What is in the Way?

Thus in Judah it was said, "The strength of the burden bearers is failing, Yet there is much rubbish; And we ourselves are unable to rebuild the wall." Nehemiah 4:10 (New American Standard Bible)

The rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem saw hindrances among progress. In the midst of verbal attacks and threats by enemies, there was the problem of rubbish that had not been cleared away. Debris from years of neglect and damage had not been removed and therefore was a present disadvantage to the work that needed to be done. It was causing the workers to stumble, become weak, and even susceptible to injuries. It was in the way!

God has recently led me into a house cleaning adventure. While the main rooms are looking good, there are closets, drawers, and cupboards in need of cleaning out and straightening up. My method? Clear EVERYTHING out of the space I am working in, put back only what needs to stay, and discard the rest! The results are amazing. My whole family is delighting in the transformation as heard in their words of encouragement and compliments. I am simply removing that which is in the way!

My spiritual life is no different. Solomon said it is the little foxes that spoil the vine. Such is the case with certain attitudes, words, and actions that can find their way into my life. Without continual inspection and extraction, they will grow and become a hindrance to the work God wants to do in me. They are the rubbish that needs to be removed. Be it negative speaking, worry, irritability, unkindness, selfishness, thoughtlessness, ingratitude, laziness, pity, or unbelief, they cannot be allowed to stay once they are detected.

I will continue with the renovation of my home, but throughout today my desire will be for God to show me any internal rubbish that needs to be acknowledged and removed. It is a type of mining that is necessary. Not for gold but for that which could cause me to stumble, become weak, and do much damage. It is called self examination and serves a profound purpose.

I now see the benefits of internal inspections, for they are done under the watchful eye of a God of forgiveness. One who is gracious and compassionate. Slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness. (Nehemiah 9:17) I need not cringe at the search light of His Spirit. As I yield, the results will be even more astounding than my cleaned out cupboards and closets!

Father, reveal to me any hidden places of my heart that need to be cleaned out. Help me to see what needs to go and what needs to stay. Amen.

Draw Me Close to You - Hillsong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB1yDv9_N1k&feature=related

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

A Necessary Disclaimer

For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin. 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 7:14,15,18 (New American Standard Bible)

Paul was not beating himself up over his failures and weaknesses. He was simply stating truth. What was that truth? That he was not a completed vessel yet. That he did not always do it right, get it right, say it right, or think it right. That he had not arrived at such a spiritual state that his flesh ceased to be a problem. That he was not always in control of his emotions. That what he believed was not always what he lived out of or demonstrated. That his responses, perceptions, and reactions were not always good or accurate. This was his disclaimer for any who would think otherwise. I own it as mine as well.

Like Paul, I fight a daily battle with my flesh. I take things personal, I misread another’s actions or words. I hold on to past hurts and disappointments. I so easily feel unloved, unwanted, and unaccepted at times. I get my eyes off God and focus on myself or others. I have times when I fail to walk in truth. The list (as unpleasant as it is) could go on and on but my point is this: Failures and weaknesses mark my path. It is true of me, it is true of you, it was true of our Bible ancestors, it is true of the authors and speakers we sit under, and it is true of every person ever born except Jesus.

I find encouragement when Paul states the truth about himself and I find freedom when I do because I know where to turn when the truth is blatantly staring me in the face. I turn to the One who loves me and is still working on me. That which I so easily detest in myself He already knows about. It does not hinder His love for me but calls upon His love to minister to me and change me. When I am most prone to back away from Him in shame or disappointment with myself, He extends the invitation to come to Him. While there are times repentance is a must, forgiveness and reconciliation are always the end result.

Father, I want to be all the things I should be and will be eventually. For now, help me to live with a fuller realization of Your love, mercy, and grace. When I see the truth about myself, help me to embrace the truth about You. Amen.

Warrior is a Child/Do I Trust You - Twila Paris
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Pzu-jWpcdw

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

Focus and Follow

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1,2 (New King James Version)

I can so easily hold on to the weights and sin that ensnare me and hinder progress. I can also stop running and allow my attention and energies to be directed toward something or someone other than Jesus. He is not only the author and finisher of my faith, but He is the example of my faith. Focus on Him and follow Him are the imperatives for my life. As I do that I will more readily detect the ruts and pitfalls of the path I walk.

Most of the time, it is my mindset and what I choose to dwell upon that causes me the most discouragement, difficulty, and defeat. If I do not purposefully align myself with truth and resist the temptation to think on harmful thoughts, I run into trouble rather than run with endurance. For me, early detection and taking appropriate action are the keys to victory. All it takes is one unguarded, unchallenged thought to slow my progress and get me off course. I cannot afford to allow access to any thought that would distract or destroy me. It has happened recently and it will happen today if I do not heed the warning and advice of today’s passage.

There are things I need to be free of and things I need to be focused on in order to run the race well. It was not an easy race for Jesus and it will certainly not be an easy race for me. There will be things to endure and things to despise but I must keep the goals ever before me. The joy of knowing those goals will one day be realize is what is meant to carry me through each day.

What are those goals? Being transformed into the image of Christ. Knowing God. Complete freedom in areas I battle. Eventually, Heaven. This is a journey of progress and each day affords me numerous opportunities to gain insight, wisdom, discernment, and correction. Complete perfection will not be mine until I am in Heaven, but that does not mean there will be no incredible victories here on Earth. Each day brings me that much closer to those victories. My mantra must be, “Eyes on Him!”

Father, keep teaching me the discipline of focusing on You. Help me to see the distractions early on and to walk in determined victory amidst those distractions. Amen.

Healer - Kari Jobe
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvIEJ_PmqJ8&feature=related

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

Who I Really Need

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1 (King James Version)


Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. Isaiah 12:2 (King James Version)

Today is a day when I just want to crawl into the truth of who God is. David and Isaiah are both telling me where to take any inner turmoil. God is using their words to probe my heart. He is asking, “What are you looking for? What do you need?” No matter what I tell Him, no matter what I say, His response is always the same. “I am your refuge. I am your strength, I am your help, I am your salvation, I am your song!”

All of my attempts to find what I am looking for in external sources are met with His words. He is not being mean, but rather is doing the most loving, beneficial act toward me. He is actually answering a prayer I voiced several years ago. I saw another person’s walk with Him and wanted to know Him in the same way. I wanted to stand with a confidence that can only be found in Him. I wanted reliance that was aimed at Him. I wanted to live every day of my life out of an intimate relationship with Him. I did not know all that would entail in order to make it a reality in my own life, but He knew!

He knew it would require the removal of all my external props. He knew it would involve taking me out of my comfort zones. He knew it would necessitate learning to cry on His shoulder, take my heart aches to Him, and allow Him to search me thoroughly. He knew I would have to face my own skepticisms and suspicions about His ability to meet my deepest needs. He knew I would have to learn to transfer all of my dependency off my idols and on to Him. And He knew none of those things would come naturally or easily to me. But His knowledge is matched with His patience.

I am learning maturity in Christ does not mean I no longer struggle. It means I know where to take the struggles. At any given moment, as my needs arise, I turn to Him.

Father, life hurts. It is full of disappointment that often leaves me with a sadness inside. I bring it to You again. I need You alone. Amen.

There is None Like You - Lenny LeBlanc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_N-JK9iZcrg&feature=related

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

Full Disclosure

My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26 (New King James Version)

Knowing the truth about myself and the truth about God is a prerequisite for growth and development in the Christian life. As long as I live deceived or misinformed about either I will fail to mature in my faith and experience transformation at any level. If I am not careful I will make the mistake of trying to present to God what I KNOW He wants my life to be like rather than what I presently am. God is not into appearances whereby I try to appear to be more than I am. He wants authenticity, transparency, and honesty. Those are the attributes I need to harness as I come into His presence. Within an atmosphere of openness I must also learn the strength and freedom that comes from acknowledgement. Not only acknowledgement of my reality but acknowledgement of all that God is as well.

David knew the power of truth telling prayers. He made it a practice of stating a truth about himself and then followed it up with the truth about God. Today’s verse is an example of that. In essence he was saying, “I am weak, but You, O God, are my strength.” It was an “I am, You are” conversation. There are times God does the same thing. They are found in His statements of “I am the shepherd, you are the sheep. I am the vine, you are the branches. I am the potter, you are the clay.”

I have not always seen the necessity or benefits of such prayers. I now sense and accept His invitation to approach Him with Psalm 73:26 type prayers. They may sound somewhat like this…”Father, I have been wounded, You are my healer. I am empty, You are my filler. I am unsure, You are my teacher. I am lonely, You are my companion. I am in need, You are my supplier.” It is not long before I feel an internal shift and a radical change in my demeanor. When that happens praise erupts. There really is no God like our God.

As I learn there are no limits to what I can bring to Him, say to Him, and admit to Him my prayers take on an intimacy and depth God and I both delight in.

Father, Keep teaching me how to approach You in new ways. I thrive under the shadow of Your wings. Amen.

Psalm 23 - Kathy Troccoli
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVYh63ZF_Vo

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

Still Under Construction

Then the same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem; but from that time even until now it has been under construction, and it is not finished. Ezra 5:16 (New King James Version)

Due to opposition, the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem had ceased for a time. Formerly, the king of Persia had ordered it to be rebuilt and it was to be funded out of his own treasury. When a new king came on the scene, a false report led to his ordering the temple work to cease. Subsequently it did cease until that order was reversed. It was reversed when he saw that in truth his predecessor had given the original order. Prior to that discovery, a letter had been sent to him and it included a report on the temple work….the foundation was laid, “but from that time even until now it has been under construction, and it is not finished.”

When I read that phrase I instantly thought of my life as a Christian. The foundation was laid in Christ. All that would follow would be built upon it and it is more than adequate to sustain me. But I am still under construction…..I am still not finished. If I fail to see that or fail to understand that the construction will continue throughout my entire life, I will place undo pressure upon myself to reach a finished product. Discouragement will set in as I see the many things that still must be done.

This morning I am resting in some truths. God is the Master Designer and Builder of my faith. He has His eye and hand on me as He molds, prunes, and forms me into the image of His Son. He has assured me that what He starts He completes. His plans and purposes will be fulfilled through His working. Yet the aspects of the journey are often subject to my obedience, submission, and cooperation. As I make choices throughout each day, consequences will result. Lessons to be learned may have to be extended due to my own attitude and attention. Despite even that, I know that I know He will get the job done. He will take this lump of clay, this sheep, this fragile vessel, this marred person and will one day present me faultless, blameless, and complete before His throne. I look forward to that day and I joy in the thought!

Father, indeed the foundation has been laid! Thank you for continuing what you started in me. I praise You for what You will accomplish. Amen.

Potter's Hand - Hillsong
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDAITgJXO1I

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

What Was Lacking

Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 106:1 (New International Version)

Yesterday was a day of feeling unsettled, uneasy, unsatisfied, and unhappy. I spent a better part of the day discouraged, disheartened, and in an internal seething mode. I felt it and others noticed it. It did not take long for God to begin to reveal the problem to me. It wasn’t my circumstances but rather my heart response to those circumstances. My focus had shifted from a God centeredness to negatively viewing life. Miserable does not begin to describe it. I knew I had lost my joy, my purpose, and my thankfulness. The wrong motives of my heart became prominent and began to steer me in wrong directions. Physically I felt drained and emotionally I felt weak.

God’s first word to me was to begin thanking Him. I’ll admit the list was short at first. Not because there was not an abundance of things to be thankful for but because my heart was in need of priming much like a water source that has not been active for a while. If given enough time, callousness can set in with grumbling, murmuring, and complaining and the softening of the calloused heart and mind takes time as well. The “softening” followed two significant steps. First, I had to spend time admitting my own heart attitudes that were wrong. Second, I spent time with some women in a Bible study last night who helped redirect my focus on to God. They encouraged me through their words and examples to let go of what I wanted and embrace what God wanted.

This morning, the thanks flows easily from my heart and mouth. With that thanks comes a change of perspective, a relinquishment of “rights”, a joy, a strength, and a sense of well being. If yesterday was a dungeon of sorts, today is an open field of wonder! I find it interesting that the only things that really changed were my attitude, my thoughts, my focus, and my desires. Yet, those changes make everything else look and feel completely different.

Living my life with an unthankful spirit is much harder than living with a thankful one. Hence, Jesus’ words ring in my ears, “My yoke is easy and my burden is light.” What He places on me in the way of kingdom principles is definitely more conducive than what He helped me take off and give to Him.

Father, You have once again given me beauty for ashes, strength for fear, and gladness for sorrow. Your exchanges never cease to amaze me! Amen.

Give Thanks - Don Moen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBpv-ZzcQD8

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