When the Brook Dries Up

It happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there was no rain in the land. Then the word of the LORD came to him. 1 Kings 17:7 (New American Standard Bible)

If we misunderstand the purpose and tentative nature of our God-given places of spiritual refreshment and sustenance we can be in for a time of great confusion and discouragement. One of the biggest and yet most difficult lessons for me to learn in my Christian life has been the temporary nature of the very things God provides me with for a time. The first time the brook of relationship dried up for me it sent me reeling. It shook the false foundation of security I was standing on and I was sent back to the very basics of my faith.

It was a time when the temptation ran strong to never again open my heart to a meaningful, significant relationship. The option that played in my mind was to distance myself from ever again experiencing the pain of loss. I feared I could not trust myself to not repeat the same mistakes if I were to cross paths with another caring and nurturing person. I bought into the lie of the enemy that there would never be change and never be freedom for me in this area. God knew better and now I do as well. It has taken nearly two years but I am finally living out of the truth of God’s intentions.

First, I had to see God’s purposeful gift of friendships to me. There are things He wants to teach and show me through other believers. I cannot read Scripture and not see the power of relationship that God means for each of His children. Every significant person that God has ever crossed my path with has left a profound mark on my life and I would not be the person I am today were it not for God’s use of them in my life.

Second, I had to see that although God was using them in mighty ways the focus still had to be on Him. He was the One pouring the very things through them that I needed. While they were the vessels, He was the Source. Their words of encouragement and life were coming from Him.

Third, I had to come to a peaceful resolve that none of them were meant to be a permanent part of my life….at least not in such a hands on and personal way. Once the purpose for their involvement was fulfilled there would be a shift of access and activity. They would no longer be the ones I took questions to or from whom I sought advice. It wasn’t rejection or abandonment. It was a drying up and leading on. There would be new directions we both would go and yet never without God’s continued watch care and voice.

I originally wrote this devotional in October of 2008. I read it now for refreshment and needed review. Since the first writing, God has allowed me the precious experience of new significant relationships and I praise Him for allowing me to live out the truth of what He showed me a year and a half ago.

Father, I have sat beside the dried beds of friendship and struggled to move forward. Thank you that the steps are finally being taken to enter the new places You have for me. Amen.

For Good
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzrGFQysfYU

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

What Stands in the Way?

Then Moses said to the LORD, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." Exodus 4:10 (New American Standard Bible)

When God called Moses to go to Egypt as His spokesperson and to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, Moses had two responses that he felt stood in the way of God’s plan working. First, he pointed to the possibility that the people would not listen to him or believe God had really spoken to him. God’s response? Moses was given three miraculous signs to give as proof that God had spoken to him. Second, he presented his limitation of a speech impediment. He did not see himself as a great orator and believed that would stand in the way of the message he was to deliver. God’s response? I made the mouth and I know what I am doing. While Moses could see the problems he was missing the power that came from God alone.

Am I not guilty of the same thing every time I allow my thoughts and fears to stand in the way when it comes to sharing my faith? I can so easily focus on how I think others will respond and how I might not say things just right. I can then allow those fears to stop me from even opening my mouth. When that happens, I miss the truth of what God is able to do. The results of witnessing must always be left up to Him. He alone can open the ears, eyes, and hearts of individuals to receive truth about the gospel. He chooses to use us with all our weaknesses and limitations as sharers of the good news! Rather than be a hindrance to God, our inabilities showcase His power and might.

Just as in the case of Moses, God knows what He is doing and who He wants to use to do it. The more the weaknesses the more profoundly it is seen that the results are coming from Him. We are the ones who deem ourselves unqualified and unusable, NOT God! God wants us to see that He can use our experiences, failures, weaknesses, personalities, deficiencies, and handicaps as we share His Word to keep us dependent on Him. Will everyone listen to and accept what we tell them? No, just like Pharaoh and the Egyptians did not listen to Moses. That was not due to Moses’ lack of skill but rather their heart condition.

We often mistakenly think if people do not accept God’s message then we have failed at presenting it in the right way. Not true! We have only failed if we have failed to share!

Father, may my confidence to witness to others be found in You. May I begin opening my mouth and then trust You to work and accomplish things in ways that only You can. Amen.

People Need the Lord - Steve Green
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AibBR6j2g54

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

When in Doubt

For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all. Exodus 5:23 (New King James Version)

Moses did not start out as a man of faith and God knew this when He called him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt. Moses’ first words back to God at the burning bush voiced his doubts. He doubted the people would listen to or believe him. He doubted his ability to be God’s spokesman to Israel or Pharaoh. He doubted that God would do what He said He would do. He looked at others, himself, and his circumstances and each gave him enough “proof” to doubt the very words of God. He doubted God’s call, God’s pledge, God’s power, and God’s nature. In essence, he was saying, “This is not turning out the way I thought it would, therefore, You are not keeping Your end of the bargain up, God.”

What does God do with our doubts? The same thing He did with Moses’ doubts. He restates the truth about Himself and His promises. He did not condemn Moses for what he said….actually God welcomes our honesty. He knows our thoughts even before the words come out of our mouth. What followed Moses’ statements was God’s proclamation of who He was and what He was going to do. He said, “I am the LORD. I will bring you out from under Egypt’s burden. I will free you from Egypt’s bondage. I will rescue you. I will take you to myself. I will be your God. I will bring you to the land I promised to your forefathers.” God was letting Moses know that no amount of difficulties, no lapse of time, no opposition can thwart His plans and purposes. Moses had to see that God’s truth always trumps his own problems and perspectives.

So what is it I must carry away with me this morning? That which I know to be true concerning God and what He has promised. In the face of anything this life throws at me, I must stand in and speak the truth. God is God. He is all powerful, all present, and all knowing. He will not leave me. He will finish the work He started in me. He will deliver me from strongholds. He will bring about His plans and purposes for my life. He will guide my steps. He will direct my path. He will bring about His ending to my story. His is my God. He is my Rock. He is my Fortress. He is faithful, trustworthy, and unchanging. He has me inscribed on the palms of His hands, keeps me under the shadow of His wings, tells me I am the apple of His eye, and holds me with His right hand. Will I face difficulties? Yes. Will circumstances get hard? Absolutely. Will there be tests of my faith and character? Definitely. Will I go through things that are uncomfortable and troublesome? Without a doubt. But none of that changes the truth statements about God. None of it!

Father, strengthen my eyes of faith. Let Your truth stand out dramatically above all that I think, see, feel, and experience. Help me to be a woman of faith. Amen.

You're Still God - Kathy Troccoli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvclzwpAMxg

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

In the Midst of Present Life

The chief jailer did not supervise anything under Joseph's charge because the LORD was with him; and whatever he did, the LORD made to prosper. Genesis 39:23 (New American Standard Bible)

I could write a book on the treasures found in Genesis 39. As I read it, my mind races from scene to scene trying to grasp all the nuances of truth that flow from each verse. Joseph, in the midst of captivity and imprisonment, experiences the presence of God, privilege, position, prosperity, favor, and trust (first as a slave then as a prisoner). Whether it was Potipher’s house or Pharoah’s prison, his captor’s saw that God was with him and caused whatever he did to prosper. They both put Joseph in charge of everything they owned. Who, but God, knew these places of imprisonment were training grounds for when Joseph would later be in charge of Egypt?

If I read this aspect of Joseph’s life and come away thinking how nice that was for Joseph, but fail to see personal application for myself, I have reduced my time in Scripture to mere reading and historical fact finding. God wants more for me and so do I! He wants me to embrace the truth that when life is hard or unfair, He is with me. When I am in the midst of my own places of bondage, He is with me. When my present circumstances are dark and the light of my future looks dim, He is with me. When the people in my life seem to hold control over my life, He is with me. When the freedom to be what I want, do what I want, and go where I want is limited for the time being, He is with me. When I am living with the painful consequences of choices made by me or others, He is with me. When I am separated from the ones I love, He is with me. When I don’t understand what is happening, He is with me. When I don’t experience change in my situation, He is with me. His presence rather than my problem or “prison” must be the ruling factor of my life!

I also want to begin living with an awareness of how God prospers the things I do. Asking Him to open my eyes to the moments of promotion, favor, and positions He affords to me now and the preparation being done in me for what lies ahead. Joseph’s time of preparation and training was approximately 13 years not counting his pre-Egypt days. Mine has been 6. When I stand in the place He is right now preparing me for, I want to exclaim with passion, “I KNEW You could do this, God!” rather than gasp with amazement, “I had no idea!”

Father, fill me with the wonder of Your presence in my life and the adventure of Your work in me! Lead me out of my own thoughts of mediocrity and insignificance into the very essence and preciousness of being Your cherished daughter! Amen.

My Life is in Your Hands - Kathy Troccoli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlmYxZAgrGI&feature=related

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

A Place With No Food

Joseph also provided his father and his brothers and all his father's household with food, according to the number of their children. There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine. Genesis 47:12-13 (New International Version)

For seven years, under the leadership of Joseph, food was stored up to prepare for a coming famine which would also last for seven years. When the famine hit, the food was available in abundance but one had to go to where the food was present. Joseph’s family came to him and he graciously provided nourishment for them. Outside of those stored up food parameters was a wasting away.

There is a parallel of spiritual truth for me that I am seeing in this passage. God offers me what I need in the way of significance, worth, value, and identity in abundance. All I could desire. All I could hope for. All I could receive. If I go to Him, I am in a position to receive. If I turn to other places, where the supply is not present, I will waste away and languish.

So where are the places of famine I find myself returning to time and time again? Where are the regions of deprivation and starvation? Relationships. Not all relationships. Some are rich, pleasurable, and balanced. In those, I am free to encourage and be encouraged. Free to interact without being entangled in emotional dependency. Free to spend time without desiring to never leave or fearing being left. Yet, what God means for good can sometimes become twisted, distorted, and out of place.

Rather than remain a healthy friendship the relationship becomes one in which I begin looking to the other person to give me what only God can provide….worth, value, significance, identity, security, a real sense of being loved, and an ability to love in return. Emotions vacillate between expectations and disappointments until the realization that I am putting this person in God’s place in my life flashes like neon lights.

It use to be if one such relationship ended I immediately looked for another to replace it. How futile the search has been! Only now, as I find the necessity to back away from one I’ve grown dependent on in an unhealthy way, am I realizing a desire to turn where the “food” is. To seek God as I have sought people. To learn how to be nourished by Him, sustained by Him, and fed by Him. Only now.

Father, the years of scrounging for food in places of famine have taken their toll on me. I am hungry (famished) and I come to You…my Bread of Life. Amen.

By Your Side - Tenth Avenue North
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJODOpe_M8E&feature=related

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

His Work and His Time

I will drive them out before you little by little, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land. Exodus 23:30 (New American Standard Bible)

God gave the children of Israel insight into the way He would lead them into the promised land and how He would bring them to the place of possessing that promised land. As they walked in obedience with Him, He would drive out their enemies and cause His people to be fruitful and to acquire the land of promise. Their inheritance and territory! It would not be a quick and easy process. It would take years. God would work according to His wisdom and His timetable.

I have often watched with fascination the programs which show the make-over of homes. One show demolishes an entire house and rebuilds it beautifully in one weekend! While it is possible to do that with a house, God is letting me know that is not the way growth and victory in the Christian life comes about. His words to Israel are His words to me and His words to you. I am in need of His reminder each morning. I need to hear Him say He is transforming and remaking me little by little.

His process is usually one that exposes my thought patterns, mindsets, weaknesses, and areas of need in order to show me what needs to go and what needs to be embraced. God is faithfully “driving out” those things in me that would hinder me from flourishing and acquiring all that He offers. It is a word that means to divorce. To allow Him to divorce me from how I have come to think, act, and speak. To allow Him to teach me the truth about myself, the way the enemy works, the things He has equipped me with, the power of prayer and speaking His words over my life and circumstances, the authority of the believer, the balance of looking to Him and receiving encouragement through the body of Christ, and many more things. There are days His revelations to me are profound and immediate change is forthcoming. But there are many more days when the steps are small and the progress seems slow. Either way, God is the one who sets the pace for this journey. He is the one who drives things out of my life little by little. I rejoice in the tiniest work and the hugest manifestations of His operations.

Father, You are as present and meticulous with me as You were with the entire nation of Israel in Old Testament times. You know where You are leading me and how You will get me there. I choose to watch You, listen to You, and follow Your lead. Not in my flesh but by Your Spirit. I delight in all You are doing! Amen.

Potter's Hand - Darlene Zshech (Hillsong)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDAITgJXO1I&feature=related

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

The Choice is Mine

Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way he should choose. Psalm 25:12 (New American Standard Bible)

God’s instructions to me in the way I should choose is contingent upon my fearing Him….standing in awe and trust of Him. Once those instructions are given it is imperative that I follow them. When I do, life is lived the way He intended. When I don’t, heartache and trouble follow. I often limit God’s leading to employment, actions, and decisions that need to be made. I don’t want to make mistakes that will have painful consequences. I, like you, want to make wise choices and head in the right direction. This morning, God is broadening my picture of being guided by His instructions.

I make many choices throughout my day: what I will eat, what I will read, what I will wear, what I will do, what I will not do, etc… Most choices take little time or thought on my part. I just choose! Yet there is one area of my life in which I consistently feel I have no choice. I live more as a victim than a victor. That is in the area of my thought life. For many reasons, I have come to believe that if a thought comes to mind I must dwell on it. If a perception makes its way into my thinking I must believe it. To push it aside and think on something else seems like denial of “truth” and deep down inside the dangerous thinking lurks and taunts, until it eventually comes to the forefront again and wreaks havoc with my emotions, feelings, and actions.

When caring people in my life try to tell me, “Pam, you can choose what you are thinking on. You MUST choose what you will think on.” I struggle to accept that truth and responsibility. Like a deer with the headlights in her eyes, I blink back a look of confusion. Yet, their words are true. They are based on Scripture which will never mislead me. Philippians 4:8 says I am to think on whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good report, excellent, and worthy of praise. What I am coming to see is that in order to do that I must first CHOOSE to do it. I must choose to reject certain thoughts and embrace right thinking. I must choose to think on other things and allow right thinking to take up residence in my mind. If I don’t do so, I will continue to live my life cycling from one pit dwelling thought to the next.

This is God’s guidance for me today and every day. I can see the truth and express the truth with ease at this point. But I know that real change and transformation is not going to be mine until I apply the truth of what I have written this morning. Will I do what is necessary the next time a wrong thought enters my mind? I pray so!

Father, help me to live what I so easily write about in devotionals. Help me to cooperate with You and choose correctly! Amen.

Power of Your Love - Maranatha Singers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA4narr2wyE&feature=related

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