devotional. When my view of Him was so skewed, it affected my relationship with Him and response to Him. I was blind and deaf to the things He was saying in His Word. As He has opened my eyes and my ears to the truth about Himself, I am able to believe and receive that truth. It is what is changing me!

God is using that experience to give me hope that the same can be true of human relationships. Just as He revealed to me the harm my false perceptions of Him were doing and the freedom that resulted when I embraced the truth, He is now showing me the harm my perceptions of others is doing and the liberty that will be mine as I embrace the truth about them. Past lessons learned always become precious examples of what is possible in present situations.

Father, it is easy but harmful to walk in deception. Keep showing me where my thinking is off. Help me to live out my days with open eyes and ears to the truth about You, others, and myself. Amen.