God's Time Table

Noah was 600 years old when the flood of waters came upon the earth or land. Genesis 7:6 (Amplified Bible)

It is easy to read Scripture and forget the span of time that takes place from verse to verse or chapter to chapter. Whole lifetimes can be covered with just a sentence. One of the reasons we have stated ages in the Bible is to better understand the time frame that underscores the events. When we see that things did not usually happen instantaneously but rather over decades or even centuries of time in the days of Bible characters, we are better equipped to understand the possible years involved for the unfolding of God’s plan for us. It causes us to refocus our attention on God’s time table instead of our own.

From the time that Noah was told to build an ark for safety against a coming flood and the actual occurrence of the flood, 100 years had elapsed. While it would have been easy to grow discouraged and maybe even abandon the task, he stayed strong in his hope and his work. He did not let the slowness of the pace deter, distract, or disturb him. Trust involves walking by faith, living in God’s strength, and allowing Him to set the velocity of the steps.

There are numerous things I would like to see happen in my life. Spiritual growth and a deepened awareness of who God is, sit at the top of the list! But I know that two factors play into the progress on this journey….God’s predetermined time table and my willingness to cooperate. My desire is that I am farther along by this time next year but God Himself knows the actual distance that will be covered.

I also desire doors of opportunity to open and to be more confident and settled in my role within His kingdom work. Up to this point I feel that much of what He is doing in me is preparatory. Will this be a continued year of the same, or will I see His plan and purpose unfold and take place? I do not know but I know this….it continues to be according to His time table. It is imperative that I follow Noah’s example and stay strong in my hope and what God would have me do presently.

May I realize afresh that the process and progress of discovering God’s call on my life takes time and may I be in no more of a rush than the Designer of that call.

Father, Your time table takes precedence over my own…I yield. Amen.

In His Time - Maranatha Singers
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.

Adversaries Amidst Advancement

For a wide door for effective service has opened to me, and there are many adversaries. I Corinthians 16:9 (New American Standard Bible)

Paul knew when God had opened a door of ministry for him in particular areas. He knew the work God would do through him would be effective and full of fruit. But he also knew adversaries would be present. He knew the enemy would not sit back and allow God’s work to continue unhindered. When I think of the Apostle Paul’s ministry I see it full of persecution, trials, hardships, and difficulties. None of this came as a surprise to him. It was all part of what was to be expected. Was he a doomsayer? No! He was a realist! He did not operate under the false idea of a trouble free life. His attitude was such that being in the center of God’s will often makes you the prime target of attack.

It is no different for us today. Many find that when they begin to walk with God in a fuller way, troubles just seem to appear out of no where. Our main adversary, the devil, hopes that his tactics will lead to discouragement and the eventual abandonment of our desire to link arms with God. He has a whole arsenal available to use against us: health issues, financial difficulties, losses, broken relationships, unexpected emergencies, peer pressure. He is hoping that the things we experience will cause us to view God as unloving and uncaring and the journey as too difficult and not worth it.

How gracious of God to forewarn us that attacks would come. His desire is that each episode would cause us to draw closer to Him, review truth, hold to Him tighter, and continue on in victory. When a season proves to be most difficult it eventually results in knowing God in a deeper way, gaining strength, and experiencing growth beyond what I had originally thought. Yes, the adversaries abound but God’s Word, God’s work, God’s presence, and God’s accomplishments abound even more. Those things I hunger for the most are brought about amidst the most trying circumstances but it is worth it!

Father, while I may see the enemies’ fingerprints all over the place, I also see Your fingerprints. I determine to keep my eyes on You. I refuse to allow any difficulty to malign Your character. With a renewed perspective I move forward! Amen.

The Battle Belongs to the Lord - Maranatha Singers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp_PolBwjEw

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

Going Beyond Listening

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. James 1:22(New King James Version)

Change does not come from simply hearing the truth, reading about the truth, or being taught the truth. Change is the result of applying the truth we hear, read, or are taught. If we think otherwise, we are merely lying to ourselves. God, through, James urges us to do what the Bible says not just hear it.

I have spent the last number of years reading many books and listening to many good speakers and teachers. Taking in truth for me was as refreshing and as rejuvenating as water is for a thirsty person. I thirsted for truth and drank it in. While I can attest to some change occurring in my life, I know that much of my internal, emotional make up has seen little change. Why? Because when it came to applying the things I was learning I either didn’t apply it or I didn’t apply it for very long. Much like the student who wants to be taught but refuses to do the work. Much like the person who wants to lose weight but doesn’t practice day in and day out what is taught at the weight loss clinic.

I have had many teachers in my life….not just school teachers. Many have been willing to teach me the things they know and I want to know. But just like the saying, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink”, one can teach me many things but cannot make me apply it. Applying it has to be my choice and my doing.

I do not negate the work of God in my life when I speak of doing something. Part of His work in my life is brought about by practicing what I learn. Most of that practicing will take place away from the book I read or the person I listen to. It goes beyond the initial joy of learning to becoming a part of my life, for what I truly learn I will live.

Yesterday, God started my day with the thought of being friendly. Taking His word to heart set the course of my day and affected numerous interactions. It was reflected in my voice, my eyes, and my presence. It caused me to handle a sticky situation with wisdom and poise. It was enough to convince me that I want more of what I experienced. More of doing rather than just hearing.

Father, I marvel at You and all that You accomplish. You not only speak your word but You do your word. May I be more like You. Amen.

The Motions - Matthew West
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaHmiFaX_pk

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

All In God's Time

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (New American Standard Bible)

We live in a day when everything is ’instant’ and we so often want that to apply to God’s transforming work in us. We see God’s work in another believer’s life and want the same thing done in us. What we forget is that it took time for it to be evident in them and it will take time for it to be evident in us. Each of us have areas in our life that we long to see changed and transformed.

As a believer, God’s Spirit is at work in me. Time spent in the Word, praying, attending worship services, talking with other believers, listening to Christian music, reading rich books of faith, sitting under speakers, taking my thoughts captive, and speaking truth out loud all become the tools He uses to change me. I hold on to the hope that change is taking place. When I first started on this journey in the spring of 2004 I did not see a lot of change all at once. But over time I know the change has taken place and there is more to come. So I keep doing what I have been doing and trust God to use it to transform me from the inside out. I have the assurance that He will continue to renovate me in countless ways. There are times I would like Him to use some ‘Miracle Grow’ on me but in His wisdom He chooses not to do that. He wants the change to be deep and lasting.

Some of the things God is working on presently differ from what He was working on a year or so ago and some of the things are the same. From day to day, the lessons and learning vary and it is imperative that I take note of what the present day holds. It will entail heart choices, attacks from the enemy, circumstances that are out of my control, and any number of other things. This I know, though, God’s Spirit lives in me, God’s presence accompanies me, God’s hand holds me, God’s Word speaks to me, and God’s plans and purposes continue to be fulfilled for me.

Will I trust His ways? His heart? His timing? His hands? You bet! I spent three decades seeing what my ways, heart, timing, and hands could do. The results were pitiful. The growth was shallow. The change was minimal. Now I let Him be the Potter, the Builder, the Constructor of my soul. Is it ever painful? At times. Is it ever hard? Absolutely. Is it ever uncomfortable? Yes. But above all that it is worth it! Of that I am sure.

Father, growth without You is impossible. Daily mold me, make me, and shape me into the person You created me to be. It is all a matter of time…Your time! Amen.

In His Time - Maranatha Singers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo-rGzx2OZk&feature=related

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

Empowered Change

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Colossians 3:16 (New King James Version)

God’s Word uses words that are multi-layered with meaning and richness. If we do not go beyond our limited scope of a word we will miss some big truths. The word ‘dwell’ is one such example. Upon first glance, I can think of it as merely being ‘in’ me, but a word study showed me a broader picture. It also means to influence and influence is a word that is rich with meaning. When someone or something influences me it changes me. When God’s word influences me it not only changes me but empowers me for that change. That is what I am hungry for this morning…..empowered change.

I just finished reading through the first three chapters of Ephesians. I was struck by all I am and all I have in Christ….all spiritual blessings, chosen before the foundations of the world, adopted by Him, accepted in the beloved, redeemed, forgiven, wisdom, prudence, an inheritance, sealed by His Spirit, raised and seated with Christ, saved by faith, God’s workmanship, access to the Father, a fellow-citizen, a habitation of God, a partaker of His promises, and confidence in Him. I read the list. I wrote it out in a notebook. I reworded it for personal effect. Then I asked myself a heart searching question.

If I am and have all that in Christ why am I living so far removed from its truth? I am rich in Christ and yet live as a pauper. If I found out I had $100,000 in the my bank account, I would live like I had $100,000.00. I wouldn’t be like the person I read about the other day who lived in a shack, dressed poorly, and collected empty cans for money while living with bundles of money in his home. Yet, on a spiritual plane I am doing the same thing if I am not living out of the truth of who I am and what I have in Christ. It is a truth that must not simply dwell in me but it must influence me as well. At the same time, I realize the changes I want will not come about naturally or in my own strength. On my own, I will continue to cycle in and out of victory and defeat. In Christ, I have hope, power, and change.

Father, change the patterns of thought and behavior in me. You are my starting point and resting place. Amen.

I Am His Daughter
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKh3wF7DBPk&feature=related

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

Personalizing Scripture

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10 (New King James Version)

It is one thing to read today’s verse with the all inclusive word “we” but it is an eye-opener and heart-mover to read it with the personal word “I”. To say out loud that I am His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that I should walk in them forces me to admit when and where I am not walking as such.

As I read the whole second chapter of Ephesians this way I was so aware of times when I still walk according to my flesh and mind rather than as a redeemed, blood bought daughter of God. My response and actions that come when I have been hurt and disappointed (or perceived I have been) still resembles that of one who does not know God. It is not so much that after nearly 38 years of being a Christian I still contend with pride, selfishness, and me-ism, it is that I give in to it so easily. When tempted in areas that affect my ego I still fold. That is the glaring truth for me this morning.

The second chapter of Ephesians is all about what I once was and who I am now. I want the who am now to be different. I want my choices and mindsets to be different. I want my view of people and my relationship with them to be different. With that said, I know the difference will require change on my part. It will require submission to God as He nudges and empowers me to do things differently than I have been doing them. Even though my methods have not worked, I am comfortable with them but uncomfortable with the results they keep yielding. That discomfort is what God is using to bring about in me a desire for change.

If left on my own, I will never see the transformation for which I long. But I am not left on my own. I am indwelt by the very Spirit of Christ and His Word lives in me. Victory and change ARE possible because of those two factors. The key will be relinquishing my will in exchange for God’s will. That is something He will not do for me but I have no doubt He will guide me in the process.

I will admit it scares me to think of living my life differently than I have been living it. To change the way I think, act, and respond in painful moments is over whelming at times. But I know the change will be worth it and when it comes I will marvel that I fought the process for as long as I have.

Father, You have been watching me re-enact one painful choice after another and all the while have longed for me to walk in Your ways. Give me the grace to change. Amen.

A Different Road - Kathy Troccoli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-P2awWTLmGU

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

His Process Not Mine

My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you. Galatians 4:19 (New King James Version)

Growth and development in the Christian life were Paul’s strong desires for the converts he communicated with. To see Christ formed in them and reflected through them was his passion. Although he longed for it and did much to encourage them in that direction, he knew it would be a process and that it would take time. I have come to realize that even though I can have a desire to grow in Christ and I can ask God to bring about that growth, it is God’s choosing as to what the process will entail.

In the spring of 2004, when I took my first steps on this journey, I had a list of things I wanted God to do in me. I wanted an intimate relationship with Him. I wanted to find my identity, security, and life in Him. I wanted His Word to come alive to me. I wanted to have the very characteristics I saw in others. And I asked God for those things in prayers such as, “Do in and through me what You have done in and through others.”

What I didn’t know was HOW He would go about doing that. I had no idea it would involve pain, sorrow, bewilderment, and the removal of many hindrances. I didn’t know it would involve revealing my own heart issues to myself and bringing me to the end of myself. I didn’t know it would involve changes in relationships. I didn’t know growth would come through loss. But it did and at times when I didn’t think I was going to make it, God would tenderly remind me of my prayers to Him that He was faithfully answering.

As I look back on the past few years, I have no doubt they have been the most painful and yet most productive years of my Christian life. What God has accomplished could not and would not be accomplished any other way. With that realization, my prayers now have a back drop of wisdom that as I continue to ask God to do whatever it takes to form Christ in me, that He will wisely use what He knows will work. I cannot be trusted to come up with the right ingredients or materials for the molding of my life. He alone knows the beginning from the end and the best way to get to the end.

This past Thanksgiving, I was once again profoundly struck by all that He has done for me both spiritually, and emotionally this year. I am not the same person I was a year ago and I head into a new year knowing there is more of the same ahead as I sit upon the Potter’s wheel and yield to His touch and voice.

Father, at times, I doubted the very things You could and would do. I now stand in awe and thankfulness for not only the results but for what You used to bring about those results. Continue to form Christ in me. All glory to You! Amen.

The Potter's Hand - Darlene Zschech
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSyKUoCxFMU&feature=related

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

Recognizing God's Work in Others

And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised. Galatians 2:9 (New King James Version)

Oh the preciousness when others can recognize and perceive the work of God in us. Paul and Barnabas were given the right hand of fellowship and the acknowledgement that they should minister to the Gentiles by the pillars of the early church. God’s grace in their life was evident to those who had experienced it themselves. How tragic it would have been had none of the early Christians been able to see that God was active in the lives of others.

While it is true that we are human and have limited perspective, I grow concerned when God’s work in a life is not evident to fellow believers even though He IS working. The opposite is also a concern for me, when people assume (falsely) that someone is on top of it spiritually but in reality they walk empty and aloof of intimacy with God. I have known both examples personally and they have taught me to be discerning with the opinions of others. Just as my perception of others can be dead wrong so can theirs be wrong of me. I must be careful not to let their thoughts replace what I know to be true.

Having said that, I can attest to the fact that once God begins working in a life He will make it very clear to others and they will often be faithful in sharing what they are seeing. I have learned to listen to the affirming and confirming words of others. When numerous people from different walks of life are saying the same thing it gets my attention and I walk with an assurance that changes really are being brought about in me.

While it is important that I keep my ears tuned to God’s voice, He often uses people to help me see things a little clearer. He knows that finding the balance between listening to people and listening to Him is still tricky for me but He will help me get there. In the mean time, I delight in the times someone will pull me aside and say, “I see growth in you.” Because the journey can often be slow and daunting at times, I need the insight of others to help me see what I am not seeing on my own.

Paul and Barnabas did not stake everything on the opinions and acceptance of others, but I am sure it was encouraging to be received by them. May God bless each of us with individuals in our lives who can perceive us accurately and may He allow us to be that for others.

Father, You have often let me know truth through other believers. Thank you for the ones who let me know what they see You doing in me. Help me to be the eyes for others as well. Amen.

Potter's Hand - Darlene Zschech
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSKe-gSXjAs&feature=related

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

It is Not Left Up to Me

And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. Philippians 1:6 (Amplified Bible)

Have you ever stopped to ponder God’s consistent and purposeful involvement in your life? In particular, the growth and development of your Christian life? If you are like me, you can become weighed down with the responsibility of striving, obeying, cooperating, and serving to the point that you draw the false conclusion that it ALL rests on YOUR shoulders. You might even be tempted to view God as One who simply sits back and watches how you are doing. While you know His Spirit lives in you to empower you and instruct you, and His Word gives you knowledge and wisdom for the journey, you still come away with a feeling that it is ALL up to you. The only thing you are “convinced” of is that you must keep up the pace and eventually there will be the pay off of growth.

Through the inspiration of God, Paul is coming along side us this morning to whisper essential truths to us. Primarily, the truth of God beginning the work, doing the work, and perfecting the work He started in each one of us. Recall the words of Isaiah the prophet who said in Isaiah 64:8, “ Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter, we are all the work of you hand.” Make David’s words of Psalm 57:2 your prayer, “I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]. Review the words of Psalm 138:8, “The LORD will accomplish what concerns me; Your loving kindness, O LORD, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands.” Hence, God’s assurance in Hebrews 13:5, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

So what is it God is reminding each one of us this morning? He is the One doing the work in us! Yes, we are to cooperate. Yes, we are to obey. Yes, we are to daily connect with Him. My own journey has included reading a multitude of books, devouring Scripture, thriving under rich relationships, sitting under sound teaching, embracing incredible music, and replacing a lot of lies with the truth. But He is the one doing the changing and producing the growth. And He is the one doing so in you as well. Dance in the midst of it all! Delight in the awareness of being held in His hands as He accomplishes His masterpiece which is you! He is not only completely capable of such a thing, He is joyfully doing it!

Father, I am not on my own and You are not a distant observer. With a heart of joy I review the many ways You have worked in my life so far and anticipate all that You will accomplish in the days and years ahead. Amen.

By Your Side - Tenth Avenue North
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J95rAr0gOFU

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

It Has to be Learned

Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:11-13 (New American Standard Bible)

I have often looked at fellow believers, saw godly qualities in their life, and made the false assumption that they came by those qualities naturally. I failed to see what they had to “learn” before they could say “I know.” I was not privy to the times of testing God walked them through in order to develop in them the sterling qualities I witnessed later on. The education they gained in the school of life may have taken years and was wrought with tears and difficulties that few knew anything of. God is reminding me this morning, that the gold I see so profoundly in them was mined out of the darkest caves of their life. He is also letting me know it is no different for me.

As I read today’s passage I noticed for the first time Paul’s phrase, “I have learned.” His contentment in all circumstances and knowing how to get along with abundance as well as poverty, being full and going hungry, having needs met and having needs remain unmet, had to be learned. It had to be learned through experiencing those very things and allowing God to be his Teacher in each situation. It required many moments of saying with Jesus, “Not my will, but Yours, O God.” It required dieing to self. It required walking in the Spirit instead of living in the flesh.

I don’t consider myself a fast learner or cooperative student most of the time. It is usually with difficulty that I finally yield and see the richness in doing so. It takes awhile for God to convince me that He really does know best and is bringing about the best for me. The longer I walk with Him the clearer this becomes.

Presently, I am “learning” the necessity of letting go. I have spent a life time harboring attitudes when disappointment came my way. God has been faithfully helping me to hear His voice as He nudges me to let go of the expectations I have put on others as well as the thoughts I can so easily mull over and stay connected to when those expectations are not forth coming. I see now that freedom is a choice and so are the steps necessary to live in that freedom. For now, most of my waking hours are spent saying, “I’m letting go of THAT!” because “holding on” was so much a part of my life. The change has not come easily but it is coming and in that I delight!

Father, my letting go when I so often want to hold on is coming with Your help. Thank you for Your insistence and assistance. I need You and I love You. Amen.

Spirit Song - Maranatha Singers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC7RDZP7tFw

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

Carried or Clinging?

And a man who had been lame from his mother's womb was being carried along, whom they used to set down every day at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, in order to beg alms of those who were entering the temple….While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement. Acts 3:2, 11 (New American Standard Bible)

This lame man’s story grips my heart today. I relate all too well with his disposition. Unable to walk, he is carried by others out of necessity. We have all been there at one time or another. Maybe not in the physical sense but maybe in the spiritual or emotional sense. Times in our life when we needed the assistance of another person to come to our aid and carry us until we were able to move on our own again. Maybe this lame man thought he would forever be carried. No hope for healing. No hope for change. Yet his healing did come and the change was profound. His carriers were no longer necessary. I am sure both sides felt the joy of ended roles.

Yet nine verses later, this same man (now able to leap, stand, and walk) is found clinging to Peter and John….the ones God used to bring about his healing. Why? It was not that he needed their help to continue to walk. He was doing that and more on his own. Could it be that he (like us) became enamored with the vessels God used? Did he feel a need to stay connected to them even after their purpose in his life had been fulfilled? Was it that he knew other areas in his life were in need of healing and felt he needed them in order for those healings to take place? Did he limit God’s ability to continue to work in his life without those God used presently? While I do not know if those were the issues playing out that day in the life of a former lame man, I do know they are what tend to play out in my own life and the lives of others.

Today, I am once again reviewing the difference between legitimate needs and perceived necessity. When am I being helped out of necessity and when am I refusing to let go out of fear and skewed thinking? God has used and will continue to use significant people in my life but I still need to learn how to receive their help without becoming a clinger. I need to fully embrace David’s words when he said, I saw the Lord constantly before me, for He is at my right hand that I may not be shaken or overthrown or cast down [from my secure and happy state]. To see God as my Source who chooses out of love to use the very people that He uses during specific times in my life. May I learn to cling to Him and appreciate fully the ones He sends.

Father, my need of You is clearly seen each time I desperately hold on to others. Teach me to leap, stand, and walk hand in hand with You! Amen.

Better Than a Hallelujah - Amy Grant
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lD_pCr_Xrnc

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

His Works, His Hands

But now, O LORD, You are our Father, we are the clay, and You our potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand. Isaiah 64:8 (New American Standard Bible)

As a branch in God’s hands, I am pruned at appropriate times in necessary ways. As His sheep, I am shepherded and cared for. As clay upon His wheel and in His hands I am molded to His likings. I long for the results that come from His involvement in my life but often squirm during the process. This morning I am asking myself what the process has entailed.

It has entailed taking me out of comfort zones, removing significant individuals from my life, showing me the truth about His heart and character, showing me the dangers of living out of my emotions, correcting wrong steps I take, transforming my character and thoughts, exposing my weaknesses and wounds, teaching me to live according to truth rather than perceptions, redirecting my attention to what He is presently doing rather than what He has done in the past, instilling in me a teachable spirit in the midst of difficult lessons, and wiping away tears that fall when I don’t understand what He is doing or forget that He is doing all things out of love.

I am a recipient and example of His labor of love and that knowledge requires trust on my part. Trust that God knows what He is doing. Trust that He will accomplish that which He has determined to do. Trust that He will keep His word. Trust that He is able to do far more than I could imagine. Trust that my limitations do not limit Him. Trust that at no time does His love for me become merely toleration. Trust that I have not exhausted His supply of mercy, grace, forgiveness, and strength. Trust that He will eventually bring me to the point that I completely release all that I am still holding on to. Trust that His requirements of me are good, necessary, and beneficial.

He knows my personality and make up. My weaknesses and bents. My places of stubbornness. My potential. My fears and insecurities. With that knowledge He has not abandoned me, become exasperated by me, shamed me, or given up on me. His involvement in my life has not waned in the least. I marvel at the thought of that and it comes against all preconceived ideas I have had of myself and Him.

Father, show me where I still lack trust in You. Teach me to fix my eyes on You. Amen.

He Knows My Name - Maranatha Singers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXsiWoyjw60&feature=related

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.

Seeing the Options

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. Romans 7:18 (New American Standard Bible)

Paul had it right! He was not being narcissistic, he was being realistic. In his flesh, in my flesh, in your flesh nothing good lives. Galatians 5:19-20 spells it out even clearer. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like. I have had to come to realize that as long as I live in this body those things will be in me. They are as present and as real as my bones, blood vessels, and muscles. Some are more evident than others. Some surface more frequently than others. But when it is all said and done they are in me.

Why do I stress that to myself and to those reading this devotional? Because for years I lived with the idea that spiritual maturity meant the eventual elimination of them. I thought I should and could reach a point where they would no longer be in me. I thought God could so change me from the inside out that the components of my flesh would somehow be removed. That kind of thinking only set me up for disappointment and discouragement when one or the other “works of my flesh” would appear and shake things up.

Last night was a moment of truth for me. In the midst of a reality check I took a cold, hard look at that which resides in me and with slow and deliberate words I said, “As long as I live in this world, you will always be in me. In this life you are NOT going away.” Did that realization discourage me? No! It relieved me of the pressure I had been putting on myself. It shifted my attention off what could not be changed to what could be changed. The works of my flesh will not change BUT the effect of those works can.

I do not have a choice whether or not I will experience the feelings of my fleshly nature (such as anger, jealousy, self pity, etc…) but I have a choice on whether or not I will let them control me. Being able to do all things through Christ, means I can walk in victory over those things. How? By acknowledging the truth and choosing to react differently to situations. By asking God to help me not give in to my ruling passions. By making a conscientious decision to be ruled by the Spirit instead of by my flesh. Is it easy? No! The pull of my flesh is strong and often I want to give in to it. But when I choose not to, the victory is sweet!

For a long time I have detected the internal shifts in myself that come with flesh moments. The difference is that now I am aware of other options and alternatives that are within my reach.

Father, this aspect of my flesh is as easy to spot now as my brown eyes. Thank you that I am finally seeing how to live in victory rather than defeat. Amen.

East to West - Casting Crowns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yza2tru9Z4k&feature=related

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

The Ingredients for a Different Life

And he did what was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father David had done.2 Kings 18:3 (New King James Version)

As I read through 2 Kings I am struck by how many kings are described as doing evil in the sight of the Lord. The few times that it states a king doing right in the sight of the Lord always grab my attention. The first six verses of 2 Kings gives an amazing list of what Hezekiah did that was right in God’s eyes. I like to think of it as God’s brag book on His servant. Since it is important enough to make its way into the pages of Scripture it is important enough to gaze upon. Look at what this king did!

He removed the high places, broke down the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherah, broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made (because the people were worshiping it), trusted in the LORD, clung to the LORD, and kept His commandments. The things he broke down and destroyed had to do with the idolatry of the nation of Israel. The breaking down of those things were the results of Hezekiah’s personal walk with the LORD. Though many kings before and after him did just the opposite, Hezekiah broke the generational bents and ruled his life and his kingdom with love, obedience, and dependence on the King of Kings. The result was that God was with him and wherever he went he prospered.

I see a principle here that God has established. My private relationship with God will have an effect on my public relationship with people. As I open His Word and allow it to take hold of me, it has a profound effect on the choices I make, the things I do, the things I say, the way I treat others, and the person I am in my home. As I trust the Lord, cling to Him, and obey Him, He is reshaping and remaking me from the inside out. While I can change outward behavior only God can change my heart. And with that change of heart comes a change of life style.

It is never too late to open God’s Word and say, “Father, speak to me. Show me who You are and what You are like. Make me hungry for You. Make me thirsty for You. Be the One to satisfy me in the deepest parts of my being. Help me to take hold of You with both hands and all of my heart.” The results will astound you as God answers the cries of your heart!

Father, my life changes when it was You I chose to trust, cling to, and obey. Continue to do Your work in me as I sit on the Potter’s wheel. Amen.

The Motions - Matthew West
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaHmiFaX_pk&feature=related

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

A Different Wardrobe

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; Colossians 3:12 (New King James Version)

Putting on and extending to others tender mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, and longsuffering does not come naturally to us. Of late, I am acutely aware of how quickly I can put on just the opposite. The slightest thing can find me clothing myself in resentment, impatience, intolerance, suspicion and agitation. But I am noticing something that I have never noticed before. It takes more energy and robs me of joy when I put on what comes naturally as opposed to what God instructs me to put on.

It takes a lot of energy to hold a grudge. I have to keep reminding myself of the offense and the offender. It affects my relationships and keeps me in a perpetual state of turmoil. Yesterday, I took some steps to change the direction of my attitude and actions and I was struck by the lightness that came to me because of it. It actually felt good to clear away the mental list I had been holding on to. It felt good to talk to the ones I had been avoiding. It felt good to feel comfortable in their presence.

This morning, I admit to a bit of confusion. For the life of me, I cannot figure out why being resentful and vengeful were ever so appealing to me. I cannot think of one advantage that it gave or one benefit anyone (myself included) derived from it. Fitful nights of sleep and uncomfortable social settings certainly aren’t things to be desired. When I am alone and nursing a perpetual wound, who is even aware of it but God and me? My conclusion is that it is all a painful waste of time.

Life is too short to spend my energies and time on that which displeases God, disrespects others, and keeps me bound in apparel not meant for me. God is slowly showing me practical ways to begin living differently. He is showing me the necessity to release offenses to Him the moment I am aware of the sting. He is giving me right actions to take. He is even showing me a “wardrobe” that will be much more pleasing and appealing to wear. Indeed, as His elected, holy, and beloved daughter I am called to look and act like it. I am empowered by His Spirit to look and act like it.

A friend of mine likes to reference the show NCIS whereby a certain character is continually smacking individuals upside the head to get their attention. For me, the letters will stand for New Choices I See and they are coming as God tenderly “smacks” me with necessary truths.

Father, I love the fact that You never leave me to my own vices, choices, and ways. I stand in awe of You as You work in me. Amen.

Your Name - Phillips, Craig, & Dean
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2qm3eD4akM

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

God's Method and Freedom of Speech

Then the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, "Samuel! Samuel!" And Samuel said, "Speak, for Your servant is listening." 1 Samuel 3:10 (New American Standard Bible)

There are times when God works to show us what box we are putting Him in. For me, that box has entailed assuming God would, could, and should be speaking to me in certain ways, at certain times, and in certain places. Usually my ideas come from how I saw Him speak to people in Bible times or how I see Him speak to others in the here and now. I often have the idea that what is true for others in their relationship with God needs to be true for me as well. So I find myself trying to set the stage for such communication to take place. A trip a year ago was no exception.

My plan was to take my daughter to Cumberland Gap, Tennessee, and then get alone with God for a couple days with the desire that He would speak to me personally about a variety of issues in my life. I wanted it to be my “Samuel” moment. I thought I needed to set aside books and music and just have it be us. That is not what happened. Instead, God used a four hour conversation with my daughter, a phrase in a book, a phone conversation with a friend, and individual songs to give me some insights I needed to grasp. Each time truth got in I knew without a doubt that He was speaking directly to me. I came away from that time profoundly refreshed in spirit. How tragic it would have been had I insisted He do it MY way!

I learned to look at two areas of my life differently because of what He chose to show me that weekend. His communication with me will often entail external sources and means. My walk with Him will often include relationships that He brings into my life. As I embraced those truths and delighted in it being that way I found myself more content and at peace.

What am I trying to say? God knows each of our make up. He created us and wired us a certain way. He knows how we operate best and what our legitimate and intimate needs are. We don’t get very far when we look for Him to work differently with us than how He chooses to work. We are the richer for it when we revel in His ways with us and His knowledge of us.

Father, I relinquish my ideas of how things ought to be. You know best. You do what is best. I trust Your heart and Your ways. Amen.

No Eye Has Seen - Paul Baloche
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7HN-6Z43Ik&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.

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.

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.

His Continued Work

As you do not know what is the way of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child, so you do not know the works of God who makes everything. Ecclesiastes 11:5 (New King James Version)

Just over fifty-one years ago, God finished forming me in my mother’s womb. I don’t know how He caused me to grow and develop inside of her, yet that did not stop Him from doing so. And I don’t understand all the ways He has chosen to work in my life since the day of my birth, but that too has not stopped Him from doing so. With that said, this is becoming a day of reflection for me.

God has woven together the pieces of my life which have included joy and sorrow, tears and laughter, relationships and loneliness, successes and failures, gains and losses, and so on. I have not always understood what He was doing and why He was doing it, but I am realizing more and more that He really is doing what is good for me and glorifying for Himself. Peace and joy abound when I embrace His choices, plans, and purposes for me. When I strain against Him, I lose every time.

Several years ago, God began showing me what He was like. His heart has been revealed to me through His Word as well as through the body of Christ. As He has corrected my distorted view of Himself my life has been changed. Those revelations and corrections have often been the subjects of many devotionals. He still has much to teach me but I marvel at what He has done so far. Up until recently much of the journey has been about learning the truth about God. But God is clearly letting me know He is now choosing to help me learn the truth about myself. In His wisdom He first allowed me to feel safe with Him. And now within that safety I can open myself up to His view and knowledge of me.

He is tender yet persistent in showing me where I am broken, where I have been affected by childhood experiences, my misunderstandings of relationships, and my mistaken ways of getting needs met. He is also showing me where I fail to trust Him and accept what He offers me each day. Just a short while ago I bent the knee and shed tears over my refusal to embrace His reason for bringing in and removing individuals in my life. The inability to move forward has finally been removed as His forgiveness and mercy have been extended to me once again.

I share with you each morning NOT as one who has ‘arrived’ but as one who is learning. I struggle and I succeed on a daily basis. I bleed when I am cut and I cry when I am hurt. The difference is I have finally learned to admit it all to God and other believers. I choose to continue to live my life with the perspective and power that comes from God’s heart and hands as I walk with Him.

Father, sometimes I feel like I barely know You or myself. Continue to reveal Yourself to me and expose me to the truth about myself. With You I am safe to see both. Amen.

Warrior is a Child/Do I Trust You - Twila Paris
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pzu-jWpcdw

Fixing my eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith!