The Choice is Mine

Who is the man who fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way he should choose. Psalm 25:12 (New American Standard Bible)

God’s instructions to me in the way I should choose is contingent upon my fearing Him….standing in awe and trust of Him. Once those instructions are given it is imperative that I follow them. When I do, life is lived the way He intended. When I don’t, heartache and trouble follow. I often limit God’s leading to employment, actions, and decisions that need to be made. I don’t want to make mistakes that will have painful consequences. I, like you, want to make wise choices and head in the right direction. This morning, God is broadening my picture of being guided by His instructions.

I make many choices throughout my day: what I will eat, what I will read, what I will wear, what I will do, what I will not do, etc… Most choices take little time or thought on my part. I just choose! Yet there is one area of my life in which I consistently feel I have no choice. I live more as a victim than a victor. That is in the area of my thought life. For many reasons, I have come to believe that if a thought comes to mind I must dwell on it. If a perception makes its way into my thinking I must believe it. To push it aside and think on something else seems like denial of “truth” and deep down inside the dangerous thinking lurks and taunts, until it eventually comes to the forefront again and wreaks havoc with my emotions, feelings, and actions.

When caring people in my life try to tell me, “Pam, you can choose what you are thinking on. You MUST choose what you will think on.” I struggle to accept that truth and responsibility. Like a deer with the headlights in her eyes, I blink back a look of confusion. Yet, their words are true. They are based on Scripture which will never mislead me. Philippians 4:8 says I am to think on whatever is true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, of good report, excellent, and worthy of praise. What I am coming to see is that in order to do that I must first CHOOSE to do it. I must choose to reject certain thoughts and embrace right thinking. I must choose to think on other things and allow right thinking to take up residence in my mind. If I don’t do so, I will continue to live my life cycling from one pit dwelling thought to the next.

This is God’s guidance for me today and every day. I can see the truth and express the truth with ease at this point. But I know that real change and transformation is not going to be mine until I apply the truth of what I have written this morning. Will I do what is necessary the next time a wrong thought enters my mind? I pray so!

Father, help me to live what I so easily write about in devotionals. Help me to cooperate with You and choose correctly! Amen.

Power of Your Love - Maranatha Singers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eA4narr2wyE&feature=related

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

Living Words

Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light. Genesis 1:3 (New American Standard Bible)

Three verses into the Bible and we see the first of many fulfillments of God’s Word. What He speaks, He does….every time! His Word never returns void or unfulfilled. A read-through of the Old Testament will disclose many instances whereby God spoke specific words to His prophets and those words always came to pass. They weren’t usually fulfilled that day or even that decade but they were fulfilled.

I have been reading through the Old Testament and I am struck by the times God tells a prophet something and years later it happens exactly as He said it would. Elijah was told to anoint Jehu as king of Israel and years later Elisha has a person do just that. Jehu is told to annihilate the descendents of Ahab for all the innocent blood that was shed at his hands, and Jehu is God’s instrument of judgment. The birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ was foretold centuries before it all happened and yet it all happened as it was foretold.

These thoughts encourage me today. Because while God does not give me step by step specific instructions for my daily walk with Him, His Word is filled with precious promises I can count on! He has promised to never leave me, to finish what He has begun in me, to forgive my sin, to work everything out for good, to give me ways of escape from every temptation, to strengthen me in my inward person, to direct my steps, to give me sufficient grace at all times, to keep His eye and hand on me at all times, and to one day take me to Heaven to live with Him for all eternity. The list is endless! I don’t have to try and figure out if He meant what He said or if His words are applicable to me today. His words are sure and trustworthy.

As I come across situations today, I want to be able to recall His words that will fit every one of them. I want to anticipate the fulfillment of His spoken words to me. When I am tempted to give up on myself and assume desired change will never be realized, I want to hear Him say, “I am with you and I will complete my work in you.” When I am upset over something that is out of my control, I want to embrace His, “Peace I give you. Let not your heart be troubled.” When I desire to crawl under the security of another person, I want to be reminded that He is my shelter and refuge. I serve a risen Savior and His Word is alive as well!

Father, if left on my own I do not do well. If the only voices I hear are those of people, that will not be enough to carry me or transform me. Speak Your words to me through out today. For they are my life as well as my life line. Amen.

Word of God Speak - Mercy Me
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JK_6osCH74

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

A Word of Correction

For what I am doing, I do not understand; for I am not practicing what I would like to do, but I am doing the very thing I hate. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. Romans 7:15, 18(New American Standard Bible)

I wonder if Paul’s words in the book of Romans surprised those who looked up to him. Was he being a fatalist and just beating himself up over his own weaknesses and propensity toward sin? No! He was being authentic and admitting the truth about his personal life and heart condition. It was moment of truth not a time of condemnation and shame.

One of the reasons for Scripture is for correction. If I allow it, God’s word will help me to see lies I am believing and the truth that is meant to replace the lies and allow me to walk in freedom. Today’s passage is doing exactly that! While the people of Paul’s day were set straight on any false notion that Paul had arrived, stood in perfection, and never battled with being human, his words are finding a home in my heart as well and urging me to release my own false notions about other believers. While I don’t hold this view toward all people, I am aware of the times I can look at a significant person and feel she never has a bad day, never walks with insecurity, never gives in to temptation, handles each crisis with ease, never struggles, never sins, never doubts God, and basically doesn’t bleed when she is cut or feel pain when she is hurt. And this morning, God is telling me to put her name and every one else’s name into this passage. Not to condemn but rather to see the truth about others and the truth about myself. For He knows that as long as I believe someone is above the battle, then I believe I can reach that state of perfection on this earth. And when I fail to do so, I cringe at the realization of my weaknesses, I come to believe other people cringe at the realization of my weaknesses, and I live with the belief that God cringes at my weaknesses. I then fall into a life style of posturing, pretending, and hiding.

God says, “I have a better way for you to live. Admit you are human and still deeply loved by Me! See that this is a journey of progress and I am your personal Guide. Open your heart up to the truth that My love and acceptance of you is not based on what you do and who you are but rather on Me. My arms are not folded, My face does not wear a scowl, I do not groan in my Spirit when you approach Me, and I am not disappointed in the fact that you are still imperfect. I love you and I embrace you!” I rest in His words to me.

Father, You have seen the comparisons I have made to others and the wrong conclusions I have drawn. Thank you that You are working to instill truth in me and anticipating with joy the freedom I will find in that truth! Amen.

Mercy Said No - CeCe Winans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_SjhKJgqGg&feature=related

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

The Exposing of Disbelief

Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, that he will come and attack me and the mothers with the children. Genesis 32:11(New American Standard Bible)

Twenty years had separated Jacob and Esau’s past and future. Jacob left home with a brother who was angry enough to kill him. No contact had been made between them in all that time. As far as Jacob was concerned, Esau was still seething with rage. He feared the worst…complete annihilation of himself and his family. Yet, this verse which houses his words of fear is sandwiched between his recollection of God’s promise to prosper him and his descendents. Jacob did what we so often can find ourselves doing…he voiced truth without embracing it. Fear rather than faith was what ruled him and fueled his actions.

As I read further in this passage, I see Jacob planning and plotting his own story of redemption (Genesis 32:20). His actions reveal to me his core belief: God needs my help to insure my safety. He cannot be trusted to do what He promised. It is up to me to defend myself. Jacob had learned early on to take matters into his own hands rather than place those matters into the hands of God and trust Him to do what is best. He proclaimed truth, prayed for deliverance, and then moved full speed ahead with his own agenda.

I am learning to listen to the conflicting statements I and others can make when referring to God and His ways. Whether spoken out loud or whispered in our heart, we can proclaim a truth about God and then follow it with thoughts and feelings that contradict what we just said. On the surface we believe God is loving, kind, and in control. Deep down inside we fear He is disinterested, angry, absent, and uninvolved. That we are low on His priority list. We do not see the big picture therefore we limit God and either begin to scheme or live with a sense of despair and hopelessness. Why do I say this? Because until I admit what is really going on in my heart and mind I will not be free to move beyond that way of living my Christian life….and neither will you.

God knows my insecurities and doubts. He knows what turns my trust to mush. He knows what disheartens and discourages me. He knows it all and He is using the hard places of this life to help me to see what to do with all of it. He longs to bring me to the place where what I say I believe is what I really believe. It is what I really live. Is it hard? Absolutely! I don’t like to see how far from life changing faith I am but God loves me too much to allow me to live any longer with deception. He is after my heart and desiring that I live in intimate relationship with Him. In order for that to happen, He has to expose and dismantle the falsehoods of my perceived faith. Authentic faith is the goal and He is the One who will get me to that point.

Father, keep showing me where my faith and my feelings collide. My steps are tenuous on this journey but I praise You when each one is taken. Amen.

Do I Trust You Lord - Twila Paris
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV1ZY7AWNdY

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

Asking the Right Question

And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, "Save us, Lord; we are perishing!" He said to them, "Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?" Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. The men were amazed, and said, "What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?" Matthew 8:25-27 (New American Standard Bible)

Jesus’ question has always intrigued me and at times confused me. In the midst of a storm which produced waves big enough to cover the ship they were in, He is awoken by disciples who are sure they are going to die! He does not ask what the problem is (He already knows). Instead He gets to the heart of the problem….their fear and amount of faith. The fear was bigger than their faith. Jesus was not denying the reality of the storm but rather, He was helping them see that they had a bigger problem than the storm….their perception of what that storm would do to them and their belief that Jesus was unaware of their plight. Both produced a tremendous amount of fear. Their greatest fear was death even though the Giver and Sustainer of life was in their midst!

I am learning to ask myself questions that get to the heart of the problem as well. When life gets messy and my internal world shifts into a storm of emotions, it is time for me to reevaluate my thought process. If I am sad, there is a reason. If I feel hopeless, there is a reason. If I feel frustrated, there is a reason. I am responding to circumstances and drawing faulty conclusions based more on my emotions and feelings than on faith and truth. I am good at it too!

I will give the disciples credit, they went to Jesus with their fear….they had no other choice. I am learning how to do that. Learning to see truth in the light of Scripture and allowing that truth to rule me instead of the emotions. It may be as simple as being reminded that God has not abandoned me, that I am cared for, that His plans and purposes for my life will be fulfilled. It may be as simple as admitting I really don’t know what others are thinking or what the end of the story is for me. It may be as simple as voicing the truth out loud in order to silence the voices within. The moment I do so, the calming of the “storm” happens and like the disciples, I am AMAZED! Amazed that it works. Amazed that it has taken me so many years to learn. Amazed that truth is more powerful than my perceptions. Amazed that this is changing the way I live my life…..all areas of my life.

In this life, I will not reach a point whereby the storms of life do not have an effect on me…no more than I will reach a point whereby I could be cut and not bleed. What amazes me is that the effect no longer has to last!

Father, I am in awe of You and Your ways. May You never cease to amaze me and may I never cease to praise You! Amen.

The Voice of Truth - Casting Crowns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaVg0cWkgAw

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

Known and Unknown Appointed Times

“Is anything too difficult for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, at this time next year, and Sarah will have a son." Genesis 18:14 (New American Standard Bible)

Abraham was given specifics about Sarah having a baby…the time frame as well as the gender! Their waiting would soon be over, their family dynamics would be different, and their desire (which they had given up hoping for) would be fulfilled. They were given the specifics, but many of our Bible ancestors were not. Many waited and wondered, thinking maybe their situations would never change…their desires would never be realized. Yet the day came when God seemed to suddenly change everything for them. Moses went from shepherding sheep to shepherding God’s people out of Egypt. Joseph went from prison to the palace. David went from years of running to sitting on the throne of Israel. Ruth went from gleaning in the fields as a means of survival to marrying the owner of the field and being a generational link in the line of Christ. Saul went from persecuting Christians to preaching the Gospel of Christ to all he could and writing many of the books of the New Testament. The list goes on and as it does my heart is encouraged!

I work in an education warehouse and absolutely love my job. It is a far cry from my days as an elementary school teacher in a Christian school but it allows me the opportunity to use my God given gifts and abilities which are needed as an inventory control clerk. Yet, I will admit there are days that I wonder, “Is there anything beyond this for me?”

I have spent the past four years writing and sending out email devotionals. I am convinced this is exactly what I am meant to do. Very few things in life give me the pleasure derived from seeing truths, sharing truths, and hearing that others were encouraged by those truths. Without really knowing how many read the devotionals I rest in the fact that God brings them across the computer screens of those who need their message. Yet, once again, I will admit there are days that I wonder, “Is this the extent of the writings?”

If I am not careful, I will allow my thinking to lead to despair and hopelessness. Feelings of insignificance will rule me. So what do I do when I long for more but am not sure what is in the future for me? I hold on to the truths that I know. God is faithful and will fulfill all of His desires for me. For the present I am to simply remain faithful in what He calls me to do. If a change does come, He already has an appointed time for that change even though He has not made it known to me. My significance is found in Him rather than in what I do for Him. It is by these truths that I can then live passionately and confidently from day to day.

Father, You know what I would choose to do if I could write the script of my life. Yet Your ways and thoughts are higher than my own so I choose to live in anticipation of Your will for me unfolding in Your time. Amen.

In His Time - Maranatha Singers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wo-rGzx2OZk&feature=related

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

When I Am Afraid

What time I am afraid, I will have confidence in and put my trust and reliance in You. Psalm 56:3 (Amplified Bible)

Fear can be for a moment or a life time. It can cause us to freeze in our tracks or get completely off track. It can appear to be real and substantial. Even if we know in our heads it is from the enemy it can still affect and defect us. Like the tongue, it can be a small piece of our life with huge ramifications.

God’s answer? David’s answer? Our answer? Place our confidence, trust, reliance and hope in the One who created us, cares for us, and sustains us. He is dependable…our thoughts and emotions are not. He is reliable…our perceptions are not. He is trustworthy….our hearts and minds are not.

True faith is based not on how I feel, what I think, or how I see things. It is based on who God is and what His Word says about Him. It is based on His knowledge of any given situation. It is based on His ability, character, and heart.

So when I am afraid of failure…I will trust in Him. When I am afraid of losing the people closest to me…I will trust in Him. When I am afraid of making a wrong turn or wrong choice…I will trust in Him. When I am afraid of the unknown…I will trust in Him. When I am afraid of honest disclosure…I will trust in Him. When I am afraid I will never break free of the persistent stronghold of wrong perceptions….I will trust in Him. When I am afraid that I am too convinced of lies to embrace the truth…I will trust in Him. When I am afraid that I will always struggle with relationships…I will trust in Him. When the enemy of my soul has me convinced otherwise…I will trust in Him. When I am afraid that God will remove the things or people I am sure I cannot live without…I will trust in Him. When I am afraid that I am back on square one with God…I will trust in Him.

I know this, when what I will to do is aligned with God’s will it is sure to succeed. Every time I say I will trust in God, I am making a decision to choose Him and His ways. I am not always good at that and not always sure of myself, but He is faithful. He is with me. He is mine.

Father, Your presence alone is what will dispel the fear that can so easily encase me in its grip. Hold me and help me to trust You more. Amen.

Spirit Song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWEDBaFy0SI

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