It's not the way things ought to be

I wrote this post back in March, but God brought it back to my mind this morning. I love this poem by Jill Briscoe and it really resonates with my heart this morning. I hope it speaks to you in some way too.

Have you ever thought about how different this world is than God planned? As God created the heavens and the earth, the sun and the moon, the animals and creatures to roam the earth, Adam and Eve; each stage of His magnificent creation God saw that it was good.

Man and woman in a beautiful garden fashioned by God's own hand. He would even come walking in the garden in the cool of the day, just enjoying all that He had made. Sweet fellowship with the ones He loved. It was truly paradise.

What a difference a day makes as Eve is deceived and takes a bite. Adam also partakes. Their lives are forever changed as God banishes them from the garden forever. Lives can be changed in just a moment - forever.

It's not the way things ought to be

And yet the way things are,

I look above and see a void

And not one single star.

Then in the day the blue is grey,

The winds of change are stilled,

My heart it seems

Must die to dreams

I'll never see fulfilled.

It's not the way things ought to be

And Yet the way things are,

Then God walks in,

Forgives the sin

And lights my evening star.

He tames my rebel doubts with love,

Rebukes my frantic fears,

Then asks my why

I sigh and cry

And counts my many tears.

One day the things that "ought to be"

Will be the way He planned,

So I should live

And freely give

My hopes into His hand.

I'll live in light of ever-ness

With eyes upon the Throne,

He'll give me grace

To run the race

Till I am safely home.

- Jill Briscoe -

From the book, "The Deep Place Where Nobody Goes"

Oh how I look forward to the day when things will be as they "ought to be". One day, in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, we will see Jesus, face to face. We will fall on our faces before Him saying,

"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." Revelation 4:11

But until that day Lord, I place all of my hopes is in Your hands. My eyes are upon Your throne, fixed upon You until my race is run!

My Mind's Made Up

Joseph had his mind made up. He was not going to give in to the demands of Potiphar's wife. (Genesis 39)

Mordecai had his mind made up. He was not going to bow before the the evil, slimy, Haman. (Esther 3)

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had their mind made up. They would would not serve the gods of Nebuchadnezzar or worship the image of gold. (Daniel 3)

Daniel had his mind made up. He opened his windows and bowed before His God to pray in defiance to the King's decree. (Daniel 6)

Day after day temptation knocked on the doorstep of their hearts, but they each stood firm.

As I thought about this today I was reminded of an old Southern Gospel song that a friend of my husbands loved to sing. The lyrics go like this:

I started out to win this race
To serve the Lord and to look upon His face.
But the ways been hard, and the ways been rough
But there's one thing for certain, I've got my mind made up.

Now Job was a man tempted in every way,
The devil took his family, he lay sick night and day.
His wife she came a sayin', "Curse God you've hade enough!"
He said, "You talk like a foolish woman, I've got my mind made up."

The devil he will tempt you and fill your way with strife,
He'll make you sick in body, even try to take your life.
Just put your trust in Jesus and say, "Lord I've had enough!"
The Lord will say, "Move over Satan, he's got his mind made up!"

Chorus
I've got my foot on the rock and my mind's made up.
Though I walk through the lonely valley,
Though I drink from a bitter cup.
When the devil comes a-knockin,
Showin' me an easier way.
I stand right square on my feet,
I throw my head in the air,
I look him straight in the eye
I say, "My foot's on the Rock and my mind's made up!"

In 1 Kings 18:21 the prophet Elijah goes before the people and asks, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal is God, follow him." But the people said nothing.

How often do you and I falter or fail because we have tried to waver between two opinions? We have failed to take a stand.

It is time that we, "Set our minds on things above, not on earthly things". We must be intentional and determined about "who we are in Christ Jesus" and what that truly means. How it affects our thought life, activites and actions. It's time that we become "set" in our ways - His way!

In the Esther study, Beth Moore encouraged us to pray this prayer for ourselves as she would pray it for us.

My beloved sister, may God be allowed to work such steadfastness of mind in you that "the bolts of your gates will be iron and bronze, and your strength will equal your days" (Deut. 33:25).

Today I'm praying this for you. Will pray it for me too? Let's join our hearts together and detemine to have our "minds made up"!

Reciprocal Delight

• 516 Churches
• in 8 Countries
• from 45 States
• including Multiple Armed Service Locations
• = more than 95,000 People with open hearts, listening for a word from God, directly to their hearts.

What a blessing to attend the Living Proof Simulcast, 2009 from one of the 516 locations around the world. Travis Cottrell and the worship team were incredible. Beth Moore was a vessel doing nothing more than speaking Jesus to us and over us. As she taught us from Psalm 37, these two verses truly stirred my heart:

4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

23 If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;
24 though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

This just blows me away! I was created to delight in a God, who delights in me!
It's a reciprocal relationship. the more I delight in Him, the more He delights in me.

In the Christian life we often talk about joy. It is a fruit of the Holy Spirit that lives within the heart of a believer. But delight is like taking that joy to a whole another level. Beth said that man's delight is a feeling of extreme pleasure or satisfaction coupled with a sense of wonder. "Delight is us laughing over the sheer wonder of Him". Does that describe your heart?

God's delight is what we were created for. We bring delight to God when we do some of the simplest of things like:

• a little boy at the flag pole, praying for his school.
• a mother singing Jesus loves me to her sweet little baby.
• a woman who stops what she's doing to help a sweet saint put her groceries in the car.
• a little girl telling her friend how much Jesus loves her.
• a man who clears the snow from his neighbor's drive, expecting nothing in return.
• any time we open up His Word, asking Him to speak to our hearts.

Can't you just see God inclining Himself, bending down and taking notice, and a sense of delight just filling the throne room of Heaven. Imagine Him saying, "That's my girl". "She's doing it!" "Look at the family resemblance!"

In a world so full of negativity, it's so much easier to think of maybe disappointing God or even frustrating God at times. I'm certain I have done both of those many times over.

But as God has changed my heart and my focus, my goal today is to bring Him delight. I want to bask in His delight like a puppy dog laying in the sun. I just want to just drink in His radiance.

How about you? Did you delight in Him today? Did you cause Him to delight in you?

Lord, Grant me a heart to delight in You! Be my greatest joy. Bring out the person in my who can't hold back any longer. I want to sense your delight in me every day. I LOVE You so much more today than even yesterday - and it was a record breaker in itself. Draw me into the deep places, far from shallow living. I want to be a true reflection of You.

Are You a Friend of God

Sunday Morning Worship included a song that I have not heard in quite some time. It's entitled, "Friend of God". As Bro. Rusty and the Worship team began to sing the first few lines, he waved off the worship team and the music came to a grinding halt.

"Listen to those words!" he exclaimed as he drew us in. "I am a friend of God, He calls me friend."

Since Sunday those words have stuck with me. Am I a friend of God? What makes a person His friend? As I searched through the scripture I was able to find one person that God specifically called His friend.

O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend? 2 Chronicles 20:7

He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars—if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be." Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness. Genesis 15:5-6

"But you, O Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend, Isaiah 41:8

Abraham believed God. Although he had been demonstrating his faith through his actions, it was his belief in the Lord, not his actions, that made Abram right with God.

Although Abram and Sarai were now in their nineties, far beyond the child bearing stage of life, God spoke to him a promise and Abram believed.

It was that belief that was credited to him as righteousness. He took God at His Word.

I just have one question for you. Are you a Friend of God? I know I am!

Who am I that You are mindful of me?
That you hear me, When I call
Is it true that You are thinking of me?
How You love me, It's amazing
(Repeat)

~Chorus~
I am a friend of God, I am a friend of God
I am a friend of God, He calls me friend
~ lyrics by Phillips, Craig & Dean ~

My Foot is Slipping

I love these words from The Message translation of the Bible:

If God hadn't been there for me, I never would have made it.
The minute I said, "I'm slipping, I'm falling,"
your love, God, took hold and held me fast.
When I was upset and beside myself,
you calmed me down and cheered me up.
Psalm 94:17-19

Have you ever felt that way? Maybe during a time of loss, a sudden illness or a catastrophic event. It's as if life just sweeps in and knocks you off of your feet. I have certainly had those times.

During the last 9 months our family has been walking that road. We have suffered the loss of a job, a ministry and income, a debilitating illness, struggles in identity, the loss of a church family, and a time of really not knowing what the future would bring.

And yet God! Those three, three-lettered words may form a very small sentence; but they speak volumes about who holds my future.

I can honestly say with the Psalmist, "If God hadn't been there for me, I never would have made it." I love how he goes on to say, "The minute I said, "I'm slipping, I'm falling," your love, God, took hold and held me fast. " God hasn't waited a week, or a month or a year. The very minute I cry out to Him He responds with his love. For the last nine months He has held us fast. He has never let go.

As a loving Father, He consoles me, comforts me, and when necessary calms me down. He takes my eyes off of my situation and refocuses them solely on Him. Without fail, as my focus shifts - He brings joy to my soul once again.

Though the road has been long, the journey has brought me to a place of surrender that I have never been before. I have seen God provide security in insecure times. I have seen God provide peace in turbulent days. I have seen God bring hope into situations that seemed hopeless. And yet God!

Today I just wanted to Praise God and thank Him for this journey! If I had to choose only one word to describe Him, it would be Faithful!

Father, I'm deep in love with you and I'll follow you where ever you lead. Even the hard roads can be sweet when my gaze is upon you.

** Praise alert **

The insurance company approved Randy's Spinal Chord Stimulator today! In a matter of days, his suffering may be over. I praise God that He has answered in His time and that the results of this procedure are in His hands.

My sincerest thanks to all of you for your prayers over the last several months.

Chipping Away

I viewed a video this morning that absolutely gripped my heart.
Thank You to Dori at http://yourwordislife.blogspot.com/ for sharing this today.

The title is God's Chisel. I don't know about you, but God continues to pull out His chisel and chip away at who I am today to make me who He wants me to be.

Who He wants me to be is a true reflection of His Son Jesus.



Like Dori, this really leaves me speechless....

With Only One Word

If you could only describe God using one word, what would that word be?

I was reading 2 Samuel chapter 22 today and it has really stirred up my spirit. Battle after battle had really taken its toll on David. I wrote yesterday how he was to the point of total exhaustion.

But today is a new day! The battle is over and God had granted David and his men victory over all of their enemies.

In typical fashion, King David throws caution to the wind and really gets his praise on.

David sang to the LORD the words of this song when the LORD delivered him from
the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. He said: "The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior—from violent men you save me. (vs. 1-4)

• You can't know Him as rock, if you have never found yourself sinking.
• You can't know Him as fortress, if you have never found yourself exposed and vulnerable.
• You can't know Him as deliverer, if you have never felt your backed into a corner with no place to run.
• You can't know Him as refuge, if you have never found yourself in trouble and alone.
• You can't know Him as shield, if you have never been under attack.
• You can't know Him as stronghold, if you have never lost your way.
• You can't know Him as savior, if you have not recognized you are lost without hope without Him.

Like David, MY God has been ALL of these to me and so much more. The more that I walk with Him, the more that I love Him. The more I know Him, the more I love Him.

If I could only describe God using one word today, that word would be faithful. He is faithful to love, faithful to comfort, faithful to forgive, faithful to encourage, faithful to provide, faithful to bless, faithful!

How about you?

Magnificent View

Seek Him and you will find Him!

You will find Him in His word!

You will find Him when you pray!

You will find Him in His people!

You will find Him in nature!

God I thank You for showing yourself to me in a marvelous way. The beautiful snow-capped mountains. The magnificent clouds that hovered in the sky! Just seeing the beauty of Your creation drew my heart into an attitude of Worship! For only YOU are worthy of my praise! Lord I love you!

It's not the way things ought to be

Have you ever thought about how different this world is than God planned? As God created the heavens and the earth, the sun and the moon, the animals and creatures to roam the earth, Adam and Eve; each stage of His magnificent creation God saw that it was good.

Man and woman in a beautiful garden fashioned by God's own hand. He would even come walking in the garden in the cool of the day, just enjoying all that He had made. Sweet fellowship with the ones He loved. It was truly paradise.

What a difference a day makes as Eve is deceived and takes a bite. Adam also partakes. Their lives are forever changed as God banishes them from the garden forever. Lives can be changed in just a moment - forever.

It's not the way things ought to be

And yet the way things are,

I look above and see a void

And not one single star.

Then in the day the blue is grey,

The winds of change are stilled,

My heart it seems

Must die to dreams

I'll never see fulfilled.

It's not the way things ought to be

And Yet the way things are,

Then God walks in,

Forgives the sin

And lights my evening star.

He tames my rebel doubts with love,

Rebukes my frantic fears,

Then asks my why

I sigh and cry

And counts my many tears.

One day the things that "ought to be"

Will be the way He planned,

So I should live

And freely give

My hopes into His hand.

I'll live in light of ever-ness

With eyes upon the Throne,

He'll give me grace

To run the race

Till I am safely home.

- Jill Briscoe -

From the book, "The Deep Place Where Nobody Goes"

Oh how I look forward to the day when things will be as they "ought to be". One day, in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, we will see Jesus, face to face. We will fall on our faces before Him saying,

"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being." Revelation 4:11

But until that day Lord, I place all of my hopes is in Your hands. My eyes are upon Your throne, fixed upon You until my race is run!

I'm listening

So much noise, all around us, all the time. At home it's the kids, the TV, the phone, the cell phone, the IPod, the washer, the dryer, the timer, the furnace, the dog... There's always something or someone clamouring for our attention - making noise.

At work it's the same. Our bosses, co-workers, the phones, always someone wanting just a moment of our time. Just a few minutes to bend our ear. Have you noticed that even in elevators and public restrooms we have to have music & noise funneled in?

How about at a public event where they notify the crowd that they will be observing a "moment of silence"? How many seconds go by before the crowd begins to squirm and the silence is broken by whispers or fidgeting? Is it 15, 30, 45 seconds?

Is it no wonder that we have such a hard time hearing the voice of God? God Himself said these words,

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10

And yet I have such a hard time just being still and listening without talking. So much talking. So little listening and truly hearing what God has just for me.

Have you ever thought about that? How many times God wanted to whisper a word of encouragement, comfort or peace and I just couldn't be still. How about a word of warning that I didn't hear and instead had to endure some difficult consequence that could have been so easily avoided. All because I couldn't be still, for just a moment.

Father, forgive me for all of the noise that I bring with me into the throne room of Heaven. So much noise. So many distractions. So little focus. Teach me to be still and to listen. To know that you are God and must be exalted above everyone and every thing. I need to hear your voice - clearly. Just a word of direction, a word of comfort, a little encouragement. I love you so. Still my heart Lord, I'm listening.

Our God Reigns - In Majesty

The Lord reigns, He is robed in majesty;

the Lord is robed in majesty

and is armed with strength.

The world is firmly established;

it cannot be moved.

Your throne was established long ago;

you are from all eternity.

The seas have lifted up, O Lord

the seas have lifted up their voice;

the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.

Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,

mightier than the breakers of the sea-

the Lord on high is mighty!

Your statutes stand firm;
holiness adorns your house
for endless days, O Lord.
Psalm 93

The seas may roar, the waves may crash, but OUR GOD REIGNS forever and ever AMEN!

Happy 13th Birthday

Happy

13th

Birthday!

Thirteen years of praying. Thirteen years of waiting. Thirteen years of God teaching me that His ways are far better than I ever could have hoped or dreamed.

Thirteen years ago our faith became sight as God placed you in our arms for the very first time. Just a little over a day old when we first met; but conceived in our heart long before.

It was New Years Eve 1996 when with quiet resolve that your Dad and I knelt beside our bed and said a prayer that would forever change our lives. It went something like this, "God, whether You ever bless us with a child or not, You are our God! We lay down our wants, our wishes and desires at your feet. Above all else, may your will be done in our lives today, and forever."

No more wanting what we wanted, more than we wanted what God wanted. No more trying to bargain. No more wrestling with God. No more infertility treatments. That night, we layed it all down.

January 4th, 1996 we received a phone call that to this day still blows me away. On the phone was a lady that my husband had met a couple of times out in the community. She represented a private adoption agency not far from our home. Her question, "Would you and your wife be interested in adopting a baby?" She told Randy that she just couldn't get us off of her mind.

At the time she didn't know if we had any children or were even looking to adopt, but felt compelled by God to call and ask. Yes they had a waiting list. Yes they had many couples already approved and just waiting to be matched up with a baby. But as always, this godly lady committed the selection of parents for each baby to prayer. So she placed the call.

January 5th we met her at a local restaurant and we shared and cried together. Overwhelmed by what God was doing in all of our lives, how He was orchestrating the entire thing. To see Him working everything out, according to His plan was like nothing I had ever experienced before. And by the way, this special gift would be arriving within a matter of weeks.

So many details to work out. The home study, the adoption expenses, the attorney fees, the medical expenses. We had made no preparations. How in the world would everything be completed in time. When it's God's timing, all of the paperwork, all of the details, everything is under His control. Everything was completed without a hitch.

On a Wednesday night I came home from church to a ringing phone. A familiar voice was on the other end of the line. Her words, "Your son has been born! You can pick him up tomorrow." I sat down on the chair, no breath in my lungs, nothing would come out. Totally speechless!

We named you Jonathan which means, "God has given" or "Gift of God". In our lives, outside of Jesus, you have been the greatest gift that God has ever given to us. In giving you, He did the impossible, the improbable, the miraculous. He poured out His love for us in a tiny bundle of joy that filled our hearts greatest desires.

Thirteen years later, you continue to bring us tremendous joy. I am so proud of the young man you are growing to be. I can't wait to see where God is going to take you in the next 13 years of our lives together. I love you with all of my heart! Mom

Authentic Praise

More than any other day of the week, I look forward to Sunday because I think of it as a day to praise. This is the day when I gather myself with other believers and we focus our attention on God. We study His Word. We sing praises to His name. We hear a message proclaimed. The hearts of fellow believers are drawn to the One who alone is worthy of our praise.

The following is take from A Heart Like His by Beth Moore.

Praise requires focus. I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. Psalm 9:1

Praise is not confined. Each of the following original Hebrew words have been translated to praise in the Psalms:

• Yadhah: most often translated to speak out, confess.
• Tehillah: a laudation, hymn, a song.
• Zamar: to play an instrument, or make noise.
• Halah: to be bright, to shine, to boast, to praise. At the root is the idea of radiance.

Praise is a choice. Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. 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. Psalm 103:1-5

Praise is to become a habit. Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. Hebrews 13:15

Praise becomes compulsory when we experience true intimacy with God. O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. Psalm 63:1-4

Praise is contagious. I will praise you forever for what you have done; in your name I will hope, for your name is good. I will praise you in the presence of your saints. Psalm 52:9

Praise Him for who He is universally. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger. When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:1-4

Praise Him for who He is personally. Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me. O LORD, what is man that you care for him, the son of man that you think of him? Man is like a breath; his days are like a fleeting shadow. Psalm 144:1-4

Praise Him with a new song. I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods. Psalm 40:1-4

Praise invites the audience of God. Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One; you are the praise of Israel. Psalm 22:3 The original Hebrew word means, "to sit and dwell".

Won't you praise Him now?

WANTED - One Pair of Blue Socks

Don't you hate to lose something? Sunday morning I was looking for a pair of blue socks. I looked in my dresser, nothing but black socks. I looked in the laundry, nothing. I looked in the dryer, nothing. I must have a dozen pair of blue socks somewhere, but this morning they were nowhere in sight. Under my breath I uttered a simple prayer, “God, just one simple pair of blue socks is all I ask for. Please!” I looked and I looked and I looked as time slipped from my grasp. If I didn’t find a pair of blue socks soon I would be late for Church.

Finally I sat down on the bed and looked down in despair at the floor and then back at my pants. To my surprise, I realized that the pair of pants that I had put on were actually black - not blue. All of that hunting and searching, anxiety and drama for a simple pair of blue socks; when what I really needed was a pair of black socks.

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

God stopped me in my tracks that morning and made me realize how often I take off on a wild tangent hunting and searching, determined that I know exactly what I need. Looking for the answer. Looking for direction. Looking for help to get me out of a mess I got myself in to. Looking for…; and in the midst of my struggle, God is watching and waiting and whispering:

Be still, and know that I am God; Psalm 46:10

It wasn’t until I had exhausted all of my options that I finally sat down on the bed. It was then that the answer came, “You are looking for the wrong thing in all of the wrong places. Be still and look, I have already met your need.”

If you remember, the first place I looked for a pair of socks was in my drawer. When I opened the drawer it was full of black socks. EXACTLY what I needed! God had already provided! I was just too blinded by my wants to see that God had already met my need, before I even asked.

29 But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. 30 When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and obey him. 31 For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your forefathers, which he confirmed to them by oath. Deuteronomy 4:29-31

I praise God for His mercy! That even in the midst of our foolishness, He is there patiently waiting for us to be still and know that He is God! I praise Him for meeting all of my needs, even before I ask. What love! What grace!

Captivate Us

There is a song by Watermark entitled "Captivate Us" that I absolutely love. It seems to describe what my heart is feeling so much better that I can do with my own words. When I listen to this song, my heart is drawn right into the throne room of God, straight into worship. My hearts cry is "Captivate us Lord Jesus, with You".

Your face is beautiful

And Your eyes are like the stars

Your gentle hands have healing

There inside the scars

Your loving arms they draw me near

And Your smile it brings me peace

Draw me closer oh my Lord

Draw me closer Lord to Thee

(chorus)

Captivate us, Lord Jesus

Set our eyes on You

Devastate us with Your presence

Falling down

And rushing river, draw us nearer

Holy fountain consume us with You

Captivate us Lord Jesus, with You

Your voice is powerful

And Your words are radiant bright

In Your breath and shadow

I will come close and abide

You whisper love and life divine

And Your fellowship is free

Draw me closer O my Lord

Draw me closer Lord to Thee

(chorus)

Let everything be lost in the shadows

Of the light of Your face

Let every chain be broken from me

As I’m bound in Your grace

For Your yoke is easy, Your burden is light

You’re full of wisdom, power and might

And every eye will see You

Nothing Wasted

I have been working my way through the study, "A Heart Like His" written by Beth Moore. The study focuses on the life of David from his time as a young shepherd boy to his life as King over Israel. I am often time captivated by the words that David uses to describe God. Look at Psalm 144:1-2:

Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. He is my loving God and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.

David knew his God - intimately. As a young boy tending his fathers sheep, he think of David playing his harp and singing praises to God. It was on those Judean hillsides that he learned how to pray and listen to God. Alone for long periods of time, he learned to rely on God and God alone. When a wild animal would attack, David would call upon the Lord for strength and deliverance.

God was using that time preparing him for what He had prepared for him. When David was 15, the Prophet Samuel would anoint him as the next King of Israel while Saul was still on the throne. And yet, it would be another 15 years before he actually ascended to the throne.

What happened during that time, more of the same. Conflict, betrayal, running, separation, loneliness, disappointment, battles, bloodshed, broken promises (not from God), heartache and deception were all a part of those 15 years of training. And yet, God used them all to mold David into a man after Gods own heart.

• You'll never know God as Lord, until you've humbled your heart in submission to Him in prayer. He is the one true God.
• You'll never know God is your Rock, until you've needed him to help you stand!
• You'll never know Him as your Loving God, until you've understood the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross - just for you.
• You'll never know God as your Fortress, your Stronghold, until you've had no where to turn, and He scooped you up and into His loving arms.
• You'll never know Him as your Deliverer, until you have found yourself totally powerless and reached out to Him to do what only He can do.
• You'll never know Him as your Shield, until you've been attacked by a brutal enemy.
• You'll never know Him as your Refuge, until you've found yourself without hope.

All of the conflict, all of the turmoil, nothing was wasted in the life of David! No matter how difficult life became, His heart was always drawn back to the God that He knew - intimately. A God who was always faithful. He has never broken a promise. He has never gone back on His word. He can be trusted with our lives, our love and our loyalty - for all of eternity!

Like David, I pray that nothing in my life will be wasted; but instead used to draw me closer to the God I love.

Sacrifice of Praise

Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name. 16And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased. Hebrews 13:15-16

We have a nifty little chorus that we sing on Sunday’s and it goes like this:

We bring the sacrifice of praise, into the house of the Lord.
We bring the sacrifice of praise, into the house of the Lord.
And we offer up to You, the sacrifices of thanks giving
And we offer up to you, the sacrifices of joy.

When does an offering of praise before our God become a sacrifice of praise? Jill Briscoe in her book “Prayer that Works” writes, “It means that, when you can’t praise God for what he has allowed, you praise Him for who He is despite what he has allowed.”

Job is a man who has given us a living example of this principle. In Job chapter 1 we see that Job is a man who had it all. He was healthy, wealthy and wise. He loved God and God loved him. God even called him “blameless and upright”.

One day Job’s world came crashing in. He lost all that he had except his wife and his health. His wealth, his children, his servants were all GONE, just like that. In chapter 2 Job’s wife suggested that he curse God and die, but Job would not. Instead Job tore his robe and fell to the ground in worship. Then he offered a sacrifice of praise:

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised." In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing. Job 1:20-22

It took a real spiritual sacrifice for Job to lay his rising resentment, bitterness and anger on the altar and to chose instead to praise God. He didn't praise God for the circumstance, but he instead praised the God of the circumstance.

When life is not going well, our praise is a costly sacrifice because we have to give up our will, our expectations for His sovereign will. King David said,

“I will not sacrifice to the LORD my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing." 2 Samuel 24:24

What are you willing to lay down on the altar as a sacrifice of praise?

Who is like you?

O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD,and your faithfulness surrounds you.You rule over the surging sea; when its waves mount up, you still them. (Psalm 89:8-9)

I praise You O God because there is no one like you. You are ruler of the nations. You are Savior of the world..., and you love me personally, individually, eternally. At your Word the winds and waves obey. To hear the words, "Peace be still" and to know that what once appeared to be totally out of control was fully under Your control.

Who is like you O God? No one! Not today, not tomorrow, not ever!

In Your Word you tell me, "Fear not, for you have redeemed me; You have summoned me by name; I am yours. When I pass through the waters You will be with me; and when I pass through the rivers they will not sweep over me. When I walk through the fire, I will not be burned; the flames will not set me ablaze." Why? Because you are the Lord, my God, the Holy One of Israel, my Savior. (Taken from Isaiah 43:1-3)

God I pledge to you today my undying love and heartfelt adoration! Thank you for being My God and for allowing me to be your child. There is no one like You!

Show Me Your Ways

Don't you just wish some days that God would come down from Heaven, sit next to you on the couch and tell you face to face exactly what He wants you to do? That's where I am today. It seems that in my life right now there are more questions than answers.

Will Randy get better? Will he be able to Pastor again? Should we sell the house? Will the house even sell in today's market? Will we get out of it what we need? Should we move closer to my job? Where will we go to church? What's best for Jonathan right now? You get the picture. Lots of questions with no clear cut answers at this point.

So what do you do when you find yourself overwhelmed by questions? How do you know the will of God? Wouldn't you know that in my daily study of "A Heart Like His", today's lesson by Beth Moore was exactly that (Don't you love that I had questions, and God started answering through His Word right away). Here is the method that she uses:

1. I acknowledge my specific need for direction. Lay it out for Him in prayer. God, what do you want me to do?
2. I continue to pray daily and study His Word.
3. I ask Him to help me recognize His answer. God answers his children through His Word and confirms His will by His Holy Spirit. As I'm reading His Word, I specifically ask God to confirm with by His Spirit what He desires me to apply to my life.
4. If I have any doubt, I ask for confirmation.

After completing my study I opened up my Praying God's Word Day By Day and found these words,

Our part is to believe God. His part is to Be God and do what is Ultimately and Eternally best.

Here is an excerpt from the prayer, "From one man You made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth. And You determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. You did this so that men would seek You and perhaps reach out for You and find You, though You are not far from each of us."

I can honestly say that I am seeking Him. I am reaching out to Him. And wouldn't you know that I am finding Him. His is not far away, He is so very near.

The 4th verse I've chosen for the LPM memorization challenge gives a clear picture of where my heart is at this time. Psalm 25:4-5.

Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.

Though God did not physically come down and sit with me on the couch today, He has shared with me just the same. Through His Word, by His Spirit, He's confirming in my heart that He will show me what is Eternally and Ultimately best .

How can I keep from singing His praises when I feel so loved? I certainly cannot! God I love you and thank You for your extravagant love! Your faithfulness to me just blows me away!

Happy Valentines Day!

Take some time today to find someone who may be alone - a widow, a soldier's wife, a single friend and surprise them with an expression of love. It doesn't have to be anything fancy. Just a quick phone call will do. But let them know that love has not forgotten them - He's a prayer away!

This is my husband's favorite poem:

Could we with ink the ocean fill,

And were the skies of parchment made,

Were every stalk on earth a quill,

And every man a scribe by trade,

To write the love of God above,

Would drain the ocean dry.

Nor could the scroll contain the whole,

Though stretched from sky to sky.

Have a Great Valentines Day!