Simplify and Reorder!

We were created to fellowship with a holy God! How easy it is for us to rush into "the throne room of grace" half heartedly, preoccupied, keeping the relationship with Him to a surface level, feeling that we only have a few minutes to give of our precious time. We throw out a few needs, with urgency, hurriedly, as well, as a few complaints, tell God what we need and we may read a few verses, if we have the time, tell Him how busy and hectic our life is and rush into our day feeling we are more spiritual for it. We leave thinking we are satisfied to be able to check it off our to do list. But have we really been satisfied? If we were created for fellowship with a holy God, have we really accomplished that?

We've just entered the throne room of Almighty God, the Creator of the universe with a flippant attitude, as if we ourselves reign. In our pride, we've, likely, boasted of the many things we have to do and His need to meet us where we've directed Him to. We've come with nothing and will leave with little more than the haughty spirit and the same anxiety we arrived with.

If we are suppose to put God first, above all else, if we are to love Him with all our hearts, mind, soul and strength (that's with everything, all of our being) then this relationship should be to the deepest level, quality of time spent with ~ placed above all else! Satan has purposed to busy our lives, to wear us out, to keep us distracted, so we don't have time to focus on what's really important!

It's our relationships that are important; time with God, time with our families, fellowship with other believers! The very thing, Satan has dupped us into believing we don't have time for! We can reorder our world! We can choose to stop the insanity and live for what really matters! Simplify! Simplify! Simplify!

We can choose to be different! To set our lives apart from the world, unto God, but it will have to be purposed! We will have to choose to put things in their proper order!

Deuteronomy 6:5

"Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."

Matthew 6:31-33

"So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat"' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you."

We can choose to rise early enough to assure we have quality time with God; that quiet needed to hear His voice; to really get know Him and make Him LORD of our life. When we come to know Him, so intimately, we see the depth of our sin and our pride, and will weep in His Presence, longing, to be more like Him. We will bask in His truths and will thirst for more, as He opens their treasures up to us. When we take time to truly be still before Him and listen, we will walk away with peace and purpose. He will define what's truly important for us and we will be able to say, "No!" to the tyranny of the urgent. You see, what happens in worship, does not stay in worship! We will walk away changed, our faces radiant with the reflection of His love, He will use us to impact those around us because we are different. Someone who has been loved, is free to love others. We will enter our day with God's perspective; with purpose and confidence in Him; our anxieties are left behind. He's will shortened our "to do" list down to what's truly important and what's, actually, doable. We have taken the time to find peace; we have allowed God control over our day and He will make time for us to laugh and to have intimate time with our spouses, children, family and friends. He will help us see the importance of being in fellowship with other believers and to have our children being taught how to live according to His truths. Our lives will be changed when we live according to God's design.

It's our choice! We can fight for what's important or we can be dupped by the enemy and scurry through life with text messages and phone calls, feeling we must be important, but really accomplishing nothing for eternity. This life is short compared to "forever". Are we preparing for eternity? Are we choosing our future? It is possible to reorder our world, to simplify, choose the important, place them first and be confident that we have really done what matters! We can ask for God's help!  What's important to you?

Psalm 25:9

"He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way."

Psalm 55:22
"Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall."

Psalm 32:7

"You are my hiding place; You will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance."

Psalm 16:11
"You have made known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand."

Psalm 112:1-7
"Praise the Lord. Blessed (happy) is the man who fears the Lord, who finds great delight in His commands. His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in his house and his righteousness endures forever. Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man. Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice. Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever. He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord."

Psalm 119:2
"Blessed (happy) are they who keep His statutes and seek Him with ALL their heart."

All our heart! Do we long, do we thirst, do we plead, do we cry out for God? We have just about as much of God as we choose to and then we wonder why our lives are such a mess!

Choose to be still, to be quiet, to take quality time to sit at His feet in fellowship, study His word ~ ask Him to simplify, to reorder your world ~ to make what's really important, important. Then with each new day, enter into His presence, choosing that deeper level, refusing less and watch Him do what you can't ~ make your life really count for eternity! It's a choice! Don't complain if you don't have it! What we really want to do, we do!

The Secret Of Contentment

Make Me A Vessel 

I've been down to Egypt, I've seen the grinding stone

The wheels and the furnace have crushed these bruised bones.

I know in the passing, I'll never be the same

Polished by the Shepherd and labeled with His name.

Lord make me a vessel, polish and true

I want to be a vessel, useful to You!

I know in the passing, I'll never be the same

Polished by the Shepherd and labeled with His name!

I wrote this little tune, years ago, after reading the book, Hinds Feet In High Places by Hannah Hubbard, to remind me, in adversity, to take joy in what God is doing IN ME, through it! (In scripture, Egypt or the desert was, often, a place related to adversity or trials.) So, when hardships come my way, you can, often, find me singing or humming this little tune to myself. For me, perspective is everything! When my first response, is to be unhappy, with the difficulties of this life, I've preconditioned myself to sing this little song, to remind me that, I can choose to celebrate, right in the middle of the trial! I can choose joy!

My husband, Jim and I, when our daughter, Jill, was little liked a cute little tune on one of her cassette tapes of children's songs. It was on impatience, so, over the years, when Jim or I, or both of us, were feeling impatient, we'd, often, laugh and start singing this little tune! If you live close to our Jill, you'll have to ask her to sing it for you! On the cassette, "the turtle"sang this song very slow and deep! So, we'd laugh, as we did too!

"Be patient, be patient don't be in such a hurry

When you get impatient, you only start to worry.

Remember, remember, that God is patient too

And think of all the times when others had to wait for you!"

Silly, yes! But a preconditioned response, to laugh, praise, or sing puts a different twist on any trial! It's a reminder to choose a right perspective! Memorizing scripture is a great tool that's saved me many, many, many times! There's nothing like putting God's truths in our hearts and minds; they will change how we think and that will change our words and our actions! They are life changing! David, often, put them to song! 

In adversity, our first response, isn't to want to sing with joy! Adversity, which means a state of hardship, affliction, misfortune or a calamitous event, doesn't bring us the "warm fuzzies". At just the thought of it, words like: joy, peace, rest, courage, praise or patience, aren't the ones that come to mind. We think of words like: anger, depression, frustration, bitterness, resentment, jealousy, fear, hurt, pain, impatience ~ the list goes on. Adversity isn't something we enjoy, it feels more like something we just endure! We might not be able to control our circumstances, the adversity or hardships life brings our way, but we can control our response! Our response, begins with our perspective! 

In the news, recently, they described the response of a young college student that has a flesh eating bacteria that is threatening her life. After already having to remove one leg at the hip, the doctors are, now, advising, this young woman and her parents, to allow them to remove both hands and the other foot, as a life saving measure! This student's response was, "Let's do this!" (Even, if out of fear, that's a courageous response! We, immediately, respect her!) 

This kind of adversity shakes us to the core doesn't it? There's no advanced warning system, so we can take cover or find safety! We're in over our heads before we can comprehend all that's happening! But there is one thing we can do to be prepared to stand against anything that this world hands us! Only one thing will always be enough! No, it won't change the adversity, but it will change our response! And perspective and our response can add up in more ways than you think!

We need to learn to tap into God's grace! We need to get His perspective!

Paul, the co-author of 13 epistles, who was called by God to bring the gospel to the Gentiles, says in 2 Corinthians 11:24-27: "Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been, constantly, on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my own countrymen, in danger from the Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea and in danger from false brothers. I have labored and toiled and often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked."

I would say that Paul was well acquainted with adversity wouldn't you? And before Paul met God on the Damascus road, Paul had handed out plenty of adversity in persecuting those that believed Christ was the Messiah. Paul's life, completely changed when he met the God of grace! God gave Paul a new perspective on life! Paul, then became one of the persecuted, as he too, came to know Christ as Messiah.

Later in Paul's life, in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, Paul says, "There was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But He said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (Paul has learned to DELIGHT in his weaknesses!) That's not a natural response, it's a learned one! 

Pauls says in Philippians 3:12, "I have learned the secret of being content in any situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or want. I can do all things through Him who gives me strength."

Paul had learned how to tap into God's grace! In his adversity and hardships, Paul had learned the secret of being content in every situation. He said, "I can do all things through Him (Christ) who gives me strength." Paul's strength, his contentment was found in God! You know alot of people would pay good money for someone to give them that kind of outlook on life! Contentment and peace is something money can't buy ~ but it is free, when you learn how to tap into God's grace! It's free in Christ!

Can we say, with Paul, "I've learned the secret of being content in EVERY situation? Of course, the greater secret is in the application! Contentment is all about perspective!

Chessie's New Obsession!

Chessie's found a new favorite thing!

The spring weather, here, in the Teton Valley this year, has been more like our summer weather in late June ~ beautiful and much warmer! Spring, usually, brings alot of rain, snow, wind and mud! It's been very helpful to me, being able to get outside, earlier than expected, to clean out the garage (which was flooded with 4 inches of water last May) and clean out and throw alot away. Of course, Chessie has loved being outside! I found three "doggie frisbees" while going through boxes in the garage and repacking them a few weeks ago. They are Chessie's new obsession!

For Chessie, the frisbee, quickly, won 1st place, over the tennis balls, she loved so much. She loves jumping for it and catching it in the air. She is so obsessed with it, though, she doesn't want to give it up! If I let her keep it, she chews it up and then there's no more frisbee to enjoy. So, we play with two, she retrieves one and will bring it back (only because she wants the one I've got more, than the one in her mouth) Lol. Chessie needs some obedience training, we're working on that! We're one frisbee down (chewed up) and trying to save the other two for some more fun!

Similar in attitude, a toddler will claim, "It's mine!"A toddler will pick up another child's bottle and refuse to give it up, even, after drinking out of it and finding that what's in it they don't like. Mom may run to get their bottle and try to trade bottles, but they can be resistant. They know what they know and they are not going to be fooled, even if mom knows their bottle has the desired apple juice, she knows her toddler really wants. Lol. "A bottle in the hand is worth two in the bush." (Lol. Oh no, that's a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush!) I never get those sayings right! We resist change don't we? There's fear in change, insecurity! We'd rather hold on to what we have, even if we're dissatisfied with it, to avoid change and the risk that comes with it. The problem is to go with God requires change!

Aren't we like Chessie and the toddler sometimes with God? Our focus is on what we think we want and can cause us to miss out on something that God may want to give us that's better for us. But we're too afraid to let go of what we've got and what we think we know! Following God requires the letting go of what's behind and the faith, the trust to, blindly, follow His lead to wherever!

In chapter 5 of the book of Luke Jesus was standing by the Lake of Gennesaret, with the people crowding around him and listening to the word of God. Jesus saw two boats at the water's edge left by fishermen who were washing their nets. Jesus got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then Jesus sat down and taught the people from the boat.
When Jesus finished speaking, He said to Simon, "Put out into the deep water, and let down the nets for a catch." Simon answered, "Master, we've worked hard all night and haven't caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets." (You see Simon did what Jesus asked, but with tongue in cheek. Simon knew what he knew; there were no fish, they'd already been there and done that! Besides, only a tourist would fish for fish in the deep waters! Jesus was asking the ridiculous, the embarrassing!) When they had done so, they caught such a large number of fish that their nets began to break! They had to signal for their partners in the other boat to come help them, and they came and filled both boats so full that they began to sink!
When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus' knees and said, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!" For he and his companions were astonished at the catch of fish they had taken, and so were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, Simon's partners. Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men." So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him.

You see Peter knew what he knew, (but Jesus knows all things) and he, also, had something better for Peter and his partners, James and John. Peter told Jesus, "We've fished all night, Lord, but because You say so, I'll let down the nets." He was in doubt, but he did obey and He saw the power of God! His response, shows what that kind of power does to the sinner, Peter cries out, "Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!"How does Jesus respond? "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men."

To follow Jesus requires change! It requires believing the ridiculous! A willingness to move beyond what we think we know and out of our comfort zone. A willingness, to do what makes no common sense at all! Yes, even to risk looking stupid! To put down your nets when it makes no sense to, because Jesus says so. But I bet that didn't look as stupid as the fishermen's final response: verse 11 says, "So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed Him."Did you just read that and move on or did you question:  They left two boats filled to the brim with water and fish! They walked away! To where? They didn't ask, they just followed Jesus! What would make them do such a thing?

As we grow from spiritual babies to mature in Christ we'll learn ~ we'll recognize our foolish pride in thinking we know it all. We will learn little by little that He knows all things and we'll learn how clueless we really are and follow Him without question! We will learn to welcome the change with expectant hope! We will drop our obsession to know, to be in control and to have it our way, when we realize what Jesus offers is always the better! Always! He is trustworthy! "Take up your cross and follow me!" To follow God requires trust, it requires faith and it requires change!

God Searches And Tests The Heart

The Lord searches the spirit of men, He searches our inmost being. God does not look at the outward appearance as man does, but He looks at the heart. God tests our hearts, as with fire; He examines it and knows it. And when a man perseveres under trial and passes the test, he will receive the crown of life.

Proverbs 20:27 "The lamp of the Lord searches the spirit of man; it searches out his inmost being."

Proverbs 17:3 "The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart."

Jeremiah 17:9 "I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."

1 Samuel 16:7 " The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance,  but the Lord looks at the heart."

Psalm 26:2 "Test me, O Lord, try me, examine my heart and my mind"

Psalm 139:23 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts."

1 Thessalonians 2:4 "On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts."

Jeremiah 11:20 "But, O Lord Almighty, you who judge righteously and test the heart and mind"

Psalm 66:10 "For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver."

James 1:12 "Blessed (happy) is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

How easy it is to forget that this life is a testing for another ~ eternity. Are we really getting that?
When we do it will change our perspective and change the way we live, our actions and responses. How easy it is to forget, get distracted ~ how, quickly, we can take a rabbit trail and lose focus of the goal line. Our enemy works at that! With the rising of the sun, each and every morning, is a good time to reevaluate our focus and to realign ourselves with the Lord and that goal! Let us run with purpose!

Philippians 3:14 "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."

1 Corinthians 9:24-27 "Do you not know that in a race all runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."

Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

Let us not lose heart! But be renew and refreshed morning by morning! Press on!

Don't Lose Hope, Come To Know The One Who Gives It!

Suffering comes in many forms, bullying, debilitating disease, physical abuse, persecution, etc. These come with a wave of feelings that can cause us to lose sight of hope and cause us to feel the threat of being destroyed. Peter knew some of these feelings first hand. He had been beaten and jailed and threatened, often. Peter had seen fellow believers die and the church being scattered. But Peter knew Jesus Christ and nothing, absolutely nothing, could shake Peter's confidence in His risen Lord and Savior! Peter was unshakable, a rock!

Peter wrote to the scattered church, as they were suffering for their faith; desiring to encourage, to comfort and to give them hope ~ urging them to remain, to be steadfast in their faith. The persecution began in Jerusalem by the hands of their fellow Jews and it spread to the rest of the world ~ wherever brothers and sisters in Christ gathered. It was brought to a further climax when Rome decided to get rid of those that would not bow to Caesar. Believers were feeling crushed, overwhelmed, devastated and torn ~

Peter, in 1 Peter 1:6-9 says, "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith ~ of greater worth than gold, which perishes, even though refined by fire ~ may be proved genuine and may result in praise and glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

(Peter answers the "Why? How can any good come out of this?") Peter doesn't have to remind them that Christianity comes with a cost, these believers have a full understanding of that! But when things seem out of control, we need to be reminded that God is still in control, He is Sovereign, and that there is a purpose for fiery trials. God uses them to refine and purify us. They prove our faith genuine and result in praise, glory and honor to our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Peter calls for them to live holy lives in 1 Peter 1:13-16 he says, "Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."

Peter reminds them to focus on Christ's return, to let that be their motivator to live for Him. He asks them to be alert and to have self discipline. He reminds them where their reward lies ~ that they are not of this world, but just passing through. Peter says, "live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear"and Peter continues, reminding them that it's not with "perishable things such as silver and gold that you have been redeemed from the empty way of life" but, "with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." (Peter reminds them of the cost Christ paid)

"Fiery trials" have a way of bringing our impurities, our sin, to the surface don't they? Fear, anger, bitterness, resentment, hypocrisy, envy, slander, etc. In chapter 2:1 Peter calls them to rid themselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. People were in their faces, angry and threatening them, cutting them down, abusing and persecuting them ~ Do you think this could cause sin to rise up in them? Sure! Their very lives were being threatened, their core beliefs were being attacked!

Recent protestors in Jackson, WY brought about alot of different responses from Christians and non-believers alike! Emotions ran high! These Jewish Christians of the first century were under fire in a much bigger way! It didn't last just a few days, it continued and didn't let up ~ it grew! They were hated, threatened, abused, beaten, jailed! Emotions were running beyond high! Peter seeks to bring them back into focus.

In chapter 2:4, "As you come to Him, the living stone ~ rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to Him ~ you, also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood."

Peter reminds them of Christ rejection by men, but the grander purpose and their calling to be holy and above reproach. They were a chosen priesthood, a people belonging to God, a holy nation, they could declare His praises because they had been called out of the darkness and into His wonderful light! (Trials don't, usually, stir our praises, do they? But they can and will if our focus is right!) Peter calls them to a higher conduct, to abstain from sinful desires ~ to live in such a way, that though they were being accused of doing wrong, that their good deeds should be seen. Peter reminds them of God's call to "submit to every authority instituted among men," to love their brothers in Christ and to fear God and honor the king.

When emotions are runing high, accusations are flying in every direction; sides are being chosen and brother can even turn against brother. Peter reminds them in 2:22-23 "because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His steps. 'He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in His mouth.' When they hurled their insults at Him, He did not retaliate, when He suffered, He made no threats. Instead, He entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly."

Peter seeks to instill hope, "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. For it is time for judgement to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?"Notice, Peter gives good reason for the trials, as if they should be expected! He's encouraging them to hang tough through them, not to run from them! To stand fast! To be holy!

Some of Peter's closing remarks in 5:6-10 can encourage us, as well in our own difficulties:
"Humble yourselves , therefore, under God's mighty hand, that He may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory, in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."

"Fiery trials" have a way of bringing the impurities of pride to the forefront ~ whether it's us trying to take control and trying to be God or whether out of fear, we are compelled to try and fix it. We have a tendency to want to take control and set it all right, don't we? In our frustrations and fear, we can, easily, lose our focus and find our enemy, Satan, getting a foothold, he knows our weaknesses. We are to resist his efforts, to stand firm! To be self controlled and alert! And we are to cast our anxieties on God, who cares for us. We, often, forget to do these things, don't we? We have a tendency to lose our focus, become anxious, try to reason, fix it and grow weary and overwhelmed, while getting side swiped by the enemy don't we? Peter's words can encourage our hearts too ~ Peter says, "after you have suffered a little while" (it's not going to last forever) and he says that Christ, Himself will restore us, make us strong, firm and steadfast."

I love the meaning of steadfast! "Unchanging, loyal, steady, constant, unswerving, unwavering and firm!" With trials we can have a tendency to be more like a roller coaster can't we? But God is calling us to be steadfast! Steadfastness grows with our relationship with Him, because the more we know Him, the more we trust Him! We grow more confident in His care! As we grow more confident in seeing His presence with us, then we, gradually, grow more confident in our trust of Him, even when things seem out of control! I don't tire in reminding myself, or you ~ trials are our best friends, they teach us steadfastness, they rid of us of our impurities and draw us into a deeper and more intimate relationship with God! If we are choosing to live for eternity, this should be our every desire! God allows the trials, for our good! God cannot act outside of love and righteousness. We can trust Him, He is Sovereign ~ what feels out of control is under His Sovereignty and control!

We can find joy, even in the midst of unimaginable trials! We can be imprisoned, but will always remain free in Christ ~ they cannot take Him away! We can go through difficulties, but be filled with praise, because Christ is so very present with us! We can be thankful that He will never forsake us, He will never leave us and we can rejoice in the things we do have to be thankful for! It's about focus, it's about heart attitude! Choose praise, choose a thankful heart! Choose faith as your forward shield! It must be held up to protect you! Christ is our every hope! It's a choice!

Compassion And Forgiveness

Ever notice how, swiftly, we want God to deal with the weaknesses and sins of others, but how we plead for His patience, mercy and grace for our own sins and weaknesses?

1 John 1:9 says, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

God's forgiveness for our sins, is just a prayer away; it's immediate! I don't know about you, but I love this verse! We have a merciful and compassionate God!

Psalm 103: 8-18 says,
"The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will He harbor His anger forever; He does not treat us, as our sins deserve, or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His love for those who fear Him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers we are dust. As for a man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower in the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear Him, and His righteousness with their children's children ~ with those who keep His covenant and remember to obey His precepts."

Are we compassionate, gracious, slow to anger and as abounding in love, with our brothers and sisters in Christ, as the Father is with us? Or do we hold them to a higher standard or level of criticism and deal with their shortcomings, more harshly, than we expect God to deal with our own? Do we not cry out for mercy for ourselves and pray God will straighten out those we feel have dealt with us wrongly, or, maybe, just at the sight of their weaknesses? Do we remember when we see the non-believer, to be as compassionate as God was with us, as He drew us to Himself, in the midst of our sin? Do remember, that when we asked, He removed our sin as far as the east is from the west?

God always calls sin, sin; He does not sugar coat it and so we shouldn't either ~ but do we draw others to us because they see Christ in us, or do we send them away at the sight of our hypocrisy. Do we remember His compassion on us, daily, in our dealings with others or do we take offense? Do we remember their frame and take compassion, as we would with a child that needs to be taught the right way, in love or do we show anger?

If we stop and remember how we were drawn to the Lord, we will remember that we saw His love abounding in someone that reached out to us. It was the love and compassion that got our attention and in the security of that amazing love, we were able to see our need for a Savior. The love caused us to drop our defenses and our pride and to be willing to see our need and act upon it! Speaking the truth in love, has an amazing impact on someone God has made ready to hear! Pride, criticism, legalism and hypocrisy, only close the spiritual ears of others and are a stumbling block placed at their feet, by us. They will not see Christ's compassion and love and will walk away saying, 'I don't want to be like that!' Are we harsh with others? When we share His truths do we do it in love, with compassion? Or do we sound more like task masters?

We all struggle with this from time to time, if we are honest with ourselves. I haven't arrived, yet, either.
How easy it is for us to plead for mercy and turn and show a lack of compassion and love to another.

Matthew 6:12 says,
"Forgive us our sins, as we forgive our debtors." (If the Father held us to the standard that we hold others to, how would we fare.) Reading the next verse, may make us want to consider, more seriously, how we do deal with forgiveness, when it comes to others.

Matthew 6:14-15 says,
"For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions."

Matthew 7:2-5 says,
"For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye."

Matthew 18:21-35 says,
"Then Peter came and said to Him, 'Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him?' 'Up to seven times?' Jesus said to him, 'I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven.'
For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he had begun to settle them, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. But since he did not have the means to repay, his lord commanded him to be sold, along with his wife and children and all that he had, and repayment to be made.
So the slave fell to the ground and prostrated himself before him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you everything.’ And the lord of that slave felt compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.
But that slave went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and he seized him and began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay back what you owe.’ So his fellow slave fell to the ground and began to plead with him, saying, ‘Have patience with me and I will repay you.’ But he was unwilling and went and threw him in prison until he should pay back what was owed.
So when his fellow slaves saw what had happened, they were deeply grieved and came and reported to their lord all that had happened. Then summoning him, his lord said to him, ‘You wicked slave, I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not also have had mercy on your fellow slave, in the same way that I had mercy on you?’
And his lord, moved with anger, handed him over to the torturers until he should repay all that was owed him. My heavenly Father will also do the same to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from your heart."

It's easy for us to see the hypocrisy of this slave, but we, often, miss our own!

Luke 11:4 says,
"And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation."

Luke 15:27 says,
"And He said to him, 'Your brother has come and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has received him back safe and sound.' But he became angry and was not willing to go in; and his father came out and began pleading with him. But he answered and said to his father, 'Look! For so many years I have been serving you and I have never neglected a command of yours; and yet you have never given me a young goat, so that I might celebrate with my friends; but when this son of yours came, who has devoured your wealth with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him."

The audience Jesus was talking to would have been repulsed by the actions of this son! He had the audacity to ask his father for his inheritance before his father was dead and went out and squandered it, with prostitutes, no less. He became so much in need that he was eating the pig slop where he was working. (Pigs were considered unclean by the Jews.) Now, this son is returning home in hopes to, at least, work for his father as a hired hand. But, the father, runs to meet him; he's been watching for his return. The father's response is as if he never sinned! The brother is outraged, but really his heart is moved by jealousy, a hatred for his brother. He's not angry with the sin, but at the sinner! Complete jealousy! Can we not relate to the brother's response? But Jesus tells this story for us to grasp the total forgiveness of the father! The father doesn't move in anger, but with complete forgiveness and love!

Romans 12:9-10 says,
"Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor."

Romans 15:1-2 says,
"Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to his edification."

Romans 12:16 says,
"Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation."

1 Corinthians 13:1-4 says,
"Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails!"

May God bless us both, as we seek to put others first and always seeking to act in compassion and forgiveness ~ to be lacking in criticism and abounding in love! God's amazing love!

Praise Him With A Heart Of Thanksgiving!

May we rise this morning in praise, because nothing, absolutely nothing, can separate us from the love God! He is gracious and compassionate toward all He has made! May we claim His mighty acts today, to all we meet! Let's bring the hope to others, that we have found ourselves, in Him! We have so much to be thankful for; let us walk in celebration, sing of His mercies and praise Him for His amazing love! It's up to us to make His name known to the next generation! Let our mouths be filled with His praises today, as we tell of His truths and as we, simply, share all that He has done for us! Who needs to hear of His love and compassion? Who in our lives needs the hope we have found in Him?

Romans 8:38-39
"For am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Psalm 104:33-34
"I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live. May my meditation be pleasing to Him, as I rejoice in the Lord."

Psalm 145 ~

"I will exalt You, my God and King: I will praise Your name for ever and ever. Every day I will praise You and extol Your name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; His greatness no one can fathom. One generation will commend Your works to another; they will tell of Your mighty acts. They will speak of the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and I will meditate on Your wonderful works. They will tell of the power of Your awesome works and I will proclaim Your great deeds. They will celebrate Your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of Your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made. All You have made will praise You, O Lord; Your saints will extol You. They will tell of the glory of Your kingdom and speak of Your might, so that all men may know of Your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of Your kingdom. Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and Your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all His promises and loving toward all He has made. The Lord upholds all those who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down. The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all His ways and loving toward all He has made. The Lord is near to to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cry and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love Him, but all the wicked He will destroy. My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord. Let every creature praise His holy name for ever and ever."

Psalm 147:1

"Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise Him!"

Psalm 150:1-6

"Praise the Lord. Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in His mighty heavens. Praise Him for His  acts of power; praise Him for His surpassing greatness. Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with the tambourine and dancing, praise Him with strings and flute, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord."

Sometimes we may have to choose to rise up in praise and feel it later. Sometimes our hearts are burdened and weary,  and far from rejoicing, but it is a choice! Counting our blessings brings our hearts to a place of thanksgiving and gratitude moves our heart from complaint to praise! Choose to focus on how God has blessed You, today, choose to celebrate all He has done for You! Rise up in praise!

God's Counsel, Instruction And Guidance

Who, on this earth, would we trust with our life? A husband? A wife? A mother? A father? A son? A daughter? Does a friend come to mind? It's the people that we are really close to, the few, that we know and trust their character, that we are going to choose from isn't it? We all want control over our future, we would want our wishes to be followed; but, is there anyone we would trust to choose and orchestrate our life, according to THEIR will? Is there anyone that we could trust to plan every detail of our life, without our input, and then for us be willing to live it out? That's a tough question isn't it? That's a whole new ballgame! Who would want to do that, anyway?

Did you know God's Word says He has a way chosen for us? A way chosen for you! Wow! Sounds great, God, the Creator of all things, has a plan for me! We love the idea of having a purpose, a God-given plan! The difficulty in this, is having the faith, the willingness, to trust Him, to believe His way is best for us and giving up our control. To follow God's plan for us, we have to be able to lay aside our own desires and reasoning; to overcome our fears and to believe He will act in our best interest, no matter what; even, if we don't understand or agree with His choices! Think about that a minute! This takes trust to a whole new level! Do we believe and trust God to act in our best interest and for our good, even, if many times we know He will take us in ways that will cause fear and discomfort, in ways we really don't want to go or feel ready for? This kind of trust comes, only, through knowing Him, very intimately! This ability comes through ALOT of time spent with Him, coming to know Him, fully, and trusting His character, completely! Check out the verses below:

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord, with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight."

Psalm 16:7 says, "I will praise the LORD, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me."

Psalm 25:12 says, "Who then fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him."

Psalm 32:8 says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."

Psalm 37:23 says, "If the Lord delights in a man's way, He makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with His hand."

Psalm 73:24 says, "You guide me with your counsel, and afterward You will take me into glory."

Counsel, instruction, and guidance from the God of the Universe, that's pretty awesome stuff! But how far does our trust go? Can we trust Him with those things that cause us fear?

Isaiah 41:10 &13 says,
So do not fear; for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will up hold you with my righteous right hand.
For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says, "Do not fear; I will help you."

Psalm 37:39-40 says, "The salvation of the righteous comes from the Lord; He is their stronghold in times of trouble. The Lord helps them and delivers them from the wicked and saves them, because they take refuge in Him."

God keeps His promises, He's trustworthy! When we begin to recognize that He does what He says He'll do, we grow in our ability to feel secure in His arms and to trust Him with more. As we come to see His goodness and His righteousness, we find it easier to trust Him when He's asking us to do something that seems outside of reason or something that will cause us discomfort or pain. It takes time, but we will, gradually, be able to, willingly, lay down more of our lives into His care.

If you are struggling with trusting God with every detail of your life, you aren't alone! We all do! Tell Him your greatest fears and draw near and allow Him to dispel them! I'm praying for you!

The Healer Of My Hurt

Sometimes we can feel all is lost ~ and wonder how we can go on! When the depth of pain and suffering make us feel we are all alone, don't be fooled! We have a Healer and when His glory meets our suffering, He takes our heart and breathes it back to life! If you're going through the unimaginable, my friend, I want you to know that God will never leave You! If your pain is so deep, you can hardly move, I can testify, I was there this winter and God never left my side, not even once! He was the One that pulled me through! I encourage you to allow your weakness and pain to bring you to your knees, to fall into His arms. He's caused my heart to soar again, in His presence! That's what happens when, the hurt and the Healer collide! Check this song out on Youtube by Mercy Me! May it bless you, like it has me! (Thanks Jillsy!)

The Hurt And The Healer ~ by Mercy Me

Why? The question that is never far away

But healing doesn’t come from the explained.

Please don’t let this go in vain

You’re all I have, all that remains.

So here I am, what’s left of me,

Where glory meets my suffering.

I’m alive! Even, though a part of me has died,

You take my heart and breathe it back to life.

I fall into Your arms open wide,

When the hurt and the Healer collide.

Breathe! Sometimes I feel it’s all that I can do;

Pain so deep that I can hardly move.

Just keep my eyes, completely fixed on You

Lord, take hold and pull me through.

So, here I am, what’s left of me,

Where glory meets my suffering.

I’m alive! Even, though a part of me has died

You take my heart and breathe it back to life.

I fall into Your arms open wide

When the hurt and the Healer collide.

It’s the moment when humanity

Is overcome by majesty

When grace is ushered in for good

And all the scars are understood

When mercy takes its rightful place

And all these questions fade away

When out of weakness we must bow

And hear You say, “It’s over now.”

I’m alive! And even, though part of me has died,

You take this heart and breathe it back to life.

I fall into Your arms open wide.

When the hurt and the Healer collide.

Jesus come and break my fear

Awake my heart and take my tears.

Find Your glory even here

When the hurt and the Healer collide.  (Repeat)

If you can relate to this song, don't give up! God can meet you in your need! He can revive your soul and renew a steadfast spirit within you! Whatever you're going through, He will walk with you! I know it's tough, but fix your eyes on Jesus and let Him lead you, carry you,  through this, one day at a time! Stick with Him and He will see you to the other side! This, too, will pass! Joy will come again! We find it, in Him! Laughter will fill your heart once more! "That's what happens when hurt and the Healer collide." I'm praying for you! May God bless and keep you!

The Message, Without The Bottle!

 Heavenly Father,

You are my True North! Today, I want to thank You for Your overwhelming and amazing love for me! You have "carried me" in my weakness, comforted me in my grief, provided for me in my need ~ You have been my every source of strength and have loved me with “an everlasting love”! You are my All in All, I am complete in You!

Today, would have been mine and Jim's 36th wedding anniversary ~ I can only be thankful, to You, for 35 wonderful years that You gave us together, here, on this earth! To go with You has always been an adventure and You have been such a blessing to us in so MANY ways, over the years! I am so grateful to KNOW Jim is home with You and can not begin to imagine all that he is experiencing. To see You face to face, to, actually, stand in the presence and fullness of Your radiant love, has to be more than a mortal body could bear!

I have realized in Jim’s passing, how much he cherished me, and how deeply I have loved him. In the depth of such unimaginable grief, I’ve wondered, at times, and been concerned, that I may have loved him too much, ~ more than You. But, You set my heart at peace, reminding me that it was You that made us one~ You, made us a chord of three! If our marriage was to be a picture of Christ’s love for His bride, the church; well, then, in our humanness, we could have never, even, begun to love each other enough!

My heart, has felt the depth of Your binding love, in his death, as if being, literally, torn in two; only You could, even, begin to heal such brokenness or comfort such searing pain. I’ve never had my heart, actually hurt, physically, like this before, or have I ever known it's heaviness. Without You, it, surely, would have been far more than I could have ever been able to bear ~ only grief upon grief! I, now, understand how someone could die of a broken heart, in the passing of a soulmate and best friend, but You have held me fast! Never have I known such intimacy with You and I am aware that I haven’t even begun to touch the surface of all that it is, to know You, completely ~ but the more I know You, the more I want You and it, continually, drives me, with a passion, to love and know You more!

I can, actually say, that though, it’s been beyond overwhelming, (Jim’s death, the medical bills, being without him at my side, and now all the endless estate stuff) that I am grateful for all I have endured, only because it’s drawn me closer to You ~ that, alone, has turned my devastation into praise! You’ve taken what was awful and used it for good! You’ve taken what I couldn’t bear and cause my heart to soar in the joy that it is to draw closer to You!

Lord, it hurts my heart, how easily, and quickly, in good times, I tend to move away from You. How do You bear us all? The deeper You take me, the more aware I am of my own sin and that is more grievious than the grief I already have had to bear! I am sinful in all my ways! I have to wonder, why You would allow Your Son to die for us, when we were yet sinners? We were Your enemies, and, yet, in Christ's unconditional love, He laid down His life and made us the family of God! I am in awe of Your amazing grace!

I will never forget Jim, it would be impossible, but, somehow, I have to move on from here, and I need Your help to do that! I admit that I don’t know how, but my eyes are fixed on You! I do not want to spend the rest of my life grieving, there's too much to live for, but it still hurts! I KNOW You can move me beyond this place, I am confident in You! You lead and I will follow!

Today, if You are willing, Jim’s ashes will return to the dust ~ there is no “goodbye” because I WILL see him again; but only a willingness to move on, with expectant hope, in You. I need that closure. I am, now, all Yours and I look to You, alone!

Lord, the intensity of these "fiery trials" have had a way of bringing You, more clearly, into view and have defined for me what’s truly important! It’s not what You have for me or what You can do for me, but it is YOU, Yourself! You are my sole (soul) longing! You are all I need! You complete me! You are my husband! You are enough!

I thank You for the 35 years of wonderful memories! For the beautiful daughter You have given us together and her love for You! Her face is radiant with Your love! Thank You for allowing her to be with me at her daddy's side, to kiss his face and to be with me as we sang him into Your Presence! I'm grateful that Jim got to see his grandchildren, Lily and Caleb and to spend some very special times with them. They are so precious!

Father, Jim caused me to look at the world through fresh eyes, like when I was a little girl, to believe nothing was impossible, in You! He taught me that there were no molds for pastor's wives, that it was okay to be myself; to love people beyond their faults, not to take things, personally, but to strive to be gentle and loving and so much more! I haven't attained all this, but he was my mentor and I am so grateful to have known him and to have been his wife! 

I thank You, Father, for filling my emptiness and for melting away my fears with Your Presence. For showing me Yourself in new ways through it all! I am greatly bless!

You will walk with me and then take me into glory!

With a grateful heart ~

`

`

Where Do You Make Your Deposits?

 The cares of this life can be endless, we can, easily, move from worry to worry and from grief to grief, if we are so inclined to, instead of the choice of faith, casting, thanksgiving and praise! There's always something negative, a problem, to stress over. If not our own, there's always someone near and dear to our hearts that we can worry for ~ but do we really want to live like that? What does God's word say we are to do with all our cares?

Just like there's peace in the eye of a storm, we can learn to find peace in God, in our storms of life! Just like a child learning to walk ~ it takes time and effort and alot of falling and getting back up, but it is possible to know peace and joy in the midst of horrific trials. It's all about our focus, the mind, our thoughts, faith. Just like a good book or movie can steal our thoughts away, momentarily; we can choose to move our thoughts to God's sustaining power, to see us through those difficult times. Even, in the midst of difficulty we can choose to have the peace that God knows our circumstances and He's in control. We can move our hearts to focus on Him and find joy in His love and care for us, we can "deposit" our troubles with the One who loves us so deeply. Here, Peter speaks of casting, which means to throw or to hurl.

1 Peter 5:7 says,

"Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."

About 63-64 AD, Peter penned these words to the very weary saints of the early church. These Jewish believers were experiencing a great injustice, the "fiery trials" of persecution: imprisonment, being beaten and even killed for their faith ~ not for anything they had done wrong. Peter calls these believers to live above reproach, to be blameless, to be reflectors of Christlikeness. He was challenging them to move their hearts beyond the experience, to the peace and rest that only God can give; to "cast your anxieties on Him because He cares for you."

How is this possible? How could Peter expect them not to worry being under this kind of persecution? Yet, Peter was challenging them to "cast" or "deposit" their worries one by one on the One who cared for them, so affectionately. 

This act of "depositing" our cares with God is like us depositing our savings at a trusted bank and walking away, believing it to their safe keeping. We are entrusting it to them and no longer worrying if it is secure. The idea of "casting" is like casting a net out or casting a fishing line; it's casted out and away from us.

In Acts 16, Paul and Silas applied this teaching well when they were stripped, severely flogged, imprisoned and their feet put in stocks. About midnight they were praying and singing hymns! The other prisoners were listening to them. How could they do that, after being beaten? They weren't angry at God, they sought Him in prayer, they sang! They moved beyond their circumstances and chose to praise the God they loved! Their faith, opened the door to God's grace because it says, "Suddenly, there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and every body's chains came loose."They didn't run, but cared enough to be concerned for the frantic jailer that felt he'd lose his life if they escaped. The jailer had drawn his sword to take his own life! Paul called to the jailer, in the darkness, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!"The jailer then called for the lights and rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"The jailer was saved that night! Was it the singing and prayer, their praise? The violent earthquake sent by God? Or maybe, the chains that fell loose and the prison doors that fell open? Or maybe their love for the jailer? You see, our faith causes us to act, totally, different in our circumstances and God was seen and the jailer was saved! Do others see our God when we are in distress or just a person that's a worried mess that has no God to turn to? This is a challenge for me as well!

Do you understand, if we have faith, they can beat the body, imprison us, put us in stocks and even kill us, but they cannot steal our mind, unless we allow it? We can captivate our thoughts! We can, actually, choose to praise and sing and place our hope in God, in the midst of great distress! Like we talked about in a previous blog, God is our oasis, in the desert of life. Even in the most extreme circumstances, God shows up for those who love Him! We can cast our cares on Him because He cares for us!

Psalm 55:22 says, 

"Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall."

Jerusalem had become a city of violence and strife, because of the treason of Ahithophel. This psalm, is thought to be most likely written, during the rebellion of Absalom (David's son) and Ahithophel's betrayal. (David's trusted counselor.) David's utterance of this passage occurred while suffering this classic treachery that furnished the opportunity for David's deepest distress. David knew God on an intimate level, and it was his God that he turned to in his time of deepest need.

David trusted God; God had proven Himself to be present with David time and time again; showing His faithfulness, to bee an ever present help in trouble. David didn't just hope God existed, David knew Him, he depended on His presence with him and God's ability to act on his behalf. David was a friend of God's; he knew Him, personally, and valued Him, as trustworthy. David, continually, casted his cares on God, the God who sustained him and kept him from falling! David's God was bigger than any "Goliath" and was his "Deposit Box"! Where do you make your deposits? This is something we can work on together!

God Created Us For His Pleasure And More ~

God had some very specific things in mind when He created us. He formed us for His purposes and left nothing out that He intended. He fulfilled what He set out to do ~

We were created for God's pleasure:

Revelation 4:11 KJV says,
"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created."

We were made to seek Him:

Psalm 52:2 NIV says,
God looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek Him."

We were intended to love Him:

Mark 12:30 NIV says,
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength."

We were created to become like His Son, Jesus Christ:

Romans 8:29 MSG says,
"God knew what He was doing from the very beginning, He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love Him along the same lines as the life of His Son. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in Him."

We were formed for God's family:
Romans 12:4 says,
"In this way we are like the various parts of a human body. Each part gets its meaning from the body as a whole, not the other way around. The body we're talking about is Christ's body of chosen people."

We were shaped to serve God:
Ephesian's 2:10 TNIV says,
"For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

We were made to fulfill God's mission:
Matthew 28:19 NIV says,
"Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

We were formed to have eternity in our hearts:
Ecclesiastes 3:11 NAS says,
"He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end."

We are uniquely made and are of great value in God's eyes!

Pleasing In God's Sight!

The sun is rising on another day in the Tetons and I don't know about you, but I want to walk ever so close to God, my Father, today ~ it's Him, I desire to please! Though, in my humanness, I often, fall short, my heart's desire, my goal, in this life, is to live to please Him! Does God's Word tell us how we can do that? Check out the following verses:

Hebrews 13:21 says,
"So we make it our goal to please Him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things he has done while in the body, whether good or bad."

I don't know about you, but when I get home and see My Lord and Savior face to face, I want to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."I want to live everyday, here, in the light of eternity! I know I won't do it, perfectly, if I could, Jesus wouldn't have had to die ~ but with His help, I want to seek to walk according to His Word, the Bible.

Our first step is faith! In the list of the "Hall Of Faith," in Hebrews chapter 11:5-6 it says,

"By faith Enoch was taken from this life, so he did not experience death; he could not be found, because God had taken him away. For before he was taken, he was commended as one who pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him."

Faith is a requirement to please God, without it, we cannot. We must believe He exists and if we truly believe that, it will change how we live. We are called to have a childlike faith.

Mark 10:13-15 says,
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it."

When God asks us to do something, He will, also, tell us how to do it. In the following passage we are challenged to please God and in verses 1-2 and in verses 3-18 there's the explanation of how to do it.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-18

"Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. It is God's will that you should be sanctified (set apart): that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lusts like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you His Holy Spirit.
Now about brotherly love, we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers to do so more and more.
Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. According to the Lord's own Word, we tell you that you who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord, Himself, will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore, encourage each other with these words."

God has called for those who love Him, to be set apart, to be holy, as He is holy. How do we do that?

Psalm 119:9-16 says,
"How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your Word. I seek You with all my heart; do not let me stray from Your commands. I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might not sin against You. Praise be to You, O Lord; teach me Your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from Your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on Your precepts and consider Your ways. I delight in Your decrees; I will not neglect Your Word."

God's Word and Jesus' life are our instruction manuel in how we are to live to please Him. We have to know the Word to live by it, to know what He requires of us. Christ took my place on the cross and died for me, He bought me with a price, now I've been claimed righteous. Out of love for Him, I want to seek to live in what I've already attained!

"For once you were in darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of the light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord." Ephesians 5:8-10

We are not to seek to please men, but we are to seek to please God! Don't we all struggle with that? Who do we seek to impress?

Galatians 1:10 says, "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of God."

It's easy to fall into this trap, isn't it? We can ask God to show us when we are seeking to please someone other than Himself and make the needed change.

1 Thessalonians 2:4 says, "On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts."

We are to seek to please God, not men ~ Our ability and our desire to please the Lord can only come with His help, He draws us to Himself, gives us understanding of how we can come to Him on his terms (salvation), He saves us, He seals us with His Spirit (our Helper) and He works in us, maturing us, transforming our inner heart, daily, more and more, into the likeness of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Because we have been bought with a price and are no longer our own, we are in everything, to do it as unto the Lord ~ though, we may or may not be appreciated by men, the Lord will reward us when we get home, because we did all to please Him, alone!

Colossians 3:22-24 says,
"Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence to the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward."

A life that seeks to please God seeks to grow in the knowledge of His will, it bears fruit, it seeks to walk in His power, it seeks His strength and endurance in hardships, it joyfully gives thanks to God in all things! We cannot please the Lord when we walk in the flesh ~ our hearts have to be in alignment with His!

Colossians 1:9-12 says,
"For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you, asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please Him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to His glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light."

We haven't even scratched the surface of all that God's Word says about pleasing God! Dig in, my friend, for yourself ~ as you read, ask, "What does God say it takes to please Him?"I want to encourage you, as you continue your journey here on this earth, to seek to have a heavenly focus and a heart that is in a pursuit to walk in such a way that you bring great pleasure to God! May He take great pleasure, just at the hearing of your name being whispered ~ because you love Him!

A right relationship with God is only a prayer away! He died for you, if you don't know Him, personally, bow your head and ask Him to show you Himself, to forgive you for your sins and then turn and live for Him. If you have done that and realize that your life doesn't line up with His, ask forgiveness, turn back to Him, and seek to be holy and blameless, asking for His help to walk in His ways and to please Him. I love you, in Christ, and I want to see you victorious! I want to hug your neck when we get home and spend eternity with you! Keep pressing on, my friend ~ keep pressing on!

May God bless you today!

There Are Hidden Treasures In Every Storm!

Ever been caught in a storm? It can be scarey! I've been in several!

I remember when I was about 9 or 10 being with my parents out on Lake Murray in S.C. Dad was a seasoned boater. We'd always had a ski boat, with a V hull, as far back as I could remember, but at this particular time, we had what some might call a "party barge," or a pontoon boat. (I wasn't impressed!) I liked to ski and they are too slow! They have a large deck and room for alot of chairs and people, but not much cover or protection in a storm. My dad didn't seem as happy with it, as he thought he might be; we didn't have it long after this particular situation ~ I think it helped him to decide!

My mom and dad decided we'd go for an afternoon ride in the early fall; the sun was hot, but the air was cool. We ended up crossing open water and were quite far from home, when a storm blew in. The waves became quite large and were breaking over the deck. Lightening was flashing around and was too close for comfort! If you know anything about a pontoon deck, you'll know we were getting wet with every wave that came over the deck; they are flat, so it ran off the sides, but there was no retreat from the rain or the waves. I was afraid of the lightening and the few things there seem to be to retreat under were metal! Nothing but metal and aluminum in every direction!

Since home was back across open water, we had no choice, but to stop at a house with lights on and ask for help. It was a Friday night and this older couple was so gracious. They'd just sat down to a late evening meal, to celebrate their anniversary and here we came knocking at their door! We looked like wet rats! They gave us towels to dry ourselves and allowed dad to dock the boat at their house overnight. Dad insisted that they eat their meal and they did, but then the man, kindly, drove us 45 minutes across the Lake Murray Dam to take us home.

My husband and I were caught coming back from a church picnic that was 16 miles across the Kachemak Bay in Alaska when a storm blew in. We were all afraid, the waves looked to take over the boat, but God was gracious and saw us into the harbor, safely. There were 2 boats and one being towed. We all knew, to capsize in those frigid waters would bring on hyperthermia, quickly, if we were in the water long. It was a serious situation! Our faces told of our fears!

The disciples in Matthew 14, too, find themselves in the midst of a storm! At the beginning of the chapter, Jesus and His disciples have just found out that John the Baptist has just been beheaded. It says in verse 13-14, "When Jesus heard what happened, He withdrew by boat to a solitary place. Hearing of this, the crowds followed Him on foot from the towns. When Jesus landed and saw the crowd, He had compassion on them and healed the sick."

Jesus was grieved by John's death and sought for He and the disciples to get away for some solitude in their time of grief, but it didn't go quite like that. Jesus has compassion for the people and it delays them. In His compassion, He heals them, but He, also, feeds them before sending them away. With 5 loaves of bread and two fish, He feeds the 5,000. Verse 20 says, "They were all satisfied, and the disciples picked up 12 basketfuls of the broken pieces that were left over!" Wouldn't you have loved to see that! Bread and fish multiplying before your very eyes! Check out what happens next!

Matthew 14:22-33 says, "Immediately, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowd. After He dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone, but the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because of the wind against it. During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.
When the disciples saw Him walking on the lake, they were terrified. "It's a ghost,"they said, and cried out in fear, But Jesus immediately said to them: "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." "Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to You on the water." "Come," Jesus said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" Immediately, Jesus reached out His hand and caught him. "You of little faith," He said, "why did you doubt?" And when He climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."

The storm brought overwhelming fear to the disciples, but there are some blessings to be found here and in the midst of our storms of life, too, if we look for them:

The storm, the very thing the disciples feared, Jesus used to reveal Himself, in a new ways. He used the storm as a teaching tool, to get their attention and teach them somethings, about Himself, they didn't already know. The storms of life, also, reveal things about ourselves too!

Jesus comes to us even in the darkness: The fourth watch would have been around 3am to 6 am in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus came walking to them on the water. You may be going through a dark time in your life right now, but God is in control. He sees you and is, completely, aware of your situation and is in, complete, authority over it. Nothing can happen that He doesn't allow.

One of my favorite verses is found in Hebrews 13:5b, the amplified version says: "For He, (God) Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. (I will) not, (I will) not, (I will) not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let (you) down (relax My hold on you)! (Assuredly not!) I love the "Assuredly not!"

Psalm 139:11-12 says, If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You."

The disciples were terrified! Jesus comes to us in our turmoil, when we are distraught, He meets us there. If we look at Mark's version of the story in Mark 6:48, it says that they were "straining at the oars". The wind was that strong! Jesus didn't just decide He knew they were okay and not bother to meet them in their need ~ (He showed up) He drew near to them, to show them that He could secure them. He was in control of what they were not! They were afraid for their lives! They thought all was lost, but Jesus comes to their rescue, in the darkness, walking on tumultuous sea!

You may think all is lost in the storm you're enduring, maybe, things are looking bleak, but I encourage you to put your faith in His ability to secure you in the midst of your storm. Hold up that shield of faith, it has to be held up! (I know, I forget too!) Look for Him in the darkness, seek His security and look to Him to hold you fast, to control what you can't!

Jesus showed them that He had power over the storm! He spoke with authority! "It is I, be not afraid." It was a command! Which would have meant alot more, actually, seeing the power He had over what they feared! At first, they thought He was a ghost, but He identified Himself, in the midst of their storm and showed them His power over it! They were in awe!

Jesus used what the disciples feared, He used the raging waters underneath His feet to transport Himself to them, He could have just shown up in the boat! He showed them He had mastery over the raging water, the very waves that were overtaking them. The waves they were straining against! Lol. He took surfing to a whole new level! What are you afraid of? Look for God to show you His control over what you are trembling in the face of! Whatever is overwhelming you, He is Master over!

In Mark 6:52 it says, "Immediately He spoke to them and said, "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."
The storm is still raging and Jesus is telling them in the midst of it to take heart, to take courage! Courage isn't the lack of fear, it's moving against it! And then He says, "Don't be afraid." He's saying there's no reason to fear at all! The only thing that has changed is Jesus is present with them, the storm is still raging! His presence, is to give us courage and cause us to no longer be afraid. Has God shown Himself present in your storm ~ He has, daily, in mine! He's been so very present and the things He's done I could have never imagined! I am in awe of Him! Yet, in my humanness, if I take my eyes off Him, for even a moment, I am afraid. This makes me sad! Like Peter, I begin to sink, to spiral down. I want to always trust, but I, too, like the disciples fall short.

Peter, often, gets a bad rap here ~ but I don't hear anybody else asking to get out of the boat! Do you? Peter doesn't hesitate, he makes the request and jumps out of the boat! His obedience and faith is met by Jesus' power to sustain him in doing the impossible! His faith was met by Jesus' grace and power! But Peter faltered, but for a moment, he looked at the waves and feared and began to sink! Have you ever seen anybody begin to sink? Me either! There's no inbetween, you either sink or you don't! But, when Jesus shows up anything is possible, don't be surprised ~you can expect to see unimaginable things!

Jesus uses the storm to help Peter and the other disciples grow in their faith. Though, Peter's walk was short, Peter had a faith story to tell, didn't he? A faith story, that none of the other disciples could tell from Peter's perspective. Though, Peter's faith was short lived, it allowed them all to see a miracle in the midst of a storm! The storms of our lives will bring focus and grow our faith if we allow them to! They remind us that God is Sovereign and in control and that we aren't!

Matthew 14:32 says, "An when He climbed into the boat, the wind died down."

Mark 6: 51-52 says, "then He climbed into the boat with them and the wind died down. They were completely amazed, for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened."

Aren't we like the disciples, Jesus had just fed the 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, not to mention the 12 basketfuls left over! (One basket for each of the disciples to carry, collect the leftovers and witness a miracle!) Yet, we seem to forget what He has done or failed to see it altogether!

Both Peter and Jesus reentered the boat, but it was obvious to all involved, who had mastery over all things! They were terrified and Jesus showed up and brought peace and awe right in the midst of their fears! Do you have eyes to see and ears to hear? Where is Jesus in your storm? Cry out for Him, expecting  Him to show up! Let Him melt away your fears and bring you His peace!

Matthew14:33 says, "Then those in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "Truly, You are the Son of God!"

I've got a question! Do you think the disciples were the same after the storm or do you think they were the different? Was their response any different than after the feeding of the 5,000? I think it made a impact, He brought them to their knees! To their knees, in worship and claiming Him to be the Son of God! He had their attention, He had their praise! He'd broken through their hardened hearts. Jesus brought peace and righteousness to the hearts that were hardened and filled with fear! What's God bringing to you in your storm? I promise it will be good ~ look for it! God is seeking to bring change!

"God disciplines us for good, that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it." Hebrews 12:11

There are hidden treasures in every storm that can be gleaned! Do you have eyes to see the blessings and the faith to entrust Him with your storm! He can be trusted!