He’s Not Going Anywhere

For such is God, Our God forever and ever; He will guide us until death. Psalm 48:14 (New American Standard Bible)

The assurance and permanence of this verse touches me deeply this morning. I need the reminder at all times, but especially when I have gotten off track, failed, faltered, and stumbled. When I bring sin stained heart, mind, and hands to my Father, I need the assurance and comfort that He is still accepting of me, still desiring me, still walking with me, and still guiding me. I need the never changing promise that He will not give up on me…ever. This verse lets me know that His guidance is for good!

Last night, I brought to Him a stretch of pit dwelling once again. It is often hard to do that when I view myself as a repeat offender in the same areas of struggle. My view of God is revealed at times when I am in need of His grace, mercy, forgiveness, and reconciliation. When I see Him as different than the father of the prodigal son or the king extravagantly forgiving a debt, I walk in the deception of my own skewed thinking and perceptions. His character and heart are unchanging as is His pledge to be my guide until death. Last night, as I confessed to Him my wrong attitudes and behavior, the forgiveness was instant….it always is. He simply waits for me to come.

Then comes the guiding part. My confession and subsequent forgiveness, open the door of my understanding to receive His guidance. Together, we review mistakes made and where it was I got off track. We talk about what steps to take in the future and what thinking to implement in the present. Like a father teaching a young child how to walk, God is constantly instructing me in how to take the daily steps necessary for growth and change.

At times, He will use individuals, but I must see them as His vessels NOT as His replacement. He is God alone and He is my Guide supreme. That must take precedence over my own fear of failure and realization that I don’t always get it right or do it right. Satan would choose to define me by my lack of perfection and inconsistencies. God chooses to define me by who He is and what He is doing in my life. While I must cooperate with Him and seek intimate relationship with Him, my confidence lies in His ability rather than my inability.

As the hymn states it so well, “Come just as you are.” It is not always pretty but it is definitely necessary.

Father, Your open arms still surprise me. Thank you for all that You do to change my image of You. Amen.

You Are My Hiding Place - Maranatha Singers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9UBxa_jRMo&videos=RPbhLvnpYeo

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

Competent to Conquer

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. Romans 8:37 (New American Standard Bible)

The ‘these things’ Paul was referring to was quite a list. Tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword! They weren’t just sadness, heartache, loneliness, and loss. But whether the troubles in our life resemble Paul’s list or are less sever, we can claim this verse as our daily mantra! We can be more than conquerors (as the King James version puts it) as long as we keep in mind that it is through Him. Living out the Christian life is not merely positive thinking, self effort, and self reform. It is a daily reliance on and cooperation with our heavenly Father.

So what does that look like on a practical level? Think of the word “Stamp.”
Start each morning verbally yielding myself, my day, my agenda, and my schedule to God. Let Him and me both know that He is in control.

Take in God’s Word and applying it in every situation, attitude, and action I face throughout my day.

Ask the Holy Spirit to fill me on a daily basis…even a moment by moment basis. That means being under His control and influence.

Make sure that what I think and say are in agreement with God and His Word. It is so easy to find myself dwelling on things that can take me into a pit of despair and sadness. I have grown tired of being in the pit so now I do battle. I have an arsenal of tools that I use such as giving thanks to God, listening to music that glorifies God and edifies me, reading books that help truths to sink in, praying and simply asking God for help, reviewing God’s character qualities and involvement in my life. I am amazed how quickly these things can deter wrong attitudes and behavior.

Praise Him on a continual basis! He inhabits the praises of His people. He delights in it, desires it, and blesses it!
It is a daily journey of progress. Growth and change do not happen all at once or even quickly for that matter. But over time, the transformation of attitudes, desires, actions, words, and character qualities is quite significant. May God continue to do His work in me!

Father, if left on my own I would flounder at being victorious in anything! Thank You for what You do in me as I look to You. Amen.

Be Strong and Take Courage - Don Moen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvpdMdxzyrs&feature=related

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

Unnecessarily Alone

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: if one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Ecclesiastes 4:9,10 (New International Version)

If I broke my leg, I would have no trouble seeking the help of a doctor. If my car broke down, a mechanic would be the one I turn to. A tooth ache would send me to the dentist. I also have no trouble stopping and asking for directions if I am obviously lost. The help of others is invaluable during these times and many others. We can see that and readily agree. So why is it that we grasp this truth for our physical needs but fail to accept it for emotional or spiritual needs. God never intended for us to be “lone ranger” Christians.

Throughout Scripture we read phrases such as: pray for one another, encourage one another, comfort one another, strengthen one another, help one another, love one another, give to one another, fellowship with one another, admonish one another, esteem one another, praise one another, build up one another, forgive one another, and so on. We also see the many times God used people as instruments for healing, leading, instructing, and teaching. They are not a replacement for God but they are definitely a gift from God.

While God desires for me to have an intimate, personal walk with Him, He has never failed to bring significant people into my life to assist me in my growth as a Christian. I have a list of precious individuals whom God wove into my life at just the right times. I would not be who I am today without them. I have sought their advice, received their nurturing, and been helped tremendously by them. I treasure each one!

With that said, I find there are still times I think I have to make it on my own through the valleys, mine fields, and rugged places of this journey. In order to safe guard myself from becoming dependent on another person or appearing to be needy, I decide to go it alone. I remember a time when I began to wade through some internal issues. I surmised that with God, my Bible, and a “how to” book, I could do this. Six chapters into my book, I was over whelmed and fully aware of my need for help! Getting that help required prayer, honesty, and transparency on my part. People are willing to help if I will just take a step forward and ask them. As I take the steps and ask, God graciously works out the details.

Father, You never meant for me to be a loner. You have already gifted and equipped individuals to help me and for me to help others. Continue showing me Your truth and Your way. Amen.

For Good
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzrGFQysfYU

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

Seeing the Truth

For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in loving kindness to all who call upon You. Psalm 86:5 (New American Standard Bible)

It occurred to me this morning that I still have mindsets that God wants to free me of. One is in the area of His forgiveness. I often think there is a difference in the way God views a repentant person who is first coming to Christ for salvation and a Christian who is coming to Him for forgiveness of sin. Sort of like He is more accepting and understanding of the first over the second. I see Him with open arms and joy over the person coming to know Him as Savior but a more reserved reception for the one who is already His child. Maybe that is due to the fact that I am harder on myself now than before I knew Christ or maybe it is because the body of Christ can sometimes differentiate between the two. Whatever the reason, Psalm 86:5 is giving me a more accurate picture of God’s nature and heart in the area of forgiveness.

Remember the father of the returning prodigal son? He was looking for his return, ran to meet him, embraced him, and lavished him with a ring, robe, sandals, and a feast! He saw him as one who had not only come back home but had come back to life. He was overjoyed at having his son back. Did it mean his son’s actions didn’t bother him? No. Did it mean he was never heartbroken over the rebellion? No. It means when his son came to him in brokenness, sorrow, and confession he was extravagant in his reception of him. God is no different but rather exceeds even that picture! That is what is so amazing about His mercy, grace, and love! Unexplainable, uncomprehendable, and unfathomable!

With tenderness God is once again probing my heart with questions He wants me to answer in honesty. Just as in the area of forgiveness there are other underlying thoughts He wants to bring to the surface and expose to the light of His Word. He is asking questions to heal not to condemn. Do I sense delight or disappointment in His eyes? Do I view His love as extravagant and unfailing or limited and conditional? Am I striving for or resting in His acceptance? Do I grasp the innumerable times He thinks of me or do I feel invisible to Him? Do I think He plays favorites or am I secure in being His much loved child? Do I sense a distance or a closeness to Him? The answers I give will reveal a lot about how I view God and how I feel He views me. They will reveal what my relationship with Him is really like. He is inviting me to allow Him to give me an honest picture of Himself. He wants me to bring the doubts, uncertainties, and insecurities to Him once again and embrace the truth of who He is and what He is like. I use to fear these kinds of sessions with Him. Now I have grown to value them!

Father, when it comes to Your love, forgiveness, and acceptance let me not only see and embrace the truth, but let me walk and dance in it today! Amen!

Power of Your Love - Hillsong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ga6Qtxzd6vk

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

Gradual Growth

For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little, there a little. Isaiah 28:10 (New King James Version)

“It is a process and it takes time,” is now my mantra for growth in the Christian life. When I started on this journey in the spring of 2004, I had a ravenous appetite for taking in truth. I devoured books like there was no tomorrow and sat under speakers galore! Something in me felt a strong compulsion to make up for lost time. I wanted to learn it all, experience it all, and find it all as fast as possible! Was there growth? Absolutely! Was there internal and external change? Definitely! Yet full digestion of the truth I was taking in, walking through buried issues, and intimately connecting with God’s heart could not be done at break neck speed. God had to slow me down enough to help me understand that I could not rush growth.

Like any other relationship, I brought baggage into my walk with God and we have been going through the “trunks” together. It has never been His intent for complete exposure all at once. Each day He brings to light the issues we will deal with on THAT particular day. He is acquainted with all my ways and knows my mindsets, strongholds, and weaknesses. Together and at an appropriate pace designed just for me, we have walked through shame, insignificance, idolatry of the heart, insecurities, legalism, freedom, and forgiveness. Do I make mistakes, get it wrong, and get off track at times? Yes! But He is a faithful God and has His hand firmly on me. It is His opinion, His time table, and His purpose that counts in all of it!

I don’t know where you are on your journey with God. Maybe you are presently taking your first timid, baby steps as a new believer or maybe you have walked with God for half a century or maybe you are somewhere in the middle. I applaud the journey and the One who has designed it for you. You are not a lost face in the crowd to Him. You are unique, significant, and favored. He has a work to do in you and delights in the process one moment and one step at a time. In His kingdom there are no quick fixes or Miracle Grow formulas. You are yoked to Him in order to learn of Him, lean on Him, and stay with Him. May today’s progression be all that He had in mind for the two of you!

Father, my heart grieves for anyone who is not on a journey with You and it celebrates those who are! I proclaim the truth that nothing compares to life with You! So here I am….skinned knees and all. Amen.

I'm Not Who I Was - Brandon Heath
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3SjCuSkaNs&feature=related

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

Correcting the Distortions

Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:32 (New American Standard Bible)

How are you received when you ask another person to forgive you? Do they give you a guarded forgiveness whereby you walk away still feeling condemned, unaccepted and full of shame? If you have not experienced radical, gracious forgiveness from significant people in your life, chances are you see God in the same way. May today’s verse help to reshape your view in powerful ways. He is a God of compassion and mercy. He longs for reconciliation and welcomes us back each time we come to Him for forgiveness.

This does not mean our sin does not grieve, disappoint, or anger God. It does not mean there will not be consequences for the wrong choices we make. It does not mean God takes any of our sin lightly. It does not mean God does not desire a holier life for each one of us. It means He knows our make up and is willing to forgive our sin each and every time! Read through Psalm 103 to grasp a beautiful picture of God’s gracious act of forgiveness.

How we need to see God’s willingness, ability, and desire to forgive us. How we need to see His father’s heart! How He is saddened each time we think He merely tolerates us rather than loves us. When our view of Him is that His arms are crossed and disgust is displayed on His face, we cower and hide in our sin. But all the while God wants us to see Him as the father of the prodigal son. Is there someone in your life with whom you are presently separated? You long for their return and a restored relationship? God is like that! He is approachable with open arms.

How I thank God for the people in my life who have demonstrated God’s heart in this way. What a joy to ask their forgiveness and walk away knowing they still love me and their view of me has not changed. They allow me to have a fresh start, a clean slate, and a new chance….just like my heavenly Father. May I become more like that! I have the opportunity each day to either distort or correct another person’s view of God.

Father, may I not only realize the truth about Your forgiveness, but may I be willing to demonstrate it to others. May I no longer cause others to have a distorted view of You because of how I treat them. Amen.

Make Me a Servant - Maranatha Singers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rznoe3zKxM

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

Making Prayer Less Complicated

It happened that while Jesus was praying in a certain place, after He had finished, one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John also taught his disciples.” Luke 11:1 (New American Standard Bible)

Prayer is the greatest privilege and tool of any Christian and yet so often the least used and most misunderstood. As in every other discipline of the Christian life, it is learned over a life time. When I accepted Christ at the age of fourteen, God did not automatically infuse within me all the ins and outs of prayer. He taught me things over many years. At times, I feel I am still at the elementary level, but recently the lessons have been profound.

God’s Word is becoming my textbook…particularly the book of Psalms. I am learning aspects of prayer through David’s prayers and I am the richer for it! Recently I have learned through him to be transparent and specific with God. Prayer is not meant to be a complicated system of saying just the right thing by following a specified formula. David did not pray like that and neither did Jesus. The requests were always to the point and even simplistic. When prayer becomes complicated and overwhelming something is amiss. At that point we tend to pray less and feel others are doing a better job of it than we are. While we are told to come to God as little children, prayer too often can seem like college level material.

Please know, I admire prayer warriors. I have listened in awe at those who have learned to pray in powerful ways. The first time I heard a person pray in a conversational way with God I was profoundly moved. But I still have much to learn and I am rejoicing at the pace God has set for me. His desire is for me to learn from Him and then put into practice what I learn.

For any who have become discouraged or bored with the idea of prayer, start with what you know and ask God to teach you more about the power, privilege, and practicality of talking to Him. The Bible is full of Old and New Testament examples from which we can learn. Many good books are available on the topic of prayer. Ask God to cross your path with people who are further along in that area and learn from them just by listening. As in any other area of the Christian life, ask God to awaken in you the desire and thrill of prayer. Your prayers may be simple but His answers will be profound!

Father, increase my ability and desire to talk to You. May my times of prayer come alive as I speak, listen, and learn. Help me to speak into Your open ears more often. Amen.

Come Just As You Are - Crystal Lewis
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MqNV5NvtUQ&feature=related

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