Look and Live

But as for me, I would seek God, and to God I would commit my cause ~ Who does great things, and unsearchable, marvelous things without number. Job 5:8,9 NKJV

Where we look and what we focus on during the hardships of life is a primary factor in the amount, depth, and direction of our growth in Christ. If we dwell upon the hurts and disappointments of life we will clothe ourselves in garments of bitterness and live within walls of pain. But if we choose to do what Job did and keep our eyes fixed on God we will live out of His gifts of grace, strength, and endurance.

This does not mean the issues will disappear and the effects will not be felt. Job certainly knew how to express the excruciating parts of his life. He left no question that there were times he preferred death over life. Times that his particular suffering was unbearable and indescribable. He grieved his losses and felt the daily physical pain of his body. But today’s passage was an anchor for him. He had made up his mind to seek God, commit his life to God, and review the innumerable acts of God.

Let’s face it! There are times your brain and spirit need a rest from that which would overwhelm. If you do not purposefully choose to direct your thoughts toward God you will find yourself sinking lower and lower mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. God and His Word are the life lines EVERY time! This is not a denial of facts, a burying of issues, or a refusal to face life. It is a safe place to house those facts, interpret and work through the issues, and live life.

In the midst of whatever I may be going through I know these things. The enemy wants to hand me the meaning of everything and that meaning is full of distortions and lies. Now I can choose to listen to him and buy into his interpretations OR I can hold on to the God of grace and allow Him to grow me up in Christ through all of it. While wading through any painful waters of loss or disappointment I must choose to keep my thoughts on what would lift me up rather than what would pull me under. God has provided so many rich experiences and dear people in my life. My choice today is to focus on Him and His ways instead of the individual capsules of painful thoughts that would grow if left unchecked. There are times to do battle with the enemy and my own mindsets and there are times to lift up my eyes and hands to an incredible God who remains my help, strength, and life! I choose Him!!!!

Father, You see each thing that affects me. I am not alone in my pain or my pleasures. Clothe me in Your comfort and surround me with Your grace. I look to You and live! Amen.

The One Who Is At Work In Me

In simple humility, let our gardener, God, landscape you with the Word, making a salvation-garden of your life. James 1:21 The Message

From the first time I read this verse in The Message I fell in love with it! We live in a house that was once owned by a professional landscaper. For nearly ten years now we have enjoyed the beauty and benefits of his work. All the cultivating, planting, weeding, designing, and decorating by his hands left his mark on our yard and is a continual delight to our eyes as we watch the various flowers and plants come to life each spring.

When I stop to realize that God is landscaping my life with His Word I am in awe. Whether He is planting seeds for later growth, removing weeds of sin as I repent, rearranging the things and people in my life, or just adding special touches here and there, I am learning to trust His skillful hands and tender heart.

Sometimes the seeds He is planting are watered by the tears that have fallen due to loss or disappointment. No matter what He is doing, I have learned to trust Him for a beautiful outcome in the future. With each work He is doing, I am learning to see the necessity of it. Even if I don’t know the specific purpose I can at least look up to Him and agree with Him that it is needful. He is not One to do anything that ends up being wasted or insignificant. Like a treasured painting, each stroke of the brush is intentional and essential.

Each day I must choose whether or not I will entrust myself to the Potter’s hands and the Landscaper’s labor of love. While I know there will be tears at times, I also know there will be laughter. There will be the right blend of rain and sunshine. Sometimes I will walk amidst storm clouds and harsh winds and other times I will experience clear skies and absolute stillness. I leave the weather, the work, and the wonder up to Him who is the essence of wisdom and miracles.

This morning as I head to North Carolina I will review the past landscaping that He has done and the present landscaping that He is doing. It will be a discipline that will build my excitement and expectations for His future gardening. I am the recipient of the work of His own hands.

Father, I yield to Your touch. Nothing in my life is off limits to You. I know You have already planned out every detail of the landscaping to be done. Glorify Yourself through the entire process as I know the end result will far exceed my wildest imaginations. I love You! Amen.

Brought Up As His Own

Mordecai had adopted her and brought her up as his own daughter. Esther 1:7b Today’s English Version

When Esther’s parents had died she was adopted by her cousin, Mordecai, and was loved, cared for, accepted, and brought up as his own daughter. She was his child in every sense of the word and he fathered her from his heart. How like our relationship with our Heavenly Father!

God’s Word says He chose us before the foundations of the world and as His adopted sons and daughters we are being brought up as His children. Not having had a close relationship with my earthly father, this truth about God is ministering to me this morning. He is bathing my spirit in the knowledge of His tender care and affection. Understanding that His love is unconditional and not dependent on what I am doing is the truth God used to start me on this journey three years ago. Everything else has been built on that foundation.

I needed to know the full extent and basis of His love when I began seeking freedom from legalism, when I was asked to resign from teaching over music choices, when I sought employment at the company I now work for, when I asked God to show me His heart in Scripture, and when He faithfully revolutionized my walk with Him. Presently, I need to continually take in the truth of His love as I experience His deeper work in my life and as I ponder what it is He would have me do for His kingdom work. His priority right now is that I learn to live each day embracing the truth of our father/daughter relationship.

So what are the things He is already whispering to me this morning? I matter to Him. He is involved in every area of my life. He is attentive to my needs. He holds my heart in His hands. He values me. He is carving out paths in my wilderness. He is wooing me to Himself. He is achieving His purpose in my life. He is bringing me to the point of finding satisfaction in Him alone. He is teaching me how to abide under the shadow of His wings. This list is like a quilt that He has woven and now places around my shoulders. From it, I take in warmth and comfort!

Someone once shared a Beth Moore quote with me. She said, “Just let God love you enough!” And God in turn says to me, “In your joy or sorrow, in your times of solitude or surrounded by friends, in your waking or sleeping moments, just let Me love you and love on you enough. I am bringing you up as my own daughter. I have no favorites. I hold nothing back. Let the knowledge of this transform you!”

Father, remove any obstacles that hinder me from taking You up on every offer You extend to me. Move Your words from my head to my heart so that I rest as
well as dance in Your presence. Amen.

Knowing What Is Ahead

For I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake. Acts 9:16 NASB

God told Moses he would be leading the children of Israel out of Egypt and yet would meet resistance from Pharaoh. God gave Joseph dreams that revealed what lay in his future. God let David know through the prophet Samuel that he would one day be king of Israel. In today’s verse, we see where Saul is being told of the suffering he would face. These are just a few of the examples that come to mind as I consider the times God let His people know of future opportunities or trials. Many times there wasn’t a lot of detail but enough was given to prepare them for what was in store. Does God still do such things today? You bet He does! I am seeing it clearly done in my life as I wade through a present season of pain. Allow me to share it with you and see if you can relate.

Two years ago, God revealed to me something that would be necessary in order to bring about freedom and a fresh awareness of Himself. At the time, I thought it was a command but now I see it was simply a preview. With that thought in mind, He continued to teach me vital truths about Himself and instill within me necessary character qualities. As the time approached for the actual “test” He got more specific. Within a three day span He showed me that He would be pruning me by cutting away a significant aspect of my Christian life, that I needed to focus on Him rather than the past, and that it was essential to learn the truth of abiding in Him. He even gave me a dream one night that left no doubt in my mind as to what He would be doing and why. I did not realize how vital these things were until the reality of the trial hit! Once I saw what was happening I realized God had been preparing me all along.

He wanted me to see that change was necessary, that His hand was in it, that growth would come from it, and that I would survive! I have learned to call Him a gracious God. As He and I wade through the issues and make the necessary adjustments there is a closeness being formed between us. I sense His interest, involvement, and purpose as He develops in me the trust, obedience, and cooperation that is needful for this season of my life. This is not about behavior modification but rather it is about heart transformation and a renewed mind. All that I have learned about Him in recent years is being reviewed and lived out during my present circumstances.

As I step into another day, I know it will be filled with good moments and difficult ones. There will be tears as well as shouts of joy. The process will be painful but productive. And in the end I will know Him as never before.

Father, You have invested much in preparing me for this time. Wonder is replacing fears and tears as You continue to reveal Your person and Your plan. Amen.

Doing A New Thing

This is what the LORD says---He who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:16,18,19 NIV

I find instruction and comfort in this passage today. As I sense major changes in my life, my anchor of truth is knowing God’s hand is in it all. I know that the very things I am going through are either being caused by Him or allowed by Him and that He will not waste any of it. He will bring good, gold, and glory out of it all. He has shown me too much of His heart and character for me to draw any other conclusion. How can I not trust Him?

His instructions for me right now are to forget the former things and to stop dwelling on the past. He knows that if my mind cannot move on with life I will remain in a capsule of pain, disappointment, and sorrow. I will focus on the circumstances of my life instead of the Redeemer of those circumstances. I will stunt any growth, limit my own receptability to His teaching, and miss out on what He is doing. I have to believe that what He has in mind is far better than what He is removing from my life.

His promise and comfort to me is that He is doing a new thing in me. He knows what is necessary in order to bring it about. He says He is making a way in the desert. In order to make a way He is having to remove obstacles…the very things that would block progress. The hard part is experiencing the pain of His removal of what seems like good things. The things that at one time actually helped me to grow in my faith have fulfilled their purpose and would hinder growth if allowed to remain. It seems so final as this season of my life draws to a God-ordained close. That which brought security, safety, and encouragement will quickly become bondage and entrapment if I do not let go of it and take hold of Him.

When I see it as His work and His invitation to follow Him, I am better able take the first steps toward this new direction in my life. He has been gracious enough to prepare me for this time. He knew the day it would all hit me and He also knew I would respond with tears and trust. The tears were appropriate and the trust was necessary. Starting today, I do not want to miss anything He wants to teach me along the way. I sense His delight and excitement over what will soon unfold right in front of my eyes!

Father, I have grown so use to the way things have been. I bring all discomfort and disappointment to You. I reach for Your hand as I open my heart to You. Amen.

All Means All

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19 NKJV

I have often looked at this verse and seen it only in context with physical needs such as food, clothing, and shelter. This morning, God is inviting me to broaden my view! He knows that I have needs that go beyond the physical aspects of my life. After all, I not only have a body, I have a soul and a spirit. Some of my needs are certainly external but many are internal. I know this to be true: all means all! God desires for me to see Him as the One who meets not only my physical needs, but my emotional, spiritual, and social needs as well.

Often times disappointment marks my path because I have intentionally or unintentionally placed my expectations upon people to meet my needs. Especially the internal needs. I look to them for acceptance, approval, affirmation, comfort, and love. And I will be honest, it feels wonderful when they are able to give me those things. The problem comes when my needs exceed their ability or willingness to give me what I am craving. The cycle is all too familiar. I sense a need, look to a person to meet it, face disappointment, experience a feeling of depravation and anger, walk in shame for seeing this part of myself, and eventually crumble in a heap. Once again I am confronted with a choice. Continue the cycle or break it!

For me, the breaking of the cycle is only possible as I take my expectations off individuals and place them entirely upon God. It is an act of my will God waits for me to put into words. So my prayer may sound something like this: “Father, once again, I take my expectations off __________ and place them entirely upon You. I release them from my need for them to be what only You can be and do what only You can do. I accept Your words of provision to me. Forgive me for running after my idols of flesh and blood. You are the One who supplies ALL I need and I praise You for that! In Jesus precious and powerful name I pray. Amen.”

It is a prayer that God delights in and honors. Instantly, the chains of dependency on others are broken and raw emotions are healed. Each time the issue resurfaces I will have to choose to take the same steps toward freedom. I joy in such truth! I now invite others who struggle in this area to do what I have learned to do. You will not be disappointed when the expectations are transferred over to the only One who is able to meet them. He is waiting for you to take Him up on His extravagant offer of supply!

Father, this is an ongoing battle for me but You supply the victory every time. Thank you for faithfully teaching me how to apply Your Word to my life. Amen.

An Absolute, Unlimited Offer

For we were slaves. Yet our God did not forsake us in our bondage; but He extended mercy to us. Ezra 9:9 NKJV

Freedom is possible only as we accept the truth about ourselves and the truth about God. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day did not see themselves as being in bondage to anyone or anything when they said, “We were never in bondage to any man.” (John 8:33) Little did they realize they were in bondage to their own mindsets, heart attitudes, and religious systems. They could not see it therefore they were in no position to admit it and seek freedom from the very One who could give it to them.

Ezra 9 is a chapter of corporate repentance. As priest, Ezra cried out to God on behalf of his nation because of their disobedience. But throughout his prayer the word WE is constantly used. He entered into the truth of his own heart. Yet as He came to God with the list of offenses He also proclaimed the truth about God. God was aware of their bondage and was not backing away. He was graciously extending mercy. He does the same for each of us today.

When we are blind to the areas in our life that hinder us from living in freedom and joy, we are unable to bring them out into the light in order that God would do a work in us. He is extending the mercy but we are unaware of our need of it. We are in no position to receive it or live by it. At that point it remains an unopened gift! Whether the bondage is a habit, a mindset, a sinful act, or something that has been passed down from past generations, God is urging us to acknowledge it and accept the mercy, grace, forgiveness, and help He extends.

This morning, God is drawing me into conversations with Himself. I am aware of the things I need to admit to Him. There are mindsets that are affecting my relationship with others. There are places in my life where I am allowing the enemy to feed me lies and color my perception. There are blind spots that God would have me open my eyes to. None of this is possible to admit if I view Him as anything but a welcoming God. He is ready to hear me and ready to give me the mercy I so desperately need. He has spent the past few years building a foundation of truth about Himself to me. When I read a verse like Ezra 9:9 I now recognize that characteristic as being who my God is and what my God is like.

Father, Your heart is what draws me to You. I hear and accept Your invitation to come to You and receive from You. Thank you! Amen.