Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Wherever He Leads I'll Go...Maybe
At our grouping tonight, it was brought up that one lady felt God had really been putting it on her heart lately about following him completely. Wherever, however. Say what he wants her to say, go where he wants her to go, be completely open to his leading.
I found that interesting as that is one of two things that has really been with me during my devotional time lately. Following God completely. Saying to him, my life is yours, I'm ready to do all that you ask. Here I am, I'm not much, but I'm ready to give it a go and put my trust in you. Giving everything completely to him.
What keeps us from it? Fear? What if God wants something of me I'm not ready to give? What if He wants me to do something I'm not comfortable doing? What if I don't like where he wants me to go?
What about control? We like feeling like we have it. "Feel" being the key word. Giving up what we see as our control over our lives is hard to swallow sometimes. We like the security of being at the wheel. Quite honestly, it makes me a little nervous when someone else is behind it.
And the other thing on my mind? Revival of our churches. I read Nehemiah last week. During his time the exiles returned to Jerusalem, the temple was rebuilt, and the Book of the Law of Moses was read. The book was read over many days, for hours at a time. It was a time of great weeping as they realized how far they had gone astray. But Nehemiah told them not to grieve, to be joyous because they had strength in God. But the verse that really stood out to me was "Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded Amen! Amen! Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground". That is a beautiful picture isn't it? Isn't that how we should worship our wonderful creator? Does he deserve less?
I will be the first to admit I hesitate to get out of my comfort zone and praise like I should in church. As I tell my girls, it's in me, I'm just chicken to let it out. And I admit I'm ashamed of that. And I think many people feel that way, they may want to, but they are afraid to for whatever reason. But it is more than just that. How many times do we see it as a rote routine, church is just what we do on Sunday mornings because it is just what we do? How often do we prepare our hearts to walk in love before we walk in to his sanctuary and praise God for who and what he truly is? What would happen in our nation if every person in every church got back on their knees?
Do you ever wonder if God is grieved at how we treat church? Do you ever wonder if he is up there rolling his eyes every time we say "God I really want to give you all that I am, just not today. Maybe tomorrow."
I found that interesting as that is one of two things that has really been with me during my devotional time lately. Following God completely. Saying to him, my life is yours, I'm ready to do all that you ask. Here I am, I'm not much, but I'm ready to give it a go and put my trust in you. Giving everything completely to him.
What keeps us from it? Fear? What if God wants something of me I'm not ready to give? What if He wants me to do something I'm not comfortable doing? What if I don't like where he wants me to go?
What about control? We like feeling like we have it. "Feel" being the key word. Giving up what we see as our control over our lives is hard to swallow sometimes. We like the security of being at the wheel. Quite honestly, it makes me a little nervous when someone else is behind it.
And the other thing on my mind? Revival of our churches. I read Nehemiah last week. During his time the exiles returned to Jerusalem, the temple was rebuilt, and the Book of the Law of Moses was read. The book was read over many days, for hours at a time. It was a time of great weeping as they realized how far they had gone astray. But Nehemiah told them not to grieve, to be joyous because they had strength in God. But the verse that really stood out to me was "Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded Amen! Amen! Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground". That is a beautiful picture isn't it? Isn't that how we should worship our wonderful creator? Does he deserve less?
I will be the first to admit I hesitate to get out of my comfort zone and praise like I should in church. As I tell my girls, it's in me, I'm just chicken to let it out. And I admit I'm ashamed of that. And I think many people feel that way, they may want to, but they are afraid to for whatever reason. But it is more than just that. How many times do we see it as a rote routine, church is just what we do on Sunday mornings because it is just what we do? How often do we prepare our hearts to walk in love before we walk in to his sanctuary and praise God for who and what he truly is? What would happen in our nation if every person in every church got back on their knees?
Do you ever wonder if God is grieved at how we treat church? Do you ever wonder if he is up there rolling his eyes every time we say "God I really want to give you all that I am, just not today. Maybe tomorrow."
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Hope in the Desert
Therefore I am now going to allure her;
I will lead her into the desert
and speak tenderly to her.
There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope.
In that day, declares the Lord,
you will call me 'my husband'.
I will betroth you to me forever,
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice,
in love and compassion.
I will betroth you in faithfullness,
and you will acknowledge the Lord.
These verses come from the book of Hosea. Beautiful words of comfort for what God can bring us through and to when our hearts are quiet and focused on Him.
In this book, God asks the prophet Hosea to marry a woman named Gomer who would never be good to him. Hosea was given a supernatural love for Gomer so that God could show Israel how compassionate and forgiving He will always be when we have turned away from Him and find our way back with repentance.
The book then talks about God's anger against the Israelites for not seeking God totally, but the last chapter says so much. In it Hosea asks that they truly and completely seek God.
Return O Israel, to the Lord your God.
Take words with you
and return to the Lord.
Say to Him:
"Forgive all our sins
and receive us graciously
that we may offer the fruit of our lips."
"I will heal their waywardness
and love them freely,
for my anger has turned away from them.
I will be like dew to Israel;
he will blossom like a lily."
The commentary sums it up so well.
When our will is weak, when our thinking is confused, and when our conscience is burdened with a load of guilt, we must remember that God cares for us continually; his compassion never fails. When friends and family desert us, when coworkers don't understand us, and when we are tired of being good, God's compassion never fails. When we can't see the way or seem to hear God's voice, and when we lack courage to go on, God's compassion never fails. When our shortcomings and our awareness of our sins overcome us, God's compassion never fails.
Friday, March 12, 2010
For a Little While
Is not the Lord your God with you? And has he not granted you rest on every side? for he has handed the inhabitants of the land over to me, and the land is subject to the Lord and to his people. Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord your God. Begin to build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the sacred articles belonging to God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the Lord.-1Chronicles 22:18-19.
Is not the Lord with you? There have been many months for me when I wasn't so sure. I began to doubt I could hear Him or feel Him. There was even a time when I told Him I did not want to hear from Him any longer. But He let me know He was having none of my attitude and quite literally set me back on my feet. The Lord is always there. You will seek me and find me when you seek with all your heart. I will be found by you declares the Lord.-Jeremiah 29:13-14.
Has he not granted you rest?- I went through a season of absolute torment. In that time I began to fear I was losing my mind and was not going to find my way back. But he has granted me a rest like none I have ever known at this point in my life. And that rest came by letting go of my own reasoning and understanding and control. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.-Psalm 91.
He has handed the inhabitants over to me, and the land is subject to the Lord and to his people. He handed me freedom from the battle I was in. And I know sometimes people get a little uncomfortable talking about satan, but never for a minute think he isn't real and in the world. But he is still no match for God, and is subject to Him. As a child of God, we also have power over him. Power over fear, depression, addictions, guilt and all the things satan likes to use to keep us down. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack.-2 Timothy 4:17-18. For He did not give me a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of a sound mind. -2 Timothy 1:7.
Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord. I'm going to be honest and say that is the biggest part of my day, spending time with God. In some weird way, I used to feel guilty that I wasn't doing more with my day. But would I be where I am without it? Devote your heart and soul in seeking. We devote ourselves to what means the most to us. The prayer of faith-James 5.
Begin to build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that you may bring that belonging to God into the temple that will be built for Him. Build yourself up in His word. You are His temple (1 Cor 3:16). What better way to honor God than to build yourself for the Name of the Lord?
Is not the Lord with you? There have been many months for me when I wasn't so sure. I began to doubt I could hear Him or feel Him. There was even a time when I told Him I did not want to hear from Him any longer. But He let me know He was having none of my attitude and quite literally set me back on my feet. The Lord is always there. You will seek me and find me when you seek with all your heart. I will be found by you declares the Lord.-Jeremiah 29:13-14.
Has he not granted you rest?- I went through a season of absolute torment. In that time I began to fear I was losing my mind and was not going to find my way back. But he has granted me a rest like none I have ever known at this point in my life. And that rest came by letting go of my own reasoning and understanding and control. He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge.-Psalm 91.
He has handed the inhabitants over to me, and the land is subject to the Lord and to his people. He handed me freedom from the battle I was in. And I know sometimes people get a little uncomfortable talking about satan, but never for a minute think he isn't real and in the world. But he is still no match for God, and is subject to Him. As a child of God, we also have power over him. Power over fear, depression, addictions, guilt and all the things satan likes to use to keep us down. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack.-2 Timothy 4:17-18. For He did not give me a spirit of fear, but a spirit of power, of love and of a sound mind. -2 Timothy 1:7.
Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the Lord. I'm going to be honest and say that is the biggest part of my day, spending time with God. In some weird way, I used to feel guilty that I wasn't doing more with my day. But would I be where I am without it? Devote your heart and soul in seeking. We devote ourselves to what means the most to us. The prayer of faith-James 5.
Begin to build the sanctuary of the Lord God, so that you may bring that belonging to God into the temple that will be built for Him. Build yourself up in His word. You are His temple (1 Cor 3:16). What better way to honor God than to build yourself for the Name of the Lord?
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