Quiet and Still

“He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God.'” Psalm 46:10

As I’ve gone through the different seasons of my life, there is always a word or phrase that God gives me to help me understand what He wants to teach me.

A few weeks ago my prayer request was that I would be able to relax in Jesus. I want to cast my cares, unload my burdens and stop trying so hard. I want to let Him have His way rather than me try to do it all correctly…whatever that means. I want to trust where He leads me, the understanding He gives and just do what He says rather than question and weigh everything.

It seems like I’m always at war with someone; sometimes God, at times myself.  My flesh screams for its own way. I want others to acknowledge me. Others want me to give my allegiance to them, not God. All the while, ultimately, I just want to know the right way to go.

Does any of this sound familiar? Do you experience any of these same feelings?

God wants me to stop fighting and trust Him. God wants you to stop fighting and trust Him. So how do we do that?

Be still. To be still is to be free from turmoil and commotion. It means we are to relax, let our shoulders down, our hands fall and stop struggling and striving. It doesn’t necessarily mean that we need to sit and not move since this is something we can and should experience at all times. But it does mean that when we want to fight the battle, we can choose to stop and let God take over. I try so hard to make so many things happen, but God will accomplish His purpose regardless of what I, of what we try to do.

“Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100:3

Know He is God. This sounds easy enough but really, do I know God? Do you know God? He made us and cares for us. He is our good shepherd. He comes after us and brings us back to Him. If we really believe God, then we know He really does care about and is in the details of our lives. When we trust what God says, we will stop trying to earn His favor and feeling the need to prove ourselves. He sees and knows exactly who I am and what mask I’m using to cover my shortcomings and failures. He is willing, and really the only one able, to help me take down that mask and He will still love me unconditionally. He loves you unconditionally when you trust Him as well.

“All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.” 2 Corinthians 5:18-20

Cut others some slack. Fear of judgment is one of the main reasons I struggle. I’m always sure some will think I’m not holy enough. Others will think I think I’m “holier than thou.” No one will ever be satisfied. But really what this says is that I am always comparing myself to others which means I’m judging my holiness against another. I judge their holiness in order to understand and be comfortable with my own. But we are each a work in progress. I’ve seen some people be transformed quickly in their relationship with Christ while others have taken some time. I myself am at the slow end according to my own time table. What I’ve come to understand though, is that the less I worry about others, the less I’ll worry about myself. The more I assume good of others, the more I will believe others assume good of me. As people who know God, our desire should be that others know Him as well. Jesus came to reconcile us to God and in this, we can be reconciled to each other as well. We can stop fighting God and we can stop fighting each other.

Something to Consider…

Do you feel like you most often fight God, yourself, or others? What would those relationships, even how you see yourself, be changed if you stopped fighting? For this to happen, what would need to be different about the way you think? As you practice being still, let God have space to move and speak in your life, your day and your relationships.

Do you feel like you know about God or really know God? There is a difference. Jesus came to make God known and it’s through our relationship with Him that we are reconciled to the God who loves us, the God we too often fight against. To whom would you like to be reconciled? As you learn to live reconciled to God, He will help understand and experience what it means to be reconciled to others. Ask God to help you know Him so you can reflect Him in your relationships with others.

Jesus: The Real Deal

I just saw an article titled Santa Claus: The Great Imposter. And while I didn’t read it, the title brought me to Scripture within seconds. As my husband knows, one thought leads to another, and to another and so on. So here goes…

1. Who is he a substitute for? Jesus

2. Why would he be a substitute for Him? Because people believe they know the story of a real man who did kind and thoughtful things for children (people) and they want to be like him. We can put him on a pedestal as a great example. And while we can say that in a way Jesus did the same thing, He (Jesus) requires something of us that Santa Claus (St Nicholas) doesn’t: Submission. We can do things that are like Santa Claus such as give gifts and be jolly, but he doesn’t set a standard of how we are to live our lives otherwise. Fun is as far as Christmas needs to go.

3. Very quickly, my mind was brought to Scripture.

“What I mean is this: One of you says, ‘I follow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; still another, ‘I follow Christ.’ Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized in the name of Paul?” 1 Corinthians 1:12-13

“For when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not mere human beings?  What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task.” 1 Corinthians 3:4-5

When we choose to imitate Santa Claus, whether we believe he was a real human being or an ideal picture of a generous grandfather figure, we imitate a man who was a mere human being or even less, a thought or idea. We may be imitating someone who was possibly a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, but still just a person like you and me. In truth, we should be worshiping, celebrating and imitating the true Lord and Savior. This means our service does not stop at a Christmas gift or meal for the sake of being nice and thoughtful, but continues through to the purpose and message of the Gospel.

God gave us the greatest gift ever given: His Son Jesus Christ who came to die for our sins and be raised to new life, so that we could be made right with God and enjoy eternal life with Him. At Christmas, we celebrate the beginning of God’s plan of reconciliation becoming a reality. We worship Him and Him alone. We submit our lives to Him out of reverence for who He is, not just the nice things He’s done.

God has been growing me through the season and celebration of Christmas. Every year I remove more of the Santa figures and ornaments I’ve had in our house. Some are fancy, some are sweet. Some have fond memories tied to them as gifts from various people in my life. It can be hard to remove things that seem harmless on the surface, maybe even good. But when I make someone else the center of a celebration that belongs to God, I set up a false idol – an imposter. Jesus Christ is the real deal and is worthy of my sole attention.

Who will you celebrate this Christmas? Where will your attention be focused? Will you settle for and spread the lies of an imposter or will you rejoice in and share the truth of the Savior? Christmas focused on Santa falls short of the glory of God shown through His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

Prepare Your Heart for Christ: The Christmas Reason available now!

Homework…it’s not just for kids

Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” Joshua 1:8 (NIV)

I came home one day from running errands to find my daughter sitting in the kitchen diligently working on her school work. I don’t remember the last time I had to ask her if she had homework or if it was complete. Even when she doesn’t enjoy the subject, she knows the homework is necessary. My older daughter was not quite so driven to do her homework, but has learned the importance of it and the reward of not waiting until the last-minute.

For those who know me, they would say I love homework. They would probably leave it there and assume it’s true as a whole, but they would be wrong. I really didn’t enjoy school work and still don’t enjoy doing research in general. I also don’t strive to learn so I can simply say I know and understand this thing or that. I haven’t always read the Bible and when I first started, I didn’t understand much of it. I admit, I often fell asleep.

But now I love reading God’s Word and “homework” that teaches me the ways of God so I can do the things of God. I have participated in many Bible studies over the past ten years and have even written and lead a few of them. I always encourage and provide ways to do homework, additional study so everyone can dig into God’s Word at any time. Homework gives us a way to be more intentional with our time and about our study.

How do you know if what you believe God is revealing to you is true? Do you know that the devil likes to reveal things to you as well? He’s very sly and smooth in his approach and he can take something completely outside of the ways of God, mix it with Scripture and make it look pleasing, make it feel good and right and make you think you deserve it. All the while he’s leading you away from God rather than closer to Him.

“Jesus answered,’It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”‘” Matthew 4:4 (NIV)

Jesus knew God’s Word, not because He was God but because He learned it just like every other Jewish boy. When the devil came to tempt Him, He didn’t wonder what God would say or have Him do. He was able to respond immediately with the truth of God’s Word and defeat the devil even in midst of His physical, mental and emotional weakness. Because of the work He had already done, He was still spiritually strong.

We are so very fortunate to have the Bible, God’s Word, so we can know the truth of God ways. The truth is if you are going to be intentional about reading God’s Word, then you will be responsible for doing what it says because now you know the truth. It’s easy to claim ignorance or simply go by your feelings if you don’t pick up His Word. But once you do, there are no more excuses.

Jesus calls us to be like little children. Children are like sponges sopping up whatever they see and hear. They are constantly learning, sometimes intentionally, but often through what they experience.

What experience do you provide for yourself? As a child of God, as a maturing follower of Christ, do you take the time to sit at the feet of Jesus and learn from Him through His Word? Do you eagerly seek out His answers in the midst of the difficulties you face? Do you rejoice in the good and amazing things He has already done trusting that He is not finished yet?

Homework, when it comes to God’s work, is an intentional time of letting God’s Spirit work in us. We are sitting down and saying, “God, I know there are things in your Word that you specifically want me to know today, right now in this moment. Reveal them to me. As I seek you, you promise to be found. When I ask, you promise to answer. Lord, your Word is rich and I am poor. It is nourishment for this hungry soul. Feed me for I am needy in this world.”

Something to Consider…

Do you enjoy reading the Bible? Do you read the Bible regularly? What keeps you from it or makes it difficult for you? Ask God to help you understand and delight in His Word.

Are you uncertain you can trust what the Bible says? Does it seem to contradict what others say? All of God’s Word is true. God is knowable and completely trustworthy. Earnestly desire to know the truth about God and ask Him to reveal Himself to you.

That’s Not How It Works

“As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins… But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved… For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.^” Ephesians 2:1a, 4-5, 8-9

I love the commercial with the older woman who “posts” her events to her wall … not her Facebook wall, but the actual wall in her home. She puts up notes and pictures and has friends over to see them. When her friend calls her out on something, she unfriends her while she’s sitting in her living room.

This same friend is befuddled and tells her very clearly, “That’s not how it works. That’s not how any of this works.”

While many people do “get” how Facebook works, many people like to make up their own ideas about Jesus.

Here are a few ways people misunderstand how God works:

1. It doesn’t really matter what you believe as long as you are sincere.

God is the Sovereign Creator, Ruler of all. He either is or He isn’t. He can’t be for some and not others which means what He says goes for all people. Your sincere acknowledgement of Him is key in your relationship with Him.

2. You can pick and choose what you want to believe from the Bible.

The Bible is God’s inspired word, His testimony about Himself, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. You can’t pick and choose what you want to believe. If you told a story about your own life and someone said part of it wasn’t true, they’d be wrong and be calling you a liar or you would actually be a liar. Is God trustworthy or is He a liar? He can’t be both.

3. God sends people to hell.

Jesus came for all who need a Savior. God doesn’t send people to hell. We end up there based on our own choices and God actually makes it possible for you to be saved from the consequences of those choices. You have free will to choose not to go to hell. You don’t want to be a robot to God and God is clearly not a vending machine so the only thing left is a relationship which is found through faith in Jesus. We all sin and fall short. The only thing that keeps you from God is believing you don’t need Him.

What misconceptions have you heard from others and you think, “That’s not how it works.” Are you a good enough friend to tell them?

Maybe you’re the one with questions needing a help section on just what faith in Christ is all about. How does it work? Why does it matter?

The good news is that God is not only willing to communicate with you, He is very clear in His answers.

It often appears that we want a God with some wiggle room, but instead we have a God who is merciful in our failings. We want a God who dismisses our sin as simple choices of lifestyle or personalities. After all, He’s the one who created us this way. But instead, we have a God who asks us to participate in the life He’s given us according to His ways. He asks us to sacrifice our own ways for His. He creates us and then asks us to let Him transform us into a new creation through a second birth. We are born into sin. All of us. And every person has a transformation waiting for them if only they would come and let God work in their lives. And this work only comes through the grace offered in faith through Jesus Christ.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17

This is how it works.

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The God of Second Chances

“Now Moses used to take a tent and pitch it outside the camp some distance away, calling it the “tent of meeting.” Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting outside the camp.” Exodus 33:7

God had made a covenant with Israel and before the last period was put in place, they had broken it. God’s desire was, and still is to dwell among His people, but because of their sin, their breaking of the covenant they had agreed to, they were separated from God.

Exodus 33:7-11 almost seems to imply that only Moses went to the tent of the meeting to inquire of God. The people would watch and worship as the pillar of cloud, God’s presence would stay at the entrance of the tent after Moses entered. But verse 7 says: “Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of the meeting…”

Did anyone else go? Why wouldn’t they? Why wouldn’t they take advantage of the opportunity to meet with God personally?

Moses had repented for Israel and it appears they liked it that way. It kept them at a distance from God, maybe what they saw as a safe distance, but a distance none-the-less.

In order to approach God now, we need to acknowledge our sin and ask for forgiveness personally. We have to face the truth of their own hearts. Was this an option at that time? Was anyone bold enough to ask?

Confessing with a true desire to change is hard enough. This along with asking for forgiveness can be one of the hardest things we do – ever! We have to take an honest look at ourselves, assess the situation and our actions, and admit what we did was wrong with no justification, excusing or blaming.

When we ask someone to forgive us there is always the possibility they won’t. We may want our relationship with them restored, but they may not and that’s a hard truth to accept. So rather than risk it, we keep a distance and our relationships are never quite what they could be.

But what you need to know is God is not like people. When we come to Him admitting our mistakes, weaknesses and outright rebellion, asking Him to have mercy and forgive, He does. When our hearts are right with Him and we are sincere in our desire to have a relationship with Him, He does not withhold His love.

He actually gave it before you even asked.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

Through the life, death and resurrection of His Son Jesus, you have the ability to come to God, fully forgiven, unconditionally loved and free to live His way. You don’t need to go to another person to speak to God on your behalf. You have Jesus: mediator, atoning sacrifice, the Righteous One, God Himself giving you full access to the throne room of God.

What concerns weigh on your heart this Christmas? What problems seem too big, too impossible to overcome? What desire do you long to see fulfilled in your lifetime? What guilt or shame to you simply not want to carry anymore?

You are not alone.

God is waiting.

He is available.

He loves you and wants to enter His presence through a relationship with Jesus. Will you take a chance and consider the possibility that not only is God holy, requiring a separation from sin, but that He is loving, faithful and compassionate in His provision of the one and only sacrifice for sin ever needed.

Jesus is the one and only way to God. It is by grace through faith that you can come to God and it’s because of His kindness that you can open your hear, lay your sin at His feet and trust Him to love you fully.

“Anyone inquiring of the LORD would go to the tent of meeting…”

Will you choose to take a chance and meet with God today, the God of second chances?

Something to Consider…

Has some distance grown between you and God? He is right where He has always been willing and waiting for you to return. What do you need to face, deal with or acknowledge so you can draw close to Him once again?

If you’ve never inquired of God, will you consider the possibility that God really does want to meet with you? He wants you to know the fullness of His love for you and that comes through a relationship with Him. Come to God, asking Him to help you with all of your questions, doubts and uncertainties. He will help you get your heart set right so your relationship with Him can be all it should be.

 

 

It’s Saturday. Now what?

“It was Friday, and the Sabbath was about to begin. The women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed Joseph and watched how Jesus’ body was placed in the tomb. Then they went to prepare some sweet-smelling spices for his burial. But on the Sabbath they rested, as the Law of Moses commands. Very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, carrying the spices that they had prepared. When they found the stone rolled away from the entrance, they went in. But they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus, and they did not know what to think. Suddenly two men in shining white clothes stood beside them. The women were afraid and bowed to the ground. But the men said, ‘Why are you looking in the place of the dead for someone who is alive? Jesus isn’t here! He has been raised from death.'” Luke 23:54-24:6a (CEV)

What happened on Saturday?

None of the Gospels address the activities of the disciples on Saturday except to say it was the Sabbath and they rested. Jesus Christ, the King of kings, Messiah, the Christ, Son of God is dead. And we have no idea what they did except that they rested.

How? Why? Because God commanded it? Really?

He was supposed to redeem His people, conquer the enemy and set up a new kingdom. Peace is supposed to reign and justice prevail. Everything they had put their hope in was gone. And not just gone, but dead and gone. In the ground … dead, buried and gone. Behind a rock and sealed gone. What happened?

The unexpected happened.

We’ve all been there at some point at some time. Everything is moving forward, life is good, and your best laid plans are coming to fruition.

And then?

The unexpected.

Everything just … stops.

We do get a glimpse of what those who didn’t follow Jesus were doing.

“The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. They told him, ‘Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.’ Pilate replied, ‘Take guards and secure it the best you can.’ So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.”  Matthew 27:62-66 (NLT)

Those who wanted Jesus dead also wanted to make sure He stayed dead. The disciples rested and the religious leaders continued to plot.

We must each decide what to do when Saturday comes because you can’t get to Sunday without Saturday. You can’t have victory without a battle. You can’t overcome without being under; without being down-and-out. Your response on Saturday will depend on what you believe, who you follow and in what or who you put your hope.

Something to Consider…

It’s Friday: This is the day of preparation. Everything had been going well up to this point. How could things go so wrong? Are you doing what you need to today so you  can be ready for tomorrow? Are you prepared for the One who was, is and is to come? Friday’s happen. Turning points come. And as hard as it is to believe, Friday’s end and it may not be how you expect. Will you be ready? Jesus is available now to help you prepare for tomorrow.

It’s Saturday: The unexpected has come. You wake up and it’s still true. You can’t believe it. What now? What’s next? In this time of uncertainty, confusion, and pain – rest. Worship and praise your Father in heaven. He knows what has been and what will be. Trust Him now.

It’s Sunday: The sun has risen and so has our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. A new day has come and Jesus has redeemed. He makes all things new bringing life and hope to our seemingly dead dreams. His light makes a shadow out of all that was before. Expect Sunday to come! Jesus is risen!

Joy and Suffering

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” James 1:2-3 (NIV)

My daughter came home from her evening activities one night the other week. She stopped and turned, looked at me and I could tell she was looking for the right words. She is careful with her words and she doesn’t like to complain, but there was something on her mind and I don’t think she meant to complain as much as she was looking for someone to validate how she was feeling.

She started explaining her day; how everything had gone well for the most part: she had a good day at school, did well on a test, enjoyed her time with friends, had a good evening at her job…and then she got an email that something wasn’t quite how it should be. Overall, it wasn’t a terrible thing but it was something she would need to address and it was weighing on her mind a bit as to just how she would handle it.

Her overall question was basically, “Why does it always seem like when things are going well, something has to happen to mess it up?”

Welcome to adulthood and responsibility, my child. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.

In a nutshell, this was my response. Just when I think everything is going well, something happens. And just when I think it won’t get any worse, it does. There will always be something that causes us to stop, turn and think about the change that just happened in our day, our situation, or maybe our life.

The truth is we all suffer at some level; some more often than others, but we all do suffer just the same. We all suffer in different ways and as we get older, we have more responsibility and become more practiced at suffering, not only for ourselves but for others as well.

In this world there is pain and suffering all around us. Each situation we find ourselves in has the ability to add to or increase the level of pain, discomfort, or struggle in our lives.  Everyone’s pain is just as important from the perspective of God and He has compassion and mercy for each of us in our own personal condition. This trouble we face has the ability to stop us in our tracks and keep us from an abundant life in Christ. The question is, at what point do we acknowledge our difficulties and turn to God and other brothers and sisters for help?

 “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed (because God brings hope and healing); perplexed, but not driven to despair (because God gives knowledge and clarity); persecuted, but not forsaken (because God is always with us); struck down, but not destroyed (because God delivers us to life through Christ); always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” (We live in victory, not defeat!) 2 Corinthians 4:8-10 (Notes and emphasis added.)

Contrary to this world, in Christ, each situation we find ourselves in has the ability to increase our joy and happiness because we know He is with us and it will end. We already have victory! Regardless of how any current situation plays out in this world, one day it will be over and we will be without tears, without pain, and without sorrow. (Revelation 21:4) It is coming, do not give up!

The beauty of our victory is that we can experience and share it with people now. Do you believe in the victory enough to live it out? Do you share with others the reason for your joy in the midst of what others would consider unbearable? Are you willing to allow others to witness your hope even if they think you are crazy for really believing in that hope? The truth is that the idea of Jesus is crazy! It turns this world upside down and shakes it loose of all its preconceived notions and ideas of what it means to suffer and how to find true happiness and joy in spite of suffering.

Something to Consider…

As you consider 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, is there a situation that you feel afflicted or in pain; perplexed or uncertain; persecuted or abandoned; struck down or hopeless? Call on God with your whole heart, seek Him and His truth. Allow the Holy Spirit to show you how God brings healing, hope, clarity, knowledge, life and victory! God is faithful and trustworthy in all that He does.

It’s important to keep a good perspective regarding the significance of your pain and suffering. It’s easy to make something out of almost nothing and we can often try to downplay our problems not wanting to draw attention to ourselves. Don’t be afraid of letting Jesus and other brothers and sisters in Christ come along side of you so you can remember His perspective and be encouraged.

Practice and Experience Change

“Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.” Philippians 4:9 (The Message)

I’ve been co-leading a morning women’s group with a friend and have been thinking about some of our first lessons and topics of discussion. I’ve found it can be so easy to read, talk about and consider various verses that are meant to help us understand what God really wants for us. We are to put into practice all we have learned, seen, heard and come to understand. But I wonder, do we really or rarely apply them to our lives?

Our very first discussion was on Philippians 4:8 and what we think about. We recently talked about self-control, one of the traits of the fruit of the Spirit. Self-control is the turning to God in all situations and decisions. It is the giving up of our excuses, justifications and blame games and allowing Him to lead us knowing He is in control of everything.

So when we who have the Holy Spirit living inside us say we can’t stop thinking about something that is troublesome or worrisome, ugly, evil or hateful, we choose to rely on ourselves rather than God and the power of the Holy Spirit to help us make the change.

My oldest daughter has a friend who had said some very mean and ugly things to her. She accused her and condemned her based on information from a third-party.

My daughter is relationship oriented. She loves friendships! Always has. As a toddler, nothing made her more excited than seeing a friend outside playing and knowing she was able to go out and join the fun. A friend constituted anyone her same size! Sleepovers, play dates and outings were her source of enjoyment. As a teenager, she didn’t have as many friends, but she was very loyal and mindful of all her friends.

So when this particular friend decided to act out on what she heard rather than talking to her and expressing her concern, I was quite upset and put out. I wanted to lash out at this girl…and her mother. I replayed over and over in my mind the messages my daughter had received and all the things I could say or do in response. I was consumed for a time with very angry and bitter thoughts. It carried over into conversations affecting the tone I used with others. As I realized how this was hindering my joy and relationships, I knew my thoughts needed to change.

Philippians 4:8 came to mind and I realized that nothing going through my mind was lovely, excellent or praiseworthy. It may or may not be true, but I didn’t even know the whole story at that point and was making judgments based on partial information just as this friend had done to my daughter. That wasn’t just or noble.

I began to thank God for the relationship I have with my daughter and that she chose to talk with me about the problem. I prayed the truth would be revealed and her reputation restored. I praised God who can heal any wound and reconcile any relationship. My thoughts changed and so did my heart.

While there were still problems and issues to work through, eventually this friendship was restored. There was understanding, repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation.

This is the ultimate goal in everything we believe about our loving Father in heaven. We come to know and understand the truth of who He is, what He did, why He did it and just how much He loves us. We acknowledge our part in the problem with a desire to turn from our old ways. We accept His forgiveness and move forward with God confident in our restored and reconciled relationship with Him through our faith in Jesus Christ.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

We can choose to set our minds on the things of this world or on the Creator of this world. We can concentrate on the problem or trust in the One who knows the solution. We can sit in our bitterness and resentment or we can allow God to replace it with His love and kindness. We can call out every issue we have with every person or we can be grateful that God, who is always right and just in His actions, did not hold our mistakes, or even our intentional disobedience against us.

Something to consider…

Do you have a heaviness of heart? Do you replay your troubles over and over in your mind? What thoughts do you need to replace with His truth and righteousness? He can lighten your load and change your thoughts.

Do you have deep wounds from broken relationships? Does it feel like there is just no way anything good can come of it? Jesus can change your thinking, change your perspective and give you hope that changes your heart.

Even Though…

“So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a while.”     1 Peter 1:6 (NLT)

I slept so well last night. I didn’t wake up, I didn’t move, and I felt good when the alarm finally went off. This rarely happens. I tend to wake up a few times, toss and turn a bit trying to find a comfortable position and inevitably, even though I didn’t sleep well, I want to stay in bed rather than get up and get on with something different.

I have been trying very hard to settle into a comfortable position with God. I start reading my Bible and I get up, distracted, moving, tossing and turning, coming back, only to struggle again with trying so hard to hear what God has to say.

This morning, I thought I would try to get on with something different. I grabbed my cup of coffee, went out to our three-season porch and enjoyed the view of our lilac bushes which are in full bloom. It’s been a very rainy two months. Gloomy, cloudy and wet. Today, the sun is shining. The light is warm, the air is cool and it feels like we’ve finally arrived at what we’ve been hoping for: summer.

As I walked my dog this morning, I thought about the lilacs. They didn’t just appear today in a magical display. The sun didn’t just rise with a smile and the flowers burst forth.

The sun has been there every day, behind the clouds, waiting for them to complete their work watering the ground. It has been faithful even when we couldn’t see it.

And the flowers were growing, being nurtured along, being prepared for the full show of their glory. Every cloudy day, they were moving. Every gloomy day, they were being changed. Every drop of rain that fell was put to work in the growing and watering of the bush.

And I wondered, “What work is God doing in me? In what way is He being faithful to grow and change me? This uncomfortable feeling, what beautiful thing will I think suddenly appeared only to realize it’s been there all along? In what way am I being prepared?”

“There has never been the slightest doubt in my mind that the God who started this great work in you would keep at it and bring it to a flourishing finish on the very day Christ Jesus appears.” Philippians 1:6 (The Message)

On the darkest days of your life, know that God is faithful. He is always there working in your life. Every seemingly difficult experience is growing a beautiful work in you and one day the clouds will lift and you will see the beauty God has brought forth from your trials.

Never give up on the hope and joy you know is coming in Christ Jesus. Never stop believing that even in your waiting, God is changing you and growing you in ways you can’t fully see or understand. He is so gentle and loving through the trials of this life. In Him, we can truly be glad and have joy even though!

Something to Consider…

Does it feel like there is a cloud looming over you in this season of your life? Do you feel like God is absent? Do you avoid Him or run from Him? There is no where you can go that He isn’t. He is faithful and trustworthy even when we can’t see Him at work. Choose to trust Him despite the cloud.

Are you working really hard to fix yourself? Be the right kind of person, get it all together so then you can be all you were meant to be? God is loving, kind and gentle. He knows exactly who He made you to be so He knows exactly how to nurture your growth. Don’t wait to change before you come to Him. Let Him do the work and enjoy the process.

The “Aha” Moment

“I myself (John the Baptist) did not know him (Jesus), but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” John 1:31 (NIV)

I’ve joined some women in a study on the Gospel of John. John is the beloved. John is the disciple Jesus loved. John also wrote the books of 1 John, 2 John, 3 John and Revelation. He is an interesting character who is completely in love with and confident in the truth of Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world.

John the Baptist is a different person. He is the cousin of Jesus approximately six months his elder. He was created and born for a specific purpose. When asked by the Pharisees about himself, he replied by quoting Isaiah the prophet:

“I am the voice of the one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’” John 1:23b

John knew his purpose. He knew he was meant to help fulfill Scripture prophecy.

So when, in our discussion, we came to verse 31 in the first chapter, there was some question around what John meant about not knowing Jesus even though they were cousins and he knew his purpose to make way for the Lord.

Have you ever felt God put you in a certain place at a certain time for a certain reason? You felt compelled to take a job even though it didn’t make sense. Maybe you already had a good job or had to uproot your family to take the new job. Maybe it’s your marriage. You know God brought you together even though you’ve felt like you are worlds apart at times. Maybe it’s where you volunteer. There are certain tasks you enjoy and you’ve found a place where you can really put those skills to work but after a while it feels routine and you wonder if what you do really makes a difference.

I wonder if this is how John the Baptist was feeling. “I’ve been out here baptizing people day in and day out. I know God has a purpose for me. I know there is a bigger, greater reason I am here than what it appears to be to me and everyone else. God has revealed certain things to me, but it isn’t happening. When will it happen? Will it happen? What if I was wrong?”

Now, I completely expect that John knew he wasn’t wrong. He trusted God at levels where I get vertigo. But I’ve heard this sentiment from many people. “What I think is supposed to be happening doesn’t seem to be happening so maybe I didn’t understand God and am nowhere near where He really wants me.”

But then…it happens!

You’re there, doing your thing and suddenly you know exactly why you are where you are when you are doing what you are doing! Maybe it’s a conversation. Maybe it’s a networking opportunity. Maybe it’s an answer to a prayer. You have that “Aha” moment and you are certain you were meant to be right where you are. God’s plan was made clear!

John was performing baptisms of repentance for the forgiveness of sins for all who would come to him. God had made it clear that there would be one who was different, One who would be identified as His Son. How long had John been doing this thing, waiting and waiting for the One to come? (Luke 3 actually tells historically when God moved John to begin preaching and baptizing.)

When Jesus showed up, John knew exactly why he was there. This baptism of repentance for a sinless man, Son of God, would mark the beginning of Jesus ministry. God had entrusted John with a purpose and was faithful in bringing about the fulfillment of that purpose. John may not have had all the details, but he was faithful in carrying out his purpose and trusted God in His timing.

Something to Consider…

Has God revealed a purpose and a plan for you? Has He promised you something and you are not experience the fullness of that promise?

Trust that God has a purpose for you right where you are at this time. He may be using it as a stepping stone for the next phase of your life, but there is still a reason. Choose to embrace it trusting that His timing is perfect and He is faithful.

Maybe you’ve stepped away from what God has called you to do. Maybe you’re not sure how to get back on track with what He really wants for you. Ask Him to make a way, to make your path straight. Choose to follow Him and trust that it is not too late to fulfill your purpose for Him.