Jer 19:15 - “This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘Listen! I am going to bring on this city and the villages around it every disaster I pronounced against them, because they were stiff-necked and would not listen to my words.’ ”
People judge the town they live in by how it benefits them. So if I don't get what I like, then it's the town's fault.
Ever thought about who makes up the town? People (you and me) do!
It's not the location that makes a town good or bad, nor is it the number of people there, the environment, the opportunities, or the commute. A town's blessing is based on the hearts of its people.
Jerusalem is really not in that great of a location, nor are its resources that appealing. Yet it is known for the eras of prosperity and success following Teri obedience to God ... and for seasons of disaster when they didn't follow Him. Look also at Rome, London, etc. and it will be true for their history as well. Certainly the US has had seasons of great prosperity as a nation when they followed the Lord.
The way to change your blessings is not changing locations, but changing hearts. Leaving to another location may only corrupt its blessings if our hearts don't change too. A town of people who love their neighbors will always be more successful than one that only cares about themselves.
God can take a dessert and turn it into a major resource (look a the oil fields). He can use whatever town He wants to do great things --- and He can pull a town's blessing away any time He chooses. His decision on the blessing will be based on the hearts of its people.
So change your town instead of moving from it. Instead of changing your location, change your heart. Start with your heart and change it to be a blessing to God. Then watch wha God does to make your town appealing.
A devotional on the Grace of Jesus from reading through the New Testament. Provided by Journey Christian Church of Tracy CA - www.journeycc.net
The Clay Prayer-06/23/12
Jer 18:6 - “O house of Israel, can I not do with you what I want?” declares the Lord. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel."
The Clay Prayer: "Lord, do whatever you want with me." (But then under our breath we think ... as long as it is comfortable, exciting, and fulfills my desires of what I want to be.)
Owning up to that is difficult. When our expectations are not met... When the job or income doesn't happen... When the problems continue to mount up... When nothing seems to go our way ... most people start to question what God is doing. Even the great prophet Jeremiah needed a hands-on lesson with the potter and clay to be reminded of God's will. And even Jeremiah responded to difficult times with the two typical reactions: "Take Over" or "Hide Out".
Taking Over is when the clay pushes God away and starts to try to form itself the way we want to be. The Taking Over method is about the clay trying to become the potter - we try to engineer our lives into the form we want. Life becomes more about what we want to get out of it than what God wants to use us for. Taking Over can often lead to more momentary happiness, but it leaves God's plan on the potter's wheel. And we really never become what it is we're striving for - because we don't have the potter's perspective, (the clay can't see what it's making itself into).
The other reaction tends to be "Hiding Out", where we just leave the wheel and sit in a container. Hiding Out is choosing to stay a clump of clay. Instead of pursuing something, we try to live in an avoidance of God's will. While it leads to different forms of temporary happiness, the clay's life is driven by regret and fear. Those reacting as "Hide Outs" try to sell their own life as successful, only to deceive themselves of the waste their life has become by setting for the temporary. God's will becomes too difficult or demanding, because the change required is too scary to them. So the clay just stays clay - and never becomes a useful instrument in God's house.
God's point in the passage is to remember who is the Lord. The "clay prayer" can be shortened down to the first word: LORD. By saying He is LORD, we don't need to be redundant with saying the rest. LORD is saying He is the Potter, and I am clay. If He is truly LORD, then Taking Over as the Potter or Hiding Out to be clay is not an option. We must simply be clay on the wheel of the Potter.
So our reaction to challenging circumstances or unmet expectations should be to "Stay Centered". Staying Centered is staying in the hands of the Potter on the wheel. Instead of trying to become the potter, or trying to get off the wheel and remain unused clay, we get back to the center of the wheel and let the LORD continue to work on us. In fact, the sooner the clay gets back into the Potter's hands, the less hardened it becomes -- which means it can be formed and forged more quickly into the desires of the Potter.
Staying Centered is the Clay Prayer "LORD". It means going back to obeying the Scriptures. It means trusting God's Will to be done WITHIN the circumstances I'm facing. It means to put aside my wishes for what I want to be, and let God make me into what He wants me to be. It stops evaluating success based on what I'm seeing, and start seeing success as being the clay in God's hands.
An easy way to Stay Centered is the one word Clay Prayer --- LORD. Just start calling on His Name in every moment of weakness, with every thought of Hiding Out, with every desire to Take Over. Say it 100s of times every day to remind yourself to stay in the center of the wheel. He is the Potter, I am the Clay. Then let all of your activities be molded into what He is wanting to do with you... and before you know it, the circumstances will change.
Don't Take Over or Hide Out - Get back on Center.
The Clay Prayer: "Lord, do whatever you want with me." (But then under our breath we think ... as long as it is comfortable, exciting, and fulfills my desires of what I want to be.)
Owning up to that is difficult. When our expectations are not met... When the job or income doesn't happen... When the problems continue to mount up... When nothing seems to go our way ... most people start to question what God is doing. Even the great prophet Jeremiah needed a hands-on lesson with the potter and clay to be reminded of God's will. And even Jeremiah responded to difficult times with the two typical reactions: "Take Over" or "Hide Out".
Taking Over is when the clay pushes God away and starts to try to form itself the way we want to be. The Taking Over method is about the clay trying to become the potter - we try to engineer our lives into the form we want. Life becomes more about what we want to get out of it than what God wants to use us for. Taking Over can often lead to more momentary happiness, but it leaves God's plan on the potter's wheel. And we really never become what it is we're striving for - because we don't have the potter's perspective, (the clay can't see what it's making itself into).
The other reaction tends to be "Hiding Out", where we just leave the wheel and sit in a container. Hiding Out is choosing to stay a clump of clay. Instead of pursuing something, we try to live in an avoidance of God's will. While it leads to different forms of temporary happiness, the clay's life is driven by regret and fear. Those reacting as "Hide Outs" try to sell their own life as successful, only to deceive themselves of the waste their life has become by setting for the temporary. God's will becomes too difficult or demanding, because the change required is too scary to them. So the clay just stays clay - and never becomes a useful instrument in God's house.
God's point in the passage is to remember who is the Lord. The "clay prayer" can be shortened down to the first word: LORD. By saying He is LORD, we don't need to be redundant with saying the rest. LORD is saying He is the Potter, and I am clay. If He is truly LORD, then Taking Over as the Potter or Hiding Out to be clay is not an option. We must simply be clay on the wheel of the Potter.
So our reaction to challenging circumstances or unmet expectations should be to "Stay Centered". Staying Centered is staying in the hands of the Potter on the wheel. Instead of trying to become the potter, or trying to get off the wheel and remain unused clay, we get back to the center of the wheel and let the LORD continue to work on us. In fact, the sooner the clay gets back into the Potter's hands, the less hardened it becomes -- which means it can be formed and forged more quickly into the desires of the Potter.
Staying Centered is the Clay Prayer "LORD". It means going back to obeying the Scriptures. It means trusting God's Will to be done WITHIN the circumstances I'm facing. It means to put aside my wishes for what I want to be, and let God make me into what He wants me to be. It stops evaluating success based on what I'm seeing, and start seeing success as being the clay in God's hands.
An easy way to Stay Centered is the one word Clay Prayer --- LORD. Just start calling on His Name in every moment of weakness, with every thought of Hiding Out, with every desire to Take Over. Say it 100s of times every day to remind yourself to stay in the center of the wheel. He is the Potter, I am the Clay. Then let all of your activities be molded into what He is wanting to do with you... and before you know it, the circumstances will change.
Don't Take Over or Hide Out - Get back on Center.
Believe From Benefit-06/22/12
Isa 61:7 - Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs.
Ever feel like we never get the reward we are working for?
Israel was partially following God, and expected to be rewarded for their halfhearted obedience. But when God held them accountable, they didn't find the reward they wanted. Then after repenting, times were still difficult for them. In fact, in some ways they were worse, because obedience didn't grant rewards immediately. Why believe without benefit?
Little did they know that their reward was already on its way---Jesus was coming. Better that an easier life in earth is the forgiveness and relationship they already have in heaven because of a savior that was about to come. The benefit was in place like a savings account for retirement.
Over and over God continues to remind us all that the benefit is not in this life. We keep wishing for it now, but God knows that we will be glad later that He kept it for eternity. (why spend retirement on cotton candy? Why work for something that disappears in minutes?). God doesn't hold back on rewards as a carrot for obedience, but as the investment of love that we need the most.
Likewise, we don't believe as a carrot to get God to reward us, but as an investment of love that He deserves the most. Belief is not the cost of rewards, it IS the reward! We already have the reward and know it's prepared for eternity. So by knowing, we believe!
Not only that, but God promises a double portion...we get an extra reward for being responsible for our family on earth. We are not just a part of the family, we are leaders in His family.
Believe not for the benefit, but because we already have the benefit waiting for us.
Ever feel like we never get the reward we are working for?
Israel was partially following God, and expected to be rewarded for their halfhearted obedience. But when God held them accountable, they didn't find the reward they wanted. Then after repenting, times were still difficult for them. In fact, in some ways they were worse, because obedience didn't grant rewards immediately. Why believe without benefit?
Little did they know that their reward was already on its way---Jesus was coming. Better that an easier life in earth is the forgiveness and relationship they already have in heaven because of a savior that was about to come. The benefit was in place like a savings account for retirement.
Over and over God continues to remind us all that the benefit is not in this life. We keep wishing for it now, but God knows that we will be glad later that He kept it for eternity. (why spend retirement on cotton candy? Why work for something that disappears in minutes?). God doesn't hold back on rewards as a carrot for obedience, but as the investment of love that we need the most.
Likewise, we don't believe as a carrot to get God to reward us, but as an investment of love that He deserves the most. Belief is not the cost of rewards, it IS the reward! We already have the reward and know it's prepared for eternity. So by knowing, we believe!
Not only that, but God promises a double portion...we get an extra reward for being responsible for our family on earth. We are not just a part of the family, we are leaders in His family.
Believe not for the benefit, but because we already have the benefit waiting for us.
Get Angry, Quit, or Trust-06/21/12
Isa 55:9 - As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Why, God????
It's the question of all time, and it's the one that never gets answered. Yet we still demand to know, and doubt or question God when He doesn't tell us the answer. But at the time, it doesn't occur to us that even if He wanted to tell us 'why', it's not possible for us to comprehend it. Comprehending heaven with an earthly mind is not possible.
Think about how amazing it is just to know what we DO know about God & His Ways. We're blessed just to be able to conceive of what some of the reasons are. We're blessed to be able to have a relationship with Him in any way, let alone know Him personally. We're even blessed sometimes to see the way God is at work and jump in to support Him. But to comprehend His reasoning will have to wait until we get to heaven.
That leaves us with a few choices.
1) We can get angry. Much like children who get upset when their parents do what's best for them, we can treat God like a little (spoiled) child would, and get mad. Of course, the good parent that He is, God can handle that without a problem. And it really doesn't change much ... He still wants to direct our lives along the path to knowing Him better. We usually just hurt ourselves.
2) We can give up. Some just throw in the towel and stop trying to know God personally. They chuck their faith and try to make the rest of their lives the happiest they can. But that leads to emptiness, often followed by addictions, broken relationships, and depression. Even those who do so and seem to find happiness only disc1over at the end of their days how meaningless the whole trip was. What's worse, we hurt ourselves AND others with this trip.
3) We can grow trust. Instead of trying to explain it, we accept whatever God has in store and live with faith in His ways. Growing trust often leads to a bit deeper understanding of the reasons, and it's in the walk of faith that we often discover more about His ways & His thoughts. At the root of healthy relationships is deeper trust --- and we discover that trusting God gives us a better relationship with Him.
Asking Why is not wrong - in fact, it often leads to deeper choices. But getting angry or quitting only creates more failure. So choose to grow, to build more trust, to count on His ways & His thoughts to be right. Turn your Why into What - what do You want to teach me God? what do You want me to do? Learn to grow trust in His ways, and then we'll discover more about them.
What, God?
Why, God????
It's the question of all time, and it's the one that never gets answered. Yet we still demand to know, and doubt or question God when He doesn't tell us the answer. But at the time, it doesn't occur to us that even if He wanted to tell us 'why', it's not possible for us to comprehend it. Comprehending heaven with an earthly mind is not possible.
Think about how amazing it is just to know what we DO know about God & His Ways. We're blessed just to be able to conceive of what some of the reasons are. We're blessed to be able to have a relationship with Him in any way, let alone know Him personally. We're even blessed sometimes to see the way God is at work and jump in to support Him. But to comprehend His reasoning will have to wait until we get to heaven.
That leaves us with a few choices.
1) We can get angry. Much like children who get upset when their parents do what's best for them, we can treat God like a little (spoiled) child would, and get mad. Of course, the good parent that He is, God can handle that without a problem. And it really doesn't change much ... He still wants to direct our lives along the path to knowing Him better. We usually just hurt ourselves.
2) We can give up. Some just throw in the towel and stop trying to know God personally. They chuck their faith and try to make the rest of their lives the happiest they can. But that leads to emptiness, often followed by addictions, broken relationships, and depression. Even those who do so and seem to find happiness only disc1over at the end of their days how meaningless the whole trip was. What's worse, we hurt ourselves AND others with this trip.
3) We can grow trust. Instead of trying to explain it, we accept whatever God has in store and live with faith in His ways. Growing trust often leads to a bit deeper understanding of the reasons, and it's in the walk of faith that we often discover more about His ways & His thoughts. At the root of healthy relationships is deeper trust --- and we discover that trusting God gives us a better relationship with Him.
Asking Why is not wrong - in fact, it often leads to deeper choices. But getting angry or quitting only creates more failure. So choose to grow, to build more trust, to count on His ways & His thoughts to be right. Turn your Why into What - what do You want to teach me God? what do You want me to do? Learn to grow trust in His ways, and then we'll discover more about them.
What, God?
My Way or the High Way-06/20/12
Isa 53:6 - We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
It's my way or the highway... but why is it when we use that line it often feels "low"?
Certainly there are right ways to do things, and wrong ways. And often, there's a point to the reasoning behind our "my way". With kids, the point is clear... they are not the authority. With adults, we often hear this statement (or see it played out), when there has to be a clear expectation set.
Maybe we need to change the way we're looking at it ... it's the High Way or my way. If our commitment to doing the right thing leads us to the "high way" (God's way), then we SHOULD be fully devoted to that method. Now it's also true that Ephesians calls us to speak in Truth AND Love, but the High Way is best for everyone when we follow it. Then it's really not about "my way" at all...
Be careful when you tell people what YOU want. Just because I want something doesn't mean it's the right way, nor does it mean it's the path we should follow. Instead, choose to seek the High Way. What would Jesus do if He were you? In that situation or decision, what decision would He make? Instead of turning to My Way, turn to the High Way.
That requires some work up front --- including learning the Way from Jesus Himself. It means learning the commands and principles of Scripture. It requires a humble, devoted heart. But the more we seek the High Way, the less we have to worry about My Way.
So I'm thinking about changing the statement --- It's the High Way or my way... Truth be known, that's what Isaiah was saying about all of us. We make the choice between doing what we want or what He wants (and usually, the High Way is a bit more difficult).
Choose the High Way!
It's my way or the highway... but why is it when we use that line it often feels "low"?
Certainly there are right ways to do things, and wrong ways. And often, there's a point to the reasoning behind our "my way". With kids, the point is clear... they are not the authority. With adults, we often hear this statement (or see it played out), when there has to be a clear expectation set.
Maybe we need to change the way we're looking at it ... it's the High Way or my way. If our commitment to doing the right thing leads us to the "high way" (God's way), then we SHOULD be fully devoted to that method. Now it's also true that Ephesians calls us to speak in Truth AND Love, but the High Way is best for everyone when we follow it. Then it's really not about "my way" at all...
Be careful when you tell people what YOU want. Just because I want something doesn't mean it's the right way, nor does it mean it's the path we should follow. Instead, choose to seek the High Way. What would Jesus do if He were you? In that situation or decision, what decision would He make? Instead of turning to My Way, turn to the High Way.
That requires some work up front --- including learning the Way from Jesus Himself. It means learning the commands and principles of Scripture. It requires a humble, devoted heart. But the more we seek the High Way, the less we have to worry about My Way.
So I'm thinking about changing the statement --- It's the High Way or my way... Truth be known, that's what Isaiah was saying about all of us. We make the choice between doing what we want or what He wants (and usually, the High Way is a bit more difficult).
Choose the High Way!
Do U Get It?-06/19/12
Isa 40:28 - Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
There's a difference between listening to some facts versus getting the message.
I've had it happen to me often, where someone tells me a story and I could recite the facts of the story back but didn't catch the implications. For instance, if a woman has been sick with the flu often in the last few weeks, you might catch on to the message that she may be pregnant. Or when the grass starts turning brown on people's yards, it might clue you in that they are having financial strain. (Granted, not every time, but you get the idea---or maybe not!)
It's one thing to know the facts and another thing to face the message.
So what more do we need in facts to understand that God exists? Look deeper at the creation around you---is it even logical to think all of this exists and operates so well without the ha d of God involved? And how about the body you live in? How can we believe it was developed without a Master Designer? And what can we say about all the big and small ways our lives are affected by miracles, moments, and circumstances... The facts are there everyday to see... but are we getting it?
If we acknowledge the existence of God, then we must acknowledge that he would have a plan/purpose. And if that is the case, then we have to come to grips that He want us to pursue that plan. And if that's the case, then we need to look at our lives and honestly deal with our own selfishness against that plan. For many people, they actually do know it, but they are not getting it...
That's why Isaiah pleads for people to get it. God has a plan and we are called to be a part of it. Not as self made people but as His servants. Are you getting it? Why waste our life and energy on things that don't last? Why do we shy away from the Lords plan when it gets tough? Maybe it's time to look a little deeper, to pay attention, to Get It!!
Try an experiment... For one week take a look around your life and really look deeper into the things you see...pay attention to what the circumstances are around you...notice Gods plan to reach people and save them from the fires of hell...and ask God to help you Get It. Then put your new learnings into action.
There's a difference between listening to some facts versus getting the message.
I've had it happen to me often, where someone tells me a story and I could recite the facts of the story back but didn't catch the implications. For instance, if a woman has been sick with the flu often in the last few weeks, you might catch on to the message that she may be pregnant. Or when the grass starts turning brown on people's yards, it might clue you in that they are having financial strain. (Granted, not every time, but you get the idea---or maybe not!)
It's one thing to know the facts and another thing to face the message.
So what more do we need in facts to understand that God exists? Look deeper at the creation around you---is it even logical to think all of this exists and operates so well without the ha d of God involved? And how about the body you live in? How can we believe it was developed without a Master Designer? And what can we say about all the big and small ways our lives are affected by miracles, moments, and circumstances... The facts are there everyday to see... but are we getting it?
If we acknowledge the existence of God, then we must acknowledge that he would have a plan/purpose. And if that is the case, then we have to come to grips that He want us to pursue that plan. And if that's the case, then we need to look at our lives and honestly deal with our own selfishness against that plan. For many people, they actually do know it, but they are not getting it...
That's why Isaiah pleads for people to get it. God has a plan and we are called to be a part of it. Not as self made people but as His servants. Are you getting it? Why waste our life and energy on things that don't last? Why do we shy away from the Lords plan when it gets tough? Maybe it's time to look a little deeper, to pay attention, to Get It!!
Try an experiment... For one week take a look around your life and really look deeper into the things you see...pay attention to what the circumstances are around you...notice Gods plan to reach people and save them from the fires of hell...and ask God to help you Get It. Then put your new learnings into action.
He is v I'm Not-06/18/12
Isaiah 6:1 - In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple.
Lord, help me to focus less on what I am not, and focus more in who you are.
That was the powerful prayer of a minister friend of mine, that has not stopped resounding in my heart. There are seasons when it seems nothing is well, just like Isaiah was in, and then God shows up. When that happens, the key is to not focus on our failures, but focus on God's Presence.
Many people skip being part of the family of God because of the guilt they feel. Every word from Scripture or sermons seem to challenge their behaviors or remind them of their failures. For some, there is no escape from the past, and coming to God would only make that more visible.
That's when the Lord loves us enough to come show Himself to us. His Presence provides no room for escape, and we are confronted with our sinfulness. But just like Isaiah, God gives us forgiveness and frees us from fear so that we can move forward in His plan.
If you're in a season of guilt, look for God. If you're facing a dry season, change your devotions to concentrate on who God is. Discover His grace, mercy and healing once again---and then you will be ready to work on what need fixed in your life.
I'm praying that prayer these days---I want to see more of who He is and focus less on who I'm not.
Lord, help me to focus less on what I am not, and focus more in who you are.
That was the powerful prayer of a minister friend of mine, that has not stopped resounding in my heart. There are seasons when it seems nothing is well, just like Isaiah was in, and then God shows up. When that happens, the key is to not focus on our failures, but focus on God's Presence.
Many people skip being part of the family of God because of the guilt they feel. Every word from Scripture or sermons seem to challenge their behaviors or remind them of their failures. For some, there is no escape from the past, and coming to God would only make that more visible.
That's when the Lord loves us enough to come show Himself to us. His Presence provides no room for escape, and we are confronted with our sinfulness. But just like Isaiah, God gives us forgiveness and frees us from fear so that we can move forward in His plan.
If you're in a season of guilt, look for God. If you're facing a dry season, change your devotions to concentrate on who God is. Discover His grace, mercy and healing once again---and then you will be ready to work on what need fixed in your life.
I'm praying that prayer these days---I want to see more of who He is and focus less on who I'm not.
Permanently Beautiful-06/15/12
Eccl 3:11 - He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so they say.
We see beauty as an outward experience. Whether it is looking at the physical or below the surface, our choice of whether something is beautiful is not based on appearance but on our impression of what we see at that moment. That's why something can look the same in two different contexts and be considered beautiful or not beautiful.... I.e. a dirty person may look unattractive in a fancy restaurant while looking beautiful serving on a mission field.
Appearances are judged by the viewer...making us a sort of god in the decision. We decide if something is beautiful at that moment in time.
Ecclesiastes makes a bigger application of this principle. The writer says that everything has a time when it is beautiful, and God sets up those moments. So if you feel like you are not beautiful, wait a bit. For God may be changing contexts to show your beauty.
The person of character recognizes what God is doing in their life and fits to those contexts. Instead of worrying about their appearance, they focus on the context. For instance, a rose may not like it's thorns and try to have them removed, only to later discover it was protection against animals taking its flowers. More bluntly, a person might alter their body to look good only to later find that it caused back problems or health issues. That's not to say we shouldn't take care of ourselves, but we should set the goal as context, not appearance. Letting God use us in His context creates a beautiful impression.
You can do everything to hold onto beauty and still lose it. You can try to gather all the knowledge of God and never grasp it. But letting God put us in His context opens the door for discovering both.
Stop trying to be beautiful in your context and instead let God decide what context to put you in. Then you will be beautiful all the time!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, so they say.
We see beauty as an outward experience. Whether it is looking at the physical or below the surface, our choice of whether something is beautiful is not based on appearance but on our impression of what we see at that moment. That's why something can look the same in two different contexts and be considered beautiful or not beautiful.... I.e. a dirty person may look unattractive in a fancy restaurant while looking beautiful serving on a mission field.
Appearances are judged by the viewer...making us a sort of god in the decision. We decide if something is beautiful at that moment in time.
Ecclesiastes makes a bigger application of this principle. The writer says that everything has a time when it is beautiful, and God sets up those moments. So if you feel like you are not beautiful, wait a bit. For God may be changing contexts to show your beauty.
The person of character recognizes what God is doing in their life and fits to those contexts. Instead of worrying about their appearance, they focus on the context. For instance, a rose may not like it's thorns and try to have them removed, only to later discover it was protection against animals taking its flowers. More bluntly, a person might alter their body to look good only to later find that it caused back problems or health issues. That's not to say we shouldn't take care of ourselves, but we should set the goal as context, not appearance. Letting God use us in His context creates a beautiful impression.
You can do everything to hold onto beauty and still lose it. You can try to gather all the knowledge of God and never grasp it. But letting God put us in His context opens the door for discovering both.
Stop trying to be beautiful in your context and instead let God decide what context to put you in. Then you will be beautiful all the time!
Saving Money in Relationships-06/14/12
Prov 31:10 - A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.
People spend tens of thousands of dollars on the wedding, but then won't spend a few hundred getting the counseling they need for the marriage.
What's worse is the amount that couples spend on lawyers to end the marriage compared to the few dollars it takes to work thru the problems. Compound that with all the extra duplicate spending after a divorce and the cost on the lives of the kids, and it adds up to a lot more than the cost of some rubies!
So if that's the case, then why are we in such a hurry to find a date, or a mate, or get married? Better to be a little slower on that process and get some clear wisdom on who is the right person for us.
And more than that, why go and dump the marriage so quickly when it gets tough? With just a little humility and a little help, the marriage issues can be addressed and new strength given to the relationship.
The choice we make in our marriage relationship decides more about our future than almost anything else. That's why the Proverbs writer spends a whole chapter outlining character qualities of a good mate. We need to be very selective on who we choose and get our character right before starting the marriage. And we need to be the right type of person to move our marriage forward. Character is the core of healthy relationships.
Wisdom sees the future and makes good choices in the present based on that. So look into the future on a relationship based on your character. Is the person you are going to lead to healthy future outcomes? Is the person you want to date or marry showing healthy character (check out the list of evidences in the rest of Proverbs)? Do a character check right now--and be honest enough with yourself to make wise choices.
Character will outlast charisma and appearance, so make your relational decisions based on character.
People spend tens of thousands of dollars on the wedding, but then won't spend a few hundred getting the counseling they need for the marriage.
What's worse is the amount that couples spend on lawyers to end the marriage compared to the few dollars it takes to work thru the problems. Compound that with all the extra duplicate spending after a divorce and the cost on the lives of the kids, and it adds up to a lot more than the cost of some rubies!
So if that's the case, then why are we in such a hurry to find a date, or a mate, or get married? Better to be a little slower on that process and get some clear wisdom on who is the right person for us.
And more than that, why go and dump the marriage so quickly when it gets tough? With just a little humility and a little help, the marriage issues can be addressed and new strength given to the relationship.
The choice we make in our marriage relationship decides more about our future than almost anything else. That's why the Proverbs writer spends a whole chapter outlining character qualities of a good mate. We need to be very selective on who we choose and get our character right before starting the marriage. And we need to be the right type of person to move our marriage forward. Character is the core of healthy relationships.
Wisdom sees the future and makes good choices in the present based on that. So look into the future on a relationship based on your character. Is the person you are going to lead to healthy future outcomes? Is the person you want to date or marry showing healthy character (check out the list of evidences in the rest of Proverbs)? Do a character check right now--and be honest enough with yourself to make wise choices.
Character will outlast charisma and appearance, so make your relational decisions based on character.
The Maturity Test-06/13/12
Prov 9:8 - Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you.
The maturity and wisdom of a person is exposed in how they handle feedback.
Giving feedback is an important part of development. Parents use feedback to help their kids learn lesson and behaviors that are acceptable. We take quizzes and tests in school to gain feedback on how well we learned tha material. Paychecks and appreciation are tools for the boss to give feedback to the employees. And consequences are a form of feedback from God to His children.
Feedback is healthy, but it's the way feedback is handled that demonstrates our wisdom. Bad grades, consequences, rebukes, even layoffs or firings can be a source for learning or for lashing out.
Proverbs spends time recognizing the difference in reactions. When you rebuke a person and they reject you, it's a goo sign of their lack of maturity. But when they listen and learn from it, it demonstrates their wise demeanor.
Unfortunately, we don't always handle every form of feedback wisely. Sometimes we take it personally, defensively, or arrogantly. Often we are quick to come up with excuses or blame to cover the feedback. But a wise minded person will often consider the feedback afterwards and make adjustments. The foolish person will hold a grudge against the feedback giver.
It takes love to give feedback in a proper way. And it takes love to listen to feedback with maturity. Feedback is a gift, so appreciate it and say thank you. Then consider it and discern the seeds of truth that are valid to plant in your life and throw out the rest.
The maturity and wisdom of a person is exposed in how they handle feedback.
Giving feedback is an important part of development. Parents use feedback to help their kids learn lesson and behaviors that are acceptable. We take quizzes and tests in school to gain feedback on how well we learned tha material. Paychecks and appreciation are tools for the boss to give feedback to the employees. And consequences are a form of feedback from God to His children.
Feedback is healthy, but it's the way feedback is handled that demonstrates our wisdom. Bad grades, consequences, rebukes, even layoffs or firings can be a source for learning or for lashing out.
Proverbs spends time recognizing the difference in reactions. When you rebuke a person and they reject you, it's a goo sign of their lack of maturity. But when they listen and learn from it, it demonstrates their wise demeanor.
Unfortunately, we don't always handle every form of feedback wisely. Sometimes we take it personally, defensively, or arrogantly. Often we are quick to come up with excuses or blame to cover the feedback. But a wise minded person will often consider the feedback afterwards and make adjustments. The foolish person will hold a grudge against the feedback giver.
It takes love to give feedback in a proper way. And it takes love to listen to feedback with maturity. Feedback is a gift, so appreciate it and say thank you. Then consider it and discern the seeds of truth that are valid to plant in your life and throw out the rest.
Summer Heat-06/12/12
Prov 8:1 - Does not wisdom call out? Does not understanding raise her voice?
It's getting hot out these days!
Summers in the Central Valley of California are not normally cool. The weather starts warming up in April and May, and by June through August it gets blistering hot. Not as hot as some places... Arizona and New Mexico are desert-hot in the summer. But for a place so populated, it is a very hot climate. Funny thing is, people have lived here for years, some all of their life, and most still act like the heat is unexpected. You hear people complaining all the time about the heat, even though it's the same every year. Of course, most of the same people are complaining about the cold when it dips below 70 degrees too.... lol :)
The point is that the heat is predictable, and it warns us every year that its coming in those spring months when we can start wearing summer clothes. There's no getting around that these are the conditions we live in, just like there's no escaping the fact that hurricanes happen in the Gulf and tornadoes happen in the Midwest. These are the conditions we need to be prepared for.
Wisdom recognizes the conditions and prepares for them, instead of acting like they are not there or don't belong. All of these first 8 chapters of Proverbs keeps resounding the thermometer to pay attention to Wisdom. She's calling out to you daily... she's offering you understanding... she's not hidden or unexpected, but right there for everyone to listen to if we would just listen and follow her calling. Wisdom never stops calling out to us, just like summer heat never stops coming. Listen and prepare for her words.
Yet isn't it the case that we all tend to ignore wisdom like it's not really there? We think we can get by without obedience to the words of Wisdom, and believe the heat isn't coming. We ignore the commands of God and pay more attention to the ways of men. We push aside what is Right to do in order to do what everyone else is doing. We expect to keep the pleasantness of spring instead of preparing for the heat of summer.
Funny thing about the heat of summer - I don't hear too many people complaining about the sun being up more hours to be able to do things in the evenings. I certainly don't hear people complaining about the opportunities it gives for taking a vacation or enjoying time on an activity. Certainly haven't heard many people complain about swimming in their pools either! With the summer heat comes other blessings, if we prepare for it wisely.
Listen to Wisdom calling you today - it's messages of truth and understanding traverse generations and ages, bringing principles that lead to long term success and fruitfulness. Don't hesitate to listen to God's wise counsel and put His principles into practice.
It may just be the difference between enjoying the summer heat versus burning up in it.
It's getting hot out these days!
Summers in the Central Valley of California are not normally cool. The weather starts warming up in April and May, and by June through August it gets blistering hot. Not as hot as some places... Arizona and New Mexico are desert-hot in the summer. But for a place so populated, it is a very hot climate. Funny thing is, people have lived here for years, some all of their life, and most still act like the heat is unexpected. You hear people complaining all the time about the heat, even though it's the same every year. Of course, most of the same people are complaining about the cold when it dips below 70 degrees too.... lol :)
The point is that the heat is predictable, and it warns us every year that its coming in those spring months when we can start wearing summer clothes. There's no getting around that these are the conditions we live in, just like there's no escaping the fact that hurricanes happen in the Gulf and tornadoes happen in the Midwest. These are the conditions we need to be prepared for.
Wisdom recognizes the conditions and prepares for them, instead of acting like they are not there or don't belong. All of these first 8 chapters of Proverbs keeps resounding the thermometer to pay attention to Wisdom. She's calling out to you daily... she's offering you understanding... she's not hidden or unexpected, but right there for everyone to listen to if we would just listen and follow her calling. Wisdom never stops calling out to us, just like summer heat never stops coming. Listen and prepare for her words.
Yet isn't it the case that we all tend to ignore wisdom like it's not really there? We think we can get by without obedience to the words of Wisdom, and believe the heat isn't coming. We ignore the commands of God and pay more attention to the ways of men. We push aside what is Right to do in order to do what everyone else is doing. We expect to keep the pleasantness of spring instead of preparing for the heat of summer.
Funny thing about the heat of summer - I don't hear too many people complaining about the sun being up more hours to be able to do things in the evenings. I certainly don't hear people complaining about the opportunities it gives for taking a vacation or enjoying time on an activity. Certainly haven't heard many people complain about swimming in their pools either! With the summer heat comes other blessings, if we prepare for it wisely.
Listen to Wisdom calling you today - it's messages of truth and understanding traverse generations and ages, bringing principles that lead to long term success and fruitfulness. Don't hesitate to listen to God's wise counsel and put His principles into practice.
It may just be the difference between enjoying the summer heat versus burning up in it.
The Power at our Fingertips-06/11/12
Prov 7:3 - Bind His commands on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart.
I like having the remote control around me at all times (of course, it's also in the possession of my wife at times, or my granddaughter's hand when she visits). Having "the power" allows me to view whatever I want on the TV. Of course, in this high content world, that's not always a good thing. Channel surfing has become more dangerous these days, because my fingers can lead my mind on a journey that it shouldn't travel. Some things are fine, but others need to be skipped through or avoided quickly. (And when I traveled, hotel remotes were much more dangerous - often requiring a phone call to the front desk to have channels turned off in order to avoid the danger.)
It's not just the remote control. Having things at our fingertips is a norm in our lives. We like having wireless access, remote control, buttons on the steering wheel, even touch screen phones that can handle all our communication needs. But often it's the stuff we set aside that ends up disappointing us later. Like leaving our family at arms length, or putting aside our Bibles for a while, or not praying and talking/listening to God regularly.
The writer in Proverbs exhorts us to keep God at our fingertips--including His commands and principles. Make His Word a remote control that you keep by your side regularly. Having His commands at your fingertips can save us from the destructive things our fingers grab for. In the rest of Proverbs 7, the writer shows the danger of not having God's commands at your fingertips. He uses a similar example to channel surfing in the day - the seductress that draws an unknowing man into her arms and destroys his life (as well as damaging the life of his family). The point is not just the danger of adultery, but the danger of not having God's commands at your fingertips.
Take a look at what your fingers are doing these days. What is at your fingertips? Is the Word of God a regular touch-point in your life? Are you keeping the Lord's principles or your pleasures at your fingertips? Make sure you're carefully examining what power your fingers possess.
I like having the remote control around me at all times (of course, it's also in the possession of my wife at times, or my granddaughter's hand when she visits). Having "the power" allows me to view whatever I want on the TV. Of course, in this high content world, that's not always a good thing. Channel surfing has become more dangerous these days, because my fingers can lead my mind on a journey that it shouldn't travel. Some things are fine, but others need to be skipped through or avoided quickly. (And when I traveled, hotel remotes were much more dangerous - often requiring a phone call to the front desk to have channels turned off in order to avoid the danger.)
It's not just the remote control. Having things at our fingertips is a norm in our lives. We like having wireless access, remote control, buttons on the steering wheel, even touch screen phones that can handle all our communication needs. But often it's the stuff we set aside that ends up disappointing us later. Like leaving our family at arms length, or putting aside our Bibles for a while, or not praying and talking/listening to God regularly.
The writer in Proverbs exhorts us to keep God at our fingertips--including His commands and principles. Make His Word a remote control that you keep by your side regularly. Having His commands at your fingertips can save us from the destructive things our fingers grab for. In the rest of Proverbs 7, the writer shows the danger of not having God's commands at your fingertips. He uses a similar example to channel surfing in the day - the seductress that draws an unknowing man into her arms and destroys his life (as well as damaging the life of his family). The point is not just the danger of adultery, but the danger of not having God's commands at your fingertips.
Take a look at what your fingers are doing these days. What is at your fingertips? Is the Word of God a regular touch-point in your life? Are you keeping the Lord's principles or your pleasures at your fingertips? Make sure you're carefully examining what power your fingers possess.
Upping my Hate-06/10/12
Prov 6:16 - There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: ...
There are some things that are acceptable to hate. In fact, God actually despises some things.
Proverbs goes on to list some of them. ... Pride, lying, assault, sin, etc. But what should strike us is not what's in the list, but the fact that there IS one! God hates some things that He still puts up with (at least for a while).
That should tell us some things:
Hating people is not an option, but hating certain behaviors is acceptable. In fact, we can tell more about what we truly live by what we hate.
We not only should love what God loves, but hate what God hates. I'm guessing we are more accepting of many of those behavior than we should be.
Hating something doesn't mean we are supposed to eliminate it. We should not participate in it, support it, or encourage it. But if God doesn't eliminate it from our free will, we probably should be careful in how w handle it with others.
Hard to believe that God is so patient with us on things that He hates. But even harder to believe is knowing He hates it and still doing those things! Every time we lie, God hates it. Every abortion or unjust killing God despises. Every time I choose my will over his, or select sin instead of rightness, or encourage others to sin---God hates it!
I'm concerned that we haven't developed a better sense of hating the things God hates. Accepting pride, or white lies, or pursuing sinful behaviors, should be so disgusting to us that we would rather suffer that accept them into our life. If God hates them so much, then I better learn to hate them in my life, whatever it is.
You have probably been taught to love everyone... a good teaching. But accept a second part of that teaching---to hate everything God hates.
There are some things that are acceptable to hate. In fact, God actually despises some things.
Proverbs goes on to list some of them. ... Pride, lying, assault, sin, etc. But what should strike us is not what's in the list, but the fact that there IS one! God hates some things that He still puts up with (at least for a while).
That should tell us some things:
Hating people is not an option, but hating certain behaviors is acceptable. In fact, we can tell more about what we truly live by what we hate.
We not only should love what God loves, but hate what God hates. I'm guessing we are more accepting of many of those behavior than we should be.
Hating something doesn't mean we are supposed to eliminate it. We should not participate in it, support it, or encourage it. But if God doesn't eliminate it from our free will, we probably should be careful in how w handle it with others.
Hard to believe that God is so patient with us on things that He hates. But even harder to believe is knowing He hates it and still doing those things! Every time we lie, God hates it. Every abortion or unjust killing God despises. Every time I choose my will over his, or select sin instead of rightness, or encourage others to sin---God hates it!
I'm concerned that we haven't developed a better sense of hating the things God hates. Accepting pride, or white lies, or pursuing sinful behaviors, should be so disgusting to us that we would rather suffer that accept them into our life. If God hates them so much, then I better learn to hate them in my life, whatever it is.
You have probably been taught to love everyone... a good teaching. But accept a second part of that teaching---to hate everything God hates.
I didn't Get Away With It-06/09/12
Proverbs 5:21 - For a man's ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all his paths.
I thought I got away with it...
When my mom had to take a trip to see family, my brother and I had the house to ourselves. PARTAY!!! We were excite about our independence and exercised it immediately. So some friends came over and we had fun together. Then before mon came home we cleaned up the mess and got rid if the evidence. Or so we thought. Years later it came up in a conversation and we found out my mom knew the whole time! She just used other means to find out what we were doing and the consequences were lost opportunities later. Not much ever got past mom.
Nothing ever gets by God...ever. He knows everything we are doing and all of the motives behind it. Thinking we are getting away with it is just a lie to ourselves.
Getting away with something is just long term sacrifice for a short term gain. It is us lieing to ourselves that we can avoid future consequences by hiding it. And often it looks like we do...until you look at the side effects of our choices. Hiding that party left many:
- less trust and freedom from our mom
- doubt in leaving my own child a home (if I did it, then why believe sh wouldn't)
- disappointment in myself
- guilt before God
Not all consequences are obvious, but they exist nonetheless.
The more we believe in consequences, the more we will avoid mistakes and sin. That's why God warns us about His watchful eye---not to make us rebellious but to encourage a better response to temptation and avoid the long term sacrifice.
Start believing that we don't get away with it. Then thank God for the grace and mercy He gives that avoids immediate consequences. And remember that Jesus took on the punishment that we thought we got away with.
I thought I got away with it...
When my mom had to take a trip to see family, my brother and I had the house to ourselves. PARTAY!!! We were excite about our independence and exercised it immediately. So some friends came over and we had fun together. Then before mon came home we cleaned up the mess and got rid if the evidence. Or so we thought. Years later it came up in a conversation and we found out my mom knew the whole time! She just used other means to find out what we were doing and the consequences were lost opportunities later. Not much ever got past mom.
Nothing ever gets by God...ever. He knows everything we are doing and all of the motives behind it. Thinking we are getting away with it is just a lie to ourselves.
Getting away with something is just long term sacrifice for a short term gain. It is us lieing to ourselves that we can avoid future consequences by hiding it. And often it looks like we do...until you look at the side effects of our choices. Hiding that party left many:
- less trust and freedom from our mom
- doubt in leaving my own child a home (if I did it, then why believe sh wouldn't)
- disappointment in myself
- guilt before God
Not all consequences are obvious, but they exist nonetheless.
The more we believe in consequences, the more we will avoid mistakes and sin. That's why God warns us about His watchful eye---not to make us rebellious but to encourage a better response to temptation and avoid the long term sacrifice.
Start believing that we don't get away with it. Then thank God for the grace and mercy He gives that avoids immediate consequences. And remember that Jesus took on the punishment that we thought we got away with.
The Gut Knows!-06/08/12
Prov 4:7,23 - Wisdom is supreme; therefore get wisdom. Though it cost all you have, get understanding..... Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
Logically it all made sense. My mentors thought it wiser to stay in my career and certainly it was easier emotionally to stay. Our family and loved ones were there and we were blessed in a growing career. We were finally at a good place in life, so why risk all of it to move away and start a career in ministry? Wisdom said one thing, but our gut was telling Dianna and I another.
What do you do when your head and your heart collide?
For much of Proverbs, the writer is teaching the student to pursue wisdom. Finding what is wise is a lifelong journey taken by people who are willing to seek out Truth and Understanding. Most of us that are teachers try to help people learn what is wise and tell others to do the wise thing. In fact, even the writer of Proverbs tells us to sell everything, risk everything, and pursue whatever it takes to gain wisdom.
But then the writer of Proverbs interjects this statement to Guard our Hearts. Instead of pursuit, he encourages us to hold back in protection mode. He wants us to go on the offensive when pursuing wisdom, but then play defense when it comes to matters of the heart.
The word for the heart here describes our core---not just our emotions, but our soul. Proverbs is telling us that deep at the core of life is our soul, and it needs guarded while our mind continues its pursuit of wisdom. He is not talking about emotions, but the will of our lives to do what's right.
Emotions can be deceived and the mind can justify anything it wants to, but the soul has a compass of knowing what is right even when the facts or feelings tell us otherwise. So we need to guard our soul, even when it is in conflict with our mind or emotions or body.
Thus the conflict. Our bodies will tell us to lust after something it wants and we will expose our soul to get it. Our mind will tell us to do things that make sense, either justifying our sinful behaviors, or trying to prevent us from unsafe callings of God. And our emotions will tell us it's right because it feels good. None of those answers match the soul. The soul was built by God to have a filter that tells us what is right even when the body, mind, and emotions are wrong.
So when the conflicts come up---guard the soul. Defend what the soul is saying in your conscience, even if it restricts your body, ignores your emotions, or violates your logic. Trust the soul to know!
In our case, we asked God for confirmation. He gave it in a big way, so we took the jump. Even today after 10 years of challenges and hard work, the soul knows that doing what God said was more important than our comfort, happiness, or financial stability. We are still guarding our soul on that one today.
What does your gut know that your mind is arguing with? What is the right thing to do, that you know you should be doing but have all your reasons for another plan? What feels good to you, but goes against the Word of yGod in your soul? Guard your gut!
Logically it all made sense. My mentors thought it wiser to stay in my career and certainly it was easier emotionally to stay. Our family and loved ones were there and we were blessed in a growing career. We were finally at a good place in life, so why risk all of it to move away and start a career in ministry? Wisdom said one thing, but our gut was telling Dianna and I another.
What do you do when your head and your heart collide?
For much of Proverbs, the writer is teaching the student to pursue wisdom. Finding what is wise is a lifelong journey taken by people who are willing to seek out Truth and Understanding. Most of us that are teachers try to help people learn what is wise and tell others to do the wise thing. In fact, even the writer of Proverbs tells us to sell everything, risk everything, and pursue whatever it takes to gain wisdom.
But then the writer of Proverbs interjects this statement to Guard our Hearts. Instead of pursuit, he encourages us to hold back in protection mode. He wants us to go on the offensive when pursuing wisdom, but then play defense when it comes to matters of the heart.
The word for the heart here describes our core---not just our emotions, but our soul. Proverbs is telling us that deep at the core of life is our soul, and it needs guarded while our mind continues its pursuit of wisdom. He is not talking about emotions, but the will of our lives to do what's right.
Emotions can be deceived and the mind can justify anything it wants to, but the soul has a compass of knowing what is right even when the facts or feelings tell us otherwise. So we need to guard our soul, even when it is in conflict with our mind or emotions or body.
Thus the conflict. Our bodies will tell us to lust after something it wants and we will expose our soul to get it. Our mind will tell us to do things that make sense, either justifying our sinful behaviors, or trying to prevent us from unsafe callings of God. And our emotions will tell us it's right because it feels good. None of those answers match the soul. The soul was built by God to have a filter that tells us what is right even when the body, mind, and emotions are wrong.
So when the conflicts come up---guard the soul. Defend what the soul is saying in your conscience, even if it restricts your body, ignores your emotions, or violates your logic. Trust the soul to know!
In our case, we asked God for confirmation. He gave it in a big way, so we took the jump. Even today after 10 years of challenges and hard work, the soul knows that doing what God said was more important than our comfort, happiness, or financial stability. We are still guarding our soul on that one today.
What does your gut know that your mind is arguing with? What is the right thing to do, that you know you should be doing but have all your reasons for another plan? What feels good to you, but goes against the Word of yGod in your soul? Guard your gut!
I'm just like My Parents-06/07/12
Prov 3:11-12 - My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, because the Lord disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
I promised I would NEVER grow up to be like my parents! But then the day comes when you realize how much you're just like them...
Our daughter said the same thing to us. Then one day we were sitting around the kitchen table at her house and I was helping her son with some math homework. He wanted me to just give him the answer, and I proceeded to help him learn HOW to find the answer. He turned to my daughter and said: "I see where you get it from." Oh the joy of seeing that your kids parent much the same way that you do!!!
Then a few weeks ago, I was talking to my granddaughter CJ, and she told me I sounded just like "big papa" (my dad). UGH - I did! I see it more and more in my own behaviors, as I continue to model many of my parents' qualities. And now Heather is more and more like her mother in how she parents. Apparently we are both becoming more and more like our parents!
That's the thing about discipline. Discipline feels unpleasant at the time, but it's the tool that must be used to mold the character of those we love to become more like us. God doesn't discipline us just to punish us, or to keep us in our place. His discipline is out of the desire to mold us into His likeness. It's in the discipline that we become like Him --- just like the way we become more like our parents through the discipline they instilled in us.
Discipline is often associated with punishment, but it really is more about activity. Much of our parental teaching these days is about "removing" activity from our kids in order to discipline them (grounding, take away the keys, etc.). The reality is that God uses both removal and addition in discipline... adding more work to our loads, adding more repetition of the same lessons. As a friend once told me about his father, "discipline meant more rocks to be picked up out of the field". It's in the activity that we learn, not in the inactivity.
Discipline is also for the purpose of learning. I find it interesting that our form of discipline is to separate criminals, students, etc. from the learning. Criminals are put in a separated jail and never have to face the pain they caused, nor do anything to make amends to those who were hurt. Students are suspended from school, where they sit home with too much time on their hands and learn nothing during their suspension. God's discipline is often active - giving us new challenges to deal with to learn the lessons.
God's love for us and desire for our growth motivates Him to be perfect at discipline. Our job is to embrace that discipline so we can learn much quicker and gain the Image He is trying to create. The end result is to become more like Him! The children become like the father.
So don't regret being a little like your parents --- they weren't perfect, but certainly did something right. Accept the discipline that helped you become a little more like Jesus.
I promised I would NEVER grow up to be like my parents! But then the day comes when you realize how much you're just like them...
Our daughter said the same thing to us. Then one day we were sitting around the kitchen table at her house and I was helping her son with some math homework. He wanted me to just give him the answer, and I proceeded to help him learn HOW to find the answer. He turned to my daughter and said: "I see where you get it from." Oh the joy of seeing that your kids parent much the same way that you do!!!
Then a few weeks ago, I was talking to my granddaughter CJ, and she told me I sounded just like "big papa" (my dad). UGH - I did! I see it more and more in my own behaviors, as I continue to model many of my parents' qualities. And now Heather is more and more like her mother in how she parents. Apparently we are both becoming more and more like our parents!
That's the thing about discipline. Discipline feels unpleasant at the time, but it's the tool that must be used to mold the character of those we love to become more like us. God doesn't discipline us just to punish us, or to keep us in our place. His discipline is out of the desire to mold us into His likeness. It's in the discipline that we become like Him --- just like the way we become more like our parents through the discipline they instilled in us.
Discipline is often associated with punishment, but it really is more about activity. Much of our parental teaching these days is about "removing" activity from our kids in order to discipline them (grounding, take away the keys, etc.). The reality is that God uses both removal and addition in discipline... adding more work to our loads, adding more repetition of the same lessons. As a friend once told me about his father, "discipline meant more rocks to be picked up out of the field". It's in the activity that we learn, not in the inactivity.
Discipline is also for the purpose of learning. I find it interesting that our form of discipline is to separate criminals, students, etc. from the learning. Criminals are put in a separated jail and never have to face the pain they caused, nor do anything to make amends to those who were hurt. Students are suspended from school, where they sit home with too much time on their hands and learn nothing during their suspension. God's discipline is often active - giving us new challenges to deal with to learn the lessons.
God's love for us and desire for our growth motivates Him to be perfect at discipline. Our job is to embrace that discipline so we can learn much quicker and gain the Image He is trying to create. The end result is to become more like Him! The children become like the father.
So don't regret being a little like your parents --- they weren't perfect, but certainly did something right. Accept the discipline that helped you become a little more like Jesus.
Wisdom below My Face-06/06/12
Proverbs 2:3-5 - If you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
It's so irritating to misplace your glasses when you are trying to read!
As we get older, our eyesight often changes and requires the use if glasses. That wouldn't be so bad were it not for all the wasted time trying to find them. I must have spent an hour trying to find my glasses around the house, even checking the car and driving to the office to look...only to discover they were sitting 3" below my chin, hanging from my shirt collar!
God's wisdom is much like those glasses. He provides His wisdom within reach thru His Word and creation, but we must want to look for it. We are able to be wise if we are willing to seek His wisdom. Like a pair of spiritual glasses, when we search His Word it can help us see Gods infinite wisdom clearly.
Sadly, His wisdom is as available to us as my glasses were to me...I just needed to slow down and pay better attention. (the reason I found them was because I looked at myself in the mirror!). Maybe the reason we are no seeing Gods wisdom is because we aren't looking for it properly.
Don't complain about the time it takes to study Gods word...look deeply into His wisdom. It is virtually free (cheaper than counseling appointments, lawyers and repair shops.) And more available than McDonalds. Search for a little of His Wisdom today.
Who knows, you might just discover something right in front of your face :)
It's so irritating to misplace your glasses when you are trying to read!
As we get older, our eyesight often changes and requires the use if glasses. That wouldn't be so bad were it not for all the wasted time trying to find them. I must have spent an hour trying to find my glasses around the house, even checking the car and driving to the office to look...only to discover they were sitting 3" below my chin, hanging from my shirt collar!
God's wisdom is much like those glasses. He provides His wisdom within reach thru His Word and creation, but we must want to look for it. We are able to be wise if we are willing to seek His wisdom. Like a pair of spiritual glasses, when we search His Word it can help us see Gods infinite wisdom clearly.
Sadly, His wisdom is as available to us as my glasses were to me...I just needed to slow down and pay better attention. (the reason I found them was because I looked at myself in the mirror!). Maybe the reason we are no seeing Gods wisdom is because we aren't looking for it properly.
Don't complain about the time it takes to study Gods word...look deeply into His wisdom. It is virtually free (cheaper than counseling appointments, lawyers and repair shops.) And more available than McDonalds. Search for a little of His Wisdom today.
Who knows, you might just discover something right in front of your face :)
Healthy Fear is Good-06/05/12
Proverbs
1:7 - The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise
wisdom and discipline.
It's funny how our minds were designed. Simple statements can become mantras we remember forever - they are "proverbs" of life. Some fun "proverbs" that my family taught me:
- If mamma ain't happy, then nobody is happy!
- Nothing happens until you start.
- Cleanliness is next to Godliness (I was never too sure about this one... :)
- God helps those who help themselves (well.... sometimes anyways).
- Don't confuse activity with accomplishment.
- Inward pity never creates outward gain (a good one from a friend of mine).
Proverbs are powerful reminders that there are principles in life we will benefit from if we just apply them in our lives. And so the assembler of the book of Proverbs starts off talking about wisdom, because it is the root reason why we would record these sayings. The writer quotes a proverb that is at the core of all faith, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning". Before we will ever consider what God has to say, we have to sense a healthy fear of what He can do.
Fear is not always a bad thing. Some fears are actually healthy. It's not healthy to fear possibilities, but very healthy to fear realities. One reality is the damage a hot stove can do to skin. Another reality is the impact that can happen from falling off a ledge. There are many realities that are healthy to be cautious of. And the greatest reality is in knowing what can happen when created beings disobey their creator (hint ... it's NOT GOOD!).
Fearing Mamma can be healthy when based on a reality of what she will do when she's upset. I learned that the hard way as a young child in the grocery store, when she proved she had no problem spanking me in public when I was acting up. (Don't fret, it was definitely justified!) Fearing our boss can be healthy when we prefer to waste our work time doing personal tasks, or prefer to sleep instead of working the hours we were assigned. And fearing God is definitely healthy when we consider the reality of what happens with sinners. Better to fear Him and deal with the reality.
Healthy fear makes us pay attention to the realities. And fearing the Lord in a healthy way makes us listen more to His Word, obey His Commands, follow His Principles, and listen to His Whispers. The fear is a positive motivator to investigate and KNOW the reality better. Fools, on the other hand, ignore the reality. They are so focused on their own agendas that they skip over the truth of the realities ahead. That leads to discovering the pain of the reality. It's inevitable. Ignoring discipline is eventually more painful than embracing it.
A maturing person learns to look at reality and discern the difference. Fearing the reality leads to life... Fooling around leads to death. All of us wrestle with these choices every day, and hopefully get wiser at choosing to fear the realities properly.
How are you doing on that these days? Fearing God leads to seeking His wisdom - does your life reflect that in your disciplines? Fearing God makes us choose to obey His commands - how's your obedience level? Does God see you acting like a healthy "Fearer" or a simple "Fool".
Make the decision for this month to try having a little Healthy Fear. Adjust your disciplines and schedules to start showing fear for the right realities. See what happens when we start to seek some wisdom on how to handle the realities of this life.
It's funny how our minds were designed. Simple statements can become mantras we remember forever - they are "proverbs" of life. Some fun "proverbs" that my family taught me:
- If mamma ain't happy, then nobody is happy!
- Nothing happens until you start.
- Cleanliness is next to Godliness (I was never too sure about this one... :)
- God helps those who help themselves (well.... sometimes anyways).
- Don't confuse activity with accomplishment.
- Inward pity never creates outward gain (a good one from a friend of mine).
Proverbs are powerful reminders that there are principles in life we will benefit from if we just apply them in our lives. And so the assembler of the book of Proverbs starts off talking about wisdom, because it is the root reason why we would record these sayings. The writer quotes a proverb that is at the core of all faith, "the fear of the Lord is the beginning". Before we will ever consider what God has to say, we have to sense a healthy fear of what He can do.
Fear is not always a bad thing. Some fears are actually healthy. It's not healthy to fear possibilities, but very healthy to fear realities. One reality is the damage a hot stove can do to skin. Another reality is the impact that can happen from falling off a ledge. There are many realities that are healthy to be cautious of. And the greatest reality is in knowing what can happen when created beings disobey their creator (hint ... it's NOT GOOD!).
Fearing Mamma can be healthy when based on a reality of what she will do when she's upset. I learned that the hard way as a young child in the grocery store, when she proved she had no problem spanking me in public when I was acting up. (Don't fret, it was definitely justified!) Fearing our boss can be healthy when we prefer to waste our work time doing personal tasks, or prefer to sleep instead of working the hours we were assigned. And fearing God is definitely healthy when we consider the reality of what happens with sinners. Better to fear Him and deal with the reality.
Healthy fear makes us pay attention to the realities. And fearing the Lord in a healthy way makes us listen more to His Word, obey His Commands, follow His Principles, and listen to His Whispers. The fear is a positive motivator to investigate and KNOW the reality better. Fools, on the other hand, ignore the reality. They are so focused on their own agendas that they skip over the truth of the realities ahead. That leads to discovering the pain of the reality. It's inevitable. Ignoring discipline is eventually more painful than embracing it.
A maturing person learns to look at reality and discern the difference. Fearing the reality leads to life... Fooling around leads to death. All of us wrestle with these choices every day, and hopefully get wiser at choosing to fear the realities properly.
How are you doing on that these days? Fearing God leads to seeking His wisdom - does your life reflect that in your disciplines? Fearing God makes us choose to obey His commands - how's your obedience level? Does God see you acting like a healthy "Fearer" or a simple "Fool".
Make the decision for this month to try having a little Healthy Fear. Adjust your disciplines and schedules to start showing fear for the right realities. See what happens when we start to seek some wisdom on how to handle the realities of this life.
Love Quotient-06/04/12
Psa
145:10 - The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will
destroy.
You can usually tell when someone does something out of love instead of the desire to benefit from it.
Think of your mother (at least in most cases). Moms are notoriously doing things motivated by love. They often get little credit, and ask for nothing in return. Yet that doesn't stop them from constantly serving their family or caring for their needs. With little benefit, good moms are motivated purely by their love for their family.
Think of many dads, who work tirelessly and serve their families, who sometimes live with jobs they don't like for years, so that there can be food on the table and kids have an education. Again, motivated out of love for the family instead of just benefiting themselves.
Then think of Jesus, who went to the cross out of love for His Father and for us. Nothing more exemplifies what love looks like than the cross. There was NO ability to benefit from the cross - it was ugly, beyond painful, and forever ending. Yet, out of love for His Father, Jesus endured the cross.
That's what gets God's attention - love for Him. He knows us too well to think we can fake Him out, or hide our true motives. But when He sees people fully committed to loving Him and demonstrating that love in the way they care for others, it makes God pay attention. He watches over those who love Him.
What's your love quotient these days? Is it more motivated by what benefit you'll receive, or is it driven purely by how much you love Him and want to please Him? People who love the Lord are those who will do anything for Him at any time - no questions asked. Lovers of God are not bothered with the dirtiness of the job, they "get er done". Lovers of God care more about what God cares about - other people & His Kingdom. Lovers of God will set aside their own lives, even to the point of death, to be faithful to the calling God has given them. And Lovers of God are always under the watchful eye of the one they love.
Up your Love Quotient today. Find a way to love God today. And notice the way His eyes are upon you! He's wanting to watch...
You can usually tell when someone does something out of love instead of the desire to benefit from it.
Think of your mother (at least in most cases). Moms are notoriously doing things motivated by love. They often get little credit, and ask for nothing in return. Yet that doesn't stop them from constantly serving their family or caring for their needs. With little benefit, good moms are motivated purely by their love for their family.
Think of many dads, who work tirelessly and serve their families, who sometimes live with jobs they don't like for years, so that there can be food on the table and kids have an education. Again, motivated out of love for the family instead of just benefiting themselves.
Then think of Jesus, who went to the cross out of love for His Father and for us. Nothing more exemplifies what love looks like than the cross. There was NO ability to benefit from the cross - it was ugly, beyond painful, and forever ending. Yet, out of love for His Father, Jesus endured the cross.
That's what gets God's attention - love for Him. He knows us too well to think we can fake Him out, or hide our true motives. But when He sees people fully committed to loving Him and demonstrating that love in the way they care for others, it makes God pay attention. He watches over those who love Him.
What's your love quotient these days? Is it more motivated by what benefit you'll receive, or is it driven purely by how much you love Him and want to please Him? People who love the Lord are those who will do anything for Him at any time - no questions asked. Lovers of God are not bothered with the dirtiness of the job, they "get er done". Lovers of God care more about what God cares about - other people & His Kingdom. Lovers of God will set aside their own lives, even to the point of death, to be faithful to the calling God has given them. And Lovers of God are always under the watchful eye of the one they love.
Up your Love Quotient today. Find a way to love God today. And notice the way His eyes are upon you! He's wanting to watch...
Hopelessly Saved-06/03/12
Psalm
107:13 - Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from
their distress.
Our daughter grew up with a little stubborn streak in her (I told her she gets it from her mother!). Even as a little girl she wanted to prove she "could do it herself" on just about everything. There was a constant pattern in those younger years of her taking on something, us trying to help her, her rejecting our help, then her getting frustrated and angry and finally giving up, crying out to us and mad we didn't "help her". It would have been comical had it not been our process at times too.
The only way out of our pit of sin is to find the bottom of hopelessness. It's when we stop thinking that we will get away with it or that someone will rescue us from the consequences that we give up our pride and cry out for help.
We see crying out for help as weakness and failure, but God sees it as humility and cooperation. He doesn't love us less for it, just like we didn't love our daughter less when she couldn't do something. It is part of development to need help.
Hopelessness is about realizing the answer is not in me. It is the moment when we can no longer manufacture the solution and must own up to the truth. Then we give up trying, and cry out to someone else for help. It is the bottom of the pit.
This Psalm shows how God is patient enough to let us hit bottom before He acts to help. But then He is faithful at saving us when we do finally hit bottom. And He knows when we are faking a bottom...so He waits until we get there.
Our sin will eventually take us to the bottom of the pit. In fact, sin and guilt drive us down there, and you know it is happening when we try to fix the problem ourselves, or run from our situation, or expect someone else to fix it for us, or blame everyone else for our situation. Expecting to be saved is not hopelessness.
Crying out to God is no about how many tears I shed or how whiny my voice gets. It is when I drop my expectations and let God have total control of what happens. It's not about helplessness but hopelessness---I am no longer living for my dreams but choosing to let God accomplish His dreams for me, including being in a pit. That's the moment God is looking for, when we stop living for our own expectations and are ready to know His.
But the day you cry out is the day He starts the rescue effort! It takes some work & change to come out of the pit, and He continues to work on us. Buy the salvation has begun. People may see us as being in the pit still, but we already know something has changed on the inside. Our hopelessness has led to a relationship. We are being saved from the pit of our own self.
So don't be afraid to get hopeless. Don't resist the humility of crying out to God. And know that the day we give up our expectations is the day the pit changes into a mountain to climb. Trust the God in this Psalm to be there when you are ready to finally get hopeless.
Our daughter grew up with a little stubborn streak in her (I told her she gets it from her mother!). Even as a little girl she wanted to prove she "could do it herself" on just about everything. There was a constant pattern in those younger years of her taking on something, us trying to help her, her rejecting our help, then her getting frustrated and angry and finally giving up, crying out to us and mad we didn't "help her". It would have been comical had it not been our process at times too.
The only way out of our pit of sin is to find the bottom of hopelessness. It's when we stop thinking that we will get away with it or that someone will rescue us from the consequences that we give up our pride and cry out for help.
We see crying out for help as weakness and failure, but God sees it as humility and cooperation. He doesn't love us less for it, just like we didn't love our daughter less when she couldn't do something. It is part of development to need help.
Hopelessness is about realizing the answer is not in me. It is the moment when we can no longer manufacture the solution and must own up to the truth. Then we give up trying, and cry out to someone else for help. It is the bottom of the pit.
This Psalm shows how God is patient enough to let us hit bottom before He acts to help. But then He is faithful at saving us when we do finally hit bottom. And He knows when we are faking a bottom...so He waits until we get there.
Our sin will eventually take us to the bottom of the pit. In fact, sin and guilt drive us down there, and you know it is happening when we try to fix the problem ourselves, or run from our situation, or expect someone else to fix it for us, or blame everyone else for our situation. Expecting to be saved is not hopelessness.
Crying out to God is no about how many tears I shed or how whiny my voice gets. It is when I drop my expectations and let God have total control of what happens. It's not about helplessness but hopelessness---I am no longer living for my dreams but choosing to let God accomplish His dreams for me, including being in a pit. That's the moment God is looking for, when we stop living for our own expectations and are ready to know His.
But the day you cry out is the day He starts the rescue effort! It takes some work & change to come out of the pit, and He continues to work on us. Buy the salvation has begun. People may see us as being in the pit still, but we already know something has changed on the inside. Our hopelessness has led to a relationship. We are being saved from the pit of our own self.
So don't be afraid to get hopeless. Don't resist the humility of crying out to God. And know that the day we give up our expectations is the day the pit changes into a mountain to climb. Trust the God in this Psalm to be there when you are ready to finally get hopeless.
Waiting is Faith-06/02/12
Psa
106:13 - But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his
counsel.
We see waiting as weakness or failure, when God sees it as unfaithfulness.
These days, people are deciding for themselves more than ever instead of waiting on God. Many push their agendas on relationships, getting married instead of waiting on God. Others have taken the housing bull by the horns and pushed their agenda on God instead of waiting on Him. Still more have made purchases, changed jobs, left marriages, and made decisions that violate Scriptural principles all because they didn't want to wait. We have treated life as a "limited time sale" and jumped the gun on God.
Waiting is not weakness, it's faith. By waiting we let God continue to reign in our situation instead of taking the reigns ourselves. Waiting is more courageous than pursuing.
In the Psalm, we are reminded of how the people didn't want to wait on God and eventually spent 40 years in the desert while the generation died off. Impatience on God for a days lead to a force waiting for 40 years.
I dare say that our culture is doing the same thing...hurrying to satisfy our cravings is creating a forced waiting period for a generation. Sadly, the cravings are more important than the God who can satisfy them. So we too are headed to the desert.
Learn how to wait before the desert makes you learn. Waiting is shorter than traveling the desert. In fact, waiting IS Faith.
We see waiting as weakness or failure, when God sees it as unfaithfulness.
These days, people are deciding for themselves more than ever instead of waiting on God. Many push their agendas on relationships, getting married instead of waiting on God. Others have taken the housing bull by the horns and pushed their agenda on God instead of waiting on Him. Still more have made purchases, changed jobs, left marriages, and made decisions that violate Scriptural principles all because they didn't want to wait. We have treated life as a "limited time sale" and jumped the gun on God.
Waiting is not weakness, it's faith. By waiting we let God continue to reign in our situation instead of taking the reigns ourselves. Waiting is more courageous than pursuing.
In the Psalm, we are reminded of how the people didn't want to wait on God and eventually spent 40 years in the desert while the generation died off. Impatience on God for a days lead to a force waiting for 40 years.
I dare say that our culture is doing the same thing...hurrying to satisfy our cravings is creating a forced waiting period for a generation. Sadly, the cravings are more important than the God who can satisfy them. So we too are headed to the desert.
Learn how to wait before the desert makes you learn. Waiting is shorter than traveling the desert. In fact, waiting IS Faith.
The Skin Factor-06/01/12
Psa
105:4 - Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always.
Who do you look to when you need help, or encouragement, or affirmation?
We know the answer should be God, but often we need someone with some skin on. As kids, it usually is our parents. They were the ones we would talk with when we got injured, or had a bad day, or needed advice. Most teens still used their parents, but often also relied on friends at school. While parents often give wiser advice, it's the friends that had more "skin-time". So their advice and encouragement would be what we seek.
As we grow into adulthood, marriage gives us a whole person with skin on to lean into for our problems. Now it becomes our spouse and marriage friends that make a difference in our lives. Our parents become a second set of advisors but it's our partner that has "skin-time" with us.
All that to show that it's "skin-time" that becomes more important when seeking help and advice. Even as we get older and lean back into relationships with family and friends, it was the amount of skintime that dictates our desire to seek their advice.
Unfortunately skin time is not always the best measure of wisdom. Just because someone spends time with us does not make them a proper choice for seeking strength or advice from. We need to discern if they are the right skin to use, and be cautious about what advice we take.
God is involved in all that and sets up the relationships we have. He knows we need people in our life that can advise us properly. But ultimately it is His strength and wisdom that should be the skin we seek. So how can we know him as well as we do our family, friends, and spouse?
The answer is in seeing His skin time with us. He put skin in the game at creation, in creating us, in providing His Word to us, in dieing on the cross, and in putting His Spirit in us. He has more skin in the game than we ever will. We need a perspective of seeing that and seeking Him when difficulties or pain happen.
So who do we look to? Start seeing the skin factor and determine whether the person's character matches your trust. Then look for more of the skin time from God and lean into His Word.
And while you're at it... Be a good skin time person to someone else when they need it.
Who do you look to when you need help, or encouragement, or affirmation?
We know the answer should be God, but often we need someone with some skin on. As kids, it usually is our parents. They were the ones we would talk with when we got injured, or had a bad day, or needed advice. Most teens still used their parents, but often also relied on friends at school. While parents often give wiser advice, it's the friends that had more "skin-time". So their advice and encouragement would be what we seek.
As we grow into adulthood, marriage gives us a whole person with skin on to lean into for our problems. Now it becomes our spouse and marriage friends that make a difference in our lives. Our parents become a second set of advisors but it's our partner that has "skin-time" with us.
All that to show that it's "skin-time" that becomes more important when seeking help and advice. Even as we get older and lean back into relationships with family and friends, it was the amount of skintime that dictates our desire to seek their advice.
Unfortunately skin time is not always the best measure of wisdom. Just because someone spends time with us does not make them a proper choice for seeking strength or advice from. We need to discern if they are the right skin to use, and be cautious about what advice we take.
God is involved in all that and sets up the relationships we have. He knows we need people in our life that can advise us properly. But ultimately it is His strength and wisdom that should be the skin we seek. So how can we know him as well as we do our family, friends, and spouse?
The answer is in seeing His skin time with us. He put skin in the game at creation, in creating us, in providing His Word to us, in dieing on the cross, and in putting His Spirit in us. He has more skin in the game than we ever will. We need a perspective of seeing that and seeking Him when difficulties or pain happen.
So who do we look to? Start seeing the skin factor and determine whether the person's character matches your trust. Then look for more of the skin time from God and lean into His Word.
And while you're at it... Be a good skin time person to someone else when they need it.
Singing Your Song-05/31/12
Psa
104:33 - I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as
long as I live.
There's a difference between someone who sings to be noticed and sings to bring praise. It can be the same song, but the person singing the song has a different motivation. (That is why I feel so moved by watching our worship leaders sing to God versus watching people sing on a music show.) As much as a good voice makes it easier to listen to a song...the heart behin a song matters even more!
Guess what? You are singing every moment of your life! It's either a song to gain attention or one to bring attention to another...but u r singing a song!
We're not talking about a sound that comes from your mouth, but an expression that comes from your heart. We sing every day as we work, as we play, as we relate, and as we rest. Every activity is a song that expresses our praise and worship to somebody. In many cases, we sing about ourselves, in some cases we sing about others, and once in a while our song is abou God.
The Psalmist says he will sing his song to God every day. That takes intentionality, humility, and passion. Those are great ingredients for a recipe of worship... And a beautiful song to sing. How do we do that?
We sing to God by staying devoted to Him daily. That is best done by listening to His Word thru the Scriptures and prayer. We sing by doing our work to the best of our ability---not only to please our boss but to honor His Name. We sing by living our family te best we can...which means we do what's best for them and give them our time and attention. And we sing by serving and supporting our church family (the body of Christ). That means supporting the Kingdom with our money and our talents.
You are singing a song every day. Who are you singing about? How passionate and praiseworthy is your song?
There's a difference between someone who sings to be noticed and sings to bring praise. It can be the same song, but the person singing the song has a different motivation. (That is why I feel so moved by watching our worship leaders sing to God versus watching people sing on a music show.) As much as a good voice makes it easier to listen to a song...the heart behin a song matters even more!
Guess what? You are singing every moment of your life! It's either a song to gain attention or one to bring attention to another...but u r singing a song!
We're not talking about a sound that comes from your mouth, but an expression that comes from your heart. We sing every day as we work, as we play, as we relate, and as we rest. Every activity is a song that expresses our praise and worship to somebody. In many cases, we sing about ourselves, in some cases we sing about others, and once in a while our song is abou God.
The Psalmist says he will sing his song to God every day. That takes intentionality, humility, and passion. Those are great ingredients for a recipe of worship... And a beautiful song to sing. How do we do that?
We sing to God by staying devoted to Him daily. That is best done by listening to His Word thru the Scriptures and prayer. We sing by doing our work to the best of our ability---not only to please our boss but to honor His Name. We sing by living our family te best we can...which means we do what's best for them and give them our time and attention. And we sing by serving and supporting our church family (the body of Christ). That means supporting the Kingdom with our money and our talents.
You are singing a song every day. Who are you singing about? How passionate and praiseworthy is your song?
Lost Benefits-05/30/12
Psa
103:2-5 - Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits— who
forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from
the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires
with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
Eliminating concerns should not trump our thanksgiving for benefits (blessings). But sometimes they do.
As a kid, I should have learned this quicker. One year, I wanted a specific toy for Christmas. Knowing that I was only asking for one thing made me begin to expect it ... I really figured on it being under the tree in Christmas morning. You can already see where this is going....it wasn't there, and so I was so disappointed that all the other gifts I did receive mattered very little to me. A few months later I came to realize (well actually my mom HELPED me realize) that the gift I wanted was cheap and would have broken, but othe toys I received were more fun and lasted. She was right. But at the time the benefits really didn't matter.
We can do the same with God as His children. The benefits of all He has given us can be trumped by the one thing we want and don't have. David's Psalm reminds us that praise comes by remembering all the benefits we have received, and not letting them be lost by constant focus in the concerns of what we don't have.
Take a few minutes today and list ou all the blessings and benefits you have received. Then consider all the things we take for granted, and let that list drive your attitude today. Forget NoT all His benefits.
Thank you God!
Eliminating concerns should not trump our thanksgiving for benefits (blessings). But sometimes they do.
As a kid, I should have learned this quicker. One year, I wanted a specific toy for Christmas. Knowing that I was only asking for one thing made me begin to expect it ... I really figured on it being under the tree in Christmas morning. You can already see where this is going....it wasn't there, and so I was so disappointed that all the other gifts I did receive mattered very little to me. A few months later I came to realize (well actually my mom HELPED me realize) that the gift I wanted was cheap and would have broken, but othe toys I received were more fun and lasted. She was right. But at the time the benefits really didn't matter.
We can do the same with God as His children. The benefits of all He has given us can be trumped by the one thing we want and don't have. David's Psalm reminds us that praise comes by remembering all the benefits we have received, and not letting them be lost by constant focus in the concerns of what we don't have.
Take a few minutes today and list ou all the blessings and benefits you have received. Then consider all the things we take for granted, and let that list drive your attitude today. Forget NoT all His benefits.
Thank you God!
Know before Worship-05/29/12
Psa
100:3 - Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are
his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Wanting to know precedes wanting to worship. We can't worship what w don't know. Knowing is at the heart of faith.
As a little child, your faith and trust in others was always related to knowing. If you had a positive loving experience with adults, you tended to be more trusting of other adults. If it was negative, you tended to be more cautious. But it seems that ALL kids were able to know the voice of their mother (and the tone of her voice when she was not happy). Knowing made us trust and respond.
God ha made Himself known to us in millions of ways. Every day His creation shows us the intelligence of His mind. Every blessing reminds us of the depth of His love. Every mercy shows us the passion of His heart. We have the ability to know the God of the universe!
But it's the desire to know Him that leads to His throne room and draws us into worship. Wanting to know Him is the difference between going to church and going to worship. He is not our Gid until we choose to become His people.
So start your day off with a checkup from the neck up. Step up your desire to know Him. Have the WANT TO of knowing God and worshipping Him. Listen to His Word, thank Him for all that He will do for you today, sing Him a song of praise. Know him and worship Him.
Wanting to know precedes wanting to worship. We can't worship what w don't know. Knowing is at the heart of faith.
As a little child, your faith and trust in others was always related to knowing. If you had a positive loving experience with adults, you tended to be more trusting of other adults. If it was negative, you tended to be more cautious. But it seems that ALL kids were able to know the voice of their mother (and the tone of her voice when she was not happy). Knowing made us trust and respond.
God ha made Himself known to us in millions of ways. Every day His creation shows us the intelligence of His mind. Every blessing reminds us of the depth of His love. Every mercy shows us the passion of His heart. We have the ability to know the God of the universe!
But it's the desire to know Him that leads to His throne room and draws us into worship. Wanting to know Him is the difference between going to church and going to worship. He is not our Gid until we choose to become His people.
So start your day off with a checkup from the neck up. Step up your desire to know Him. Have the WANT TO of knowing God and worshipping Him. Listen to His Word, thank Him for all that He will do for you today, sing Him a song of praise. Know him and worship Him.
When it's not Enough-05/28/12
Psalm
90:10 - The length of our days is 70 years— or 80, if we have the strength; yet
their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
Have you ever been in a season of pain or disappointment, wondering if this is all there is in life? Or maybe you have questioned whether your life is successful, wondering if you made the right choices in your career, relationships, directions.
When we are young we have hope for great things in life, and with success comes expectations. Then there comes a season in life where even with success and achievement, we discover the empty hole of "not enough"... And wonder if we have pursued the wrong things.
That season is valuable to faith, for it is the reminder of what's eternal versus what's temporary.
I greatly enjoy the song from Laura Story called Blessings. She sings: "What if His blessings come thru raindrops... What if trials of this life are His mercies in disguise?"
How sad would it be for God to let us go thru life coasting from one self-centered success to the next and never discover how much heaven matters more. Short lives, disappointments, trials, and pain are all reminders that success on earth means NOTHING compared to the victory of thirsting more for Jesus.
Thankfully, God gives us seasons where we learn how deeply we need Him. We may ride out successes for a while, or live in denial for as long as possible, but the reality of a short life on earth finally challenges us to examine what we do in this life, and who we really live for. There are no successes that are "enough", no lifestyle that is pain free, and no victories that are worth sacrificing our eternity for. The life worth living is less about what we do on earth and more about what we have waiting for us in heaven.
Writing this on Memorial Day is even more of a reminder of how blessed we are. For all of us, our present day blessings are a result of others' sacrifice. And it will be our sacrifices (not our successes) that leave the greatest blessing to our future generations.
Don't wish away blessings by avoiding seasons of pain or struggle. Remain faithful and trust God to use your life for His purposes. Our sacrifice is their blessing. Pleasing God is enough!
Have you ever been in a season of pain or disappointment, wondering if this is all there is in life? Or maybe you have questioned whether your life is successful, wondering if you made the right choices in your career, relationships, directions.
When we are young we have hope for great things in life, and with success comes expectations. Then there comes a season in life where even with success and achievement, we discover the empty hole of "not enough"... And wonder if we have pursued the wrong things.
That season is valuable to faith, for it is the reminder of what's eternal versus what's temporary.
I greatly enjoy the song from Laura Story called Blessings. She sings: "What if His blessings come thru raindrops... What if trials of this life are His mercies in disguise?"
How sad would it be for God to let us go thru life coasting from one self-centered success to the next and never discover how much heaven matters more. Short lives, disappointments, trials, and pain are all reminders that success on earth means NOTHING compared to the victory of thirsting more for Jesus.
Thankfully, God gives us seasons where we learn how deeply we need Him. We may ride out successes for a while, or live in denial for as long as possible, but the reality of a short life on earth finally challenges us to examine what we do in this life, and who we really live for. There are no successes that are "enough", no lifestyle that is pain free, and no victories that are worth sacrificing our eternity for. The life worth living is less about what we do on earth and more about what we have waiting for us in heaven.
Writing this on Memorial Day is even more of a reminder of how blessed we are. For all of us, our present day blessings are a result of others' sacrifice. And it will be our sacrifices (not our successes) that leave the greatest blessing to our future generations.
Don't wish away blessings by avoiding seasons of pain or struggle. Remain faithful and trust God to use your life for His purposes. Our sacrifice is their blessing. Pleasing God is enough!
Desire God, Get Desires-05/27/12
Psa
37:4 - Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your
heart.
"Just give me what I want and then I will be happy..." said a child to their parent.
Unfortunately, that only lasts for a short time before the child wants something else (just look at how long Christmas gifts last before they are no longer interesting.). When desires lead, they don't last long.
But finding delight in righteousness can lead for a lifetime. When our passion for God and His righteousness is what we want, then desires get into the back seat and ride along properly. It's when we are happy to have God that we discover we have everything we could ever want. Loving God changes our desires and then He gives them to us.
But be careful...loving God is different than loving what God can give you. If our motive for living God is to get what we want in life, ten we are really just manipulating God instead of loving him. And that's not much different than all the others David wrote about in the Psalm. Desires are god instead of the Lord.
If we truly pursue God, then the desires will eventually match up with what God wants. And if desires take the front seat, then we will be all over the road looking for the next thing we want. Pursue God and desire are met, pursue desires and never meet either.
One of the hardest disciplines of the Christian life is to keep the desires in check. Not abandoning them, but not letting them trump God's rightful place in front. How are you doing on that today? What can you do to remin yourself to desire God first?
"Just give me what I want and then I will be happy..." said a child to their parent.
Unfortunately, that only lasts for a short time before the child wants something else (just look at how long Christmas gifts last before they are no longer interesting.). When desires lead, they don't last long.
But finding delight in righteousness can lead for a lifetime. When our passion for God and His righteousness is what we want, then desires get into the back seat and ride along properly. It's when we are happy to have God that we discover we have everything we could ever want. Loving God changes our desires and then He gives them to us.
But be careful...loving God is different than loving what God can give you. If our motive for living God is to get what we want in life, ten we are really just manipulating God instead of loving him. And that's not much different than all the others David wrote about in the Psalm. Desires are god instead of the Lord.
If we truly pursue God, then the desires will eventually match up with what God wants. And if desires take the front seat, then we will be all over the road looking for the next thing we want. Pursue God and desire are met, pursue desires and never meet either.
One of the hardest disciplines of the Christian life is to keep the desires in check. Not abandoning them, but not letting them trump God's rightful place in front. How are you doing on that today? What can you do to remin yourself to desire God first?
Blessing or Glory?-05/26/12
Psa
23:3 - He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Ever thought to yourself that you don't really matter? That your actions are not that important? That you might as well get all you can out of life fr yourself?
Sadly, most people, especially people of faith, face this attack on their minds. They go through a very difficult season (or sometimes a very profitable one) and start questioning whether full devotion to God really matters. That's especially the case when their family faces hardship or a loved one suffers. After a prolonged season of seeing pain in your life and apparent happiness in others, humans start questioning if righteousness really matters.
What do we choose to do when the spouse doesn't follow? When the kids rebel? When the job/income turns south? When my health changes? Or when it seems like faith in God doesn't pay off?
That's when every motive is tested to see if we love & obey God for our profit or for His Glory.
One of the most widely used and well known Scriptures in the Bible is often misused for self-oriented purposes. But a closer look shows that it reinforces God's desire to be known and loved by His people. Our righteousness matters to God!
David writes that God takes care of our needs and blesses us with fruitful lives, but in the middle of Psalm 23 he breaks into a deeper thought---God does soul restoration (why---because fruit is temporary, and the soul needs help when the blessing barrel gets a little empty). Then David says something that really speaks to the heart of God--- God guides me toward righteous paths for His Name. God's goal is to confirm us into His image of righteousness because it points people toward Him.
The greatest blessing in life is not financial, material, emotional or relational. The greatest blessing is God growing us spiritually. He longs for us to be more like His Son because it brings Him glory.
Friends, does His glory matter to us more than our success? Does His Name matter more than our gain? If not, then expect His living hand to make corrections. Because what comes soon is the valley of correction.
Read on and you will enjoy the other side of the valley...the banquet hall! But before the get to the hall we must get on the right path. Ask God to help you pursue the path of righteousness---not for your blessing but for His Glory.
Ever thought to yourself that you don't really matter? That your actions are not that important? That you might as well get all you can out of life fr yourself?
Sadly, most people, especially people of faith, face this attack on their minds. They go through a very difficult season (or sometimes a very profitable one) and start questioning whether full devotion to God really matters. That's especially the case when their family faces hardship or a loved one suffers. After a prolonged season of seeing pain in your life and apparent happiness in others, humans start questioning if righteousness really matters.
What do we choose to do when the spouse doesn't follow? When the kids rebel? When the job/income turns south? When my health changes? Or when it seems like faith in God doesn't pay off?
That's when every motive is tested to see if we love & obey God for our profit or for His Glory.
One of the most widely used and well known Scriptures in the Bible is often misused for self-oriented purposes. But a closer look shows that it reinforces God's desire to be known and loved by His people. Our righteousness matters to God!
David writes that God takes care of our needs and blesses us with fruitful lives, but in the middle of Psalm 23 he breaks into a deeper thought---God does soul restoration (why---because fruit is temporary, and the soul needs help when the blessing barrel gets a little empty). Then David says something that really speaks to the heart of God--- God guides me toward righteous paths for His Name. God's goal is to confirm us into His image of righteousness because it points people toward Him.
The greatest blessing in life is not financial, material, emotional or relational. The greatest blessing is God growing us spiritually. He longs for us to be more like His Son because it brings Him glory.
Friends, does His glory matter to us more than our success? Does His Name matter more than our gain? If not, then expect His living hand to make corrections. Because what comes soon is the valley of correction.
Read on and you will enjoy the other side of the valley...the banquet hall! But before the get to the hall we must get on the right path. Ask God to help you pursue the path of righteousness---not for your blessing but for His Glory.
He Knows What You're Hiding-05/25/12
Psa
19:14 - May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in
your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
He knows!!!!...and it should make us fearful.
Everybody has played hide and seek---it's a popular childhood game that carries over into adulthood. As infants, it started with peek-a-boo, then as kids we played hide & seek. What was funny is how we would hide in the same places and the adults would always know where we were but would act like they couldn't find us. LOL!
As we got into our teen years we became good at hiding in other ways (masking flaws, acting in front of dates, and covering up our actions so our parents wouldn't know). Even as adults, we like to cover up our faults and play hide&seek with authority. (Just watch how our actions change when we come around a police officer, or the boss, or our pastor!!!)
Sometimes we get good enough at the game that we can justify our actions and decisions as acceptable. We may even get away with it ... Or so we think.
But here is the frightening truth... Nothing can be hidden from God, including our motives and self-serving thoughts. Hide and Seek doesn't work with God, because He knows what we are doing and thinking at all times---and He set the rules. Avoiding Him or covering up the truth doesn't stop Him from knowing. So we are never hiding and we are not getting away with it. He is already preparing what to do about our behaviors and attitudes.
This Psalm is David's reminder that God is over everything and has established the structure of life, so instead of hiding we need to desire to obey. David asks God to change his thoughts and attitudes to match what God wants instead of wasting time playing hide & seek from God.
Stop playing hide & seek on God. He knows where we are and what we are hiding. He knows how we have justified or excused ourselves from obedience, and has even bailed us out from our disobedience. And He will correct us ... So come out from hiding and get the motives right.
God, make my thoughts and words to be what pleases You. No more hiding.
He knows!!!!...and it should make us fearful.
Everybody has played hide and seek---it's a popular childhood game that carries over into adulthood. As infants, it started with peek-a-boo, then as kids we played hide & seek. What was funny is how we would hide in the same places and the adults would always know where we were but would act like they couldn't find us. LOL!
As we got into our teen years we became good at hiding in other ways (masking flaws, acting in front of dates, and covering up our actions so our parents wouldn't know). Even as adults, we like to cover up our faults and play hide&seek with authority. (Just watch how our actions change when we come around a police officer, or the boss, or our pastor!!!)
Sometimes we get good enough at the game that we can justify our actions and decisions as acceptable. We may even get away with it ... Or so we think.
But here is the frightening truth... Nothing can be hidden from God, including our motives and self-serving thoughts. Hide and Seek doesn't work with God, because He knows what we are doing and thinking at all times---and He set the rules. Avoiding Him or covering up the truth doesn't stop Him from knowing. So we are never hiding and we are not getting away with it. He is already preparing what to do about our behaviors and attitudes.
This Psalm is David's reminder that God is over everything and has established the structure of life, so instead of hiding we need to desire to obey. David asks God to change his thoughts and attitudes to match what God wants instead of wasting time playing hide & seek from God.
Stop playing hide & seek on God. He knows where we are and what we are hiding. He knows how we have justified or excused ourselves from obedience, and has even bailed us out from our disobedience. And He will correct us ... So come out from hiding and get the motives right.
God, make my thoughts and words to be what pleases You. No more hiding.
Paths over Results-05/24/12
Psa 1:6
- For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked
will perish.
God is more interested in out path than in our results.
That's because results are eventually predictable. Wicked paths eventually produce rotted results. Righteous paths eventually produce fruitful results. They may not happen in every circumstance, and may have seasons that are opposite of what we expect, but God knows that the results are predictable. That's why God cares more about our path than our results.
As parents and leaders, we need to recognize this principle and apply it more. Results matter but progress is more important. Improving and growing is better than good grades. Involvement is better than execution. Seeing the team improve is better than having one star player. Results help us measure out progress but are not the final authority on success. God watches our paths.
This first Psalm is one of the best simple chapters to memorize. Our family took a week and memorized it by adding one memory verse a day---even our young daughter picked it up quickly. It teaches us the principle of hard work, right choices. And trusting in God for His rewards. Meditating on this passage and other psalms can be life-changing, because they teach us about the power of pathways.
Pathways are principles, results are symptoms. Never let the results become Lord of the paths. Choose to pursue paths and God will take care of the results (He's watching the way).
What pathways are you on right now that He is not pleased with?
God is more interested in out path than in our results.
That's because results are eventually predictable. Wicked paths eventually produce rotted results. Righteous paths eventually produce fruitful results. They may not happen in every circumstance, and may have seasons that are opposite of what we expect, but God knows that the results are predictable. That's why God cares more about our path than our results.
As parents and leaders, we need to recognize this principle and apply it more. Results matter but progress is more important. Improving and growing is better than good grades. Involvement is better than execution. Seeing the team improve is better than having one star player. Results help us measure out progress but are not the final authority on success. God watches our paths.
This first Psalm is one of the best simple chapters to memorize. Our family took a week and memorized it by adding one memory verse a day---even our young daughter picked it up quickly. It teaches us the principle of hard work, right choices. And trusting in God for His rewards. Meditating on this passage and other psalms can be life-changing, because they teach us about the power of pathways.
Pathways are principles, results are symptoms. Never let the results become Lord of the paths. Choose to pursue paths and God will take care of the results (He's watching the way).
What pathways are you on right now that He is not pleased with?
Believe like You See-05/23/12
Job
42:5-6 - "My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.”
Seeing is believing - and humbling.
We hear thinks that we know are right but still don't believe they apply to us. Speed limits are one of those things. Most people understand the reasons for speed limits - safety, protection of bystanders, orderly traffic flow, saving gas, etc. Yet when it comes to obeying speed limits, that's another story---until we SEE a patrol car waiting for speeders alongside the road! Then seeing is believing.
Job had lots to say about God while He seemed a distance away, but it all changed when God was there in person. Then seeing became believing, and the attitude changed. The same will happen to us someday when we stand in the Presence of God. Seeing will become believing and our years of telling God we are the exception will change immediately.
Funny thing happens when we stand in the Presence of God, all of our self-serving attitudes lose credibility. Instead of focusing on ourselves and our situations, we will despise ourselves. Our problems and needs will be nothing compared to His Presence. The focus will change from our wants to his will. Seeing will change our believing.
Better to change it now and not have to face that moment. Instead, act like our authority is in the room. Drive like the police officer is monitoring our speed. Work like the boss is sitting next to us. Live like our spouse and kids are with us watching what we do. Believe by living like you can see.
If God truly was standing before you, it would change much of our attitudes and actions. What would change in your behavior if He was there right now?
Seeing is believing - and humbling.
We hear thinks that we know are right but still don't believe they apply to us. Speed limits are one of those things. Most people understand the reasons for speed limits - safety, protection of bystanders, orderly traffic flow, saving gas, etc. Yet when it comes to obeying speed limits, that's another story---until we SEE a patrol car waiting for speeders alongside the road! Then seeing is believing.
Job had lots to say about God while He seemed a distance away, but it all changed when God was there in person. Then seeing became believing, and the attitude changed. The same will happen to us someday when we stand in the Presence of God. Seeing will become believing and our years of telling God we are the exception will change immediately.
Funny thing happens when we stand in the Presence of God, all of our self-serving attitudes lose credibility. Instead of focusing on ourselves and our situations, we will despise ourselves. Our problems and needs will be nothing compared to His Presence. The focus will change from our wants to his will. Seeing will change our believing.
Better to change it now and not have to face that moment. Instead, act like our authority is in the room. Drive like the police officer is monitoring our speed. Work like the boss is sitting next to us. Live like our spouse and kids are with us watching what we do. Believe by living like you can see.
If God truly was standing before you, it would change much of our attitudes and actions. What would change in your behavior if He was there right now?
Who Owns, Who Works?-05/22/12
Job
41:11 - Who has a claim against me that I must pay? Everything under heaven
belongs to me.
My first regular paying job was for an older man taking care of his 10acre lot doing yard work, landscaping, etc. it seemed fun at the beginning, and getting paid was great!!! But taking leaves all the time in the fall was difficult, and winter was even harder.. I learned some things from that first job (other than not wanting that much property to take care of)... I learned to respect the wishes of my boss, to do it the way I was instructed, and to appreciate the rewards of labor. But even more important than all those was something I figured out later...I was not the owner of all the tools and equipment---I was only managing and using them for the owners benefit.
If everything is God's, than we are not owners, but managers of what we receive in life. It's our job to use those tools and items for His benefit, and we will be "paid" for our work because He is faithful.
Unfortunately, most of the time we think we are the owners. And for many people in our culture, we treat God like He works for us. When it is inconvenient or requires sacrifice, we hold back the tithe He instituted for us to share. When our schedules conflict with serving or worshipping Him, we put God on the shelf and skip the "job". Yet we still expect a full paycheck from Him and complain when we don't get what we want.
Job's struggle is the same as all men. We were not created to be owners, but managers. God is the owner and he puts all that we have in our hands to manage for Him. Using it selfishly and cutting God out of our life won't end well. He deserves our best effort an is worthy of our sacrifice...and we know He will make sure we are blessed for it in the end.
Challenge: Stop thinking that we are owners of what we have. Stop acting like our lives take precedence over God's work. Live for Him first and manage His resources well, and then use the blessings appropriately.
My first regular paying job was for an older man taking care of his 10acre lot doing yard work, landscaping, etc. it seemed fun at the beginning, and getting paid was great!!! But taking leaves all the time in the fall was difficult, and winter was even harder.. I learned some things from that first job (other than not wanting that much property to take care of)... I learned to respect the wishes of my boss, to do it the way I was instructed, and to appreciate the rewards of labor. But even more important than all those was something I figured out later...I was not the owner of all the tools and equipment---I was only managing and using them for the owners benefit.
If everything is God's, than we are not owners, but managers of what we receive in life. It's our job to use those tools and items for His benefit, and we will be "paid" for our work because He is faithful.
Unfortunately, most of the time we think we are the owners. And for many people in our culture, we treat God like He works for us. When it is inconvenient or requires sacrifice, we hold back the tithe He instituted for us to share. When our schedules conflict with serving or worshipping Him, we put God on the shelf and skip the "job". Yet we still expect a full paycheck from Him and complain when we don't get what we want.
Job's struggle is the same as all men. We were not created to be owners, but managers. God is the owner and he puts all that we have in our hands to manage for Him. Using it selfishly and cutting God out of our life won't end well. He deserves our best effort an is worthy of our sacrifice...and we know He will make sure we are blessed for it in the end.
Challenge: Stop thinking that we are owners of what we have. Stop acting like our lives take precedence over God's work. Live for Him first and manage His resources well, and then use the blessings appropriately.
Listen in the Storm-05/21/12
Job
40:6 - Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm...
Sometimes the only way we can hear God is to be in a storm.
Last night a family facing tragedy talked about their feelings regarding their son's cancer and the storm they are in. The common theme was how much they needed God right now. It was in their storm that God drew them closer to Himself.
I talked with a young friend last week who is in her last days and her greyest desire right now is to be done with this body so she can see Jesus. The storm is where God is meeting her need.
Our culture tends to be storm-avoiders. We choose environments where we can avoid natural disasters, we try to insure ourselves from facing risk, we avoid pain by protecting ourselves emotionally and physically---and wonder why we don't seem to hear from God. But if we have no need for God, why would we want to hear from Him?
Storms tend to be the best ear-cleaners in life. It's in the storm that God seems to speak...or on the back end where we can hear His whisper. Storms are not removed because its the place where we are humble enough and quiet enough to listen. We need the storms. Not that we need to go create storms in our life to hear from God (sin isn't a good thing). But we must learn how to respond to the storms we face. God told Job to brace himself like a man---don't run, face it and listen to God.
One of the most common reactions to storms is to take control...to come up with our own plans and solve it ourselves. Sadly, it's just another form of running from God instead of facing Him and listening. Instead of controlling the storm, consider asking God what He wants and listen. Don't move, stand and brace yourself in the storm, an be ready to obey.
What storms are you facing? How are you handling the storms? Have you asked God what He wants in facing your storm?
Sometimes the only way we can hear God is to be in a storm.
Last night a family facing tragedy talked about their feelings regarding their son's cancer and the storm they are in. The common theme was how much they needed God right now. It was in their storm that God drew them closer to Himself.
I talked with a young friend last week who is in her last days and her greyest desire right now is to be done with this body so she can see Jesus. The storm is where God is meeting her need.
Our culture tends to be storm-avoiders. We choose environments where we can avoid natural disasters, we try to insure ourselves from facing risk, we avoid pain by protecting ourselves emotionally and physically---and wonder why we don't seem to hear from God. But if we have no need for God, why would we want to hear from Him?
Storms tend to be the best ear-cleaners in life. It's in the storm that God seems to speak...or on the back end where we can hear His whisper. Storms are not removed because its the place where we are humble enough and quiet enough to listen. We need the storms. Not that we need to go create storms in our life to hear from God (sin isn't a good thing). But we must learn how to respond to the storms we face. God told Job to brace himself like a man---don't run, face it and listen to God.
One of the most common reactions to storms is to take control...to come up with our own plans and solve it ourselves. Sadly, it's just another form of running from God instead of facing Him and listening. Instead of controlling the storm, consider asking God what He wants and listen. Don't move, stand and brace yourself in the storm, an be ready to obey.
What storms are you facing? How are you handling the storms? Have you asked God what He wants in facing your storm?
The Control Illusion-05/20/12
Job
39:27 - Does the eagle soar at your command and build his nest on high?
Control is an illusion. The more we think we are in control, the more blind we become to reality. Look around and open your eyes to how little we control.
We don't control the weather, but constantly try to manage it (and blame the weatherman when they get it wrong). We don't control the economy, but get upset when it doesn't do what we want. We don't control nature, but expect it to function according to our rules. And we certainly don't control people even though we try to make them to do what we want. The one person we do control is ourselves, and we make excuses for our lack of control. Control is an illusion.
Job wanted to control his surroundings, and found out he had no control. In crying out to God, Job discovered how little he controlled, but how much God is in control. Knowing God as sovereign gave Job peace, and reduced the illusion he was living. Knowing Who was in control helped Job let go of the What needing controlled.
The next time you are struggling to control your circumstances, step back and recognize all the things you don't control...and start to appreciate all the things God does control. Then submit to His control in your circumstances, and watch what He can do when He is on control.
Control is an illusion. The more we think we are in control, the more blind we become to reality. Look around and open your eyes to how little we control.
We don't control the weather, but constantly try to manage it (and blame the weatherman when they get it wrong). We don't control the economy, but get upset when it doesn't do what we want. We don't control nature, but expect it to function according to our rules. And we certainly don't control people even though we try to make them to do what we want. The one person we do control is ourselves, and we make excuses for our lack of control. Control is an illusion.
Job wanted to control his surroundings, and found out he had no control. In crying out to God, Job discovered how little he controlled, but how much God is in control. Knowing God as sovereign gave Job peace, and reduced the illusion he was living. Knowing Who was in control helped Job let go of the What needing controlled.
The next time you are struggling to control your circumstances, step back and recognize all the things you don't control...and start to appreciate all the things God does control. Then submit to His control in your circumstances, and watch what He can do when He is on control.
Whys Answered with Who-05/19/12
Job
38:1-2 - Then the Lord answered Job out of the storm. He said: "Who is
this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?
God answers our why questions with a WHO Question. At the root of every Why is a Who.
Some WHYs are answered by the Who of man. The reason we have many of our problems in life is because of men and the decisions to sin. We may want to blame it on God, but it was men taking advantage of their free will and using it for selfish benefits. Countries are in debt because of men and their "get it now" attitude. Wars are often a result if men's greed or lust for control. The mark of sin continues to leave behind a trail of failures that lead people to problems, pain, and death.
Some WHYs are answered with the Who of me. I may question God on why bad things happen in my life, but I can go back to my own decisions to answer the question. My eating and exercise habits are often why my health is a problem. Painful breakups are sometimes a result of my poor choices in the relationship. The Why is sometimes Me.
But there are many WHYs that are only answered by the Who of God --- He is Lord and we are not. Job's questions of why ended up being answered by God's questions of Who. I either trust Him as my Lord or I don't. In fact, most of my WHY questions are rooted in His will, and if He is God, it's His will that counts. Asserting my will or wishes over His diminishes His Lordship over me.
While it's okay to ask WHY, answer yourself with WHO first. Then many of the whys in life will become less important, and the who will give you peace.
Who is your Lord?
God answers our why questions with a WHO Question. At the root of every Why is a Who.
Some WHYs are answered by the Who of man. The reason we have many of our problems in life is because of men and the decisions to sin. We may want to blame it on God, but it was men taking advantage of their free will and using it for selfish benefits. Countries are in debt because of men and their "get it now" attitude. Wars are often a result if men's greed or lust for control. The mark of sin continues to leave behind a trail of failures that lead people to problems, pain, and death.
Some WHYs are answered with the Who of me. I may question God on why bad things happen in my life, but I can go back to my own decisions to answer the question. My eating and exercise habits are often why my health is a problem. Painful breakups are sometimes a result of my poor choices in the relationship. The Why is sometimes Me.
But there are many WHYs that are only answered by the Who of God --- He is Lord and we are not. Job's questions of why ended up being answered by God's questions of Who. I either trust Him as my Lord or I don't. In fact, most of my WHY questions are rooted in His will, and if He is God, it's His will that counts. Asserting my will or wishes over His diminishes His Lordship over me.
While it's okay to ask WHY, answer yourself with WHO first. Then many of the whys in life will become less important, and the who will give you peace.
Who is your Lord?
Adjusting Perspectives-05/18/12
Job
2:10 - Job replied, “You are talking like a fool. Shall we accept good from
God, and not trouble?"
What is your measure of success in life? Is it related to results? Or a bucket list? Or happiness? Experiences? In all likelihood it is a measure based on a personal perspective. You decide for yourself what is successful.
Did anyone ever ask God what His measure of success is for us?
Good times are our measure of blessing, but Kingdom progress is God's measure. When we read the story of Job it makes us want to question God on why He permitted evil, instead of seeing God determining a kingdom result. If difficulties never happened then faith would become complacent. So for the sake of the Kingdom, God allowed Job to face great difficulty.
In this culture, convenience & comfort are more valued than Kingdom & character. We do everything we can to get ourselves out of discomfort, including dropping God, discarding faith, and dumping our duty. Living a certain lifestyle takes precedence over serving Jesus. That's the sound of foolish talk.
Job somehow saw a Kingdom view in spite of his great pain. So instead of looking for a way back to comfort, he continued his path of character.
Character is forged from dealing with difficulty. Complacency often comes from living in comfort. The two are different paths to walk, and trials make us choose. Unfortunately, those choices don't just affect us---they affect the generations to come. They teach our kids what to value as success: character or comfort.
As humans, we will always struggle with seeing a Kingdom view...but don't let that excuse us from staying on the road of character. The path may be dark at times, but the destination is far better. Even Job's questions of God did not detour his path, and God honored him for it. And having God's honor is far better than any comfort on earth (just ask Jesus).
What definition of success needs adjusted in your life?
What is your measure of success in life? Is it related to results? Or a bucket list? Or happiness? Experiences? In all likelihood it is a measure based on a personal perspective. You decide for yourself what is successful.
Did anyone ever ask God what His measure of success is for us?
Good times are our measure of blessing, but Kingdom progress is God's measure. When we read the story of Job it makes us want to question God on why He permitted evil, instead of seeing God determining a kingdom result. If difficulties never happened then faith would become complacent. So for the sake of the Kingdom, God allowed Job to face great difficulty.
In this culture, convenience & comfort are more valued than Kingdom & character. We do everything we can to get ourselves out of discomfort, including dropping God, discarding faith, and dumping our duty. Living a certain lifestyle takes precedence over serving Jesus. That's the sound of foolish talk.
Job somehow saw a Kingdom view in spite of his great pain. So instead of looking for a way back to comfort, he continued his path of character.
Character is forged from dealing with difficulty. Complacency often comes from living in comfort. The two are different paths to walk, and trials make us choose. Unfortunately, those choices don't just affect us---they affect the generations to come. They teach our kids what to value as success: character or comfort.
As humans, we will always struggle with seeing a Kingdom view...but don't let that excuse us from staying on the road of character. The path may be dark at times, but the destination is far better. Even Job's questions of God did not detour his path, and God honored him for it. And having God's honor is far better than any comfort on earth (just ask Jesus).
What definition of success needs adjusted in your life?
Daily Protection-05/17/12
Job
1:10 - “Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he
has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are
spread throughout the land.
Most people have times when we question why God didn't protect us. Ever had a time where you realized God HAD protected you from something?
It's happened several times for me, often in a car. One more recent case was hearing the screech of tires as a car avoided t-boning me at a red light. It was obvious that God had protected me from a bad accident and probable injury. That's one case of knowing God protected us, but there are 1000s of times God protects us that we never know about.
Were it not for daily protection from God, Satan would destroy us. The fact that God permitted Satan limited access is another example of His grace. Blessings, success, protection, and enjoyment are the gifts of God more than signs of our abilities.
Job was considered righteous for fearing God and remaining thankful for every day that God gave him. It was only later when Job wanted to die and was feeling ungrateful that God reprimanded him. Success is not so much our ability as it is God's ability. We need to recognize how much God protects us every day.
Start a daily practice of thanksgiving...not to gain more tomorrow, but to celebrate whatever you have been given today. Honor God for His protection and blessing.
Most people have times when we question why God didn't protect us. Ever had a time where you realized God HAD protected you from something?
It's happened several times for me, often in a car. One more recent case was hearing the screech of tires as a car avoided t-boning me at a red light. It was obvious that God had protected me from a bad accident and probable injury. That's one case of knowing God protected us, but there are 1000s of times God protects us that we never know about.
Were it not for daily protection from God, Satan would destroy us. The fact that God permitted Satan limited access is another example of His grace. Blessings, success, protection, and enjoyment are the gifts of God more than signs of our abilities.
Job was considered righteous for fearing God and remaining thankful for every day that God gave him. It was only later when Job wanted to die and was feeling ungrateful that God reprimanded him. Success is not so much our ability as it is God's ability. We need to recognize how much God protects us every day.
Start a daily practice of thanksgiving...not to gain more tomorrow, but to celebrate whatever you have been given today. Honor God for His protection and blessing.
Remember Important Days-05/16/12
Esther
9:28 - These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by
every family, and in every province and in every city.
What special dates are on your calendar to remember?
Today happens to be my birthday (I'm probably going to regret posting that). Birthdays are special days celebrated by many people as both a day of new beginnings and a day of remembrance. Many times, birthdays give us the chance to reflect on all that has happened in a person's life and how much has changed. It is also a chance to look at our life and remember how much we have been blessed.
Other special days include: anniversaries, holidays, reunions, and special events. And for the Christian, Sundays are special days every week to remember the resurrection of our Savior.
God knew the power of days and dates for prodding our memories, so He instituted some of those in His plan---including Sabbath, Jewish festivals, Passover and Easter. Sometimes the day gets overshadowed by the celebration, but the point is to remember.
What important days do you think God wants us to celebrate? Birthdates may be important on earth, but baptism/decision date and death date might matter more in heaven. Wedding anniversary might be crucial on earth (guys---don't forget your anniversary!), but celebrating the Resurrection is likely more important in heaven. Think about the days that matter from heaven's perspective and make them days to remember on earth.
For the Jews, Esther marked the days of Purim to remember the salvation of the people --- celebrate your day of salvation from sin and remember!
What special dates are on your calendar to remember?
Today happens to be my birthday (I'm probably going to regret posting that). Birthdays are special days celebrated by many people as both a day of new beginnings and a day of remembrance. Many times, birthdays give us the chance to reflect on all that has happened in a person's life and how much has changed. It is also a chance to look at our life and remember how much we have been blessed.
Other special days include: anniversaries, holidays, reunions, and special events. And for the Christian, Sundays are special days every week to remember the resurrection of our Savior.
God knew the power of days and dates for prodding our memories, so He instituted some of those in His plan---including Sabbath, Jewish festivals, Passover and Easter. Sometimes the day gets overshadowed by the celebration, but the point is to remember.
What important days do you think God wants us to celebrate? Birthdates may be important on earth, but baptism/decision date and death date might matter more in heaven. Wedding anniversary might be crucial on earth (guys---don't forget your anniversary!), but celebrating the Resurrection is likely more important in heaven. Think about the days that matter from heaven's perspective and make them days to remember on earth.
For the Jews, Esther marked the days of Purim to remember the salvation of the people --- celebrate your day of salvation from sin and remember!
New Journey Blog Name-06/05/12
Journey Blog Followers
Our systems changed, so a new blog was started today at: JCCTracy.blogspot.com
We have reloaded some of the older posts to get it relaunched, and will be adding new blogs of Pastor Scott's starting tomorrow morning.
Sorry for the changes and THANKS for reading!
Enjoy!
Our systems changed, so a new blog was started today at: JCCTracy.blogspot.com
We have reloaded some of the older posts to get it relaunched, and will be adding new blogs of Pastor Scott's starting tomorrow morning.
Sorry for the changes and THANKS for reading!
Enjoy!
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