How?

Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3 (New American Standard Bible)

There are times when we want the people in our life to give us the answers we are looking for. When we feel stuck in certain behavior problems we want them to tell us how to move forward. When we have a difficult decision to make we want them to tell us the best option to choose. When we want victory in an area of our life we want them to tell us how to go about obtaining that victory. When we want to grow as believers we want them to tell us how to do that.

God is reminding me that He holds the answers and knowledge that I need. He longs for me to direct the “how do I do that” questions toward Him. He knows what I don’t know and He is willing to teach me in ways that I can understand and grasp. This morning, I am bringing the questions to Him. It sounds something like this.

Father, how do I allow Your love of me to impact my life? How do I stop looking to people to make me feel loved, validated, wanted, and welcomed? How do I take my eyes off myself and begin to look around at others and their needs? How do I seek You with all of my heart, soul, and mind? How do I love you with all of my heart, soul, and mind? How do I follow You with abandon? How do I make You the center of my existence? How do I receive from You all that You desire to give me in the way of internal needs? How do I stop forming unhealthy attachments to the ones You cross my path with? How do I walk by faith and not by sight? How do I practice Your presence? How do I find healing for the wounds and hurts of life? How do I stop believing lies? How do reflect You in my words, actions, and attitudes? How do I find my safety, security, and sense of well being in You? How do learn to live my life differently? Tell me, teach me, and show me the things I do not know. The great and mighty things! Thank You that You will never leave me or forsake me. Thank You that You know the plans You have for me and You will fulfill Your purposes in my life. Thank You for not allowing me to find what I am looking for in sources other than You. Thank You that You will work all things out for good. Thank You that as I call to You, You will show me great and mighty things that I do not know.

Learning to take God’s hand and walk with Him, look to Him, and listen to Him is my goal. Showing me how to do that is His desire.

Father, help me. Amen.

Open The Eyes of My Heart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wutmEjdbedE&feature=related

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

What to do With the Expectations

But what did you go out to see? Matthew 11:8 (New American Standard Bible)

Jesus asked this question of the people in regards to John the Baptist. In other words, He asked them what it was they were expecting. For He knew that expectations can lead to disappointment when there is no fulfillment of initial thoughts.

We live in a world where our expectations run high. We have certain expectations of people, of marriage, of jobs, of children, of churches, of ventures, of ourselves, of life in general, and of God. Webster’s defines expectation as a looking forward to; anticipation; a looking for as due, proper, or necessary; prospect of future success, prosperity, etc… When what we hoped for does not come about, discouragement can set in, as well as anger, frustration, and a loss of hope. If an individual has had too many disappointments in their life they learn to close themselves off in hopes of avoiding future disappointments.

But that is no way to live! David had it right when he learned to make God his expectation. His hope! He knew the frailty and limitations of people….himself included. He knew there was a danger in placing strong hope and expectation in events, circumstances, and relationships.

Many times I find my expectations are built on the desire to have needs met. I look to certain people to make me feel good, encourage me, validate me, and accept me. While they may or may not come through for me, God wants to be my primary Source for all of it. As I allow Him to meet my deepest needs, I can then invest myself in the lives of others. He refers to Himself as a fountain of living water to let me know He is a continual supply for me. The frequency with which I come to Him is up to me.

I was born with the need for security, love, fulfillment, and satisfaction. There is nothing wrong with needing those things. The problem is that too often I am turning to the wrong sources to get those needs met. Every one of them is found in Christ! He promises to come through for me if I but ask!

Father, depravation is not necessary in Your kingdom. The answer is not to squelch the needs I have but to learn to bring them to You. Teach me how to drink my fill of You in order to quench the thirst in me. Amen.

My Life Is In You, Lord
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0M0NALW7EM

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

A Necessary Work

Be it known to the king that we went to the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. It is being built with huge stones, with timber laid in the walls; this work goes on with diligence and care and prospers in their hands. Ezra 5:8(Amplified Bible)

The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem in the days of Ezra, was a huge undertaking. It wasn’t without opposition and problems but it continued in the midst of them. The labor was hard, the circumstances were difficult, yet the work went on with diligence and it prospered.

The rebuilding of areas in our life that have fallen or lost their effectiveness requires the same kind of diligence and care. We must be willing to see it through to completion even when it gets hard. Even when opposition from within and without comes into play. Even when it isn’t comfortable or enjoyable. If there is something in my life that needs attention and work on my part then I must be willing to cooperate with God in bringing about changes. It may be in attitudes, actions, words, disposition, or any host of things.

This has been a week of God opening my eyes to not only things that need to change in me but my responsibility for bringing about those changes with His help. It is not a matter of simply knowing I have to change. It is a matter of applying the truths of His Word to my life. Being a doer of His Word and not just a hearer. It is a matter of using whatever tools and materials are necessary to establish boundaries and walls for my emotional, physical, and spiritual well being. It is a matter of being accountable to God and at least one other person for the continuation of work that needs to be done.

The children of Israel were serious about building the wall and it showed in their decisions, discipline, and diligence. No less is required of me. They were not on their own and neither am I. For God is the One at work in me to complete what He started. He will show me places that need to be rebuilt, things that need to be gotten rid of, new ways to live my Christian life, and discernment along the way. He is diligent and caring in all that He puts His hands to and His work will prosper in His hands.

Father, I see the need for change and I accept the responsibility to make changes and receive Your help in bringing about those changes. Keep me diligent and let Your work in me prosper. Amen.

Change My Heart - Eddie Espinosa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEtsHWFE6-w

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

The Same God

(For He who effectually worked for Peter in his apostleship to the circumcised effectually worked for me also to the Gentiles), Galatians 2:8 (New American Standard Bible)

Different ministries, different men, different gifts, different opportunities, different weaknesses, different strengths, SAME God. The very God who called, equipped, and worked through Peter, called, equipped, and worked through Paul. Each of us need to see that same truth applied to us.

Do you know someone who is being used of God in mighty ways? The same God is using you! Do you know someone with whom God has brought about changes in their life? The same God is changing you! Do you know someone who is being held and upheld by God in the midst of struggles, failures, and negative circumstances? The same God is holding and upholding you! Put in any person’s scenario that has the fingerprints of God and know that He is the same God for you.

While we aren’t to compare ourselves with others, we can find a great deal of assurance and comfort from seeing that God is involved, impartial, and interested in each one of us as individuals. He doesn’t play favorites with some while ignoring others. He is not watchful of some and blind to others. Pick any Christian today, any Biblical character from centuries ago, any kingdom child and know that you are just as loved, just as thought of, just as chosen, just as cared for, and just as guided by God as they have been.

It doesn’t mean God will allow you the same exact opportunities. It doesn’t mean life will work exactly the same for you as it has for them. It doesn’t even mean prayers will be answered in the same way. Why? Because we are individuals with individual needs. God knows what is best for each one of us. God chooses to work His plans and purposes out in our lives for our good and His glory. Uniqueness of situations, ministries, and growth does not mean loved less. It means God has unlimited ways of working in each of us.

For those of us who easily condemn ourselves, live with feelings of inferiority, believe ourselves to be invisible (a lost face in the crowd), and think others are a top priority of God’s while we sit at the bottom of the list, God wants the message of His love for us and involvement in our life to sink in and challenge the core beliefs we have come to embrace about ourselves and about Him. He wants His Word to make it from our head to our heart. He wants us to see the truth and allow it to impact our life for good!

Father, You treat me as if I were an only child even though You have many children. To know that I have Your ongoing attention, acceptance, and interaction in my life is beyond my ability to fully grasp but I hold on to it just the same. Amen.

I Offer My Life - Don Moen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0ar5EfvAcU&feature=related

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

Refusing to be Brought Back In

And this occurred because of false brethren secretly brought in (who came in by stealth to spy out our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage), to whom we did not yield submission even for an hour, that the truth of the gospel might continue with you. Galatians 2:4,5 (New King James Version)

At one time, the Apostle Paul had lived a legalistic life….keeping the law in hopes of earning salvation. He went to great lengths to impose that view on others even to the point of seeing them imprisoned or put to death. His life was marked with the keeping of the law as well as the traditions of his forefathers. Unbeknownst to him, he was in bondage to the religious system of his day and made it his goal in life to keep others in bondage as well. Is it any wonder that once he learned the truth about salvation and had a personal encounter with the God of that salvation that he detested the idea of ever being put into bondage again? Although he would face the physical imprisonment of jail, he refused to allow his soul to ever again be in bondage. Freedom was his through Christ and freedom would remain his.

But it wasn’t just his freedom that he held on to, it was also the freedom of fellow believers that remained his passion. For any who would come into their meetings with the agenda of taking people back into legalism Paul refused to yield to their thinking or pressure for even a moment. He knew the truth, lived the truth, held on to the truth, and made sure that truth remained untainted.

I have never been one to believe I could earn my way to heaven by keeping the Ten Commandments or being good. Salvation by grace alone was readily accepted by me as a teenager. But I knew the bondage of letting outside standards and church traditions be the basis of my “spirituality”. I knew what it was like to live my Christian life thinking I had to earn God’s love and acceptance through rules instead of relationship. I knew what it was like to be guided by men’s opinions and preferences rather than God’s Word and Spirit. It is a bondage filled with the sense of condemnation, guilt, shame, and never being good enough. It was a way of life that left me feeling that God tolerated me more than loved me. Once I learned the truth about God’s love and living out of grace instead of law, it was a bondage I never wanted to return to again.

In the course of conversations, it does not take long for me to detect when someone desires to put me back into bondage by either their words, cold shoulders, or judgmental looks. Paul’s answer is my answer. I refuse to submit to their way of thinking. Knowing the truth about salvation and also about freedom in Christ is too precious to abandon for any chains of the soul.

Father, I have known bondage and I know freedom. It is now my passion to proclaim the truth and embrace You. Amen.

In Christ Alone - Brian Littrell
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKq4tJte0lQ

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

Living Informed

I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here. John 14:30, 31 (New American Standard Bible)

Growth and victory in the Christian life is built on truth. Truth about God, truth about myself, and truth about the enemy of my soul, Satan. For too long I either forgot about him, ignored him, underestimated him, or limited his effectiveness on me. God is bringing me from that state to one of awareness and offensiveness. The list of what I should speak to him is growing and as it does I am being empowered to live life as God meant for me to live it all along.

Jesus’ phrase, “he has nothing in Me” was made clearer in the Amplified Bible. Having nothing in Me means he has no claim on Me. [He has nothing in common with Me; there is nothing in Me that belongs to him, and he has no power over Me.] No claim, no common ground, no possession, and no power! And what he doesn’t have in regards to Christ, he doesn’t have in regards to me. My first thought was that I could not wait to inform him of my newly found facts. Why is that necessary? Because as long as I believe he is less or more powerful than he is, he will have the upper hand in my life. But when I face him with the truth it clears the way for me walk in obedience to God and move forward.

Jesus does not want us to live obsessed with the enemy but neither does He want us to live in ignorance of him and for many of us that has been the problem. Ignorant of his methods, schemes, and nature. All of that is brought to the forefront each time I insist that he back off! When that happens, my mind is freed up to focus on God and His working in my life. My energy is directed toward the tasks at hand. Something as simple as listening to a sermon without distractions of needs being met and wondering what the people around me are thinking becomes possible. It also, strengthens me in areas that have been weak and helps me to be better able to fight off attacks in the future. It is a new lease on life and I am taking it!

At the beginning of this week I had come to the end of myself and my heart’s cry was for God to show me what was wrong and what to do about it. I was certain that there were too many quirks and places of brokenness in me to ever walk in victory. It seemed I could not win over the onslaughts of emotions, perceptions, and knee-jerk reactions. What I brought to God was a plea for help and fighting the enemy with wisdom and the Word has been God’s answer and gift to me. It is working and I am beyond excited!

Father, You are faithfully bringing me out of the darkness and into the light. I joy in what You are doing and how You are doing it! Amen.

Worship Song - Maranatha Singers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMpbm2p-1mo

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

Learning to Fight

But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” Matthew 16:23 (New King James Version)

Although Christ’s words were spoken to Peter, Satan was the intended recipient of those words. We would do well to be as bold in our tone and terminology when addressing the enemy of our soul. Jesus had no trouble knowing who was really behind the rebuke Peter gave him, and we need to be just as wise to his workings in our lives as well.

It has taken me years to realize just how active the enemy and his minions are in my waking hours. Too often I failed to notice his finger prints and would simply attribute my troubles to living in a broken world and possessing a sinful nature. Little did I realize the things I was blaming my problems on were also his tools and he was proficient at using them. While certain words, thoughts, and actions may start with me, he is delighted to run with them once I let my guard down. I failed to see each one as darts in his hands.

What are the “darts” he uses in my life? Wrong perceptions, feelings of jealousy, condemning thoughts toward others or myself, fear of rejection, hopelessness, a sense of being unfulfilled and unsatisfied, longings for things I can’t have, idolatry, self-pity, insecurities, and emotions that take me down wrong trails. Today was the first day I began to see how much the enemy is involved in using them. How skilled he is at using them.

Once I saw what was happening (what has been happening) I got angry. Really angry, because I saw the damage he was doing with little resistance from me. That is when I began to call him on the carpet. I voiced the fact that he was a liar and that I no longer wanted to choose to believe his lies. I proclaimed the truth of Who I belonged to and who I was in Christ. Throughout the day, the least negative thought that came to mind was enough to bring the “Get behind me, Satan” phrase out of my mouth. He heard it a lot and he heard it often.

The results have been astounding! I have begun to live as a victor instead of a victim. I am learning I can be bold in Christ and I like that! It is the difference between taking control and being controlled. Will it continue to work as well tomorrow and the next day and the next? Definitely! I can’t wait to use the rest of the verse on him!

Father, I am learning to fight the enemy on Your terms and it is working. Keep me bold and keep me in tune with You. Amen.

Protector of My Soul - Maranatha Singers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj3mCYB5iqg

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