What Hinders the Delight?

Then you will take delight in the LORD, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. Isaiah 58:14 (New American Standard Bible)

I know what it is to delight in someone. Delight entails a sense of joy, pleasure, happiness, joy, glee, gladness, enchantment, amusement, and satisfaction. To revel in ones presence and think dearly of them even in their absence. To want to spend time with them and take every opportunity to do so. Individuals readily come to mind in the writing of this paragraph. Today’s verse gives me a promise of all that and more being directed toward the Lord.

What is the prerequisites for taking delight in the Lord? They are listed in the previous verse (58:13). Doing that which pleases God rather than turning my own way, seeking my own pleasures, and speaking my own words. It is aligning myself with the truths of Scripture and living out of those truths. Separating from what needs to be separated from and embracing what needs to be embraced.

What are the hindrances to taking delight in the Lord? For me, it is having a divided heart. The bottom line comes down to who has my heart and attention? Who seems to be the one I cannot live without? Who stands in competition with God in my thinking? Who is prominent in my thoughts? Who is the idol I have placed on the pedestal of my internal world? As long as I feel I need another person’s attention, approval, acceptance, and affirmation it will hinder me from taking delight in the Lord.

At one time, this type of hindrance required the severing of a relationship. At present, it is not a severing that needs to take place but rather a letting go of certain aspects that represent security to me. I know the steps I must take in order to delight in God and this morning finds me pondering the steps as well as the difficulty associated with taking those steps. Past fears and failures come to mind and attempt to convince me that obedience in this area will lead to a sense of loneliness and isolation. Yet, God’s Word tells me obedience will lead to finding my delight in Him. My flesh tells me to not let go of what has felt so safe. My heart yearns for the freedom that will come in releasing my grip. My mind quickly lists the advantages to keeping things the same. My spirit tells me those advantages are really disadvantages when it comes to my walk with God.

The bottom line is will it be my way, my pleasures, and my words or God’s? I want it to be His and by His grace and continual work in me it will be.

Father, I am at a crossroads in my mind and life. May I walk by faith and not by feelings. By trust and not by emotions. By grace and not by greed. Amen.

I'm Letting Go - Francesca Battistelli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNEhKLrsUfo

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

Prescription for a Strengthened Heart

Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD! Psalm 27:14 (New King James Version)

Lately, as I read Scripture, I am purposefully looking for God’s commands and promises to me. As I follow the commands, His promises are fulfilled. While His love is not dependent upon what I do or don’t do, His blessing, favor, prosperity, and promises are definitely connected to my obedience in words, thoughts, and actions.

If I want my heart to be strengthened, then it is imperative that I wait on God and stand in courage. Looking to God entails focus, fixation, and expectation directed toward Him and what He is able to do. Often times, though, that is not the way I am living my Christian life, or at least has not been the way I have lived it up to this point. In some areas, I have been able to do that, but in other areas I have not. I want that to change and God is faithfully showing me how to go about it.

Looking to God to meet my physical needs is not a struggle for me, but looking to Him to meet my emotional needs has been! I learned as a youth to see how quickly a person could seemingly “fill” the voids of my heart. I did not realize how emotionally empty and hungry I was until I became a part of a church family and experienced the love of Christ through them. That is a good thing in itself, but what happened with me is I began to view it as the ONLY way to get my emotional needs met. Being with certain people became my escape mechanism from the hurts and disappointments of life. Later on, during my Bible school years, I learned to share problems with others and saw how good their attention and sympathy felt. As I became an adult the search was on as well as the ever growing belief that there was a person out there…somewhere…who could do for me what God alone could do….fill the void, fix me internally, and meet the numerous heart and mind needs. No such person exists but that never stopped me from looking.

Last night was a turning point for me….one I am trusting is permanent. In the midst of wanting to let an individual know I was in turmoil and wanting to taste once again of the “drug” of acceptance, affirmation, and attention, God invited me to resist the urge to confide. Rather than pour my heart out to this person, God advised me to pour it out to Him. He knows the cycle of emotional dependency will never be broken any other way. To my amazement, when I looked to Him rather than to a person, the turmoil ceased, the sadness left, and the pull toward another’s care was gone. My heart was strengthened and a joy I have known little of met that present emotional need. I wake this morning singing a victor’s song!

Father, keep showing me the choices that will lead to freedom. I want to learn how to look to You! Amen.

Spirit Song - Maranatha Singers
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.

Taking it Personal

But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, And the Lord has forgotten me." "Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you. "Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.” Isaiah 49:14-16 (New American Standard Bible)

Approaching Scripture as simply a book of historical facts can have little effect on my life. If I cannot see the Bible as anything but stories about people from the past and their relationship to God then I will fail to see how it applies to me. For too many years, I couldn’t read God’s Word with the ability to make what was being said personal to me. If God was speaking to Israel it seemed like the words were meant for them rather than me….unless they were words of condemnation and judgment. Words of affirmation, encouragement, and love weren’t accepted or owned by me. I would not have slipped my own name into the assurances of today‘s passage. I would not have heard God saying He had not forgotten me or that He had inscribed me on the palms of His hands. To do so would have felt wrong, like I was pretending. I had been taught to ask certain questions when reading the Bible. Who is talking? Who is being talked to? What is being said? What I failed to ask was, what is being said to me? Leaving myself out of the picture was tragic! How much I failed to see and experience because of a faulty view of God and His Word.

Once I could begin putting my name into passages of Scripture, Bible reading and study took on a whole new dimension for me. Now I cannot read passages without doing that and it all stems back to a prayer I voiced to God one morning in my kitchen. I simply asked Him to show me His heart in Scripture. I had no idea how much that would change my life. It was the start of me being able to receive God’s personal messages to me. To see that what He was saying to individuals and nations centuries ago was being said to me today. Today’s passage now touches me deeply rather than appearing foreign to me. It gives me assurance that I am loved and thought of by the One who created me. It is what I can meditate upon when I feel forgotten or forsaken by others. It is what strengthens me in my moments of weakness. It is what helps me to see God’s Word as a letter written and meant for me. Anymore, I take His words personal….very personal!

Father, showing me Your heart in Scripture opened up my heart to receive what You were saying. I can now see the treasures of truth You intended for me all along. Thank you! Amen.

Indescribable - Chris Tomlin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqMYHmoXMAQ&feature=related

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

A Promised Outcome

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7 (New King James Version)

Today’s verse is the “end of the story” if you will. It is the result of implementing the truths found before and after it. As I have read through Philippians 4 this morning I am seeing a conditional promise being made. The peace of God which keeps our heart and mind secure and safe comes as I stand fast in my relationship with Christ, walk in unity with others, rejoice in the Lord, am gentle toward everyone, pray with thankfulness rather than worry, and think (meditate) on what is true, noble, just, pure, lovely, good, virtuous, and praiseworthy. That is quite a list and that is quite a result! When any of those things are missing than I am not at peace and my heart and mind become vulnerable to the attacks of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

I have heard it said that reading a Proverb a day is beneficial and since there are 31 chapters will take you through the entire book of Proverbs in a month. It is a book filled with wise sayings and guidelines for living. The four epistles (Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, and Colossians) are calling to me to do the same. To read a chapter a day and take in practical Christianity. To take hold of the commands and promises being given. To see what will result from walking in obedience to the truths of Scripture.

I have often noted the importance of guarding my thoughts. I know all too well the result of thinking on negative things such as lies and wrong perceptions. Unguarded thoughts can bring me down quicker than anything. They are like quicksand to my soul. I believe that my antidote to that is found in Scripture and in particular these Epistles. They are practical truths for daily living and God is inviting me to read them for myself and to apply them to my life.

Here is my plan for action! Highlight or underline the commands in one color and the promises or results in another color. I look forward to seeing not only a profound pattern to follow but the intense impact it is sure to have on my life as I do it. My personality is such that when I want to change an area in my life I can look for a person to give me a list of things to do that will result in the change I am wanting to make. God is inviting me to open His Word and see the list He has designed. To get the instructions straight from Him. It won’t be limited to just these Epistles but it will certainly start there! Anyone who wishes may join me!

Father, I know an adventure when I see one and I am seeing one right now! Thank you for Your invitation of “read, see, and do!” I anticipate the change that will come of it. Amen.

I Will Rise - Chris Tomlin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yvfso4Q8xg

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

Looking in the Right Direction

Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18, 19 (New International Version)

Often times, the ability to see what God is doing in the present is hindered by a continual looking back and longing for what He was doing in the past. When we focus on the old we are unable to see the new. It’s right in front of us but we don’t perceive it. Lot’s wife looked back and the result was tragic. While I will not be turned into a pillar of salt if I look back, I can certainly attest to the inability to move forward.

When tragedy or loss comes our way, it is easy to long for things to be the way they use to be. We hinge our happiness on how we use to live and feel. If significant people played huge roles in our life, their absence can have a profound effect on the way life appears to be. We may find it hard to let go of the desire to have the relationship restored and back in place. When change takes place, our world can feel like a desert and wasteland. The pit of nothingness can suddenly feel like home.

God’s answer in the midst of my questions? Forget the former things. Stop dwelling on the past. Take notice of the new things being done. Acknowledge the truth that He is making a way in my desert and placing streams in my wasteland. With that knowledge I am free to move forward on the path He is clearing for me and to find refreshment at the streams He is providing for me. Everything I need to live the abundant Christian life is at my disposal and is made available to me by my loving, Heavenly Father.

His intent for me at present is to live my life differently than I have in the past. He has placed new people in my life. Am I appreciating them and taking part in the relationships they offer? He has given me truths to replace the lies I have believed. Am I thinking on the truth, acting on the truth, and allowing the truth the change me? He planted seeds of wisdom and knowledge within my heart and mind. Am I allowing those seeds to grow and bring forth fruit and affect the lives of others? None of those things are possible if I continue to look back at what use to be because looking back takes my focus off God and what He is doing.

It is time for me to look away from the former things and look to the present workings of God in and around me. It is a matter of my will and a choice which is up to me. I have spent too much time looking back. It is time to look forward.

Father, give me the grace to change my focus, desires, and dreams. Help me to see all that You are doing now. I thank You for the past as I look to the future. Amen.

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.

Unchanging and Inexhaustible

Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the LORD, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. Isaiah 40:28 (New King James Version)

When life happens and people leave, if we are not careful, we can come to believe that everyone eventually will see the need to back away from us. We will live with a wavering trust of those who actually care and really do love us. Something in us keeps saying that when they know us well enough and discover the truth about us they will abandon us. Our weaknesses and failures will cause them to grow weary and tired of us. Their involvement in our life will end. Their opinion of us will change. Their love will stop. When those thoughts become our “truth” we stop living life as it is meant to be lived. We close ourselves off to receiving or giving love. We live in a shell of pain and loneliness that is not only unnecessary but ungodly as well. When we put those same perceptions on God we are in even bigger trouble and distress.

Today’s verse lets me know how far from the truth such thoughts are. The everlasting God does not grow faint or weary of me. The Creator of the universe does not grow tired of me. The LORD is not giving up on me. I do not understand His love, His ways, His persistence, or His unchangeableness. How could I? I do not even understand people who demonstrate His heart. How they can love me in spite of what they know about me? How they can love me even when my actions and attitudes disappoint, frustrate, or anger them?

Whether it is God or people, I must come to the point of realizing true love is not based on my performance. It is not something I can earn but rather it is something I must receive as a gift. Those who truly love me demonstrate what God’s love is like. They don’t excuse my sin, they don’t ignore my wrong choices, they don’t dance around the issues. They let me know when I am doing well and they let me know when I am doing wrong. Their words, body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice become teachers to me.

The longer I experience genuine love from God and others, the more I desire to walk in that same untiring, inexhaustible, unending love myself. I long for the day my own compassion leaves them confused in a good sense.

Father, please help me to no longer interpret my relationship with You and others through the grid of past hurts and disappointments. Help me to grasp the extent of Your love and theirs. Help me to trust with abandon and love with Your kind of love. Amen.

Love That Won't Walk Away - Kathy Troccoli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZioqjmmtK3U

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

Necessary Boundaries

For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. Colossians 2:5(New American Standard Bible)

The disciplines (order) of the Christian life are a part of the stability of our faith in Christ. We need the order. We need the discipline. For me, the disciplines of my faith include being part of a local church, reading the Bible, prayer, separation from the world, sensitivity to the Spirit, confession of known sin, living in harmony with others, seeking God’s will and face, remaining honest with God, others, and myself, and striving to walk in truth. As I practice these disciplines, I find myself more sure-footed in my faith. When I allow these disciplines to slip and I become less conscious of them I tend to feel unstable in my walk.

Discipline is often thought of as a negative aspect of life. We can limit it to correction and reprimand. In today’s passage it has more to do with the ordering of our life. Setting up the boundaries, guidelines, and guardrails that we need to live and walk in peace, safety, and strength is good and necessary.

I am aware this morning of a boundary I need to establish and the necessity of that boundary is more than apparent. To ignore it and refuse to institute it in my life will bring heart ache, disaster, and ruin. I have tasted of that fruit in the past and have no appetite to repeat the scenario. I have shared before of my tendency to become emotionally dependent on others. I enjoy many relationships without this factor and I cannot fully explain why it enters the picture of others. I know though the moment it is present. Up until this point, I have always given in to the desire to make others responsible for my happiness, security, significance, and worth. Emotions run high or low depending on their availability to me and involvement with me. Relationships cannot and will not survive such expectations.

In the past, three scenarios played out which included this ingredient of dependency. One came full circle and blossomed into a beautiful friendship. One saw a complete severing that still finds me hurting over from time to time. One is presently being walked through with hopes of freedom and an awareness of one who is choosing not to walk away. Recently a new one surfaced on the horizon. I am seeing aspects in myself that have the signs of dependency and I am determining to establish boundaries in order to be in relationship without the bondage. The boundaries? To not allow myself to seek comfort, advice, or guidance from her. Sharing problems and difficulties as a way of gaining attention, acceptance, or sympathy will only fuel the need for this person to have a prominent place in my life. I cannot afford to repeat that mistake. Friend? Yes! Replacement of all that God wants to be to me? Absolutely not! Afraid? Only if I refuse to establish the boundary.

Father, I see what is necessary. Walk me through this newest scenario to freedom. Amen.

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

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