It's Not What I Thought

They said to Him, "Grant that we may sit, one on Your right and one on Your left, in Your glory." "But to sit on My right or on My left, this is not Mine to give; but it is for those for whom it has been prepared." Mark 10:37,40 (New American Standard Bible)

James and John made a request of Jesus that opened up an opportunity for learning. Jesus had just revealed His future suffering, death, and resurrection to them and their first response is to ask for prime seating in His kingdom. Jesus’ answer is a quick reminder that many things are left up to the decision of God the Father to make and He has no intention on usurping that position. Not only are the seating arrangements in Heaven prepared for specific people but so are arrangements here on earth.

There are certain things I would like to do that are not for me. They have not been chosen and ordained by God for me. I watch as others step into rolls and relationships that I desire for myself. The ache of disappointment and the sting of dissatisfaction reveal my own heart attitudes that need God’s redemptive touch. The enemy of my soul wastes no time in parading his lies across the foreground of my thinking. Not good enough, not favored enough, being punished, the list goes on and on. When it is all said and done God’s character, heart, sovereignty and wisdom are what come under attack.

He longs for me to trust Him and His plan for me. He stands ready to remind me that His plans and thoughts are better than my own. He has had His hand and eye on me from the moment of my conception and He knows the end of my story. But I keep squirming and straining. I keep thinking my plan would be better and that I would be happier if given the things I want. How foolish and how childish of me. I am limited in my perspective, my abilities, and my vantage point. I have the “here and now” view and God has eternity past, present, and future.

Each day I am invited to exchange my thoughts for His. To believe His intentions for me are good, honorable, and precious. To open my closed fists and reserved heart to the very reason for which He created me. To poise myself for His work and design in my life. I am not looked over, ignored, invisible, or forgotten by Him. I am loved and I am His.

Father, You keep showing me these truths with the purpose of changing my view of You and myself. Thank you that You continue to invest Your time and heart in my life. Help me to stop looking at the things You have not prepared for me and start embracing the things You have! Amen.

Your Name - Phillips, Craig, & Dean
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=othYj8jWSwc&feature=related

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

Called to be Changed

When Jesus saw her, He called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your sickness.” And He laid His hands on her; and immediately she was made erect again and began glorifying God. Luke 13:12,13 (New American Standard Bible)

Instantaneous change! Just like when Jesus commanded the storm to be still at sea. Just like when He commanded Lazarus to rise from the dead. Just like when He performed any number of other miracles during His years on this earth. This woman was freed from 18 years of spiritual and physical bondage. She could finally stand erect and proclaim her praise to God. She had no doubt of her complete healing. She had no doubt God had moved on her behalf and brought immediate change to her life.

Can you imagine this woman experiencing all of this, leaving the synagogue, and then telling herself, “That was great but I am not use to this new way of life, so I choose to return to the way things were. The way I have grown accustomed to living my life.” Then proceeding to place herself back into her former bent over position! The sheer absurdity of that thought leaves one laughing. Not this woman! She would spend the rest of her life embracing, delighting in, and celebrating the change! There is no question the improvement was worth holding on to. Every day would be a reminder to her of a new way to live her life….in freedom of posture, mobility, and capability.

Is that not God’s desire for each one of us? Many times we look at the moment when we received Christ as a turn around point in our life. We instantly went from being alienated from God to becoming His son or daughter. The indwelling of His Spirit in us instantly gave us the ability to understand His Word, to live differently, and to communicate with God on a personal level. But God wants us to know that many changes will continue to take place in our lives on a daily basis. Just like Jesus saw this woman’s condition and called her over to Himself, He continually sees our conditions and calls us to Himself. There is a process of transformation, renewal, and growth that is on going. May we never think God is finished with the changes He has in mind for us. Some are slight and some are drastic. I want them all!

I wrote this devotional just over four years ago. God continues to work His changes in me. Of late, those changes pertain to relationships. Continuing to learn the balance between what to take to people and what to take to God alone. Learning to trust God to be enough when I am so use to looking to individuals for the meeting of needs. Learning to be content in times of solitude that God initiates. Ever learning. Ever changing.

Father, You still have much to do in me. Sometimes the process is delightful and sometimes it is painful. But I trust You. Amen.

Potter's Hand - Hillsong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRy79VQh-KI

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

Even When It Doesn't Make Sense

Simon answered and said, Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets. Luke 5:5 (New American Standard Bible)

I love Simon Peter! Jesus has just told him to prepare for a miracle and Peter is giving him reasons why it won’t work. After an entire evening of fishing with zero results, Jesus tells Peter to drop the nets one more time. Simon has limited vision. Jesus sees and knows what Simon can’t imagine…a haul of fish so great that the nets will begin to break and two boats will be filled! But more than fish are caught that day. While Simon and the others are after fish, Jesus is after their hearts. When it was all said and done three would be disciples left everything and followed Him.

God wants the stories of Scripture to be more than interesting reading to us. With each encounter we witness He wants us to see ourselves and our situations within the story lines. There are times He will come to us with a request that does not make sense to us. Maybe it has to do with an area where we have failed in the past. Maybe it has to do with something we feel unqualified or unable to do. Maybe we hear the instructions but fail to see how it will ever work. Maybe we are filled with more doubt than faith because we can’t imagine God would actually be calling us to a position whereby He is preparing us for something great. It might be a long time desire of our heart and yet we begin to formulate all the reasons we don’t see it ever working.

But there is a combination in this story that encourages me today. Like a match and a stick of dynamite it is very affective when put together. After giving his opinion, Peter ends up doing what Jesus tells him to do. It is his cooperation that opens the door for a miracle. Like Peter, God is not calling us to understand it all or have it all figured out. There are times in our life when we know what God is suggesting, we see what it is He wants us to do, and in the end we must simply cooperate. It is okay to tell God how we feel, to give voice to our doubts and concerns. God understands our turmoil. But in the end our cooperation will join our hearts with His work and life will never be the same!

Sometimes faith has to lead the way and sometimes actions have to precede faith. I am not sure what was going through Peter’s mind when he finally did the very thing Jesus told him to do. His past experience told him it wouldn’t work, but his Creator told him it would. He had to learn what we all have to learn. It is Christ, not our feelings, not our opinions, not our experiences, that matters…even when it doesn’t make sense.

Father, You and I have had similar conversations. May today’s Scripture bring me that much closer to following You with abandon! Amen.

With All I Am - Hillsong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMrAafe7Mns&feature=related

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

That Which Hinders Change

The people answered and said, "Far be it from us that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods.” Joshua 24:16 (New American Standard Bible)

This was Israel’s answer to Joshua’s challenge to choose between following the Lord or following other gods and their words astound me. Why? Because throughout the first six books of the Bible that which they state to Joshua is not what was lived out in their lives. Theirs was a constant forsaking of the Lord to serve other gods. As a matter of fact, after their professed choosing of God, Joshua tells them in verse 23 to put away the foreign gods that are among them. I know that the next book, Judges, is filled with the sad statements of the children of Israel doing evil in the sight of the Lord, forsaking the Lord, and serving other Gods. Theirs was a continual forsaking of the Lord and a continual serving of other gods.

What I see lacking in their statement to Joshua is confession….honest confession of what has been a pattern for them. It would have been encouraging to hear them say, “Yes, we have forsaken the Lord many times and, yes, we have served other gods. We acknowledge that and ask God’s forgiveness and from this point on determine and choose to serve Him and Him alone.” But no such declaration is made. What they failed to admit continued to be a problem and a stronghold to them.

It is no different for you and me today. God calls each of us to a place of confession , transparency, and repentance. That call requires that we get very honest with ourselves, with God, and with others. What we refuse to talk about, admit, and bring to the surface will remain a snare to us. Will it be comfortable? Not really. Will it ever be embarrassing or cause us to squirm? Most likely. But when we give voice to what we would rather deny or hide, several things take place. We become empowered to no longer live in our rut of choice. We lighten ourselves of the load of secrets and guilt we have carried. We take responsibility for our actions and attitudes. We take steps toward the freedom that we are meant to have. We garner the prayer support of those who finally see the truth about us instead of the image we have so persistently crafted and displayed in the past.

The Israelites were experts at saying what they felt sounded good but their lifestyles exposed the truth. Joshua saw this and admonished them to have heart changes. God sees the contrast of what we are saying and what we are doing and He too longs for us have heart changes.

Father, I have tasted the bitter fruit of living in denial and I have feasted on the rich reward of acknowledging and agreeing with You on the condition of my heart. Continue to bring me to the place of crystal, clear transparency at all times. Amen.

Change My Heart, oh God
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUjUvoynGMM

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

They Are Not the Enemy

John answered and said, “Master, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name; and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow along with us.” But Jesus said to him, “Do not hinder him, for he who is not against you is for you.” Luke 9:49,50 (New American Standard Bible)

There was a time in my Christian life when I felt like these disciples. It was hard for me to accept differences among believers. If I were to go to a women’s event and during lunch sit at a table with 6 or 7 other women I was rapidly doing some calculating in my mind. I somehow had to figure out what they believed doctrinally and what standards they held. My findings would help me determine to what degree of fellowship I could enjoy with them. I have shared that aspect with others and they stand amazed that I would ever have such a rigid view.

What was my problem? I could not conceive of the fact that within the body of Christ there is much variety. I felt a need to constantly figure out who was “right” and who was “wrong” in many scenarios. I had to be the judge and the jury when it came to determining the validity of another person’s walk with God. Heaven forbid that someone should talk differently, walk differently, think differently, believe differently, and live differently than myself! I had set up a standard in my mind and with that standard I had built wall upon wall. Brothers and sisters in Christ were treated more like the enemy than family…..even within the same denominational circles.

Today’s passage brings things into perspective. The disciples knew this person was casting out demons in Jesus’ name but they were hung up because he did not do things the way THEY did things. Jesus’ answer? Leave him alone! He is not the enemy! I love the reading in the KJV for it says, “He who is not against us is for us.” If Christ says they are for us then I am free to enjoy fellowship with them. Fellow believers no longer have to listen to the same music I listen to, read the same version of the Bible I read, duplicate the same list of boundaries I have established, attend the same church I attend, hold to the same opinions on gray issues that I hold to, or worship in the same style I worship in. It is no longer my desire to live divided or separated from others within the body of Christ as I spent so many years doing. The joys I missed! The joys I now have!

Father, the day You helped me to remove the first bricks to the walls I had built within Your body of believers was memorable for me. I love Your family! I love You! Amen.

If We Are The Body - Casting Crowns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SExJ9od-0zQ&feature=related

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

The Inward Truth

But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, slanders. Matthew 15:18,19 (New American Standard Bible)

The Pharisees of Jesus’ day not only wrapped themselves in cloaks of man made laws and traditions but sought to bind others as well. They lived 100% of their lives out of external performance. They went to great lengths to perfect the outside of their existence. That is on what they hinged their walk with God. Right actions, right words, right standards equaled righteousness and right standing with God….to them. But Jesus summed their lives up with the words of Isaiah when He said, “This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.”

They had a system for worship that depended on living up to their standards. A defiled person could not worship God, as far as they were concerned. And defilement came with something as small as not washing your hands before you ate. This was one of many beliefs they held to that said the outside of my life affects my internal world and thus affects my relationship with God. They had it backwards!

Jesus wanted them (and us) to know defilement comes from the heart. Every word we speak, every action we take, every sin we commit comes from our heart. Our heart is the very essence of who we are. It is the center of our being….our command post if you will. We are driven by our own lusts, desires, and depravity. The thoughts behind the actions Jesus listed speak volumes to me. Jesus put no difference between hateful hearts and murder, lustful thoughts and adulteries and fornication, covetousness and theft, evil thoughts and lies.

His point? If a person understands where the actions are coming from they will begin to understand where they need God’s transforming touch on their life. In myself, I can change my behavior but it will simply be like changing my clothes. True and lasting change comes through a changed heart and a changed heart is what God desires for me. How? Through the work of His Spirit in me and through the renewing of my mind. When? The moment I acknowledge my problem and turn to Him for the solution.

Father, I have lived as deceived as the Pharisees. It is only before You and through You that I can finally experience a changed heart. Amen.

The 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.

The End of the Story

Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 2 Corinthians 2:14 (New King James Version)

I am not one to turn to the end of a book and read the conclusion before I have started the book. Although I may wonder how the story will end, I do not want to take away from the element of surprise that awaits me. In life though, there are times I need to see the end of the story for my own situations. Today’s verse is the “end of the story” I need to see, rejoice in, and embrace. It is my banner of truth to hold up and hold on to when I have walked in failure once again. When the thing I most detest in myself has reared its ugly head again. When my weakness has shown itself strong once again.

I came across this verse this morning after entertaining the thought that in a particular area of my life I will never see change, never see victory, and never see freedom. Why? Because I keep repeating the same scenario, results, and consequences. Worse yet, others are witnessing it! When it is all said and done, I walk away giving up on myself and wondering if they are giving up as well. Disappointment in myself includes the sense that I have disappointed others as well as God. The mental list of false “truths” I have come to believe is not only tragic but toxic as well. God’s intent is to counter that list with one of His own making and it has breathed life and hope into me.

For starters, He ALWAYS leads me in victory. Always! No exceptions. There is not an area in my life that stands outside the circumference of His promise. No matter what I think, no matter how I feel, no matter how long the trail of failure and sin, victory is promised me in Christ. God has not given up or conceded defeat. He is all about winning! While my sinful choices do not please Him, they are destined to become the backdrop to the display of His grace, mercy, strength, and power. Those who have seen me at my worst will be most aware of what God can do in the life of one who presently stumbles and struggles. What they see in me does not cause them to question God’s ability to work, hence they look to Him to do what they know I cannot do without Him. Who better to lift prayers on my behalf?

Discouraged? Not any more! God has once again used His Word to give this child some backbone! The head that recently hung in shame and regret is now raised in praise and thanksgiving to the One who is going to lead me in victory!

Father, I came so close to resigning myself to defeat. You, on the other hand, spoke the words I needed to hear. This morning, I receive Your forgiveness as well as Your promise. In the name of Jesus, my Victor, amen!

Set Me Free - Casting Crowns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sio1WyIxGy4&feature=PlayList&p=479AE5E8ED0B9972&index=54

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

Live Like THIS!

As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him; rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Colossians 2:6,7 (King James Version)

If ever there was a key passage for living a victorious Christian life, it has to be this. What a challenge! What an invitation! Each phrase is a power house of truth that I want to embrace and experience.

Walking in him is what I do when I follow His lead and example. When I live with His heart, attitude, and mind. It goes beyond just walking with Him. It is the heart of being in relationship with Him. Seeking His face, implementing His truths, keeping in step with Him, imitating Him, desiring what characterized His life to now characterize mine, living under His direction, practicing His presence, and living my life in and by His strength and Spirit. Walking in Him also implies forward movement and progression. It is a daily journey!

Rooted and built up in Him is a picture of stability and attachment. My daily connection with Christ is where my growth is going to come from. He must be my life source. To be firmly set, fixed, and grounded in Him. It has the idea of taking up residence whereby He becomes my habitat. To live my life attached to Him, relying upon Him, receiving from Him, and fully depending upon Him.

Established in the faith is found in my connection to His word. My core beliefs and doctrines. This is not possible if I rarely open His word and read it for myself let alone actually study it. Mark 6 talks about four things that can happen to God’s Word when it is introduced to a person as seeds. Satan can steal it, it can fail to take root, it can be choked, or it can bear fruit. It hinges upon the receptiveness of my heart. In order to be established in the faith, God’s Word must be established in me!

And finally, abounding in thanksgiving. Am I walking in awareness and appreciation of God’s goodness, faithfulness, love, tenderness, and companionship? There is so much to praise and thank Him for on a daily basis. I want it to ooze from me! To be in a mode of continual spilling over. To have the heart of David who could never seem to vent about his difficulties without it turning into a concert of adoration and admiration of God.

Father, empower me to be a living example of these truths. Amen.

Draw Me Close to You
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB1yDv9_N1k&feature=related

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

Glorying in Our Weaknesses

And He said unto me, "My grace is sufficient for thee, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Most gladly therefore will I glory rather in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 2 Corinthians 12:9 (21st Century King James Version)

Paul went from asking that something be removed from his life to rejoicing in it. How? He saw what God could do in and through that weakness. He saw that Christ’s strength was perfected in it and His power would descend upon him in that area. In other words, God’s ability and influence would be seen and experienced as well as His work accomplished in the places that would normally make Paul cringe.

I have often asked God to remove certain tendencies and weaknesses in me. Not so much the physical weaknesses (as was Paul’s case) but the emotional ones. I have asked Him to change me or at least deaden me to things that pull at me. I have read books. I have consulted others. I have attempted behavior modification. I have listened to speakers. One thing I have not done, though, is glory in it. Neither have I rejoiced or boasted in it. I have seen it as nothing but a despicable part of myself and tried in vain to distance myself from that part of me.

Paul is serving as my example today. In his weakness he served his Creator. In his weakness he pointed others to Jesus. In his weakness he displayed the work of God in his life. In his weakness he walked in victory. How? He was governed by God’s divine grace and power. God was able to work in and through Paul in his weakness and His working was all the more evident because of it. Rather than limit Paul, it unleashed the power of God in him.

Scripture attests to the fact that God chose weak vessels to accomplish His work. Most of the ones God worked through felt disqualified or unqualified. The truth of the matter was that they were the most usable. The same is true of us today. Why? So God will get the credit and not people. Even those who possess great abilities and talents must acknowledge those things come from God. While they may have worked hard to develop those gifts, God is the One who enabled them to do so.

If my weaknesses can be the backdrop for God’s grace and power to be displayed than I choose to embrace them and glory in them. Rather than something to be dreaded and grieved over, it is now something to joy in for God’s influence and strength rest on me!

Father, I invite You to do Your greatest and most powerful work in my area of weakness. I will give You the praise for all that means and looks like. Amen.

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

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

When It is Given to Another

Go up to the top of Pisgah, and lift your eyes toward the west, the north, the south, and the east; behold it with your eyes, for you shall not cross over this Jordan. But command Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which you will see. Deuteronomy 3:27, 28 (New King James Version)

In today’s passage, not only do we witness God’s final answer to Moses’ desire to enter the Promised land with the nation of Israel, but we also hear His instructions as to how he is to interact with the one who is to take his place as the next leader of God’s people. He is given a view of the land but denied entry due to a disobedient act on his part. That had to have stung. Yet, I marvel at what God instructs him to do with regards to Joshua….command him, encourage him, strengthen him. Further reading reveals that Moses did just that! He whole heartedly supported the one who would be privileged to do what he would not be allowed to do.

I compare this scenario to that of King Saul when he knew that David was to be the next king of Israel. Jealousy and hate ruled Saul’s heart and actions. Rather than command, encourage, and strengthen, he sought to kill him! Both men lost their desired positions and opportunities due to their own actions and yet the way they responded to the consequences and their “replacements” were polar worlds apart.

Although Moses’ and Saul’s situation had to do with consequences, I am asking myself which scenario would more closely resemble my life if someone were given an opportunity I wanted for myself? In all honesty, without the grace and work of God in my life, I am more like Saul than Moses (minus the intent to murder). My flesh gets riled when what I want is withheld from me and “handed” to another person….even a friend. When disappointment marks my path, I don’t do well with “rejoicing with those who rejoice.”

Many have been the times I have had to take an honest look at my heart, admit the truth to God, and ask for His grace to overcome the dictates of my flesh. That is just the first step though. It takes additional grace from Him to then become the encourager and strengthener of the one who is chosen by Him to carry out that which I long to do. To partner with them rather than stand opposed to them or in competition with them. It is part of learning to walk on a solid foundation of trust in the heart of my Father, for He knows the plans He has for me and others ….plans to prosper rather than harm!

Father, when I am disappointed may it never be in You! Help me to come to the place of receiving “No” from You as easily as I receive “Yes.” Help me to interact with others in a way that pleases and honors You. Amen.

Do I Trust You - Twila Paris
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSopilUouw8

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

Walks in the Wilderness

For the Lord your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand. He knows your walking through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing. Deuteronomy 2:7 (Amplified Bible)

God’s words to Israel are His words to me as well. What He says He has done and is doing is exactly what He has done and is doing. I don’t like the times when my journey entails walks in the wilderness. Times when things are not exciting and all seems to be at a stand still. I grow uncomfortable with what seems like routine and sameness. Yet I find reassurance in knowing that at those times, God blesses my work, knows my walk, accompanies me, and supplies my every need. Of all those promises, the one that touches me most deeply this morning is His knowledge of my walk.

He knows what I am up against. He knows the battles that lie ahead as well as the ones in my head. He knows the self doubt, the questions, the uncertainties, the worries, and the insecurities. He also knows the growth, the victories, the aha moments, and the things that will move me to tears as well as laughter. He knows who will cross my path. He knows the losses and gains, the lessons learned and relearned, the disappointments and delights, as well as the length of stay. He knows what is needed to sustain and refresh me. Every aspect of the forty years the children of Israel spent in their great wilderness was known and attended to by God. In the same way, every aspect of my wilderness experience is known and attended to by God.

Lest I get the idea that wilderness times are dull and uneventful, I must think upon those times when the children of Israel witnessed miracles and took in important life lessons. There were battles fought and won IN the wilderness. There was the supplying of needs IN the wilderness. There was personal guidance by day and night IN the wilderness. There was confrontation for sin IN the wilderness. There was God’s voice and presence IN the wilderness. It was not just a time of wandering but rather a time of interaction with God and one another.

I don’t want to miss what God has for me at this time in my life. I don’t want to think of it as simply waiting on the shelf! I want to come out different than when I entered. In order for that to happen there will need to be changes in my perspective, my passion, my mindset, and my heart. Each day affords me the opportunities to learn and grow. May I take those opportunities with fervor and zeal!

Father, my view of being in the wilderness is changing. Help me to see it as a unique time rather than a time I at which I cringe. May today be filled with You! Amen.

With All I Am - Hillsong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMrAafe7Mns&feature=PlayList&p=EAE85BEDB2E61503&index=0&playnext=1

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

To Serve or Be Served

Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many. Matthew 20:28 (New American Standard Bible)

In the past week, I have pondered this verse many times. Jesus’ characteristic of looking to serve rather than be served does not come to me naturally. Left on my own, I fall short of living my life with others in mind. When I enter a room I tend to look to people to encourage me, make me feel welcome, show me love, and give me attention, rather than vice versa. My expectations of them are high and the disappointment comes often when those expectations are not met. Seeing this aspect in me is not easy or comfortable and neither is admitting it to others. Yet, I am convinced I do not stand alone. I am convinced others struggle with “me-ism” as much as I do…..focused more on self than on others. I am also convinced I am not alone in my desire to live my life in a different way.

I asked God to show me what I can start doing to bring about change. He quickly brought today’s verse to mind then He proceeded to give me practical ways to carry it out. His instructions to me? When I am with people, start looking for ways to make them feel welcome and wanted with good eye contact, smiles, listening when they talk, showing interest in them, drawing them into the conversations. In other words, start doing for others what I have had done for me in the past. Those same things that touch my heart and make me feel loved are the things I must now demonstrate to others.

If these are done solely in my own strength they will not last. But if they are done as a result of my daily walk with God, they will flourish. If they are done with the help of His Spirit working in me, they will bear fruit. If they are done by His ability coming through me, they will make a difference.

As I come to God and ask Him to show me things I can begin doing, I am acutely aware of my need for a changed heart. He is the true heart changer and I rejoice that with my cooperation that change will take place. Change of desires, change of expectations, change of what and who I am focused on, change of my purpose in relationships, and change in the motives behind my actions. This is not behavior modification or self reformation but rather a fresh realization of how dependent I need to be upon God in order for real and lasting change to come about.

Father, I have spent too many years trying and failing to live differently. I now look to You to do what I cannot do on my own. Amen.

Make Me a Servant - Maranatha Singers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rznoe3zKxM&feature=related

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

Is It Not Enough?

They assembled together against Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "You have gone far enough, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is in their midst; so why do you exalt yourselves above the assembly of the LORD?" Numbers 16:3 (New American Standard Bible)

Korah’s jealousy over another person’s position lead him to act out in rebellion and eventually cost him his life. He failed to see that Moses and Aaron were given the places of leadership by God rather than by their own choosing or that of others. He failed to grasp the truth that his position and calling as a Levite was not insignificant. Jealousy over another person’s place, possessions, or position needs to be recognized, acknowledged, and abandoned before the consequences play themselves out in painful ways.

God had one question for Korah as found in Numbers 16:9, “Is it not enough for you to be separated by God to do the service of the tabernacle?” God was reminding him of not only his life’s calling but Who it was that was doing the calling. How much he missed when he minimized God’s purpose for his life and compared his life to that of another.

Can I relate with Korah? Absolutely! Yet, I find great comfort in the reminder his story serves. Too often I can look at the ministries others have and be overcome with feelings of envy and discontent. I can forget God has His own desires and purposes for each of our lives. I can forget God’s ways and thoughts are higher than my own. I can get the idea that I am less loved, less noticed, or less important to God due to the fact that what He does in and through me looks different than that of another person. When opportunities for a particular service elude me or positions of ministry remain out of reach for me, I can mistakenly place a big question mark over the significance of my own life.

God’s answer? Trust Him to do what is best for all. See the worth, meaning, and value of what He has called me and others to do. Rejoice in the variety of vessels He uses to get the work of the Kingdom done. Learn as much as I can during this time in my life as it very well may be a time of preparation for what is to come later. These are the ways to avoid or stop my heart, actions, and thoughts from becoming like Korah’s. When asked if what God has me doing is enough, I want to proclaim with joy, “It is MORE than enough!”

Father, I rejoice that You are not a God who plays favorites in Your work on Earth. With You there is no unimportant task or insignificant vessel. Keep doing a work in and through me for Your honor and glory. Amen.

Jesus, Lover of My Soul (It's All About You)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD-ZdMOx_HY&feature=related

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

A Heart for God

His heart was not wholly devoted to the LORD his God, like the heart of his father David. I Kings 15:3 (New American Standard Bible)

David’s heart for God was incredible! It was referenced time and time again as new kings took the throne over Israel and Jerusalem. It was the basis for God saying he was a man after His own heart. It brought about the promise of God to future generations. It was the birth place of the book of Psalms so many people have found comfort in. It is what lead him in victory over Goliath, gave him songs of praise in the wilderness, the will to go on when pursued by his enemies, the joy to exult God in his life, and the ability to rule God’s people.

Many of us look at David’s heart for God and we desire his passion! Can you imagine being able to voice such heartfelt worship as he did?! To see God as your entire source for life? To cry out to Him with tears of joy as well as despair? To fully enjoy God and revel in His joy for you? Do you realize if these statements are the deep desires of your heart, then you have a heart for God just like David had a heart for God?

We often have a mistaken idea of what a life looks like when one has a heart for God. We think it somehow becomes a life that is pain free, problem free, and sin free. How far from the truth! Look at David’s life! He knew the pain of rejection, the fear of being pursued by enemies, the experiences of war, the regret of sin. He knew victories as well as defeats. He knew honor as well as looks of disgust. He received words of praise as well as words that wounded. Yes, he sat on a throne. But it followed years of running and hiding in the wilderness. He knew what it was like to sense God’s nearness and yet to be gripped with the fear of abandonment. The bottom line was not that David had an easy, comfortable, ‘heaven on earth’ life. He had a heart for God. In the midst of pain and suffering, facing the consequences of his own sinful choices as well as the sinful choices of others, loss, heartache, victory, and joy, he chose to praise, love, and honor God. David had a freedom to acknowledge the truth about God and the truth about himself. While his wrong actions displeased God and brought about painful consequences, God still acknowledged David’s heart for Him . His propensity toward sin did not cancel out His passion for God.

I rejoice that the same is true for me! Even though I still fail, still make wrong choices, still look to wrong sources to get needs met, and still battle wrong attitudes, my heart for God is not ignored, doubted, or dismissed by my Father. As a result I have victories, I hear His voice, I drink in His encouragement, and I walk knowing He delights in me. Once again, He has touched the heart that desires Him.

Father, like a parent who is touched by an imperfect gift given by their child, You joy in a heart that is devoted to You. I know You see the desire, passion, and hunger I have for you. Please increase it! Amen.

Delight My Heart - Twila Paris
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHmqqKpLu00&feature=related

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

What's Behind it All?

Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Luke 6:37 (New King James Version)

I use to call it perception and felt it was my biggest hindrance to walking in joy and freedom. It was my label for having an idea about what someone was thinking and then responding as if it were the truth. Last night, God used my most recent experience as a wake up call to me. As I struggled to fall asleep and began allowing Him to reveal my heart to me, He wasted no time in pinpointing the problem. Perception was the symptom of a deeper problem. It was being fed by nothing short of judging another individual.

With a little word study, I found that judging means to be of an opinion about someone or something. Condemn means to pronounce one guilty. My perceptions are actually the process of judging and my negative response is the process of condemning. If I struggle with other issues such as insecurity, jealousy, or discontentment, the processes are even more profound.

So how does this work in my life? I enter a room and draw the conclusion that someone does not care about me or want me there by something that is done or not done, said or not said, and WHAM court is officially in session. The “evidence” mounts as every action or word becomes “proof” that my feelings and thoughts are based on truth. In my mind, there is a verdict of guilt and the sentence is to withdraw into a mode of silence and detachment. While my demeanor is noticed it is not understood at all because the individual has no idea they have done anything…and they haven’t.

It is not easy to see this aspect of myself and it is not easy to take the necessary steps of acknowledging it to God and the person who has been in my “courtroom”. Not easy but necessary and very beneficial. I cannot express how much of a load is lifted from my mind and heart when I speak words such as, “I have judged you and I am wrong. Will you forgive me?” As that took place over the phone last night, forgiveness was forthcoming and the courtroom of my doing was cleared.

Let me add, that for those times when someone really doesn’t care about me or want me around, God’s answer is that I walk in forgiveness. I don’t know their heart. I don’t know what’s behind their actions. At that point, I must choose to forgive and entrust them to God to show them their particular issue. Freedom for me will only come as I stay out of the courtroom of judgment and prison of unforgiveness.

Father, keep showing me the heart issues behind my words, thoughts, and actions. Amen.

Potter's Hand - Hillsong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdkfXhnqbos&feature=related

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

Saying and Hearing the Right Thing

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Ephesians 4:29 (New American Standard Bible)

It is easy to look at this verse as a guide for how I communicate to others and I would do well to use it as such. But this morning God is encouraging me to see myself as the hearer of my own words. His desire is that I make sure what I tell myself is edifying and graceful. Lately I have noticed how often that is not the case and God has graciously been showing me why and how to remedy it.

Unedifying and ungracious words are rooted in the view I have of myself. When I fail to see myself separate from my sin and weaknesses my attitude becomes critical and unloving. It is the exact opposite of hating the sin but loving the sinner. I have heard that phrase many times but was at odds with how to make it a reality and apply it to myself.

God used something I had read in a book to help me see that I build my identity on the worst aspects of myself. The things I do become grounds for believing I am a disgusting, unlovable, unwanted, and undesired person. When fully fostered they result in the thinking that if someone were to really know me and really know what I am like on the inside they would have more than enough reason to walk away and they would leave me. So I learned to keep enough hidden that the people I care the most for wouldn’t leave. It is a cycle that God desires to break and I am getting the first taste of freedom.

He used two things to help me see truth. First, an accountability partnership wherein I committed myself to honesty. Over the course of two years, God brought about a question that my accountability partner would ask that forced me to admit what was really going on inside of me. When I had been through a season of dark moods she would ask, “What triggered it?” The answer exposed my heart and when that happened there was an indescribable freedom and peace that followed. It also allowed me to experience a relationship whereby this individual knew the worst parts of me and chose not to walk away. What a reflection of God’s character. The more I saw that, the more I was able to be honest and open.

The second thing God has used is the realization that my sins and weaknesses do not make me a disgusting person. They are to be hated and dealt with but I am to see myself as a beloved, cherished daughter of God. It is wrong to hate what God cherishes. God is letting me know that as I learn to hate my sin but cherish who I am in Christ, I will begin to have the same ability to demonstrate that toward others.

Father, thank you for one who chose not to walk away and for helping me to see the roots of my own condemning thoughts. I am a recipient of Your love and work. Keep showing me my pathway to freedom. Amen.

Who Am I - Casting Crowns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VU_rTX23V7Q

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.

Identifying the Weights

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1 (New King James Version)

What is it that encumbers, hinders, entangles or ensnares you on a daily basis? What is it that has a grip on you even as you want to lay it aside? For each of us it may be a different area or issue and yet we know that we know it is in us. Those closest to us can see the consequences of its presence in our life even if they don’t fully know every detail. It leaves us with deep feelings of failure, discouragement, and disappointment. Most of the time, the proverbial tunnel appears to have no light the end. Failed attempts to walk in victory leave us wondering if deliverance will ever be our experience in this life.

Let me say, if you (like me) have come to believe that freedom is out of reach for you, than you (like me) have bought in to one of the most damaging lies of the enemy. He knows no child of God is beyond the work and grace of God and yet if he can convince us we are an exception then we remain in bondage. I do not want that to be the end of my story!

Here is the catch though. There are times when we are not fully aware of what our exact weights are. I am coming to learn that what I label as emotional may have a physical component. My mood swings and spiraling thoughts may actually be an indication that there is something physically wrong. If I am going to run my life’s race with endurance then I need to know what it is that keeps tripping me up. So I am on a quest. It involves asking lots of questions, talking to many individuals, and taking the necessary medical steps to determine what is going on in my body as well as my mind. As I do, I saturate the steps with prayer that God would lead me to the right people to help me lay aside the unnecessary weights I carry and tunnels in which I find myself. I firmly believe there is not only a light at the end of this tunnel but a whole new way to live my life.

The bookends God has placed around me at this time are the prayers and unconditional love of others. I marvel at the ministry of the body of Christ. There are individuals who not only want to see me walk in freedom but urge me on in my quest to find it. I thank God for them!

Father, I marvel at the way You work. With hope in my heart I anticipate all that is possible in Christ. Amen.

He Knows My Name
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXsiWoyjw60

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

Weak but Willing

Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26:41 (New American Standard Bible)

I see an acknowledgement being made by Jesus that is speaking volumes to me. The scene is unfolding in the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus is soon to be arrested and eventually crucified. The anticipation of what lay ahead (particularly His Father’s forsaking) was excruciatingly painful. Although accompanied by His disciples, their sleeping left Him humanly alone. Yet He sees and acknowledges their desire even in the midst of their failure to stay awake with Him. Their spirits were willing (eagerly ready) but that willingness was not yet matched by their actions. How I need that reminder in the midst of my own shortcomings and failures.

My desire for God and His ways can often surpass the actual realization in my life. I am resting in the fact that God not only sees the willingness but He is working to develop in me the things I presently lack. This gives me comfort and encouragement in the times when I still attempt to balance looking to people versus looking to God for specific needs in my life. It gives me assurance to know that God will continue to show me what He is really like in order to continue to fix my distorted views and opinions. It spurs me on when the very things I desire to do for Him are presently not possible.

He knows my weaknesses and frailties far better than anyone else and yet He is still in my corner watching each step that I take. He knows when victories will be mine. He knows when what I struggle with will no longer be a struggle. He knows the amount of time it will take to flesh out what my heart and spirit long for and desire. I rejoice that He is God and will move Heaven and Earth to bring about growth, progress, and change that takes me from willingness to experience.

I don’t know how many more lessons lie ahead for me to learn. Today may be a day I turn a huge corner and take yet another step toward obedience and victory. I never know how close I am to personal transformation in any area of my life. But God knows and smiles as I move closer to that moment. I simply must take His hand, tune my ear to hear His voice, and act on what He tells me. Again, it is not about perfection. It is about relationship with Him!

Father, continue the work You began in me. Bless any willingness You see in me and develop me into the one You created me to be. Your ways and Your workings far exceed my own ideas. Thank you for what You will accomplish in me today. Amen.

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

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.

Staying Teachable and Focused

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)

Sometimes we experience difficulties in our life as a consequence for wrong choices we have made. At other times, we live under what seems to be the results of another person’s actions. Joseph knew the latter all too well. Hated by his brothers, sold into slavery, imprisoned due to a false accusation, forgotten by one who could have helped, and unfair separation from a father who loved him dearly. Many would have understood if he had chosen to embrace unforgiveness, bitterness, and anger. But that response would have put him into a prison of his own making that would have been more harmful and confining than any man made prison. Instead, Joseph’s life was seen by others as one whose God was with him.

Throughout his years of unfair and unjust treatment Joseph was a server of others and God continually blessed him for it. Even in the midst of trials. Even in the midst of wondering if there was a light at the end of the tunnel for him. Even when he could see no tangible manifestation of his dreams ever coming true. His was a journey of coming to points of surrender and trust. Rather than spend his life desiring to one day enact revenge on the ones who hurt him, he poised himself for the day he could demonstrate love and forgiveness.

This tells me Joseph walked through the issues of his life with a teachable spirit which gave him an ability to see God’s involvement in every circumstance he faced. Was it always easy? I doubt it. Would there have been tears, frustration, and questions? I am sure of it! But with each event Joseph had to come to the point of bending the knee and heart to what God had for him and where God placed him. It required him to fix his eyes on God rather than on what was happening to him and the people responsible for those things. It always came down to choice, trust, and surrender.

It is no different for each one of us. Whether we are wading through the issues of our own life or watching a loved one wade through the issues of their life, we are on a journey to the heart of God. Nothing is escaping His notice and nothing is unusable for His purposes. His ultimate desire is that we would really KNOW Him and then point others to Him. It will be the outcome of trusting Him, embracing truth, and keeping our focus on Him. With God’s help, it is both possible and productive.

Father, in the midst of it all, I trust You for myself as well as for my loved ones. Our lives are not limited to only that which we can experience with our five senses. May our spirit eyes be ever fixed on You! Amen.

Knees to the Earth - Watermark
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-FJzjmTbTs

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

God's Recipe to Live By

Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. Psalm 34:12-14 (New King James Version)

I love God’s invitations! He perks up our ears with an offer for not only a long life but a good one at that. But like so many of His principles and promises throughout Scripture, there is a condition that must be met. He is offering one thing while listing the requirements for obtaining it.

So what are the conditions upon which God’s promises hang? Watching our words as well as our actions. God knows that the words we speak over our life, our circumstances, and our relationships will have a big effect on each. Words that are evil and deceitful are not only opposite of His character of truth but they are tools for the enemy to use against us and others. In other words, He wants us to not say something that will give the enemy the means and opportunity with which to attack us. The words we speak will either add quality and length to our life or drain us of it.

He also requires a life of exchanges with our actions. Give up the evil ways for what is good and brings peace. Which of these words will define my actions today? I will have numerous opportunities to display one or the other. I must understand myself well enough to know that my flesh will always go for the evil ways while my spirit (my connection with God) will go after what is good and results in peace. Again, my actions will aid me in having an abundant life or hinder me from it.

In myself and through my own efforts I will fail in both these areas. I will speak the words that God cringes at and Satan delights in. I will also act in ways that work against me and others. That is why each morning I must start with a cry for help! David’s prayer can be my own, “Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.” God will let me know throughout the day what should and shouldn’t be exiting my mouth. He will do the same with my actions. Not only will He instruct me along the way but He will empower me to obey Him, yield to Him, and cooperate with Him. He will give me the desire and ability to do the very thing He requires with all the benefits that come with it.

Father, I will not make it without Your help today. Be the Guard of my mouth as well as my actions. I want to defer to You every time. Amen.

Make Me A Servant - Maranatha Singers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rznoe3zKxM

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

Taking His Time

I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. Psalm 40:1 (King James Version)

Waiting patiently. Once again I am reminded it means hopeful expectation not resignation! The waiting is on God not on opportunities, change in circumstances, or change in me. Any inner turmoil, frustration, worry, or straining reveals a lack of trust on my part. A trust in God’s will, God’s ways, God’s timing, and God’s character. God’s purposes, plans, and protection in times of waiting are always demonstrated even if I don’t clearly see them or understand them. Many times God has to help me see what is NOT meant in order to understand what IS meant when He requires that I go through a time of waiting.

I can recall two types of waiting that have skewed my thinking in regards to waiting on God. Both took place when I was young. I can remember being with my dad on certain days and inevitably stopping at a bar. More often than not, I was told to ‘sit tight’ while he went in for a drink. It could be a brief or extended time of waiting, but either way I was left alone, unattended, and unaware of when the waiting would end. I can also remember ‘waiting’ by an upstairs window watching for my parents to come home on Friday evenings with groceries. I knew instinctively if they had been drinking the groceries would wait until ‘tomorrow.’ There was a sense of expectant disappointment.

This morning, God is tenderly reminding me that neither of these scenarios are accurate representations of waiting patiently for Him. In the midst of waiting, He is present with me and He is NOT setting me up for a disappointment. He is using this time to prepare me and faithfully arrange the circumstances and people in my life to bring about His eventual purposes. He is attentive, involved, and caring as He operates according to His wisdom and His time. But I will fail to see that if I continue to view Him through a grid of distrust, distortions, and disappointments.

My journey to freedom is filled with moments when God takes me back to the root of distorted thinking. While He will not change the things that happened in my life, He will correct the interpretation of those things. As lies are exposed, He offers truth for me to embrace. He is helping me to take the faces of individuals off Himself and see Him for who He is and what He is really like. It is definitely worth the time He is taking to do it!

Father, thank you that You take the perfect amount of time to work with me and in me. Amen.

In His Time
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo-rGzx2OZk

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