"All of life boils down to a series of happy "hellos" and sad "good-byes." Nothing is really permanent, not even the relationships that blossom in a healthy home. In time, we must release our grip on everything we hold dear. KIng David said it best, 'As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more" (Psalm 103:15-16, KJV)... What an incredibly important scriptural concept this is. If we really grasped the numbering of our days, we would surely be motivated to invest ourselves in eternal values.
Would a 50-year-old man pursue an adulterous affair if he knew how quickly he would stand before his God? Would a woman make herself sick from in-law conflict or other petty frustrations if she knew how little time was left her? Would men and women devote their lives to the pursuit of wealth and symbols of status if they realized how soon their possessions will be torn from their trembling hands? It is the illusion of permanence, you see, that distorts our perception and shapes our selfish behavior. When eternal values come in view, our greatest desire is to please the Lord and influence as many of our loved ones for Him as possible."
from Dr. Dobson's August 2009 Focus on the Family newsletter
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
leading your heart
Over the past two weeks I have been going through a very difficult time in my life. I just read and completely identified with these two verse that I read:
"The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart." Proverbs 17:3
"Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you." Psalm 9:10
Often we hear that we should "follow our heart" but in reality "the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jer. 17:9). The difficulty I have been facing has to do with a decision that I made last week that I know deep down in my gut, my head, and my spirit was the best thing for me to do. However, my stubborn little heart has put up a fight like you wouldn't believe!!!
Yesterday was probably one of the hardest days so far. I was overcome by emotion, crying, not thinking clearly, crying more, and not even sure how to talk to God about the whole situation. All I knew was that I was undone.
This morning all I could do was say in absolute honesty, "God, please show me what to do." It was as though He was waiting for me to give up.
As I opened up the Bible, I read the verse above and a couple of things became very clear.
First, I cannot follow my heart. I must force my heart to submit to God when it doesn't feel like it. It's really okay to force it. I remembered two things: the quote from the movie, Fireproof, when the Christian firefighter man was telling the protagonist how to go about doing what's right in his marriage when he said, "you have to lead your heart". I also remembered a sermon on Psalm 42 that focused on the deliberate action of the Psalmist to "put [his] hope in God" (Psalm 42:11) even though his soul was downcast and disturbed.
Second, I can trust in Jesus. An image came to me of my heart wearing a sort of a harness with reins attached to it. I had the reins in my hand and I had a choice. Either strap the reins around myself and be controlled by my heart wherever it would take me (and essentially be a slave to my heart's (aka flesh) every whim) OR (here's where the image gets kinda hilarious) get on the back of the motorcycle that Jesus was driving, hand over the reins to him, and put my arms around His waist trusting that where He would drive my heart and my whole person would be best (and most crazy & adventurous!!).
Third, courage even means doing things afraid. Ideally, I would put my trust in God with 100% joy, hope, peace, certainty, and all the exhilerating feelings of being on top of the world, but that's just not always the reality. A lot of times I get flat out scared. I get nervous, I freak out! Yes, we all do, and God can handle us freaking out on Him. Moses, David, Jonah, Abraham, Gideon, Esther, Peter, Ruth, Paul, Mary, John, Ezekiel and many countless other godly men and women in the Bible and contemporary times have FREAKED OUT. They have turned totally pale, spoken out their questions in honesty, cried out in anguish, pleaded in desperation, and even wrestled with God. I believe God would rather have us be real with Him and come to Him AS WE ARE than to try to pretend ('cause that's really impossible with Him after all). My point is that He delights not just in our honesty, but in our obedience and submission to Him even when we feel nervous. Through that obedience, He can lavish us with His peace in knowing that we are under His protection, joy in feeling His delight, hope in Who He is and the reminder that He tells us, "I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct (NOT according to his emotions or feelings), according to what his deeds deserve" (Jer. 17:10). When we do God's will (even though it may be extremely difficult and require tremendous courage), He usually helps bring about the pleasing emotions after we have stepped out by doing the right action.
So, in all of this, I am absolutely grateful that God doesn't give up on us, He's committed to our growth, and He can handle us. Phew!
"The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart." Proverbs 17:3
"Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you." Psalm 9:10
Often we hear that we should "follow our heart" but in reality "the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jer. 17:9). The difficulty I have been facing has to do with a decision that I made last week that I know deep down in my gut, my head, and my spirit was the best thing for me to do. However, my stubborn little heart has put up a fight like you wouldn't believe!!!
Yesterday was probably one of the hardest days so far. I was overcome by emotion, crying, not thinking clearly, crying more, and not even sure how to talk to God about the whole situation. All I knew was that I was undone.
This morning all I could do was say in absolute honesty, "God, please show me what to do." It was as though He was waiting for me to give up.
As I opened up the Bible, I read the verse above and a couple of things became very clear.
First, I cannot follow my heart. I must force my heart to submit to God when it doesn't feel like it. It's really okay to force it. I remembered two things: the quote from the movie, Fireproof, when the Christian firefighter man was telling the protagonist how to go about doing what's right in his marriage when he said, "you have to lead your heart". I also remembered a sermon on Psalm 42 that focused on the deliberate action of the Psalmist to "put [his] hope in God" (Psalm 42:11) even though his soul was downcast and disturbed.
Second, I can trust in Jesus. An image came to me of my heart wearing a sort of a harness with reins attached to it. I had the reins in my hand and I had a choice. Either strap the reins around myself and be controlled by my heart wherever it would take me (and essentially be a slave to my heart's (aka flesh) every whim) OR (here's where the image gets kinda hilarious) get on the back of the motorcycle that Jesus was driving, hand over the reins to him, and put my arms around His waist trusting that where He would drive my heart and my whole person would be best (and most crazy & adventurous!!).
Third, courage even means doing things afraid. Ideally, I would put my trust in God with 100% joy, hope, peace, certainty, and all the exhilerating feelings of being on top of the world, but that's just not always the reality. A lot of times I get flat out scared. I get nervous, I freak out! Yes, we all do, and God can handle us freaking out on Him. Moses, David, Jonah, Abraham, Gideon, Esther, Peter, Ruth, Paul, Mary, John, Ezekiel and many countless other godly men and women in the Bible and contemporary times have FREAKED OUT. They have turned totally pale, spoken out their questions in honesty, cried out in anguish, pleaded in desperation, and even wrestled with God. I believe God would rather have us be real with Him and come to Him AS WE ARE than to try to pretend ('cause that's really impossible with Him after all). My point is that He delights not just in our honesty, but in our obedience and submission to Him even when we feel nervous. Through that obedience, He can lavish us with His peace in knowing that we are under His protection, joy in feeling His delight, hope in Who He is and the reminder that He tells us, "I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct (NOT according to his emotions or feelings), according to what his deeds deserve" (Jer. 17:10). When we do God's will (even though it may be extremely difficult and require tremendous courage), He usually helps bring about the pleasing emotions after we have stepped out by doing the right action.
So, in all of this, I am absolutely grateful that God doesn't give up on us, He's committed to our growth, and He can handle us. Phew!
Is There Good in Temptation
No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man . . . —1 Corinthians 10:13
"The word temptation has come to mean something bad to us today, but we tend to use the word in the wrong way. Temptation itself is not sin; it is something we are bound to face simply by virtue of being human. Not to be tempted would mean that we were already so shameful that we would be beneath contempt. Yet many of us suffer from temptations we should never have to suffer, simply because we have refused to allow God to lift us to a higher level where we would face temptations of another kind.
A person’s inner nature, what he possesses in the inner, spiritual part of his being, determines what he is tempted by on the outside. The temptation fits the true nature of the person being tempted and reveals the possibilities of his nature. Every person actually determines or sets the level of his own temptation, because temptation will come to him in accordance with the level of his controlling, inner nature.
Temptation comes to me, suggesting a possible shortcut to the realization of my highest goal— it does not direct me toward what I understand to be evil, but toward what I understand to be good. Temptation is something that confuses me for a while, and I don’t know whether something is right or wrong. When I yield to it, I have made lust a god, and the temptation itself becomes the proof that it was only my own fear that prevented me from falling into the sin earlier.
Temptation is not something we can escape; in fact, it is essential to the well-rounded life of a person. Beware of thinking that you are tempted as no one else--what you go through is the common inheritance of the human race, not something that no one has ever before endured. God does not save us from temptations--He sustains us in the midst of them (see Hebrews 2:18 and Hebrews 4:15-16 )."
from Sept. 17th's devotional My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald ChambersWednesday, September 16, 2009
Brokenness And Glory, Part 1
"Don't miss the weight of these words from God, one phrase at a time. Tell your mind to let your spirit lead in connecting with the Spirit of truth in this passage.
1 Peter 1:3 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..."
Resonate with the words "living hope through Jesus!" He gave you birth to new abundant life in him. Be blessed as your life in him unfolds daily, one step of faithfulness at a time. Seasons end, new birth happens. It can be confusing, because God doesn't give you neat signposts. He wants you to keep your eyes on him, as Jesus is your living hope. Be blessed with glimpses of God's purpose in it all.
1 Peter 1:4. "...into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, kept in heaven for you..."
You are an heir to a rich inheritance, all the riches of Christ Jesus. His purposes for you are in his keeping power. They can never die, or spoil, or fade away without fulfilling his heart for you. You are right in the middle of God's process for you. You don't have to settle for God's second best because of somebody else's choices or your own. As you are being who you are in him, you can do what you are supposed to do. You may have disappointments, but your life is his story with depth, adventure, suspense, surprising plot turns, and darkness that Jesus defeated. Be blessed as you understand more of his story that he is writing in your life.
1 Peter 1:5. "...who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time."
God surrounds you with his favor as a shield. You are shielded by his power, so that in every dark thing you've experienced, you can live large and strong. God put you on earth in your exact place for his specific purpose, and you are living in that purpose, even when you don't know it. Your soul may be grumbling and resisting, but you are living the story that God is ready to reveal to you. God is a lot bigger than you expect him to be. He's a lot bigger than your circumstances. He is the God of detail. When you seek his face, he is deeply involved in the small details of your life, but he has a "bigger yes" for you. Your true glory is the revelation of his splendor, revealed in you day by day.
1 Peter 1:6. "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials."
As Jesus is revealed in you, you can rejoice no matter what. The display of his glory often comes through your wounds. Your dark nights showcase by contrast his splendid dawns, your griefs contrast with his glorious joy. In brokenness, God works in you something beautiful, deep, and substantial to offer others. You are developing inner strength as you are being blessed, broken, and given as an offering in your trials. True strength comes from your desperate need of God. You are a joy to him as you offer your true self as a spectacle of his sufficiency. God can't trust a man or woman who hasn't suffered. Paul said he wanted to know Christ and be conformed to the fellowship of sharing his sufferings, knowing there's a resurrection coming (Phil. 3:10).
Be blessed to know that your Father created you for this time, for these very circumstances. He knew exactly what would be happening in your life as you are living it now. He knows the impact for which he is preparing you that still awaits you. Be blessed to live into the purpose for which you were created, in spite of difficult people, through hard circumstances, and through tough challenges. Your purpose is in process. You won't get there overnight. You won't magically wake up with it one morning. But today you are closer than yesterday, and tomorrow you will be closer than you are today. Be blessed in him to know these things and rejoice in him."
Taken from You Are Blessed In The Names Of God, page 71,© 2008 by Sylvia Gunter.
1 Peter 1:3 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..."
Resonate with the words "living hope through Jesus!" He gave you birth to new abundant life in him. Be blessed as your life in him unfolds daily, one step of faithfulness at a time. Seasons end, new birth happens. It can be confusing, because God doesn't give you neat signposts. He wants you to keep your eyes on him, as Jesus is your living hope. Be blessed with glimpses of God's purpose in it all.
1 Peter 1:4. "...into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, kept in heaven for you..."
You are an heir to a rich inheritance, all the riches of Christ Jesus. His purposes for you are in his keeping power. They can never die, or spoil, or fade away without fulfilling his heart for you. You are right in the middle of God's process for you. You don't have to settle for God's second best because of somebody else's choices or your own. As you are being who you are in him, you can do what you are supposed to do. You may have disappointments, but your life is his story with depth, adventure, suspense, surprising plot turns, and darkness that Jesus defeated. Be blessed as you understand more of his story that he is writing in your life.
1 Peter 1:5. "...who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time."
God surrounds you with his favor as a shield. You are shielded by his power, so that in every dark thing you've experienced, you can live large and strong. God put you on earth in your exact place for his specific purpose, and you are living in that purpose, even when you don't know it. Your soul may be grumbling and resisting, but you are living the story that God is ready to reveal to you. God is a lot bigger than you expect him to be. He's a lot bigger than your circumstances. He is the God of detail. When you seek his face, he is deeply involved in the small details of your life, but he has a "bigger yes" for you. Your true glory is the revelation of his splendor, revealed in you day by day.
1 Peter 1:6. "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials."
As Jesus is revealed in you, you can rejoice no matter what. The display of his glory often comes through your wounds. Your dark nights showcase by contrast his splendid dawns, your griefs contrast with his glorious joy. In brokenness, God works in you something beautiful, deep, and substantial to offer others. You are developing inner strength as you are being blessed, broken, and given as an offering in your trials. True strength comes from your desperate need of God. You are a joy to him as you offer your true self as a spectacle of his sufficiency. God can't trust a man or woman who hasn't suffered. Paul said he wanted to know Christ and be conformed to the fellowship of sharing his sufferings, knowing there's a resurrection coming (Phil. 3:10).
Be blessed to know that your Father created you for this time, for these very circumstances. He knew exactly what would be happening in your life as you are living it now. He knows the impact for which he is preparing you that still awaits you. Be blessed to live into the purpose for which you were created, in spite of difficult people, through hard circumstances, and through tough challenges. Your purpose is in process. You won't get there overnight. You won't magically wake up with it one morning. But today you are closer than yesterday, and tomorrow you will be closer than you are today. Be blessed in him to know these things and rejoice in him."
Taken from You Are Blessed In The Names Of God, page 71,© 2008 by Sylvia Gunter.
Monday, September 14, 2009
This is from a Focus on the Family Magazine (sorry, I don't know which one)
"Consider the period between teenage Joseph receiving a God-given dream and actually ruling around the age of 30- not easy years. He had to outgrow the impatience and arrogance of youth. In prison, he was forced to mature through the heartache of being abandoned by family and forgotten by friends.
And how about David? The gap between shepherd and king was filled with fear, desperation and constant running from Saul- a process that ultimately matured David from young man to adult as he leaned on his God for deliverance.
Could Joseph or David have ruled with wisdom without those intense years of transition? What they learned about the Lord during those times prepared them for the very roles God had ordained for them.
What if we viewed periods of transition as the pause between good and better, as our friend and not our enemy, as pivotal moments when our life's course can move from stagnant to fluid?
Jesus said it best: "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds" (John 12:24)."
"Consider the period between teenage Joseph receiving a God-given dream and actually ruling around the age of 30- not easy years. He had to outgrow the impatience and arrogance of youth. In prison, he was forced to mature through the heartache of being abandoned by family and forgotten by friends.
And how about David? The gap between shepherd and king was filled with fear, desperation and constant running from Saul- a process that ultimately matured David from young man to adult as he leaned on his God for deliverance.
Could Joseph or David have ruled with wisdom without those intense years of transition? What they learned about the Lord during those times prepared them for the very roles God had ordained for them.
What if we viewed periods of transition as the pause between good and better, as our friend and not our enemy, as pivotal moments when our life's course can move from stagnant to fluid?
Jesus said it best: "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds" (John 12:24)."
Saturday, September 5, 2009
A poem quoted by Elisabeth Elliot
Do The Next Thing
"At an old English parsonage down by the sea,
there came in the twilight a message to me.
Its quaint Saxon legend deeply engraven that,
as it seems to me, teaching from heaven.
And all through the hours the quiet words ring, like a low inspiration,
'Do the next thing.'
Many a questioning, many a fear,
many a doubt hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from heaven,
time, opportunity, guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrow, child of the King,
trust that with Jesus, do the next thing.
Do it immediately, do it with prayer,
do it reliantly, casting all care.
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand,
who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on omnipotence, safe 'neath His wing,
leave all resultings, do the next thing.
Looking to Jesus, ever serener,
working or suffering be thy demeanor,
in His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
the light of His countenance, be thy psalm.
Do the next thing."
"At an old English parsonage down by the sea,
there came in the twilight a message to me.
Its quaint Saxon legend deeply engraven that,
as it seems to me, teaching from heaven.
And all through the hours the quiet words ring, like a low inspiration,
'Do the next thing.'
Many a questioning, many a fear,
many a doubt hath its quieting here.
Moment by moment, let down from heaven,
time, opportunity, guidance are given.
Fear not tomorrow, child of the King,
trust that with Jesus, do the next thing.
Do it immediately, do it with prayer,
do it reliantly, casting all care.
Do it with reverence, tracing His hand,
who placed it before thee with earnest command.
Stayed on omnipotence, safe 'neath His wing,
leave all resultings, do the next thing.
Looking to Jesus, ever serener,
working or suffering be thy demeanor,
in His dear presence, the rest of His calm,
the light of His countenance, be thy psalm.
Do the next thing."
Friday, September 4, 2009
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