God's Practical Nourishment

1 Kings 19:7 says, “Get up and eat some more or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”

The angel of the Lord had appeared to Elijah who was hiding because he was afraid of those who were after him to kill him.

And I find this interesting that it’s not so much comfort or a reassurance of relief, but more a command or a warning of necessity. 

God knew what was ahead for Elijah and He graciously sent an angel to instruct and caution him.

My commentary says this, “Our Master guarantees that tasks shall be balanced with the precise strength we possess.  He knows our frame.  He knows the exact pressure we can stand.  He knows the utmost load we can lift.”

Could it be that He’s already equipped us for the battle He has assigned us?

For Elijah… he had temporarily lost sight of His God.  He had looked away from the Lord and to the circumstances.  Faith always thrives best when we keep God as our central focus and the whole of our fixed vision.

Elijah had momentarily lost His fixed vision that kept him from seeing past the difficult circumstances of the day.

Read Psalm 121:1 says this, “I look UP to mountains - does my help come from there?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.”
We have to be determined in our vision.  To commit:  I will look to God only!

Think through this with me for a minute.

God first sends the angel to tell Elijah to “get up and eat.”  (verse 5)
So Elijah ate, and drank, and laid back down.

But the angel returns one more time to tell him to, “get up and eat some more.”  (verse 7)

Elijah had fled for his life.
Elijah was afraid.
Elijah was alone.
Elijah prayed that he might die.
Elijah sunk into depression and despair.
Elijah likely thought his story was over.

Ahh… But God!

God, in his tenderness toward Elijah, gave him more to do.  And it’s proven in the fact that He tells him in verse 7 to “eat some more.”
In other words He was saying, “Elijah, I know it’s hard now and I know you can’t see what I’m doing, but trust Me… where I WANT to take you is so much bigger than you could imagine or dream up for yourself… so eat SOME MORE!  You’re going to need all the strength you can get!”

THIS is good news, friend!
Your story is not over yet!
There’s still work to be done!

It’s time to get up and eat some more.  God is giving practical nourishment for your personal assignment!

Am I Advertising The Unreliability of God?

Maybe someone else needs to hear this today.

When I stress out about a situation or spend too much senseless time worried about the outcome of a circumstance, isn't what I am doing advertising His unreliability? Aren't I saying I don't really believe what I claim to believe?

Matthew 6:31-33 says this, “So don’t worry about these things, saying, ‘What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?’  These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs.  Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.”

When we stress, two things just might be happening.  We are unnecessarily forecasting sorrow, and we are denying the Father a position of positive influencing power in our life.

We are publicly advertising our “little faith” (found all throughout the Gospels) and His unreliability.

And when we focus on worry and give stress a place of leverage above trust and hope, it causes us to become insensitive of present blessings, cynical of future blessings, it makes us incapable of our calling, it weakens our sense of His abiding presence, and it creates a depressing environment that affects everyone around us.

Jesus connects worry and stress with unbelief.  And He offers us a positive alternative: to be single-minded  in our commitment to God.  The answer is seeking HIS Kingdom above all else by the way we live - desiring righteousness and making our devotion to Him the chief goal of our life.

It's worth considering...

Just As He... So Must We!

Jesus set the standard.  And He is our example.
One peek into the Gospels and we can not only be inspired by the life of Jesus who was fully God, but we are entrusted with the resurrection power to live in the same way He lived as fully a man.

Jesus said, “I do nothing on My own, but only what the Father taught Me.”  John 8:28
He also said, “He (the Son of Man) does only what He sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”  John 5:19

And so it becomes the same for me.  “I shall do nothing of My own, but what Christ Jesus has taught me.  Whatever I see Him do, I shall seek to do.”

John 20 tells us the story of Jesus appearing to His frightened disciples.
Jesus had been raised to life and His students were terrified for what this meant.
They were meeting behind locked doors due to their fear of the Jewish leaders when scripture tells us that, “suddenly Jesus was standing there among them.”  (verse 19)

The Word tells us, “Suddenly, Jesus was standing there among them! ‘Peace be with you,’ He said.  As He spoke, He showed them the wounds in His hands and His side. They were filled with joy when they saw the Lord!  Again He said, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent Me, so I am sending you.’  Then He breathed on them and said, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.  If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.’”

Wow.

And embedded within the text we see it.  A commission.  An order.  “As the Father has sent Me, so I am sending you.”

Jesus set the standard… He sets the example for us to emulate.

We see Him doing several things:
1.) He stands with the people.  (vs 19)
He enters the mess with those He loved… those He considered friends.  He stands right with them in their pain and fear and no-doubt still, unbelief.
2.) He speaks peace.  (vs 19)
He immediately addresses the felt need among them.  Peace.  He carries with Him on His very skin peace that quiets their troubled hearts.
3.) He shows them His wounds.  (vs 20)
He is not afraid to reveal the marks of injustice on His hands.  He shows them the scars from His mistreatment as if to say, “I understand what you’re going through far better than you will ever know.”  He relates to their pain and agony.
4.) He opens the Word (vs 22)
Just as prophets in the Old Testament predicted (ex: Ezekiel 36:26-27), the Holy Spirit would come and replace stubborn hearts with responsive hearts, and place within all believers an ability to carefully and fully obey.  Jesus was the vessel for such Spirit impartation.

And so becomes my responsibility:
1.) Stand with people.
2.) Speak peace to all storms.
3.) Show my personal wounds to others.
4.) Open up the Word and point to truth.

I must look for ways to do His work and follow His ways.
It’s a responsibility I cannot afford to overlook.
The world needs Jesus and I owe them the encounter I’ve been privileged to experience myself.

Just as He… so must we.

All Things Hidden... Exposed

My husband was the one who noticed it in the beginning.  When we first moved in he made reference to it.  He would even ask me if I’d seen it.  And I hadn't really.  I’m far less observant than he is to those kinds of things.


And I’m assuming it had been there for a while.  A discarded swing set sitting just beyond our property line on the edge of the nature preserve we are fortunate to live right in front of.  It’s beauty became the backdrop this fall and made for some amazing photo ops before the snow fell prematurely last week.

But even up until the last of the leaves made their decent from the trees, the swing set remained fairly obscure.  Hidden.  Secluded.  Unexposed.

And now that winter is setting in and the outward beauty has been compromised by dying foliage, I can’t help but see what lies beneath.  It’s hard to miss.  What was once detected only by the eye trained to see, is undeniably and glaringly evident.

And I wonder how long things of the heart can remain in secret before they eventually make their way out - manifest in a life?
How long can concealed motives be revealed in concise movements?

Matthew 15:18 reminds that, “…the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you.”

Mark 4:22 says, “For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.”

And so becomes the importance to keep diligent watch over the heart.  Because what comes out - what gets revealed - is what is most true about my heart.

I would write it on a sticky note - a version of this same lesson - to remind myself daily: What is seen from my life is simply a reflection of my focus.

Because the truth really is that what is inside will eventually make it’s way out.  I cannot keep it hidden forever.  I can try.  I can do all the right things, say all the right things, attend all the right things, and even surround myself with all the right things… but winter is coming and death reveals what is true.  The removal of beautiful exterior exposes the inferior interior.

“[Like] a clay pot covered with cheap silver, [so] is smooth talk that covers up an evil heart."  Proverbs 26:23

And the challenge becomes for myself… ahh… always the heart work of self when pen gets put to paper… keep watch over what’s inside.  It matters the most of all.

Because I can hide only for a time.

Increased Exposure Has Influential Effects

Proverbs 2:12 says this, “Wisdom will save you from evil people; understanding will keep you safe.”

In life there’s a distinct influence on our lives by the associations we keep.

I remember when my daughter was little and she’d stay the night with a friend.  Depending on whose home she stayed in and who’s company she was in, I always noticed a change in her attitude for at least the first few hours.  It was as if she temporarily adopted the condition of her environment.  Sometimes I could even pick up on it by the way she spoke - even sometimes accents were embraced and imitated for a short time.

And the truth really is that we do the same thing.  I see it sometimes in myself.

There’s influence in associations.  The company we keep says a lot about the character we possess.

I think it’s why Proverbs warns us here about obtaining wisdom and understanding that will protect us and shield us from evil, and why the Bible is filled with warnings concerning our involvement with company that corrupts.

1 Corinthians 15:33-34 says this, “… “bad company corrupts good character.  Think carefully about what is right, and stop sinning. For to your shame I say that some of you don’t know God at all.”

Proverbs 13:20-21 says this, “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble. Trouble chases sinners, while blessings reward the righteous.”

Proverbs 16:29 says, “Violent people mislead their companions, leading them down a harmful path.”

Oh and look at this one, “Don’t befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, or you will learn to be like them and endanger your soul.”  Proverbs 22:24-25

Have you ever felt yourself “becoming” something you know you’re not?  Behaving irrationally that’s not the pure intention of your heart?
It’s because we become like the chameleon who’s environment naturally affects it’s expression.

My commentary says this, “How dangerous it is to gaze on a picture or a scene that pollutes the imagination or blunts the moral perceptions, or has a tendency to deaden a sense of our duty to God and man.”

Evil will have influence if we give it access and permission.

Look at the word influence.  One synonym for the word is authority!
The influential effects I am experiencing are there only because I have given them a place of authority in my life.
And today I say - no more.

The question we must ask ourselves in an effort to maintain integrity in the eyes of the Lord is who have I given authority to in my life?

We've got to surround ourselves with like-minded people who are headed into godliness like me and you.  We must beware of those things we’re allowing our eyes to behold.

Increased exposure has influential effects.

Be wise.
Be careful.
Be watchful.

It matters.

Philippians 2:5 says this, “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”

A tall order.

The same attitude?

And if He had come as the Savior of the world only - I could be inspired, but not empowered.
But because He, too, came fully as a man, I can turn what seems impossible, to a practical duty that I have been commissioned by the Holy Spirit to accomplish.

Look at it in different translations.
“Let His mindset become your motivation.”  (TPT)
“Let His mind be in you.”  (KJV)

And one look at that word “in” changes everything.

According to the Greek word for “in”, by definition it means this = in, on, or among.

Ahh… wow.

Well this just might change everything.

It’s one thing to know we ought to have the mind of Christ - His attitude - IN us.  But also it must reside ON me and AMONG me.

It must be IN me - changing the way I think.  Altering how I see problems and how I deal with tough issues.  How I accept rejection and hurt and how I love unconditionally.

It must be ON me - changing the way I look.  His presence ought to be seen in my life.  How I behave, how I shine, how I smile - in my countenance.

And it must be AMONG me.
This one might be the most difficult to understand.
But I believe how I live with the attitude of Christ AMONG me is a direct result of Him living IN and ON me.
If I have the attitude of Jesus living in an on me, then it will naturally affect the atmosphere I live in.  It will automatically shift the condition of my environment.  All others in my presence will be drawn to HIS presence because of what’s in and on me.

Oh friends!  It’s so important that we get these truths deep within our hearts and then beg Him to do the necessary work to radically change us from the inside out.


May we live with Jesus IN us, ON us, and AMONG us!


It matters!!

Meanwhile

I snapped this image on my way to a women’s conference that I had the privilege of teaching at this past Saturday morning.

I remember looking up at the sky and capturing several images of the beautiful sunrise.  And after each click I thanked God for the glorious and peaceful mural that served as my travel escort nearly half of my drive in.

And as I was driving I was considering His grace and His mercy and His love.
And in a moment I was overcome.

Because sometimes we have a tendency to believe that lie from the enemy that tells us that our story is over.  That our time has passed.  That our efforts are futile.  We tend to not only believe the lie, but worse yet, rehearse the effects that the lie produces… shame, regret, disappointment, distrust.

And I have felt it too.
And I have said it too.

I have believed the lie that I am not good enough, that my story doesn’t matter, that I have made one too many mistakes, that I have been used up already for all I am good for, that I have nothing to offer.

You know the statements too well, I’m sure.

But in the moment of unworthiness He whispers to my soul once again.
And I am simply undone.

Because what is it that I repeat to my classes regularly?  What is it that I teach from a heart that has remembered the lies and from lips that have even replayed their damage?
“Look for the repeated words in scripture.  They are there for a reason.  Make note of the special words that stick out.  Read until you hear His voice.”

And I recall to memory 1 Samuel 2:21… “Meanwhile, Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.”  1 Samuel 2:26… “Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew taller and grew in favor with the Lord and with the people.”  1 Samuel 3:1… “Meanwhile, the boy Samuel served the Lord by assisting Eli.”

Meanwhile = at the same time.

Samuel had been called.  Chosen.  But in these passages he was only a boy.
His anointing was in seed form only.

Ahh… but meanwhile God was working behind the scenes to prepare Him for what was ahead for him.

And the same goes for you.  And me!

We all have a “meanwhile” in our lives.

And in the waiting we may we feel as though God has forgotten us.
But can I just encourage you today… He's NOT forgotten about you.
While you wait - He is working.
While you learn - He is preparing.
While you rest - He is providing.
While you serve - He is establishing.

Meanwhile… God is still working!
He has not forgotten to be kind and gracious.  (Ps 77:9)

He is crazy, madly in love with you.
And He is stronger, more able, AND more willing to rescue than you give Him credit for.

Let’s praise Him for the meanwhile.

He’s in the business of making ALL things new!!!  (Is 43:19)

Amnesia of Evil and Association of Praise!

King Saul was an evil man.
Chosen to be the first king of Israel, he had been appointed with a great task but failed tremendously because of his lack of confidence in the Lord and his repeated acts of disobedience to the Father.
Saul allowed himself to be outdone by his enemies and his reign was marked by continual unrest and dissatisfaction.  He was jealous and angry and that led him to organize a manhunt for the one who had been chosen and anointed by God to be his successor to the throne.

In 1 Samuel 19 we see this story play out.  Saul urged his servants to assassinate David.  The troops had strict orders to watch David’s house and to kill him at the first chance they got.

But having been given an advance warning of the evil plot against him, David fled to Ramah to see Samuel the prophet… the one who had anointed him to be the next king so many years before.  Samuel then took David with him to live at Naioth, Samuel’s hometown and where he was leading a group of prophesying prophets.

Scripture tells us that three times when the troops of Saul entered into the place where the prophets were prophesying, they were so overcome by the power that resided there, that THEY too began to praise and prophesy (19:20-21).

The Bible says this in verse 22, “Finally, Saul himself went to Ramah and arrived at the great wall of Secu.  ‘Where are Samuel and David?’ he demanded.”  Verse 23, “But on the way to Naioth in Ramah the Spirit of God came even upon Saul, and he, too, began to prophesy!”

Wow.

And could it be the sacred place that Saul had entered possessed such a divine atmosphere that evil had no where to rest?  Perhaps it was Saul’s presence in an atmosphere of worship and devotion that caused even this evil man to bow in reverence and awe!  Scripture would go on to tell us that he even tore his clothes and lay prophesying in front of Samuel all night long.

As each attempt of destruction was made toward David and his men, each attempt was challenged by the strong favor of the Lord that rested among the saintly prophets who carried on in their praises to God with strong devotion… attending to their zeal and adoration.  Undeterred by the presence of wickedness, they persisted in their offering of service to God.

And just look at what the spirit of their lifestyle did to those who threatened to destroy it.
It overmastered them - to the point that they forgot their ordered errand of murder, and even enjoined in their holy enthusiasm!

Because of the atmosphere created by the prophets, a sort of spiritual electricity was established among even the worst of the worst.

We can see that there were 3 things this holy atmosphere had:

1.) A firm persuasion of purpose.
The prophets knew why they were alive!  They understood something about praise and it affected everything they did.
2.) An awareness of God’s powerful presence.
The prophets recognized the presence and praised appropriately.  The favor of the Lord rested upon them and their lives were a direct reflection of that glorious light!
3.) A strong assurance of rescue.
David knew he had retreated to the right place and had all confidence that while he was nestled among God’s people, he was in a place of safety.

David was protected because he was in a place of praise and adoration.
The atmosphere that was steadily tended to with great reverence, divine adoration, and sincere praise, changed everything, and caused even the wicked to worship.

And so could it be the same for you and me?
 Could we create atmospheres of worship that not only demonstrate His glory, but cause even those who mean harm to bow down to the King of Kings?

What is it in the atmosphere of your life that draws others into a relationship with Jesus?
What is it in the atmsphere of your life that stimulates heart change in others?

Oh that the atmosphere we create in our homes, our work places, our very presence, cause amnesia of determined evil and an association of devoted praise!


It is the cry of my heart!

Consulting With Confidence in my Own Integrity!

We really do have lots to learn from the life of Moses in scripture.

Numbers 16 is a story filled with ALL kinds of teachings regarding complaining against one of God’s servants, a unity of rebellion against Moses and his brother, Aaron, a great pleading for a change of ways from Moses of the disobedient Levites, and ultimately an incredible interceding for God’s mercy from notably one of the “meekest” and most “humble” men who ever lived.

As the complaints against Moses grew, and as discontent for public position increased among the people, Moses became angry.  He could not BEAR to see the people he had been so faithfully leading, ruin themselves with their quarreling, rage, malice, and dissatisfaction.  It was with those sins they were creating their own destinies of destruction and Moses had worked too hard to see them march onward toward obedience that led to ultimate salvation.

But take a look at verse 15.  It says this, “Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, ‘Do not accept their grain offerings! I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, and I have never hurt a single one of them.’”

Moses appears to the Lord and appeals for his people. 
Of course he is asking for a punishment here, by the refusal to accept their grain offerings… but look at how he is basing his appeal on his own personal integrity.

Moses was able to declare his innocence when pleading for the people he led.
And I would write it right there in my bible as a reminder.. “Can I do this?”

It reminds me of a personal struggle I have dealt with as of late.

It wasn’t long ago that someone mentioned to me something that someone had said about me.  It wasn’t communicated negatively to me, but it did hurt me to know there was someone out there who had been lying about me and who had been malicious in their intent to destroy my reputation.

Admittedly I was sad in the beginning.
And then I was mad.
And then the Lord spoke to my heart.

He gently whispered the words found in Matthew 5 to me.  “… love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, so that you will become children of your Father in heaven…”

And so began what has now been an almost 2 month journey of praying every single day for this person.

Now hear me when I say - I DO NOT SAY THIS TO BOAST.
This is by no means my default.
But where the Spirit of the Lord is - there is freedom, and I needed to be free from the condition of ill-spirited hearts… and the ONLY way He has shows me to escape is by constant and consistent prayer and petition.

Moses, the most humble man in all the earth (certainly at that time), was able to RIGHTLY appeal to the Lord on behalf of His people because of His OWN integrity. 
It was as if he was saying, “God, you know me!  You know my heart is pure and my motives are right!  I am not guilty for one second of what they are conjuring up as lies against me… so because of ME will you bless them and find no fault for their sin?”

It even tells us in verse 22, “Moses and Aaron fell down on their faces” and pleaded for the Lord to not carry through on His anger.

Wow.

They didn’t deserve this kind of grace.  And neither do the ones conspiring against me and you… but as I plead with the Lord concerning them, may an answer come based on MY goodness and MY faithfulness.  Ahh… so when I’m praying for my enemies, may I ask with the confidence of my OWN integrity!

It matters so much more than we think!

The JOY of the LORD is MY STRENGTH!

“The joy of the Lord is my strength.”  Psalm 28:7.

This would be the answer I would give my friend who called me a while back for some advice on a relational issue she was battling.

And it may not have been the answer she was looking for… but it was the answer I felt the Lord was giving me to repeat and remind her not only where her strength comes from, but WHAT her strength is.

JOY.

Because I can feel it, too, sometimes.  In conversations I have with those who use harsh words.  I can feel it swelling inside of me every time I’m in the presence of negativity.  This absolute draining on my spirit.

I sense it with grumblers and complainers… and soon enough I can feel the increasing desire to join them in the muck.

Ahh… but “The joy of the Lord is my strength.”

I would take my own advice I had given to my friend months ago and declare it over my life and around my house.  “The joy of the Lord is my strength.”

The JOY of the Lord is my strength.
The joy of the LORD is my strength.
The joy of the Lord is MY strength.
The joy of the Lord is my STRENGTH.

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit and it’s appearance in a life is the proof of a heart transformation.  Without joy we advertise to a watching world which realm we are most conscious of.  Which reality we’re most aware of - a heavenly perspective or a worldly viewpoint.  (James 4:1-3)

I heard these words in a song I was listening to in my car yesterday and the tears streamed… “There is no sound louder than a captive set free!”

Because a captive who has been redeemed cannot help but rejoice!
A captive who has been set free cannot help but proclaim His goodness with a JOYful sound!

The JOY of the Lord is my strength.

The truth really is that your JOY and your PEACE - they aren’t for sale.  If you belong to Christ Jesus, they are gifts you’ve already received. 

It’s not an act of striving to obtain them… they are yours.  Free of charge.  Fully and completely accessible.

And if you allow someone to steal the JOY that’s been graciously bestowed upon you, it’s only because you gave it away.

As for me… my JOY and my PEACE are NOT for sale.
I will not allow others to take what is mine.
And I will fiercely protect what is mine to steward well.

I will surround myself with life-givers.
I will insulate myself with the JOY of the Lord.
And I will say it every day if I have to.
Out loud so that the enemy can hear it.

The JOY of the LORD is MY STRENGTH.

Is it yours too?

I am praying it is!

Carrying Him Well

I had almost stumbled upon it in my quiet time.
A familiar story.

King David had one primary concern when he became King over Israel, and that was to restore the Ark of the Covenant.  It had long been neglected in Saul’s reign, and so it became David’s first order of business as the newly elected official.

The Ark of the Covenant was designed to be a symbol of the presence of God in the midst of His people. 

“Have the people of Israel build Me a holy sanctuary so I can live among them.”  God said in Exodus 25:8.  And following were distinct instructions for building such a sacred chest that house within it stone tablets that contained the terms of the covenant which God had given to His chosen people.

God continues in verse 22, saying, “I will meet with you there and talk to you from above the atonement cover between the gold cherubim that hover over the Ark…”

But there were also pretty important instructions for how to carry the Ark… that was to reside inside the tabernacle… the most holy place.. the temporary means by which the Israelites could enjoy God’s presence without being destroyed by it (25:8).

These instructions are found in Ex 25:10-15, and include the description of “carrying poles” that were to be used when transporting the Ark (just another name for box), so that no one would touch this holy representation of God’s powerful presence.

And there’s this strange story that takes place in 1 Chronicles 13.
David consults with his officials and everyone agrees that it was time to return the Ark of the Covenant back to Jerusalem which was to reestablish the worship and reverence of God.
They placed the Ark of God on a new cart with two men by the name of Ahio and Uzzah guiding the cart.
Verse 9-10 tell us this, “But when they arrived at the threshing floor of Nacon, the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the Ark. Then the Lord’s anger was aroused against Uzzah, and he struck him dead because he had laid his hand on the Ark. So Uzzah died there in the presence of God.”

Strange story.
Hard read.
But disobedience none the less.

And I was stopped in my tracks when I read it in my bible, “David failed in his first attempt to bring the Ark to Jerusalem because he and the Levites did not seek to carry the Ark properly.”

He failed to carry the presence properly.
And what became of the disobedience… the neglect of proper transportation?
It should shake us to the core to answer.

But my bible (notes) continues… “Undeterred, and with PROPER PREPARATION, David later brought the Ark successfully back to Jerusalem, where Israel celebrated in worship and song.”

Undeterred and with proper preparation.
A second chance for the King who would be described as a, “man after God’s own heart.”

And so for me it becomes a question so serious that I must keep it in front of my eyes every single day of my life: “Am I carrying Him well?”
In other words - am I representing Him effectively?
Do I hold Him as the highest value of my life?
Do others see Him when they look at me?
Do I adequately express His nature in my words and works?

I must learn how to carry Him well.
It really is a matter of life… and death.

And today I thank Him for the privilege of carrying Him into every room I enter as to affect the atmosphere with His holy presence.

It really really matters!!

Posture Determines Potential

I have always been the one who could be found begging God to use me.  I’ve said it for years… “I’m ready now God!  Use me to do big work for You and for Your Kingdom!”

And He’s answered that prayer in more ways than one.

I have watched Him do powerful work in and through my life.  And I have had a ringside seat beside some earth-shaking experiences and incredible moves of God.

But I have also been in quiet seasons of obscurity.  I’ve been directed to say no to some things I believed would have been life-giving for me, and life-changing for others. 

I’ve surrendered myself to acts of radical obedience only to be given the assignment of “sitting this one out.”

I have been a witness to loneliness and isolation, and have experienced the real heartache of God’s pruning in seasons of preparation.

And in His kindness God reminded me not long ago that He often chooses to use PROCESS to do His work in us and through us.

Because what I know to be true is that as much as God wants use us - He wants to know us.  And He wants us to know Him.  And sometimes His answers are delayed to gain interest and impact.

There are just some things we learn only by way of surrender in seclusion. 
Of saying yes to whatever He asks because we trust that even if the answer is wait, it’s for good reason.

And so it becomes a matter of how we position ourselves.
How we align our hearts and arrange our feet.

We can use this season of preparation to learn all we can about Jesus.  How He moved… how He spoke… how He served.
We can use this season of preparation to surrender our best yes to anything He asks of us.
We can use this season of preparation to ask Him to do the real heart work that’s necessary for longevity in the sometimes painstakingly long and difficult duties assigned.

How we position ourselves matters. How ready we are for what God has for us determines how effective we will be.

Today let’s prepare for all He has and allow our posture to proclaim our preparation for what He’s going to do IN and THROUGH us!

He Trusts Me

I have been wrestling through this one thought lately.
It has come up in my quiet time and I feel as though the Holy Spirit has been whispering it to my soul through my prayer time over the past several weeks.
It’s this idea I’ve never given much thought to before.

I had written it down on a sticky note in my office months ago, “May I steward His blessings well.”
And then just yesterday I ran into the other thought I had also written down on a sticky note in my journal, “He blesses because He trusts me.”

It wasn’t until I saw that second note that I connected the two together.
Because this is the way He often speaks to this weary heart of mine.

I heard a pastor speak recently on a subject that was very sensitive to himself and to the congregation he leads.  When asked to explain a very “well publicized” manifestation of the Spirit - something that had happened in their church, and was intended to be a very private “family moment” that had been unfortunately broadcasted irresponsibly by judgmental skeptics - he shed tears.  When pressed a little further as to why the emotion, he responded with this one line I will never soon forget.  He said this, “When God does something THAT open, it’s because He trusts you.”

And it got me thinking, considering all the blessings I have been lavished with.

The blessing of being a momma.
The blessing of a ridiculously amazing husband.
The blessing of a beautiful home
The blessing of an incredible ministry.
The blessing of amazing friendships.
The blessing of good health.
The blessing of endless provision and unlimited resources.

And it hit me… I have been given these blessings because He trusts me.
I have been assigned these people to love because He trusts me to love well.
I have been appointed this ministry to oversee because He trusts me to serve with integrity.
I have been allowed to experience His presence because He trusts me to represent Him with honor and dignity.

He trusts me.
And it’s the highest honor I could ever be called into.
He’s given me this life because He trusts that I will use it ALL for His glory.
And every part of me desires to be found faithful.
Every fiber of my being longs for more of Jesus.
And I realize that even though, “there’s so much more (He) longs to say” (John 16:12), He will only release that which I am willing to faithfully protect and fearlessly superintend. 

Because He trusts me this side of eternity, may I steward His blessings well!

Rise Above The Noise

I was running errands this week and it was super busy in town. Last minute shoppers filled the stores, roadways were crammed, and there was this maddening undertone of craziness that loomed overhead.

Within just a couple short hours in my journey I witnessed a pattern of hostility that I am fairly certain stemmed from lonely, broken hearts, and disillusioned souls. I witnessed scores of unhappy faces that obviously carried with them fragments of heartache, and at other times, rudeness and impatience like I’ve never seen before.

And sometimes in situations like these, we are tempted to be taken down into the pit with the rest of them. Negativity often breeds negativity, and before long we can certainly find ourselves in the wrong state-of-mind, and what’s more, sometimes completely detailed from all manner of sensibility.

But that’s when we have a choice.

And I did.

I remember getting inside my car at one point, and turning the music up as loud as I could tolerate it and SINGING at the top of my lungs.

Because sometimes we have a sing until we believe.

“You are the God that saves, You are the one that recused me, You rescued me…. You are the God that saves… and You called me from the grave… You rescued me!”

It was the words to that song that helped me rise above the circumstances that were threatening to kill my spirit on a cold Tuesday morning in November.

But realizing the choice is ours is crucial.

Because there’s always going to be distractions. There’s always going to be situations that sneak in to steal our joy.

But don't let it.

Sing.

Sing until you believe!

Believe there’s a better way!

Because there is!

To avoid the nonsense…. rise above the noise!

Distraction-Free

I spent time recently with a friend who impressed me and inspired me to do better in a specific area of my life.

I could feel the difference almost immediately as we visited. It was in the way she paid attention to every word between us. It was her undivided concentration on our discussions. It was in her intentionality, and in the deliberateness of her engagement.

Because the truth is we don’t see that much anymore.

We live in a world where everyone is “busy” and “hurried” and “preoccupied” by so many other things. With cell phones in hand, we live “at the ready” for everything else, oftentimes neglecting the very thing… including the people… who are right in front of us.

And I would communicate my fascinating findings with my husband and we would both agree that this was, indeed, a rarity that needed to be celebrated.

And I would whisper it to God yesterday morning during my prayer time… I’ve GOT to get better!

And in that moment it was as if the Holy Sprit whispered it to my very soul and I wrote it in my journal: Help me to live distraction-free!

Because sadly enough, most of our declination, most of our downward-ness, disinterest, and deterioration is a direct result of distraction.


We’ve allowed ourselves to be distracted, derailed, detached, distanced, and suddenly… we’re living in a state of desolation and we simply don’t understand what happened.

The word distraction, by definition means this: a drawing apart, separation, confusion from a multiplicity of objects crowding the mind and calling the attention different ways, perplexity, confusion of affairs, disorder, madness, a state of disordered reason, franticness, harassment, amounting to insanity.


Wow!

Just… wow.

My bible dictionary for the word includes this quote by Buckminster, “On the supposition of the truth of the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, irreligion is nothing better than distraction.”

When we allow ourselves to be distracted we open ourselves up to harassment, separation, confusion, disorder, madness, franticness, and insanity.

It’s not wonder we’re seeing a devastating increase of more discontentment and depression!

Could it be that we’ve simply given way to distraction that is absolutely debilitating and slowly destroying us?

It’s become the cry of my heart. Because I have get better. I have to do better.

And I need Him to help me live a distraction-free life.

To determine to live every moment with great purpose and intensity.

To be present every chance I get.

It matters.

It really, really matters.

 

 

What Does Your World Look Like, God?

I hear it a lot.  I’ve said it a lot.  “This world has gone crazy!”
One look around and we can see it.  The world, does, seem to have gone nuts.
And a read through Revelation confirms so much of what we are witnessing all around us.

My silent prayer used to be, “Okay, Jesus.  You can return now.  I’m ready.”

But as of more recent, my prayer has changed.

While I am certainly prepared for the return of Christ, I am convinced it’s not the “goal” of my Christian walk.

The prayer is this, “Our Father…. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  (Matt 6:9,10)

On earth AS IT IS in heaven.

And so the goal of my salvation becomes understanding His world so much that eventually the realities of THAT world infect THIS one.

The question becomes, “What does HIS world look like?”
There’s joy there.
There’s peace there.
There’s radical grace there.
There’s victory there.
There’s harmony there.
There’s contentment there.
There’s acceptance there.
There’s beauty there.

And while I have little control over the world at large, I do have control over my portion and contribution.  I do get to decide which world I am going to live most aware of, and which world I’m going to allow greatest influence over my life.

In John 18:36 Jesus says, “My Kingdom is not an earthly Kingdom… My Kingdom is not of this world.”

The assignment has been made clear: “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”  (Col 3:2)

When I set my mind and heart on things of this world I will live with fear, anxiety, stress, and discouragement.  But when I set my mind and heart on things above, I see things from a Kingdom perspective.  As believers in Christ, we have been given permission and full access to these Kingdom realities, and so our mission must shift.  Our focus must become: living so aware of heaven and so attentive to His world and His ways, that HIS world permanently affects mine.

My prayer is this: God, make me more aware of what YOUR world looks like.
Help me to SEE how You see.
Help me to BEHAVE the way You behave.

Allow Your world to be so in me that it affects everything I say and every thing I do.

I refuse to see sickness without the promise of victory.
I refuse to see inconvenience outside of the light of purpose.
I refuse to elevate depression and anxiety above the gift of joy and peace already bestowed from a ever-gracious Father.

It’s redirecting my thought life on a greater reality than anything this world has to offer.

And if we can wrap our brains around this, we can change every environment we encounter.

Bring Your world to this one, God, until Your world affects this one!

Loving The Unloveliest

Sometimes the bible gives us hard instructions for daily living. Like the words found in Luke 6:35-36, "Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great and you will be acting like children of the Most High, for He is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked. You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate.”

And so we are to lend even though we suspect that we will lose. Why?

1. It will rebound… Our reward in heaven will be great. It will be made up for us on the other side.

2. We get to resemble God in His goodness... Imitating Christ Himself!

So when we give to those we'd consider an enemy, we are behaving in the richest of Christ-likeness. Our character is perfected and our reward lies in wait for us on the other side.

Our daily ask ought to be, "Lord, what should I do to show grace, love, and compassion today?" You never know how He will use you to make a difference on this side that will secure your salvation gifts on the other side.

Our greatest test isn't in loving the loveliest… It's in our kind benevolence toward the unlovely, unworthy, and the ungrateful. It’s the greatest time to love when it’s the most difficult time to love. Remember the God who loves you at your un-loveliest? Yeah… me too!

Peace! Be Still!

Mark 4:41 says this, “The disciples were absolutely terrified. ‘Who is this man?’ they asked each other. ‘Even the winds and waves obey Him.’”

Jesus, here, was asleep in the boat and when Jesus calms the sea the disciples were “terrified.”

This amazes me. Hadn't they been privy to watching Him perform miracles? Hadn't they had a front-row seat to His teachings? And yet they ask each other, “Who is this man?”

Christ’s sleeping has been unpacked by many who hold different opinions. Some say He was simply tired and weary. Others say He was trying the disciples faith. And yet there are some who say that Jesus doesn’t see storms the same way we do, and this allowed Him to be unmoved and unbothered by the inclement weather.

I tend to connect more to the latter of these explanations.

Look at the verses right before this… specifically verses 39 and 40.

My version says, “Silence! Be still!” (verse 39)

His first rebuke is to the circumstance.

And look then to verse 40, “Why are your afraid, do you still have no faith?”

His second reprove is to the students.

This is huge for us to get here.

He will always speak authority over our suffering first.

And then He will address our faith on the matter.

I had a friend express her concern over some counseling she’s been receiving on a situation in her life. She told me that her Christian counselor keeps repeating to her, session after session, these words, “Where is your faith?”

While I get the “heart” (maybe) behind these words, and the encouragement that is (maybe) intended by the question, it makes me a bit sad.

Because my friend has faith.

She has radical faith.

Maybe more faith than just about anyone else I know.

But she has been temporarily impacted by circumstances that, like the wind of the storm itself, have tossed her to and fro.

It’s NOT a matter of faith… it’s a matter of being reminded of the resurrected power of Christ that lives in her, and the gentle nudge to silence the storm and press on.

Sometimes we just need to be reminded Who is in charge of the weather!

My commentary suggests this, “Faith slumbers, but it is not dead!”

I remember crying when I first read that.

Because how many times have we all been there??

Jesus, here, is rising awake the souls who have simply forgotten.

He’s saying, “Why are your afraid? Silence! Be still!” He’s awakening us from slumber!

The disciples of Jesus were not exempt from danger simply because they were students of Christ. in fact my commentary says, “Believers - look for the storms!”

They were exposed to the storm because they had Jesus in the vessel!

The disciples sadly behaved and reacted in the same way I do sometimes. Tired. Afraid. Weak. Beat down. Confused.

And the truth is that prayer is not always the language of faith.

Neither are our words and our actions.

And yet even in the feebleness of their faith, Jesus attended to the storm, corrected their reaction, and came to their ultimate rescue.

Amen and Hallelujah!

 

 

Stop Living Reactionary

Maybe it’s a personal conviction.  But it’s been weighing so heavy on my heart for so long now.

Two experiences that came out of this past week helped me to define it further.  Ahh.. because God always works through experiences to grow and strengthen us.

The first experience was a call I received from someone I love.  She was sharing with me the heartbreaking story of being backstabbed by someone she considered a “friend.”  She would tell me that this person, who is relatively new to her life, shared some distressing news with her concerning a mutual friend to both of them, that included some damaging words spoken directly about her.  For some reason this person felt the need to tell her and of course it caused an unnecessary amount of pain and discontent.

The second experience was a bit more personal in nature.  It came to me in the form of discouragement I was feeling over a public matter within the Christian community.  Sadly my initial response was to contact someone I know who publicly supports the individual I felt had made a grievous error in judgement, and complain about the disturbing effects they were having on the reputation of Jesus.

That was until He spoke directly to my heart on the matter.  And as He often does in His grace AND patience, pierced my very soul, returning me to this topic of living reactionary to the evil around us.

And I would repeat is again and again in my prayer time: Jesus - we HAVE to get better.  I HAVE to get better.

Scripture tells us this, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)
And I believe that the enemy uses these negative experiences in our lives to get us to a place where we are so distracted by them that we become utterly debilitated by them and remain buried by evil itself.  It’s a downward spiral.

I’ve been working HARD in my own life to disengage not only from the experience with evil of any kind, but from giving it so much as even a fragment of space within my mouth.  Matthew 15:18 says it best, that it is, “…the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you.”

It’s not about the negativity that we are experiencing that defines us - it’s our response and our reaction to it that’s destroying us.

I see it all around me.  And often within me.

We emphasize evil more than we realize by allowing ourselves to live unhinged and agitated by what’s happening around us.  We unnecessarily invite the evil we claim to be attempting to remove from our lives.

We say things like:
“I can’t see a way out of this situation!”
“I can’t believe what they’re doing!”
“This is just terrible!”
“My pain is getting worse!”
“Of course this is happening!  This would happen to me!”
“It’s just not fair!”
“I don’t believe what she just said!”

Don’t even allow yourself to SAY these things out loud.  Because once you’ve given permission for it to escape your lips, you’ve given legal access for it to dominate and dismantle your spiritual advancement.

And we’ve got to get better.

One of my best friends says it this way, “I won’t even give him (satan) the privilege of acknowledgment.”

Listen, friends, regardless of who has political power and authority - Jesus is still in control.
Regardless of your disappointment in people - Jesus is still in control.
Regardless of your current condition physically or mentally - Jesus is still in control.

And we must decide what world we are going to live more aware of - this one or Heaven.
We must decide who we’re going to live more conscious of - the enemy or Jesus.

And then we must be absolutely radical about our vigilance over our words and our ways.

Read the Gospels.  Unpack the history of Jesus here on earth.
How did He do it?
What did He say?
What did He do?
How did He respond?

Jesus would renounce evil of any kind, refusing to allow it to consume His mind and confuse His assignment.  “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”  Matthew 16:23

Let’s get better.  Let’s stop living reactionary to negativity, hate, disappointment, failure, and evil of any kind.

It maters more than we know!