Do Good, Not Evil

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good.

He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God. 

~3 John 1:11~

It's so easy to repay evil for evil! pain and suffering demand justification! But God says to love your enemies and turn the other cheek. God says to forgive others so that we may be forgiven. But how do we do good when we've been forsaken by the ones who were supposed to love us the most? 

I was teaching a class of young children this past Sunday at church and I met a boy. He looked like a typical young person. 5 and a half years old, sweet little face and big curious eyes. He was full of life and lots of energy. This boy had been placed in foster care because of his parents bad choices. Despite that reality he was excited to show us his super cool trick. His foster mom lovingly reminded him that "we don't do cartwheels in class." Then she proceeded to give him a high five for his super cool trick. 

His foster mom and I talked briefly about his sensitivity to people not understanding his speech. He struggles in school, she explained, and doesn't like it when people ask him to repeat himself. My heart immediately went out to him and I was anxious to love on him. 

We began our lesson with the story of Abraham leaving behind his home his family and everything to obey God's call to go to a new land. I asked the children if it was easy to obey. They all said yes so I said, oh really? Everybody stand up, everybody sit down, everybody stand up, everybody sit down. I watched as some children were eager to stand and sit on command and others wouldn't budge an inch. Eventually all the children were tired of my commands and didn't want to obey my sit and stand directives. 

Is it hard to obey? Yes, indeed! The story continued and I noticed the boy who was doing cartwheels earlier slowly walking towards me. I stopped our story and asked him if he had something to say. He struggled to get the words out. He rubbed his eyes and he said, I had to leave my home. My heart broke as he tried to fight back the tears. I hugged him and I looked at the other children and said it's not easy to leave your home and everything you've ever known even if it's for your own good. 

God always, always works things for our good when we love Him and obey His commands. That doesn't mean there won't be pain! That doesn't mean you won't get hurt! But it does mean that no matter what this world throws at you, God will be with you! He is all we need! 

This young boy reminded me of my past and the evil I suffered as a child. I thought my pain would never end, I thought my heart would never be healed. But God brought me through those years! I know this boy still has a long road ahead of him but he is in God's hands and there is no safer place for him to be. When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take care of me (psalm 27:10).

I know a lot of you out there suffered evil because of someone elses bad choices. I know how hard it is to let go of the pain and hurt you suffered! 

I made a lot of stupid mistakes growing up because I began to imitate evil. I thought if you can't beat em', join em'! I became filled with anger and hatred and it almost killed me! I hated my life and I just wanted the pain to end. I hit my limit one day after another painful blow was dealt to me when I was about 16. I was going to end my life that day as I walked down the road crying! I cried out to God and shortly after that a friend drove by me and said hi. He didn't know it but God used him to fill me with hope. I thought about how close I was to being able to drive and move out. I thought I just need to hold on a little bit longer and now I'm 33 years old and I have 3 beautiful children whom I would die for! My life certainly didn't become a walk in the park after I cried out to God! But I have this amazing love living inside of me now. It's God's love, He is all I need in this life! No matter what happens to me I know He will never leave me nor forsake me! I know one day this life will end and then I will be in His presence forever! I have seen God and He loves me and I love Him! I will not imitate evil, I will choose to do good because if God be for me who can stand against me?

I pray that if you are in a situation that seems hopeless that you would trust God! Seek to know Him more by reading His Word and by joining a bible teaching church. Cry out to God because He is faithful and He will work everything out for good for those who love Him and are the called according to His purpose. Don't let the evil in this world harden your heart! Receive His love! God bless you!

The Good News of Salvation is This...

Isaiah 61:1-3

“The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,
And the day of vengeance of our God;
To comfort all who mourn,
3 To console those who mourn in Zion,
To give them beauty for ashes,
The oil of joy for mourning,
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
That they may be called trees of righteousness,
The planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified.”

What Time Is It?

Right now it's 1:31pm but by the time I post this.... the clock just changed to 1:32.

Do you ever wonder, "what's the purpose of time?" Today my car broke down and I was stranded, for a brief moment. Yesterday I locked myself out of the house and I was stranded, for a little longer than a moment. Has that ever happened to you? You're going about your normal routine then suddenly everything changes because of some unplanned event. Such waste of time! Or is it?

What is time anyways?
 TIME 

• the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.
• the progress of time as affecting people and things.
• a point of time as measured in hours and minutes past midnight or noon.
• the favorable or appropriate time to do something; the right moment.
• the appropriate or expected time for something, in particular childbirth or death.
• a prison sentence.
• the tempo at which a piece of music is played or marked to be played.

These are just a few of the definitions of time I read in a quick google search. I encourage you to google it yourselves or click the link above and read through the other definitions. It's quite fascinating to consider.

Ecclesiastes 3 must have been Solomons "time" of pondering time.  It starts with the words, "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." You can read the rest of Ecclesiastes on your own. 

All of life has a beginning and an ending. All of life is encapsulated within the boundaries of time. Why? What is the purpose of time?

I was listening to Christmas music in the car last night on the way to church and my fiance says sarcastically, "Are you listening to Christmas music before Thanksgiving?" Indeed I was. I love Christmas music! I love this time of year! The song playing on my CD, appropriately enough, was "Christmas Time" by Phil Wickham. The lyrics are awesome! In the background you hear the words, "God is with us, God is with us, Emmanuel, Emmanuel," and then you hear "It's Christmas time."

Christmas time and birthdays and other momentous occasions of life are great, but the days of heartache and pain, sufferings and sorrows are not so great. However, God has ordained the good and the bad. He designed our hearts with eternity in mind. He created us with a longing to know Him. Do you feel like you're missing something? It's God! Do you feel like there's gotta be something more? It's God! Do you long to belong to someone who loves you unconditionally? It's God you're searching for!

God came down to earth from His throne above to save our lives. It's miraculous and awesome and incredible! And now in the time after His birth and death and resurrection, He is still with us. In every season He is with us; in life and in death, in joy and in sufferings. He was, He is, and He will always be with us! When we're hurting, He comforts us. When we're joyful, He sings over us. When we're lost, He finds us. When we're broken, He heals us. When we are afraid, He is with us, He will uphold us with His righteous right hand!

When God is the focus of our lives what do we have to fear? What can time do to us when we know God? With God, time will accomplish awesome and wonderful things!
James 1 says, ....My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

Hebrews 13:5-6 says, "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we may boldly say:  “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear.  What can man do to me?”

In a sermon entitled "Why Does God Allow This," Ray Stedman says, "....God has a perfect plan that includes what we need, the painful as well as the pleasant. If we accept those as God's choices for us, coming from his loving heart -- not out of anger, not out of desire to punish, but out of love -- we will discover three wonderful things. First, we will be enabled to enjoy all of life, even the painful circumstances. Secondly, we will learn to know God. Jesus said, "This is life eternal, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." We will satisfy the sense of eternity which God has put in each heart. That will happen when our attitude toward life changes because of our relationship with God. Thirdly, this lesson will be repeated for us until we learn it, until we get it down right!

I think that is a beautiful explanation to the question, what is the purpose of time.

If you are breathing you still have time to come to Him and learn from Him. His yoke is easy and His burden is light.

We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For He says:
“In an acceptable time I have heard you,
And in the day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, NOW IS THE DAY OF SALVATION."
(2 Corinthians 6:1-2)

Be Content to Submit

Jeremiah 19:15 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Behold, I will bring on this city and on all her towns all the doom that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their necks that they might not hear My words.’”

My daughter's attitude was awful as we sat in the waiting room of the doctors office. She was missing school for this follow up appointment so I asked her to do some of her school work while we waited. Big exaggerated sighs filled the air around her. Shoulder shrugs and head rolls became her posture.
"You're being ridiculous little girl!" "Drop the attitude and get your work done," I firmly explained. Her reply was ridiculous, she said, "Its hard I can't think of anything."
"Seriously?"
My patience was wearing thin. How can she be so unrealistic? How can she act like this is pure torture when there were people who have actually experienced torture? How can she be so ungrateful for the blessing of being taught when there are millions of children in different parts of the world who can't go to school and would do anything for a chance to learn and improve their lives?

Ungratefulness is a horrible disease that plagues all of us at least once a day. I would be remiss if I didn't acknowlege my own tendencies to feel sorry for myself. My children are little mirrors of my own ungrateful heart.

The bible says in Hebrews chapter 13 verse 5 through 6
Let your conduct be without covetousness; 
be content with such things as you have. 
For He Himself has said, 
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 
So we may boldly say:
“The Lord is my helper;
I will not fear.
What can man do to me?"

It is not easy to be content! Have you tried it? Only by the grace of God are we able to attaine such spiritual maturity. There is a delicate state our hearts must be attuned in order to receive this divine fruit of contentment. We must be willing and believing. We know we can do nothing in and of ourselves for it is God who works in us both to will and to do for His good pleasure (Phil 2:13). But before that, we must be about working out our own salvation with fear and trembling.

A willing heart combined with faith in The all powerful God of the universe is the furtial soil we need to grow such divine spiritual fruit as contentment. Once contentment is established in the heart and feeding us we can toss out that old stinky leftover ungratefulness that's smelling up our fridge. Lay it down and be renewed and continue steadfastly in this loving kindness of our Father in heaven.

Holly sulked away her time in the doctors waiting room and didn't finished her school work. The school work must be done, unfortunately, now it might be at the cost of her play time. As with us, God will accomplish His work but we need to ask ourselves the question, "will I willing follow and be blessed or stiffen my neck and suffer the consequences?"

This seems like a silly comparison to use when a much greater cause is at hand. God has given us His word and so many souls stiffen their necks and harden their hearts from His Truth! It's a grave mistake that has eternal consequences! Hear His Words! John 14:6 says, Jesus is the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Him!

Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace, not with foods which have not profited those who have been occupied with them. 
(Hebrews 13:7-9)

Love Covers All Sin

The wise in heart will receive commands, 

but a prating fool will fall. 

(Proverbs 10:8)

Hatred stirs up strife, 

but love covers all sins. 

(Proverbs 10:12)

He who keeps instruction is in the way of life, 

but he who refuses correction goes astray. 

(Proverbs 10:17)

We've all been hurt and we've all hurt others. Evil abounds in this fallen land. What can we do to alleviate the pain and heartache of sin done to us and done through us? Love!

My kids love to say, "Thats not fair!" I have thought the same when I think about the pain I've experienced due to other peoples sins. But we live in a fallen world where sin abounds and consequences are real and often times extremely painful not only for the ones committing the offense but also their family and friends.

Jesus taught us to be angry but do not sin. Why? Because He is our defense and one day we will all give an account before Him. Let Jesus be our example. You can trust Him! He knows the pain you've suffered and He wants You to share that with Him. Tell Him how You feel and leave the pain at His feet. He wants to take it from you and heal Your broken heart. Will you let Him?

There will be a punishment for sinners, for those who reject God's love. Shouldn't there be? We've suffered real pain and justice must be served. There is an eternal hereafter. We are eternal beings and our eternal destiny is in our own hands. Love isn't forceful, we have free will. Beleive what you will but make sure you've considered the eternal cost.

Love, suffers long with us. God is so patient as we mock Him and reject Him day after day after day. He freely gave His Son to die for sinners. His Son who knew no sin and was cherished by Him because He was perfect and Holy, would give up His life knowing that was the cost of loving us and saving us from our sin. Jesus Christ the Son of God, the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, came to live among us and be an example of Love to us through His death on the cross.

How is it that we can so flippantly reject His LOVE?

2 Corinthians 4:3-4 says, "But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them."

Satan is still deceiving the world. It started in the garden and it continues to this day. He whispers lies in our ears and says, "Did God really say that? He doesn't love you! If He did He would let you have what you want. If He really loved you, you wouldn't have experienced so much heartache in your life. You would have a blessed, happy, rich life with no pain or suffering, if God really loved you." And we fall prey to his lies just like Adam and Eve.

But God knew we would and He had a plan. He would reveal His love to us by accepting us as we are and making a way for us to be reconciled to Him by the perfect atonement, Jesus Christ! We need only cry out to God to save us from our sin and look to His finished work on the cross and turn from our own ways and begin to follow after Him.

I am so grateful for my life! It hasn't been an easy road but if it hadn't been for the trials of life I wouldn't know the blessings! How can anyone understand good things unless they have experienced evil?

Lord, we have all sinned and fall short of Your glory. Teach us that without Jesus Christ we are nothing. Infact, 1 Corinthians 13 says if we have not love we are nothing. Jesus is Your epistle written in blood, known and read by all men. There is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved. Jesus save us! Lord open our eyes and our ear to Your truth and help us recognize the lies of the enemy. Keep us under the shadow of Your wings. Let us not despise correction or Your commandments. Teach us to love Your law and cause us to know You more, by faith! We ask in the name of Jesus, amen!

The way of the Lord is strength for the upright, 

but destruction will come to the workers of iniquity. 

(Proverbs 10:29)

The righteous will never be removed, 

but the wicked will not inhabit the earth. 

(Proverbs 10:30)

Receiving The Blessings With The Curses

He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, 

And they inherited the labor of the nations,

That they might observe His statutes And keep His laws. 

Praise the LORD!

Psa 105:44-45

God is so good to me! He gives me everything I need and more! He has provided for me and my children all of our lives but specifically since 2009 when cancer rocked our world. We have lacked nothing and received more than we could have ever imagined had we worked towards the same end. God proved that He is my provider and I pray I never forget all He has done for me! One example of His provision in my life can be found here...Got Milk?

Deuteronomy 9:6-7 Therefore understand that the Lord your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people. “Remember! Do not forget how you provoked the Lord your God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day that you departed from the land of Egypt until you came to this place, you have been rebellious against the Lord. 

The Lord has taught me through my own wilderness how I have been rebellious towards Him. I have lashed out in anger and been stiffnecked towards His unfolding plan for my life. I pray I never forget how the Lord has loved me despite my unbelief and unyielding spirit. Grief At It's Best is a post I wrote in the midst of overwhelming pain. It is good to cry out to God when we don't understand but we must never lose hope! 

These joined with their brethren, and their nobles, and entered into a curse and an oath to walk in God's Law.... Nehemiah 10:29

It is both a blessing and a curse to chose to be a Christian. I would rather trust and follow Jesus' ways than my own! I may fall into various trials and suffer many afflictions following Christ Jesus but, I would rather choose to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in this world, for I look to the reward. Sometimes we are Called Aside, away from fellowship and from friends to be tested by God to see if we are willing to follow even if that means we follow Him alone. 

My reward is not living my best life now! It is living in light of eternity and clinging to hope that one day Jesus will come back and right all the wrong and wipe away every tear and there will be no more sadness no more pain and no more death! He has promised! Grief Run Deep, Where is The Hope?

The miraculous truth is I can have heaven on earth now as I continue to surrender my life to Him! His ways' are perfect, His word is true, His grace is enough, His peace surpasses all understanding and His love is unending! Thanksgiving in the midst of the Valley of The Shadow of Death is one way we can experience heaven on earth. 

Lord I don't always understand your ways' especially when pain comes my way, but I trust You and Your word says You will use all things for good. God I pray You would take this pain and use it for Your glory! I cannot change what already is but I can surrender it into Your almighty hands to do with it as You please. I am Yours Lord and there is no safer place I could be!

A Guilty Heart Receives No Love

But as it is written:

“Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,

Nor have entered into the heart of man

The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

(1 Corinthians 2:9)

It is a miracle that any of us are saved! First we have to admit we are sinners, determine our way is the wrong way and turn around and follow Jesus. The problem is, on one hand we don't think we are all that bad so we stand our ground believing as long as we don't kill anyone we should be safe. On the other hand we can become so consumed with guilt and shame over our sin that we believe, "there is no way God would love us."

Romans 3:23 says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

Pride gets in the way of our salvation on both accounts. We think too highly of ourselves or too lowly, either way we are thinking of ourselves too much! Guilt and shame can be a good thing if they lead a person to repentance. But linger too long in the valley of "woe is me," and you've rejected God's love. 

How can a person born into sin, full of worldly knowledge and experiences, convinced in their heart of their own understandings, receive something as wonderful as God's perfect love? How can a person who has heard the gospel, receive and accept God's amazing love knowing full well they don't deserve His love? How can we even comprehend the mystery of God? 

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen (Hebrews 11:1).

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Hebrews 11:6).

God has freely given us His love!
Love, what is love?
Right here you have a choice; base your answer on things you've experienced, maybe read or seen in a movie, or receive something by faith, that is of God!

1 Corinthians 13 tells us that; "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." 

Love suffers and is kind? Kind of a crazy thought right? Jesus suffered and died on the cross all for love.

Love does not envy? Jesus didn't envy His disciples who would outlive Him or consider it unfair that He being perfect and sinless should bear the iniquity of us all.

Love does not parade itself? Jesus, being God, could have come down as a king with riches and servants, but instead made himself of no reputation.

As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. 
(John 15:9)

We can only know love by the Spirit of God! We can only be loving with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us. The spirit of man doesn't know these Godly truths and certainly can't practice them in his own strength! We need to forget what we know or have experienced and, by faith believe in God's love!

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 

(1 John 4:7-9). 

The tricky part is knowing where your heart is. Do you believe that God loves you or is your heart filled with so much guilt and shame that you can't receive His love. We fill our hearts with so much junk it literally becomes like a stone wall blocking the flow of love going out and coming in. We think we're keeping our hearts safe by shutting down when in reality we just cause our beating hearts to grow cold and dark.

Praise God for His word in Ezekiel 36: 26-27. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them..

Do you want a new heart? Do you want to live your life fully and not numb yourself because of fear or guilt or shame? Then cry out to Jesus and get in the Word of God!

So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:11)

Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. (Acts 2: 41-43)

God has cleansed us by the washing of the word

You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you (John 15:3).

Lay down your guilt and shame at Jesus' feet and receive His love so that you in turn can love others. Because the only thing we keep in this life is what we give away!

For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." (Galatians 5:14)

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. (1 Cor 13:13)

Lord give us clarity by the Holy Spirit. Help us to see and hear the things You have prepared for us the ones You love! Help us to receive Your love because we are fully aware we do not deserve Your love! Our hearts are guilty before You but we rejoice knowing You have given us Your Son Jesus who took all our sin on Himself and paid our debt. May we, by faith in Jesus Christ, fully surrender to Your love so that we can love others! Forgive us for doubting Your love and for thinking we could be justified without the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Keep us close to You God and teach us not to fear. Help us to lay down our fears and put our faith in You! You are LOVE, and LOVE never fails! Thank You for Your word, in Jesus name amen!

He Is A Jealous God!

And God spake all these words, saying,

I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, 

out of the house of bondage.

Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, 

or any likeness of any-thing that is in heaven above, 

or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: 

for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, 

visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children 

unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, 

and keep my commandments.

(Exodus 20:1-6)

Can jealousy be loving? 

One of the definitions of jealousy is, vigilance in maintaining or guarding something (Courtesy of Dictionary.com). 

I always thought jealousy was a bad thing. So why do I like it when people are jealous for me? I like being the one my kids call mom, I am their mom! I like that they run to me when they get hurt and that they need me and they love me. They don't call anyone else mom and if they did I don't think I would like that...correction, I would hate that!!! I would hate it if they ran to another person calling out mommy when I was standing right there...how heart breaking!

On the same note, I like the idea of marriage, where the wife belongs to the husband and the husband belongs to the wife and no one else should ever come between them! Marriage is a holy union between two people who love each other and it is right and good! 

On a side note, wedding vows are till death do you part. Did you know that the word widow has a definition meaning to deprive of anything cherished or needed? In Genesis 2:18, the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” We NEED each other! 

Need; a physiological or psychological requirement for the well-being of an organism. I am all about definitions in this blog!!!

God is our maker. He is our Father. He is our Husband! Of course He would be jealous for us! If He wasn't jealous for us He wouldn't be very loving! 

Did you know that iniquity means, immoral or grossly unfair behavior. When we run to another who is not our God, even if we seek solic unto ourselves, we have committed an immoral and grossly unfair behavior. It is sin to NOT turn to God for our every need, want, or desire! We violate our Holy union when we disregard Him and ignore Him. 

How painful is it to have a child ignore you? How painful is it to have a spouse disregard you and turn to another for their needs or wants or desires? God has given us relationships here on earth to show us our need for Him! Everywhere you turn there is proof of His love for us and we disregard Him and ignore Him.

When you think of a father loving his daughter, in a right and pure way, you wonder how he could freely give her away to a man who doesn't know her the way the father knows her. The father was there at her beginning, in ideal circumstances, and comforted her in the night when she cried. He saw her grow and learn and laugh and play and weep and mourn. Now he has to give her away to a man, in marriage, who hasn't known her and trust that this man will at least love her as much as he does and hope that the daughter will always regard her father and keep him in her heart as her first love, the one who was with her through all of her growing seasons. 

Wow, I don't know how God so selflessly lets us be married and have children knowing that our hearts can so easily turn from Him to the people He so freely gives us to love and be loved by. We forget Him and lift up our hearts to others. We are so full of iniquity! 

Graven image

Did you know one of the definitions for grave is, requiring serious thought. God warns us not to create for ourselves any graven images. Why do you think God would make a commandment like that? 

Have you ever seen someone, or maybe you have carved or drawn an image that required such intense serious thought? Artists pour themselves into their creations. God poured Himself into His creation! We are His workmanship! He loves us more than we could ever comprehend! He knows our hearts are easily drawn away from Him so He commands us, out of His great knowledge of our sinful hearts....being as He was the One who created our hearts, to NOT worship the things we create!

We love to love ourselves and when we create something, 'that thing', is an expression of ourselves that we love to love. So even if we claim to have another god, we are still worshiping something we've created and proclaiming our own awesomeness. Sounds pretty ridiculous to believe in anything other than the ONE TRUE GOD!

Lord, thank You for Your jealousy for us! You guard us and protect us even as we disregard and ignore You. Lord You are so good and loving to let us enjoy relationships knowing our hearts are prone to wander. Lord forbid that my heart would ever wander from You being my first love! You are amazing God in all You do. Help us all to bring glory to Your name in all we say and do, by Your Son's Holy name I pray amen!

Hello my name is child of the One True King!

A Hankering For Truth

Let your conduct be without covetousness; 
be content with such things as you have. 
For He Himself has said, 
“I will never leave you nor forsake you.” 
So we may boldly say:

“The Lord is my helper;

I will not fear.

What can man do to me?”

Remember those who rule over you, 
who have spoken the word of God to you, 
whose faith follow, 
considering the outcome of their conduct. 
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

(Hebrews 13:5-8)

We are a discontented people. We murmur and complain when we lack and we are unthankful and wasteful when we have plenty. God suffers with us long!

How many of us can actually say we are content with our portion? How many of us can say God is our everything?

We are to hold loosely to the things of the world. Abraham held loosely to his beloved son when God asked him to sacrifice him on the altar. Noah held loosely to his reputation as he labored away on the ark that God told him to build, even though the general senses was that Noah had lost his mind. Daniel held loosely to his own life when he knelt down to pray to God, even though Nebuchadnezzar had decreed a death sentence to anyone found in such an act.

So too are we supposed to hold the things of this world loosely; our relationships, our jobs, our educational successes, our physical abilities, our financial status, our belongings, our life....everything! And, the clincher, be content!!!  

The tenth commandment tells us not to covet! The definition of that word is simply; yearn, crave, desire, hanker, or lust to possess or have something. Right now I have a hankering for a big bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream with pretzels on top...Mmmm!!! Is that a sin? I think if that craving becomes to us a distraction and a stumbling block in our daily walk with the Lord then yes perhaps it is sin! God's heart isn't to withhold good things from us, He wants us to be thankful and enjoy the good things He's brought into our lives. But, for our own good, remember our first love! God should be first in our lives!

God created everything. Then He created man to share in the everything that God had created. Man was told to tend and keep the heavenly garden God had given him. The man was allowed to eat from any tree in the garden except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. My guess...I think that tree must have been the prettiest tree in the garden to behold! I think the tree of life must have been the ugliest tree! Then the man had to decide if he would trust God and live or put his faith in another and die.

For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 1 John 2:16

What do you have a hankering for? Hopefully for the living water and the bread of life! If so, read on hungry soul!

Romans Chapter 12

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. 16 Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.

17 Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. 18 If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. 19 Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 Therefore

“If your enemy is hungry, feed him;
If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.”
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

My Prayer

Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, 

put on tender mercies, kindness, 

humility, meekness, longsuffering; 

bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, 

if anyone has a complaint against another; 

even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 

But above all these things put on love, 

which is the bond of perfection. 

 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, 

to which also you were called in one body; 

and be thankful! 

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, 

teaching and admonishing one another 

in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, 

singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.  

And whatever you do in word or deed, 

do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, 

giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

(Colossians 3:12-17)

This is my prayer! Lord Your word is so beautiful to behold! So perfect and true...cause me to live it out! Lord my desire is to honor You in every area of my life...but You take me as I am and You slowly, gently and lovingly prune me and make me new. God I am wicked and sinful and You are lovely and perfect! Lord I will never understand why You waste time with someone as wretched as me!

Lead me into Your will and help me to cast away anything that would cause me to think or be anything less than what You've willed for my life. My mind see's the physical...I am so weak and marred. Open my eyes to see what You see in me. You see me through Jesus' blood...His sacrifice makes me 'Your elect, Holy and beloved!' I need Your love to be healed and to be whole! I am nothing without You my God!

Newness Of Life In Jesus

Then He spoke a parable to them: “No one puts a piece from a new garment on an old one; otherwise the new makes a tear, and also the piece that was taken out of the new does not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved. And no one, having drunk old wine, immediately desires new; for he says, ‘The old is better.’” (Luke 5:36-39)

When we turn away from our sins and follow after the Lord we are made new. God pours out His spirit onto such a one who has been made righteous by the shed blood of Christ Jesus! Two things happen at once but maybe we don't see the one at first. We repent and believe that Jesus died in our place but do we fully realize the extent of His saving grace? God has made us new and we are to put on our new man daily.

Ephesians 4 talks about putting on our new man and putting off our old man. God pours out His Spirit into the heart of a new creation not the old nature. We are saved from the old and made new!

"And that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:24)

I believe what it says in John 8:36, "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed." So often we forget that it is God who does the creating! God knows we think of ourselves more highly than we ought to. We think we can do a good work and earn our place in heaven but we cannot! We all fall short of God's glory and there is no chance of salvation apart from complete and total surrender unto our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Our part is to trust and obey...He does the rest!

Praise God for His awesome and mighty work! Praise Him for His perfect and Holy Word that we can daily turn to it and feed our hungry souls and seek to know His way so we can trust and obey!

God there is nothing else that can satisfy! Our old man is dead and gone and behold we are made new when we surrender to You! Cause us Lord to always look to You no matter what our portion might be for the day. Maybe our portion is peace and prosperity or maybe we are in a time of grief and sorrow... either way, let us always accept our portion with a thankful heart knowing that God works all things for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose! It is God who does the working as we seek to trust and obey!

Fight to Surrender

"Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory.

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:13-19) 

I was reading my kids the story about the tower of babel from Genesis chapter 11. It's from the Jesus Storybook Bible, my favorite bedtime storybook! The story starts with this 'idea' to build a great city and build the tallest tower in the middle of it so the people could make a name for themselves. Seems harmless enough....right?

That's all it takes for us...one tiny little thought of ourselves and we become caught up in the impossible task of making ourselves better than someone else. Why do we strive so hard and for so long in the endless task of looking good to others? Everywhere you look there is an up and coming super star or some computer genius who makes millions on the tiniest microchip. We are a fast paced--in your face--kind of society. We always have to be doing something to be better or smarter than the next person.

My son is a very bright young man. I may be biased but he really is! He recently competed in the math Olympics at his school. He was so excited and pretty sure of himself. But alas he didn't make the top five in his category. I was a row behind him and I watched his shoulders shrug up and down as he cried when they didn't call his name to the stage for an award. I hated seeing him sad!

So here is the problem....we all want to be the best. To quote a line from the movie The Incredible's "When everyone's super....(maniacal laugh)....no one will be!"

God has a better way. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Matt10:45)

In His plan we all submit to His authority and to each other. His plan is; humility, love, forgiveness, mercy and grace, understanding, generosity, compassion and thanksgiving. What do we see in our culture today? We see everyone out for themselves, stepping over whoever they can to get to the top. Even the do-gooders have an agenda.

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men." (Colossians 3:23)

Appearances can be very deceiving! Our eyes love to lust after things...but those things end up costing us way more than they are actually worth!

For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. (1 John 2:16)

What good would it do if a man gains the whole world only to lose his soul? (Matt 16:26 emphasis mine)

In Ecclesiastes chapter 3 it says there is a time for everything. Verse 4 says, "a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance." God gave us these seasons for a reason but we medicate our sadness away. We have an inner man, but we stuff him aside to march forward and claim our victory...all the while on the inside we suffer.

If we would only set our thoughts on God and trust Him and seek His will for our lives we would understand the "width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that we may be filled with all the fullness of God." God is all we need! He is our all in all! He is the bread of life...the living water! He is our hope and our joy and our strength....He is our reason for being!

If we keep ignoring our spirit there will be consequences. If you don't use it you'll lose it! Give up the fight and surrender to God's ways. It will cost you don't get me wrong...you'll have to give up on yourself and follow after Jesus. It's a sacrificial life but in the end you'll be eternally grateful you surrendered.

God forgive us for thinking we, who are but dust, could ever figure this life out on our own. God give us humble hearts to seek Your glory for You are the only One worthy of all glory and honor and praise. Lord lead us to the rock that is higher than we are! Give us Your spirit and reveal to us Your great love! Cause us to sing of Your greatness and Your loving kindness all the day. Give us grateful hearts Lord, for all you've done and have yet to do! In Jesus name amen!

Fear Verses Faith

There is no fear in love; 

but perfect love casts out fear, 

because fear involves torment. 

But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 

1 John 4:18

Apart from God there is much to fear! We live in an unsafe world! Our constantly changing world is only growing more and more unsafe. Every effort to try to create a sense of safety is futile. Nothing can stand the test of time, nothing except God! 

I watched a deer cross the road this morning in front of on coming traffic. The cars slowed and came to a stop as the graceful animal slowly crept across the street to the thick bush. I watched and thought of how many deer have failed to cross the road safely. I thought how brave of that animal and yet how ignorant as well. Isn't that the case with us? We creep and even dart out into our daily routines as if we are untouchable. How bravely foolish we are. There is much to fear in the simple acts of daily life and yet even the deer of the forest seem to be able to shake off fear and march forward into possible danger. 

How I struggle with fear. Fear loves to torment! But God the Creator of us all says, "Do not fear!" How are we, how am I to shake off this fear that is ever tormenting me? 

You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. (1 John 4:4)

Being tormented by fear is no different than any other plague or sickness of this world! Fear has been over come by our Lord and Savior! What do we fear? Death? He is risen!!! Praise the Lord! 

Father how I long to be free from fear! I know God Your words are true because You are truth! God let my heart be made well by Your great love for me! I believe You can save me from these fears! Help me to live Your truth! Lead Your fearful daughter in to Your perfect Love that will cast out all of her fears, in Jesus name AMEN!

And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” (Mark 5:34)

Truth and Lies

 For though we walk in the flesh, 

we do not war according to the flesh. 

For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,

 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, 

bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, 

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

I have discovered, as I am sure you have, that it is so much easier to believe a lie than truth! The crazy thing is I think sometimes we prefer the lie over the truth. Why? To be completely honest, as painful as this is to admit, self pity satisfies some fleshy part of us. Believing we are worthless and dwelling on our shortcomings and failures is something we can hold onto and carry through out the whole of our lives if we so chose.  Believing the truth that Christ has made us free from the bonds of sin is an attack on our love affair with self pity!  But it's time to end this dysfunctional relationship with self pity and accept Christ's love!

Jesus is the way the truth and the life it says in John 14:6.  On the reverse of that scripture we see that before we come to know Jesus we are traveling down the wrong path and believing a lie and it leads to death.  

“Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:30-31)

Sounds so simple doesn't it? But it is the hardest thing to do sometimes! The act of believing means taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ! Every single tiny miniscule insignificant thought must be taken captive and washed in the light of God's truth! Wow, that is a lot of work! Yep, but I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! (Phil 4:13) Do you believe that? Because if you don't believe you can do all things through Christ who strengthen's you then you've already lost the battle!

Trust is hard for us fearful humans to do! I know my own issues with trusting. Pain and heartache in our relationships with other people wear us down. We see how people have failed us and believe the only person we can count on is ourselves. Let me just assure you right now, this is a big LIE! There is One we can trust above everyone, Jesus is the way the TRUTH and the life. He will never lead us astray He will never let us down an HE will never leave us! But we can leave Him... We can chose ourselves over Him. We can create any belief we want to in our own minds and convince ourselves we are right. "Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive."

Neil T. Anderson says in his book, The Bondage Breaker, "It is your individual responsibility as a believer to repent and believe the truth that will set you free. Nobody else can do that for you. I can't put on the armor of God for you, believe for you, repent for you, forgive others for you, and take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ for you."  Lets face the truth! WE ARE NOT GODS! We didn't create ourselves and we certainly can't save ourselves, so lets look to the One who can!

Lord You know these spiritual struggles we face everyday! You made a way for us to be victorious in everything we face. You gave us Your Son, You gave us the Holy Spirit and Your Word, help us to put on the whole armor of God as it says in Ephesians 6:10-18. God with You we needn't fear because Your perfect love cast out all fear! Lord Your ways are perfect and good give us the desire to be obedient to believe the truth instead of the lie!

The Whole Armor of God

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 this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—
(Ephesians 6:10-18)



 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Meditate on These Things!

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 
(Philippians 4:6-8)

God You Already Know!

I know I am weak! I know I fail everyday! I know I am only dust, here today and gone tomorrow!
Lord I have nothing to offer You! Everything I offer You comes from You first! You have brought me here to this place and provided and protect me and my children up to this day! Please Lord be with me still. Keep me always seeking You and Your will! Thank You for loving me!

The Reason Why

 Imagine if you will a child asking why?

"Why do I have to eat my vegetables?"
"Why do I have to go to bed?"
"Why can't I have a puppy?"
"Why do I have to brush my teeth?"

What is the most common response a parent will give to the child's question of why? If you're thinking, "Because I said so," is the most common response than you are tracking with me!

Why oh why do we ask why?

My son asks me a certain "why" question a lot. "Mommy, why did dad have to die?"

What does a mother say to her child when she asks the same question from time to time?
"I don't know why."

I do know why people have to die, because of sin.
Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die." Genesis 2:15-17

Just a little side note... the woman wasn't even created when God gave the man this commandment...for all you who solely blame Eve. ;)

Anyways, we have all heard the story of how Eve ate the fruit and gave it to her husband and he ate too and their bad choice led to our falling into this place of disconnect with our Creator God.

So that's why! God said do not and we did! But why can't I eat the fruit God? "Because I said so!"

But even knowing that we still question, why? I wonder if in cases of suffering and pain, that there is more behind the question than we realize? God help us to understand the cry behind the why!

Maybe there is a deeper search inside of each question of why. A missing piece to the puzzle of our lives makes us always wonder, even if we don't come right out and say it. What am I here for? What is all this pain for? Why does it feel like something is still missing? Maybe there is something deeper or perhaps we are just ungrateful children!

The truth is we were created to have a loving and pure relationship with God! We were created to worship God! God loves us and He gave us the whole earth but we rebelled and broke His heart. And instead of admitting our fault and asking for forgiveness we ran and hid ourselves from Him. Typical human heart! We didn't want to see what we had done in the face of love. So out of sight out of mind.
But that God of great love is still seeking us out. He has paid the highest price to win our hearts! Jesus Christ His beloved and perfect Son shed His blood to pay for our sin and to return us to our Creator God.

If you've ever lost someone you love you know the pain that comes from such a loss. God willingly suffered a greater loss for the sake of saving us from ourselves and from the chains of sin and death.

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:7-10

What are we here for? To get a good education and find a great job, start a family and go on vacation once a year...hmmm? That to me just doesn't seem to fit anymore! Those things are wonderful gifts that we get to enjoy but certainly not the reason why we are here! What would you do if you found out that the only reason you are alive today is because someone gave up their life for you? How could you go on being satisfied with anything besides devotion to that one by trying to live for them?

What about the pain of life? Bad things happen in this fallen land but; "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

It has certainly been seen through the ages how great men were born out of adversity. What if these sufferings and pains of life were somehow for our good? Can we receive beauty for ashes? I believe it's the only way! When we read stories and watch movies there is always some conflict for the main character's to over come. What would be the fun in a story where no fight no battle no destination needed to be reached or sacrifice made? Why do songs strike the cord of our hearts unless we can relate to the message behind them be it anger or sorrow or love or joy or whatever?

Let's face it, a life of pain and heartache beats watching paint dry! Faith is the key to overcoming this life! We will all be given the free will choice to have faith or to be full of fear. Hardships will either make you better or bitter. Author Randy Alcorn once said, "A faith that can't be shaken is the faith that has been shaken."

Praise the Lord for the chance to live a life full of love!

Love Assumed Isn't Love

Do you know Love?

Love is supposed to be the most amazing feeling we will ever experience. Love is supposed to fix all wrongs and cover all sins and be the ultimate goal of our lives. I don't know what you've experienced in this life, but I've come to know with certainty that, that kind of love isn't very common! No, if that is love than our world doesn't know of love! 

1 Corinthians 13:1-8a says; Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned but have not love, it profits me nothing. Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil;  does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth;  bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails. 

So if we don't know this kind of love, what do we know? Maybe we assume to know love? Have you ever had a fight with a person you loved only to find out that the whole fight stemmed from an incorrect assumption? 

We study to know these hard equations and theories, we spend years and years perfecting a skill or trade to try to have some security or certainty in this risky world we live in. But, do we know the reason for life? Do we, in all our striving for successes and picture perfect lives, ever stop to consider our foundation? What are you grounded in? What is the ultimate end of all your striving?

1 John 4:17-19
Love has been perfected among us in this:
that we may have boldness in the day of judgment;
because as He is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear,
because fear involves torment.
But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.
We love Him because He first loved us.

This bit of scripture is referred to as the "Consummation of Love."

~Consummation defined; 1  the act of consummating <the consummation of a contract by mutual signature>; specifically : the consummating of a marriage. 2  the ultimate end : finish.~

Have you ever seen evidence of a perfect love? Perhaps not? Well be of good cheer because there is such a love!  

Look at that scripture again....Love has been perfected among us, love is here! He is here, Emmanuel! Christ came and dwelt among His creation and died in order to save us from our sins. If we would only believe, have faith, that He loves us enough to save us from ourselves and from the chains and bondage of sin. We are forgiven the moment we ask of Him and He makes us new. Then Christ Himself takes up residence in our hearts and it is no longer we who live but Christ who lives in us! And love, real love is revealed to us in Him. Love like you've never known, you could never know otherwise! God loves me that much! He loves you that much! He loves them that much! 

There is no way to tell you in mere words of His love! You can't sing about it enough and you can't meditate on it enough! You can't stop His love for you! 

Do you believe in His love for you? If there is any sign of doubt in your mind then fear is blocking your path to His love. Fear is the opposite of faith. Fear doesn't believe and fear leaves you hopeless. Maybe you're like I was and you think, "the act of faith takes such courage, only the bravest of souls could have faith in an invisible God's love!" I say to you now, Even the tiniest faith is enough! 

Give up your fear, trade it in for faith. Don't let fear torment you a second longer! You are loved more than you know, more than you deserve!

Mark 9:23-24; Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!”

Eucharisteo

Wow! God's word is living and active. This morning I read Genesis 20-22. Our church is reading through the bible in a year, again. I've read this bit of scripture many times before, but this time I was armed with my journal. Thanks women's ministry for "The Devotional life" bible in a year journal!

God's timing is always perfect. He does the most amazing things to prepare us to partake of His word. Since my beginning He has been gently revealing Himself to me. But this meal of His divine bread was especially longed for over the past year. I'm not sure why some seem to grasp truths like these at different ages and stages of life. I just know I am now blessed to have received this hidden treasure into the depths of my soul, never to be forgotten!


Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, “Abraham!”  And he said, “Here I am.”  Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” (Genesis 22:1-2)


I've never understood how Abraham could even think about doing this seemingly cruel and heartless thing.  To offer up your own flesh and blood to a God that previously promised to give unto you. When I was little, and I know this isn't politically correct thinking but bare with me, I learned the phrase Indian giver (click the link to see what Wikipedia has to say about this phrase). It was meant to describe a person who gives you a gift and then wants it back. I guess I somehow bound that phrase with the passage of scripture where God asks Abraham to sacrifice his one and only son whom he loved.

Wrong perception of God indeed, and this was the day the Lord was going to correct that ignorant thinking of mine. Abraham knew he was created by God and for God. He knew that God was good and that He was just. Abraham trusted God!

So Abraham rose early in the morning and saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son; and he split the wood for the burnt offering, and arose and went to the place of which God had told him...Then they came to the place of which God had told him. And Abraham built an altar there and placed the wood in order; and he bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, upon the wood. And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. (Gen 22:3&9)

My heart aches at the thought of willingly offering up a person I love so much for a sacrifice to a God I've never seen or held or known the way I know my loved one. How could love do something like that?


But the Angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!”  So he said, “Here I am.”  And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.”  Then Abraham lifted his eyes and looked, and there behind him was a ram caught in a thicket by its horns. So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son. And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” (Gen 22:11-13)


Well, love did. And in that one obedient act of devotion to God the Father; ...the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time out of heaven, and said: “By Myself I have sworn, says the Lord, because you have done this thing, and have not withheld your son, your only son, blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.” (Genesis 22:15-18)

Wow, OK, way to go Abraham. Adam and Eve procured for us a pretty horrible curse with their disobedience but you've gained us some major blessings!

There do you see it, hidden between a curse and a blessing...between obedience and disobedience? Perhaps you need some magnification...

A promise was made. A gift was given. The One whom created it all gives a gift to the one He created. To One all belongs and the other nothing was owned. Abraham knew he was born poor and naked. He brought nothing into the world and he would surly take nothing out. Everything he had was on loan from God. He knew without God he was nobody with nothing but with God he was somebody with everything.

Last year my husband died. God seemed harsh and cruel to me even though my eyes had read in His book that He wasn't, my heart bled those thoughts. How could God allow me to experience such pain and grief and suffering? My oldest son who is 9 has been talking about death a lot lately. In fact just yesterday he asked me if I thought Déjà vu happened right before a person dies. He has been plagued with déjà vu's recently and like his mother, tries to explain the unexplainable. I told him, no of course not!

With death being the recent topic of choice around my house, I started having anxious thoughts, especially after reading how God asked Abraham to offer his son. My mind raced with what-ifs and while my son was away at a restaurant for a friends birthday party this evening I felt afraid. But then something odd stirred on my heart. It was peace. It was strange! I thought about how I lost my husband and though I might have said that I had accepted it, there were still times when I most assuredly, did not! I thought how Abraham must have suffered and agonized over what he was about to do. I thought of how God freely offered up His perfect Son to pay the ransom price for us sinners. And then I thought of Job who lost everything and in one courageously painful statement declared; “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; Blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)

All that said, after my fear had ceased completely, I picked up my son from his birthday dinner and when we were safe and sound in our home once more I hugged him and swayed him with an overflowing heart of thankfulness! Then later that night the Spirit, still swirling about me had one last thing to say. I picked up a book I had disowned to the bookshelf last year for whatever reason. The title, One Thousand Gifts, by Ann Voskamp. I read the word Eucharisteo which is the original word used in Luke 22:19 where it reads, "He gave thanks." The author's spellbinding description of thankfulness was God's final awakening to my blind eyes.
"Thanksgiving--giving thanks in everything--is what prepares the way for salvation's whole restoration. Our salvation in Christ is real, yet the completeness of that salvation is not fully realized in the life until the life realizes the need to give thanks. (One Thousand Gifts page 40)

There it is! The hidden truth between the fall and the blessing, between disobedience and obedience. Thanksgiving. In an instant every bad thing that has ever happened drops away like a dead leaf and makes room for the blossoms of spring. Wow, God is good! God knew that when we were given everything we wouldn't be thankful. God knew thanksgiving needed to be cultivated. Who can understand a grateful heart? Not one who is given everything, but one who struggles and suffers and fights for his bread.

There is no way we could earn our right standing before a Holy and perfect God. He doesn't ask us to sacrifice any blood because He's already provided the perfect sacrifice, Jesus Christ! Though He is worthy of all sacrifices, His great love for us is that He made a way for us to be reconciled through faith in the shed blood of His greatest sacrifice.

I hope and pray you were able to discover His truth through this post! God is good and works all things for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Rom 8:28).

Amazing Love

Who has believed our report?
And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant,
And as a root out of dry ground.
He has no form or comeliness;
And when we see Him,
There is no beauty that we should desire Him.
He is despised and rejected by men,
A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.
And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him;
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.
And they made His grave with the wicked—
But with the rich at His death,
Because He had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in His mouth.
Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him;
He has put Him to grief.
When You make His soul an offering for sin,
He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days,
And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.
He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.
By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many,
For He shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
And He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah 53:1-12

 “Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed;
Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame;
For you will forget the shame of your youth,
And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.
For your Maker is your husband,
The Lord of hosts is His name;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel;
He is called the God of the whole earth.
For the Lord has called you
Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit,
Like a youthful wife when you were refused,”
Says your God.
“For a mere moment I have forsaken you,
But with great mercies I will gather you.
With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment;
But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you,”
Says the Lord, your Redeemer.

Isaiah 54:4-8


God, You are... there aren't enough words to sing Your praises! I am so amazed by Your sacrificial love for me! You have done so much to bring me here. You moved mountains to keep me safe! You provide for my every need and bless me with more! You restore me, You heal me, You grow me closer to You! I couldn't imagine a love like Yours!
God Your love is so gentle and sweet. I might have missed knowing Your love if You hadn't beckoned me and drawn me in with Your mysterious leading. God thank You for loving me! I don't deserve Your love! Your love is limitless and everyday I discover more about You. God You make me love You.
My God let me know You more. I want more of You!
I am in love!