Changing My View of God

He went on turning away, in the way of his heart. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him. Isaiah 57:17,18

There are times, even as believers, when we are prone to turn away from God and His ways. It is the way of our heart. God sees that. He knows ahead of time when that is going to happen. And yet although He has seen our ways and our waywardness He says “I will heal him.” His intent is never to leave us in our wanderings. Before salvation He was purposefully wooing us to Himself. After salvation He still woos us back to Himself.

I am learning that the first steps back to God are in being honest before Him. To admit to Him what is happening and what is going on in my heart. I use to find that so hard to do. I struggled to get past the thoughts of Him being disappointed and angry with me. When I would blow it, rather than approach Him with the truth and a heart of repentance, I would just try to improve my behavior and hope with time He would forget about the offense. It doesn’t work that way! Avoidance of the issues leads to a feeling of separation from God. Although He never leaves me I sense a distance. Unbeknownst to me, His desire was always to remove the distance.

A lot of this had to do with my view of God. When I viewed Him as angry, unapproachable, and tolerating me at best, I shrunk back rather than drew near. It wasn’t until I began to see what He was really like that I could come out of hiding and actually come to Him. He used examples in Scripture to help clear up my misperceptions. One example was the father of the returning prodigal son. If you are not familiar with the story take time to read Luke 15:11-32. For any who cannot see God as a loving, heavenly Father, that story will revolutionize you.

It is not just at salvation that God embraces us and celebrates our coming to Him. It happens every time we come to Him with honest confession of what is going on in our heart, life, and actions. I am finding it is okay to admit to God that my flesh is getting the best of me. To admit to feelings of anger, jealousy, and a bruised ego. To confess again that my heart has turned to idols of various shapes and sizes. He has known it all along! When I come He welcomes me back….every time!

Father, Your love overwhelms me this morning. Continue to change my view of You in areas where there are still distortions. Amen.

My Sure Refuge

He who walks righteously and speaks with sincerity, he who rejects unjust gain and shakes his hands so they hold no bribe; he who stops his ears from hearing about bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking upon evil; he will dwell on the heights, his refuge will be the impregnable rock; his bread will be given him, his water will be sure. Isaiah 33:15,16

When our children were young they learned the song "O Be Careful." It was a song meant to teach the importance of guarding your eyes, ears, mouth, hands, and feet. As Christians, we hopefully learn to use those instruments for good rather than evil. Isaiah gives us God's version of that song. It goes beyond the fact that God is watching from above. It is God's way of giving us a peak into what is to be ours. He wants us to see a place of safety and surety He has provided for us as well as the sustenance we need.

This world is not always "user friendly." Days can seem long, deprivation can be cruel, people can disappoint us, health can fail us, and circumstances can leave us drained. But God intends for us to seek our shelter and refuge in Him when the storms hit. In affect, He not only shelters us but sustains us and nourishes us.

I grew up in Michigan ~ not far from Lake Michigan. Over the years, I have noticed the dramatic changes of the coastline. Houses that were built far back on the cliffs are now close to the edge as the elements have eroded the sand. Each assault takes away from an unsure foundation. THAT is a picture of other sources I may be tempted to seek refuge in. It may look safe and feel safe for awhile but erosion happens. And one day I find myself close to the edge.
How different the picture is of God. He is the impregnable Rock! Not one bit of His foundation is ever a victim to erosion. He is as trustworthy and dependable now as in eternity past. That is why when the best of plans fail, when friends are unable or unwilling to meet my needs, when my circumstances leave me worn, I am able to be strengthened internally as I dwell on high, seek His refuge, and feed off His ever fresh supply of food for my soul.

Father, You are aware of the very things that assault me today. I once again resort to Your shelter. Enfold me with Yourself. Amen.

Learning To Listen

You who are far away, hear what I have done, and you who are near, acknowledge My might. Isaiah 33:13

I have a friend with whom I could listen to for hours and never tire of her stories. When she speaks I pay close attention to her words because I want to gain insight into her life. I walk away from each conversation knowing more of how God has worked in her life. It restores the hope in me that God is working in my life as well.

God puts a lot of stock in the importance of learning about Him and His work. Whether it is something I hear from His Word, a sermon, a friend, a book or a song, as I take in the messages my view of God is enlarged. God wants me to be attentive and alert to the things He wants to teach me about Himself. That is one reason we have all the wonderful accounts in Scripture recorded for us. His Word is His own testimony of His character as well as His accomplishments. But He did not stop when the last verse was written.

Each of us have stories to tell of how God intersected our world at pivotal moments. Those stories are meant to be shared…whether with one individual or many. Each time I hear of God’s mighty work in someone’s life, His intent is that I would know that the same God is at work in me. When I see Him turn impossible situations to favorable ones in the lives of others, my faith is boosted that there is still hope for my own situation.

But it does not stop with hearing about His works. It is then imperative to acknowledge what I have heard. The stories are most affective when I take what I hear, agree with it, and see God’s right and authority to act on my behalf. To begin to take notice of what He has done, is doing, and will do in my life.

So what are the things I acknowledge about God today? When I hear another person’s story, what revelation of God will be a result of it? The word “knowledge” is part of the word “acknowledge” reminding me that I must first be aware of something before I can truly acknowledge it.

Father, my ears are open to hear You today. Your voice will travel through many vehicles to reach me. May I be attentive to all You have to say. Amen.

A Trustworthy Source

Let Him trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God. Isaiah 50:10

We put our confidence in many things and people. At first we may have to think about it but with time trust can be something we automatically do. Good experiences build our ability to trust more. Bad experiences are painful but they can give us wisdom and discernment for the future.

Confidence is only as strong as the ability of the object or person. If I place my trust in something or someone that is not safe, stable, or sound the foundation will prove unreliable with time. It will give way under the weight of my expectations. Being fully confident in my beliefs will not change the degree of reliability of that object or person.

While people and things can prove to be untrustworthy, Scripture reveals the truth about God’s character, ability, and strength. When I place my trust in Him and in what He has said I am positioning myself on a solid foundation. One reason for all the stories in the Bible is to help us realize God can be trusted ALL the time to do what is right, good, and loving.

I cannot allow circumstances or the actions of others to be the test for whether or not I can rely upon God. I must trust Him with abandon and allow Him to interpret the events of my life through His grid of truth and trustworthiness.

On a practical level, God has recently changed the dynamics of my journey. He has called me on to a path of individual time with Him. A mentoring relationship has been completed and God is calling me away from the shelter and security of this person’s availability. The relationship is still there but her role as a mentor has been changed.

Trust in the goodness and love of God is what helps me to see this as a good and necessary thing. It is being done FOR me not TO me. For unless I venture on to the trail He has designed for me I will begin to see my growth deteriorate. Unless I embrace Him fully and allow Him to shift my focus and dependability unto Himself, I will cease to hear His voice. I trust His heart, His timing, and His ways!

Father, You are trustworthy. Thank you for the seasons of my life that change in Your time and in Your way. I take Your hand as I step on to this trail You have prepared for me. Amen.
Father

A Collection of Precious Things

The LORD is exalted, for He dwells on high; He has filled Zion with justice and righteousness. And He will be the stability of your times. A wealth of salvation, wisdom and knowledge, the fear of the LORD is his treasure. Isaiah 33:5,6

Each one of us face moments (even days or weeks) of uncertainty because we live in a fallen world. Life gets sticky and faulty foundations we build our lives on can prove to be loose, shaky, and untrustworthy. How encouraging to know that even in the midst of turmoil God is our stability. The very One who gives us strength to stand and endure. When everything in us wants to scream, "I'm not going to survive this," God is the One who keeps our internal world stable, steadfast, and sure. It is not a "pie in the sky" mentality. It is a truth that can be relied upon.

In the moments when our soul feels bankrupt and our support system has failed, God is the One who lavishes us with salvation, wisdom, and knowledge. He does not leave us to fend for ourselves. The part of us that makes decisions and chooses paths is guided by these incredible tools.

And the precious thing for us becomes our view of God. The fear of the LORD is our treasure. Fear in this sense does not refer to being apprehensive or afraid. It is having a reverential awe of God. To see His character, power, and heart and stand back in wonder. To know He can be trusted to not only get us through certain situations and relationships but to bring us out on the other side victorious.

I am becoming more and more aware of the truth that each circumstance I face and each person I come in contact with becomes a teacher about God. They show me something about who God is and what He is like or who God is not and what He is not like. Sometimes I have to clear away the falsehoods to see the truth.

Father, this morning uncertainties beat at the door of my spirit. May your stability, wisdom, and knowledge answer them all. Amen.

Personalizing Scripture

O LORD, be gracious to us; we have waited for You. Be their strength every morning, our salvation also in the time of distress. Isaiah 33:2

Scripture is meant to engage our hearts. For years I was not able to apply the words to myself. God always seemed to be talking to Israel or David or some other patriarch. Unless it was a generic verse that mentioned the whole world or a verse of condemnation, I did not think I could own it as mine. Oh, the many messages I did not hear!

This morning I had the privilege and experience of putting my name in Isaiah 33:2. It became my prayer and my heart's cry to God. Penned almost 3,000 years ago it becomes fresh and alive for me today. It becomes my words spoken into the very ears of God. I know He delights in the times I use His words as my own personal prayer journal. Although it took me decades to begin embracing His words for myself, He smiles at the fact that I do it now.

But I have also learned the power that comes when I pray scripture and insert a friend's name there. I can only imagine how it would minister to someone if I sent them an email or card with these words:

Friend,May the Lord be gracious to You ~ I know you are waiting for Him to act. May He be Your strength every morning and your salvation at this difficult time in your life.

I can imagine they would see my love and concern for them, but even more, their eyes would be directed toward the real Source of their help!

Father, this morning there are many names (including my own) that I could insert in this portion of Scripture. They are as fresh today as when Isaiah first penned them. Thank You that Your eyes and heart are open to my cry. Amen.

Above and Beyond

For as the heavens are higher than the earth. so are My ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:9

This verse is a good reminder to me that we cannot out dream, out think, or out plan God! Anything we come up with God can take farther than we imagined. He is not limited by our limitations. Often we can only see the little picture or what is right in front of us. We assume we have seen it all. That there is no more to come of it. Maybe it is time we allowed God to remind us of what He has done in the past so that our view of what He wants to do in the present and future will be enlarged.

For quite some time now I have been sending out email devotionals. It is my joy of each morning! I came across the very first devotional journal entry that I made in the spring of 2004. It went as follows:

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. James 1:1

James is writing to Jewish Christians who are scattered because of persecution. Many would have been babes in Christ. He surely remembered his fear when the disciples fled the Garden of Gethsemane. He will draw upon personal experiences to encourage them.
Each time I have been emotionally or physically separated from someone I love, the pain can be great. May I remember the pain when someone else faces it.

Show me Your presence and remind me of Your love when the people I so much want to be with are not available. Amen.

When I first started journaling my thoughts I had no intention of sharing them with anyone. But God’s ways are higher than my ways. He took the beginning seeds of my time with Him and grew them into what I send out today. Once again I have to tell myself that His ways are still higher than my ways. I don’t think He is finished with His purpose in the devotionals. He has more in store than I have dared to believe Him for. May I join Him!

Father, I want to know Your higher ways and thoughts for me. Amen.