Sought Out

As a shepherd seeks out his flock on the day he is among his scattered sheep, so will I seek out My sheep and deliver them from all the places where they were scattered on a cloudy and dark day. Ezekiel 34:12 (New King James Version)

If I read the 34th chapter of Ezekiel and see it only as a passage spoken to and about the nation of Israel thousands of years ago, it will have little affect upon my Christian life. It will bring me little comfort or hope. That which would put me in bondage and fear will appear indestructible and inescapable. BUT if I allow God to speak those same words to me and I own them for myself then they become promises I can claim as my way of escape and victory. I choose to do the latter!

I enjoy being the recipient of God’s seeking, feeding, nurturing, deliverance, and care. He knows me intuitively and intimately and stands ready and willing to meet every need I would bring to Him. He is a tender Shepherd full of compassion and mercy. No matter my situation, no matter my stronghold, no matter my depravity, He makes Himself completely responsible to shepherd me emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and socially. I will never find Him unavailable, disinterested, distracted, or distant. His ear is always open to my verbalized and non verbalized cries for help. As I learn to press in to Him on a daily basis, I am experiencing an aspect of the Christian life that I never knew could be experienced. That of taking my deepest needs to the only One who can meet them.

This morning I drink in His precious words to me and to any who would receive them for themselves. These are the words I embrace and find hope in with delight: Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick. They shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them. They shall dwell in safety, and none shall make them afraid. Thus shall they know that I the LORD their God am with them, and that they, are my people, saith the LORD God. (Ezekiel 34:11, 15, 16, 27, 28, 29)

He has given us His word that He will do all of this and more for us if we will but let Him. We need not fear that He has ever withdrawn His offer. His back will not be turned. His ears will not be shut. His welcome mat will not be pulled in. He has freely offered to be our Deliverer. All the glory goes to Him as He brings us to the place of accepting His invitation.

Father, thank you for your words of life and the grace that helps me receive them for myself. Amen.

And the Scales Fell

And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. Acts 9:18 (King James Version)

Saul (later called Paul) had been physically blinded by a bright light from Heaven and spiritually blinded by the realization that everything he based his spirituality on was counter to the very God he thought he was serving. He was bankrupt of any eternal treasure he thought he had stored up. Blinded and broken was his condition when God sent Ananias to lay hands on him and speak a blessing of healing over him. The result was instant sight as the scales fell from his eyes. What started out on a road to Damascus ended on a path through life that included preaching, prison, and penning many books of the New Testament.

This morning I am seeing correlations of Paul’s life in my own. Although I have never been physically blind, I have faced the realization that my own “spirituality” has often been faulty. That which I thought was bringing me closer to God was actually hindering me from really knowing Him on an intimate level. For decades I was on a road strewn with legalism and performance. What I thought would gain me God’s love, favor, and acceptance actually left me bankrupt and empty. Once I realized God’s love was not dependent on what I was doing, I stepped off my road of self effort and knew I was on a different path. For a time (two years to be exact) I thought all was well. God has been gracious to reveal to me the truth.

While I was no longer “performing” for Him, I was still detoured in many ways. Not by religious activity but by meaningful relationships. I had unknowingly mistaken the high of friendships for closeness to God. A life time of looking to individuals to meet my deepest internal needs for love, approval, affirmation, and acceptance was finally exposed in a painful way. Saul waited three days for the scales to fall. I waited a year and a half! Tears, confusion, and fear marked my path as I slowly came to grips with the depths of my own propensity toward idolatry…not of statues but of significant people. I thought the truth of this would do me in but instead it has laid the ground work for freedom.

I am presently on a journey of discovery. It entails seeing the areas in my life that need God’s touch of grace and redemption as well as coming to know a God who can truly meet every need I have and satisfy me in a way that I have never known. The scales have fallen and what I am seeing for the first time is taking my breath away!

Father, I use to fear exposure but now I welcome it. In Your presence I am free to see the truth about myself and ecstatic to see the truth about You! Amen.

Given and Received

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27 (New King James Version)

A troubled heart and fear can be two very disturbing things in the life of a believer. We all experience them in one way or another. Today, Jesus desires for us to hear Him whisper His words of peace over any trouble or fear that we are presently sensing. Whether it is with finances, health, relationships, occupations, possessions, dreams, or any other area, His words apply. The same Jesus who spoke to the storm at sea and instantly the wind and waves died down. The same Jesus who raised the dead, healed diseases, fed thousands with a single lunch, and came back to life. The same Jesus who gives the peace speaks the words of peace. It was not and is not a cliché or pat answer. It is still promised today just as it was to His disciples and it is offered to all who will receive it for themselves.

I was once again reminded of the need to make wise choices. My troubled heart and fearful thoughts are presently stemming from my own thinking and the suggestions of the enemy. He never comes in full force, but instead brings slight movement to my internal sea of emotions. If I don’t do battle at the first sign of trouble the stirring gets more profound. The longer I wait, the more fierce the storm that brews. I am learning not to let it get to the point of a full force hurricane! I can no longer claim ignorance to his methods and persistence. As long as I am drawing breath on this earth, he is going to be prowling and looking for the most effective way to attack me. I do not have to let him and I do not have to allow my heart to become troubled because of him.

I also do not have to fear that somehow I will fail the tests, lose the battle, be abandoned by my Abba Father, find myself alone and defenseless, or be completely removed from the precious journey He has me on. Each attack, each struggle, each battle, becomes a means of strengthening me for the next. I am continually learning better ways to fight. I no longer feel like a sitting duck. At least now I am a moving target…and one who is praying Scripture and singing praises as I move. I am learning the power of my words and God’s Words. At times I have believers who come along side me to cheer me on and straighten me out. I value them highly. But at ALL times, the God of Heaven and Earth stands with me in incredible ways. I revel in that!

Father, I claim Your words as my own today. I receive the peace You offer to me. Anoint me afresh! Amen.

Taking Charge

Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (King James Version)

The purposes, thoughts, perceptions, and schemes of my mind are significant. They are powerful enough to direct the course of my day. If left unattended they can run rampant and cause major trouble for me. Until recently I was not too good at taking charge of the things that entered my mind or the things I proceeded to dwell on. Once a negative thought toward myself or another individual became a part of my thinking process, I either let it take over or had some ineffective battles with it. Usually my attempt at controlling my thoughts was to simply counter them with better thoughts. If it was a lie I would try to think on what was true. If it was negative, I would try to think of something positive. If I couldn’t ignore it I felt I could at least replace it. I thought this was what the Bible meant when it said to take every thought captive. At best I was barely staying ahead of the mental games. My thoughts were still more in charge than I was.

God has had to open my eyes to something I was missing. He did so by bringing today’s verse to mind. Within it are housed two essential steps for finally being in control of my thoughts. Step one is to cast down the subtle imaginations and speculations that come across my mental path. Much like a wall the enemy is attempting to build with one “brick” at a time, I am to pull down and demolish the construction of the wall. Step two is to then lead the thought away like I would a prisoner. And where better to lead the thought than straight to the throne room of God, where He will then cast it into outer darkness. It is not only a demolition, it is a dethroning!

The incredible part is that this does not take a long time to do. As soon as I am aware of an approaching dangerous thought, my effective prayer is as follows: I cast that thought down and command it to go right to the throne room of God! I ask for a fresh anointing of my mind by the Spirit of God and the blood of Christ. I take authority over my mind and my thoughts. In Jesus name I pray, amen. Sometimes the prayer may vary but the content remains. This prayer was birthed in me just three days ago and I am in open mouthed wonder at the powerful effect it has had on me. I gladly offer it to any who are barely battling their own thoughts. I am breathing the first precious breaths of emotional and mental freedom that I have known little of in my Christian life. To God be the glory!

Father, I praise You for the power of effective prayer. Rule my life as I reign in my thoughts. The many trips to Your throne room each day are a delight! Amen.

All Inclusive and Possible

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:27 (New International Version)

Jesus’ answer to His disciples regarding their confusion over something He said, is quickly becoming a needed ray of hope for me. While I could have quoted this verse with ease many times, I am finding there are places in my life where I have failed to appropriate it and believe it with confidence. Like the rooms of a house, there are areas I have conveniently closed the door to with the mind set that those parts of me will never change. I have come to view them as permanent and unfixable. Although the desire for transformation has been strong the hope has been non existent. While I could express it in many different ways, the bottom line is that I didn’t believe God would ever do a radical work in me. Others could be changed, healed, and set free but not me. I felt like my particular strongholds, addictions, and weaknesses were my permanent lot in life and it would simply be a matter of asking for the grace to fight them. But true change and deliverance was not what I dared to hope for.

It was this realization of resignation that God has used to actually give me hope. In light of today’s verse, I can now see that what I believed to be hopeless and permanent was simply another bold faced lie of the enemy! When God says “all” He means ALL! All things are possible with Him and that includes (not excludes) my personal areas of struggle and sin. I am not an exception. I am not a lost cause. I am not unfixable. I am not an impossibility. I am a prime candidate for His miraculous work of transformation and deliverance. In my day to day life, I can experience old things passing away and all things becoming new!

So starting TODAY I am choosing to believe God for a number of things. I am believing Him for transformation of my mind and heart. I am believing Him for the breaking of ALL strongholds and addictions. I am believing Him for freedom. I am believing Him for a new way to live life. I am believing Him to do all that is impossible for me to do. By God’s grace I am point blank believing Him. And with that belief, I choose to live with a renewed hope. My self imposed life sentence has just been revoked and I am stepping out of the prison of lies and limitations. I am now ready to live as if the miracle has already taken place!

Father, I confess my sin of unbelief to You. I look to You to do what only You can do in me. I receive Your promise of healing and wholeness. Amen.

Choosing to Refuse

Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses. I Timothy 5:19 (New King James Version)

My opinion of another person needs to be based on truth. That is the reason God established the principal that accusations must be based and received on the basis of several eye witnesses. Whether it is within the walls of a church, a place of business, or ones home a spirit of accusation is alive and well and must be recognized and rebuked at all times.

I can think of three sources of false accusations that I must be acutely aware of and on guard against. They would be other people, Satan, and myself. It is imperative that I not allow the words of one person to sway my opinion about another person, especially when it puts the other person in a bad light. I would be wise to consider the fact that what they are saying may not even be true. Since we cannot see another person’s thoughts, heart, intentions, or motives, we have to be careful when someone claims to know such things. Often the things we are hearing are based more upon what someone else said to them, rather than on what was actually witnessed by them. Giving the accused the benefit of the doubt would go a long way.

Scripture refers to Satan as the “accuser of the brethren” and he takes his role seriously. He is a master at accusing us before God and one another. He loves to twist and distort things until someone stands in the worst possible light. Many have been the number of relationships ruined because of lies fed to us by the father of lies. We would be wise to ask God to reveal to us whether or not Satan is behind the spirit of accusation that runs rampant through our minds and our conversations.

While I must be careful not to receive accusations that come from people and Satan, I must be even more careful to question and reject the accusations that are birthed within my own mind from my own places of brokenness and sin. In times of personal disappointment my mind can readily think up many false accusations about another person and then proceed to dwell on them. I must be on my guard during the times I begin to read between the lines, misinterpret another’s words or actions, or draw wrong conclusions based on unmet needs. While there may be times my perception is right, there are many more times it is not.

When I find myself changing my opinion of another person based on one of these three sources, I must ask God to give me discernment as to whether or not I am hearing the truth. If I am uncertain, it would be best to reject the accusation rather than believe and receive it. May I be willing to give others the benefit of the doubt and guard their reputations in my mind.

Father, I cringe at the times I have too readily accepted a false accusation about You, another person, or even myself. Help me to walk in the light and hold to the truth every time. Amen.

Owning the Words

And he said, “O man greatly beloved, fear not! Peace be to you; be strong, yes, be strong!” So when he spoke to me I was strengthened, and said, “Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me.” Daniel 10:19 (New King James Version)

To see yourself as God’s greatly beloved and to receive strength and encouragement from Him, is when the Christian life becomes one of intimacy, growth, and security. For decades, I knew very little of either of these experiences. Rather than look to God for my identity, completeness, and encouragement, I looked to people. Their view of me and words to me could either put me on a mountain of high emotion or plunge me into a valley of despair. The tranquility of my soul rested solely on them. I did not know what it was like to sense that God viewed me as precious, desirable, beautiful, valuable, goodly, or His treasure. I did not know what it was like to receive from God those things my soul craved. Although I knew Jesus as my Savior, my attention and internal appetites were directed toward people rather than toward Him.

Even in the midst of my present journey which began in February of 2004 this has often been the case. While I have taken in wonderful truths about God and seen Him birth a devotional ministry out of those truths, there was still something missing. It wasn’t until I began reading a book by Henri Nouwen called THE INNER VOICE OF LOVE that I understood the continued battle. It is a book that adequately portrays me. Within its pages I was able to finally see myself. While I was learning the truth about God’s love and His desire to fill me with that love, I was not living out of the experience of embracing it for myself. Many times they were still words on a page to me. That is why I continued to look to other sources. I was still thinking that knowledge of God equated relationship with Him. There were times I would experience the relationship but for the most part my need for people was still over powering my personal connection with God.

The few people I would confide in could see this and I believe they have been lifting me up in prayer. The real turning point came when I finally admitted the truth to myself and to God. It has been through honest dialogue with Him that my heart and mind are changing. What use to fill me with shame, I now share openly with you. I am learning to receive His love and His words to me as His beloved. And I am learning to verbalize to Him what is going on inside of me so my needs can finally be met by Him. Instead of feeling exposed and vulnerable (as the enemy would hope for), I feel free!

I love the song YOU RAISE ME UP and treasure it more as I come to realize God is the One Whom I now look to, to raise me up!

Father, I am finally finding my home in You. Amen.