Purposeful Goal Setting

But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Daniel 1:8 (King James Version)

Daniel’s ability to stay true to his heart and conscience was birthed out of the decisions he made ahead of time. He knew going into each day what he would do and what he would not do when it came to moral, ethical, and even dietary choices. Temptation was fought before it arose because he had already purposed in his heart what he would do.

I am not one to do a lot of planning out things ahead of time. I don’t plan out weekly menus. I don’t have “to do” lists. I tend to face things as they come. While that works fine for certain areas of my life, I have learned it has caused some difficulties when it comes to doing battles in the emotional arena. Last week, a friend suggested that I write out my goals. First I was to write out my life goals and then write out my daily goals. These goals were to represent the direction I wanted to head. Both of us knew that if I didn’t purpose to do things they most likely would not get done. We both knew that my “winging it” mentality was not having good results. Each day seemed to be filled with up and down moments and the spiraling was evident. Emotional battles were usually lost before they even took place. In short, I was in trouble. It took a week to finally start the goal lists but once I got started I was amazed at the difference it made.

My life goal was as follows: To be pleasing to the Lord in my words, thoughts, and actions. To love Him with all of my heart, soul, and mind and have Him as the center of my life. To delight myself in God and enjoy the people in my life. To take my thoughts captive before they take me captive. To find my significance, worth, and value in who I am in Christ and to live out of that realization.

My daily goals are specific ways to bring about my life goals. That list gets tweaked each day. It gets added to throughout the day. Today’s goal list already looks like this… Do what is right, loving, and good toward others. Think on what is true and encouraging. Smile when I talk to others.

This is what I have noticed. When I put something on my daily goal list it is predominant in my thinking as I enter the day. As temptations come up during the day to dwell on negative things or past hurts, to put myself before others, or to have a complaining spirit, the goals for that day come to mind and I switch gears internally. If it is not demonstrating a goal I have set then it needs to be halted immediately. Does it work? Absolutely! For me, it is the difference between victory and defeat.

Father, I purpose in my heart to do the things You are laying upon my heart. Help me to continue to set the goals that will change the direction of my life. Amen.

Be Thou My Vision
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8EYYbwEqDlg

Did you miss a past devotional? My blog site now houses over 900 former devotionals with the theme and book of the Bible at the end of each. Click on to the theme or book and you will then see every devotional written on that theme or from that book. Or click on to the date at the left and see what was shared a month ago or several years ago. Enjoy!

Answered When I Asked

As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given. Daniel 9:23 (New International Version)

I have often thought of my prayers as being “answered” when I could see the manifestation of that answer. I am being taught something profound from the book of Daniel this morning that is altering my view of prayer. According to Daniel 9:23, my prayers, those which are spoken in Jesus’ name and according to His will, are answered as soon as I voice them. The New American Standard Bible says the command is issued at the beginning of my supplication.

When I have read accounts in Scripture of instant healings and deliverances, I have drawn the conclusion that all answers to prayer look like that. When that is not the case, I flounder at Jesus’ words that tell me to ask anything in His name and it shall be given. Because I don’t see instant change in my circumstances or life I assume I have either asked in a wrong way or misunderstood His promise. This morning He is smiling as He tenderly shows me I have asked correctly and His promise has been kept.

So what’s the problem? Why does it seem that the things I have petitioned Him for have fallen on deaf ears? What happened? I failed to understand that time can lapse between God granting my request and me experiencing the answer. It doesn’t mean He hasn’t answered my prayer. It means there are things that must be done in and around me to bring about the full manifestation of that answer. Let me explain.

Four years ago I asked God to give me a walk with Him like the one I saw in another individual. I wanted His Word to come alive to me. I wanted to trust Him with abandon. I wanted to hear His voice and understand His leading in my life. Basically, I wanted a genuine, authentic walk with Him. One that was intimate and personal. When I asked, He answered! What I didn’t realize was there would be a process He would have to take me through in order for that to all be true in my life. The process would entail showing me all that hinders me from walking with Him in that way. Hindrances such as idols of my heart, wrong mindsets, lies I have embraced, and so on. I would have to see the places of bondage and addiction that kept me chained to my former way of living. I would have to learn how to let go of those things in order to take hold of His hand.

This morning is an eye opener for me. I am now seeing all the ways that God has actually been answering my prayer and I didn’t even know it! The difficulties, hurts, disappointments, lessons, and tiny steps of growth have been what He has been using to bring about what I had asked for. I wanted a magic wand waved and He wisely used real life!

Father, I praise You for hearing and answering my prayer. I now realize that every day the answer continues to unfold right in front of me! You once again have me in awe! Amen.

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

Faith or Fear?

All the peoples, nations and men of every language fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Daniel 3:7 (New International Version)

We were created in the image of God and part of that creation is the ability and desire to worship. As I read the book of Daniel I ask myself what would cause so many people to bow down to a statue? Was it the realization that this statue cared for them, created them, and deserved their worship? Was it the belief that this statue could protect them, bless them, and love them? Were they able to ascribe power, wisdom, and majesty to this statue? Was their worship out of faith, passion, and truth? The answer to all these questions is “no.” Their worship was driven and displayed by one source……fear.

Nebuchadnezzar used the one thing that he knew would control others. He threatened them with being thrown into a furnace of blazing fire if they did not bow down and worship the image of his creation. He was not interested in their heart but rather their conformity. Driven by pride and an ever growing ego, he knew the right buttons to push and for the most part it worked.

Oh, how different our worship of God should be. God desires our worship of Him to be out of faith not fear. Love not dread. Passion not apathy. To see God’s character and proclaim praise to Him because of it is at the heart of true worship. It is not an outward posturing but rather an inward prostrating of ourselves before a righteous, holy, loving, powerful, and compassionate God. That is not possible outside of having a daily intimate, personal walk with Him. Knowing Him and being known by Him is what opens the door for true worship.

How I missed that realization for decades. Reducing my walk with Him to an impersonal list of does and don’ts, harboring judgmental attitudes toward others, modifying my behavior while neglecting my heart, performing rather than praising, all kept me at arms length from a God who longed to draw me close. Like the people of Nebuchadnezzar’s day I knew what it was like to live a fearful Christian life. Fearful of other’s opinions and the consequences of their displeasure. But with faith came freedom.

Father, You delivered me from the fear that kept me from really knowing and worshiping You. I now bow to You for the right reasons. Amen.

Still Doing the Impossible

But there is a God in heaven who reveals secrets, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream, and the visions of your head upon your bed, were these: Daniel 2:28 (New King James Version)

It was an impossible demand! The king of Babylon had a disturbing dream and wanted to know what it meant. He had men who were use to giving him their “interpretations” of his dreams. If a dream was told to them they could easily come up with what sounded like an accurate meaning. But this time there was a problem. The king could not remember his dream. He could only remember that it had greatly disturbed him. So he demanded that his men tell him what he had dreamed as well as the interpretation. When they insisted he was asking the impossible, his anger spewed out in a death sentence to any and all of his “wise” men.

Upon hearing of this, Daniel requested time to inquire of God what the dream was and what it meant. Daniel, and three companions, fasted and prayed and God revealed to him what only God knew. Daniel then stood before King Nebuchadnezzar and confessed that the king had indeed made an impossible demand on the men and then proclaimed today’s verse. What a contrast! Impossibility was met with BUT THERE IS A GOD IN HEAVEN WHO REVEALS SECRETS! The God of the impossible was revealed to the king of Babylon as the dream and its interpretation flowed from the mouth of Daniel.

The Word of God is filled with impossible situations in both the New and Old Testaments. Each was recorded for our benefit and encouragement. Each given to help us see that there is a God in Heaven who does the very things that cannot be done without His intervention. I praise Him that He is still doing it! No matter the situation God is still able to do the impossible. Whatever the need, God is able to meet it. No matter the length or depth of our problems God is able to do what needs to be done. All things are possible with our God!

Imagine saying to any person at any time, “There is a God in Heaven who can ______________.” He is not limited, powerless, or absent. Be it finances, health, relationships, areas of bondage, losses, or tragedy this same God is still in Heaven! The most amazing statement is that there is a God in Heaven who can forgive sin and make all things new! That is the God I serve and love. That is the God anyone can know and be in relationship with through Jesus Christ. Starting today, let’s determine to speak Daniel’s words over each part of our life and watch the impossibilities become possible.

Father, I have seen You do the impossible in my life and I gladly point others to You for the same purpose. Your name be praised! Amen.

Owning the Words

And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” Daniel 10:19 (New King James Version)

To see yourself as God’s greatly beloved and to receive strength and encouragement from Him, is when the Christian life becomes one of intimacy, growth, and security. For decades, I knew very little of either of these experiences. Rather than look to God for my identity, completeness, and encouragement, I looked to people. Their view of me and words to me could either put me on a mountain of high emotion or plunge me into a valley of despair. The tranquility of my soul rested solely on them. I did not know what it was like to sense that God viewed me as precious, desirable, beautiful, valuable, goodly, or His treasure. I did not know what it was like to receive from God those things my soul craved. Although I knew Jesus as my Savior, my attention and internal appetites were directed toward people rather than toward Him.

Even in the midst of my present journey which began in February of 2004 this has often been the case. While I have taken in wonderful truths about God and seen Him birth a devotional ministry out of those truths, there was still something missing. It wasn’t until I began reading a book by Henri Nouwen called THE INNER VOICE OF LOVE that I understood the continued battle. It is a book that adequately portrays me. Within its pages I was able to finally see myself. While I was learning the truth about God’s love and His desire to fill me with that love, I was not living out of the experience of embracing it for myself. Many times they were still words on a page to me. That is why I continued to look to other sources. I was still thinking that knowledge of God equated relationship with Him. There were times I would experience the relationship but for the most part my need for people was still over powering my personal connection with God.

The few people I would confide in could see this and I believe they have been lifting me up in prayer. The real turning point came when I finally admitted the truth to myself and to God. It has been through honest dialogue with Him that my heart and mind are changing. What use to fill me with shame, I now share openly with you. I am learning to receive His love and His words to me as His beloved. And I am learning to verbalize to Him what is going on inside of me so my needs can finally be met by Him. Instead of feeling exposed and vulnerable (as the enemy would hope for), I feel free!

I love the song YOU RAISE ME UP and treasure it more as I come to realize God is the One Whom I now look to, to raise me up!

Father, I am finally finding my home in You. Amen.

Fighting the Deliberate Attacks

And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High. Daniel 7:25 (KJV)

While these words speak of the Antichrist they also depict the words and wishes of my enemy, Satan. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 6:1 to put on the full armor of God in order to stand against the schemes of the Devil. But if we are not aware of the tactics that he uses against us, our “stand” will be incomplete and ineffective. Much like today’s fight against terrorism, a nation can stand watchful of military attacks but miss the setting up of cell groups within hometowns. Today, God is showing me two of the many schemes of His enemy and mine.

Since his fall from Heaven, Satan has taken every possible occasion to speak words against God. He is the father of lies and seeks any opportunity to slander, malign, criticize, and smear God’s character, heart, and Word. He will twist and distort any event, circumstance, or incident in our life to speak an untruth about the most High. He will attempt to put the faces of countless people on God as a way of convincing us thatHe is different from who He says He is. That is why we must bring every accusation back to the Bible and demolish it with the truth!

Here is one way to do that. Take the lie he is telling you and think of the opposite word for it. If he says God is cruel, think of the word kindness. Then go to http://www.biblegateway.com/ and put in that word. You will be given every verse in the Bible that mentions kindness and numerous versions to read them from. With those verses as your truth you can affectively stand against his lies.

The other tactic is in attempting to wear us out. It is not always a flash flood he uses. Many times it is the slow drip of negative thoughts, disappointments, discouragement, losses, fears, insecurities, and failures that wear away at our resolve and stance. The cumulative effect of these over time does wear us down if we do not stay connected to God and resort to times of intimate fellowship with Him. Many times for me it takes going for a walk, shedding the tears, crying out for His help and wisdom, and realigning myself with the truth of His Word in order to be built up again. God will graciously show me where the enemy has chipped away at my soul and then He faithfully begins the internal repair work.

Father, keep me aware of the necessity of You! Amen.