Showing posts with label Word thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Word thoughts. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
What if Mary
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Great Expectations
“Now unto Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think.” Eph. 3:20
Are you guilty of not expecting great things from God? I am! Often I not only anticipate or expect great things, I’m afraid to even pray for them because I fear being disappointed if it doesn’t happen or I feel to ashamed of all my failures to even ask. I’m not looking for great things from God and I’m caught of guard and shocked when they happen!
I’m thankful God does great things despite my lack of faith and anticipation to see His glory revealed! Last week, one of our students shared what the Lord had done in her family over her Christmas break. She has been praying all year for her family to know Jesus, and over break, her entire family accepted Christ as Savior! Not only did they accept Christ, but they all wanted Quiet Times and are studying the Bible together. Exceedingly, Abundantly Above all that we ask or think!
As I prayed with her that night, my eyes were wet with tears listening to her fervent prayer that her family would grow in Christ and humble thanks of all that God did. Wet, because quite honestly I never expected it…and why? Why don’t I expect God to do great things? To draw people to Himself in life-changing ways?
“Lord, Help my unbelief!” You are so great, and I praise You for demonstrating Your power and glory despite myself!”
Thursday, January 12, 2012
A Painful Reminder
“When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might.” – 2 Thess. 1:7b-9
How often do we think of the reality of life without Christ? Sure in our nice comfortable lives, we don’t see much judgment or consequence for not believing in Christ. In fact, often we can’t even see too much of a difference between a believer and good non-believer. But the reality of life without Christ needs to on the forefront of our thoughts every day and what pushes us to urgency in sharing the gospel with everyone.
We know the truth…eternal separation from God, something we’ve never experienced because God’s grace, even in spite of our world’s tragedies and sufferings, has always covered us. And eternal suffering in the lake of fire, a horrible, excruciating way to suffer.
Last night, I was hot gluing something and dropped some glue on my hand. It was instant, agonizing pain. Immediately my pointer finger on my left hand and the ring finger of my right hand blistered up. The rest of the evening, I could not take my hand out of a bowl of ice water because the pain was just too unbearable. When the ice melted, I had to have John refill it. I couldn’t even go to sleep without keeping my hand in water.
It was only two fingers, but I lost sleep, it consumed my thoughts, my hands were useless. Only my fingers. What if it were my whole body on flame? There would be no end, no death. There would be no ice water to offer relief. The rich man in begged Lazarus for just a drop of water, just a drop. I had a whole bowl full to submerge myself. Eternity is forever, my pain only lasted hours than was a bad memory.
“In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.” Lk. 16:23-24
And this is why I’m here – to share Jesus, the only hope, to save from the looming, but just judgment that’s coming. How often is my mind on who to share Christ with, who I HAVE to share Christ with? Do I live in the reality of eternity – either life with Christ or life without (dying with never dying).
Thank you Lord for this painful reminder, Put the reality of eternity on my mind with every breath I take. Consume my thoughts with You and making You known rather than thoughts of myself and making myself known. Let me worry not about the next outfit I’ll buy, the next room I’ll decorate, the next show I’ll watch, the next break I’ll get, but with the next person I can share You with.
“I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly.” Jn. 10:10
How often do we think of the reality of life without Christ? Sure in our nice comfortable lives, we don’t see much judgment or consequence for not believing in Christ. In fact, often we can’t even see too much of a difference between a believer and good non-believer. But the reality of life without Christ needs to on the forefront of our thoughts every day and what pushes us to urgency in sharing the gospel with everyone.
We know the truth…eternal separation from God, something we’ve never experienced because God’s grace, even in spite of our world’s tragedies and sufferings, has always covered us. And eternal suffering in the lake of fire, a horrible, excruciating way to suffer.
Last night, I was hot gluing something and dropped some glue on my hand. It was instant, agonizing pain. Immediately my pointer finger on my left hand and the ring finger of my right hand blistered up. The rest of the evening, I could not take my hand out of a bowl of ice water because the pain was just too unbearable. When the ice melted, I had to have John refill it. I couldn’t even go to sleep without keeping my hand in water.
It was only two fingers, but I lost sleep, it consumed my thoughts, my hands were useless. Only my fingers. What if it were my whole body on flame? There would be no end, no death. There would be no ice water to offer relief. The rich man in begged Lazarus for just a drop of water, just a drop. I had a whole bowl full to submerge myself. Eternity is forever, my pain only lasted hours than was a bad memory.
“In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.” Lk. 16:23-24
And this is why I’m here – to share Jesus, the only hope, to save from the looming, but just judgment that’s coming. How often is my mind on who to share Christ with, who I HAVE to share Christ with? Do I live in the reality of eternity – either life with Christ or life without (dying with never dying).
Thank you Lord for this painful reminder, Put the reality of eternity on my mind with every breath I take. Consume my thoughts with You and making You known rather than thoughts of myself and making myself known. Let me worry not about the next outfit I’ll buy, the next room I’ll decorate, the next show I’ll watch, the next break I’ll get, but with the next person I can share You with.
“I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly.” Jn. 10:10
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
The Bride
"Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Then he said to me, "Write, 'Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb."
Rev. 19:7-9
Think of a bride...no bride fears or lives in oblivion to her wedding day. She counts down the days, the hours, the minutes. It's all she talks about, well that and her hubby to be. She cannot wait until she can spend the rest of her life with her groom, and she's been planning this moment her entire life. Every detail must be perfect and hours upon hours go into preparing for the wedding. No bride forgets to buy a dress, or can't recall the day, comes looking less than her best, forgets to invite her friends and family, or decides to simply show up without any kind of plan.
If we are truly the bride of Christ, then shouldn't we be the same way in looking forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb and eternity with Christ? Shouldn't we be talking about our future "groom," preparing for that day, dreaming of that day, spending our time and money on that day? And as wonderful as our wedding day was or will be here on earth, this wedding will far surpass it...Through the blood of Christ, we, the church, have become His perfect, blameless, beautiful Bride to enjoy eternity with Him! Let's stop and think on that today and rejoice, hope, anticipate, and dream of that day!
*** My beautiful sister taken by Kristin Partin
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Letting Go
"Reducing our accomplishments to nothing or disowning our hopes and dreams is not easy. But it is essential. We need to accept Jesus' accomplishments and believe in His hopes and dreams for us."
What are your hopes and dreams? We grow up dreaming and planning. One of my childhood dreams was to be an Olympic gymnast. Nevermind the fact that I had only taken a few classes, I was just sure that just given the opportunity, I would be a prodigy. Of course, this was not the case. I was also quite determined to be a pediatrician, but that too was just a dream. In fact, very few of my hopes and dreams have happened exactly as I had planned.
It's hard to disown our accomplishments and live in our weaknesses, boasting in God's strength and equally hard to DISOWN our hopes, our dreams. It's difficult to trust and believe in the Lord's dreams for us, especially when it means letting go of things that we've longed for, or when the path He's chosen is painful or hard, or when we just can't see what His dreams for us are at the time.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare [peace] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
But the more we love God, the more we trust Him and truly desire His dreams for our lives, because His dreams for our lives result in bringing Him glory, result in eternal rewards, and are always for our good.
What are your hopes and dreams? We grow up dreaming and planning. One of my childhood dreams was to be an Olympic gymnast. Nevermind the fact that I had only taken a few classes, I was just sure that just given the opportunity, I would be a prodigy. Of course, this was not the case. I was also quite determined to be a pediatrician, but that too was just a dream. In fact, very few of my hopes and dreams have happened exactly as I had planned.
It's hard to disown our accomplishments and live in our weaknesses, boasting in God's strength and equally hard to DISOWN our hopes, our dreams. It's difficult to trust and believe in the Lord's dreams for us, especially when it means letting go of things that we've longed for, or when the path He's chosen is painful or hard, or when we just can't see what His dreams for us are at the time.
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare [peace] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope."
But the more we love God, the more we trust Him and truly desire His dreams for our lives, because His dreams for our lives result in bringing Him glory, result in eternal rewards, and are always for our good.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Faith
"Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."
How is your faith? How do you measure or assess your faith?
My faith is rather weak. I'm content to live by faith for a few minutes or even a few days, but when the test of faith lasts or things don't seem to work out the way I expect, I begin to question what God is doing and I begin to worry and stress. We are missionaries with a faith-based ministry; and I should be the first to place my trust in the Lord's provision. We've seen Him work in amazing ways throughout the world and in our own lives; we know God is trustworthy and good, but I'll be honest, while I love to see how God works, it can be a very scary place to be at times. I know I can trust the Lord and He has a perfect plan for us, but I admit I feel much more comfortable when there are few unknowns.
Today the pressures and fears of the unknown began to press in and create that nagging sense of doubt and uncertainty, but in spite of my weak faith, the Lord strengthened my faith today through my time in His Word and His impeccable timing.
We received two gifts today - one in the form of an encouraging e-mail and the other in a box we received from our church in the States (THANK YOU WEBC! We loved it!) The e-mail came literally right after I was sharing with John about how scared and discouraged I felt (Praise the Lord!) and the box about 15 min. later! It was so exciting to sift through our box and read the encouraging words of our friends, see the cans of pumpkin and flavored creamer, and be blessed by gifts both to our coming baby and Tanner that reminded us of the support, prayers, and love from the body of Christ. Tears filled my eyes as I realized God knew what I needed in spite of my lack of faith.
Then His Word - you know how there are days when you just know God leads you to certain passages just to remind you of where your focus and confidence should be. His Word was another gift today...
Hab. 3:17-18 - "Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines. Though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, YET I WILL EXALT IN THE LORD, I WILL REJOICE IN THE GOD OF MY SALVATION."
Ps. 46:1-3 - "GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH, A VERY PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE. Therefore we will not fear though the mountains slip into the heart of the seas, though the waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake of its swelling pride."
James 5:7-11 - "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 9 Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! 10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
A couple of thoughts - My initial thought was shame at all of my doubt in light of God's goodness in my life and the real suffering that people endure in the persecuted church, poverty, illnesses - things that are much more difficult than anything I am facing. But, I also know I needed to be reminded again and reflect on God's truth.
If everything were taken away from us, I mean EVERYTHING, would we stand with Habakkuk and say, Yet I will exalt in the Lord?
God IS an ever present help and our refuge and strength - God ALONE! Do I trust that and cling to that?
Notice James' many references to patience! We are to be patient and have confidence that God is compassionate and merciful ALL the time! How is my patience?
And finally - Praise God that in spite of my lack of faith, doubts, and fears, He gives His peace and encouragement through His Word, prayers, e-mails, and boxes!
How is your faith? How do you measure or assess your faith?
My faith is rather weak. I'm content to live by faith for a few minutes or even a few days, but when the test of faith lasts or things don't seem to work out the way I expect, I begin to question what God is doing and I begin to worry and stress. We are missionaries with a faith-based ministry; and I should be the first to place my trust in the Lord's provision. We've seen Him work in amazing ways throughout the world and in our own lives; we know God is trustworthy and good, but I'll be honest, while I love to see how God works, it can be a very scary place to be at times. I know I can trust the Lord and He has a perfect plan for us, but I admit I feel much more comfortable when there are few unknowns.
Today the pressures and fears of the unknown began to press in and create that nagging sense of doubt and uncertainty, but in spite of my weak faith, the Lord strengthened my faith today through my time in His Word and His impeccable timing.
We received two gifts today - one in the form of an encouraging e-mail and the other in a box we received from our church in the States (THANK YOU WEBC! We loved it!) The e-mail came literally right after I was sharing with John about how scared and discouraged I felt (Praise the Lord!) and the box about 15 min. later! It was so exciting to sift through our box and read the encouraging words of our friends, see the cans of pumpkin and flavored creamer, and be blessed by gifts both to our coming baby and Tanner that reminded us of the support, prayers, and love from the body of Christ. Tears filled my eyes as I realized God knew what I needed in spite of my lack of faith.
Then His Word - you know how there are days when you just know God leads you to certain passages just to remind you of where your focus and confidence should be. His Word was another gift today...
Hab. 3:17-18 - "Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines. Though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, YET I WILL EXALT IN THE LORD, I WILL REJOICE IN THE GOD OF MY SALVATION."
Ps. 46:1-3 - "GOD IS OUR REFUGE AND STRENGTH, A VERY PRESENT HELP IN TROUBLE. Therefore we will not fear though the mountains slip into the heart of the seas, though the waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake of its swelling pride."
James 5:7-11 - "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. 9 Don't grumble against each other, brothers, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! 10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
A couple of thoughts - My initial thought was shame at all of my doubt in light of God's goodness in my life and the real suffering that people endure in the persecuted church, poverty, illnesses - things that are much more difficult than anything I am facing. But, I also know I needed to be reminded again and reflect on God's truth.
If everything were taken away from us, I mean EVERYTHING, would we stand with Habakkuk and say, Yet I will exalt in the Lord?
God IS an ever present help and our refuge and strength - God ALONE! Do I trust that and cling to that?
Notice James' many references to patience! We are to be patient and have confidence that God is compassionate and merciful ALL the time! How is my patience?
And finally - Praise God that in spite of my lack of faith, doubts, and fears, He gives His peace and encouragement through His Word, prayers, e-mails, and boxes!
Monday, November 8, 2010
The Breeding of Discontentment
Discontentment. Again the other night, I felt the Holy Spirit's prick of conviction as I sat in the relentless cycle of comparing my life to others, then feeling guilty for feeling discontent in the face of all the blessings I have been given. Familiar thoughts of why can't I have..., why isn't my life like this, why does this have to happen to me...followed by the overwhelming guilt of I have more than I should want, all I need is Jesus, others have so much less, I'm not trusting God is good, I deserve is death and eternity without God...This vicious cycle attacks without warning, spinning me from dissatisfaction with God to self-loathing and wondering how He could ever love me. Obviously these are lies that I buy into believing. James tells us, "Every good and perfect gift is from above" and John tells us we have abundant life in Christ. We know also that God loved us while we were sinners, and there is nothing we can do to gain more of His love or separate us from His love - He already demonstrated it when we were at our worst. But what causes this discontentment and how can I begin to conquer this sin and say with Paul, "For I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content." ?
For me, the causes of discontentment come from several "portholes."
- Comparing myself to others
- My plans and desires being unfulfilled
- Insecurity in who I am
- Disappointment
The discontentment comes when I focus on these things rather than choosing to believe that God's way is best, good, and always done out of love for me.
How can I keep from getting on the cycle that just ends in more grief? First, I need to keep praying about it. Second, I want to not only be in the Word daily, but study what God's Word says about contentment and meditate on God's character. Thirdly, I need to limit my time comparing myself to others. For me that partly means limiting my time on Facebook, where I have often found myself wasting time checking statuses and neglecting more profitable things. I need to focus less on what is going on in everybody else's life and find joy in what God called me to do in my home and family. Fourthly, I need to practice praising the Lord in ALL things.
These are incredibly obvious in working on any area in our lives, not to mention clearly mentioned in the Bible (it is the guide for how we should live our lives after all), but so often we just keep getting on the cycle because we never take the steps to get off.
What are your breeding grounds of discontentment and how do you keep from getting there?
"Your sense of security must not rest in your possessions or in things going your way. I am training you to depend on Me alone, finding fulfillment in My Presence. This entails being satisfied with much or with little, accepting either as My will for the moment. Instead of grasping and controlling, you are learning to release and receive. Cultivate this receptive stance by trusting Me in every situation."
I know I quote Sarah Young quite often (probably more than I should based on good blogging tips), but if you do not have one of her devotionals, you are MISSING OUT!
Praise the Lord today!
Shannon
For me, the causes of discontentment come from several "portholes."
- Comparing myself to others
- My plans and desires being unfulfilled
- Insecurity in who I am
- Disappointment
The discontentment comes when I focus on these things rather than choosing to believe that God's way is best, good, and always done out of love for me.
How can I keep from getting on the cycle that just ends in more grief? First, I need to keep praying about it. Second, I want to not only be in the Word daily, but study what God's Word says about contentment and meditate on God's character. Thirdly, I need to limit my time comparing myself to others. For me that partly means limiting my time on Facebook, where I have often found myself wasting time checking statuses and neglecting more profitable things. I need to focus less on what is going on in everybody else's life and find joy in what God called me to do in my home and family. Fourthly, I need to practice praising the Lord in ALL things.
These are incredibly obvious in working on any area in our lives, not to mention clearly mentioned in the Bible (it is the guide for how we should live our lives after all), but so often we just keep getting on the cycle because we never take the steps to get off.
What are your breeding grounds of discontentment and how do you keep from getting there?
"Your sense of security must not rest in your possessions or in things going your way. I am training you to depend on Me alone, finding fulfillment in My Presence. This entails being satisfied with much or with little, accepting either as My will for the moment. Instead of grasping and controlling, you are learning to release and receive. Cultivate this receptive stance by trusting Me in every situation."
I know I quote Sarah Young quite often (probably more than I should based on good blogging tips), but if you do not have one of her devotionals, you are MISSING OUT!
Praise the Lord today!
Shannon
Monday, October 25, 2010
Facing the Giants (not the movie...)
Only a boy named David,
Only a ripping brook,
Only a boy named David,
But 5 little stones he took.
Who doesn't know this story? I mean who doesn't love the story of a little squirt going up against a huge giant with just 5 stones and a slingshot. Not to mention, he was willing when all the other Israelites, including their handsome, most macho man in the kingdom King Saul, were too scared to fight him. It's a story fit for Hollywood!
But after spending the last several days re-reading this timeless story, I was struck by all the discouragement David received. First his brother, Eliab, criticized his motives (1 Sam. 17:28), then King Saul was skeptical of his ability (vs. 33), finally Goliath belittled him (vs. 43-44). Not one person stated in the Bible cheered him on, applauded his bravery, or even offered word of encouragement. They thought he would fail. I would have walked home after the first comment, too ashamed I had made my brother upset and convinced I had misread my motives and had sinned. (I'm a people pleaser, can you tell?) If for some reason I had made it to Saul, I would have humbly agreed I was too inexperienced and left then.
But David's trust in the Lord was unwavering. He knew the criticizers were wrong. Listen to his statements:
"For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?" (vs. 26)
"He will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine." (vs. 37)
"But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands...that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel."
The other thing that struck me was David's concern not just for his country, or his brothers who were fighting, but for the name of the Lord. He couldn't bear for the name of God to be a reproach to God's enemies. He absolutely trusted and believed in the power, sovereignty, and greatness of the one and only living God that no one could taunt or dishonor. Do I love the name of the Lord that it grieves me to see it dishonored?
I wish I could say I was like David - full of faith, courage, and action. But, I'm quite honestly a lot like the rest of Israel. I become paralyzed by any kind of "giants." My "faith" becomes riddled with seeds of doubt. I wonder if God will come to my aid. I take any kind of discouragement to heart and lose perspective of what God can do, becoming fearful of what man thinks.
Thankfully, my God forgives my unbelief. He delights in using the small, the weak, the average. And He continually demonstrates His presence and power in my life. What about you? Do you take after David and crusade ahead full of faith in the Living God or do you tend to be found among the Israelites worried and scared that all is lost?
And one little stone went into the air
And the giant came tumbling down!
Only a ripping brook,
Only a boy named David,
But 5 little stones he took.
Who doesn't know this story? I mean who doesn't love the story of a little squirt going up against a huge giant with just 5 stones and a slingshot. Not to mention, he was willing when all the other Israelites, including their handsome, most macho man in the kingdom King Saul, were too scared to fight him. It's a story fit for Hollywood!
But after spending the last several days re-reading this timeless story, I was struck by all the discouragement David received. First his brother, Eliab, criticized his motives (1 Sam. 17:28), then King Saul was skeptical of his ability (vs. 33), finally Goliath belittled him (vs. 43-44). Not one person stated in the Bible cheered him on, applauded his bravery, or even offered word of encouragement. They thought he would fail. I would have walked home after the first comment, too ashamed I had made my brother upset and convinced I had misread my motives and had sinned. (I'm a people pleaser, can you tell?) If for some reason I had made it to Saul, I would have humbly agreed I was too inexperienced and left then.
But David's trust in the Lord was unwavering. He knew the criticizers were wrong. Listen to his statements:
"For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should taunt the armies of the living God?" (vs. 26)
"He will deliver me from the hand of the Philistine." (vs. 37)
"But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day the Lord will deliver you up into my hands...that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel."
The other thing that struck me was David's concern not just for his country, or his brothers who were fighting, but for the name of the Lord. He couldn't bear for the name of God to be a reproach to God's enemies. He absolutely trusted and believed in the power, sovereignty, and greatness of the one and only living God that no one could taunt or dishonor. Do I love the name of the Lord that it grieves me to see it dishonored?
I wish I could say I was like David - full of faith, courage, and action. But, I'm quite honestly a lot like the rest of Israel. I become paralyzed by any kind of "giants." My "faith" becomes riddled with seeds of doubt. I wonder if God will come to my aid. I take any kind of discouragement to heart and lose perspective of what God can do, becoming fearful of what man thinks.
Thankfully, my God forgives my unbelief. He delights in using the small, the weak, the average. And He continually demonstrates His presence and power in my life. What about you? Do you take after David and crusade ahead full of faith in the Living God or do you tend to be found among the Israelites worried and scared that all is lost?
And one little stone went into the air
And the giant came tumbling down!
Monday, October 4, 2010
"This is the path
I have set before you..."
I've definitely been off the radar for a while. We do not have internet or phones yet, so right now our option is to go to the local coffee shop to check e-mail, and as you can well imagine, doing that with a toddler is not quite so fun...Thankfully, that should be changing soon as our bank accounts are set up and the UK government deems us not a threat to their country!
I have missed writing...so here's my thought for today!
"This is the path I have set before you."
How encouraging that God has set before us a path, not always easy or what we may have chosen left to ourselves, but one He has chosen for us for our good and His glory. He knows where it leads, the terrain, the twists and turns, all of it - and He chose it especially for you! It reminds me of my favorite Robert Frost poem (you probably know the one)..."Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by and that has made all the difference."
"Live first and foremost in My Presence. Gradually you will become more aware of Me than of people and places around you. This awareness will not detract from you relationships with others. Instead, it will increase your ability to give love and encouragement to them."
Sometimes I find myself looking for relationships to be my source of satisfaction. I look for people to give to me and hope that I can some how give back to them. The problem with that is I lose focus of God's Presence, which is NOT the path God has for me. In fact, it's been a good thing to have the Lord remove close relationships from my life for the time being so I can learn to live first and foremost in His Presence. It really is the only way to really love and give to people. It's also the path that God has chosen for each to KNOW HIM and the reality of His Presence in our everyday lives. Let that be our utmost priority today to first and foremost live in the Presence of God.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Judging
Do you have a problem with judging?
This morning I was reading Sarah Young's thoughts for today in her devotional Jesus Calling. Here's what she said:
" Give your mind a break from its habitual judging. You form judgments about this situation, that situation, this person, that person, yourself, even the weather - as if judging were your main function in life. But I created you first and foremost to know Me and to live in rich communication with Me. When you become preoccupied with passing judgment, you usurp My role...Rather than evaluating My ways with you, accept them thankfully. The intimacy I offer you is not an invitation to act as if you were My equal."
I'll admit my first thought, "Oh good, I'm not struggling with judging people, at least not this week. This is a nice thought and one for me to remember for the future, but not really relevant right now." Upon further reflection, however, I started to think of how often I make judgments on my circumstances. In essence, I place judgment on God for what He has chosen to do in my life, which is the same as making myself an equal with God. That is a grave mistake and a sin.
- What kind of clay says to the potter, "Why did you make me this way?" How absurd coming from something as useless as a lump of clay. (Rom. 9:20-21)
- What kind of sheep says to the shepherd, "No, I think we should go this way instead." What does a dumb sheep know over the shepherd?
- What kind of subject dares tell a king what to do or how he's wrong. That's grounds for imprisonment or beheading.
- And what creation tries to inform the Creator of what He should have done with it. Without the power and design of the Creator, it wouldn't exist.
Do you see the absurdity? Have you, like me, found yourself passing judgments upon what God has brought into your life, rather than accepting it thankfully and worshiping Him for it? For He alone is the "blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords" (1 Tim. 6:15) I wonder how much richer our walk with the Lord would be if we lived foremost for knowing God more deeply (John 17:3)and worried less about judging?
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