Being Rescued

Daniel 6:22 My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions. They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight. Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, O king.

God has been taking me to the book of Daniel often lately.  Today when I opened my Bible, and again it landed in Daniel, I actually asked God, "Why Daniel again?" And then I read it, it was the story of Daniel in the lions' den.  My word for this year is "rescue". What a fitting story and the perfect answer from God.  I'm being sent to stories in Daniel because they are all about being rescued.  God comes at the time when all seems lost and rescues His beloved.  In this story, as Daniel is put in the lions' den. Another of my favorites is the fiery furnace, when there is a fourth "person" walking around with Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo.  They are rescued by God.  I am not a person to ask for help.  I like to do things on my own, and I am very capable of doing so.  God is teaching me to ask for help, to open myself up to the idea of being rescued.  I've been put in multiple situations this year where I have needed God to rescue me.  I have not been able to do anything about my own situation and have had to let God do what God does best, rescue and redeem.  I'm reminded again today to let God rescue me. 

Here are a couple of other posts from my blog about my word, rescue.  Interesting to see God at work!

"Rescue" post from August 2016

"Living Word" post from October 2016

Remove the Distractions

I guess I'm going to make Saturday my day for just my thoughts. Today I'm thinking about what distracts me from Jesus. I've noticed, depending on the day/time, I'm easily distracted by things, even when I'm in the middle of my time with God.  Obvious things like social media, texts, politics, social issues, my job, family, random noises, and so on.  But there are other things too that distract me that are not things that are outside influences...things from my own thoughts. I begin with one thought and then track it like a rabbit down a long hole until I realize how far I am from Jesus and my original peace I had while being with Him. And the sad thing is, these distractions never give me life.  Instead they make me frustrated, sad, depressed, and angry. I'm asking God to challenge me with noticing my own distractions so He can bring my attention back to Him.  I'm trying to give my distractions to God and ask Him how He wants me to handle those distractions. I want to be closer to Jesus and, obviously, distractions keep me from accomplishing that. What are your distractions that pull you away from Jesus. What hills do you like to stand on and shout? Are they life giving? Just a thought to ponder.

The New Creation

Mark 2:22 "And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins."

This verse made me really seek God's wisdom.  I was unsure of what Jesus was really meaning here, when this comes after the question about the Pharisees' fasting but Jesus' disciples were not.  Here is how it spoke to my heart. Before Jesus, things were done in a certain way. Laws were written and followed and sacrifices were made. Once Jesus came, he fulfilled the law and became the sacrifice. Doing things the old way doesn't work, after you become a follower of Jesus.  Paul addresses this in Romans in reference to circumcision stating that if they were going to follow one of the laws, then they might as well follow them all and get rid of Jesus altogether.  I think Jesus here is telling the people that he is showing a more excellent way, one that cannot be compared to the former things and one that will change everything. It's a fancy way of saying, "the old has gone and the new has come." Accepting Jesus means putting my ways of the past to rest and walking with Him in life, living a life of the Spirit, no longer a life of the flesh.  Attempting to put life from the past with my new life in Christ will only make life more complicated and muddy the waters of my relationship with Jesus.  I am a new creation in Christ, where still, deep, clear waters lie within.

Sobering Love

Luke 23:35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, "He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One."

This verse always hurts my heart for a couple of reasons.  The first being for the people who are making the comments about Jesus saving himself.  I am sad for them that they do not understand who Jesus is and the love it took for him to endure the journey to the cross and then the cross itself.  If Jesus saves himself, that is, if he comes down off the cross, then we would still be in the same predicament we were in before the cross.  We would still be in the sacrificial system for ourselves. Our sin would not be atoned and we would still be in need of a Savior. Jesus can't save himself and save the world at the same time. It's just not how the system works. So, sadness for those who completely missed his purpose.  The second reason this hurts my heart is for Jesus. I can't imagine loving someone so much that even in the midst of the horrible insults, the incredible pain, the lies and untruths being spoken you are able to stay on that cross and complete the calling of death, once for all.  What must it feel like to have unrequited love at that level? To love someone so deeply, to the point of dying for him/her, and not have that love even remotely be returned?  Unfathomable.  I would have been like, "Alright fine. You people are on your own then. I'm coming down and you can be responsible for your own sin. I'm done."  But Jesus, for the sinner's sake, for our sake, endured the cross and said, "It is finished." What an amazing, sobering, love.

The Unsettled Post

Ezekiel 10:6 When the Lord commanded the man in linen, "Take fire from among the wheels, from among the cherubim," the man went in and stood beside a wheel.

I'm no so much going to write particularly about the verse today as I am going to write my thoughts.  There are moments in life where things seem very unfair.  Moments where things see to be against you. There are moments when you question all that you have done in what you consider faithfulness. Moments where you pause and questions your ability to discern and follow God's will. I'm having such moments. I'm questioning all that I know or believe I have done to follow God's will.  I am questioning whether or not I am where God intends me to be at this very moment and whether or not I am doing what He wants me to be doing. It's not fun.  It's scary. It's frustrating. It's unsettling. When I seek God's guidance, He is very quiet on all matters. Today I was sent to read in Ezekiel.  Not the most uplifting of chapters, however, God used His Word to remind me of His sovereignty. God is in charge and He is in control.  Yes, I have made decisions and have attempted to live out His will for my life, but ultimately He is in control. He will make my paths straight. He will make the rough patches smooth. All I'm asking Him for today is a tidbit of what is going on, a little knowledge of what's to come.  I believe in His sovereignty. I trust in His faithfulness. I live in His grace. Today I seek His mercy in my frustration. Thanks for reading.

Know Him Better

Ephesians 1:17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.

Seeking wisdom is not an easy task. Trying to discern what God is saying and where He is moving can be a monumental task, in and of itself. This is the very reason we need to know him better. We must know Jesus as well as we know our best friend, so that when he moves there is no doubt it is him. The use of prayer and time is a simple way to get to know Jesus, but these are the hardest things to do.  We spend time in prayer asking God for things and telling him our troubles, which He already knows, instead of talking to Him as if He was right there in the living room with us. We spend time with Jesus by reading the Bible, going to church, being in a Bible study small group, or listening to Christian music.  These are all great things, but they don't actually build our relationship with Jesus. They build our knowledge about Him, but not the relationship.  For me, I consider how it is that I build relationships with other people to know how to build my relationship with Jesus.  For me, I spend time with people to get to know them.  That time is everything from eating together to chatting to hanging out (not even talking). This is what I am challenging myself to do with Jesus more. I'm challenging myself to spend time with Jesus like I spend time with my friends.  It's not easy, but it is necessary. Only then can I know that the wisdom I am receiving and the revelation I am given is truly from Him.

Seek Jesus

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

What a powerful statement! In this time in my life I have found this verse to be my soul's food. I have no idea what is coming next.  I don't know what is going on around me.  Things are happening to me that have no basis for understanding and are untruths. My life is in complete upheaval.  This verse has been what I have been living since January.  With so much uncertainty, all I know is Jesus is the way. When I am not sure which direction to go or what action to take, I go to Jesus. When lies seem to fill my mind and Satan is on the attack, I seek truth in Jesus.  When my life seems to be unraveling before my very eyes and nothing seems to be working out, I seek Jesus. I am still learning to seek Him more and more everyday, but what I'm finding is a peace that passes all understanding and I want that more and more. When I seek Jesus and I find myself in His presence, I crave it at every turn.  Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. If we seek Him we will find our way, we will be in truth, and we will have life to the full.  My life's journey has started me on a path that has led me to a place where all I can do is seek Jesus because everything else is beyond my control.  God is giving me His abundant grace to walk this journey and Jesus is with me every step of the way as the Spirit is preparing what is ahead.  Seek Jesus.