"I lift my hands to you in prayer.
I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain.
Come quickly, Lord, and answer me,
for my depression deepens.
Don’t turn away from me,
or I will die.
Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning,
for I am trusting you.
Show me where to walk,
for I give myself to you." Psalm 143:6-8 NLT
There is a friend and she is going through a very dark time right now. I feel for her. She talks to me and I feel her pain. My heart cries for her. But I have come to the realization that I can't physically help her. She needs to want to help herself.
Oh, that may sound cruel, but while I have prayed to the Lord to have me to say some enlightened word that will just wipe all her sadness away, it hasn't happened. If anything it seems to have deepened the mire. And then I realize, it's not up to me. It's not my job.
Do you know why? This is between her and her Lord. Yes, there is some other people involved in this situation, but basically it is between her and her Father. I can keep her uplifted in prayer but she is the only one that can decide when she is tired of this feeling. She is the only one that can decide that instead of looking down into her mire, to look up into the face of her loving Father. To raise up her arms and have Him lovingly pull her out. Do you see what I mean?
Our Father offers each and everyone of us His unfailing love every morning. And while my first response is to spare her--to snatch her out--it would be wrong. It would be like harvesting a crop before it was fully ripen. Picking a rose before it was completely formed.
God has a plan for all of this. He has a plan for all of our muck and mire. But what He doesn't want is for us to stay in it. We need to desire to come out of it. Because, as you know, we are creatures of habit and even miry situations become quite comfortable at times.
If only she could only get to this place again...
"Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning,
for I am trusting you.
Show me where to walk,
for I give myself to you."
This is where He is trying to take us, don't you agree? Are you there?
Monday, February 1, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
A Sure Thing
"We put our hope in the Lord.
He is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
for our hope is in you alone." Psalm 33:20-22 NLT
Have you ever played the slot machines? Have you ever watched someone else play the slot machines? You put your coin or token in the slot and pull the handle. You hold your breath and hope for a winning play. It's a game of chance.
Hope is like a coin or token. We all have a measure of hope. It's what we put our hope in that counts. I think many times we play the slots with hope. We take our token of hope and we put in something or someone and pull the handle. A game of chance. We put our hope in many different things. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes we lose.
We look for the sure thing. But we play the game of life by chance. There is only one sure thing to put our token of hope in, Jesus Christ. The psalmist said that because he put his hope in God alone, his life would be protected, joyful, and surrounded in love. Even in the tragic or difficult time of life, we can be secure in God's love.
What are you putting your hope in today? How's it paying off?
He is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
Let your unfailing love surround us, Lord,
for our hope is in you alone." Psalm 33:20-22 NLT
Have you ever played the slot machines? Have you ever watched someone else play the slot machines? You put your coin or token in the slot and pull the handle. You hold your breath and hope for a winning play. It's a game of chance.
Hope is like a coin or token. We all have a measure of hope. It's what we put our hope in that counts. I think many times we play the slots with hope. We take our token of hope and we put in something or someone and pull the handle. A game of chance. We put our hope in many different things. Sometimes it pays off, sometimes we lose.
We look for the sure thing. But we play the game of life by chance. There is only one sure thing to put our token of hope in, Jesus Christ. The psalmist said that because he put his hope in God alone, his life would be protected, joyful, and surrounded in love. Even in the tragic or difficult time of life, we can be secure in God's love.
What are you putting your hope in today? How's it paying off?
Monday, January 25, 2010
The Reason
"I reflect at night on who you are, O Lord;
therefore, I obey your instructions." Psalm 119:55 NLT
I read this passage this morning and it really moved me. The writer affirms why we follow Christ. Because of who he is. I don't feel forced to follow Christ. I do so because of his great love for me. I want to follow him. He has rescued me from hurts, habits, and hang ups. He gives me strength for today and hope for tomorrow.
Before I had a relationship with Jesus as my Lord and savior, the Bible was boring. It was nothing but a bunch of "do's and don'ts." I thought,"Who needs this stuff!" But when my life was in crisis, Jesus became very real to me. Not as a harsh God waiting for me to screw up, but my father, my friend, and my Lord.
We can become focused on the rules of scripture. Fear, duty, and approval can be the motivation to obey God. Many just give up. But when we focus on the person of Jesus Christ, our love for him becomes the motivation to obey him.
To focus on Jesus you have to get to know him. Once you experience the love he offers, religion and rules go out the window. Obeying Christ becomes an expression of love.
therefore, I obey your instructions." Psalm 119:55 NLT
I read this passage this morning and it really moved me. The writer affirms why we follow Christ. Because of who he is. I don't feel forced to follow Christ. I do so because of his great love for me. I want to follow him. He has rescued me from hurts, habits, and hang ups. He gives me strength for today and hope for tomorrow.
Before I had a relationship with Jesus as my Lord and savior, the Bible was boring. It was nothing but a bunch of "do's and don'ts." I thought,"Who needs this stuff!" But when my life was in crisis, Jesus became very real to me. Not as a harsh God waiting for me to screw up, but my father, my friend, and my Lord.
We can become focused on the rules of scripture. Fear, duty, and approval can be the motivation to obey God. Many just give up. But when we focus on the person of Jesus Christ, our love for him becomes the motivation to obey him.
To focus on Jesus you have to get to know him. Once you experience the love he offers, religion and rules go out the window. Obeying Christ becomes an expression of love.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
All of You
"Let all that I am praise the Lord;
may I never forget the good things He does for me." Psalm 103:2 NLT
What an awesome verse!
There are times when a verse hits you and you have to share it. And this is one of those. This is a verse that you can claim, no matter where you are in your faith walk. You can be just a beginner or a seasoned veteran. Just claim it!
Right now, this very minute where are you spiritually? Are you joyful? Are you worried? Are you peaceful? Are you scared? God is your Father and He understands.
What can you do? You can let all that you are, praise Him; and may you never forget the good things He had done and will continue to do, for you.
As a side thought, when He says 'all', does that mean just the good stuff and we hide the bad? No, all means just that--"all"--the good, the bad and the ugly. Should the thought of that help keep you on the upper path? It should. Because don't we want to give Him the best 'us' that we possibly can? But we are human and it's not a perfect world. As long as He knows that you are striving to be your best, He is a forgiving God.
Our God--your God--is an awesome God!
may I never forget the good things He does for me." Psalm 103:2 NLT
What an awesome verse!
There are times when a verse hits you and you have to share it. And this is one of those. This is a verse that you can claim, no matter where you are in your faith walk. You can be just a beginner or a seasoned veteran. Just claim it!
Right now, this very minute where are you spiritually? Are you joyful? Are you worried? Are you peaceful? Are you scared? God is your Father and He understands.
What can you do? You can let all that you are, praise Him; and may you never forget the good things He had done and will continue to do, for you.
As a side thought, when He says 'all', does that mean just the good stuff and we hide the bad? No, all means just that--"all"--the good, the bad and the ugly. Should the thought of that help keep you on the upper path? It should. Because don't we want to give Him the best 'us' that we possibly can? But we are human and it's not a perfect world. As long as He knows that you are striving to be your best, He is a forgiving God.
Our God--your God--is an awesome God!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
True Faith-Life
"Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." James 1:2-3 (The Message)
WOW! Is that how you would look at tests & challenges--a sheer gift? I would tend to think of it as a punishment. But when you read this version, it seems like a privilege if you were to go through a trial. And isn't that the way we should look at it?
Like any parent, your Heavenly father wants the best for you. He wants to help you become the very best you that you can be. If everything was always rosy and sweet--no bumps in the road--no trials in the courtroom--He knows we would become complacent. We'd get lazy--bored. We'd think that we have everything under control. God is nice, I'm glad He's out there, somewhere.
Trials and challenges are a gift. It shows us that our Father cares for us. He is pruning us, grooming us, for better things. It also shows us that as things are not always going our way, whether it's an attack from Satan or a gift from our Father, He's there with us. That either way, our faith life is growing and being gleaned for our betterment.
We humans are a strange tribe. Since the beginning of time, we seem to have had to go through trials and tribulations in order to have any true growth. Think about Adam & Eve. Think about the Israelites roaming in the desert for 40 years. Remember David. The list could go on.
God wanted us to have a simple, easy life, but we apparently had other plans. I know that even though I wouldn't wish to go through the trials in my life that I have, it was during those trials that I grew so close to my Heavenly Father. At times I had to lean and cling to Him for dear life. I had to get down on my knees, literally, and just cry out to Him for peace and comfort. And He did. I cherish those moments and memories.
How about you? Have you ever been there? If and when you are, please know your God loves you and will help you through. Just give it all to Him.
WOW! Is that how you would look at tests & challenges--a sheer gift? I would tend to think of it as a punishment. But when you read this version, it seems like a privilege if you were to go through a trial. And isn't that the way we should look at it?
Like any parent, your Heavenly father wants the best for you. He wants to help you become the very best you that you can be. If everything was always rosy and sweet--no bumps in the road--no trials in the courtroom--He knows we would become complacent. We'd get lazy--bored. We'd think that we have everything under control. God is nice, I'm glad He's out there, somewhere.
Trials and challenges are a gift. It shows us that our Father cares for us. He is pruning us, grooming us, for better things. It also shows us that as things are not always going our way, whether it's an attack from Satan or a gift from our Father, He's there with us. That either way, our faith life is growing and being gleaned for our betterment.
We humans are a strange tribe. Since the beginning of time, we seem to have had to go through trials and tribulations in order to have any true growth. Think about Adam & Eve. Think about the Israelites roaming in the desert for 40 years. Remember David. The list could go on.
God wanted us to have a simple, easy life, but we apparently had other plans. I know that even though I wouldn't wish to go through the trials in my life that I have, it was during those trials that I grew so close to my Heavenly Father. At times I had to lean and cling to Him for dear life. I had to get down on my knees, literally, and just cry out to Him for peace and comfort. And He did. I cherish those moments and memories.
How about you? Have you ever been there? If and when you are, please know your God loves you and will help you through. Just give it all to Him.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Acts of Kindness
"'Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God's Law and Prophets and this is what you get.'" Matthew 7:12 (The Message)
Did you ever hear that when you were growing up? You did something mean to your sibling or to someone at school, and your mom would say, "Now, do unto others..."
It's a wonderful verse to live by. I know that I have used it a few times on my boys and at times, even on myself. How about you? It seems that the people of this world don't always remember. It's a 'me' society. It's all about 'me'. Hey, focus on 'me'! What's in it for 'me'?
Can you imagine if the Lord was in that frame of mind when He roamed this earth? Where would we be today? Certainly not in the blessings of today. If we are of Christ, we should imitate Him, should we not? Shouldn't we be looking for ways to serve His people, not just to see what we get out of it for ourselves, but for the simple reason of just doing?
Jesus didn't think twice when He touched lepers, gave water to the thirsty, feed the hungry, healed the sick, raised the dead. He just 'did'.
He didn't wonder what award He was going to get, how much He would get paid, how long the article in the paper was going to be. He just 'did'.
How about us? How about you? Let's just 'do'. Let's try to spread the love of Jesus just a little further by doing random acts of kindness. It'll be amazing if each of us will just do one act of kindness to someone, and then that someone does a random act of kindness, and so on.
Aren't you just a little bit curious? Do it! You'll be blessed by the outcome!
Did you ever hear that when you were growing up? You did something mean to your sibling or to someone at school, and your mom would say, "Now, do unto others..."
It's a wonderful verse to live by. I know that I have used it a few times on my boys and at times, even on myself. How about you? It seems that the people of this world don't always remember. It's a 'me' society. It's all about 'me'. Hey, focus on 'me'! What's in it for 'me'?
Can you imagine if the Lord was in that frame of mind when He roamed this earth? Where would we be today? Certainly not in the blessings of today. If we are of Christ, we should imitate Him, should we not? Shouldn't we be looking for ways to serve His people, not just to see what we get out of it for ourselves, but for the simple reason of just doing?
Jesus didn't think twice when He touched lepers, gave water to the thirsty, feed the hungry, healed the sick, raised the dead. He just 'did'.
He didn't wonder what award He was going to get, how much He would get paid, how long the article in the paper was going to be. He just 'did'.
How about us? How about you? Let's just 'do'. Let's try to spread the love of Jesus just a little further by doing random acts of kindness. It'll be amazing if each of us will just do one act of kindness to someone, and then that someone does a random act of kindness, and so on.
Aren't you just a little bit curious? Do it! You'll be blessed by the outcome!
Friday, January 15, 2010
The Promise of Feathers
"He will cover you with his feathers.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection." Psalm 91:4 NLT
A story was sent to us and this Bible verse was attached to the end of it. Apparently it is a true story.
It was about a couple of park rangers that were walking through a forest that had just been on fire. They saw this eagle sitting at the base of this big tree. Well, the eagle and the tree were dead. So, one of the rangers knocked over the eagle because he thought that it was eerie that even though the bird was dead, it was still upright. Well, when he knocked over the bird, she fell over and out came 5 little birds. They were amazed!
What they figured is that the mother knew that she could not fly out 5 babies chicks and she wouldn't leave them and save herself, so she moved them down to the ground, instinctly knowing that heat and smoke would rise up. She then hide her babies under her wings to protect them, and protect them she did--at her own sacrifice.
Isn't that what the Lord does for us? Doesn't He protect us when we need protection? Move us to safer ground when we are in the wrong or dangerous place?
Isn't that what Easter is all about? Sacrifice? But sacrifice doesn't start with Easter. It started with Christmas. He graciously sacrificed His spot in Heaven for 30 some odd years to be here for us--to protect and sacrifice. He did that for you and for me.
Feel His soft and warm feathers cover and protect you. He promised you He would. You can trust Him.
He will shelter you with his wings.
His faithful promises are your armor and protection." Psalm 91:4 NLT
A story was sent to us and this Bible verse was attached to the end of it. Apparently it is a true story.
It was about a couple of park rangers that were walking through a forest that had just been on fire. They saw this eagle sitting at the base of this big tree. Well, the eagle and the tree were dead. So, one of the rangers knocked over the eagle because he thought that it was eerie that even though the bird was dead, it was still upright. Well, when he knocked over the bird, she fell over and out came 5 little birds. They were amazed!
What they figured is that the mother knew that she could not fly out 5 babies chicks and she wouldn't leave them and save herself, so she moved them down to the ground, instinctly knowing that heat and smoke would rise up. She then hide her babies under her wings to protect them, and protect them she did--at her own sacrifice.
Isn't that what the Lord does for us? Doesn't He protect us when we need protection? Move us to safer ground when we are in the wrong or dangerous place?
Isn't that what Easter is all about? Sacrifice? But sacrifice doesn't start with Easter. It started with Christmas. He graciously sacrificed His spot in Heaven for 30 some odd years to be here for us--to protect and sacrifice. He did that for you and for me.
Feel His soft and warm feathers cover and protect you. He promised you He would. You can trust Him.
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