God

by on

My daughter often jokes that her father and I will have “permagrins” when we are old. She follows this with an explanation of how weird we both are, adding, “But weird is never boring.” She’s at that age of analysis–where everything is explored, digested and discussed. Yesterday after a particularly giggly drive on our way home from the orthodontist, she said, “Have you noticed how all Christian moms are a bit goofy?” She then went on to talk about some of the Christian women she knew, comparing and contrasting them to some of the moms of her non-Christian friends. She wanted to know if being a Christian made you goofy. I had to laugh at her simple, tell-it-like-it-is, teenage logic. Then, once we were done sharing a giggle and a few, “Remember when,” stories, I asked her why she thought that was. Why were the Christians she knew so much happier than those who didn’t know Christ? She said, “Jesus must be really funny!” Ah, from the mouth of babes! Although I do think God must have a sense of humor (ever seen an angler fish?), you and I know there’s much more to it than that.

Knowing Jesus means knowing peace. Our family has faced numerous ups and downs, but even in the depths of trial, we can rejoice because we know-know-know God is in control. Because of God’s ever protective hand on our lives, the stress is not so stressful, the difficulty not so difficult and the pain not nearly as intense. And what happens when stress, angst and fear are removed? Joy is allowed to bubble freely.

Today’s post reminds us that we are not alone. God is ever-present, in the good times and the bad. He goes before us and levels the mountains and breaks through bars of iron. He walks beside us, holding us up when we are tired. He goes behind us, ready to catch us should we fall. And He goes with us, filling us with the love that penetrates so deeply, it overflows in love, joy, peace, goodness and self-control.

Today’s devo first appeared on Jodie Bailey’s personal blog on September 1st. As you read it, take time to really digest the truth presented. No matter where you go, God is with you. His love will never fail and His mercies are new every morning. He knows the answer to every problem you’ll ever face and He has the power to see you through.

*                          *                               *

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)–The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

I love this verse (and the dozens like it in the Bible), because I still struggle to remember that God goes with me… everywhere… always.  It’s so easy to get bogged down in my plans and worries and concerns that I miss the fact He is right there beside me.

But the cool part of this verse is in the very first six words:  The Lord Himself goes before you…

Not only does He go with us, He goes before us.  Everywhere we go, He has already been.  He’s already prepared the way.  No detour in our lives surprises Him.  No “out of the blue” happening catches Him off guard.  By the time we get there, He’s seen it all.  Oh, if that’s not comforting, I don’t know what is.  Why worry about tomorrow?  God’s already seen it.

So, as you peruse Deuteronomy, what verse leaps out at you?  Share it in the comments of this blog or blog about it yourself and leave us a link. Just be sure to link back to us.  Looking forward to hearing what you find!

*                            *                            *

Jodie Bailey was Playwright of the Year in Methodist University’s annual Hail! Dionysus competition and has written plays performed by the Monarch Playmakers. She has been published in Teen magazine and collaborated on PWOC International’s latest Bible study. She has a B.A. double major in English literature and writing, and an M.Ed. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, the Christian Writers Guild, and Middle Tennessee Christian Writers. She lives in Tennessee with her husband and daughter.

She is an avid reader, a life-long writer, and an aspiring beach bum.  She is a stubborn child who resisted God’s calling for two decades until He hit her over the head with a Beth Moore Bible Study book, and she finally figured out He wanted her to be a writer.  When not tapping away at the keyboard, she watches NCIS reruns, eats too many chocolate chip cookies, wishes she were at the beach, roughhouses with her daughter, and follows her Army husband around the country.

We are nearing the end of our top twenty of 2010. In January, God willing, we’ll focus on intentional living, albeit with a few less posts per week.

If you loved today’s devo and think it should make my top three of 2010, leave a comment, fb share it, “like” it or tweet it. (And, I highly recommend you hop on over to Jodie’s blog for her Word Wednesday! She’s always got a nugget to share.)

by on

Last night at church we talked about the first commandment–thou shall have no other God’s before Me. Then we talked about how rarely we live this one out. No, we don’t have images made from stone or wood, but we have our idols none the less–those things we hold so tightly, they’ve subtly gained control of our heart. Sometimes even good things can become bad, when gripped too tightly. For me, it’s a constant battle, requiring a constant heart check. Where does my obedience truly lie? Am I really living for Christ and Christ alone, or am I straddling two worlds hoping they’ll somehow merge?

So how do you know when that thing’s become the Thing? When you can’t let it go. When it dominates your thoughts and becomes the central reason for your actions. How do you make the Thing a thing? I’m not sure of that one. I know in my life, my heart, if left alone, quickly darkens. Each day I have to pray for God’s purifying intervention. I pray that He draws my heart toward Him, softens it to the things of Him, and removes anything in me that does not bring Him glory. But quite honestly, the praying’s easy. It’s the doing that gets tough, because inevitably, God shows me something that needs changing, dropping, adding, confessing. And anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it sins. There’s no self-justification here. No, “Well, I wasn’t sure if that was God’s will for me.” God’s not buying it. More often than not, the question is not do we know God’s will, but do we have the courage to obey, even if it doesn’t make sense or means giving up something we hold dear.

Today’s devo first appeared on Ashley Clark’s blog, Everydays.

*                               *                                 *

The original title: God May Be Calling, But What IF the Line’s Busy?

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about what happens when God places a call on our lives, but we’re a little too busy with all our good efforts to pick up. Who’s on the other line? Well, it’s probably not Satan incarnate, unless you are really outside my typical blog audience.
 


More likely, it’s those nice folks at church, asking if you can volunteer for a few more service projects. Or maybe it’s a coworker who wants to know if you can pick up a few extra hours.

Or if you’re like me, maybe it’s yourself. And no, I’m not schizophrenic.

I’ve seen this happen to friends who hold the idea of their “ministry” so close to their hearts that they are inflexible when God Himself brings a change to their plans, and I’ve done this many times personally when God is telling me to relax and I feel the need to explain how concerning and significant my efforts are.

The conversation goes something like this, “God, I know You’re listening, and I know you care, but this stuff I’m doing here is pretty important, so please help it work out the best way it possibly can, and please give me strength as I work so hard to exhaust every possible avenue to make this happen.”

When really, the prayer should be more like this: “God, I’m listening. And I’ll follow.”

The. End.

I challenge you today to live in faith rather than in a form of faith that’s really driven by self-imposed, false humility and a legalistic, works-based salvation structure. Remember that it is by grace and grace alone we are redeemed, and all we are that is good is because of Christ’s work in us.

So stop trying too hard to BE that person, whatever he or she looks like in your mind, and realize you already ARE if Christ is at work, living within you.
*                                   *                                         *

 

Ashley Clark writes romantic comedy with Southern grace. She’s currently working on her master’s in English with an anticipated spring 2011 graduation date. When she’s not writing, she enjoys teaching English Composition I and Introduction to Literature. She lives on the Gulf Coast with her husband and two rescued Cocker Spaniels. You can find out more about her and her writing at Everydays and Kaitlyn’s Reply.

And remember, if you loved today’s devo, fb share it, “like” it, tweet it, or leave a comment. And, take a few moments to visit Ashley’s blog. She’s a wonderful sister in Christ who has a fun way with words! And a heart that spills grace and joy on all she meets.

(You might also enjoy reading my interview of Dr. Senske, author of The Calling: Live a Life of Significance on Reflections today.)

by on

Today’s devo really has two messages. I considered shortening it to keep it focused on one truth, but truly, they both were intertwined and valuable. I have two alerts automatically programmed in my iphone (hoping they will also become programmed in my brain) One is, “Give God 100%.” The other is, “If God is in it, God will do it.”

This doesn’t negate hard work, hence my first daily reminder. What it does is trust God to take care of the details. We can strive and work and connive until we’re exhausted, but if God’s not in it, at the end of the day, all we’ll have is a head-ache. And the converse also holds true. How many times have blessings landed in your lap, doors swung wide open with little effort on your part, or events effortlessly fallen into place? If God’s in it, God will do it. (One of my colleagues at Reflections wrote an excellent article about this very thing yesterday.)

The question, as I asked once before, are we forging ahead on our own asking God to bless us after the fact or are we following the will of God with His blessing.

The second truth Kevin presents: We will not ever understand God this side of heaven, but that doesn’t mean we quit asking the questions and searching for the answers, because as we seek the answers we will gain something even better–increased intimacy with the Answer Provider.

Enough Slattery-Jibber-Jabber. Today’s post first appeared on Kevin Adam’s Wake Up My Faith on September 22, 2010.

*                    *                       *

When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 1 Corinthians 13:11

When I was a child, 11 to be exact, I lived next door to a Catholic rectory. It was the home of several priests who presided over the church adjacent to our house. To me they were the men in black who smiled and waved but never spoke.

There was an air of mystery that dignified them and sparked my curiosity. I’d knock on their door hoping to stump them with my 11 year old logic. “Could God create a stone so heavy that He Himself couldn’t lift?” The older one answered with a kindly nod at their un-mowed grass, a smile, and a folded $5 dollar bill between his fingers. They were glad-handing the nutty little kid from next door and it worked well! I mowed their lawn three summers on the idea that it was better to be rich than wise. But those tough questions have never escaped the grip of my fascination.

My oldest daughter has always been curious about the things of God as well. She is not afraid to ask tough questions or take the Word and test it. At age 4 I remember her bouncing out of the bathroom, dripping wet with tears in her eyes, and in her little southern twang, she said:

“Daddy, diddin you say that anathing is true with God if you just believe hard enough?”
“Sure sweet girl, absolutely!” (loosely interpreting scripture)
“Weyell daddy… I‘ve just come from the basstub and it was feeled up to the top.”
“Uh- huh”Thoughts of the wet floor distracted me from really listening.
“Daddy?”
“Uh huh?” I responded while reaching for the bathroom door.
“Weyell, I’ve been try’n and try’n to walk on na water the whole time and I just cain’t do it. I’m reely sorry daddy, I believed I could do it with God’s help, but I cain’t, num reely sorry.”

I gave her a hug and wiped away her tears (how do you respond that?). I hugged her again and asked God for help. His answer: “Anything is possible with Me, but not everything is useful to Me. Peter walked on the water only after I said ‘come’.” I backed away from her face so she could see my eyes and relayed the message in my own words.

“Sweet girl… It is possible for you to walk on water! But only IF it’s something God wants you to do. Did He tell you to walk on the water?”
“No daddy, He diddin, I just wonted to.”

I turned away, snickering, but she caught me and grinned with her whole face! Her happy little eyes squeezed out a half-formed tear, and we found ourselves laughing about it – she’s quite a chuckler! I told her to keep listening for God’s voice. If He ever tells her to walk on the water, then she can do it! But before I could finish, she was on to the next subject.

I cleaned the bathroom floor and remembered the priest. What would he do with with a heart broken 4 year old who believes she can walk on water? She certainly won’t mow the grass! What do we do with the things that offend our minds and defy logic? Are we lazily dismissive in the name of productivity? What 4 year old or 11 year old have you ever heard say “well I suppose its just beyond our comprenehsion”? Is that why mysteries exist? So we can say that? A child wants the answer in spite of the odds. The adult considers it an impossible waste of time. So what’s the point?

It’s okay that we don’t know, but it’s not okay to let go!

Maybe the mystery has a deeper purpose than our understanding; but one we can’t afford to ignore. After all, who can explain the internet to an insect? But concealing the depth of God may actually reveal the personality of God (even better). Like a game of hide and go seek where God hides His ideas in the heavens, but tucks Himself just out of sight, one block up, and around the next corner. We faithfully count with our eyes closed while He anticipates the ready-or-not moment. We go looking for the answer but find Him instead.

Whether a man tries to move a mountain by faith, or a 4 year old attempts to walk on water; it shows their willingness to dive in, take the challenge, and STOP IGNORING HIM. He delights in our search like a father hiding behind the curtain while his child tiptoes nearby. And He smiles when we challenge Him with our flimsy logic, like a 6 year boy challenges his father, with a flimsy rubber sword.

Listen, I’m only good for one or two rounds of hide and go seek with my kids (they’re older now), but if my daughter counts to 10 and then comes running, you better believe my heart thumps! And I will hide for the sheer joy of that moment when she finds me and we laugh together. Is our heavenly Father any less loving? The mystery may be the only way He can us get us to participate.

*                                *                              *

Kevin Adams is a student of God’s word, photographer and writer. His chief aim is to help followers of Christ apprehend a real and passionate faith through the study of His word, by simple illustration, and regular encouragement. And by this faith they might catch a vision of who God shaped them to become. His blog, Wake Up My Faith, is an account of his own journey toward that real and passionate faith, starting at ground zero. I hope it will offer some encouragement to any who’ve set their mind on seeking God’s face, whatever the cost.

As always, if you loved Kevin’s devo and think it should make my top three of 2010, “like” it, leave a comment, tweet it, or fb share it. And may we all passionately seek after God today, in full surrender and unhindered obedience.

And I will leave you with one more thought. God has made each one of us a promise, and here it is, written in Jeremiah 29:13 “If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me.” (NLT)

Wholeheartedly–with your whole heart.

by on

During the holidays, our stress levels mount and those little things that used to be easily overlooked suddenly weigh on us like heavily-decked barbells. Family members gather in closely confined areas, bringing with them their quirks, inconsiderate tendencies, and baggage–a recipe for disaster which is fueled to explosion if we bring with us even the slightest hint of unresolved anger. That comment Aunt Bertha made ten years back? Yep, out it pops, swirling through our memory, along with all those sarcastic jokes that fly off Uncle George’s tongue.

So, what can you do? Hide away in your nice, safe, non-confrontational closet. (Oh, that sounds so nice! J/K. Almost) How about you drop a few suitcases and make the effort to travel light? This season, add a dash of forgiveness to your plate. (You might also be interested in an article Bruce Hebel wrote for Reflections.)

Today’s devotion comes from Edwina Cowgill. As you read over her wise words, ask God to show you festering wounds that need amputating by the scalpel of forgiveness.

*                                        *                                     *

A few weeks ago, a dear friend made a comment that caused me to stop and think. She said, “It’s a season of forgiveness, a season of friendship, a season of new starts. One act of forgiveness can change the outcome of a life.”

I believe there are certain “levels” of offense. Before you scream in protest “An offense is an offense is an offense…” let me say that this is not based on Scripture but on years of observing and counseling people:

Level 1: Offenses of No Significance: An example of this would be the “grocery cart bump,” where someone who is in a great hurry accidently bumps another person’s cart. The bumper says to the bumpee “excuse me” and most normal, sane people will answer “no problem” or some other acknowledgement and life goes on.

Level 2: Offenses of Minor Significance: After you have worked for hours and hours in your yard, your neighbor, who just happens to be married to the Chairperson of the Landscaping Committee for the homeowners association, wins the “Yard of the Month Award” and rubs your nose in that fact.

Level 3: Significant Offenses: Perhaps a significant offense would be when a dear friend, or a spouse makes an extremely unkind remark about you. Extremely unkind.

Level 4: Offenses of Major Significance: With this level, begin the wounds that usually change a person’s life. A spouse leaves his/her family for another person. A teenager rebels and begins a life of addiction.

Level 5: Offenses of Grave Significance: Wounds of grave significance are usually wounds that are inflicted on a person in their early years as a toddler or young school age child. These wounds are normally caused by a parent or a major caregiver in the life of a child. Sometimes, these wounds are buried by the child and forgotten until something later in life triggers the memory of that wound. For that adult, it is as if their entire body is being ripped in two and everything they thought was buried has been dug up. These types of wounds range from abuse to absentee parent(s) to never being accepted and loved unconditionally by one or both parents.

If there are levels of offense, then it would stand to reason that there are levels of forgiveness. Right? Wrong. Forgiveness is forgiveness. And as Christians, we are commanded to forgive. It’s not an option. And it’s serious business. Jesus said, “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.” (Matthew 6:14-15)

I don’t think the language can get much clearer than that! If we forgive people who offend and hurt us, God will forgive us our offenses. If we don’t forgive people who offend and hurt us, God will not forgive us our offenses.

There’s not a cap on the number of times we are to forgive. Again in the book of Matthew, we read this: Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy times seven.” (Matthew 18:21-22).

Someone is probably thinking, “So if I forgive someone 490 times (70 x 7) and they offend me for the 491st time, I don’t have to forgive them? No. Jesus used those numbers to illustrate the fact that there is no limit on the number of times we must forgive those who offend us.

But what if the wound is one of those of grave significance? Must we forgive that person too? Absolutely. If we want our sins forgiven, we must forgive those who sinned against us. But how can one forgive the person who wounded them so deeply that their entire life was affected by that wound?

Many years ago, I heard an excellent teaching on forgiveness. The teacher had been wounded deeply. She shared that she had learned to pray “make me willing to be willing to forgive.” You see, she had learned an invaluable lesson on forgiveness. Sometimes we are not able to forgive on our own. Maybe it’s because the wound is too deep and the hurt is too great. Whatever the reason, we are not able to forgive. The Bible says that “God looks on the heart.” Even though this teacher was not able to forgive on her own, God heard her prayer of “make me willing to be willing to forgive.” He looked at her heart and knew she wanted to forgive. He had compassion and mercy on her and answered her prayer. Soon, she was able to pray, “Make me willing to forgive.” And God answered her prayer again and she reached the point of saying “I forgive….”

I’ve used this prayer myself many times in my life. I fully believe God understands and knows my heart when I pray this prayer. He knows I realize I must forgive that person but at that moment in time, I am unable to forgive on my own. Thus, I ask for His help and He answers. As I become more willing, forgiveness appears on the horizon and eventually becomes full blown in my heart.

If you have been wounded, at any level, I encourage you to begin to forgive. It may not be easy. It can be an uphill battle. Pray the “willingness” prayer. Begin to be willing to be willing to forgive. God will help you. He will walk with you every step of the way until forgiveness is full blown in your heart. With forgiveness comes healing.

Oh, yes. When is the season of forgiveness? Every day.

*                                   *                                *

Edwina has written numerous articles. Many have been published on various websites including the Houston Examiner and the Midsouth Diocese of the Charismatic Episcopal Church. Her short story, “Katie’s Story: A Story of Redemption and Love” was published in 2009. A second short story, “The Front Porc” has just been published in Skinned Knees and Skate Keys. Edwina updates her blog three times a week.

She is a member of American Christian FictionWriters, Writers of Remarkable Design, and member of the Southside W.O.R.D. She is also a member f Christian Writers United, a writing group within her community.  Visit Monarch Ministries to find out more about Edwina and her heart for God and women.

To repeat my normal, too-oft repeated reminder, if you like this devotion fb share it, “like” it, tweet it or leave a comment.

by on

I stumbled upon Kevin’s blog quite by accident and have come to enjoy his Christ-centered posts. After reading one article in particular, I asked him to be a guest columnist on Reflections. What he wrote about marriage greatly impacted our readers. (I expanded on his point, discussing the how, the following week.) This devotion reminded me of an experience my husband and I went through about five years back. Finding ourselves in a place of unemployment, all of our belongings packed into storage, praying our newly built home would sell before we landed in debt, God asked me, “Do you still love Me? Will you praise Me even now?” At this time, Casting Crowns launched their song, “I Will Praise You in the Storm” and I clung to those words daily with determination. They became my mantra for a time and in those months of uncertainty, I understood what is meant by “a sacrifice of praise.” Sometimes our praise comes from a joyful heart. Other times, it is a sacrifice, a choice, an understanding that God is worthy of our praise regardless of our circumstances.

This article first appeared on Wake Up My Faith on Septermber 9, 2010.

*                            *                                *

Weed Eating Revelations #101

God gave me the privilege of working beneath the blue sky this past weekend, on a farm belonging to friends. I handled a few of their chores and they handled a few of my bills. I spent most of the day behind a sizeable weed trimmer, working along the perimeter of their property. There was a strip of rough terrain near the front entrance that presented a problem. It meets the road and then slopes back about 45 degrees, so you can’t mow it. It has no grass, only dollar weeds hovering just above the ground. But those weeds were treacherously disguising the jagged pea sized rocks underneath.

Now I’m used to suburban style weed-eating where shorts are a must, so that’s what I wore this weekend. When my friend put this section of his land on the to-do list, I sincerely thought about leaving. There’s something about launching rocks at myself that makes me reluctant. I can pay my electric bill some other way, I thought. Sure enough, 30 seconds into a 30 minute job and my shins were getting blasted. I must’ve tilted that trimmer at least 15 different angles to stop it, but nothing, just rocks. This went on for 10 minutes until blood was actually running down my leg (a few trickles) – no exaggeration. The pain was intense!

I gave it few more minutes and finally hoisted up that trimmer. “That’s it! I‘m not doing this! Hard work is one thing, but this is torture!” I reached for the kill switch to turn the motor off, but at that very moment my eyes were drawn to the trimmer head. Something was missing. I stopped its rotation and noticed that every inch of string was gone. That didn’t take long – I guess it was all those stones? The Lord reminded me of my commitment- crud! So I replaced the string, restarted the trimmer and forged ahead. I just couldn’t quit, but the remaining work seemed insurmountable. The pain was killing me. My legs continued to feel like they were being sprayed with buck shot. All I could do now was pray in frustration. “Lord why are you doing this to me? Why do want me to be in pain?” I continued trimming but got madder and madder at God for making me do this, just to pay a bill. No answer!

I finally got so tired of it I said to Him, “you know what?! I don’t care what you do to me! I WILL complete this work! I don’t care how much it hurts, I‘m going to be HUMBLE and finish, even if my legs fall off!” About 3 seconds after that, a large rock nailed me right in the fore head. The sting was intense; I even felt a little dizzy. Everything in me was screaming “Stop! This is ridiculous!” I didn’t speak to God after that, but just kept working in anger, thinking my sacrifice would be seen as humility. I forgot about my iPod until it fell from my shirt pocket- must’ve been all the dancing around. I hope nobody saw that. Anyway, I’d left it on pause earlier, and shoved it in my pocket. It was a nice surprise. I pressed play with no discernment of what song was on. Anything would be a nice distraction from the beating my shins were taking. I even began to sing without paying a lick of attention. But after a moment of it, the lyrics were inescapable. I realized then that God was speaking to me through that song – answering my complaint.

“And though my heart is torn I will praise you in this storm” (Casting Crowns)

Surely He was telling me to praise Him, right then, in this storm! But He was talking about more than the shower of rocks hitting my legs and face. Honestly, I’ve been angry for months over our situation, maybe longer, and He knew it. As the song played out, I was having overwhelming thoughts of Jesus. I could see Him being mocked, beaten and spat upon, while remaining quiet. My heart softened up and I could feel tears approaching. But they were for His pain instead of my own. God impressed upon me in waves that JESUS IS humility. And He was never angry about how He was treated, only about how people treated each other. I realized what God was saying. Real humility was the quiet resolve in the midst of unfairness, and it is never angry. It is the giant that only looks small to small people. My heart sank and I was ashamed. But at least I had clarity. If humility was a town or a destination, at least now I knew which direction to start walking. At least now I had a map.

With that revelation I pressed on –just kept going! The same cuts were being hit again and again, making a red swollen mess out of my legs. But in the end my frustration was absorbed by God’s grace. The “why me?” no longer mattered, only the resolve to honor Him in the midst of it. 20 minutes later that rough section of terrain was done. I finished it with torn up legs and a mended heart. “Thank you Lord for this work to help me pay my bills!” and then I thought to myself, “next time…I’M WEARING JEANS!”

*                                 *                                    *

More about Kevin, in his own words: As a student of God’s word, photographer and writer, my chief aim is to help followers of Christ apprehend a real and passionate faith through the study of His word, by simple illustration, and regular encouragement. And by this faith they might catch a vision of who God shaped them to become. This blog is an account of my own journey toward that real and passionate faith, starting at ground zero. I hope it will offer some encouragement to any who’ve set their mind on seeking God’s face, whatever the cost.

Before I close, I ask you, “How will you praise God today?” Will it be the result of a joy-filled heart, reflecting on blessings He has granted, or will it be a determined sacrifice, knowing that He is worthy, regardless of what circumstances you find yourself in? Ever wonder where God is when you are in the storm?

And remember, if you love, love, love today’s devo, tweet it, fb share it, “like” it or leave a comment.

by on
Today’s devo comes from Robin Prater’s the Robin’s Nest. I visit Robin’s blog frequently. The past few years, she has faced numerous challenges, and yet, through it all, her faith remains strong and her witness bright. Most only read her words and will never know the deep reservoir of strength they come from. Yet those of us who know Robin personally are challenged by her faithful obedience–she is truly a modern day Joseph.
This article first appeared on her blog on November 10th, 2010.
*                            *                             *
No matter where I am, in light or dark, I can see God in everything big and small. From the tiny butterfly to the biggest constellations. I am a star gazer. I love looking at the night sky and seeing before me a beauty that takes my breath away. We can see God in everything. He makes His glory known. How can we look around and not see a magnificent Creator who holds everything in His hands?
Have you ever studied the constellation Orion? It is one of those fascinating pictures of God placing light in just the right places for us to see clearly a portrait of His mighty power. Orion is known as the Great Hunter. When we look at Orion we see a helmet, a belt, a sword, a shield and feet. It is a picture–a reminder, of the armor of God.

Isaiah 40:26 “Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things, who brings out their host by number; He calls them all by name, by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; Not one is missing.”

Job 9:9-10 “He made the Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, and the chambers of the south; He does great things past finding out, Yes, wonders without numbers.”

The constellation of Orion reminds me nightly to put on, afresh, the armor I have been given.

*Belt of Truth

*Breastplate of Righteousness

*Sandals of Peace

*Shield of Faith

*Helmet of Salvation

*Sword of the Spirit

Ephesians 6:10-20 “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to the end with all perseverance, and supplication for all the saints and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

God gives us all we need to face each day and face it without fear, with joy. The question is, have you put it on, or are you going about your day unclothed? I love how  a solitary flicker of light breaks the darkness. The same is with our hearts. Just a little of God goes a long way my friends. He fills us with all we need and more. His creation radiates His love. The cross revealed His passion. His passion is for His children.

In Orion’s belt there are three bright stars. I do not think it coincidence that there are three bright stars in the belt, which would be the belt of truth. What is truth? John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except by Me.'” We have the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three in one, the Holy Trinity, which is truth. We have His Word, the Bible, to saturate our minds and dispel all deception and falsehood.

God’s truth surrounds us and holds everything else in place. God’s truth enables you to live for him, like a glimmering lamp shattering the darkness.

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before me, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father in Heaven.”

*                             *                                    *

And remember, if you think Robin’s post should make it to our top 3 of 2010, “like” it, tweet it, fb share it or leave a comment and I’ll tally them all for our end of the month reveal. And if you’re confused about the armor of God, check out this article: What is the Full Armor of God?

by on

This Sunday our pastor talked about the Creator of the universe coming to earth in the form of a man. We’ve all heard that story, and likely we’ll hear it numerous more times before the holiday season is through. Perhaps we’ve heard it so many times, it no longer impacts us…but let me attempt to bring it back to the heart level.

About two months ago I spoke at a local women’s shelter. I was studying the life of Joseph (as I still am), hence, that was what my message was about. Joseph was a remarkable man who served God wherever he went. As a slave, he served. As a prisoner, he served, and in each instance, his focus was on others. I don’t want to travel down too many rabbit trails here, but in times and places where I would have been consumed with bitterness and self-pity, Joseph looked upon the needs of others. He became a steady beacon of light in some very dark places–an Egyptian dungeon being one of them.

My question to these ladies at the shelter, some of whom were believers and some who were not, was, “What if God has placed you here, right now, to touch someone with His love?”

Many heads nodded and a few eyes grew moist. They understood that I had no business, no right, to speak into the lives of their peers. Sure, I could tell them the love of Jesus, but coming from my nicely furnished home stocked with more food than we could want, it wouldn’t cement. Not like it would coming from one of them who lived a life of poverty day in and day out. Someone who understood the pain of losing everything they had and the fear of not knowing where you and your children would lay their heads that night.

That night, I left with one burning question–to what extent would I go to reach the lost? If God asked me to give up everything, to live among these ladies as a beacon of light, would I? Would you?

We frequently talk about God’s pursuing love for the sinner, and recite again and again the parable of the one lost sheep that wandered from the 99, but has this just become a story? A nice parable that brings us comfort? How seriously do we take the message–that one is worth it all?

To what extent would you go to reach one lost soul?

And to what extent did God go to to reach us?

When I think of what God left in heaven, to come to earth as a helpless babe born to lowly peasants, it is similar to a wealthy businessman sleeping upon the streets of Los Angeles to reach out to that one alcoholic.

To what extent did God go to to reach us? He gave up everything.

Now the real question is, how will you show Him your gratitude this holiday season?

(And fyi, this does not count towards the top three of 2010. grin. But  you can comment, tweet or share it anyway.)

by on

When I was younger, I went through a rebellious stage. Which wasn’t altogether bad. Okay, so it was about 95% bad, but 5% of my stubbornness was good–the part that didn’t get caught up in what others thought. Although I’m not sure if I ever really broke away from that mold. I just convinced myself I had.

Now that I’m an adult, I’m wiser, right? More conscientious? Socially alert?

Each week, there are numerous posts  you never see. I’ll write them up, proofread them, then hit delete. Because you might get offended, or I might say something wrong, or perhaps you’ll misunderstand what I was trying to say. Or even worse, I’ll look bad. Although I think by now you all know how weird I am. So what do I think I’m hiding and what do I have to prove? Can I really live a surrendered life and please man–you–at the same time. (Ah, you didn’t know you held such power, did you?)

I told you about my pity party the other day. Which resulted in two days of nothing, for the most part. I did a few things, like catch up on housework, but most of my day was spent in retreat. I set my responsibilities aside and let God wrap His loving, protective, accepting, strengthening arms around me. I’m a music gal and normally feel closest to God when I’m listening to praise music, so I grabbed my iphone with its Pandora app and went for a very, very long walk.

It was just what I needed. It’s funny how spending a few moments with the lover of your soul can cut through all the garbage. In my tired, somewhat discouraged state, God was there. His love hadn’t waned. And truly, He didn’t care about what I produced. He wanted my heart, and He reminded me that He wasn’t as concerned with the product as He was with the process–my obedience and continual growth in Him.

This freed me. It took fear of failure off the table and brought enjoyment back to my day, and my writing.

One song really resonated with me. Hanging On by Britt Nicole.

I’m going to post the words here. Read them. Contemplate them. Ask yourself this question: Are you hanging on to the Words of God or have you allowed other distracting noise to get in the way? Who are you trying to please? If it’s God, then there’s nothing to fear. He asks for one thing: surrendered obedience.

You see my anxious heart
You see what I am feeling
And when I fall apart
You are there to hold me
How great Your love for me
Now I see what You’re thinking
You say I’m beautiful
Your voice is my healing

Without You I just can’t get by
So I’m

Hanging on to every word You speak
‘Cause it’s all that I need
Hanging on to every word You say
To light up my way
Even every little whisper I’m
Hanging on as if it were my life
I’m hanging on

And when the darkness falls
I can’t see what’s before me
Your voice is like the dawn
Always there to guide me

Without You I just can’t get by
So I’m

Hanging on to every word You speak
‘Cause it’s all that I need
Hanging on to every word You say
To light up my way
Even every little whisper I’m
Hanging on as if it were my life
I’m hanging on

You know me better than I know myself
Better than anybody else
Your love is sounding like a ringing bell
Oh, oh, I won’t let go

Hanging on to every word You speak
‘Cause it’s all that I need
Hanging on to every word You say
To light up my way
Even every little whisper I’m
Hanging on as if it were my life
I’m hanging on (Lyrics taken from elyrics.net)

Are you tired? Feeling like you don’t quite measure up? Then close your ears to the noise and let your Heavenly Father speak words of love over you. He’s only a prayer away.

I’m tucking the following verse in my pocket. It’ll be my battle cry, my ever-present reminder, until self, and my desire to please man, is totally defeated.

2 Timothy 2:24 “No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs–he wants to please his commanding officer.”

by on

I cleaned out my office yesterday, which resulted in more than a few tears. Tears shed over things I finally let go. (For now. Knowing me, I’ll pick them right back up again a month down the line, only to be asked to lay them down again when I get to the end of myself.) About two months ago, I felt God calling me in a different direction–asking me to set certain things aside to make room for His better. And I did, sort of. With an eye out for that ever-present back-up plan. And instead of devoting myself fully to the tasks God has laid before me, I just added another hour to my day. And then another, and then another–so I could get His work done, and mine.

And when I got too tired? I crashed and burned, then hosted a pity party, as is my way.

By the afternoon, I was spent. Not because of my short cleaning spurt, but because of the hours upon hours I’d spent striving the weeks, probably even months before. Which likely wouldn’t have bothered me–there’s nothing wrong with hard work, right? So long as that which you are working for has value. But if I’m running in circles just for the sake of running? Not so admirable. Downright silly, really. Perhaps even a tad bit disobedient.

As I sat the in the corner of the couch, recouping, I was reminded of a homework assignment my daughter had completed a few days past. After spending maybe twenty minutes on a math problem, she let out a long, very over-dramatic sigh, “I did the wrong problem!” The hardest problem of her assignment, the one she’d spent so much time fretting over, wasn’t even required. Now that’s frustrating.

We’ve heard it said that God will give us rest. We often talk about the peace of God and the importance of living a balanced life, but then we jump right back on that rapidly moving conveyor belt. Or at least, I do. It’s like I’m living in two worlds, and it can be rather exhausting. But when I’ve hit the crash and burn stage, I’ve only got myself to blame.

What about you? How much of your day is God-ordained and how much of it is chasing after the wind? Take a moment to evaluate your day. Which activities do you need to let go? And what activities does God want you to focus your time on?