That Which He Promises

The LORD will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace. Psalm 29:11 (New American Standard Bible)

I came to Scripture this morning in need of assurances and promises. God knew that! Even when I cannot put into words what I am feeling, He knows. Even when I cannot trace the starting points of internal pain, turmoil, or sadness, He knows. He knows me so intimately that His answers are available even before I know what questions to ask.

In the quietness of these early hours, He promises me strength in the midst of my own weaknesses and failures. How desperately I need that reminder. So often my failures and mistakes stare me in the face and God wants me to know they can serve as reminders that His strength is there. Strength to get me on my feet again. Strength to resist temptation. Strength to face the conditions of my heart. Strength to come before Him with boldness and honesty. Strength to admit the truth to Him and to know it will not change His view of me or His love for me. Strength to turn my gaze off others and on to Him. Strength to rise after a fall. Strength to look at today with hope, passion, and anticipation. Strength to reject the perceptions of yesterday.

He promises to bless me with peace. His peace. The peace that Jesus said was unlike anything I would derive from this world or from people in this world. Peace in the midst of strife. Peace in the midst of uncertainty. Peace in the midst of turmoil. Peace in the midst of unmet needs, unrealized dreams, and unfulfilled desires. Peace in the midst of struggles and faltering steps.

Taking in His words this morning and embracing His promises to me help me to receive what He has pledged. His offer is always present if I would but reach out and accept what He graciously extends to me. How sad when I live as if neither His strength or His peace are upon me! When I take the mentality that I am on my own I forfeit the ability to live out of His strength and peace.

Today is a day whereby I need to bask in the light and warmth of what He is saying to me…what He is promising me. As I do, the effects will be felt. The results will be noticeable. The necessary shifts in me will begin.

Father, I choose once again to walk in the light of Your Word and Your presence. You have not left me or forsaken me. You have not thrown up Your hands in exasperation or disgust. You have not set me aside in disappointment. I take my first steps into a new day with my hand in Yours, knowing that all is well. Amen.

Your Are My Hiding Place - Maranatha Singers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zej__yFPeK0&feature=PlayList&p=C0C5F92CF1DA2486&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2

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

Seeing the Way of Escape

No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 (New International Version)

The truth of this verse is evident….temptation is in our life and experienced by all. Praise God that truth is wrapped in the promise that He will faithfully provide a way of escape for us out of any temptation that comes upon us. We don’t have to wonder if there will be a way out, we can count on it!

Lately, one of God’s more prominent escape routes for me is to see the consequence ahead of time if I give in to the temptation. Much of what I am tempted with on a daily basis is not new to me. I have enough of a track record to rely upon to know what will happen if I give in to the enticement. Let me share a few personal examples.

If I partake of certain foods, I know they will lead to an eating binge. No doubt about it! Without fail (like alcohol to an alcoholic) control will be lost and all resolve to eat in a healthy way will be thrown out the window. If I read material from a ministry that at one time had a powerful hold on me, I will once again be in the throws of emotional dependency and recaptured by the very things from which I have sought freedom. If I give my mind over to negative thinking and wrong perceptions, I will spiral into a pit of darkness. If I allow others to be the center of my world instead of giving God that place, I will become disillusions, disappointed, and discouraged.

How do I know the results of each thing mentioned? I have fallen to those temptations too many times and the outcome has always been the same. The knowledge of that is my way of escape. If I say ‘no’ to the temptation I walk in victory and if I yield to it I face defeat. Last night I experienced victory in the area of not reading the ministry material but I admit defeat when it came to an eating binge. I rejoice in the one and accept today’s fresh start for the other.

Today will be a day which will entail temptations and yet it will also be a day filled with ways of escape. By God’s grace, I plan to take the escape routes each time.

Father, temptations and attacks come against my physical, spiritual, emotional, and social worlds. May the ways of escape be clearly discerned and consistently taken by me throughout this day. Amen.

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

He is wooing you from the jaws of distress to a spacious place free from restriction, to the comfort of your table laden with choice food. Job 36:16

Where to Take the Hunger

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1 NASB

David penned these words in a wilderness. A place where food and water would be scarce if existent at all. He could easily relate his physical hunger and thirst to his spiritual hunger and thirst. The way his body craved sustenance was the way his soul craved God! God often times will use our physical world to help enlighten us on the spiritual world. Hence, Jesus’ use of parables to explain kingdom principles to His disciples. God knows I am a visual person so He is creative and extravagant with the visual aides He uses in my life.

Yesterday He used a moment of hunger to teach me some valuable truths. He reminded me of all the times I sought to avoid hunger at all costs. I would often choose to eat before hunger sat in as a way of preventing myself from even experiencing it. Food choices were poor, amounts were ridiculous, and the results were not good. I could not grasp the idea that hunger did not have to be feared. I can remember many days whereby I would eat whatever I wanted, in whatever amount I wanted, and every time I wanted. Yet, it never satisfied me. Talk about frustrating! What I had to learn was that there were right times to eat and right ways to eat.

God took those thoughts and opened my eyes to the spiritual significance. Just as I would avoid hunger at all costs, I had learned to avoid emptiness at all costs. I needed to be on spiritual highs and looked to fill my soul with relationships, knowledge, and activities. Always on the hunt. Always trying to take in “stuff” from my external world to fill up my internal world. God has shown me that although those things are good in themselves they are not my answer. He keeps saying, “Let Me be the One you hunger for and let Me be the One to satisfy you. When no one is available it becomes OUR time to be together. I will answer your questions, meet your needs, fill your emptiness, and satisfy your heart needs. I created you and know what’s best for you. Let me take care of you. Trust Me.”

Will going to Him bring about permanent results? No. As long as I live in this world and in this body I will have needs to bring to Him. I will have areas that need fixing. I will have places that need filling. Going to Him is a daily necessity! He will let me know when I am “feeding” on the wrong things and when I am looking to the wrong sources. He will not let the substitutes work for me. He loves me that much!

Father, I know what it is to be internally hungry. Keep teaching me to come to You with the needs and find true filling and satisfaction. Amen.

Unrealized Options

Now the day was ending, and the twelve came and said to Him, “Send the crowd away, that they may go into the surrounding villages and countryside and find lodging and get something to eat; for here we are in a desolate place.” Luke 9:12 (NKJV)

The disciples had spent the day with Jesus and were witness to a multitude of healings. At the close of the day they looked at the crowd of 5,000, knew they did not have the means to feed them, and presented Jesus with the only solution….send them away so they can take care of themselves. Now Jesus could certainly have done that and no one would have thought anything of it. But instead, He once again chose to intervene and do what only God can do…the impossible.

The disciples must have stood in a place of confusion as they were told to seat people in groups of 50 and then watched as Jesus blessed the five loaves and two fishes and proceeded to tell them to set the food before the crowd. The awareness would have hit as they watched the bread and fish multiply right before their eyes with twelve baskets remaining in the end. Once they saw the miracle take place, do you think they would have dared to think their original plan was still the best? I doubt it. But rather maybe Isaiah’s words came to their mind that God’s ways are higher than our ways and God’s thoughts are higher than our thoughts.

How easy it is to look at our circumstances, resources, limitations, and location, calculate our options and decide there is only one thing to do. We approach God with the view that He is as limited as our list of possibilities. We simply cannot imagine that there could possibly be a better way let alone a miracle. How generous of God to hold out for His plan even in the midst of our tears, confusion, and questions. How gracious of Him to display His ways and thoughts while He whispers, “O, ye of little faith.”

This morning I sense His longing for us to see that He still does the impossible and knows if we could see what He has in mind we would choose His plans above our own. He has given us the miracles of the Bible to show us how often He did things no one even thought of let alone considered possible. He implores us to trust Him fully and to stop depending on our own understanding. Will we dare to do it?

Father, You are aware of the options I am focused on. My view is so limited. Help me to turn my eyes and my trust toward You! Amen.

Not Meant to be Duplicated

Tremble, O earth, before the Lord, before the God of Jacob, Who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of water. Psalm 114:7,8

Mention the word “change” to people and it can conjure up many thoughts in their minds. If the change is for good we love it! But if the change is uncomfortable we cringe. That is usually because we are looking at the effect of the change and how it makes us feel rather than the bigger picture of God’s involvement in our life. Change comes when we realize these things are happening for us rather than to us.

Today’s verse made me realize a number of truths in regards to God’s involvement in my life. God stands poised with unique provisions for my quandaries. There were many times in the wilderness when God’s people had no choice but to turn to Him for help. The lack of water caused thirst. The thirst cause them to cry out. Their cry for help caused God to act! He brought water from a rock! Twice! Not just a trickle but a gushing stream. When hungry, He blanketed the ground with manna for forty years. When entering and leaving the wilderness He provided a dry path through large bodies of water. His power was displayed not limited by their situations.

But I am also realizing how seldom God duplicates His acts of provision and kindness. His provision of water from a rock was not duplicated in later years. It was for that time alone. It is imperative that I see He operates the same way in my life. At one time, my husband and I taught in Christian schools. That was God’s way of providing for our financial needs. While our employment has changed, God’s ability to provide has not! At one time, God allowed me to be mentored by an incredible person. What happened? God knew it was time to be nudged out of her nest and for me to learn to find my security, growth, and faith in Him. God is not locked into a system whereby He cannot altar my friendships, employment, comfort zones, health, or anything else that affects my internal or external world. If I fail to see the changes are from Him, I will stunt my own spiritual growth, fail to experience relationship with Him, and miss what He graciously wants to give to me. It is time to trust Him!

Father, I keep looking for duplicate acts and You keep showing me You have better plans. Thank you for the faithful and unique provisions of the past, present, and future. I trust Your ways above my own! Amen.

He Has and Is What You are Looking For

Leah conceived and bore a son and named him Reuben for she said, “Because the LORD has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me.” Genesis 29:32 NASB

I am struck by the desperation of Leah as I read of her life, marriage, and search for love. Her affliction was barrenness and a marriage void of love. The children she conceived became her means whereby she hoped to gain the love and companionship of her husband. Her desire was to be valued and counted as dear. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be loved. It is an inward desire we were created with. The problem is how we go about trying to obtain that love….especially when it is withheld.

I find it interesting that after multiple pregnancies and births, love from her husband is still not realized. Her actions have not earned her the favor she had hoped for. While her womb, arms, and home are full of children she still lives empty and deprived. Her “surely now my husband will love me” words have not come to pass.

It has taken me years to realize my heart needs are what drive me to do the things I do. It is so easy to look to people to heal my wounds, ease my worries, and just plain fix me. I somehow want to place on them the responsibility for my spiritual well being and maturity. When all the while God is inviting me to come to Him and live my life out of my daily connection and relationship with Him.

He has recently taken me through three essential steps in my walk with Him. He brought me to the place of realizing everything I am and need is found in Christ. Not only my salvation but my very existence. He then walked me through the process of transferring my dependency on individuals over to Himself. Then He helped me to see that living out of my spirit (my relationship with Him) must replace living out of my soul (my mind, will, and emotions).

It has been His way of saying, “I have much more to offer you than you could ever hope to find in people.” He is helping me to see what has hindered me from taking Him up on His invitation to “come unto Me.” As the hindrances are realized and removed I am finding a satisfaction and completeness in Christ that I never imagined would be possible.

Father, You are teaching me how to come to You. Thank you for never allowing people to do for me what You alone can do. Amen.

His Supply

He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river. Psalm 105:41

I am encouraged by this verse. In it I see God's hand, God's supply, God's presence, God's awareness, God's care, God's unusual choices, and God's provision. Just like He was aware of the needs of His people in the wilderness, He is aware of my needs.

The children of Israel most likely looked for water and when none could be found, despair and anger set in. The usual sources of water were unavailable to them so they assumed God's unavailability as well.

Psalm 105 encourages me to remember the wonderful things God has done in the past. Remembering brings hope to the present situation. Each of us can look back in our life and see God's work. He provided for us in the past ~ He'll do so again now. We must review His character, His power, His direction, His provision, and His intervention. The supply is limitless.
I may not be able to see how God will meet certain needs in my life but HE knows. When I am spiritually thirsty He has a "rock" to open where water gushes out to run in the dry places of my life. It may be a book I read, a speaker I hear, a song I listen to, a friend I meet. If I come to Him with a need and desire His method for meeting the need I will be astounded at His wondrous work on my behalf.

God, You are always moved by my plights. You have provisions in hand. May I open my heart to receive all You have for me! Amen.

Come To Receive

So they said, “You have saved our lives! Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh’s slaves.” Genesis 47:25

The Egyptians chose life through slavery. Everything else was gone and their only recourse was to sell their land and themselves into slavery. If they held on to their possessions and their freedom they would die. But in giving up everything they would live.

I came to Christ with a death sentence over my life. Being His servant is where fulfillment of life comes from. I serve Him because He has given me life. He already grants me favor in His sight.
So often people look to the wrong sources to get what God so freely offers. But God waits for them to come to Him. It is unnecessary to accept the conditions of a sinful life. If we would but turn to Him, right choices are possible.

Joseph had plenty of food. It was up to each person to accept the offer and come.

Father, I come to You in need, and You always give out of the abundance of Your supply. Amen!

He Meets My Needs

There I will also provide for you, for there are still five years of famine to come, and you and our household and all that you have would be impoverished. Genesis 45:11

Our needs abound in this world. There are the obvious physical needs of food, clothing, and shelter. For some those are immense needs as they struggle with finances and don't see how they are going to make it. But that is not the area of impoverishment I face. My physical needs are more than adequately met. My personal famine has to do with needs from within. I so often look to people to meet my social and emotional needs and if they don't come through for me I tend to live empty and deprived. It's like there is a part of me that is always wanting.

But God makes the same offer to me as Joseph made to his brother. "Be near me and I will provide for you." He knows my tendency to look for relationships to bring me fulfillment and satisfaction. And He knows the disappointment I feel when my "source" doesn't supply those needs.

Last night I pictured a tin cup in my hands. It represented the ability to gather what I need each day. When I am continually looking to people to be consistent sources of encouragement, affirmation, and filling it is like standing by a rotating lawn sprinkler with my tin cup in hand. As the sprinkler makes it's way around to me I manage to capture a few drops of water. It's not enough! It's arduous and tedious with very little to show. When all the while God offers fresh running water for me. A vast supply! May I learn to fill my cup at His pools and quench my thirsty spirit.

His water not only quenches my thirst, it cleanses and refreshes me.

Father, Your offer to draw near is calling out to me today. I come with my cup in hand to once again allow YOU to meet my needs. Amen.

Received or Turned Away?

Your iniquities turned these away, and your sins have withheld good from you. Jeremiah 5:25

My sin actually turns away and withholds good things that are meant for me. I picture a road leading to a town in need of food and supplies. But the truckloads are turned away and the items are withheld by two guards named iniquity (wickedness) and sin. They are more aware than anyone what is on it’s way but they aren’t about to let it get through.

When I choose to hold on to my wrong words, actions, thoughts, or attitudes I keep these guards employed. But when I acknowledge my sin to the Lord and seek His forgiveness the guards are moved out of the way. The good things intended for me get through.

So often we live in want of God’s goodness and blessing in our life. We posture, we hide, we squirm, and we beg. It isn’t until we become honest with ourselves and God about the wrong in our live that we can begin to clear the way for God’s things to get through to us.

What am I in need of today? What provisions are being blocked?

Father, You have meant for me to receive so much more from Your hands than I am receiving. Open my eyes to the wickedness and sin that detours Your goodness from reaching me. I choose You, Lord! Amen.

He Provides What I Need

Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you. I Kings 19:7b

After a great victory at Mt. Carmel, Elijah is running for his life and praying God would take his life. Jezebel is convinced she holds sway over his life and she has convinced Elijah of that very thing.

This morning I am sad. My emotions are on the surface. The fingers of authority threaten to strangle me and the prospects for the next three years look dim. I have struggled to journal or even feast on God’s Word.

Elijah was given bread and water to eat. He was sustained for forty days on what he ate. He went in the strength of that food. What is it that God will feed me with at this time in my life? His Word. His Spirit. His presence. Although I have given up all personal plans I know He is still the Rock I stand on, the Tower I dwell in, the Refuge I find shelter in, and the Security I rest in. His hand is on me and I grasp it. His ears are open to my cry. His heart is moved by my plight.
As I seek direction He gives it. He has not forsaken me nor has He stepped aside and left me to fend for myself. My sadness does not offend Him ~ He understands this kind of sorrow. I do not know what lies ahead but I know who to hold on to in the midst of the storm. I must look to Him to provide for my social, emotional, and spiritual well being. May I rest in Him until definite direction is given.

Father, You control my life. May those who seek to hinder me not succeed. Amen.