Shout from the Mountaintops

Daniel 4:2 It is my pleasure to tell you about the miraculous signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed for me.

I just love this statement from Nebuchadnezzar.  How often I find myself wanting to shout from the mountaintops about what God has done! There is so much sadness and tragedy in the world, and sometimes we just need the positive Word. God is always at work, sometimes it's small things like running into someone and having a nice conversation to big things like cancer-free declarations.  I have spent a lifetime looking for what God is doing in my life and where He is doing it.  I have gone through valleys where it seems as though my circumstance could not be any more awful and yet the closeness of Christ in that moment I cannot begin to describe.  I have been on the highest mountain elated beyond all expectations and felt the Presence of the Holy Spirit through the goosebumps on my arms and the happiness in my soul. Yes, the miraculous signs and wonders are things I think we forget to enjoy.  We forget that God is in all things, even when it seems He is not.  I would love to share all of the ways God has been faithful and providential in my life, but there are just too many.  I do keep track in certain situations because sometimes it is literally unbelievable, even to me, how He works out details.  So, what are the miraculous signs and wonders you have seen God do for you?  If you think He has done none, look again, talk to a friend, seek Him and you will see Him.

Feeling Blue

Psalm 42:11 Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

Sometimes I feel blue when there seemingly isn't any reason for it.  I find myself feeling down and a little lost in my own world.  The psalmist, in 42, talks about how he remembers God's work from before and how his life was in days past. That tends to be my go to as well, although at times that makes me feel worse, not better.  For me, the best thing I can do is look to the times where God has been faithful and present.  I seek time with God and ask for His presence to wash me.  It doesn't always help my feelings, but it often does. Seeking to be in God's Presence changes my perspective.  It reminds me that I am so much more than the earthly existence I experience. I take comfort in knowing that I am made for more and that God has a plan and purpose in mind just for me. My hope in God is that He is doing something, even when I can't see it, and He is actively working for my good, even when I can't feel it. When my feelings are getting the best of me, I do my best to remember who God is and what He has done.  I seek Him and ask that He free me from the lies that seem to hold my feelings hostage. Only He can give me true, deep joy no matter my circumstance.

Follow Them All Then...Good Luck

Galatians 5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

I really like the whole book of Galatians, and today I'm going to write about the above.  Sometimes I fall into the trap of trying to make myself better.  I find a "God law" I think God wants me to follow, ie stop swearing, and try to do it on my own.  In these verses in Galatians, Paul reminds me that if I'm going to choose to do my own transformation by following one of "God's laws", here he discusses circumcision, then I am bound to follow all of them on my own as Jesus lived (not only outwardly, but inwardly). Good luck!  And if that is the road I choose, to live life by following rules, then Christ died for nothing; again, according to Paul's words. So there becomes the hard part of trying to stop taking over the transformation of my life and let the Holy Spirit do the work it is sent to do, transform my life. I've learned that when I catch myself in these self improvement modes, I have to spend time in prayer each time it pops up and give my desires, my actions, my words, over to God and pray that the Holy Spirit works in my life to transform me into the person I know God wants me to be.  No matter how hard I try, I will fail.  No matter how strong my will, it isn't perfect.  No matter how righteous I can become on my own, I will  not be fit to enter into the Presence of God.  Only in Christ do I have hope and only through the work and power of the Holy Spirit will I be transformed, from the inside out. It's a journey and it's not easy to give up control, but it's a must when you walk with God in Christ.

In a Whisper

I don't know that I have so much to say on this Friday.  It has been an interesting week with many ups and downs.  I never seem to adjust to the way that life takes us to the heights in one moment and drops us to the depths in a whisper.  I am very thankful that I have the constant love and peace of Jesus to keep my path straight and to even out the craziness of life's circumstances. I rest in the fact that nothing can separate us from that love. Life isn't always easy to understand or explain and neither is God, but at least I know in the depths of my soul that I am loved, I am saved, and I am okay in any and all circumstances through Christ who gives me strength.

But Why the Suffering?

1 Peter 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm, and steadfast.

But why the suffering? That's the real question, isn't it? I understand that God will restore me and make me better than before, but why does He have to use suffering? I actually think I may have an answer. I don't know that it's completely correct, but it makes sense in my life for what I have seen and experienced personally and in watching the lives of others.  So, let's get to it. When we suffer we typically draw closer to God because we find that we have to.  We are driven to our knees in prayer when we truly experience suffering.  We spend time in prayer building a stronger, deeper relationship with God.  Our suffering connects us to others as well.  None of us ever go through an experience that no one else has ever had.  We find people who have similar stories with similar struggles and we build relationships with them.  Suffering produces a softening of the soul. It makes our hearts malleable and vulnerable. In this vulnerable state, the Holy Spirit is able to transform our hearts and bring an eternal focus to our souls that we cannot gain otherwise.  When life is going awesome, we remain focused on our earthly circumstances in a way that can't produce eternal wisdom.  This is the reason for suffering.  Suffering causes our focus to become eternal as we are transformed by the Spirit, held by the Savior, and comforted by our brothers and sisters in Christ giving us eternal wisdom and peace.  And on the other side, a strength and authority no person could ever gain on his/her own.  It is of God. That's what I think anyway. :-)

Thought Replays

Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.

I'm not sure I'm always thinking "about such things". I find myself wasting my time on things that are not excellent or praiseworthy.  Lately, I've caught myself thinking about things from the past that still have sting.  I've been spending time in prayer with God about this, as I don't want to spend my time in thoughts that are over.  It's amazing to me how easily I find myself sliding right back into those thought patterns though replaying all of the things that transpired.  I spoke with God about that today, asking Him what it is that causes me to struggle and think back on these things at this point.  I am happy where I am today.  God has done huge work in my physical, emotional, and spiritual self and I have deeper joy now than I've ever had.  And yet, my mind draws back to the former things.  This verse is a great reminder to ask God to train my brain.  I have started to seek Him when those former thoughts come to mind, and He definitely falls under all of the topics Paul lists here.  It's not easy to move beyond our past, even when we have moved beyond our past.  Satan is quick to pull it out whenever he can.  Dad has been putting a particular quote from the Matthew Henry Commentary on Ezra 3:8-13 in his sermon series and it is now a pic on my phone screen saver.  It's perfect for what I'm dealing with in my thoughts these days. "Let not the remembrance of former afflictions drown the sense of present mercies."  Amen!

Being Actively Still

Psalm 21:7 For the king trusts in the Lord; through the unfailing love of the Most High he will not be shaken.

Trusting in the Lord has been something I have been working on over the last 9 months or so.  I have written about it in the past, I believe, about the fact that I had faith in God, but that trusting in Him is so different.  In a similar way, I have learned also that I was good at trusting in God's timing but didn't really trust in His providence.  All of these have been pressed in the last 9 months: faith, trust, timing, and providence.  I had the faith that God was going to do something, but I didn't want to trust Him for it fully.  I wanted to take matters into my own hands and do the things that I have skills to accomplish.  God had me be still and wrestle with trusting Him to do the things I wanted so badly to do on my own.  He challenged me to trust Him in a way I had never done before, by being actively still. It's an oxymoron, I know. Then came the challenge of trusting in God's providence.  Because of prior experience with God, I knew that His timing would be perfect and that He had that under complete control.  However, the providence piece was something I had not considered. It was easy to wait for the timing when I knew what was coming.  It was a completely different experience to wait for the timing when I had no clue what was coming, and it didn't seem like anything was going to come.  That was when God mad His providence known.  He brought things to me in a way I would have never concocted and did it at a time that seemed completely ridiculous.  It has been an incredible journey.  Have you ever considered your own walk in terms of the faith, trust, timing and providence of our Lord? Only when we have wrestled with our own humanity and God's divinity can we truly understand the psalmist.

Go and Grow

Joshua 8:1 Then the Lord said to Joshua, "Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Take the whole army with you, and go up and attack Ai. For I have delivered into your hands the king of Ai, his people, his city, and his land."

I love this verse.  God speaks in the future tense, "I have delivered", before it actually happens.  So often I believe God has gone ahead of me and done the thing He plans to do.  All I have to do is go.  This is so hard though.  It is hard to go when we can't see the outcome.  Of course, this is where faith comes in.  I have to seek the faith from God that He is carrying out His plan and that in my going I will see His faithfulness, His providence, and His sovereignty.  Easier said than done. In my experience, after each time I go when He tells me and I see the fruit of His action with my faith, it becomes easier to go the next time.  Oh, there are still moments where my faith is weak and I have to pray for a strengthening of that, and God is faithful. Faith is a journey. We grow with each going.

Patience Is Fruit of the Spirit

This week's reflection comes out of a week of seeing God's faithfulness to His promises come to fruition.  For the most part, I feel like I am an impatient person. This is something God has worked on in my over the years, after all, patience is fruit of the Spirit.  In my most recent promises from God, He spent 5 years for one and 3 years for another to bring them to completion.  I'm learning to watch for the details along the path that reiterate God's promise.  There are moments when I see His handiwork and recognize that He is on the move.  It isn't easy to wait.  As a matter of fact, it's really hard.  I've been seeking the very next point on my timeline, so to speak.  I've been asking God each day to show me what is the very next step I need to take, rather than looking down the line and trying to get to the finish as quickly as possible.  There has been invaluable experience in the slow movement of God.  I see Him working out details that I would never have thought to want or realized that I needed. When God seems slow, I've learned to watch carefully for Him in the seemingly mundane and recognize those moments that you know only God could have orchestrated.  It's been an interesting week, but a good one. The promise is being fulfilled and the Lord's faithfulness has not failed.  Spiritual fruit comes in the midst of a great journey, rarely on the fast track.

Become Uncomfortable

Daniel 9:3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.

In looking to the 70 years of desolation for the nation, this was Daniel's response. What is it that you are pleading to God right now?  How are you going about it? Daniel humbled himself before the Lord and made himself uncomfortable in order that he could call on God in a very particular way. This isn't an easy task.  Petitioning God for something is not simple.  We want to ask Him for what we need, but we always seem to fall short of asking for the actual need we have.  What would our experience be if we were to humble ourselves like Daniel and become uncomfortable in our prayer?  How might that change our perspective and our intercession to God? Remembering that we can come to the throne in freedom and confidence that God will do something on our behalf and remaining humble in our plea, ah, that is the difficulty of prayer indeed!

Unmatched By Human Effort

1 Timothy 1:13-14 Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.

Two thoughts about this one.  What was I like before I met Jesus? I don't feel like I have an awesome testimony where I could talk about how lost I was and how Jesus turned my life in a completely new direction, like Paul here, for instance.  I was brought up with the knowledge of Jesus from my earliest memories.  However, I know what my heart and mind were like before I met Him, and I am so very thankful for the way God has transformed my heart and renewed my mind in Christ.  Sometimes I get so busy thinking ahead that I forget to take a look back just to thank God for His mercy and faithfulness along my journey.  I want to forge ahead and move with such great speed, that I don't take the time to consider the foundation and growth in Jesus that got me here. I am also reminded, as I read this passage, that people can and do change, or rather that God changes people.  When I find myself frustrated with the behavior of others, I am challenged by verses like this to pray for God to bring those people near to Him and change their hearts, instead of grumping and wishing/praying ill will on them.  The grace of God is unmatched by any human effort.  If we can accept it for ourselves and pray it on others, we will experience a very different world.

Freedom and Confidence

Ephesians 3:12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

I read this verse today and it really stood out to me.  I'm not sure why I have never noticed it before since the verses following this are some of my all time favorites.  We have so much to be thankful for in the person of Jesus Christ.  We have been given the forgiveness of sin through him, the gift of transformational grace through him, and the hope of eternal life through him just to list a few.  I don't know that we, being post crucifixion and resurrection can truly understand the incredible words of Ephesians 3:12.  The Jewish nation would read these words very differently than we do.  I think we might take our reconciled relationship with God for granted at times, unintentionally maybe even.  Jesus has closed the chasm that sin created between us and we are now able to speak to God with freedom and confidence.  We no longer have to be ceremonially cleansed or be a particular type of priest or rabbi to be in the presence of God and speak to Him.  We are able to go to the Throne of Grace anytime we have great need or praise. This is because of Jesus. His finished work of the cross has given us a freedom that we can't completely grasp in our 21st century life. Take advantage of this opportunity today by asking Jesus into your life and every day you can speak to God personally.

Empathy Goes Both Ways

Ecclesiastes 3:4 a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance,

I'm drawn to this verse the day after Mother's Day.  There were many posts about the fact that we need to be careful about how we go about Mother's Day, making sure to be careful and empathetic toward those who don't have moms anymore, who want to be moms but can't, who don't have great moms, and so on.  I agree with this. It is wise to think of all aspects of life in all situations and not just blindly/selfishly go about life.  I'm going to go down this road though, so hang with me on this until the end.  For everything there is a season. There is a season for sadness. Some days sadness is going to overtake you, and it should. Embrace sadness and shed tears, instead of avoiding the celebration altogether. Tears are not a sign of weakness.  They are an outpouring of healing love. We want to run from hurt and keep sorrow and suffering at a bare minimum. We tell others to 'consider my suffering and my pain'.  Well yeah, but if you're the one who's sad, go there a bit. If we embrace the sadness, let the tears fall when they may, and accept the season of sorrow, then we will come out stronger on the other side. We won't be hurt by the joy of others when we do not feel it personally. We will rejoice with those who rejoice and cry with those who cry. Empathy goes both ways. 😊 We will truly live out the verse above.  When we walk through our sorrow, rather than trying to avoid it, that is where we find Jesus.  We are met with a grace from God that is only found in the valleys, in the dark night of the soul.  Once we experience the light of Christ in our darkest hour, we will discover that we do not need to fear the valley.  David knew this when he wrote the 23rd Psalm, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me."  Amen! We have got to stop avoiding pain and sorrow or we will never find nearness of Jesus.  We will never experience true blessing until we are in great need.

I'm Embarrassed

I'm going to use Friday as a reflection post. I hope you don't mind.

Why is it that we are so slow to sit down and be with God? What is our trepidation in spending time with Him? Are we afraid of what He will ask of us? Are we unsure of what to do with Him? I think for each of us the questions that keep us from this time with God are as unique as we are.  We may pull the classic excuse routine with "I don't have time." or "What good would it do anyway?". But the reality, as I have come to learn over the last four months, is that once I consistently started to spend time with God, I now cannot stand to miss it.  I dread days when I know I will have something to do during my typical time I sit with Him because I know I will not have time anywhere else in the day.  And what is sad is that what got me to this point is that I was somewhat forced to make time with God because all of my excuses were gone.  I didn't have a job to take up my time.  I don't have kids to run everywhere. My house was clean. My errands were run. My laundry was done. I was well rested. All I had left was to spend time with God. I'm embarrassed that this is what it took for me to spend consistent, meaningful time with Him, but it is.  And now, I cannot function without it.  My days are rocky at best when I miss my morning time with my Lord.  It's a great place to be, in the presence of my Lord, and I've come to seek Him daily.  I just wish it wouldn't have taken me so long, nor taken such a harsh circumstance, to get me here.  Thanks be to God for He is the reason I have a relationship with Him.

We Can't Do It

Matthew 5:20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

What a sobering statement for Jesus to make to the Jewish people! The Pharisees and teachers of the law kept the 613 laws (not just the 10 commandments) perfectly.  So when Jesus is saying this, I'm sure people listening were very concerned.  How could anyone keep the law more than perfectly? His point exactly.  We can't do it. We, in our brokenness, cannot begin to keep the law.  Even the Pharisees and teachers were not keeping the law to the standard Jesus described later.  Jesus would go on to teach that even our thoughts are considered sinning, not just our actions.  So the Pharisees, who were keeping the law on the outside were not doing so hot on the inside.  Their hearts were not changed at all, they just had great self discipline.  So, what are we to do with this information then? We cannot do it, and that is what we must first recognize and admit.  Once we do, then we can begin to live a life in Christ where our thoughts and actions are affected by the Holy Spirit.  We tell God we are sorry, we ask Jesus to come into our life so we can die with Him and be resurrected to a new life in Him.  We enter the kingdom of heaven through the finished work of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  His death on the cross we accept as ours and we can live in the power of His resurrection now and for eternity.  On our own we cannot follow all of the rules and do all of the good deeds to the standard God requires.  That is why Jesus came. Seek Him and accept Him today.

He Is Life Giving

Psalm 50:1 The Might One, God, the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets.

Sometimes I am just in awe of the work of God. It is incredible to me that He created all that we see, and so much we can't. Then not only did He make it from nothing, He set it in motion and controls all of the motion. He knows every single person on the earth better than we even know ourselves, whether we "know" Him or not.  I find myself looking at people as I drive and thinking, "God knows them and loves them like he knows and loves me."  It's unfathomable to me.  I just have no concept of what that takes on His end. It seems so vast, and it is. I think of the love that He has for each of us and the way He gave us free will to choose Him or not.  He set the world in motion and gave us the gift of freedom of choice.  Then to redeem it, when He wasn't chosen by us, He sent Jesus, His son, to die for us while we were still sinning. The justice of the Father through the love of the Son is a beautifully humbling relationship to experience.  There is nothing like our Holy God.  There is none other like Him, nor will there ever be, and we get the opportunity to spend eternity with Him in glory. He is so much bigger than I can grasp, and yet, I will try with all that I am to seek Him and know Him as fully as He knows me. You are so loved by the Creator of the universe, not by the universe, but by the Creator of it.  That's, no, He is life giving.

When Life Kicks You

Isaiah 42:3-4 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.  In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.

I didn't have an awesome day today.  Sometimes life kicks you around a bit and it's not always easy to take the hits.  I'm sure you know what I mean.  Things just don't seem to go well, small or big.  Your pants have a stain in a spot you didn't even know was possible.  You pull up to the wrong side of the pump with your car. You balance the checkbook and realize there is not nearly enough money to make it through the month.  Your spouse is having his own bout with life. And whatever else you need to add to the list.  Some days are just crummy.  You miss those who've gone before you to be with Jesus. You miss your own time with Jesus. Life seems to be more than you want to deal with, but you keep trudging along (even if your attitude might stink a bit). These are days when my only response is, "Well, at least my salvation is secure." I know I've written and spoken about this before, but these days happen randomly.  There really isn't a silver lining to the storm clouds, that is in view anyway. You need time to pass in order to really see the forest for the trees.  Then I read Isaiah 42 and I am reminded not only of my secure salvation, but the suffering of my Lord to complete the redemption work of my soul. There is more to my day than just the physical and emotional things that go awry.  There is a spiritual aspect that is full when I seek Jesus on my crummy days. When I attempt to be with Him when all else seems to be failing me.  He does not fail.  He is always the same. He loves me even when my reaction to my stained pants is a little over the top. ;-) He cares for me when I'm frustrated with my schedule.  He prepares a plan of providence when the finances aren't so awesome. He carries me and my husband when we just can't handle anymore.  He is our redeemer and our sustainer. I'm learning to turn to Him quicker on those days that aren't awesome and when I'm not awesome with them.  It's a journey, a lifelong journey.

Don't Forget

1 Samuel 16:11 So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?"
"There is still the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep."
Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives."

As I read the story of David's annointing, there were connections to Jesus that stood apart.  I knew that, but for some reason today it really struck me.  David's family was from Bethlehem and he was out tending the sheep.  This great king was doing the lowest activity, shepherding.  He wouldn't have been seen as anything amazing.  He was the baby of the family. He was not even deemed worth having at the table with Samuel requests the meal with Jesse's family.  This is who God chose to lead Israel.  This is who God made to be the greatest earthly king. We get all caught up in our success, status, and stature and we forget to look to the one who makes kings great.  We forget that God takes the lowest of the low, the outcast, the fallen, the downtrodden, us and brings us a life of greatness.  Jesus does that.  He was bruised for our transgressions. He bore our iniquity. He was a man of sorrow. And God raised Jesus above all. We are called to seek God and follow Jesus.  We are to do the tasks we are given and do them for the glory of God. And not only will we receive our future glory in Heaven when we do these things, but we will also experience the glory of God on earth, as David did.  God is for us. He showed us through His son. The Son of man is not only our example, He is our very life. Who needs success, status, or stature when the living Christ is in you? Christ in you makes you great. Don't forget that.

Growing or Decaying

I've just got a reflection for today.  As I was sitting with God this morning, I was a bit convicted about the amount of time I spend on my phone.  Really, any free time I have, I am on my phone.  I'm checking email, looking at Facebook, exploring Instagram, reading articles, and what have you.  I'm not addicted in the sense that I need to have likes and shares or compare myself to others.  It's just literally a waste of time.  It's doing something so that I'm not "bored".  I'm changing that.  I will no longer be on my phone at any and all down time. I want to do things with my time that grow my relationships with others and with God.  It doesn't mean that I won't go on Instagram and explore or that I won't read about England's royalty. ;-)  It just means that I am going to be more purposeful with my time. I'm going to let myself be "bored" and use that time to talk to God, connect with a friend, or talk to my husband.  I was reminded today that my relationship with God is either growing or decaying, it is never just stagnant. And being on my phone is probably not growing me most of the time.  Just a thought for today.

Waiting Patiently

Hebrews 6:15 And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

Promises are something I have been praying about lately.  I've been seeking promises God has made to others in the Bible, promises He has made to people I know, individual promises, corporate promises, and even personal promises.  I have been trying to discern and remember any promises God has made to me over the years.  It's not an easy topic to seek in prayer.  It seems like I am looking for a way to get something from God. And yet, I know I God has promised me certain things.  He has promised me salvation through Jesus.  He has promised me hope in Him.  He has promised me grace sufficient for all of life's twists and turns.  He has promised me His love and affection.  I currently am being challenged with what kinds of things God has promised me in the realm of my physical need.  I can easily understand and relate to the emotional and spiritual promises, but the physical ones are harder for me. I believe He has personal promises for me, some of which I am struggling to wait patiently to receive. Only by continued prayer and time with Him am I able to wait on the Lord and deeply know that He is faithful to His promises. What has God promised you and are you waiting patiently for their fulfillment?

Grow Up

Ephesians 4:13 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

Paul often talks about getting into the real "meat and potatoes" (my paraphrase) of life in Christ instead of only talking about "milk".  To get there, he talks prior to this verse about the grace given us by Christ, that He apportions each of us what we need.  This is a pretty incredible gift.  We are given the grace we need for each and every situation we encounter.  The key is to live in that grace and allow it to change our hearts so that we can grow past the infant stage in our Christianity.  Following Jesus is so much more than just getting into Heaven at the end of life.  Yes, that is definitely a part of it.  However, we can experience Heaven on earth if we allow the grace of God to penetrate and change our hearts.  We can have so much more to our lives when we let grace work.  Paul also says, "to live is Christ and to die is gain."  Living in Christ is taking on his death and getting new life through the forgiveness and grace of our Lord.