Today is different than most days. I'm in Boston with Kristi and it is good to be here. It has been good to talk and catch up. I am thankful for my family~all of them everywhere...
This morning, I asked the Lord to help me to know where to direct my Bible reading and I continually felt that I should go to Psalm 27. The words are exactly what I needed to hear. I know the Lord is always with me, but today has been a little different and His Words wrapped themselves around me as if His strong arms were wrapping themselves around me. I am blessed beyond measure and joy fills my being. We may walk in places we have never gone before but the Lord is guiding us each step of the way. Thank you Jesus!
Psalm 27
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When the wicked advance against me to devour[a] me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.
3 Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear; though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.
4 One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple.
5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
6 Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the LORD.
7 Hear my voice when I call, LORD; be merciful to me and answer me.
8 My heart says of you, “Seek his face!” Your face, LORD, I will seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger; you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior.
10 Though my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will receive me.
11 Teach me your way, LORD; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.
12 Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes, for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
Yes, I will wait for the Lord.
Yes, Jesus.
Yes, Yeshua.
Yes, Salvation...
Amen.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Leaving… just moving on or running away?
I run away from…
I move on to…
How might we finish these sentences? If we make a list of all the things that we run away from and all the things that we move to, what do we begin to understand about ourselves? Try it sometime. You will be amazed at the way it sounds when you read it back. Do you find negatives or positives in your list or are the things you mention rather neutral?
Well, when anyone leaves a place, there may be many reasons but only one of two basic motivations; either we simply want to go to a new place or we are getting away from an old place. Sometimes these motivations are so intertwined that it is hard to say which one is the most forceful in our desire and action to leave a place and go to another.
My devotional thinking comes from the Torah Portion entitled, “Vayetze (He went out)” from the Genesis 28:10-32:3. It is the story of Jacob when he left home as a young man. I see him running away to keep from being killed by an angry brother and I see him moving on to a new life. He dreams at Bethel, later meets Rachel, marries Laban’s daughters and prospers at Laban’s expense. I see a mirror of his lying (when he was younger) manifest over and over into his adult life through his father-in-law. I can see to some extent that he reaps what he has sown, but I also see God’s blessing on him as he builds a huge family and prospers greatly! God never left him although I’m sure he must have felt alone.
Jacob runs away again with all his family and prosperity, only to be overtaken by Laban. In this episode of his life, I read about a covenant made between Laban and Jacob and I see that he had to make peace with this part of his past. He had to make peace with it in order to go home again. At this point, he does not know if he will be accepted at home or perhaps be killed. He only knows that he must return home.
My heart is in tune with others who have shared their various concerns with me. My prayers are lifted up for those that are physically sick, financially burdened or overwhelmed with more to do than can possibly be done well, because of an overload of duty. My prayers are for those who know the Lord already and for those who don’t know my Lord. I pray for those who don’t know the peace that He alone provides when we believe in Him and trust on Him. My prayers are that they may all know what God desires in every situation. Some of us are dreaming of, praying for or simply waiting to move on. Right now we either lack the courage, security or the word from God to go! In this respect, those that have shared with me are no different from me. The circumstances in their lives may not be anything like mine, but the thought of and the desire to move on is strong.
Through this season in my life, I’m learning that this desire to go doesn’t make me bad or unworthy. There are those in my path who sometimes would see me take guilt for my desire. But I will not take guilt because this desire is a signal for me to determine why I want to move on or run away in the first place. It is a signal for me to examine if the desire is godly or if it is merely my own flesh wanting what it wants. No one can determine this for me, but I must look within myself to find the answer. Am I like Jacob, in that sometimes he chose to run away? Would God have had a different way to have him meet Leah and Rachel? We do not know. We only know what is recorded. I make many choices. If I look back I see when I moved because God wanted it and when I did so because I wanted it. God’s moves were always best. The point I must remember daily: God’s moves are best!
It is good for us to know what is motivating us in all the things that we do, for God knows us even better than we know ourselves. He wants us to know Him so that He can reveal Himself to us to an even greater degree. I cannot know myself without God. I would only see something distorted as an image in a dim, antique mirror. His light is needed to shine in order that I might see clearly His reflection instead of mine!
He hears me as I lift my hands and say, “LORD, I am ready!” I do not need to add “ready for what” to the end of my plea. I only need to listen for the next step that He has prepared and take it when He says to take it. Others may see me staying in place, running away or moving on but it doesn’t matter what they think if I am in the will of GOD. So this I must remember daily that I must not judge others. God's Word says I will be judged according to how I judge. I must not judge because it is not my place. The reason I make this a huge issue is that being misunderstood and judged by others, especially Christians, is the saddest state that I have ever known especially when I know that I am in the will of GOD.
Now, that He has led me through this valley let me remember that I am not to judge others. I need to remember especially not to judge other Christians when they believe they are in His will. Let me remember to pray for them. If it seems they are acting against God’s Word in some way, let me pray for their discernment. Let me look again at His Word because often it is not God’s Word that is in conflict but man’s interpretation of His Word that is causing the conflict. God will show me if I look. God will answer if I ask. Whatever the case, let me love others to the point that they know I love them with agape love, for we are to be known by our love.
In this world, where we are ambassadors for Christ, let us remember as the song reveals:
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! I am ready to move on!
1362
I move on to…
How might we finish these sentences? If we make a list of all the things that we run away from and all the things that we move to, what do we begin to understand about ourselves? Try it sometime. You will be amazed at the way it sounds when you read it back. Do you find negatives or positives in your list or are the things you mention rather neutral?
Well, when anyone leaves a place, there may be many reasons but only one of two basic motivations; either we simply want to go to a new place or we are getting away from an old place. Sometimes these motivations are so intertwined that it is hard to say which one is the most forceful in our desire and action to leave a place and go to another.
My devotional thinking comes from the Torah Portion entitled, “Vayetze (He went out)” from the Genesis 28:10-32:3. It is the story of Jacob when he left home as a young man. I see him running away to keep from being killed by an angry brother and I see him moving on to a new life. He dreams at Bethel, later meets Rachel, marries Laban’s daughters and prospers at Laban’s expense. I see a mirror of his lying (when he was younger) manifest over and over into his adult life through his father-in-law. I can see to some extent that he reaps what he has sown, but I also see God’s blessing on him as he builds a huge family and prospers greatly! God never left him although I’m sure he must have felt alone.
Jacob runs away again with all his family and prosperity, only to be overtaken by Laban. In this episode of his life, I read about a covenant made between Laban and Jacob and I see that he had to make peace with this part of his past. He had to make peace with it in order to go home again. At this point, he does not know if he will be accepted at home or perhaps be killed. He only knows that he must return home.
All of us must face the return home someday.
We must face either God (whom we don’t know)
or our Heavenly Father (whom we know).
My heart is in tune with others who have shared their various concerns with me. My prayers are lifted up for those that are physically sick, financially burdened or overwhelmed with more to do than can possibly be done well, because of an overload of duty. My prayers are for those who know the Lord already and for those who don’t know my Lord. I pray for those who don’t know the peace that He alone provides when we believe in Him and trust on Him. My prayers are that they may all know what God desires in every situation. Some of us are dreaming of, praying for or simply waiting to move on. Right now we either lack the courage, security or the word from God to go! In this respect, those that have shared with me are no different from me. The circumstances in their lives may not be anything like mine, but the thought of and the desire to move on is strong.
Through this season in my life, I’m learning that this desire to go doesn’t make me bad or unworthy. There are those in my path who sometimes would see me take guilt for my desire. But I will not take guilt because this desire is a signal for me to determine why I want to move on or run away in the first place. It is a signal for me to examine if the desire is godly or if it is merely my own flesh wanting what it wants. No one can determine this for me, but I must look within myself to find the answer. Am I like Jacob, in that sometimes he chose to run away? Would God have had a different way to have him meet Leah and Rachel? We do not know. We only know what is recorded. I make many choices. If I look back I see when I moved because God wanted it and when I did so because I wanted it. God’s moves were always best. The point I must remember daily: God’s moves are best!
It is good for us to know what is motivating us in all the things that we do, for God knows us even better than we know ourselves. He wants us to know Him so that He can reveal Himself to us to an even greater degree. I cannot know myself without God. I would only see something distorted as an image in a dim, antique mirror. His light is needed to shine in order that I might see clearly His reflection instead of mine!
He hears me as I lift my hands and say, “LORD, I am ready!” I do not need to add “ready for what” to the end of my plea. I only need to listen for the next step that He has prepared and take it when He says to take it. Others may see me staying in place, running away or moving on but it doesn’t matter what they think if I am in the will of GOD. So this I must remember daily that I must not judge others. God's Word says I will be judged according to how I judge. I must not judge because it is not my place. The reason I make this a huge issue is that being misunderstood and judged by others, especially Christians, is the saddest state that I have ever known especially when I know that I am in the will of GOD.
Now, that He has led me through this valley let me remember that I am not to judge others. I need to remember especially not to judge other Christians when they believe they are in His will. Let me remember to pray for them. If it seems they are acting against God’s Word in some way, let me pray for their discernment. Let me look again at His Word because often it is not God’s Word that is in conflict but man’s interpretation of His Word that is causing the conflict. God will show me if I look. God will answer if I ask. Whatever the case, let me love others to the point that they know I love them with agape love, for we are to be known by our love.
In this world, where we are ambassadors for Christ, let us remember as the song reveals:
King and kingdoms will all pass away.
But there’s something about that Name!
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!
Master, Savior, Jesus
Like a fragrance after the rain.
Jesus, Jesus, Jesus
Let Heaven and earth proclaim.
King and kingdoms will all pass away.
But there’s something about that Name!
“Yes, I am coming soon!”
from Revelation 22: 20
Amen! Come, Lord Jesus! I am ready to move on!
1362
Saturday, November 6, 2010
OKAY, NOW WHAT?
I’ve come to the end of Look Great, Feel Great by Joyce Meyers and read quickly through her final keys of the journey. So what am I going to do with what I’ve learned?
PRACTICE…PRACTICE…PRACTICE…PRACTICE…PRACTICE…AND PRACTICE SOME MORE…
If you are a Christian, in more than name only, then I’m sure you’ll understand what I’m about to say. I would love to say that in this earth suit that I wear, someday I will be perfect. But that just isn’t true. I know that the body that I have is a temporary one.
But there is hope in His Word, the Lord Jesus promised to return! His Word promises that some day we will have glorified bodies if we believe in Him. Those future bodies won’t wear out and they can transport in instant time and do amazing things that we can only dream of now. What fun that will be!
But, let’s come back to reality just now. In this life, I have to take responsibility. I must make the most of what I have and that means I have to take care of this body I live in. It is with this body that I can be the hands, feet, and voice for my Savior. It is with this body that I can feel and touch the heart of someone who is hurting or happy or just taking it one day at a time. It is with this body that I can sit and read of Him and the plans that He has for me, and that I can kneel in prayer and talk to Him and know what He desires of me. It is with this body that I can worship, sing and dance for Him! The choices are mine to make. I can either continue to step up and change things for the better or not. No one is forcing me. It’s my responsibility.
I need to be very careful that I understand my limitations. I will always need to self-evaluate what the next step is and make a way to get there, remembering to ask Him if that is truly what I am to do next. You see I have to surrender to my Lord every day! When my wants get in the way, I have to call on Him to help me find the way of escape. When others demand more of me than I can accomplish, I have to call on Him to deliver me. But He is not there just for me to call on when I get into a pinch. It’s all about my relationship with Him and He needs to know that I love Him with all my body (physical), soul (mental) and spirit (spiritual). My body must worship Him in song, dance and prayer. My mind must feed upon Him in reading His Word, studying and praying. My spirit must be allowed to soar with Him and not be hindered by any bondange from my body or soul. It is the spirit of God that lives in me that influences others whether I speak or do His will. He must know my love for Him as much as I know His love for me.
I am to be a holder of His light. Others will be able to see clearly because I am the "lamp light" holder. I can’t do everything that I can imagine to do. I need to take small steps and remember never to push too far ahead. God wants me to be in the right place at the right time for the right people. He wants me to shine for Him. He wants the same of you!
During all this, I need to have a good attitude. When I make a mistake, I need to get over it! Moping around all gloomy will not correct mistake! Sometimes I just need to chill out and laugh at myself for some silly thing that I should have known better about. Laughs are contagious! It’s amazing to me but since I started this journey with Joyce Meyer, I have actually smiled and laughed more than I have in a long time. I can’t explain why other than that feeling better makes you want to smile and it’s easier to have fun. I feel so much better than I did a couple of months ago. I only wish you could feel the difference I’ve experienced.
Oh my, and another thing that I’ve noticed is that the things I used to think were so important are really not so important. I mean things like this; fixing holiday meals for your family completely from scratch or serving processed foods that are full of empty calories and sodium just because it's quick, when I can grab a bag of prepared salad greens and top it off with quick chopped and shredded meats and cheese with a light dressing. (I’m not talking about going crazy here and just dumping on calories, we must measure and get used to the correct portions.) The thing is we are all busy and there are ways to do things without spending so much time doing them. We just have to look for the shortcuts that are still good choices and stop feeling guilty if we change a “family tradition”.
Lastly, I think about my own children and those who have looked to me as their teacher. What have I instilled into their lives? Are they better people for having known me? Did they grow (or are they growing) in positive ways? Will my lessons still ring in their ears when I’m gone? I’m sure it won’t be the things that I’ve said so much as the things that I’ve done and taken action for that will ring in their memories. I pray that God grant me the strength to keep holding the “lamp light of Jesus’ love” high for others. I pray that God grant me the courage to do what it takes to clean the lens of the lamp even when it’s dangerous or just not easy to do so. I pray that it will be soon that others take up their own “lamp lights” to help those they have an opportunity of influence for going in the right direction.
PRACTICE…PRACTICE…PRACTICE…PRACTICE…PRACTICE…AND PRACTICE SOME MORE…
If you are a Christian, in more than name only, then I’m sure you’ll understand what I’m about to say. I would love to say that in this earth suit that I wear, someday I will be perfect. But that just isn’t true. I know that the body that I have is a temporary one.
But there is hope in His Word, the Lord Jesus promised to return! His Word promises that some day we will have glorified bodies if we believe in Him. Those future bodies won’t wear out and they can transport in instant time and do amazing things that we can only dream of now. What fun that will be!
But, let’s come back to reality just now. In this life, I have to take responsibility. I must make the most of what I have and that means I have to take care of this body I live in. It is with this body that I can be the hands, feet, and voice for my Savior. It is with this body that I can feel and touch the heart of someone who is hurting or happy or just taking it one day at a time. It is with this body that I can sit and read of Him and the plans that He has for me, and that I can kneel in prayer and talk to Him and know what He desires of me. It is with this body that I can worship, sing and dance for Him! The choices are mine to make. I can either continue to step up and change things for the better or not. No one is forcing me. It’s my responsibility.
I need to be very careful that I understand my limitations. I will always need to self-evaluate what the next step is and make a way to get there, remembering to ask Him if that is truly what I am to do next. You see I have to surrender to my Lord every day! When my wants get in the way, I have to call on Him to help me find the way of escape. When others demand more of me than I can accomplish, I have to call on Him to deliver me. But He is not there just for me to call on when I get into a pinch. It’s all about my relationship with Him and He needs to know that I love Him with all my body (physical), soul (mental) and spirit (spiritual). My body must worship Him in song, dance and prayer. My mind must feed upon Him in reading His Word, studying and praying. My spirit must be allowed to soar with Him and not be hindered by any bondange from my body or soul. It is the spirit of God that lives in me that influences others whether I speak or do His will. He must know my love for Him as much as I know His love for me.
I am to be a holder of His light. Others will be able to see clearly because I am the "lamp light" holder. I can’t do everything that I can imagine to do. I need to take small steps and remember never to push too far ahead. God wants me to be in the right place at the right time for the right people. He wants me to shine for Him. He wants the same of you!
During all this, I need to have a good attitude. When I make a mistake, I need to get over it! Moping around all gloomy will not correct mistake! Sometimes I just need to chill out and laugh at myself for some silly thing that I should have known better about. Laughs are contagious! It’s amazing to me but since I started this journey with Joyce Meyer, I have actually smiled and laughed more than I have in a long time. I can’t explain why other than that feeling better makes you want to smile and it’s easier to have fun. I feel so much better than I did a couple of months ago. I only wish you could feel the difference I’ve experienced.
Oh my, and another thing that I’ve noticed is that the things I used to think were so important are really not so important. I mean things like this; fixing holiday meals for your family completely from scratch or serving processed foods that are full of empty calories and sodium just because it's quick, when I can grab a bag of prepared salad greens and top it off with quick chopped and shredded meats and cheese with a light dressing. (I’m not talking about going crazy here and just dumping on calories, we must measure and get used to the correct portions.) The thing is we are all busy and there are ways to do things without spending so much time doing them. We just have to look for the shortcuts that are still good choices and stop feeling guilty if we change a “family tradition”.
Lastly, I think about my own children and those who have looked to me as their teacher. What have I instilled into their lives? Are they better people for having known me? Did they grow (or are they growing) in positive ways? Will my lessons still ring in their ears when I’m gone? I’m sure it won’t be the things that I’ve said so much as the things that I’ve done and taken action for that will ring in their memories. I pray that God grant me the strength to keep holding the “lamp light of Jesus’ love” high for others. I pray that God grant me the courage to do what it takes to clean the lens of the lamp even when it’s dangerous or just not easy to do so. I pray that it will be soon that others take up their own “lamp lights” to help those they have an opportunity of influence for going in the right direction.
Be doers of the Word, and not hearers only. James 1:22
May God grant all of us the power and the glory
to do His will and for us to shine brightly
in all of our callings from Him
in His Kingdom here on Earth and for His Kingdom we have yet to see!
Amen.
1313
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