Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28
Envision the surrounding scenes and hear the sweet words from the lips of Jesus. Let relief and peace pour over your soul. His words are comfortingly inclusive, calling the weary to come. His words invite us to wholeheartedly offer our dependence solely on Him.
We joyfully consent to the calming capture of the Lord’s open arms as He bids us all to come. The call to come is not towards the world and all its charm, but towards HIS beautiful presence.
“Come to ME!’ He says to those worn out with fatigue and stress. However, back in His day, so many were exhausted from extreme burdens placed on their backs by the Pharisees, who encouraged followers to rise up to self-reliant perfection and endless self-promises to get up and keep trying, keep following the ‘rules,’ their rules, which only made the people more tired, weary and overcome with guilt.
Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
Verse 29-30 Jesus continues, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
What Jesus had to offer was not a list of impossible rules, but the gift of Himself. He was extending His hand of help, that whatever our load, he would come along side to carry it with us.
Jesus knew what it was like to have to carry loads too heavy for Him. He was forced to carry His own cross and the weight of it made Him fall to the ground. A man named Simon picked up the cross and helped Jesus the rest of the way.
Would any of us have jumped to aid in relieving His burden? How much more would the Lord of our lives run to help each of us!
Suppose my load was anger or grave disappointment. And I came to Jesus with my burden, crying out to Him for solace and counsel. Suppose I placed the weight of my confusion and hurt on Him and received His peace instead.
Jesus said that His load is lighter. He helps me to bear my heavy burdens and frees me from having to carry it by myself.
Father, I gladly give you my burdens. You, alone, are my Rescuer who saves me from things too heavy for me to bear. Thank you for walking this life with me. Thank you for the relief and sense of freedom I have when I am with you. Help me never to forget that you are just a cry away. In Jesus name, Amen.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Matthew 6:21
The center of a life with our Lord God has always been about the heart.
We may give good deeds and hard work, but if our hearts are not into it, everything feels a little off. Life can become detached and numb. The heart must be connected, in some manner, to the ups and downs of one’s existence or life genuinely doesn’t feel worth living.
The problem is that numerous attractions call to the heart to totally override the greatest of the great of treasures: our awesome GOD.
Various passions of earth (money, popularity, control or pride – the desire to be seen as right or ‘better’) occupy our time, energy and attention.
Imaginations of our hearts come into play when we envision the troubles of tomorrow. Fears take over the mind. Negatives crowd in and swallow time itself.
With the heart’s imaginations, who has the free mental space to sit at the feet of Jesus?
Luke 10:38-42 says, As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”
Mary’s heart was focused on Jesus, not distracted by earthly struggles. Having a full schedule (being busy with work or with serving others) isn’t wrong and, in fact, is a necessary part of life. But when the soul gets carried away with destructive thoughts inside the tasks of the day, those thoughts
…become a person’s treasure.
What harm the mind consistently ponders takes up space and time. It zaps strength and energy, energy that could be used for good imaginings, energy that could be making space to listen to the voice of Jesus (even while chopping carrots or cleaning toilets or in the middle of difficult work days).
Perhaps, Martha thought too much of herself. After all she was ‘better’ than Mary because she was doing the grunt work. But she was also miserable as she held onto her precious treasures of self-centered blame of others and whiny accusations.
Indeed, Mary wasn’t helping and the work was difficult for just one person to handle. But, Martha’s thoughts captivated her instead of, by God’s help, taking her reasoning captive!
Jesus (sitting in the center of her own house!) was the farthest thought from her mind. She couldn’t see or hear Him. She was stuck. The absolute most beneficial sentiments on which to dwell were no where near Martha.
And Jesus said, “Mary has chosen what is better…”
It happens to you and me. We find ourselves weary, worried, desolate and all tied up in knots when our minds could be fixed in worship, honor and glory to God.
Might we, at times, be connected to our pain more than to our God? Is it possible to connect wholeheartedly to the Most Holy One without being in denial of our pain? Job found a way. He worshipped, even in the worst of circumstances.
Spending our thoughts on asking God to help us in our trials or problems and trusting Him for the results is good. We can memorize scripture and quote it back to God. We can sing, pray and speak to others around us about His goodness, even in our trials.
Do not worry about your life…Matthew 6:25
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness Matthew 6:33
There are days in which I struggle with hardships. What time is spent in the struggle is impossible to measure, because I become so engrossed in it, I get lost.
But then a moment in time awakens my heart to the deepest treasures, the heavenly treasures for what my soul truly seeks.
“Lord,” I say, “What is the worse that can happen in this situation? God, I desire to spend this time with you and not in derailing, distracting bitterness or fear. I believe you will give me what it takes to handle these matters with strength and graciousness. I am worn out. But you are God. You are with me. You will never leave me. I let go of having to have my time filled with what will give ME comfort. You know better. You know the transformation that trials must work in me. You know if I need to openly address conflicts or stay quiet in your presence. And you know the treasures inside the hearts of those around me. I let go of being in charge of other’s responses. Let me exhibit to the world a pure heart full of the treasure of praising and honoring you. Give me the treasure of faith to climb the mountains, so steep. Give me the treasure of joy in the middle of disorder and the unsolvable perplexities of life. Let my heart spread your treasures to the world and be stayed on you. In Jesus name, Amen.
Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. Proverbs 31:11
All around the world married women (and men, too) who love the Lord, want to know what their spouses value most. Perhaps the secret is simple: forgiveness, love, mercy and selfless compassion. We develop habits of letting offenses slide off our backs and then laugh at ourselves in our humble human mistakes. We grow out of the need to always be uptight and serious, and instead, grow into the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Why might we, at times, lack these wonderful attributes? What kind of folly lurks behind our failings? Might it be traced to pride, stubbornness, hard hearts or weariness (from taking too much onto our already busy plates)?
The verses that follow today’s verse suggests, “She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life” and she “works with eager hands.”
There is nothing like a Bible scripture to stop you in your tracks and make you consider the deeper things in life that can powerfully impact even more than our marriages.
If our attempts at being a good mate are insufficient, how might our relationship with God measure up? For example, what does God call forth in me when my husband is unkind and vice versa? If our hearts are in tune to the Father and we are in constant fellowship with Him, His Spirit will lead us to own up to our own part in the situation, to humble ourselves, to ask the deeper questions about the moment (are either of us overreacting, is one or the other stressed, are there truths that need to be spoken?) and to always (ALWAYS!) respond with love.
Colossians 3:12-17 says, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
How I respond in my relationship in marriage (and other relationships as well) reflects the depth of my relationship with God. Developing a thought-habit of honor instead of judgment, contentment instead of misery and kindness instead of control helps us as couples, friends and peers to move in love when our flesh cries out to us to withhold what is valuable. We listen to the heart of our Father.
James 4:17 reminds us: If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.
Lord, give us generous hearts that help our mates to have full confidence in us even into our old age. Give us a loyal and service-oriented mindset. May those around us lack nothing of value because of the work you do through us. We give you all the glory and honor. In Jesus Name, Amen.
My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight, preserve sound judgment and discretion. Proverbs 3:21
Discretion is simply another word for discernment. We have been learning these lessons in order to develop a habit of making good and wise choices, and we are finding out how important it is to go to God for help.
A few weeks ago, I spoke about the wisdom of freezing in place to hear God’s voice leading us when He says, “I need you here!
In Luke 18:31, Jesus became urgent as He took the 12 disciples aside and told them what they were about to do. He even explained where and why. They didn’t understand any of it, but they went.
His sudden request to them gives us a great example of what the Lord, sometimes, does in our lives today. He says, “Let’s go!” We may not mentally understand His reasoning, but wisdom tells us to go to a deeper place of understanding and follow Him anyway, with all our hearts.
Our listening, discerning ears hear His voice. We freeze in place and shift our direction to obey His call. We do not let wisdom and understanding out of our sight. Sound judgment is worth clinging to. Discretion is fantastically beneficial for us to preserve in our hearts for a lifetime.
How might the discernment lessons we’ve learned so far help us to never let God’s wise ways leave our sight? Let’s bring it home by processing through a situation that may, very well, happen to you (in some form or another).
Imagine a married couple who love the Lord and one of them is seeking discernment about a problem in the social arena of their relationship. This person could be either the wife or husband, but for sake of time, I’m going to address the person as him).
As you listen to your friend’s story, you may compassionately relate and admit to yourself how easy it is when we’re in trouble to let wisdom and understanding disappear from our sight and mind. Our trials make it easy to let our minds dwell on blame and negative emotions, instead of preserving sound judgment and discretion.
Probably, the first temptation for this man may be to bad mouth and gossip about his wife, softly complaining, whether to friends, family or just internally. But this will not bring a solution, only more misery. He would be wise to strive for faithfulness and loyalty in marriage, even in times like these. (Note: Seeking help from a trusted friend, like you, or a counselor is not gossip!)
Your friend may explain that the issue has been repeatedly confronted to no avail, so now he is moved to passively listen to his chatty wife and never confront the issue again, which, if you think about it, wouldn’t be helpful in the long run. Her rude and inconsiderate desire to be center of attention in front of their peers truly is a problem in his mind!
What if you suggested to your friend that he freeze in place and listen for the Holy Spirit’s direction?
Perhaps God would whisper to him, “Build up your wife with kind words of encouragement and then softly and lovingly confront her.”
The Spirit may direct him to pray that someone else might be able to better reach her. “Lord, provide someone my wife will listen to, or give me the right words to say.”
What else might the Spirit speak if the issue still isn’t resolved?
…To come to some sort of peace in the uncomfortable and embarrassing situation and let go of bitterness and resentment? To realize that, once the truth is consistently spoken in love, that is the best he can do and God’s will has been heeded?
There is so much rest in seeking and following God’s ways. If the friend doesn’t find a place of healing, the only other choice is to remain miserable and keep fighting. But, that seems to lead to self-pity and ruin.
In the meantime, here is a good question for your friend, “Why is this issue affecting you so much? Why are you so miserable?Is it fear of what other people think about you or your mate?“
Here are a few ways to address fear when it is keeping your friend from carrying out a decision of peace:
Love casts out fear – I John 4:18 God doesn’t give us a spirit of fear – II Tim 1:7
Your friend can learn to continue to love his mate and commit both of their reputations and approval of others to God. He can commit the social group and the group’s souls to God and include their own souls as well.
Consider all the lessons we’ve learned so far (on the Discernment Wheel) and how they would apply to this situation:
Is your friend able to overlook what other people think of him in his search for answers? Is he willing to be misunderstood without needing to defend himself, yet pursuing and rightfully defending God’s truth. Is he keeping open eyes and ears to hear that he might be wrong in his views or approach of his wife? Is there an awareness that the Holy Spirit will, at times, require hard things from him? Is he offering up prayers to God in order to know when to let go and start walking the obedient road of suffering? Is he showing humility and contentment in these circumstances and a willingness to see what God is providing even in these tough times? Does your friend know that his decisions may be made in obedience, but they will never be perfect, and perhaps not end in great results? Does he know that such discernment isn’t an absence of fear, isn’t the right to use fear to settle for less or to ask for less from God? Is there an awareness that in right decisions there may still be hunger, weariness or inconvenience, and not always a feeling safety or popularity? Is he allowing the Holy Spirit to direct his decisions or is HE attempting to direct the Holy Spirit? Is he wrongfully going his own way in arrogance and pride and calling that discernment? Is he praying for patience, decisiveness, trust, faith?
These are only a few of the comments we can use in conversation with our friends when they are unsure of what to do in the hard times of struggle. Of course, we show our support, listening ears and understanding. But if they want to process their situation to get to a better place, pray that God will lead you.
Now, let’s add to last week’s Discernment Wheel (in blue circles) to refresh our memories.
Discernment is:
Acknowledging God Reducing physical and spiritual clutter (dragon scales) Sometimes revealed during mundane and boring moments (instead of glamour) Serious business
Father, your ways are wonderful. I ask for your help that we would never allow wisdom and understanding out of our sight. When you give us direction, help us to stop what we’re doing and follow you. In our circumstances and in those of our loved ones, pour out your blessing of discretion to our souls. When we feel defeated and hurt lead us to the peaceful place of surrender in all our decisions. We want to always be moving closer to you and bringing others with us. Purify our hearts. In Jesus name, Amen.
Give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours? I Kings 3:9
Earlier in the chapter, God had told Solomon, “Ask for whatever you want me to give you.” Solomon responded with a desire to have a discerning heart in his new role of King over Israel to distinguish between right and wrong. What a beautiful request of God!
Last Tuesday, I began a new blog, recording a class I taught in the summer. In last week’s blog post, I asked 3 questions about a discerning heart. Here are some of the comments:
What is discernment?
The obvious answers are: insight, wisdom, understanding and prudence (good judgment). But let’s go a little deeper.
Discernment is: *The ability to overlook what other people think of us while carrying out a godly choice *A willingness to be misunderstood without defensiveness (or thoughtless self-preservation) *A pursuit of God’s truth and rightfully defending it (notice the difference between defensive and defend. The first is impulsive and self-serving; the latter is standing for truth.) *Opening our eyes and ears to hear that we might be wrong about things we strongly believe in *Knowing that the Holy Spirit will, at times, require hard things of and from us *Knowing in prayer when to let go and start walking the obedient road of suffering For example, Jesus begged for other options than to die on a cross. But, God’s response was silence, which affirmed only one option for His beloved Son. “Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.’” Luke 22:39 *Becoming humble and content in tough circumstances and willing to see what God has for us even in the tough times. Paul prayed for a thorn to be removed. He prayed multiple times. Again, God was silent. “Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” II Cor. 12:8-9.
That’s all we’re going to cover for that question, for now. It’s a lot to think about!
What is discernment NOT? *Perfection (We obsess over the opinion that every part of our decisions must always be exactly what they’re supposed to be, and everyone involved in those decisions will be in awe of us! No! We will sometimes muddle a situation, but God knows what He’s doing [in HIS perfection] with this weak and imperfect soul of ours and HE receives the glory) *Great results (Every godly choice we make will end up with great outcomes and compliance…wrong!) *An absence of fear (No! We will make many decisions that will cause us concern, but God gives us the courage to go keep going forward) *Using FEAR to settle for or ask for less (Sometimes our flesh will point us to a wrong decision based on fear [not on God’s call], therefore we settle for less than His perfect will OR, we become so overwhelmed with fear that we fail to boldly discern God’s will; but He desires to do the impossible through us) *An absence of hunger, weariness or convenience (There are times when we will make a right choice that will leave us without our usual comforts, therefore our decisions do not need to be based on having to be constantly soothed) *Always safe, always popular (No! We may be stretched out of our comfort zones, OR we may be the ONLY ones going forward to do what is right) *Us directing the Holy Spirit instead of the Holy Spirit directing us *Simply going OUR OWN WAY in arrogance and pride
What unique qualities do you imagine a truly discerning person to have? Patience, humility, decisiveness, contentment, trust, faith…
The answers to these 3 questions may continue to grow throughout this study. Keep exploring!
Father, discernment includes so many things we’ve never thought of before. There is so much more about the deeper attitudes that need changing. Show us how doing what is right encompasses a work in us that will require constant awareness of your direction and presence. We fall to our knees to ask for a profound desire to pursue you in everything we do. Help us to distinguish between what is right and wrong. In Jesus name, Amen.
How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and day after day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me? Look on me and answer, Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death, and my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,” and my foes will rejoice when I fall. But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me. Psalm 13
Sometimes, life simply fails us at moments when we most need to be lifted up, and because we are human, we hurt. We become confused and can be in despair as David so poignantly expressed of himself.
Today’s psalm may have been written during King Saul’s pursuit and threats to David. David was at the end of his rope.
Yet, somehow in just a few verses, he found his peace once again.
Though I love watching movies. I have always found it interesting that the characters are faced with impossible problems in each segment, but somehow by the end of 30-45 minutes, a bow is nicely wrapped around each and every issue, and generally everyone goes home happy and satisfied (except for the bad guy).
“No way!” we cry! But we still love watching these shows. We love happy endings.
It dawned on me as I read today’s Psalm that David accomplished this. His circumstances didn’t change, but by the end of his rantings and ravings, his soul found rest in his God. He was satisfied.
I think this is beautiful! And the process he went through is something we can all do.
At the beginning of his agonizing prayer, his situation had left him feeling abandoned by God. Most of us have felt this way. We may KNOW in our heads that God exists, but we want Him to show up and be active in our difficult trials.
Yet, what would it be like if God really did leave us? In reality, we wouldn’t be able to go forward. A universe without Him would be void and lost.
In his trial, David still believed God was near. Why cry out to Him if He had disappeared? The psalm simply speaks of David’s authentic struggles before the Lord concerning his greatest and deepest hurts.
When a woman is giving birth, the labor pains feel like they will last forever. The struggle is long and wearying. But when the child comes forth the pain is forgotten.
David, in a sense is giving birth (as are we in our struggles). He is going through something in which God is right there with him and is moving in mighty ways all around him. One day the running (from Saul) will stop. One day, God will make things new. One day the birth will be complete. But for now, David complains to his One and Only. The One who hears his cries as he expresses ANYTHING that sits in his heart, ANYTIME.
He begs God to give him light. And though God still ‘hides his face,’ David is being taught how to see more clearly and in a deeper way than if God came and solved all his problems right then.
Feelings can steer us in the wrong direction, even into a fog, but the light of God gives us fresh eyes to know His presence and to have a better understanding of our situations. David is learning how to strengthen his faith, how to have hope in the waiting, and how to rejoice in the Lord, despite his trials.
In David’s psalm, there is a turning point, a glorious ‘but!’
“But I trust…”
He is done looking into his own heart for answers. Now he turns and really looks into the eyes of the One who is greater than himself and his fears, the Lord of all. He calls things that are not as though they were (Romans 4:17).
When we can remember, in our desperation, that our trust and our dependence is not on ourselves, but on a Mighty God, we are remembering the solid rock on which we stand. God’s Spirit lives in us to remind us of this every day.
Then we can see that we are being made holy by the Father, and we can be thankful in His powerful presence. He is there, always there. Our mourning turns into dancing. Our despair turns into praise.
The circumstances may remain the same, but the fear, resentment and sadness inside the darkness fade into an all-consuming heart-felt worship of a Majestic and Awesome Father God. We cling to Him alone.
What we wanted before doesn’t seem as fearful or terrible when we remember that He, indeed, is with us.
Certainly, in our times of darkness, our eyes and ears become aware of others who need our experience of Him. We can comfort those who are going through what we have gone through.
We teach them to bring their longings and sadness and cast their cares upon a Mighty God. We show them that we can still rejoice, for God is good.
Lord God, there are so many who remain in impossibly hard times. And we all cry, “How long, Oh Lord?” Please open up our eyes to your light. Let us know your goodness. Help us to see and learn and grow during our dark times. Walk with us. Strengthen our faith and give us hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
When the wicked rise to power, people, go into hiding; but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive. Prov. 28:28
I have attempted for a year to methodically study Proverbs 27 and 28, ending with today’s verse about thriving. In this study, I have given special attention to the question, “What hinders or helps me to THRIVE in the circumstances handed to me?”
As I now come to the end of these chapters, the path to thriving is much clearer. Either my steps can follow wise paths in which I flourish or foolish ones in which I wilt. Every moment of each day, I mentally resolve or mindlessly set my course to follow the way of righteousness versus wickedness.
Thriving occurs when, by my words, heart or actions, I uphold God’s truth. However, I will not prosper when I choose the way of evil.
I recognize when wickedness rises up in me, I want to hide from myself and my behavior. I don’t like it! But when the sinful part of me dies, Christ’s righteousness rises up in me, flourishing me as I thrive within and shine His love to all around.
Flourishing and thriving have been my year’s theme, beginning in May 2020 and ending in May 2021. It has been amazing to see up close which choices make me a better, more spiritually prosperous child of God.
Interestingly enough, this has been one of the most difficult of all my years.
One thing I have learned through it all is how much grace God pours on a soul who longs to thrive but sometimes fails and then finds God welling up in the midst of the failure to bring a thriving beyond my own power.
Those times I became so weary and worn and didn’t follow the paths of God, He was there. Those times I slipped and fell in the mud, He picked me up, dusted me off and sent me on my way, still thriving…because, well, He is God and He loves with a great love.
Those times I failed, yet repented, turned and ran back to Him, His arms were already profoundly warm and wide open, waiting for me to come back.
God is the One who thrives in and through this weak body of mine.
And when I really think hard about this last year and the many times I flunked the tests the Lord brought my way, I realize I learned from those mistakes. God knows the path I must take to have an abundant life and His paths are always right.
I also learned that in failure I thrive by not allowing myself to continue to flunk by seeking what energizes and feeds my soul instead of what wearies and wears it out and by choosing to not stay in the mud.
I learned that being successful at thriving is contagious. Others catch on and enthusiastically give it back to me on the very days I need to be reminded.
Here is a review of some of the ways God wants me to take:
Thrive by living for today and not assuming tomorrow will come. Thrive by praising God and not myself. Thrive in handling my emotions in healthier ways than constant anger. Thrive in thoughts of contentment instead of jealousy. Thrive in heeding the hard-to-hear yet loving criticism of others. Thrive by leaving that empty space in my heart available…only for God. Thrive by becoming alert to danger (the enemy’s traps). Thrive in self-restraint when My flesh would rather complain.
These are just a few of the marvelous lessons that brought me out of some pretty tough times, and like I said, I didn’t always succeed.
It certainly is not a happy day when we take the wrong way and fail. But God waits for our return and looks for us with passion and love.
Father, thank you for this year that you gave me the gift to better learn your ways. Help me to continue to thrive in your grace and mercy. Thank you for loving me through the hard times and providing for my every need. You fill up in me all that I lack and you help me to rise again from the dirty dust to be made clean in your righteousness. I bow to you and praise your most Holy name. In Jesus name, Amen.
Whoever leads the upright along an evil path will fall into their own trap, but the blameless will receive a good inheritance. Prov. 28:10
When I read these proverbs, my mind automatically thinks of extreme examples: a wicked man schemes against an innocent godly man. He intentionally designs and sets a trap, hoping to lure the innocent man to come over to the dark side (by suggesting doubts in God or His Holy word). But God looks out for His people and eventually the evil man falls into his own trap or deep pit. The godly man is rewarded with good, which I’m sure enrages the wicked man as he watches his prey become better off than before he attempted to take him down.
However, this scenario isn’t so cut and dry in my world. I don’t know of anyone who would purposefully draw me into evil. Yet, I am familiar with temptation.
I am tempted to get jealous of other people’s way of life. I am tempted when a peer’s foolishness rubs off on me (likewise my bad can rub off on others and tempt them into sin as well).
We all are led into temptation (into evil or peril) by the examples of those around us: temper tantrums, silent treatment, bragging on how busy we are, listening to how poorly we respond to a spouse when they make a mistake.
The sinner (in all of us) falls into his own trap (experiencing the results of his wayward heart) without even knowing he has set that same trap for others. There is no true LIFE inside the choice to sin. In fact, if left unchecked, the sinner falls even deeper into his folly.
The desire not to fall into a pit is a good reason to refuse friendship with those who rage or excessively drink or complain. It is also a good reason to refrain from developing these things within ourselves. It is enticing to others. It is also a path to self-ruin.
When the godly man takes the rightpath, versus the wrong one, he clings to Christ throughout life’s temptations and becomes strengthened in the process. His faith becomes broader. His mind is fixed on the Lord. His conscience is clean. God covers him with peace and grace and guards his life from evil.
We are led into temptation by others, but we can also be led into temptation within ourselves. A good side and a bad side exists in our hearts: our spirit versus our flesh, our whiney cries versus a more mature, longsuffering attitude.
Who will we listen to when the day of trouble comes?
For example, in hurtful situations, we could rightly express our honest hurt and forgive OR we could wrongfully blame others for our own part in it, overreact in angry tirades, hide the pain and so on.
To give full disclosure, this week I heeded my fleshly side more than my spiritual side. I fell into traps set by God’s enemy. He is the one who lures me the most. My good side told me to wisely express my hurt (my feelings of offense), but the enemy whispered in my ear to be harsh and whiney about it.
Certainly, there is a wrong and right way to stand your ground when you are offended. The wrong way is something I’ve addressed for a very long time, but sin is still so engrained in my habits. When I am weary, I don’t recognize it until after the fact. Such habits (that creep up in my worst moments), no doubt, are hard to break.
Wrong responses are usually arrogant, angry, unkind, belittling and loud as if you need to prove yourself to the offender and the listeners who happen to be standing there. you may even experience foolish guilt for your own honest spoken words, so much so that your annoyance begins to compensate for unhealthy self-doubt. Yet, remember, no one has to see you loudly ‘win,’ or really it becomes a loss.
A right response is to maturely face the offender, kind and soft, yet firm. I’ve even had success in the past through honest responses that made the other person laugh instead of cringe.
There is typically no need for long explanations in the attempt to express oneself. I am finding that simple statements hit the mark and each party can move on with better knowledge. Communication is necessary and good.
“That hurt my feelings.” “No, you can’t have that. I need it.” “I’m having a hard day. Let’s talk about that tomorrow.”
These thoughts were so good for me to journal and remind myself as the week came to a close. I want to follow the good path of God and not the evil road that leads to the dark pit.
Father, thank you for your grace that covers me and makes me clean. Thank you for your son who makes me righteous because of His pure life, because of His death on a cross and marvelous resurrection. Keep me from wicked ways and purify my attitude deep within. Give me right responses to the hard times in this life. Help my temptations make me stronger. I love you, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.
If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable. Prov. 28:9
On a bright day, when the sun is shining through the windows onto my computer, I can see every speck of dust; not so much when it’s in the shadows.
God has a way for us to see ourselves the way He sees us, and it’s through the brightness of His word. The Bible (His instruction) shines on us to help us review our lives and realign our hearts to Him.
When we turn a deaf ear to the Father’s instructions, our lives are dull. They don’t make sense. We live in the shadows, unaware of our offenses, trying uselessly to find our way.
Turning a deaf ear means to ignore, neglect, choose the opposite or other path, take a side trip, take a break, stop where we are or listen to other voices that are not God’s.
Truly, if my ears are deaf to the right voice, it means that my ears are indeed listening to someone else.
Prayer is an acknowledgement that God is who He says He is. Yet, if I ignore His instructions, it shows a deeper sense of disbelief. I am not serious about my desire to follow Him. Maybe I want what He can give me, but am unwilling to give of or invest myself for God. I am simply using Him for my own purposes.
God, give me what I want and I’ll talk to you.
Deaf ears happen when our minds are dulled in illness, boredom, weariness, hurt or depression. The enemy lures us into a state of complacency in which we don’t care whether we obey or not. To WAKE UP, we must stay in His word and remember that He is providing everything we need in order to follow Him.
I once heard a friend say, concerning the hope of our teenagers, “There is no doubt that these young people are tempted in sin and sometimes fail, but as long as there is still a struggle to DO what is right and a strong desire to repent, the teenager is doing well.”
We all will at times fail in our walk with God but the struggle or repentant tears tell us that our hearts want to follow God’s instruction and that our ears are not deaf.
Today’s verse shows me that some prayers are acceptable and some are not. Is it possible that mankind can sometimes lack what it takes to receive an answered prayer?
Yes! The man who will not abandon the sins he favors most (those dearest to his heart) is not heard by God. Such a person may even outwardly worship God, whom he ‘adores,’ yet less than what things his flesh loves. His heart is not surrendered to the Almighty Father. His onlookers may be fooled to think he is holy and good, but God never falls for the religious pretense.
The man’s heart reveals the truth about his prayers when bad, not good fruit, presents itself in the presence of the One he so piously entreats, and his petition to God becomes detestable.
God compassionately listens to the prayers of the sinner who holds tight to the Father’s precious will and clings to His better ways. It’s not his own goodness that earns a right response from God, but his heart. God’s anger and frustration burn with the one who stubbornly rebuffs His commands. The verse above says that this person’s prayers are detestable!
Our Father requires us to hear and respectfully follow His voice when we take His bright word (His letter to us) into our hearts. We respectfully wait for His response (“yes,” “no” or “wait”) when we kneel and express ourselves to Him in prayer. What a beautiful, delightful communion between the Lord and ourselves as we listen and cry out.
Try to speak to Him (in prayer) without the effort of listening and obeying and there is no communion. A heart that refuses God, our Creator is, in turn, refused himself.
When I follow God’s instructions, I’m not doing so without any benefit to myself. God’s ways are good for me. I may not receive the thing I ask for, but when I follow His instruction, my prayers are heard and my life is enhanced and blessed.
Lord God, I have never been a perfect woman. I have made great mistakes. But, in your compassion, you cover my sins with so much love, I can hardly take it in. Your love draws me to you and to your bright word. Father, light up the dark places inside me and cleanse my soul from sin. Help me to walk the path of your precious instructions. In Jesus name, Amen.
Those who forsake instruction praise the wicked, but those who heed it resist them. Prov 28:4
A different way to say this proverb would be: “When you refuse to listen to what is right, you are supporting what is wrong. When you hear and do good things, you are joining the right side.”
After spilling the failures of your heart out to a friend, have you ever heard someone say, “I’m so glad to hear you say this, now I feel better about what ‘I’ did.” It’s a compassionate answer. But somewhere inside these words there is more truth to discover.
We feel better if someone else sins as badly as we do. Forsaking instruction when we are weary, cross, misunderstood or feeling limited (which are excuses) still leaves us in a state of sin. We may not know it, or if we do, we may not admit it. In truth, we love our sin. Having others join us soothes our conscience. In a way, we are praising the wicked and agreeing with their choices. We are of the same mind and spirit, binding ourselves to them.
Instead, may we have friends who encourage us (and we them) to do good and not evil by continuing the conversation, “Here’s what I did to overcome that sin. Let’s work on this together. We can learn to guard our hearts from the dark and stop making excuses for our bad choices (which are rooted in lack of trust and dependence on God).”
Sin is a severely dangerous place in which to remain. We must learn to call it what it is. We cannot keep silent knowing what sin can do. We must get out of it as quickly as possible.
Surely, our hearts tell us not to remain with so called ‘friends’ who spur us on to evil when they are so comfortable in it. Such individuals would say things like, “Oh don’t worry about that. You’re only human. All of us would have done the same thing.”
They would call a person thrifty who is greedy, or a person spirited instead of telling the truth that they are acting irresponsibly in anger.
However, when we heed instruction, we are willing to contend with others over their sins and show ourselves what is wrong in the eyes of God.
Instruction can come in different ways: through parents or teachers, through our trials and pain (if we listen hard enough and learn from our mistakes.)
Our Bibles, setbacks and all of life can instruct us. But as the verse says, if we’re not listening it’s the same as joining the side of wrong. A wicked man takes the easiest road, does the least amount of work or boldly steps into sin with no remorse…until he gets caught. Lying and cheating his way through life is his norm. Compare that to a person who simply refuses to hear instruction. It’s scary!
On the contrary a man who heeds instruction, by the very act of heeding, is resisting the wicked way of life.
Within our instructional setbacks (painful trials that teach us), we are either trusting God or we are not. Trusting Him is the first step to hearing instruction. People are more willing to comply to directives that come from someone they trust.
Following instruction means that we open our ears instead of setting boundaries or walls to leave out our Maker, our Father God, saying selfish things like: “I’ll believe in you, Lord, or follow you only if I get what I want from you.”
Certainly, following instructions came easy for me as a child. I was born a pleaser. Pleasing God was my joy, as was pleasing my parents and teachers. I followed the rules carefully, and when I accidentally strayed from the right way, I was mortified.
However, during this past week, I contemplated the immaturity I had as a child. I don’t think my motives for such ease in compliance were always right. As I grew older, I began to learn the truth of my hidden, straying heart (even though my outward actions were praised). Anger and selfishness bubbled up from me and revealed who I really was: someone in need of a Savior, someone in need of Christ’s transforming power, someone who couldn’t please others enough to earn my way to Him. So He took care of that on the cross and made me righteous by His blood. Oh, praise His most Holy name!
As an adult, every day is a new day to learn more about the waywardness of my heart and the goodness of my Father in Heaven. Everyday, I discover how far and how much I wander and what that does to my soul.
Lord, the more I listen to instruction, the happier I am with my life (even when difficult circumstances surround me). You are everything to me. Teach me to follow your ways. Show me my true heart. Help me to stay on your path and leave wickedness behind. I love you, Lord. In Jesus name, Amen.
Take the garment of one who puts up security for a stranger; hold it in pledge if it is done for an outsider. Proverbs 27:13
Last week, we weeded our gardens and found a mess of easy and difficult roots to pull. This week, imagine going back over the more healthy plants and giving a careful eye to the deeper issues surrounding any stunted growth. Pull back the decaying leaves and notice baby shoots from good foliage underneath trying hard to spread their new green growth. Trim the old to allow the new to come forth.
One way to do this is to heed the verses in Prov. 27. For today’s verse, imagine a man who irresponsibly and rashly loans money to a stranger. This is not the kind of person with whom I want to do business. There are those who would borrow as much as they could, and then make excuses to repay.
We must make room for new growth in our lives by wisely refusing to make deals with those who lend money to wasters. Foolish lending is harmful to the borrower, to the lender and to his family. The lack of carefulness in taking on another’s debt is foolish, and warns of the likelihood of further bad judgments in the future (lost credibility). I would have little confidence in the success of any agreement between two such souls.
When Proverbs was written, a man would take the garment of a person who owed him money (his garment was what kept him warm). The lender did this as a pledge for his security (a way to make sure the debtor paid him back). Doing so would promote wisdom in his decisions and would keep himself and his family from being wiped out.
I know a wise man who, years ago, carefully lent money to two people, but his dealings with each were different. The first man borrowed only $5.00, but the wise man constantly hounded him to pay it back. The second man borrowed $100.00, yet as the weeks went by, the wise man said nothing about payment. When asked about this, he said concerning the first man, “He is a freeloader, lazy and wasteful who conveniently ‘forgets’ to pay even the smallest debt.” Of the second man, he said, “I have no doubt he will pay back what he borrowed.“
It takes time to learn how to be a responsible lender. A reckless lender must come to understand his foolishness of loaning to imprudent people. But WHY would anyone supply careless strangers with their own hard earned resources? I might never be this stupid, but the reasons behindthe actions may be something to which I can better relate.
Perhaps the lender imagines himself popular and approved by the people that hang on him for their overflow of needs. Maybe he sees himself as a rich benefactor or even a Christ-like giver who can brag on his ability to give away so much. He cares what people think of him. That matters more than truly caring about those he lends to. It matters more to him than the desire to do what is best for the other person and not just what feels good.
There are times when I foolishly compromise and give away something of myself for the sake of my reputation or approval. In so doing, I am not thriving at all and they aren’t either.
Then there are the situations in which a person continues to take on other people’s loads (thinking they are ‘serving’ them in godly obedience). In reality, they are enabling bad habits.
Perhaps this lender is simply too tired from listening to the stranger’s pleas for help, which makes it hard to do the right thing, even though he intellectually knows it will not end well.
Such struggles remind me of the tired mom whose weariness prevents her from disciplining her kids, the hungry eater who indulges in just one more bite of food to calm his mind, the restless person who sits in a funk all day unable to lift a finger to do his work because his circumstances have robbed him of joy, or the out-of-control dad who falls for anger every time he gets riled up because anger and impatience are easier than taking the time to truly assess the situation in a level-headed manner.
All of these wrong choices are dangerous and dumb. The proverb is a warning for me about foolishness and how I must run from such responses and dealings.
What about my own foolishness? What pearls do I throw before swine (Matt. 7:6)? How do I toss away my talents on what is not good soil (Matt. 13:1-13)?
During the week, I had a day in which I was so weary I fell into sleepy ways: ‘just get through the day as best you can.’ I felt impatient for my problems to be solved and for the pesky projects or decisions of others to be over, as if these answers could have any control over easing my life or bettering me as a child of God. So, with my downhearted attitude I allowed the day to take me over. I foolishly gave in. So many things were drowning my desire and ability to get up and move for Christ. I needed to stop entertaining or giving into strangers (the enemies inside my head) that were pulling me into their wrong choices. I felt lulled into laziness, like I was taking my power (God’s power to act) and giving it to another.
At one moment, I finally regrouped, chose wisdom and declared Jesus as Lord. I prayed for the world and all others who were under attack from Satan and his cohorts. Within a few days the feelings dissipated and one week later there was not one struggle in the spiritual realm, though my current circumstances continued.
If my goal is to thrive in the life I live for the Father, I must stay on track with how He wants me to live, how He wants me to spend my time and who He wants me to join hands with. His reasons for what I do may have nothing to do with approval or popularity or even bad days of restless weariness. It may have more to do with His energy and power to move me forward in obedience, in tough love for the unhealthy borrower or in simple trust that He will provide the energy I need to be selfless.
Selflessness is a great word that reminds me to steer away from the need for approval from others (because I don’t want selfishness in my heart). When I praise God, it takes my mind off of self. Praising is an effective tool against the enemy and can set me back on my feet in power, even when God seems to be pushing me beyond myself.
But, doesn’t God want me to be me? What about who He made to be?
Whatever circumstances I feel are preventing my ‘personhood‘ from evolving, I use them to let God shine through me and make me stronger than ever before in what He is calling me to do for that moment (perhaps different than what my personality was made for or perhaps fanning the flames of my personality to be further used by Him IN the circumstance). In other words, if I was made loud and outgoing, and a situation came up that made me feel stifled, I could square my shoulders and use it to cheer others around me instead of complaining that the circumstance was hindering my ‘talents!’ If I was created shy and reflective and was in a situation that gave me very little space for myself, I could use it to put into practice what I had learned in previous quiet times. I could let God’s truths come alive in these moments. He can work throughout all of it and use it to shine His glory.
Father, help me to thrive to the glory of your name. Teach me how to think before I make rash decisions. Help me to come to you and pray about my choices that have to do with others. Show me how to refuse to do what is foolish. May my life be a way for you to shine your glory. In Jesus name, Amen.
Let me stay on your tracks so that my feet will not stumble. Psalms 17:5
Once, as a young child, I remember being left at church. Forgotten. I don’t remember any other details except that I found myself in the car of a strange family (my parents knew well) who were kind enough to take me to them. Yet, I cried all the way home. I didn’t know how safe I really was and that there was no reason to be afraid. But a fear gripped me like none I’d never known before.
Having a large family and lots of siblings, somehow they must have thought I was with them. I must have become distracted, away from my mother’s gaze. I must have strayed from the right path where she could keep an eye on me.
In my spiritual walk, God knows the better way, the good track for me to follow, and when I venture outside His path, things can get fearful and difficult. It is always so relieving to be back in His presence with His careful gaze watching over and protecting me.
The Bible says, “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. Eccl. 12:13
Solomon, the author, had made several unwise choices in his life and strayed away from the Father’s ways many times. At the end of his life, he discovered how wonderful were God’s words, how right were His commandments, how good were His precepts and how glorious was a life of one who keeps His statutes.
‘Precepts’ and ‘statutes’ are not typically in our vocabulary. But it all means the same thing: to follow His will. We learn to trust that what He’s asked us to do is trustworthy.
Certainly, there are challenges to staying on God’s tracks when I become weary or I’m tired of my difficult circumstances. In fact, it is interesting to note that when I am in the middle of a sin, I don’t even want the right tracks. “Leave me alone. I’m fine in my misery.” Right? “Don’t tell me what to do. I’ll eat what I want, do what I please and go where I want to go!”
Pride, self-pity and arrogance have a subtle way of taking over when my flesh begs for more comfort and ease of suffering.
All of us would rather eat ice cream than spinach. We know to have self-control with our diets, to exercise daily, but more than anything to choose to have spiritual alignment with the Lord God (which only comes when we stick close to His word and in prayer fellowship on our knees before Him).
The feeling of being out-of-control is a terrible feeling. It is a dreadful thing to be caught in a snare with little hope of regaining one’s life through spiritual restraint. Addiction, in a sense, is stepping off God’s track onto whatever track we think is better and becoming entangled in that choice.
However, the feeling of welcoming God’s spirit as He helps a person in self-discipline simply feels like an unbelievably great accomplishment. THAT is true success!
Anytime I follow the Lord’s steps instead of my own, I am under the spirit’s control. I am free to live a life of surrender and trust.
I cannot stumble when my heart is in the act of following God.
King David said, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.” Psalm 119:71
A decree is another way of saying, ‘God’s track.’ David had many obstacles in his life in his journey with the Lord. Sometimes, David faltered and wandered away. Yet, one day, when he was met with the consequences of sin or trials, he wrote the verse just mentioned. He took the situation to heart and saw it differently than most would see it. He could have strayed, but instead, David came to understand that difficulties were a pathway to knowing God’s heart and will more precisely.
When my trials come, I am tempted to get off His path and casually stroll in the direction I prefer. Enemy voices lie and tell me this way will make me happy, fill me up and satisfy my soul.
Yet, the point of God’s commands, laws, decrees, statutes, lessons and teachings all through the Bible and throughout my life are for my good. That is truth.
Lord, please tell me what to do. I step onto your tracks and ask you to help me stay near you all my life. Help me not to wander. Keep my eyes fixed on you when the storms come and when I don’t understand your callings. Draw me into your presence daily. For you are my safe place, forever. In Jesus name, I pray, Amen.
When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” Exodus 32:1
Aaron listened to the people and provided for them a golden calf for the purpose of worshiping the way they saw fit.
This story shocks and horrifies me. God had chosen Moses, and had gone to extraordinary measures to use him to rescue the Israelites from harsh turmoil and slavery. Yet, now they were turning their backs on the one safe, never-ending source of all they truly needed.
They had been beaten, bruised and worn out all their lives. When they came out of Egypt and began to see God’s miracles, perhaps they assumed a pain-free, comfortable existence at the snap of God’s fingers, like a Santa Claus or a vending machine. But that’s not life.
Surely, you’ve already reached the ‘punchline.’ We, too, so easily fall back into old ways when the going gets tough. We so quickly forget our amazing God whose provisions and presence are completely adequate and satisfying and whose timing is always right.
However, I would like to go further into this passage.
To begin with, Moses was called up to the mountain by God; by GOD! The people knew this.
But he was so long in coming back.
So long…..
What typically happens to people who get antsy, restless and demand to control their lives: They give in to their lower selves. They come up with their own plans. They go ahead of God’s will.
In the Old Testament, the prophet Samuel asked King Saul to wait seven days for him to come to Gilgal before beginning the prescribed sacrificial offerings. The seven days came and went, so Saul took it upon himself to go forward, his way.
Then Samuel arrived. “‘You have done a foolish thing,’ Samuel said. ‘You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.'” I Samuel 13:13.
The King didn’t ‘get it.’
As parents, once we set clear instructions for our children, we try to enforce the importance of obedience. King Saul should have been a better example, as all eyes were on him.
God wanted the Israelites to be His chosen people for the sake of preserving a Holy line to, one day, birth His Son.
For instance, in Exodus 35:1–3, if a person worked on the sabbath, the punishment was death! God’s guidelines were extremely clear. He was trying to teach His people to listen to His voice, even when the commands He gave seemed odd or exacting.
Samuel knew how imperative it was for Israel to have a king who would listen and follow instructions. Israel needed to practice these same skills. We all do! That’s why our children must see and experience their parent’s struggles towards passionately pursuing refined obedience.
Israel and Saul teach us to learn valuable lessons from their mistakes.
However, we fall into the same traps. “No, I want to make my own rules.” “I am being inconvenienced.” “God is taking sooooo long!” “My circumstances are becoming too intense. I MUST take control!“
People take too long. They don’t go as fast as we would go. God never seems to show up when or how we want Him to.
‘I’ take so long to change. But God isn’t in any hurry. He wants to know that I am willing and that I am moving forward in His direction and in His time.
The Covid-19 cure is so long in coming. Will we turn to the idol of complaining, fear and anxiety?
What should the Israelites have done during Moses’ prolonged visit with the Almighty? Could they have spent their precious time in prayer for him or in mutual service, learning more about trusting their Father and each other?
Hindered personal plans provide our own mountains to climb, making life strenuous and challenging at times. Think of some distractions that try to take us away from doing what is right on our paths to meet with God. How might we keep ourselves from being interrupted in our continuous, simple praises?
Patience is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. (Gal 5:22-23) Patience helps us to succeed during inevitable, unmanageable delays.
When the obstacles are lifted, the joy of faithfully persevering through our long days and nights is absolutely exhilarating, pure and more fulfilling than any golden calf (or other gods we could turn to).
God is amazing!
He instructed the pattern for the tabernacle and later for the temple. These were places to worship and serve Him. He used precious stones, elegant materials and detailed plans.
Today, we, who are followers of Christ are the temple of God, the place where He dwells. We are being built and refined into precious spiritual stones. We are His elegant work, a people who are special to Him, a people who are learning to trust Him in times when our plans are postponed for a better time.
Father of All Wisdom, teach us in our limited lives. Take from us the weariness, confusion, fear and anxiety, the inward and outward wars towards one another, the golden calves of overeating, oversleeping, overplaying, and overuse of anything that separates us from you. Teach us to fall on our knees before a Holy, magnificent God and know that your purposes are greater than our timely plans. Build us into refined children of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. May we always listen to your voice and obey. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
You have turned my mourning into dancing for me; You have taken off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, that my soul may sing praise to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever. Psalm 30:11-12
Grief, at times, can feel like an impossible wall to scale, a crushing of the soul that no one or no thing can fix. I wrote the following song over a long period of heavy grieving (still in process), as I discovered daily how its power and energy could be used for good. In my tears, I began to turn to fervent prayers for the lost and sick instead of dwelling on things I couldn’t change.
Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. Isaiah 49:16
Here are the words to my song:
The Palm of His Hand (Mourning to Dancing)
Awake my soul so weary The-Lord-carries me away To places I don’t want To go or stay Not today
Dreadful-waves slow my pace …much too hard to bear Lightning flash and trees crash Please take away this fear Yet, you set me here
Left…on this ledge You say to leap Into the palm of your hand Into the might-y deep And I, I can only weep
Laying storms at your feet And…all that-I know As you carry me To places-you want me to go And Father, you love me so
I leap as though unafraid Such beauty in the fall From-the-safe cliff into raging winds The cliff of giving all And-I feel so small
I ask pain to help me kneel At-the-place where my Father dwells Down to the ground where grace is found …Let-me-bleed not just for self Help-my-tears save someone else
Born of longing prayers Born of deep-sorrow Suff’ring prayers carry me To-places I-never-KNEW I could go My soul aches as praise tears flow
In the chaos-I find God And…bend to the wind Breathing in His GLO-RY Storms-that never seem to end Yet-I…am calm within
This pain has moved me to-love The palm of His hand …seeking-souls to come along As many as I can Throughout the land
Pain-changed my life forever I long for Heaven’s view To carry souls-where they fear to go Christ’s cross was painful, too His glory shines through
Born of longing prayers Born of deep-sorrow Suff’ring prayers carry me To-places I-never-KNEW I could go My soul aches as praise tears flow
Born of His prayers Born of His deep-sorrow Jesus’ prayers carry-me To-places I-never KNEW I could go And His precious, His precious blood flows And His precious, His precious blood flows
Isaiah 40:31 Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
I’ve heard it said that an eagle will teach its young to fly. Both parents guard the nest and take food to the young. At about 11-12 weeks, if the eaglets have not ventured forth, the parent eagle “stirs” or rocks the nest, tipping them out! The young eaglets flap about in panic, still new at flying. The parent eagle carefully watches, waiting for the critical moment. With wings spread wide, the eagle then swoops down underneath those babies and delivers them back to the security of the nest.
Ours is a God of powerful gentleness. Ours is a God whose timing is perfect. Like the parent eagle, He is sensitive to our needs. He knows when the nest has become too comfortable and needs a little stirring. He, too, watches carefully, and, as with spread wings, catches us up, bringing us to Himself. But He wants us to learn from our fluttering & flopping and to mature. He wants us to leave behind our helpless panic and learn to wait on Him. Then, with our eyes on our Father ‘eagle,’ we begin to know what it means to soar on eagle’s wings!
The trials in our lives can teach us how to fly. We may flutter around at first, but we will learn and grow if we keep our eyes on Jesus.
The verse says that those who ‘wait on the Lord’ will renew their strength. Waiting can be defined in many ways:
Looking for treasures in the trial Sitting with God in the pain Letting him carry me through it Letting him build up energy in me to be able to soar above it
Energy is gained not from temporary distractions of the world, but by being carried on the solid wings of Christ and allowing Him to be the power by which I lunge forward and fly.
Waiting on the Lord renews my strength.
When I head out to go running, but haven’t run in several months, I have to build up stamina and strength. I don’t like to run. But running my goal-amount improves my health. At first my muscles are sore from being stretched and pushed. Once I’ve built up stamina I run without getting weary.
It’s the same with trials. I’ve lived long enough to know that trials come and go. They have such huge value in our lives if we let them. They hurt us in the deepest places of our souls where God can be discovered and leaned upon and where we can allow the pain to change us from the inside out, giving us wings to fly.
This week, I took some time to think about what renews me. God works through inspirational movies, books or sermons to reawaken my tired spirit. It’s like my perspective changes, in an instant, and in the exhausting trials, I’m ready to stop complaining and get on with my life in the way He leads me.
Today’s verse is a promise:
Those who wait…shall renew their strength Shall mount up on wings like eagles Shall run and not be weary Shall walk and not faint
Wait means to believe and trust in God’s goodness no matter how bad things seem. Wait means to fix my eyes on Jesus and not on the problem. Wait means to be still. Wait means to stop being controlling, having an agenda, labeling ‘one outcome’ as the only thing to make me happy. Wait is believing in a big God who has a reason for asking me to obey Him in areas I would rather not, like: going the second mile, returning a blessing for a curse, being the first to give a kindness in a relationship of built up walls, speaking softly to one who is angry with me or praying for my enemies.
Notice on whom we are to wait: the Lord. Everything stops with Him. He is my all and all. He is my everything. He is the One I am waiting on during the trial.
In trials, I DO get overwhelmed and weary, but somehow, when I become still in His presence, my breath is restored, and I am able to go forward into another day, even, at times, in joy. His strength is enough.
Father, thank you, thank you for this awesome verse. It breaths life into my soul at a time when I so much need it. Teach me how to better wait on you. Keep my spirit calm, steady and steadfast. Move the mountains out of the way that stand before me. Be my God, and I declare with confidence that you alone are my Jehovah. Thank you for your care and for your saving wings that carry me through my trials. In Jesus name, Amen.
“Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, ‘We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.’” When the people complained that they could not go up to conquer the land, both Caleb and Joshua responded strongly, tore their clothes and said to the entire assembly, ‘The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them’” (Numbers 14:6–9)
Joshua and Caleb were chosen to go with 10 other men to explore the Promised Land and give a report to Moses and the people. After a 40-day inspection of Canaan, the explorers reported, “The land…flows with milk and honey! But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. This report frightened the people.”
Yet, Joshua and Caleb not only believed their God would see them through this, they were passionately insistent, pleading with the people how devastating it would be to disobey the Lord God who was leading them to this good land.
Joshua and Caleb intensely followed God (whom they could not see), keeping their focus on Him, not on the fearful giants (they could see).
I’ve had two sides pulling at me from opposite directions all my life. One side speaks with thundering, confusing noise, “This is too big for you, be afraid, there’s no other choice but to worry and cower in a corner!” The other boldly, but generally quietly steps forward and declares, “Trust the Lord your God; for HE will rescue you.”
To listen to the still small voice, I must care more about God’s presence and truth than about my fear or whatever is causing me distress. I will fight for God’s honor in God’s way. I will stand strong, insisting on trusting in the words He speaks to me.
This is not a fight or argument with people, as much as it is a struggle within myself! I must convince MY head and heart, first. I have to persuade myself before I can sway others to my viewpoint. I must allow the strength of God to overwhelm me instead of the fears created by my tormenting, giant circumstances.
I try to imagine being like Joshua who tore his clothes at the Israelites disregard for God’s instruction. Could I be so upset that I tear my ‘inward’ clothes, that I shout and stand up (as Joshua did in the presence of Israel) to the enemy in my head who stirs up fear in my heart and shake my fist, saying, God is about to devour you?
Joshua went on to explain that the enemy’s protection was gone. But the Lord was with them!
My enemy has nothing! I have God which means I have everything to conquer and claim victory.
I’ve noticed in my own frightful circumstances that claiming God’s victory is powerful. I’ve also noticed that my physical and emotional state can still become weary in this journey here on earth, especially during the attacks that come.
This week, I was listening to the online audio version of Psalms and was so touched by King David’s honest, open heart. I committed during this current season to write a Psalm every day to express my feelings, but to also see everything from God’s point of view. That’s what a Psalm is: our thoughts seen through a heavenly perspective.
Here is my Psalm from last night:
God, I’ve been too weary to fight for what is good. Old thinking has tried to hammer away at me. Yet, inside my heart, I’ve known you were there, parting the Red Seas and pulling me up to walk beside you on the waters. Your voice is quiet, maybe even muffled by the enemy’s lies, but oh, so clear. Finally, the clouds have given way to blue skies and I can feel the wind on my face as I walk your creation. By your power, I keep putting one foot in front of the other, going the extra mile, but I also ask for help from those around me. I am honest about my emotions but they are put in their place. They no longer rule me. Lord Of All, I bow to you, my great Sovereign Ruler. I kiss your feet and smile at your magnificence in my life. You always make things new.
Lord God, thank you for going before me in power after my ‘giants’ that to you are little bitty. You can blow them away in one breath. Today, help me to listen to the right voice, to the Lord over all things. Give me passion for your truth. Help me to stand up for the might of your will. Move me in your mercy and grace, and keep me close to your heart. In Jesus name, Amen.
If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. Proverbs 25:21, 22
Why is this verse in the Bible?
Giving to an enemy honestly seems impossible, demeaning and humiliating. Giving to an enemy feels beyond our abilities. “I just can’t to it!” we say.
So why are we given such difficult tasks? Is this guideline supposed to help the other person (the enemy) and make his life better, or is this a lesson for us?
An enemy is any person who hurts us deeply, who neglects, doesn’t consider or uses us. He doesn’t get our views, or clap and approve our values.
He’s not the kind of enemy one thinks of in war or hostile situations. Where I live, I am blessed to have a safe home and neighborhood. So the only way I can interpret the verse is to say that he is someone who simply isn’t on my side. He is someone who isn’t like me, and I’ve got plenty of those. Well, truth be told, there is no one exactly like me, so I deal with the “enemy” everyday, everywhere I go (if my thoughts take me there).
My choices are limited. I have no way around the fact that I’ll always have people in my life who don’t like or agree with everything I say or do.
I’ve seen situations in which friends are warm with each other when they are in agreement and then everything goes cold when the other expresses a different feeling or view. Yet, I KNOW that they have such potential to change the world together, if only, they would keep the unconditional love intact through the ups and downs of their relationship. They see each other as the enemy, when in reality the true enemy is working hard to separate their friendship on purpose.
What a loss to God’s kingdom!!
Yes, I’ll always have people in my life who think differently than I do. But the only time that makes them an enemy is when ‘I’ let the differences go into my heart and tear at me. In my weakest moments, it happens. I have to work through the struggles deep within.
First, I have to forgive them, though they did no wrong. They simply disagreed with me, I still have to work through forgiveness.
Second, I must look at the bigger picture. Why is the need for their agreement or approval bothering me so much? What is the REAL enemy (the enemy of God) trying to do in my life? Petty, annoying distractions take away from the good I could be doing for others, especially for the very person with whom I’m upset, the very person through whom God desires to do a mighty thing.
Therefore, third, I must figure out a way to give them food and drink (serve them).
Four, this kind of breakthrough is the sort of thing that opens up the heavens to let the power of God into our world. Wonderful, supernatural events occur because we choose to get over ourselves and give to someone with whom we have conflict. (I didn’t say ‘give in.’ We can stand strong in what we believe, but we can find a way to give a cup of cold water without losing our values.)
Sometimes my enemy is ME. I over-exert myself and get weary, and with that comes an avalanche of unwanted, uninvited emotions. I don’t act like me, and I don’t like me in those moments.
I become what I teach others not to be. Irritability comes to the surface and spews it’s ugly contents. So how do I give food and water to the enemy inside? Explain my situation the best way I can to those around me, go to bed, take a break and do something fun, stop the onslaught of the negativity and choose to be kind until I feel like being kind. Kindness is really who I am, just not in the moment.
Naturally, I can’t always find rest and play when I need to. In those times, I must hang on tight to the hand of Jesus and find my rest in Him. I ask Him to overcome the enemy that is within.
A habit of kindness comes in handy at times like this. It’s who people expect me to be and that makes it easier to continue being that even when I don’t feel like it. I joke around and laugh to bring happiness to others and that actually brings happiness to me. Kindness is healing. So are all the other items on the list of good things that come over me when I reach out for the Holy Spirit of God. Eventually, the enemy within dies away and my faith journey continues once again. The habit of serving kindness is a habit to fan into flame throughout my whole life.
Lord, teach me more about loving and serving my enemy. Often times, I am the one who is ‘your‘ enemy. I don’t mean to be, but I wander away, I forget, I fight or I don’t trust your ways for me. Yet, YOU give ME overflowing amounts of drink and you feed me every day in abundance when I least deserve it. You are my greatest example of this verse. Thank you for loving me even though I falter so much in life. Show me how to follow you. In Jesus name, amen.
Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning. Proverbs 9:9
I stopped at this verse this week because it is especially hard for me. I find it very challenging to be instructed and to add to my learning unless it’s on my own terms. I think God knows this because I find Him coming to me on my own terms a lot!
However, I need to learn to accept instruction when it’s not the way I like it. The Father makes attempts to use other methods for me to help me grow.
As I focused on this verse, I discovered that I can seek instruction inside of unanswered prayers, in the times when nothing seems to be going right. I can seek instruction in the storms, in the times when all hell seems to be breaking lose around me.
Looking straight into the eyes of God during those times and absorbing His purposes amazes others as they watch my life! Doing it amazes me! For it is only by His power and strength.
Not all instruction is from a person(s).
I awoke one morning during the week and declared to God that he was more important than some blessings I was to receive that day. The morning hours passed and a spiritual earthquake erupted all around me. Instead of blessings, I received trials. I was tested in every possible way. Outside, it even literally stormed all day as my world fell apart. Was God seeking to prove my morning words to be true? I was pushed to my limit and beyond. I kept thinking about today’s verse. How could I take in God’s instruction and become wise during the storm? Somehow God gave me peace inside the chaos and the spiritual earthquake finally subsided. It was awful and breathtaking at the same time. The sun came out in the evening and within a few days all was well.
As the week moved onward, I continued in my instructive walk and learned that allowing myself to be taught was a better choice than puffing up with pride.
Wisdom is heard more when I am silent and not over-talking, interrupting and having impatience for someone to get to their point quickly! It struck my heart that I could be missing something valuable by speeding up our conversations.
Perhaps it is my impatience that the enemy uses to distract me from a nugget of wisdom that could change my life. In my flesh, I tell myself that I am too tired and weary to hear what I need to hear, but God’s instruction comes at the most inconvenient times. Personally, I want to be ready.
It takes humility to stop and listen.
People want their opinions to be heard. To hear them is a gift I give them. In some instances, I may not learn anything, but I do learn the truth that it is still wise to allow others to have a say.
That is instruction to my heart as well.
I end this blog today, acknowledging the fact that I am far from over the process of becoming wise. I wish I could fast-forward this business of refinement to my soul. For now, I am happy to be who I am, standing in front of a God who loves and gives me so much grace.
Father, thank you for your grace. Thank you for your patience with my spiritual growth. I long to be holy as you are holy. Make me alert when I am hurried, prideful and neglectful of others. Lead me in the silence and away from so many words. Keep me on the path of wisdom. Help me to listen and learn from everything you put before me. In Jesus name, Amen.
Search me, Oh God, and know my heart Psalm 139:23 (ASV) 