If We But Ask

My God in His loving kindness will meet me; God will let me look triumphantly upon my foes. Psalm 59:10　(New American Standard Bible)

When emotions take a nose dive and our faith takes a blow, it seems that our quickest response is a desire for release and a helping hand out of the proverbial pit. Our prayers become pleas for a return to stronger moments. I have a number of “life preservers” that I attempt to grab hold of when storms come my way on the sea of life. A phone call to a trusted friend, a truth filled book, soul enriching music, solitude, Bible reading, or extra rest seem to be my first options for a return to spiritual strength and fortitude. They use to work so well…so why not recently?

I have spent the past 48 hours searching for some answers. Trying to find that one “thing” that would cast some light on the darkness that had settled over me. I wanted the cloud gone. I wanted the gloom to vanish. I wanted to regain a sense of well being. In the end, I couldn’t pick up the phone and books, music, and rest did very little to change my internal world. So my next recourse was to hunker down and wait it out, but that only filled me with additional fear and foreboding over how long the wait would be.

God’s answer? Invite Him into the place I was presently at. Ask Him to meet me in my abode of failure, weakness, turmoil, tears, discouragement, and restlessness. “Meet me, Lord, in this place I find myself,” became my prayer, and His response was to meet me with loving kindness. He was the One I needed to sit with me, hold me, and comfort me. It sounds so simple when I see it written out yet it was profound. What I could not discard on my own, simply left as He entered and met with me.

He did more than lift my mood. He handed me a key to use in the future whenever needed. Inviting Him into a place will expel what should not be there. Will friends, books, and music still minister to me? In many respects, yes, but I hope to come to the place more and more whereby I ask God to meet me.

Father, You came. I noticed Your presence and all it affected. Thank you! Amen.

He Knows My Name
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXsiWoyjw60

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

Inseparable

You have dealt well with Your servant, O LORD, according to Your Word. Psalm 119:65 (New King James Version)

David’s relationship to God and His Word was incredible! Actually, they were inseparable to him and they should be the same for us. A right view of God will entail a right view of His Word. Struggle with one and you will struggle with the other. I speak from experience. When my view of God was that He was a harsh Judge, I viewed the Bible a harsh book! When I felt God was unapproachable, I rarely opened His Word. When I sensed that God merely tolerated me more than loved me, Scripture appeared to house more condemnation than encouragement. The two were so meshed together in my mind that I kept both God and His Word at arms length. I can attest to the fact that it was not a good way to live my Christian life! God offered me a better path to walk. He opened my eyes to the truth about Himself and the truth about His Word. It didn’t happen over night and I am still in the process of new discoveries DAILY, but with David I now proclaim, “You have dealt well with Your servant, O LORD!”

As I read through Psalm 119:65-80 I couldn’t help but take in David’s delight of God and His Word. His view of God was such that he gushed with adoration. He proclaimed that God was good and did good, that He was his Creator, that He was right and faithful, that He was merciful and kind, and that He was full of tender mercies. These were statements made in the midst of affliction not merely reserved for when life was going well. David knew the necessity of defining God by the truth not by the events of his life. He saw the benefit of reviewing the truth about God especially when walking through difficult moments as a result of his own sinful choices or those of other people.

Hence, David’s relationship with God’s Word was one of belief in , obedience to, passion about, delight in , hunger for , learning from, hoping in, and meditation upon. He knew that Scripture was God-breathed and he wanted to be filled and influenced by that breath! This is astounding when I consider how little of the Bible was even written and available during David’s life time. Could it be he was speaking of both God’s written Word as well as the words God spoke to him individually? The words of comfort, encouragement, correction, and direction. I would like to think so, for David is my example of what it is like to house oneself between the Word of God and the God of the Word. What a precious place! If this is not you today, ask God to make it so. Tell Him the truth of where you are at in relation to Himself and His Word. Ask Him to show you His heart in Scripture and watch it come alive. It’s not too late for Him to bring about the necessary changes in you and in your view of Him. I pray so!

Father, You cannot be separated from Your Word and I cannot be separated from You. What a trio! Amen.

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

Choosing to Stay

But if the slave plainly says, 'I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,' then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently. Exodus 21:5, 6　(New American Standard Bible)

Why would a slave choose permanent slavery over complete freedom? The love for his master, wife, and children out weighed his desire for liberation. When placed in this context it is understandable and even admirable. Yet, this morning, God is bringing to the forefront two phrases that He wants me to see…..”I will not go out as a free man……he shall serve him permanently.” Why those two phrases? Because I asked Him to show me a biblical example of what I am presently doing in regards to addictions in my own life. Something in me hesitates to ‘go out free’. To completely let go. Just the thought of it sends a ripple of fear throughout my internal world. It is not the picture of this person who chooses to stay a slave out of love, but rather it is a picture of the two and a half tribes who halted, hesitated, and refused to take up residence in the Promise land of God’s choosing.

I wept through a couple episodes of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew late last night. As I saw the hold of alcohol and drug addiction on the residents and listened to Dr. Drew explain the signs of addiction and those things that were necessary to bring about change, my own personal addictions stared me in the face. I come from a family of addicts….both alcohol and drugs. Neither one had a pull on me and yet I find myself addicted to my own food and relationship choices.

I cringe at the fact that I still make things available for myself. I choose to hold on and remain rather than making a permanent decision to let go and live in freedom. Suddenly, I can relate with the alcoholic who keeps a bottle stashed away in a secret place, the drug addict who has a ‘fix’ available should the need arise, the wife who keeps in touch with the abusive husband, the sex addict who still has the porn site housed on his favorites list of his computer, etc….. Whether or not they return to that which keeps them in bondage isn’t my point as much as the fact that those things still represent a form of security to them. I understand the over whelming fear at the thought of giving something up once and for all because that same fear keeps me within reach of my own addiction choices.

Letting go for me will require a change of heart as well as change of mind. I have a heavenly Father who is well aware of every aspect of my bondage and what it will take for me to break free. May all the mental rehearsing I am doing give way to His invitation for a new life.

Father, You know me through and through. Don’t let my place of bondage be a permanent place for me. Amen.

Painting Pictures of Egypt - Sara Groves
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcIA4Cnj6j4

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

There's Much More to Come

Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the troops of Israel?" And the man of God answered, "The LORD has much more to give you than this." 2 Chronicles 25:9　(New American Standard Bible)

When Amaziah was told to send away 100,000 soldiers he had hired to help him in battle, he not only saw it as a loss of security but a financial loss as well. He could only see things from his perspective until God gave him a word of promise, “The LORD has much more to give you than this.” Oh, that we would hear those words whispered over our own situations.

Six years ago this month, I attended a women’s conference that God used as a catalyst for change in my Christian life. I had been a Christian for just over three decades and yet the truth that God’s love was not dependent on what I was doing was enough to start me on a journey that continues to this day. As life changing as that was, the LORD had much more to give me.

When a mentoring relationship began and subsequently ended, I experienced the epitome of delight and devastation within a two year span. I walked with an emotional and spiritual limp for a number of years that followed and yet God continued to whisper His promise to me of having much more to give me.

With each relationship, each opportunity, each victory, and each failure God continues to make the same promise. He has more people for me to meet, more places of service to fill, more growth to experience, more strength, more forgiveness, more grace, more peace, more joy, more comfort, and not just more but MUCH more.

I am coming to see that as long as I live in this world there will always be much more available and given to me by my Father. I cannot exhaust His supply or diminish His heart of love. It is His words of “much more” that continue to teach me to hold on loosely to tangible things and to live with anticipation and expectation whenever He says it is time to let go.

I don’t know what the next six years hold for me but I do know this, for every tear there will be comfort, for every decision there will be direction, for every need there will be supply, for every loss there will be gain, for every step there will be light, and for every day there will be God holding and helping me. Indeed, He has more…..much more.

Father, for all the much mores that lie ahead, I thank You and I praise You. As I take You at Your Word I am indeed the recipient of much! Amen.

With All I Am - Hillsong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FMrAafe7Mns

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

Setting My Hope

Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us. 2 Corinthians 1:9, 10 (New International Version)

There are times when God brings us into situations and circumstances, allows things to happen, and directs our steps in such a way as to show us our need for Him to deliver us. These are not the times to muster up strength and courage on our own. These are not the times to rely upon our own ingenuities, abilities, or creativity. These are not the times to rely upon others to set us free. When all hope in ourselves and in others finally dies, we are then in a position to finally set our hope on the only One who can truly set us free.

For too many years in my Christian life I have attempted to either set myself free of habits, addictions, and mindsets, or I have looked to others to do it for me. I can tell you now THAT is a hard way to live your life. It leaves you depleted, discouraged, and dismayed. It attempts to make people the sources they were never intended to be. Until I see God as my hope and my deliverer I will continue to live in bondage to one thing or another. Bondage to my emotions, bondage to my addictions, bondage to my longings, bondage to my needs, bondage to my idols.

Last week I came to the bottom. I was spiritually and emotionally spent. I begged for assurance from those who loved and cared for me. I asked for prayer from those whom I knew would pray. I feared that things could and would never be different for me. I knew in myself I did not possess the hope to change myself. I quickly saw that others also did not. What happened? I became acutely aware that there was still hope in Christ. That anything that was holding me captive was no match for Him.

That hope sparked in me a readiness and willingness to finally set my sites and hope on the One who was waiting all along. The realization that He is my Deliverer, my Satisfier, my Security, my Source, and my Sustainer began to set things in motion. It took the responsibility for my freedom off my shoulders and off the shoulders of those I had been looking to and placed it squarely on the only shoulders capable of sustaining such responsibilities. Learning to be consumed and obsessed with God rather than with myself or others is new for me. The battles are not over but I enter the battlefield changed.

Father, I could weep for the joy of experiencing what it means to set my hope on You. Amen.

Knowing You, Jesus - Robin Mark
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGbuz8QuhmE

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

Avoiding That Which Hinders

All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. 1 Corinthians 6:12 (King James Version)

There are times when doing things that are good in and of themselves is not necessarily good for us. If those things get in the way of, hinder, or slow down our journey to a desired end, then it is best to avoid doing them. Those are the things we definitely do not want over powering us, controlling us, or mastering us.

Food in and of itself is a good thing. God has graciously given us a variety of things with which to nourish our bodies. Yet even though all foods are allowable for me, there are some foods I choose not to eat at certain times or at all times. Why? I know they will trigger an eating binge for me. To eat them awakens in me a desire to over indulge for long periods of time. They are my red light or trigger foods and avoiding them for the most part is necessary for me. It’s a healthy choice I have come to make and it is the best choice for me.

I am finding, that just as there are certain foods I should stay away from, there is certain behavior I should also say “no” to. There are some things that are not bad in and of themselves, yet I know that if I act upon the desire to do them they will trigger emotional responses in me that are not good. My journey to freedom, walk of victory, and life of wholeness will be hindered and blocked big time!

I am learning that in the times when I am out of sorts I must discern what brought on the thoughts, feelings, and mood. One such time was last night and I had no trouble knowing the moment the emotions were triggered and the spiraling downward began. For now, I struggle in those times and hence they last far longer than they should. So for the present, while I am able to choose, I must resist an action that will get it started. Is it an action that will forever be forbidden? No. It is simply a necessity for the time being. Until I am able to handle the emotions in the right way, it is imperative that I avoid that which stirs those emotions. Within time, avoidance will be replace by moderation and moderation will eventually be replaced by the freedom to act.

Father, it is hard but so necessary to resist the things that are enjoyable but dangerous for me. Give me the wisdom to know when an end result will be opposite of what both You and I desire. Renew me, refresh me, and restore to me the joy of Your salvation. Amen.

Spirit Song - Maranatha Singers (Evie)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqkvIhs7Ijg

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

The Trust Factor

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 (New International Version)

Who can we look to for joy, peace, and hope? God! How can we have the joy, peace, and hope He offers us by the power of His Spirit? It is the result of trusting in Him. Believing Him, obeying Him, resting in Him, abiding in Him, relying upon Him….trusting Him. When am I not trusting Him? When I am trying to figure things out for myself with my limited knowledge and understanding. When I am holding on to the past instead of embracing His forgiveness. When I am placing my hope and expectation for satisfaction in anything or anyone other than Him. When I am living under the weight of my own perceptions. When I am harboring thoughts of worry, discord, and fear. When I am out of sorts with fellow believers. What is the red flag that I am not trusting Him? A lack of joy, peace, and hope.

Last night, in the course of a phone conversation, a friend shared a verse with me that took on a whole new meaning for me. It was a verse that is so familiar to me that I could say it in my sleep and yet I have limited its power and truth. The verse is Proverbs 3:5, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” I use to see this as a necessary verse for times when I needed direction in life. Times when I did not know what to do. It was for times when I needed to cry out, “Lord, show me what to do!” I am not minimizing the importance of doing so but God is certainly broadening my scope of interpretation.

I instantly saw the “leaning on my own understanding” in the area of relationships. My understanding many times is based on my perceptions and what I think! The problem is that often my thinking is distorted and my perceptions are skewed. If I am not careful and discerning, past experiences, failure, and circumstances have a way of clouding and coloring my present world . What I think is true is based on my emotions, feelings, longings, prejudices, observations, and interpretations. Add to that a sense of insignificance and insecurity and my “understanding” is pitiful at best. If I live according to my understanding it gets me into trouble every time.

So where does trusting God come in? What does trusting God look like? I am to trust in the fact that He knows all things clearly. He will work all things out for my good. He will supply all my needs. He knows what is best for me. He loves me unconditionally, passionately, and always. My understanding cannot possibly come close to comparing with that!

Father, help me to see the moment I go from trusting You to trusting in my own understanding. In the times when I think I have it all figured out, help me to see I don‘t. It is Your joy, peace, and hope I want and will have as I trust You. Amen.

You Are My Hiding Place - Maranatha Singers
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zej__yFPeK0

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