Seek God With Me

A Powerful Mom

2012-02-08T07:14:00.000-08:00

Matthew 15:26-27

He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

A mother’s persistent love can overcome many obstacles. Matthew 15:21-28 shows the example of a mother who never gave up. Her daughter was suffering terribly, and she knew Jesus was able to heal her. She was basically told – by Jesus, himself – that she wasn’t important enough for him to stop and listen to her.

Did she get offended? No. It took a special “mother’s boldness” for her to continue pressing Jesus for his healing touch for her daughter.

Personally, I think that Jesus knew he was going to heal the woman’s daughter, but let her make a big scene in front of the disciples so he could teach about the woman’s great faith. I think Jesus was paying attention to her, but he had to let the woman wake up The Twelve. She was willing to eat the breadcrumbs when the disciples weren’t eating the bread on their plates.

Sometimes Jesus lets us press into him just a little bit more before he answers our prayers. It may be so we’ll get passionate about what we’re praying about, or it may be so someone else will notice what God does in that situation.

We say we’re Christians, but we often need a little lesson on walking with God. Christians get into a religious rut and stop depending on God at times. It is during those times that God pushes us to wake up and use our faith more than we ever have. We need to be persistent. We need a closer relationship with Him.

God is the fire that warms our hearts. If we don’t stay close to Him, our hearts get cold. I think Jesus uses people like the mother with the sick child to wake us all up and encourage us to get closer. When you and I see a surprising “faith event” like the mother’s persistence, we should check the temperature of our hearts and see if we’re the ones God wanted to challenge.

Clothes That Mean Something

2012-01-25T07:36:00.000-08:00

Exodus 28:2-3

Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor. Tell all the skilled workers to whom I have given wisdom in such matters that they are to make garments for Aaron, for his consecration, so he may serve me as priest.

Moses was humble enough to listen to God. This is something we should take into consideration when we wonder why we’re not successful in something. Maybe we should listen to God. Moses listened carefully and took notes on specific instructions God gave him about how to worship, where to worship, how to dress, etc.

God told him how to make Aaron’s priestly garments and which ones to make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a woven tunic, a turban and a sash. Where did they get the supplies to make everything? Exodus 28:1 tells us that Moses received an offering from those whose heart prompted them to give. It wasn’t a tax or a fee. It was freely given.

Exodus 28:29-30

“Whenever Aaron enters the Holy Place, he will bear the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastpiece of decision as a continuing memorial before the LORD. Also put the Urim and the Thummim in the breastpiece, so they may be over Aaron’s heart whenever he enters the presence of the LORD. Thus Aaron will always bear the means of making decisions for the Israelites over his heart before the LORD.”

Today we don’t get very specific about what we wear when we enter the presence of God. We want to focus on God and not the clothes. Understandable. But what if we wore something that makes us focus on one of the facets of God’s love.

What if we recited the scriptures related to the armor of God when we got dressed every morning? What if we printed out Ephesians 4:20-25 and taped it to the bathroom mirror so we could read it every time we brushed our teeth?

The garments God gives us to wear today have meaning. We are to put on righteousness and holiness. We are to wear God’s armor and not depend on our own human-designed protective clothing.

What if we listened to God and obeyed him down to our shoe selection? How would that change us?

Clothes That Fit

2012-01-18T09:39:00.000-08:00

Ephesians 6:10-11

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Goliath had shouted insults at Saul’s army for forty days. When David showed up and found out what had been going on, he was infuriated. How dare anyone speak like that about God and his people. When David was given permission to begin his battle with Goliath, it took very little time to successfully complete his mission. The battle was over in no time. The fat lady was clearing her throat when David stepped out onto the battlefield.

He knew the battle wasn’t really against Goliath, but against what Goliath stood for. According to Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

He knew that not one man in Saul’s army would be able to beat Goliath in a flesh against flesh battle, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t win. They had to look to the one who was in charge of the battle for their plan of attack. Not Saul, but God.

David won his battle against Goliath because he was comfortable knowing his armor was God. He’d worn that armor before and knew how it felt. There is freedom and security in a good relationship with God. David was certain he’d be protected.

When God is your armor, you can relax and simply obey. No need to worry about the insults or threats against you. If you are obeying God and wrapped up in him, he is able to clear the path to your victory.

Second-Hand Clothes

2012-01-11T07:58:00.000-08:00

1 Samuel 17: 38-39

Then Saul dressed David in his own tunic. He put a coat of armor on him and a bronze helmet on his head. David fastened on his sword over the tunic and tried walking around, because he was not used to them.

Can you say no when someone offers you what works for them?

David was unafraid of the enormous Philistine shouting insults at King Saul’s army. Since he was too little to join his brothers in the army, he visited them with a load of supplies. Hearing the insults from nine-foot-tall Goliath, David wondered why no one had put a stop to it. King Saul found out David was insisting he could kill Goliath and sent for him. After David explained that God had helped him kill a lion and a bear, he persuaded King Saul to let him shut the giant up.

Goliath had come to the battlefield in a full coat of armor weighing 125 pounds. That’s not too much extra weight for a nine-foot warrior. So King Saul tried to put armor on David to protect God’s little warrior. It was a nice thought, but not a good idea. Goliath had a bronze helmet, so David tried on a bronze helmet. He walked around in the rest of it, but it just wasn’t working for him.

With an opponent towering over him, David knew he needed protection much bigger than the armor Saul gave him. He knew he needed God.

David took off Saul’s armor and picked up stones as his weapon of choice. I’m sure his brothers were skeptical of David’s ability to get the stone aimed well enough to hit Goliath in a place that would not be covered in armor and to go fast enough that the blow would kill him.

David decided to “go with what you know”. He’d been with God in his fight against the lion and the bear, and he’d be with God in the fight against Goliath. It wasn’t the stone that killed Goliath. It was the faith in God David valued so highly. It was God’s hand making that stone crush into the skull of the giant. No one expected David to make a dent in the battle against the giant who had kept Saul’s army terrified for forty days. No one, but David.

If David had tried to do battle in the ill-fitting armor, not only would he have lost to Goliath, but the Israelites would have been servants to the Philistines. King Saul was taking a huge risk letting a little guy fight for them.

David knew that God’s armor is always better than Saul’s armor. He was dressed for success.

Our First Garments

2012-01-04T20:50:00.000-08:00

Genesis 3:21

The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

Do you remember the first lie you ever heard? Probably not. We hear so many lies today from so many people. Some are advertisements with implied lies. If you buy their product, you’ll be cool or thinner or happier. Advertisers sometimes take a fact and dress it up so they can use it to their advantage. “Fat-free” and “No Sugar Added” are terms dieting people look for. They are not guarantees that you will not gain weight while eating that product. Those terms might be the truth, but they’re not the whole truth.

This reminds me of Adam and Eve in the garden in the book of Genesis. I think Eve was such an easy target because she’d never heard a lie before. Adam had no reason to lie to her. God didn’t lie to her. She never needed to be cautious about believing what she’d been told. So the serpent took a fact and twisted it to cause a change in her life. He might as well have said, “Once you eat this fruit, you’ll never be the same again. Your whole life will change.”

Sounds good, doesn’t it? But shouldn't that kind of advertising make us skeptical?

Adam should’ve sat her down and said, “Let’s think this through. Something doesn’t sound right about it.” Instead, Adam and Eve made the mistake of their lives. They were duped. They were ashamed. They hid from God, worried about his reaction to their fruit-tasting experiment.

They sewed leaves together. You probably didn’t know that camouflage clothes were thousands of years old. Knowing God would eventually find them, they hid in the bushes and waited.

When they heard the question they dreaded, “What is this you have done?”, they responded, and then they heard the judgments and curses that came about because of their sin. When God finished warning them about the aftereffects, he made clothes for Adam and Eve.

This reminds me of when my kids were little. If they made a mess, they tried to fix it or hide it. I can imagine God looking down on Adam and Eve and thinking of them like I thought of my kids. The first thing I had to do was talk to my kids about what they had done, and then reassure them. Next, I had to take off their filthy clothes, clean up the kids, and put new clothes on them.

That’s just what God did. He spoke to them, pulled them out of their leaves and put them in better clothes. God made leather clothes for them – or animal skin clothes.

He did whatever was necessary to give Adam and Eve freedom to discover new things and make decisions, but he also wanted to protect them. Now that they had to deal with thorns and thistles, they had to wear leather for protection.

God loved Adam – before, during, and after he sinned. Giving him clothes was a part of that love.

Second Chance at Life 3

2011-12-21T08:32:00.000-08:00

1 Kings 17:12

“As surely as the LORD your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.”

A widow, depressed because of the drought and famine in the land and because of the emptiness of her kitchen, decided to make one last loaf of bread for herself and her son before they die. Elijah asked her to make him a small loaf first so that her supply of flour and oil would never run out until it rained again.

That makes me think of the verse in Exodus 22:22, “Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless.” But in 1 Kings 17:7-24, Elijah never intended to take advantage of her. He was obeying God, and he wanted to bless her and prosper her by helping her act on her faith in God.

Staring at empty shelves in the fridge makes you feel the emptiness in your belly. If you had practically nothing in your kitchen, would you do as this widow did and plan your last meal? Or would you spend time reading the Bible, listening to God, and worshiping him rather than focusing on your lack?

God is more real than the lack in your life. When God is more real to you than what you feel, it’s easier to trust and listen to his plan.

The widow had to obey God’s plan as spoken by the prophet. You can obey God when you learn to listen to him. You can listen to him better when you stop listening to the distracting noise of lack in your life.

The widow and her son who were given a second chance to live out their faith in God had to change the way they were living in order to take advantage of the lessons learned from the prophet. When we get a second chance, we have to take the “do-over” seriously. We have to change something in how we respond to the situation or we’ll waste the opportunity.

Today, you and I must take a look at lessons we learn in life and make changes in order to apply those life lessons.

Second Chance at Life 2

2011-12-14T19:07:00.000-08:00

John 8:3-4

The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.”

When I read this story, I always think it’s funny that the man wasn’t caught in adultery, just the woman. But Jesus had mercy on the woman. He forgave her. At the same time, he chose not to give a small sermon about how many men in that place had been with her or with women like her. He was allowing the men time to recognize on their own that they were pots calling the kettle black. They had no business accusing her.

Jesus was the only one without sin, and he didn’t accuse anyone.

That woman was given a second chance in life. She was told to leave her life of sin, and I imagine that’s just what she did. I wonder if her accusers did.

If her story makes you think of a sin in your life, you can receive forgiveness today. You can walk away from your sin and start a new relationship with Jesus.

His hands are open to you.

Second Chance at Life 1

2011-12-07T22:00:00.000-08:00

John 11:32

When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

December is a busy month. We want to shop for special things to give to those we love. We want to go to Christmas parties. But we also want to have time to sit with Jesus and worship him.

How do we make time for everything we want to do? Yesterday’s To Do list has become a Wish I Had list. We wish we had done more to show love and help others. We wish we had invested in people more often.

When we read about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead, we see a picture of his sisters telling Jesus they wish he’d been there before Lazarus died. But Jesus didn’t have a Wish I Had list.

He only did what he was supposed to do. He knew he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead before he ever died. There was a purpose for it or it wouldn’t have happened.

God makes his plans work out so that we see him with a new perspective. He wants us to get to know him better.

God’s plans are always better than our plans, but they don’t look anything like our plans. No wonder God laughs at our plans.

Do you need a second chance at life? When Jesus raised Lazarus back to life, Lazarus had a second chance to do things he should’ve done before. He had a second chance to listen to and obey Jesus.

We don’t have to be raised from the dead to start our life over. We can submit to God today and begin a new relationship with Jesus.

Music is Celebration

2011-11-23T07:31:00.000-08:00

Ps 33:3

Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.

Thanksgiving Day is a day of celebration. We gather with loved ones to tell each other how much we appreciate those loving relationships. We need each other. And we need God. Many families use the Thanksgiving holiday to show appreciation to God by caring for others and serving at a large feast for those who can’t afford to create their own.

But it’s funny that the music of Thanksgiving weekend is Christmas music.

I thought about how many Thanksgiving songs I’ve heard and realized there are amazingly few. I think people quite readily associate music with Christmas, but Thanksgiving is mostly just about food.

Our Thanksgiving Day is a holiday we celebrate as Americans, but Christmas is celebrated all around the globe. If the whole world could pick one day to come together and express thanks for our individual blessings, not only would I be stunned by God once again making the impossible possible, I would also expect to hear celebration music from many different cultures.

Celebration music is lively and joyful. It makes you want to get up and dance. I would suggest that we have a Thanksgiving Dance, but no one would attend. We’re all too busy preparing for a table full of food and a shopping cart full of Christmas presents. Who has time to celebrate?

So maybe Sundays could be our time of lively, joyful singing and dancing. I think that we, as Christians, must take time to sing songs of thanksgiving to God who gave us the blessings we’re all thankful for.

Whenever you choose to celebrate, remember to find time to celebrate with God. Sing to him – in the shower, if you must. Find CDs to sing along with or just make up your own tunes. But whatever you do, sing.

Music is Communication

2011-11-16T08:15:00.000-08:00

Ps 27:6

Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.

When my husband sings me a love song, I don’t hear the song as much as I hear his message. It’s a sacrifice for him since he’s not really a singer. I understand and appreciate what he’s doing to get his message across. When we sing in church, I’m pretty sure God feels the same way about us. He isn’t interested in hearing “professional performance” voices, because he wants to hear our message.

I think the same thing applies with other kinds of songs and messages. The Happy Birthday Song is usually only sung at someone’s birthday, but it’s more than a birthday song. The message is more like “We love you.” You can change things about a song to change its message. For instance, “If You’re Happy And You Know It” sung in a minor key sounds sarcastic or sad, regardless of the words you’re singing.

Movies are good at making the most of the film’s emotional punch by using “mood music”. The scary music lets the audience know the villain is somewhere nearby. Scene changes involve music to let the audience know what to expect of the new scene.

When I read the verse from Psalms featured above, I picture someone feeling confident about God’s power, giving thanks, and singing about God to God. Our faith in God can become such a rich issue that we can’t help but burst forth in song. Such a powerful joy at the provision of God in difficult circumstances makes people so full of thanksgiving that they feel like dancing and singing.

What kind of music should be playing when you’re with God in prayer?

Music Makes Things Memorable

2011-11-09T07:58:00.000-08:00

Deuteronomy 31:19

Now write down this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against then.

I have found it interesting that you can find a lot of songs in the Bible. After Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt and across the Red Sea on dry ground, they sang a song. People sang about David’s bravery with, “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” And in the book of Revelation (Rev 5:9) a song was sung to Jesus, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.”

People, no matter which race or religion or education level, often cannot keep themselves from singing at major celebrations. Think about weddings, graduations, and even sports events. Many people seem to burst out with song when their emotions take flight. Joy leads their mouths in glorious music.

What do you do to celebrate a major event in your life? Most people around me sing “Happy Birthday To You” a few times each year for their family and friends. I look forward to Christmastime because there are many opportunities to hear Handel’s “Messiah”, which is some of my favorite music.

What do you sing about? Because of today’s technology, many people don’t wait for a major event to take place. We sing what we hear on TV commercials. Jingles are memorable.

We can make up our own jingles to help us remember things. My kids learned to sing educational songs in their early years. That made learning anything fun and easy to remember. I think God wants us to use music to learn his promises from the Bible. That’s one of the things I like about Christian music. When I hear God’s words repeated in a memorable song on the radio, that makes it easier to remember scriptures.

If college kids can prepare for tests by singing, certainly we can teach our children God’s promises by singing.

Give it a try.

Music has Passion

2011-11-02T08:25:00.000-07:00

1 Chronicles 6:31

These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the Lord after the ark came to rest there.

Whom did God put in charge of music? People with great skill. People who could perform with a lot of heart. David was a composer and singer. He knew songs. He knew how to choose men to be leaders of choirs.

Have you ever heard someone sing with so much passion it made you want to sing along with that much passion or cry from the emotion of the performance? I have. I’ve listened to performances that left me speechless. Powerful performances make you feel and think.

When we worship God, are we giving everything we have to the performance before God? Do we sing in church like we were face-to-face with God and reaching out to minister to him with our hearts?

I imagine there are a lot of people who get distracted in church because of the padding or lack of it in the chairs, the temperature of the air, the people sitting nearby, or (these days) a buzz letting you know you’ve just received a text. I wonder what would happen to our relationship with God if we came to church to worship, really worship from the heart, with other believers. If we turned our phone completely off or (gasp) left it at home, would we have the courage to look God in the face and sing to him?

Would we be able to focus on pleasing God with our songs if we set aside our likes/dislikes and didn’t get disappointed that our favorite song hasn’t been sung in church for weeks? What about God? I don’t think he has a favorite song, but I think he has a favorite activity. He loves to listen to his children singing.

I’m a mom who used to hear my small children singing while playing with whatever toys they had in their hands at the time. Of course they weren’t worshiping me, but I loved listening to them. I’m sure God sometimes hears our worship songs and wonders why we even showed up for church. When we come prepared to make a joyful noise or a sound of thanksgiving in the company of our brothers and sisters, God leans in to hear it.

I know God wants more of our hearts. This month, I will make Music the topic for our consideration. Music is one of the ways God sees how we feel about him. When he hears our hearts, he can see that we’re throwing off complacency and selfishness in order to find special time with him.

Don’t let the month go by without growing in your musical gifts. Let’s seek God together in music.

An Orderly Account

2011-10-26T08:35:00.000-07:00

Luke 1:3

With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus.

How do you spread the good news of Jesus Christ?

Not everyone tells their testimony the same way. Preachers preach from the pulpit, but not everyone has a pulpit. I know novelists who tell about Jesus in subtle ways through the characters they write. There are parents who see their own children as their ministry.

If we can change the world by using our gifts, then those gifts are treasures and should be polished and used.

When Luke wrote his account to Theophilus, he had no idea I would be reading his words. How many people will be reading what you write? Are you on Facebook, Twitter, Linked In? Then you’re a part of an ocean of people who read the testimonies of strangers all the time.

Luke said he would write an orderly account. Are we sharing our scores on games we’ve played or giving people words of hope and encouragement? People notice if you put compassion in your epistles. They can tell if you’ve been with God or with your Ipad.

If you have a Theophilus to share a testimony with, share an accurate account of what God is doing in your life and see how God will use that to bless others.

You never know who’s going to read your words.

Write The Words

2011-10-19T07:08:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah 30:2

This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “Write in a book all the words I have spoken to you.”

Has God spoken to you?

If you’ve heard from God, have you written down what he said? I think keeping a prayer journal is a good plan. Many people write down some of their prayers so they can keep a record of the direction in which God has been leading them.

If you decide to keep a prayer journal, keep a record of what you say to God and what he says to you. I think you’ll be amazed when you look back at what you’ve written after using the journal for a few months. You might find that God has been directing you to pray for a particular person or a particular ministry, maybe people you’d like to help out. Once you see how God is leading you, you can ask God for more understanding and wisdom when dealing with that person or ministry.

We’re not always going to get the answers we want. Our prayer journals might be an avenue to work through the frustration of our flesh not getting what it wants. Our human ideas of what should happen are often frustrated. God sometimes asks us to hold his hand and walk humbly with him. We have to learn to walk by faith.

At the moment we understand God isn’t giving us the answers we want, we can go back to the prayer journal and re-read the words God has spoken to us. That might re-direct our focus and turn us back to where God has been leading.

Make It Plain

2011-10-05T07:03:00.000-07:00

Habakkuk 2:2

Then the Lord replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.”

I intend to listen when God speaks. We should all focus on his words when we hear God speaking to a specific situation in our lives. We can write it down to remember what he said.

When God speaks to a nation, it should be made plain so the common man can understand. When God moves in a nation, it will be obvious. It will be prophesied about so that when it happens, we can all say we remember what God said about that.

God sends messengers ahead of his acts so he can make us understand why everything is happening the way it is. He sent Joseph (Genesis 41) ahead of the famine so that the people could prepare for it and not starve to death. Joseph spoke plainly and powerfully so that it was obvious to Pharaoh that Joseph was speaking wisdom from the Spirit of God.

The phrase “make it plain” stands out to me in the verse above. If God tells you to write something for others to read, you know it will be something that will benefit others either by a warning or a blessing. The “herald” who will run with it has to be able to understand in order to pass it on to others.

Are you hearing from God? How are you making your revelations from God plain so that others will be blessed?

Correction Is Not For Fools

2011-09-28T08:57:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 1:1-7

The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: for gaining wisdom and instruction; for understanding words of insight; for receiving instruction in prudent behavior, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to those who are simple, knowledge and discretion to the young— let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance— for understanding proverbs and parables, the sayings and riddles of the wise. The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Correction is not for fools. Correction brings understanding and wisdom, but fools despise wisdom, so correction is wasted on them.

I’m so happy that you and I are not fools. We want to receive understanding and wisdom. If that were not true, you would not be reading this. And I would not be writing it.

God gives us the ability to study and decide what is right and what is wrong. We have a conscience and a brain, which are awesome gifts from God. So we should use our gifts and abilities to grow into the people God designed us to be.

What do you do?

That’s always been a hard question for me to answer. I’m busy at several things, but no one wants to hear everything I’m doing. Should I answer that question with something that sounds a little vague? “I’m growing into perfection because of God’s persistent love and guidance.” Or maybe this: “I’m continually receiving correction from God.” Is that a little too honest?

But isn’t that what we should be doing with our lives? Receiving correction from God?

The fact that we’re trying to walk the path of faith assumes we’re moving. As we move forward, we must correct our aim if we go too far left or right. Remember that the path is narrow and straight. We spend half our walk on the left foot and half on our right. The meanderings of our walk has nothing to do with our feet, but with our eyes.

Where is your aim? Are you seeking God with me?

Receiving Correction

2011-09-21T20:46:00.000-07:00

2 Cor 13:7

Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong.

That would be nice. I would love to go to bed at night knowing that I did nothing wrong. However, I haven’t felt that way since I was a blissfully ignorant child.

Since perfection is something that only God is able to achieve, I would like to give us all a little hope. There is something we can do right. We can get in and stay in a relationship with God.

At times, our legs walk the path of faith like a newborn horse walks. We’re a little awkward at first, but we learn to step with grace the more we practice our new walk.

We are humans, and humans fail. We make mistakes every day. Even when we do our best, it seems our best just isn’t good enough. As toddlers, we learned to walk, and fall, and get back up. So it is with our faith walk. We will promise God something like “I’ll read the Bible in a year.” When we get busy and forget our commitment, we seem to have failed.

But God is merciful. He holds out His hand to us and helps us get back on our feet. He reminds us of our commitment and whispers hope, “The year isn’t over.”

God is a God of healing, restoration, and forgiveness. He’s not watching us, waiting for us to fail so He can say, “I told you so.” He expects us to do what is right. He’s given us every tool we need and His holy presence to guide us along the way. He expects us to receive His correction and get back on the path.

Here’s more of that 2 Corinthians message:

2 Corinthians 13:5-7

Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? And I trust that you will discover that we have not failed the test. Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong—not so that people will see that we have stood the test but so that you will do what is right even though we may seem to have failed.

When you are being taught by more experienced people and you see them do something wrong, does that give you permission to ignore the rest of their teaching? Why did you start listening to them? If it was worth your time to follow their advice in the beginning, their mistakes should cause you to try harder to do nothing wrong, not give up. In all things, no matter what people are doing around us, we are to do what is right.

2 Corinthians 8:21

For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.

Being Teachable

2011-09-14T11:26:00.000-07:00

Psalm 143:10

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

I can learn to speak and write well, but if I have nothing to say, my expert skill means nothing. In 1 Corinthians 13:1, we read about a gong, clanging cymbal, or otherwise annoying sound being the same as anyone trying to be heard, but not trying to be loving in the midst of it. But don’t worry. God wants to teach us.

God gives His children many opportunities to receive His guidance. He gives us the gift of His Spirit. He is with us to teach us. If we can step out of our arrogant ways and learn to listen to Him, we’ll find our message to others will become more meaningful and better understood.

Jeremiah 15:19 Therefore this is what the LORD says: “If you repent, I will restore you that you may serve me; if you utter worthy, not worthless, words, you will be my spokesman. Let this people turn to you, but you must not turn to them.”

Receiving correction from God is a necessary step for our success. He can give us worthy words for our messages to others. We must have the attitude that when we’re obedient to God, we can change the world. Looking to the world for ways to change is not the pathway to success. We must not turn to them for instruction because God’s instruction is righteous, holy, and full of goodness. God’s words are wisdom to us.

No matter how smart we think we are, being teachable is the first step down the pathway that will change the world.

Obedient and Loving

2011-08-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

John 14:15

If you love me, keep my commands.

As a mother, I’ve given commands. I love it when my children do what I tell them to do. And I’ve learned to be patient when they groan. I know they don’t want to do chores. Who does? But I’m teaching them successful ways of doing important things. They’ll need to have these skills when they are out on their own.

When they realize that I’m giving them these chores because I love them, they obey with less groaning. It’s my job to make sure they see my loving attitude. I take them for treats or play their games with them. I laugh with them, sharing their joys and their triumphs. And they come to me for comfort when they’re hurt or scared.

I know that God gave me children to raise because he wanted me to see His love for me. I can see myself in my children. I can see how they trust me to help them and advise them. They do things they way I do things because they’ve been watching me.

If we can set our eyes on God and watch Him, we can begin doing things His way. We can see how Jesus treated those in need, and then we can be generous and caring just like Him. Our determination to seek God and develop a relationship with Him will help us keep His commands with less groaning.

We can see our faith rise up as we continue to obey God. We can see our love for God getting more intense as we set aside our ways and begin following His ways. God is always by us, helping us. He wants to encourage our steps and strengthen us when we fall.

Keeping God’s commands is something we have to train ourselves to do. Loving God is easy if we allow ourselves time to get to know Him.

So keep seeking God with me.

Obedient and Submitted

2011-08-17T08:18:00.000-07:00

John 14:14

You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

This is taken out of context most of the time. People want God to be their errand boy. We pray for God to bring us paychecks while we sit on the couch and watch soap operas. Then we blame God for our poverty because we prayed and he didn’t come through for us.

We do stupid things and then ask God to get us out of trouble. Often we use the phrase, “And I’ll even start going to church from now on if you do this for me.” Bargaining with God is not what Jesus had in mind when he said we could ask him for anything.

He was speaking to his disciples when he said they could ask him for anything. He knew they were imperfect. He knew they’d made plenty of mistakes and were sure to make more. But he also knew where their hearts were. They had been following him, learning from him, obeying him. They were sacrificing their way of doing things for his way of doing things. These men had a relationship with Jesus. That was the basis of his claim that they could ask him for anything.

So, can we, like his disciples, ask him for anything?

Sure. As long as we have a relationship with Jesus, learn from Jesus, obey his commands, and sacrifice our ways of doing things for his ways of doing things. Then certainly, ask away.

Obedient and Faith-filled

2011-08-10T07:30:00.000-07:00

John 14:12

Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.

This is very hard to understand from an earthly viewpoint. If you believe Jesus lived on Earth as the Son of God and did miracles given him to do by the Father in Heaven, it is hard to imagine regular people like you and me doing what Jesus did. Then Jesus said we’ll do greater things. We can’t even digest the concept of doing miracles. What “greater things”?

Just for a moment, let’s imagine Jesus wore today’s man-sandals and walked in the dust of Earth with us. We’re not really that different than his disciples from thousands of years ago. We have as many flaws and as much faith.

A big difference is that we don’t have Jesus in our faces telling us to follow him. We’re supposed to be hearing that from God as we read the Bible or while in church or with our kids at a picnic or …whatever. So let’s say that we had Jesus in our faces telling us to do things in today’s world.

If he told you to put the boat out in the water and start fishing, would you? If he told you to take a basket of tunafish sandwiches and feed thousands, would you? If he told you to pray for the healing of a woman who has been lame for years, would you?

Some of us would, but others still can’t imagine themselves obeying God in those kinds of commands. It isn’t such a big deal to obey the command to love the children God gave you. That’s pretty easy for most parents. But God isn’t a pick-and-choose God. He accepted us, and we should accept him. All of him.

When you accept God, you really should consider what you’re doing.

Some women can see God as the Prince Charming to our Cinderella. He finds us in our rags and loves us anyway. He chooses us even with our messy hair in our sooty faces because we’re his. All we have to do is allow him to give us new royal clothes and follow him in his royal ways.

But if God says to go to your step-mother and invite her to live in the suite next door at the castle because he wants to do a miracle in her heart, many of us would want to voice an opinion about that. How many times has God heard us say, “But God, you don’t understand. That’s just crazy. Her?”

And we wonder why we’re not doing miracles like Jesus did.

If we want to prove ourselves worthy of the words in John 14:12, we’ll have to obey God in the small things, in the big things, and in the crazy gotta-have-faith kinds of things. The key is our obedience.

And yes, God does miracles through his people every day. You can be one of them.

Obedient and Humble

2011-08-03T07:28:00.000-07:00

John 14:10

Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.

Jesus was never arrogant. However, we often fall into the arrogance trap. It’s easy. As children, when a parent helps us do something we could never have done on our own, we say, “I did it!” If a child pulls a piece of fruit from a tall tree limb because he was sitting on the shoulders of his dad, everyone knows that child didn’t do it on his own, but we congratulate the child on his accomplishment.

Jesus didn’t brag about his position with his Father, but he didn’t ignore his position either. A good phrase for us to learn is “with God’s help.” If we’re wise, we’ll realize that acknowledging God works to our benefit. It keeps us more humble, less arrogant.

Jesus acknowledged his Father often. If God told us to go pray for healing for someone, our obedience is God’s plan for that person’s healing. Our obedience to God’s command makes us participants in a miracle. But we can’t claim to be a Miracle Worker. Our job is only obedience to God. His job is to perform the miracle.

The closer we let God in, the farther away arrogance will be pushed.

Love Each Other

2011-07-27T06:58:00.000-07:00

John 15:17

This is my command: Love each other.

Summer is hot! Since the heat sometimes makes us a little cranky, it’s so easy to become selfish during the summer months. I wanna go to the beach. I want ice cream. I’m gonna watch TV all day.

We should take a moment and remember what is important. The reason we’re in our families is so we can bring our gifts into the mix. We can share with others the things we do well and enjoy blessing those around us.

As a parent, I try to raise my kids to love each other. I want to know that they’ll grow up enjoying each other, not trying to get each other back for something one has done to the other. Unforgiveness can be overcome with love. Crankiness can be overcome with love.

When I read John 15:17, I picture Jesus telling his guys that these three words are too important to overlook. It’s not chit-chat. It’s a command. Love each other. I can even picture his face. I’m sure his words carried power that vibrated in each of their bodies. I’m sure his face was gentle, but so serious that no one would dare take his words for granted.

God’s love is a powerful weapon against darkness. If you’re on the side of hate and fighting against someone whose weapon is God’s love, your surrender turns a loser into a winner. When you give in to love, you’ve won more than you could realize. That moment of loss opens the eyes of the loser and helps him see the real power of love.

With practice, anyone can become proficient with this weapon. But it takes discipline.

Love each other. It’s a command that heals wounds and makes friends out of enemies.

Friends

2011-07-06T08:10:00.000-07:00

John 15:14

You are my friends if you do what I command.

My husband and I celebrated a milestone anniversary this year. He and I have a lot of years invested in our relationship. We met when I was in seventh grade. We became friends in our church youth group and did a lot together in our large group.

I like reading books and seeing movies where friends turn to each other and fall in love. I have a long list of favorite movies, but two on the list are Gigi and Sabrina (with Harrison Ford). In these two movies, the hero has been around the heroine long enough to know her really well. Over time, their relationship changes, and he realizes that she’s the only one who could make him happy.

Since I’ve experienced a relationship like that, I want to encourage all couples to be friends first. I know how stabilizing that kind of a relationship is. A friendship is even important to God.

Jesus, knowing what he was about to do for his friends, gave them a command to love each other as he has loved them. That apparently wasn’t strong enough for them to really understand what he meant. The next verse was stronger. He told them, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Few people would willingly lay down their lives for strangers or even neighbors they’d barely met. I think a man would more likely sacrifice his life for his friends. If I had only gone on one date with my husband instead of marrying him, he wouldn’t give up his life for me. The deepening of our relationship over time has created such a closeness between us that I would believe my husband’s words if he ever told me that he’d lay down his life for me.

Once the disciples heard this life-threatening commitment of love, they understood what he meant when he said, “You are my friends if you do what I command.”

Will you accept that kind of friendship with God? Tell him.

Prepare for Love

2011-06-29T19:26:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 40:3-5

A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

This month, I’ve mentioned becoming spiritually aware and allowing God to shine his light through you so you can do the good works he designed you to do. But none of that makes any sense if you don’t have a relationship with God.

Nobody welcomes a door-to-door salesman into their home and throws an impromptu party for him. Mostly because they don’t know the salesman.

If someone is suspicious and distrustful of God, that’s usually because they don’t know him. Getting to know God takes time, but God makes it pretty easy for us. There are a lot of descriptions of God in the Bible. Each one of them agrees that God is love. He is a special kind of peaceful love. A love that is very powerful. A protecting love. A passionate love.

He is the kind of God you want to make room for in your life. If you heard someone down the street yelling that God was coming to your house, you’d want to prepare for him, but you wouldn’t have a lot of time.

You couldn’t go out and buy new furniture or order a catered dinner. All you have time to do is straighten the rug. If you’re tempted to hide behind the door and not answer because of what he may see, don’t worry. He already knows what’s in there. He knows who you are and what you have, and he’s interested in you.

With him about to knock on your door, all you can do is prepare to welcome him. Your mountain of laundry cannot get in the way. Your rough schedule will have to be cleared. In order to welcome him, you must take a moment and quiet your heart.

Prepare to receive encouragement from him, expect instruction from him. But know that whatever he reveals to you will change your heart. If you prepare to receive God’s presence, he will feel welcomed. If he feels welcomed, he will reveal something of himself to you, and you won’t be the only one who sees what God reveals.

It might not be like when Moses came down the mountain after being in the presence of God. Everyone could see the light of God still shining on his face. With you, it might be that people will be able to tell that you’ve been with God because of the love showing up in your attitudes and actions.

Prepare a place in your heart for God and see what happens.

Good Works

2011-06-22T19:07:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 2:8-10

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. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Today I dropped my daughter off at the church bus headed to summer camp. She was packed and ready for new adventures this morning. But after weeks of high heat outside and no rain, this morning it rained. We were in slow traffic because of large road puddles. At times like these, everyone has to use an extra measure of patience. We were in a hurry to get to the bus because we didn’t want to be the ones holding everyone else up, delaying their trip. We eventually arrived – and we weren’t the last ones there either. Before I left her, I reminded her to support her friends as they all three tried to quench any teen “attitude” in their group. I think they’ll be fine.

Saying goodbye this morning was exciting. We both knew she’d have lots of fun stories to tell when she got home. So now I sit at home and wait to hear how she served others and how she learned more about herself in the process.

She’s doing good works.

She knows she was created for good works. God gave her a generous heart, a calm personality, and a stable willingness to obey instructions. Often, she brings good things to an emotional experience.

We all have our God-ordained good works to do. As we see the needs of others around us, we can see that some of those needs are issues we can help with and some we can’t help with. We have to listen to God speaking to our hearts. Is God telling you to help your friend or neighbor or does he want you free to do something else? Seeking God is a daily thing.

You were created to do good works. You were not saved by works, but for them. You were created to be unique and different so that you can do the good works which were designed specifically for a person with your talents.

Listening to God on a regular basis gets us in a habit of obedience and success. You can’t do everything. Not by yourself. But you can do what you were created to do.

Do you have a moment for God? Seek Him now.

Shine the Light

2011-06-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 60:1-3

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.

When you are being noticed for doing good, recognize that you are a flashlight shining in a dark room. Without the batteries, or the power of God in your life, you can’t shine your light.

Many people think that if they are talented enough, nations will come to their light. If they could just sing really well or dance or play an instrument well enough, everyone would notice them and life would be good.

But they are mistaken. When God’s light shines through us, that brightness makes everything else pale and dim. God’s light helps us see what is true and what is false. The light of God shining through us is big enough to heal bodies, bright enough to mend relationships, and strong enough to put out the fires of hell.

So if you use your gifts to help others, you are able to allow God’s light into the situation. Don’t ever think you can’t shine your light. No matter what your talent is, your light is bright when you let God shine through you.

You were created to shine, so shine.

What is your prayer? Share it with Him now.

Need a Revelation?

2011-06-08T08:01:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 1:18

I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you.

Look around and be aware. But use your heart. How, you ask?

Spiritual awareness is something we can develop. It’s something we should develop. But we are seeing technology taking over our lives like never before. Keeping up with technology advances is hard on our wallets and our calendars. We have to spend money getting the latest gadgets and the latest software, and then we have to spend time learning how to use it. If we cut back on our tech-playtime and spent more time developing our spiritual sensitivity, we’d be better equipped to handle our hectic lives.

We pray things like “God, help me get through this difficult time,” but then we don’t listen to Him.

God hears your prayers. And He wants to help you. But He needs your participation. You have to listen to Him.

God may show you some unusually insightful concepts so that your heart understands things like never before. When you suddenly understand a spiritual truth and say, “I see!”, know that God gave you that revelation so that you would know where you stand with Him. He wants us all to know how precious we are to Him. He wants us to know our place. We’re supposed to be standing with Jesus Christ far above all powers and dominions, but under His rule. With Him in the power of His mighty strength, but under Him who was appointed to be head over everything for the church.

What is your prayer? Share it with Him now.

To Be Blessed

2011-03-02T07:45:00.000-08:00

Deuteronomy 28:2-3

All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God: You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

We must recognize that not every opportunity that comes our way is from God. If we choose to accept opportunities according to what God wants us to have or do, we’ll see those opportunities turn into blessings.

Blessings of all kinds come from God. Children are blessings. A promotion at work and a special card from a friend are blessings too. God knows how to bless you in every situation. Our job is to do what He says so that our hands will be ready to accept His blessings. But what do we do with blessings when we get them?

Some blessings may seem more like challenges, like parenting for instance. It isn’t always fun and games. Sometimes a parent must discipline the child, enforce consequences, or put up freedom-inhibiting barriers. Just saying no to a child is sometimes a challenge. But if you stay with God and obey Him, you’ll see how God can help you through those challenges. The blessing of being a parent is a gift from God. And it’s an opportunity to give to others.

Blessings from God are eternal. He doesn’t give us blessings so we can toss them on the ground and ignore them. We’re supposed to enjoy what God gives us. Using His blessings to help others is our gift to God.

Making Changes

2011-02-23T07:45:00.000-08:00

Matthew 6:6

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then you Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

This weekend on Blogging Domino, I’m reviewing a classic film which shows the trouble that goes with adding a computer to a non-computerized business. It’s a comedy which is funnier today than it was when it was first released. Technology helps us communicate more effectively today than ever before. But I think this film shows that technology isn’t all you need. We need relationships.

Our relationship with God will be the protective influence when we deal with today’s technology. God gives us guidance, wisdom, and help making decisions if we will seek Him. He isn’t against all technology, but expects us to use the wisdom He makes available.

Sometimes our goal should be to cut back on all computers, phones, and other tools so that we can communicate more effectively without distractions. The verse above from Matthew mentions praying in a room, in secret. The Old Testament shows a picture of a prayer room when we read about Daniel (chapter six) in an upstairs room where he prayed. However, he didn’t pray in secret. The windows were open. Probably no air conditioning.

Today, you and I can go into a bedroom, closet, bathroom, or other enclosed space and pray without distractions. My husband took an upstairs room of our house and turned it into his prayer room. When he needed uninterrupted time with God, he let me know to keep the kids occupied elsewhere so he could pray and listen for God’s answers.

Having a room or park bench or some specific place where you can go to pray by yourself will help you focus on what God wants to say to you. Take your Bible with you and maybe a pad of notepaper and a pen to write what God is guiding you to do. Some people have a prayer journal where they record their prayer requests, answers, and ideas they get from God.

Many people see texting as a relationship-enhancing tool, but with God, there isn’t a need for texting. You can get his attention anywhere you go. He’s never too busy, and his battery never needs to be charged.

Close Your Mouth

2011-02-16T07:05:00.000-08:00

Romans 7:15-18

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.

Doesn’t that verse sum up our feelings about trying to do what is right. This world we live in has so many temptations to sin. So many. We have to be on our guard all the time to train ourselves to say no to doing the wrong thing. We have to develop a stubbornness about doing the right thing. But even when we want to do the right thing, we end up doing the wrong thing because we are weak.

Super Bowl Sunday is a day known for parties. People gather around the TV and snack on fattening foods for a few hours. Many of those people have departed from their January resolution to lose weight. They don’t want to overeat, but they do it anyway. Discipline needs a little help sometimes. I tried to limit my food intake that day, but after the game was over, I found a weakness for the carrot cake my husband offered me. I didn’t need it, but I ate it. It was delicious.

One thing I can always count on is the mercy and forgiveness of God. His love is stronger than my ability to be tempted. It always has been and always will be. All I have to do is stay connected to Him. He is willing to strengthen me, if I am willing to run to Him. The bond I develop with Him helps me destroy the power of temptation. But if I stop seeking God, it’s so much easier for temptation to get the better of me.

My plan is to continue to seek God and continue to develop my relationship with Him. Won’t you join me?

A Couple In Love

2011-02-09T07:03:00.000-08:00

Ruth 3:18

Then Naomi said, “Wait, my daughter, until you find out what happens. For the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”

Ruth and Boaz are often mentioned in the Bible as a couple who showed love for each other. However, weddings which incorporate the verse from Ruth 1:16 are mistaken if they make it sound like the verse showed Ruth’s devotion to Boaz. “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay” is something Ruth said to her mother-in-law after she joined her in widowhood.

The two women returned to Naomi’s homeland where Ruth saw Boaz as she worked in his fields. Boaz had noticed her among all the workers and spoke kindly to her. I imagine the way he looked at her might have made her blush. He determined later as he woke up and found her at his feet on the threshing floor that he would do all he could to protect her, even marry her.

Chapter four of the book of Ruth gives us the result of Ruth’s and Boaz’s faithfulness. Verse eleven tells us that the witnesses of the engagement of Ruth and Boaz blessed them with, “May the LORD make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel.” Verse eleven also mentions Bethlehem, the city of David. “May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem.” It seems the witnesses knew what they were talking about because Ruth gave birth to King David’s grandfather.

Happy Month of Love!

Mentoring

2011-02-02T07:32:00.000-08:00

1 Timothy 6:11-12

Command and teach these things. Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.

Paul wrote his first letter to Timothy and called him “my true son in the faith”. Paul was a mentor and father-figure to Timothy. He gave advice and told Timothy to command certain things and explained with “The goal of this command is love”.

Timothy was instructed by Paul to urge others to “be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” This is a command people from all walks of life can receive. This can be obeyed by young and old alike. Pre-school children can learn this.

It doesn’t matter what neighborhood you’re from. If you’re interested in doing God’s will, this is a good place to start.

As a parent, I’m trying to teach my kids to be considerate and have a generous attitude. When they become adults, I’d love for them to be able to recognize opportunities to give to others. My job is to “command and teach these things” to my children so that when they’re adults, they can teach from their own experience.

Making Them Pay

2011-01-26T08:11:00.000-08:00

Exodus 14:27-28

Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen—the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.

Pharaoh took six hundred of his best chariots as well as other chariots, horsemen, and troops, and he caught up with the Israelites as they camped by the Red Sea. The people looked to Moses for answers when they noticed the armies of Egypt coming at them. Moses told them to trust God and walk across the sea to the other side. Then God dried a path for them at the bottom of the Red Sea, and millions of people and livestock made it all the way across before Pharaoh and his men caught up. The Israelites had no trouble with their animals and wagons, but the Egyptians were thrown into confusion. The chariot wheels jammed and slowed the Egyptians' movement across the sea. When the Israelites were safe, God released the water back into its place so that Pharaoh’s army was drowned.

I can imagine that more than one of the Israelites thought the Egyptians had gotten what they deserved. They were paying for their crimes against the innocent. The Israelites probably remembered the harsh treatment they had endured as slaves as they listened to the water rushing back into place.

When we are wronged we sometimes want to see our enemies pay for what they did to us. Some of us remember part of the verse in Romans 12, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” We might remember those words and pray for God to make an example of them like he did with the Egyptians who rode into the Red Sea after Moses.

But there is another story that we should also remember. In the book of Luke, there was a man who took his beatings and didn’t pray for God to make his enemies pay. He endured the pain and humiliation, knowing he hadn’t done anything to deserve it, but didn’t hate those who hated him. This innocent victim wasn’t really a victim, but a savior, Jesus. He prayed, “Father, forgive them.”

Sometimes trouble comes on the troublemakers because of their own foolishness, carelessness, and stupidity. We don’t have to make people pay for what they do to us. Many criminals wake up and realize they’re living in a hell they created for themselves.

When I look at God, I see someone who wants to show mercy. He is just, but he also loves the people he created. Every one of us makes mistakes, but God still holds out his hand to us. How can we elbow our way past God so we can make our enemies pay, but expect God to see us as innocent?

The Israelites didn’t take out their own revenge. They saw God’s vengeance. We also can follow God and watch him deal with our enemies for us. But it might not look like a drowning in the Red Sea. When God confronts criminals, he can change enemies into brothers.

God Bless the Old Folks

2011-01-19T07:14:00.000-08:00

2 Kings 2: 23

From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeered at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!”

Many families teach their children to respect their elders. However, too many kids fall through the cracks and miss that teaching. I’ve seen rude children in public places where the parent in charge doesn’t have control over the children.

Respect should be taught in homes, churches, and schools. It isn’t about religion or culture. It’s about one human showing regard for another.

But again, there are those who missed that teaching.

In the story of Elisha the prophet, a mob of boys came from town and met him along the road. Common sense would suggest they’d either greet him or say nothing and be about their business. I don’t know what those boys were doing or where they were going, but about forty-two of those boys wished they’d practiced using their manners that day. The boys showed their disrespect and bad judgment when they called out to Elisha, saying “Baldy!”

When two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of them, I don’t think those boys ever considered what they did to be a crime worth that kind of punishment. Did the others learn their lesson? Oh, I hope so.

If we practice respect and obedience, we’ll get better at it. God can help us learn without getting mauled by bears. But we have to listen to Him. We have to seek Him.

Accusing the Innocent

2011-01-12T07:51:00.000-08:00

Genesis 44:8

We even brought back to you from the land of Canaan the silver we found inside the mouths of our sacks. So why would we steal silver or gold from your master’s house?

Joseph and his brothers were at odds with each other when Joseph was young. When he was an adult, Joseph had an opportunity to bring his family together and spare their lives in a time of famine. But he gathered his family in an unusual way.

The brothers, though innocent, were accused of stealing from Pharaoh.

Why would Joseph accuse his brothers of a crime they didn’t commit? Didn’t he already know what it felt like to be taken advantage of? Didn’t he know two wrongs don’t make a right? Why would a God-fearing man use his power and authority to put an innocent man in jail?

Joseph worked out a complex scheme to make them bring their youngest brother and their father to him, knowing they’d forgive him once they heard all the facts. Because he knew his brothers and his father, he knew he couldn’t just say hello and ask them to relocate to be near him. Their history together had made it plain that in order to fix their relationships, some complicated maneuvering had to be done. Nothing had been simple in that family.

Joseph had to gain their respect, prove his authority, and show his love. Funny how God works to show us that we are forgiven – even through unusual circumstances.

Read more about this in the book of Genesis as you seek God with me.

Stopping the Villain

2011-01-05T07:21:00.000-08:00

Esther 2:22

But Mordecai found out about the plot and told Queen Esther, who in turn reported it to the king, giving credit to Mordecai.

Mordecai was a hero. He not only stopped a plot to assassinate the king, but also helped save an entire race of people. According to Esther 10:3, Mordecai, who was a Jew and not of the same nationality as the king, became second in rank to the king because he spoke up for the good of others.

He sounds similar to Joseph who also was promoted to second highest rank in the nation he served. Mordecai and Joseph, though they were both of a different nationality than their bosses, saved their families from certain death. Joseph’s family would’ve starved, but Mordecai’s would’ve died by the hand of their enemies because of the evil Haman who had tricked the king into approving the destruction of the Jews.

Mordecai’s wisdom guided Queen Esther’s steps as both of them played their part in the successful campaign against Haman.

Queen Esther’s story is much more than a Cinderella story because of Mordecai’s influence in her life. Her life before she became queen prepared her for the role she would play in saving her people. She made sure Mordecai was given credit for his righteous acts. When the king was reminded of Mordecai’s heroism, it wasn’t long before the villain was defeated.

Mordecai was a hero, not because of his glimmering smile and well-muscled body, but because of his integrity, intelligence, wisdom, and reverence for the king. I don’t know what Mordecai looked like, but I do know what he acted like. Mordecai was a man of honor.

You can read this riveting story in the book of Esther as you seek God with me.

Who Can Rescue A Child?

2010-12-15T07:35:00.000-08:00

Exodus 2:5

Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it.

It’s Christmastime and the phrase spoken in stores all over America is “I need that.” Everyone has needs. Even Pharaoh’s daughter, someone who had all she ever wanted, still had a need. As soon as she saw Baby Moses in the Nile, she thought to herself, “I need that.”

Pharaoh’s daughter found Baby Moses riding in a basket in the reeds along the Nile. She knew the boy was one of the Hebrew babies. She knew she was saving his life by pulling him from the water. Because of her authority as the daughter of Pharaoh, she could have whatever she wanted. She wanted to keep the baby and raise it as her own. Moses was adopted by a woman who picked him out as someone she could save.

If you could have whatever you wanted, whom would you save?

My sister raised her daughter and enjoyed her daughter’s wedding. Now that her house is empty, she rescued an abandoned dog. She received the dog from someone who was looking for a good home for the dog. Not just any new owner would do. You see, the dog is deaf.

Pharaoh’s daughter had to adjust to her new circumstances when she adopted Baby Moses. My sister and her dog had to adjust to each other and give each other time and patience. When you accept someone new into your life, love makes the road less rocky. The give and take of getting used to new circumstances requires mercy and forgiveness. Moses grew up with a mother who loved him and protected him. She could’ve let him float down the Nile and die, but she wanted him.

If you saw someone who needed to be rescued, would you have anything to give?

You don’t have to adopt children to save someone, but it’s a good option. You don’t have to rescue a dog to show love, but that might be a good decision for you. It doesn’t take money and prestige to deliver slightly used blankets to a homeless shelter. If you found out about a family who was having trouble making ends meet, could you give a hot meal or a gift card to them?

This is a good time to inventory the many blessings we have and see if there are things we could give away among them. This is a good time to help someone else have a very merry Christmas.

A Reunion of Children

2010-12-08T10:24:00.000-08:00

Genesis 45:6-7

For two years now there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years there will be no plowing and reaping. But God sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

In Genesis, chapters 37 through 50, Joseph’s story is told. In chapter 42, Joseph recognized his brothers after a long absence. He remembered his dreams about them and questioned them, using an interpreter so they wouldn’t know he could understand them. He sent them after the youngest brother who had stayed at home with their father. When all the brothers had come back, Joseph revealed himself to them and wept over seeing his youngest brother again.

After telling his brothers about the famine that should last a few more years, he sent them to get their father and bring him so no one in his family should be destitute. Joseph’s father, Jacob (aka Israel), was shocked that Joseph wasn’t dead as his brothers had claimed many years ago. The brothers told their father all that had happened and he answered, “I’m convinced! My son Joseph is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.”

When all his family arrived, Joseph helped them get settled in Goshen where they could tend their sheep. Jacob (Israel) was 130 years old when he moved to Goshen. He lived seventeen more years there knowing God had taken care of all his sons, even the one he thought had died. Joseph was glad God brought his brothers to him to begin this last season with family.

Is there someone you want to see again before you die? Is there something you must do or say while you still have the chance?

The days between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve are opportunities for many people to reconnect with loved ones they haven’t seen in a long time. This is the season to say or do what you’ve been meaning to say or do. If you haven’t had the chance to see that older relative, make time for that in your busy holiday schedule.

Joseph had another seventeen years with his father. You might not have that long. Give love today while you have the chance.

Children Hear From God

2010-12-01T06:53:00.000-08:00

1 Samuel 3:19

The Lord was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground.

When Samuel first began hearing from God, he was just a boy. He didn’t know what was happening. He went to Eli to ask why Eli was calling his name. Eli caught on after Samuel came into his room the third time. He said, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” When Samuel heard his name being called again, he obeyed Eli. Then the Lord told him about Eli’s family. When Eli asked him what God had said, he told Eli. But Eli wasn’t angry. He knew God would do what he’d said.

Samuel grew up hearing God and obeying him.

If we’ll spend as much time as Samuel in worship, dedicating ourselves to God, we can hear from God too.

Another Devoted Mom

2010-11-24T07:16:00.000-08:00

1 Samuel 1:10

In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly.

How do you get what you want?

Throwing a fit doesn’t work very often. It only makes onlookers put more space between them and you. Those tears a wasted.

But the tears of the devoted are never wasted. One who is devoted to something important sheds tears only when they cannot be held back. The face of the devoted shows strength and wisdom. Tears power down those cheeks, determined to leave tracks, determined to change what has been.

Can a strong woman stay strong when she’s being teased and irritated by an opponent? Hannah could. She went to God and trusted Him. After years of being barren, Hannah wept before the Lord and diligently prayed without a sound. Such a scene was so odd that she was seen as a drunken woman, not a prayerful one.

Hannah told the priest that she was praying out of her anguish and grief. He answered, “Go in peace, and may the God of Israel grant you what you have asked of him.” Hannah’s tears were powerful.

She stopped weeping and trusted that God had heard her prayers. In verse 27, she told the priest when she presented her son to him, “I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him.” Then in chapter two, she gave a ten-verse prayer in praise of God. The Lord also gave Hannah three other sons and two daughters. And she saw her firstborn son, Samuel, as he grew up in the service of the Lord.

Hannah’s devotion paid off for her and for Samuel.

Devoted to Prayer

2010-11-17T08:53:00.000-08:00

Daniel 6:13

Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.”

Daniel was one of several young men taken into the service of the king of Babylon after the king of Judah had lost a war. The young men chosen to serve the king were smart and strong and easily learned the Babylonian language.

However, Daniel was also one of the young men who was wise enough to get permission when he wanted to depart from the king’s plans. He had understanding, wisdom, and a pleasant persuasiveness that showed the king that Daniel and his friends were special. The king made it possible for Daniel and his friends to continue worshipping their God.

When the king found out that Daniel was able to help him understand his dreams because God told him what to say, the king rewarded him with gifts and high position in the kingdom. After the king died and his son became the ruler, Daniel interpreted a mystery for him and was promoted to the third highest position in the kingdom. When King Darius took over, Daniel was given high rank, with many administrators and satraps accountable to his authority.

These men found that Daniel was praying a different way, diligently praying to a different God. They encouraged King Darius to throw into the lions’ den anyone who prays to anyone other than the king. The king agreed, but was distressed to find out that Daniel had been praying to his God three times each day and had not stopped. Even though he wanted to, the king couldn’t stop them from throwing Daniel into the lions’ den, according to the king’s decree.

When King Darius found out the next morning that Daniel had survived his punishment, King Darius let Daniel out and had the men who had accused Daniel thrown into the lions’ den.

Daniel had experienced a lifetime of praying to God. He knew of God’s power and mercy. No one could do what Daniel did unless they had an intimate relationship with God. Most people don’t rely on God’s wisdom and guidance if he’s a stranger to them.

Prayer was a necessary part of life for Daniel. He knew God was with him. So if God was with him, why not talk to him? Why not access the wisdom that was involved with the creation of the universe?

When you and I are devoted to prayer as Daniel was, our relationship with God will improve. And no matter what comes against us, we can stay in contact with Almighty God. Daniel went through several threats against his life, but never doubted God’s power to save.

We can bring God’s light and life to our communities. We can be as steadfast as Daniel. But we must keep seeking God.

Devoted Builders

2010-11-10T07:17:00.000-08:00

Genesis 6:8

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

Noah was devoted to building the ark. It was his getaway vehicle in an evil world. God gave Noah clear instructions for building the ark, using cypress wood and pitch. The ark had to be big enough for all the animals and all the food they would need for an unusually long rainy season.

Because he was righteous and diligent, Noah not only got a chance to ride in the biggest boat he’d ever seen, but he also got to make it. A lot of guys these days spend hours in the garage, working on projects. Noah’s garage wasn’t nearly big enough for his project. God told him, “You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive. You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.”

I read that section of the chapter and immediately compared my packing list for our family vacations. If we go camping, we generally don’t take a TV or computer. We have to amuse ourselves with checking out our surroundings. My guess is that Noah and his family probably made pets of some of the animals. They didn’t have any board games for family night. They didn’t have time for it since they spent much of their time shoveling and cleaning the animal pens. I can’t imagine what they used as a garden hose to wash down the place and keep it smelling livable.

I think God took all that into consideration and gave Noah a lot more instruction than is in the Bible. Noah was successful at his enormous carpentry project because, as it says in Genesis 6:22, “Noah did everything just as God commanded him.” His obedience paid off in a big way.

It’s easy to see that Noah was a devoted builder, but it’s also easy to see that God is a devoted builder.

God has been devoted to building up his people for a long time. He’s dedicated beyond measure. He’s been patient with our weaknesses. He’s brought us back from our distractions. And he won’t stop until he sees the finished product he’s been building toward.

God cares deeply about us, and is probably waiting for us to turn to him with a heart like Noah’s and start doing everything “just as God commanded.”

A Devoted Mother

2010-11-03T08:20:00.000-07:00

Matthew 15:27

“Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”

In Matthew 15:21-28, I read the story of a woman who cried out to Jesus instead of trying to find the name of a good therapist or giving up on her daughter. She’d heard about Jesus. She knew from the reports of others that he was kind and generous. He would help her daughter.

When she finally had the opportunity to speak to him, I imagine she was a little emotional. I would’ve been. I’m a mother too. I sometimes get emotional when I want the best for my children and find getting their needs met is a little more of a struggle than I’d anticipated.

Jesus didn’t make it easy for her. He didn’t even answer at first.

The woman was determined. This opportunity was not going to pass her by. She was going to keep after it until she accomplished her goal. All she wanted was for her daughter to be well and whole. That’s what any mother wants.

When she answered him with the line about eating crumbs from the table, that got my attention. She wasn’t asking for a personal appearance from him. She didn’t moan and whine and say, “If only Jesus would come to my house and lay his hand on my daughter and speak to her and pray with everyone in the family, then everything would be okay.” She didn’t ask him to do a miracle in front of her to reassure her that he was the right one to talk to. The mother just wanted his word.

Whenever Jesus found someone who had the wisdom to simply believe what he said, he was always thrilled.

Good, Bad, and Ugly

2010-10-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend at Blogging Domino, I’ll post my review of The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. It’s a really long movie from 1966 with memorable music and extreme close ups. When I think of the movie’s title, I think of three people in the Bible.

Matthew chapter 8 tells the story of when Jesus went to Capernaum and a centurion told Jesus his servant was suffering. When Jesus offered to go heal the servant, the centurion said to him, “But just say the word, and my servant will be healed.” Matthew 8:10 tells us, “When Jesus heard this, he was astonished and said to those following him, ‘I tell you the truth, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith.’” The centurion showed the kind of faith Jesus was looking for in his own followers. Can you imagine having the kind of faith that would astonish Jesus?

At the crucifixion of Jesus, two robbers hung on crosses beside him, one on his right and one on his left. In Luke 23:39 we read, “One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: ‘Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!’” The second criminal fussed at the first and reminded him that, unlike them, Jesus had done nothing wrong. The second criminal believed what he’d heard about Jesus. The first spent his last hours hanging next to the Savior who would receive all who believed in him, but the criminal insulted him and passed up his last chance to change his mind. Can you imagine seeing Jesus face to face while he’s taking on the sins of the world – and saying no to him?

Jesus met a demon-possessed man who lived in the tombs. The man had been chained, but was too strong for anyone to keep him bound. So he went among the tombs and hills crying out and cutting himself. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he knew immediately who Jesus was. The demons spoke through the man and begged Jesus not to make them leave the area. At the command of Jesus, the demons left the man and entered a herd of pigs until they drowned in the lake. The man wanted to stay with Jesus, but Jesus wouldn’t let him. Mark 5:20 tells us, “So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.”

What did these three have in common? They each saw Jesus and had the opportunity to speak to and receive from the one who was God in human form. But they all responded to him differently.

I don’t want to ask whether you are good, bad, or ugly. However, I do want to ask a more important question.

How are you responding to God?

A Time To Hate

2010-10-20T08:55:00.000-07:00

Ecclesiastes 3:8

a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.

There is a time for everything. A specific time. We teach our kids to love and not hate, but the Bible clearly shows us that there is a time for hate.

The wrong time to hate is when God has given direction and we want to do something else. Psalm 50:17 “You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you.” We need to find a way to love God’s instruction and change our selfish priorities. When we hear God’s correction either through the Holy Spirit or through a loving person who sees that we need to be redirected, we should thank them for correcting our steps so we don’t fall. Proverbs 12:1 “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates correction is stupid.”

Those who refuse to accept instruction and correction may turn a whim into a firm habit of sin. Firm habits are ruts, and ruts are hard to get out of. We make excuses for ourselves. We rationalize and justify our sin until it becomes hard for us to see. We become so blind to it, it’s hard for us to admit it was ever sin. Psalm 36:2 “For in his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin.”

We should remind ourselves everyday that we are not perfect, but God is. We should keep our ears ready for God’s correction so that we don’t end up blind to sin and hating God and all who love Him. Psalm 81:15 “Those who hate the Lord would cringe before him, and their punishment would last forever.”

The time to hate is when we are tempted to sin. If we would allow ourselves to hate the sin every time the sin invites our participation, we would dig a rut of righteousness by standing firm and not following after sin.

In Romans 12:9, we are told plainly, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.”

The Desert

2010-10-13T07:47:00.000-07:00

Exodus 16:3

The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death."

The Bible never tells us how many times Moses rolled his eyes at those he was supposed to lead. Their grumbling, disobedience, and lack of faith tested the patience of both Moses and God.

Moses was different and surprisingly bold, and he was familiar with his enemy. A triple threat. He knew what God wanted him to do and say, so he obeyed God. The miracles he performed didn’t go to his head. He knew without God’s hand on him, he wasn’t able to impress anyone. Not the way he needed to impress the Hebrew people. God gave him a way to lead those people out of Egypt, even though they later complained that they at least were able to eat while in Egypt.

When Pharaoh ceased being the enemy, the people became their own worst enemy. They caused problems for themselves in the wilderness. But God kept his hand on them and helped them defeat the armies that came against them.

Are we still grumbling against God? Are we still trying to justify our disobedience today?

And yet, God has helped us too.

Rebuilding

2010-10-06T08:06:00.000-07:00

Nehemiah 2:17

Then I said to them, "You see the trouble we are in: Jerusalem lies in ruins, and its gates have been burned with fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, and we will no longer be in disgrace."

When something important to you is damaged, you find the energy to rebuild. You find the materials and the creativity to put things back the way they’re supposed to be. You find the determination to complete the project.

What you don’t do is give up. Ever.

God gave Nehemiah the energy, supplies, and determination to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. They had to fight off the temptation to quit. They fought distractions, but couldn’t quit until the walls were complete. They knew God was with them, and He knew what the enemy was up to.

I keep thinking that our God-given jobs and gifts and talents should make it easy for us to be successful. Could it be that God allows us to fight for the right to complete what he told us to do?

If someone mocks you while you exhaust yourself in the process of rebuilding, what is your response? Does the command of God to do the work fill you with a powerful peace that comes with the knowledge that God is with you?

Nehemiah went through a lot to complete the project. You might have to put up with a lot, but that doesn’t mean God’s not in it.

Even in the hard times, God is with you. So don’t quit.

Jesus on the Road to Emmaus

2010-09-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

Luke 24:27

And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.

After Jesus had been crucified, a few men were walking down a road on their way to Emmaus. Jesus came to them and asked what they were talking about, but they didn’t know who he was. They figured he was from out of town and had just arrived, so he couldn’t know what had just happened. But after they gave him an overview of the local news, Jesus reminded them of things they already knew. Before he explained everything to them, he asked, “Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?”

Jesus was patient with them and taught them that what they were witnesses to had been prophesied by men of earlier generations. He didn’t call them fools and walk off in disgust. He persevered and built up the disheartened men and gave them reasons to believe the truth. Because of the passion and tenacity of Jesus, the men didn’t want him to leave when they arrived where they were going. So Jesus surprised them with a creative way to take his leave.

No one could’ve talked them out of believing what they’d experienced. They’d encountered the risen Lord who took the time to help them understand the context of what they’d been through.

Going to church is one way to seek God. Reading the Bible is another way to seek God. But I recommend doing everything you can do to help your mind to understand the bigger context of what you’re going through. The men on their way to Emmaus knew the scriptures and discussed the possibilities of what God was doing, but needed Jesus to tie it all together for them. Without God’s input, our foolish minds won’t get the big picture.

Luke 24:45 shows how we should begin our Bible reading time. “Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures.” We should begin by asking God for understanding. There are a lot of things in the Bible that I need God to explain to me. He will have to open my mind to some things I don’t understand. And while I wait for him to open my mind in those areas, I will keep seeking Him.

Jesus in the Temple

2010-09-15T07:58:00.000-07:00

Luke 19:47

Every day he was teaching at the temple. But the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the leaders among the people were trying to kill him.

Did Jesus teach like the religious leaders of his day?

No, he did not. He did things differently and got the attention of his target audience. He also got the attention of his “competitors” and their crowd.

Did Jesus teach his disciples in such a way as to encourage them to do things they’d never dreamed of doing?

Yes. He prepared them to heal people, raise the dead, and make friends out of enemies.

From Mark 12:35, “While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts, he asked…”

From John 18:20, “'I have spoken openly to the world,' Jesus replied. 'I always taught in synagogues or at the temple, where all the Jews come together. I said nothing in secret.'”

From Matthew 21:23, “Jesus entered the temple courts, and, while he was teaching, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to him.”

From Matthew 26:55, “At that time Jesus said to the crowd, ‘Am I leading a rebellion, that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I sat in the temple courts teaching, and you did not arrest me.’”

It seems the religious leaders of that day were not interested in learning from Jesus as he sat in the temple, teaching all who would stop and listen.

A willingness to learn and a lot of effort will take you a long way. For instance, learning a new language may be difficult, but anyone can learn a new language if the willingness to listen to good instruction and obey it is there. When you think about it, the disciples that followed Jesus were learning a new language, the language of faith and love. They already knew the language of their past jobs: fishing, tax collecting, etc. Jesus taught about being a peacemaker, having compassion for strangers, forgiving your enemy, and believing God can use you as an instrument of healing.

If anyone doesn’t grow up around love, learning about God’s love is like learning a new language. It may be daunting at first, but if there is a diligence and determination to understand, Love can be learned.

So that’s what Jesus taught. He taught to all ages, both genders, whether they were religious or not. He wanted to spread the message from his Father, the message of “peace on earth, good will toward men”. The same message the angels brought on the night of his birth.

God has been trying to get through to us that same message all this time. Even today God wants us to know His hand is stretched out to us with peace and good will. We can accept him if we will stop fighting him.

The question is: are we willing?

Jesus in the Boat

2010-09-08T08:11:00.000-07:00

Mark 4:9

Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Mark 4:1-20 is where you find Jesus teaching a crowd by telling the parable of the sower. Farmers understand planting seeds, so the story about a man sowing seeds was a way to talk about spiritual things to the average guy.

When I’m being taught a concept or a principle, I like to use analogies in the conversation to make sure I’ve understood what the teacher was trying to say. I’m not a farmer, but most school children are taught about how seeds produce roots, stems, and leaves. I think the average guy could understand what Jesus was trying to say.

Verse one explains the setting. Jesus was in a boat, and the people gathered at the edge of the shore. I’ve been in a setting like that, and it’s really amazing how well I could hear the person in the boat. When Jesus said “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” in verse 9, I understand (from parenting) that not everyone who has ears is listening. Some people have ears to hear, and some just have ears.

Something else that affects our ability to hear is our openness to believe what we hear. There are those who hold on to wrong beliefs and miss out on a life-blessing encounter with Jesus.

Of course, the disciples later asked Jesus to explain the parables he’d been teaching the crowd with. I don’t think they were unbelievably dense, just curious to see if there was something deeper. There was.

I’m not sure they understood the deeper things because they had a hard time believing everything Jesus taught. They were average guys too. But Jesus expected a lot from them because they were going to Jesus School everyday. They should’ve understood a lot more than they did.

It makes me wonder if I would’ve been as teachable as the disciples. How about you?

Jesus on the Mountain

2010-09-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Matthew 5:11

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.

Matthew 5:1-12 is where you find Jesus teaching a crowd gathered on a mountainside. We call this section of the New Testament, the Beatitudes. His teaching on that mountain continues into chapter 7 and covers several topics.

Many kinds of people were on the mountain with Jesus that day. I imagine most of them were listening to find where they fit in the descriptions of those who were blessed. Jesus listed various categories of people (poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, peacemakers, etc) and gave a specific reward for them to look forward to. I think that crowd listened as we do today. “Am I going to be comforted?” “Am I going to be shown mercy?” “Am I going to see God?”

However, I also think they had a hard time with verse 11 which tells of being blessed because of insults and persecution. I have a hard time with that. I understand it, but it takes some adjusting. The people who are being lied about because of their relationship with Jesus probably don’t feel all that blessed. Insults aren’t fun. But Jesus wasn’t talking about the temporary feelings of this world. He was taking a long-term look at the kind of person who would endure the persecution and not fall away from him. He loves it when people don’t fall away.

That person is blessed.

Couples: Joseph and Mary

2010-08-25T06:53:00.000-07:00

Matthew 1:19

Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

Joseph loved Mary. He planned to marry her until he learned she was pregnant. Fully aware that the child was not his, he could have announced her condition and joined with the crowd that would’ve turned on her. But he didn’t.

Because he loved her, and because he was an honorable man, Joseph did what he thought was right. He decided to end the relationship quietly and let her retain her dignity.

However, this was the child of God, and Joseph was given assurance from God that Mary had not been with another man. When he woke from a God-given dream and realized that this baby was the fulfillment of prophecy, he did what the angel in the dream told him to do. He was able to enjoy a long marriage to a faithful wife.

Couples: Boaz and Ruth

2010-08-18T07:49:00.000-07:00

Ruth 2:10

At this, she bowed down with her face to the ground. She exclaimed, "Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you notice me—a foreigner?"

Ruth, a widow, followed her mother-in-law Naomi to the land of her family to take care of her since Naomi's sons were dead. Ruth went out to get food and found out the field she was working in belonged to Boaz.

Gathering grain behind the harvesters, she caught his eye. He couldn’t help himself. He had to inquire about her.

Boaz let her know she was welcome to continue working in his field. Impressed with her faithfulness to her mother-in-law after her husband’s death, he made sure she was fed and had plenty to drink.

Ruth’s faithfulness attracted him. Boaz’s kindness attracted her. But their relationship only had a chance because of Ruth’s relationship with Naomi. Ruth and Boaz noticed each other because of the nudgings of God.

These two were a match made in heaven. They had plenty of reason not to be together. She wasn’t from his country, so the only thing that put her in the right place at the right time was her faithfulness.

He could’ve ignored her, but his kindness wouldn’t allow him to pass by her when she had no one else to look after her. He wanted to be the one to offer her protection.

God sometimes works out the problems in life to get us where we need to be for our next victory. Our journey to success doesn’t have to make sense to man, as long as it makes sense to God. Because of her faithfulness, Ruth, a foreigner, was picked to marry into the right family. She was King David’s great-grandmother. And in the lineage of Jesus.

Couples: Samson and Delilah

2010-08-11T07:14:00.000-07:00

Judges 16:15

Then she said to him, "How can you say, 'I love you,' when you won't confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven't told me the secret of your great strength."

There is a love story in the Bible that I cannot figure out. Why did Samson fall for Delilah? Was she that beautiful? He seemed to be a smart guy, but somehow his love for Delilah got the best of him.

As soon as Samson fell in love with Delilah, she was told by her people to lure him into captivity. Samson knew she was with him in order to trap him, but he loved her anyway.

Time after time, she tried to get him to tell her how he could be tied and controlled. Samson wasn’t stupid, nor weak. He gave her false answers to see how far she would take this plan of attack. Every time the men hid to take advantage of this new way to subdue Samson, Delilah woke him up with the news that the Philistines were there. After each failure, she twisted the event to try to make him feel bad that he’d lied to her.

I felt sorry for Samson. He’d had woman trouble before Delilah. There was another woman who had done this same thing to him. She whined. He told her the answer to his secret riddle. She told the answer to others. She betrayed him. And Samson knew Delilah would betray him if she found out the secret of his strength.

I cannot imagine why did he not just throw Delilah out.

Apparently, he really wanted to be with her. Despite her flaws.

She was helping her people find the secret to restraining the man who was stronger than any other. I have no idea why she didn’t leave her people and run off with Samson. He would’ve been great protection for her.

Instead, she whined to him that he didn’t really love her since he wouldn’t tell her the secret to his strength. She nagged and whined until he finally gave in. As soon as she heard the truth, she told the Philistines how to capture him. The men tried again to subdue him, and this time they succeeded. Judges 16:21 tells us, “Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison.”

Not a happy ending. I think God expects us to protect our gifts so that we can use them. But sometimes God uses people and their gifts differently than we expect.

Maybe someday I’ll understand Samson better. For now, I’ll keep seeking God.

Couples: Hosea and Gomer

2010-08-04T06:21:00.000-07:00

Hosea 1:3

So he married Gomer daughter of Diblaim, and she conceived and bore him a son.

I’ve heard of women who went up to men they haven’t dated and told them that the Lord said they should get married. It seems to me that’s definitely a way to scare someone off. But that could’ve been what Hosea said to Gomer when he took her as his wife.

God actually told Hosea to find an adulterous woman and marry her. This is not something God does very often. He was trying to use Hosea the prophet as an example of his love. God wanted to show the people that even though he knew of their adulterous heart, he still loved them.

Isn’t it funny that those you love have the ability to hurt you the most. When God’s people turned from him and worshipped other gods, their unfaithfulness stung God’s heart. He wanted them back, but it was necessary to get their attention through the words and actions of a prophet.

He sent Hosea to Gomer as a sign of his enduring and patient love. He made it clear that the relationship was a love relationship. It was broken and needed mending. Hosea emphasized to Gomer that she would be a wife and not a prostitute. The Lord told Hosea in chapter three, verse one, “Love her as the LORD loves the Israelites, though they turn to other gods..."

God requires that we learn faithfulness so our weak love can grow into a strong, pure love. Gomer was able to learn about love and so can we.

A Good Battle Strategy

2010-07-21T08:09:00.000-07:00

Exodus 17:9-11

Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands." So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.

In order to defend themselves in a battle against the Amalekites, Moses kept his hands raised with aid from Aaron and Hur.

How is this a good battle strategy? Did Gen. MacArthur ever do this?

The “raised hands” battle strategy isn’t what it looks like to the enemy. From the enemy’s perspective, there was an old man on a hilltop with a staff raised in his hands. It may have seemed like a strange way to view a battle. He certainly wasn’t fighting.

From Aaron and Hur’s point of view, the staff in the hands of Moses must continue to be raised in order to triumph because whenever Moses lowered his staff, the enemy was winning. Moses was unable to stand for as long as the battle raged. Aaron and Hur got a stone for Moses to sit on. When raising the staff became difficult for Moses, Aaron and Hur each took one of Moses’ arms and steadied him.

The extra strength Aaron and Hur brought to the battle was exactly what the warriors needed. The warriors fought with swords, face-to-face with the enemy, but they didn’t need Aaron and Hur to pick up weapons and join them. They depended on Aaron and Hur’s cooperation with Moses for their victory.

Moses was simply obeying God. His obedience was a sign to the warriors that violence alone doesn’t win a war. This may have been the event that persuaded Joshua to win the battle of Jericho by simply obeying God.

Sometimes our plans seem like the smart thing to do, but without obedience to God, our plans will not help us win.

Gideon and the Few Men

2010-07-14T06:04:00.000-07:00

Judges 7:7

The LORD said to Gideon, "With the three hundred men that lapped I will save you and give the Midianites into your hands. Let all the other men go, each to his own place."

Is too many men in an army a problem? It was for Gideon.

The Lord hand-picked Gideon’s army. The fearful and those who knelt to drink with their heads next to the water were sent home. The only men left to fight were those who were brave and observant. Gideon saw God’s lesson in army-building. True warriors know what’s going on around them, and they rise to the challenge.

Out of the thousands of Israelite men, only 300 made the cut. These men didn’t get to use state of the art weaponry. They used trumpets, empty jars, and torches.

All Gideon had to do was listen to God’s guidance and obey. But he wasn’t a courageous warrior, so God gave him something to do to build his courage. He sent Gideon to his enemy’s camp to listen to them.

When you’re preparing for battle and you overhear your enemy confessing that God has given you the victory, that would certainly build your courage. You’d shout with joy – at the appropriate time, of course.

Gideon followed God’s instruction and the enemy fled. Obviously, you don’t need a large army if the enemy runs away at the shout of 300 voices.

Even though I know they only had swords to fight with, my imagination has that terrified army running away and shooting behind them, not looking to see who they pointed the gun at. The enemy lost a lot of soldiers with friendly fire.

Gideon’s army was small but very effective because of God’s guidance. The lesson to learn in this battle is that the size of your enemy doesn’t matter, the size of your army doesn’t matter, but listening to and obeying God is everything.

Do you have a battle you need to win?

Unusual Battle at Jericho

2010-07-07T07:20:00.000-07:00

Joshua 6:10

But Joshua had commanded the people, "Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!"

In the thirty-third chapter of Numbers, the Lord said to Moses that the Israelites would have to drive out the inhabitants of Canaan and take possession of the land. Over the next several chapters, the Lord explained in detail how the Israelites should divide up the land and how they should live in the land the Lord would give them. So the Israelites knew that this land was theirs if they would obey the Lord and take it.

Moses died in the desert and didn’t go into the promised land, but he laid his hand on Joshua so that he was given a spirit of wisdom. As the new leader of the Israelites, Joshua had to send out spies to see what lay ahead. In the second chapter of the book of Joshua, Rahab gave shelter to the spies and told them her people had already heard about how God was taking care of them and had given the land to them. In return for hiding them, she asked the spies to remember her and her family when the Lord gives them Jericho. For three days, Joshua and his officers went to the Israelites and instructed them to carry out detailed orders about their trip into the promised land.

The Lord built up everyone’s confidence in Joshua when they crossed over the Jordan River on dry ground just as they crossed over the Red Sea under Moses’ command. After the leaders constructed a memorial so that generations of children would ask and be told about how God sent them across the Jordan on dry ground as a sign to all people that they should fear the Lord because he is powerful, they circumcised all the Israelite men in obedience to God. They remained in their camp until they were healed, without fear of the Canaanite kings along the coast because no one had enough courage to face the Israelites after hearing how God had dried up the Jordan.

The king of Jericho had closed the city so that no one came in and no one went out. He thought Jericho’s city walls were enough to protect them, but he did not know the Lord. Joshua gave instructions for the unusual battle plan. The people marched around the city for six days and on the seventh, they shouted in obedience to God. Joshua instructed the spies to go into Jericho and get Rahab and all her family, but no one else was to be spared.

The Lord prepared the people and their leaders to obey his commands and find great success in their battle. When they took the city, they were proving what God had said. The Canaanites had good reason to fear the Lord. He’s powerful and mighty and can take care of his people.

The Lord proved that no wall was a problem for him. The mighty walls of Jericho fell without the use of dynamite or other explosives. The battle was successful because of the obedience of Joshua and his people.

The Trouble With Daniel and the Lions' Den

2010-06-30T08:50:00.000-07:00

Daniel 6:20

When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

This story stands out to me because of the universal idea of getting an innocent person into trouble. It seems wherever you find innocent people doing what God wants them to do, you’ll also find someone trying to make them seem less than innocent. Evil people want to be supremely powerful. When they find that people who choose to obey God have power over them, they get upset. This story of Trouble looking for a place to happen is a recurring story through the ages.

Daniel was doing everything he was supposed to do. He was obedient to God and to the king. People tried to catch him doing something wrong, but they couldn’t. When the king’s advisors couldn’t find any way of getting Daniel into trouble, they tricked the king into making a law that he couldn’t repeal. It was a law which stated that nobody could pray to anyone but the king for the next month. With that law in place, Daniel was sure to be found guilty because he prayed to God every day without fail. He didn’t even hide or deny what he was doing.

Nobody was more worried about Daniel than the king. He sat up all night worrying. He couldn’t sleep knowing he’d sent an innocent man to the lions’ den.

But Daniel wasn’t worried. Why would he worry when he was watching an angel shutting the lions’ mouths all night?

After the king raced to the den to check on Daniel the next morning, he breathed a sigh of relief as he listened to Daniel’s voice saying he was okay.

However, Daniel’s accusers were not relieved. In fact, they were breakfast.

The king knew exactly what to do with hungry lions who were tired of having their mouths shut all night. Feed them a meal of well-rested trouble-makers.

The king’s question to Daniel makes me laugh, only because I know the answer. He asked if Daniel’s God was ABLE to rescue him.

Yes. God is able. God has always been able.

The Trouble With David and King Saul

2010-06-23T06:07:00.000-07:00

1 Samuel 18:12

Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with David but had left Saul.

After reading the story of David and Goliath in chapter 17 of 1 Samuel, I found King Saul strangely against the small hero. David had become quite popular and Saul was jealous. When an evil spirit came into the picture, Saul threw a spear at David twice.

It seemed David was invincible. He’d killed a giant, tens of thousands of men, and eluded King Saul’s spear. But did Saul have a right to be afraid?

David hadn’t done anything to harm or to even threaten King Saul. David stood up for his people and the king. What brought trouble on him was the fact that Saul wasn’t seeing what was before him. God had sent David to help out Saul and his army, but Saul saw him as a threat.

When you find yourself in trouble and you’re pretty sure you haven’t done anything wrong, ask God a few questions. Find out if you’re being seen as a threat. Find out if you’ve inadvertently made someone jealous. Find out if someone set you up to fail, but your success made them angrier.

David wouldn’t harm King Saul even though the king tried to kill David. If we leave the confusing retribution question to God, He’ll take care of it for us. God sees behind the scenes and looks at the hearts of men. If we’re careful to withdraw our judgment, but only obey God, we’ll see more successes come our way.

The Trouble With David and Goliath

2010-06-16T05:41:00.000-07:00

1 Samuel 17:32

David said to Saul, "Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him."

David left his job as a shepherd to do an errand for his dad. He took food to his brothers in the army and checked on the battle with the Philistines. When he heard Goliath spouting challenges to the Israelites, he wanted to know what would be the reward for standing up to the giant everyone was afraid of.

King Saul, who had heard about David, sent for him and tried to talk some sense into him. David was told he was too young and inexperienced to fight the giant. However, David set the king straight by telling him details of his own battles. He’d killed both a lion and a bear, so a mere giant should be no problem.

Saul couldn’t send out a boy against a giant without at least some protection, so he put his own armor on him. But David refused to wear the king’s armor because he wasn’t used to wearing man-made protection. He was used to having God as his protection. The only reason David succeeded in battle with the lion and bear was because God was with him.

When David went out to kill Goliath, the giant cursed him. So David let him know by whose power he’d be killed. Verse 46 details what David said. “This day the LORD will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head. Today I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel.”

I think Goliath was shocked because the Israelites had been cowering at his defiance. Every eye must have been on David as he ran to the battle line with his sling in his hand. David’s courage became an epidemic among the Israelites. They joined in as soon as they saw that God had given them the battle.

The trouble with giants is that they don’t believe you when you tell them God determines the outcome. Giants tell us that we should run, but they mean run away. When God tells us we should run, He means toward the victory.

Goliath caused trouble, but because David was used to calling to God and listening for God’s guidance, David won the battle.

When you and I hear God’s instruction and we obey despite the obvious challenges, our courage and obedience affects others. When you obey God, you just might start something good that will spread to many others.

Getting Into Trouble

2010-06-09T08:03:00.000-07:00

Genesis 37:5

Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more.

Joseph and his brothers never would have thought their future would turn out the way it did. It seemed Joseph was always getting into trouble, so it was surprising that he ended up being liked by so many.

From reading about Joseph, you might think that he was a power-hungry schemer. The dreams he told to his brothers only brought trouble on himself. He was sold into slavery, but rose in power until he was the second in command. However, the fact that he obtained positions of power didn’t speak negatively about him.

The good thing about Joseph was that he always believed God.

His rise to power was due to his consistent dedication to honoring and obeying God. His stubborn faith in God helped him receive positions of power to minister to those in need.

He was an example of how God can use someone to help large populations by giving him the power to make decisions that affect many.

Staying out of Trouble

2010-06-02T07:40:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 4:14-15

Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way.

Have you ever been pressured by a friend to do something you wouldn’t normally do? There are people who would challenge you to do things that bring satisfaction and enlarge your world, like eating a new food or trying a new sport. These are good challenges, and they don’t lead to sin.

On the other hand, there are those who would dare you to try something, but deep down, you know it isn’t the right thing to do.

How easy are you to persuade? Can you stand up to the pressure? Is it easier to accept a challenge if you know it’s not bad? Or are you so competitive that you can’t turn down a dare, whether it’s good or bad?

God gave everyone a sense of right and wrong. It’s our job to be discerning about what we participate in. When we see evil men doing what we know is wrong, we can avoid copying them. We can choose our actions. God gave us the ability to turn from wrong choices.

Is there anyone who hasn’t been tempted? No. Even Jesus was tempted. But he overcame by the words of God.

We have the same opportunity. We have the Bible, and we can fill ourselves up with its goodness and its wisdom. The scriptures we feed on daily will strengthen us so we can stand up to even the most persuasive tempter.

Angelic Reminders

2010-05-26T09:10:00.000-07:00

Luke 24:6

He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: “The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.”

If you read Luke 24:1-8, you’ll find women bowing in fear in the presence of an angel. The angel who spoke to the women at the grave of Jesus told them something they already knew, but had forgotten.

How many times do we gather information from what we read, hear, or experience, and then we forget it? I believe God has sent angels from time to time to remind us of what was right in front of us.

Do we sometimes forget important things when we let situations change our emotions? These women at the grave were caught up in the emotional experience of seeing the one they love die on the cross. In that situation, it may have been difficult for them to keep repeating to themselves, “He said he’d rise again. He said he’d rise again.”

God wanted his message of hope to continue through their mouths to the others, so sending an angel was a great way to make sure the reminder was memorable. I imagine the experience with the angel stayed with them until they saw their risen Lord.

When you are in a situation that looks hopeless, remember that God may have given you a message of hope already. What do you do when you hear from God?

A good way to remember what God has already spoken to you is to keep a journal of where God has taken you. Journal entries can mention how God has led you in your prayer times, specific scriptures that have stood out as important for your life at that time, or a direct word from God.

We all forget things from time to time, but keeping it written down will help you find those important messages again.

Angels Speak God's Message

2010-05-19T08:02:00.000-07:00

Luke 2:10

But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

The angel who spoke to the shepherds about birth of Jesus had to calm them down so they would listen to the good news. Angels in the Bible were constantly telling people to stop being afraid. Even today, seeing an angel is a little out of the ordinary. Those who have seen angels don’t generally tell everyone they know.

The shepherds heard the angel mention a sign that this baby was the Christ: “You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” The shepherds left to go check out the sign. If they couldn’t find any babies in Bethlehem in a manger, then they probably would’ve headed back to the sheep quietly, wondering about what they’d seen.

They knew the baby they saw in the manger was the one the angel told about, so they went to tell others and praised God for all they had seen and heard.

Often, we keep things to ourselves when we aren’t sure if we believe what we thought we saw. But when we see something spectacular, we tell everyone. We want to share our joy just as the shepherds did.

This description of that angelic visitation is found in Luke 2:8-20. The event is memorable to many people today, even people who have never read the Bible. People who don’t go to church can hear some of these Luke 2 Bible verses sung in shopping malls during the Christmas season. People who don’t go to church or shopping malls can hear these Bible verses spoken by Linus on the Charlie Brown Christmas Special which is on TV every year.

Angels are memorable. God uses them to bring messages that He wants remembered.

Mary, who had just given birth to the Savior of all mankind, thought about all that had happened that day and treasured the memories in her heart. Can we be like her? Can we treasure the message that God wants us to remember?

We don’t really need an angelic visitation to get God’s message. We have the Bible which tells us plenty about God and about ourselves. We also have the Spirit of the Living God. God can speak into our hearts to guide us to His message for our lives.

When you finally really hear the good news of God’s message for you, will you tell someone?

The Sword of an Angel

2010-05-05T04:50:00.000-07:00

Genesis 3:24

After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

After Adam and Even were banished from the Garden of Eden, God assigned an angel to the pathway to keep them from entering again. The angel who kept Adam and Eve out of the Garden had a flashing sword. Even though I wasn’t there, I can imagine that it was a scary sight. I figure the angel probably did his job pretty well. We don’t ever hear about Adam or Eve trying to have a sword fight with that angel.

Can you think of times in your life that it felt like God had placed that angel in front of something that tempted you? I think God gives us opportunities to walk past temptations without putting an angel there to bar the door. But I also think that there are times when he makes sure we aren’t able to fall to a certain temptation.

As a parent, I recognize that my kids can handle a certain amount of temptation successfully. If the temptation is too great, I usually step in and help remove the source of the problem.

God doesn’t set us up for failure. He wants us to succeed in everything we do.

Like it says in Deuteronomy 30:9 “Then the LORD your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land.” And in Psalm 1:3 “He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”

He wants us to prosper, but God also knows that we humans can be a bit stubborn sometimes. I know there have been times in my life where I felt drawn to do something, but I knew I shouldn’t, but I also knew I was going to do it anyway. See? He had a good reason for the scary angel with the sword.

Most of our temptations are things that we can walk past, but we don’t. We have the ability to control ourselves and turn away, but we want God to put an angel with a flaming sword in front of all our temptations.

He’s not going to do that.

He holds out his hand and offers his strength. In our relationship with God, we can overcome any temptation, not by avoiding a sword-wielding angel, but by submitting to God. According to James 4:7, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

If anything in your life seems overwhelmingly tempting and you can see yourself being sucked into the black hole of temptation, fall to your knees at that moment and submit to God. He lifts up those who are down. He strengthens the weak. With your hand in God’s, you will be able to rise up and resist the devil.

Then watch the devil flee.

The Cross

2010-04-28T07:56:00.000-07:00

John 19:14-16

"Here is your king," Pilate said to the Jews.
But they shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!"
"Shall I crucify your king?" Pilate asked.
"We have no king but Caesar," the chief priests answered.
Finally Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified. So the soldiers took charge of Jesus.

The cross is a well-known symbol of Christianity. We see it often, but do we really remember its significance when we look at it?

Since I wasn’t an eyewitness to the crucifixion of Jesus, I have to rely on the accounts in the Bible and try to imagine what Jesus went through for me. From what I read, it was an ugly, messy scene. The real cross was nothing like the sanitized version we put in our art. It feels truly awful to imagine myself standing there on that day, watching an innocent man going through the torture that was rightfully mine.

In Hebrews 9:22, we find that “the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Without the cross of Christ, we are hopeless.

But Jesus knew it was necessary. He knew the one thing standing between us and our freedom was that cross. He knew he couldn’t back out. I’m so glad Jesus was willing to go all the way to the cross for me that day.

Now I can reflect on the cross as part of the victory Jesus gives to all who come to him. We are no longer slaves to sin, but because of the blood of Jesus and because of the cross, we are overcomers. As it tells us in Revelation 12:11 “They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”

Not only does the cross have significant impact on our eternity, it also affects our daily lives on this planet. Because of the cross, we have access to the powerful blood of Jesus which helps us live for God right now. Hebrews 9:14 reads, “How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!”

Feeding the Five Thousand

2010-04-21T07:20:00.000-07:00

Mark 6:41

Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.

Before Jesus fed the 5,000 people who followed him to a remote area, he and his disciples were already hungry. They were trying to get away from the crowds and get some rest. But the crowds wouldn’t leave them alone. Jesus challenged the disciples to think of the followers rather than themselves. The disciples couldn’t figure out how two fish and five loaves would go very far in feeding the enormous crowd.

People have always underestimated God’s love. Because of the stories of Noah’s flood and Sodom and Gomorrah’s fires, we think big when we remember how God clears out evil. Have we become oblivious to the signs of God’s love? Far too often we forget about how God has met our needs and the needs of others with simple multiplication miracles.

God didn’t stop multiplying food for people with that one 5,000-mouth feast. I’ve been a witness to a multiplication miracle. I was working in the kitchen of a women’s retreat when we came very close to running out of green beans. Seeing that many women hadn’t been fed and the bean count was quite low, we prayed for God to make beans remain in the pot all the way to the last plate. We pulled many more beans out of that pot. If I remember correctly, there were a few beans left over when all had been fed. Today, there are many overlooked clues that would lead us to God if we’d only notice them.

We thanked God for that miracle, but we didn’t put an article in the newspaper about it. It was just one of the many times we’d seen God come through for us. We see God showing His love and generosity in so many ways that we forget to tell others about how He surprises us with unexpected provision and protection. You don’t hear about God’s miracles on the news broadcast very much these days, but that doesn’t mean miracles are in short supply.

God still does big things. When we seek His presence, we can be sure He’ll bring the miracles too.

Noah's Ark

2010-04-14T05:42:00.000-07:00

Genesis 6:22

Noah did everything just as God commanded him.

This month, I’m focused on Big Things on my Blogging Domino blog. I posted a review of the 1956 film The Ten Commandments, and later this month, I’ll post a review of another Charlton Heston film, Ben-Hur. These were the record-breaking, outstanding films of their day. They’re still classics.

I’ve carried that theme over to this devotional blog with my earlier post about the Red Sea and today’s post about Noah’s Ark. I think the "big" theme fits with this blog about seeking God because sometimes as we seek an intimate connection with God, we have to stop ourselves from thinking small. We’re not looking to connect with a tiny or weak God. He is definitely big.

When God asked Noah to build the ark, it was no small task. It took a while to complete, and I’m sure he had to battle all the voices of his “friends” who told him he was crazy for attempting such a ridiculous feat. It took a big God to come up with such an unusual plan.

You and I get into situations where we need big ideas from a big God. More than likely, God won’t tell us to build another ark, but he may give us unexpected instruction. He’s good at that.

The Bible is full of examples of people following God’s instruction to do something unusual. Naaman was healed by obeying unexpected orders. Peter paid taxes by getting money out of a fish’s mouth. Not only does God take care of us, but he also shows his love in creative ways.

If God speaks to you unexpectedly, don’t hesitate. Obey. And watch for something big to happen.

The Red Sea

2010-04-07T14:05:00.000-07:00

Exodus 14:29

But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

I recently viewed the Cecil B DeMille blockbuster movie The Ten Commandments, starring Charlton Heston. I saw a love story, an adventure, and heroic characters standing up for what was right. I saw what was outstanding, state-of-the-art special effects in that movie, for a 1950s film. Don’t get caught in the trap of comparing those special effects by today’s standards. That was a top of the line movie in 1956. Today, of course, it would certainly look different – and be offered in 3D.

No matter how our technology advances and improves what we see on the big screen, they’ll never be able capture what actually happened. The Red Sea really did split into two walls of water. The Israelites really did walk across the sea on dry ground.

To us, that sounds like a movie because we can’t imagine that actually happening. Today, we’re so used to relying on our technology to bring us new ways of producing medicines, entertainment, weaponry, and transportation. We sometimes have a hard time relying on God because we see a lot of amazing things on movie screens.

We think that, one day, man will be able to do more than we ever could’ve imagined. What we’re missing out on is the reality that God can do all that and more – and He can do it right now. God’s miracles are way better than man’s tricks. Moses proved that to Pharaoh many times before Pharaoh let God’s people leave Egypt.

Today, we’re like Pharaoh. We see a real miracle of God and think that it has to be a trick. How many times does God have to prove himself to us through signs and wonders? He’s waiting on our belief. He’s been waiting a long time.

If you’re waiting on a miracle from God, don’t give up. He has a timetable. He left the Israelites in Egypt until the time was right for the appointed messenger, Moses, to do what was necessary to move millions of people out of bondage.

The question is not “Can God free you?”, but rather, “Will you believe it’s a miracle from Him?”

Secret Things

2010-03-31T07:11:00.000-07:00

1 Corinthians 4:1

So then, men ought to regard us as servants of Christ and those entrusted with the secret things of God.

Man’s wisdom is futile in the Lord’s eyes. If we find blessing in a relationship with God and if we rely on Jesus as our Savior and Lord, then we can stop competing with men over spiritual things. We are of Christ and that means we are to be faithful to God.

Trusting in our own wisdom moves us away from trusting God. Instead of trying to prove how wise and spiritually powerful we are, we should be about the work of servants. We are to prove ourselves faithful to God by acting out His love.

In our servant-hearted actions toward man, we carry the message of God’s love. Power comes from that love. If we want power, we must remember that we’ve been given secret things from God. Secrets are powerful things. The secret things of God are in His message of love to us. We can unlock secrets as we grow in our relationship with Him.

Being consistent and patient helps us grow beyond the immature relationship we once had with God. We can be known as servants of Christ and those entrusted with the secret things of God if we’ll continue seeking Him.

Hiding From God?

2010-03-24T07:12:00.000-07:00

Jeremiah 23:24

“Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?”

I was away from my computer last week. Did you know where I was? No, of course not. But God did.

God always knows where I am. I cannot run away from Him.

As a child, I was told not to run in church because it was God’s house. I wasn’t supposed to run in anyone’s house, especially not God’s house. But I knew God wasn't confined to the church. God was in the church and at the beach and on the football field. I knew God was everywhere.

He sees me when I’m at home or when I’m on vacation. If I go on a family vacation, we can camp in tents in the deep woods and still worship God together. We don’t have to find a church to worship in. We are members of God’s family, and He is with us. Always.

As God dots the earth with color this spring, remember Him. Remember that He can see in the dark, and there is no darkness that can cover Him. There is no secret that He doesn’t know.

Esther's Secret

2010-03-10T07:43:00.000-08:00

Esther 2:20

But Esther had kept secret her family background and nationality just as Mordecai had told her to do, for she continued to follow Mordecai's instructions as she had done when he was bringing her up.

The month of December is difficult for me because that’s when we buy presents and hide them until Christmas day. I have to work to keep quiet about my kids’ presents. I can’t wait to give the gifts, so I try not to giggle about the way I think they’ll react when they open them. Over the years, I’ve learned to be patient. It’s hard, but I can keep a secret.

I admire the way Queen Esther could keep her secret before and after she became queen. She went through a year of preparation before she was chosen by the king. After she received her crown, she waited until the right moment before she said anything. That must’ve been hard.

She notified the king of an assassination plot and made him aware that Mordecai was the one who discovered it. But she didn’t reveal her secret.

Mordecai was her uncle, and they were Jews. But Mordecai taught Esther to wait until the time was right to tell the king of her heritage.

Because of an evil man named Haman, the king was persuaded to issue an order for the destruction of the Jews. Mordecai told Esther to go before the king and plead for mercy. He reminded her that she would be found out and executed along with all the other Jews if the order was carried out. She knew her crown wouldn’t save her, but God would.

She risked her life by appearing before the king, but he was glad to see her and didn’t mind the interruption. Instead of falling at the king’s feet and begging for mercy, Queen Esther invited Haman and the king to a banquet. That night, she invited him to a second banquet and promised to explain why she was doing this.

The king was outraged when she finally told him that Haman had convinced the king to order the deaths of all the Jews, including herself. A servant told the king that Haman had erected a gallows to put an end to Mordecai, who had been faithful to the king and had saved the king’s life by alerting him about the assassination plot. The king made sure Haman was hung on his own gallows.

Then Esther asked the king for mercy since the order to kill the Jews had already been issued. Mordecai was allowed to write a decree to cancel the first. The king gave his signet ring to him to use on the decree so it couldn’t be revoked.

Esther, because of her wisdom, saved her people by revealing her secret at the right time. The Jews promised to celebrate every year at the same time so they wouldn’t forget how they got relief from their enemies.

That’s worth keeping a secret for a little while.

Rahab's Secret

2010-03-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

Joshua 2:14

"Our lives for your lives!" the men assured her. "If you don't tell what we are doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when the LORD gives us the land."

Joshua sent spies to check out the walled city of Jericho. They met Rahab who kept their secret. She helped them escape because she’d heard about their God. She asked them to promise that she and her family would be unharmed. At their instruction, she tied a scarlet cord in the window she helped them escape through. She and her family were saved because they could keep a secret.

When your best friend confides in you, do you keep the secret?

Most people will keep the secret entrusted to them based on their opinion of its value. If it’s a valuable secret and you value the friendship more, you’ll keep the secret. If you don’t value the friendship as much as the secret knowledge they gave, you’ll use the secret to benefit yourself and ruin a friendship in the process.

How you keep secrets tells people what kind of person you are. I can’t imagine enjoying a friendship with someone who gives away my secrets. I want to trust my friends. I also want my friends to trust me.

Trust is a two-way street.

I believe a good relationship with God has to have this two-way trust. Can God trust you to do what you tell him you’ll do? Do you trust God to do what he said he’d do?

People who are misinformed about what God said he’d do end up not trusting him because they trusted the second-hand information. Rahab trusted the spies and they trusted her because they were getting the information directly from the source. There wasn’t any confusion in the communication.

This is why each person needs to seek God on his own. There’s nothing better than hearing from God. That way it’s one-on-one and we don’t get misinformed by second-hand information. When a person develops a personal relationship with God, there’s a better chance that two-way trust will be developed.

Can God trust you enough to tell you a secret? Find out. Seek Him today.

Justice for the Arrogant

2010-02-24T07:58:00.000-08:00

Psalm 12

Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men. Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception. May the LORD cut off all flattering lips and every boastful tongue that says, "We will triumph with our tongues; we own our lips —who is our master?"

“Because of the oppression of the weak and the groaning of the needy, I will now arise," says the LORD. "I will protect them from those who malign them."

And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.

O LORD, you will keep us safe and protect us from such people forever. The wicked freely strut about when what is vile is honored among men.

Those who deceive are out there. They want to get away with as much deception as they can. Are they getting away with it?

No. God sees them even when men do not. God sees their victims even when the deceptive do not. God sees, and He will arise. He will protect the oppressed. He will lift up the needy. He is not surprised or unaware.

When the wicked strut around in arrogance, thinking they’re getting away with their deception, they must realize that their time is short. They are on this earth for a moment, and then comes their reward. Some call that reward their just desserts. Some call it h-e-double-hockey-sticks.

God will protect the weak. And if the wicked turn back to God in true repentance, they too will be among the protected. And hell will not touch them.

Protection

2010-02-17T07:42:00.000-08:00

2 Peter 2:9

“the Lord knows how to rescue godly men”

God recognizes those who fight against the temptation to sin. He recognizes those who take pleasure in unabashedly carousing in broad daylight. Those who never think to stop sinning are dealt with in one way, and those who are distressed by sin are dealt with in a different way.

2 Peter 2:4 through verse 8 gives us examples of how God has dealt with sin in the past.

Verse 5 tells how Noah stood out: God “did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others…” God sets apart those whose intentions are to please him. He wants to rescue us.

He sees the world we live in. He knows all about the corruption we deal with, the pits set up to capture the unaware, and the lies we are told. He doesn’t expect us to rescue ourselves when trouble knocks on our door.

Verse 9: “if this is so, then the Lord knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgment, while continuing their punishment.”

God always makes a way of escape for us. Noah wouldn’t have thought to build a boat on his own. He obeyed God’s instruction. Daniel stayed connected to God in the lions’ den. And God shut the mouths of the lions for him.

There is always something we can do to act on our faith in God. When we can’t rescue ourselves, we can obey God whose hand is already at work steadying our feet so we can walk out of the dangerous situation alive.

Instead of crying out in terror, “God, where are you?”, we can calm ourselves with the knowledge that he is there and ask, “God, what can I do to obey you in this moment?”

Stay With God

2010-02-10T07:12:00.000-08:00

Psalm 97: 10

Let those who love the LORD hate evil, for he guards the lives of his faithful ones and delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

Psalm 97:7 reminds us that those who worship images and boast in idols are put to shame. If you trust in paper, what do you do after it burns? If you trust in beauty, what do you do after it fades? When the lightning strikes, where do you run? When the mountains tremble, to whom do you look for protection?

Is there anyone more powerful than God? He is the creator of the universe. He commands, and it happens. If God is for you and you are for God, you have connected with the one person who will never fail. Stay with him. He can guard and protect you.

Houses are destroyed in earthquakes and money burns in a fire, but God will never leave you. You never have to be distressed. God is with you.

And He is enough.

What's the Blessing?

2010-02-03T07:03:00.000-08:00

Psalm 24:6

Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Selah

Do you want to sin?

Many people are tempted to do things that aren’t right. When they’re caught in traffic and they’re in a hurry, temptation sits in the front seat with them, urging them to cuss and wave their fists and build up into a fabulous road rage. But if you ask them, even in a time of great temptation, “Do you really want to sin?” They would say no if they belong to God.

God’s people have to face temptation. We have the ability to sin every day. But we’d rather not.

We look forward to our heavenly home where there is no darkness. No one in Heaven is trying to get us to sin. However while we’re on the Earth, we have to pass up opportunities to sin as if they were shoes that were too small and out of style. We can encourage each other in times of temptation by asking, “Do you really want to wear that shoe? Yeah, I didn’t think so.”

While reading Psalm 24, I found a riddle of sorts. Verses five and six tells us that those who seek the Lord receive blessing from him. What’s the blessing?

Earlier verses remind us that we are all God’s creation. But not everyone can stand in God’s holy place. So who may stand before God? Verse four gives us the answer.

“He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false.”

Those who do not intend to sin receive blessing from the Lord. In other places in the Bible, we find out that if we do sin, we can receive mercy and a second chance. It’s our desire for sin that causes us to lose our way. It’s our desire for sin that keeps God out of first place in our lives.

If we want God more than we want to sin, we will run to him instead of away from him. He will hold back danger and darkness if our grip is on him and not sin.

So what is the blessing we receive when we keep our hearts filled with desire for God?

His presence.

In his presence are all other blessings. In his presence is the protection we call out for in our little emergencies. In his presence is the security we need when we’re challenged.

Those who seek God will find God. He is the blessing.

Famous: Solomon

2010-01-27T08:05:00.000-08:00

1 Kings 1:47

Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, “May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours and his throne greater than yours!”

When Solomon became king, God answered his prayer for wisdom. Solomon began using his God-given wisdom and attracted a lot of attention. According to 1 Kings 10:1-5, the queen of Sheba came to test him because she’d heard about his wisdom and his relation to the name of the Lord. He answered all her questions with ease. When she finished examining him and all that he did, she was overwhelmed.

It’s hard for anyone to compete with Solomon and his wisdom, but if every Christian developed and used their God-given abilities out of obedience to God, more of the curious unchurched would be overwhelmed by what God can do through His people.

I would be thrilled to hear people say that they see the love of God in me and my family so much that they are driven to be a part of the family of God. I would love to overwhelm others with the love of God as I use my gifts.

Maybe we can’t all be as wise as Solomon, but using our individual gifts is something we can do. Whatever talent God has given you should be used to bring the presence of God to the people He wants to reach – even if you don’t get famous doing it.

Famous: Benaiah

2010-01-20T07:23:00.000-08:00

2 Samuel 23:20-23

Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab's best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion. And he struck down a huge Egyptian. Although the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian's hand and killed him with his own spear. Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty men. He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

Benaiah was famous for killing. Even though God gave us the commandment “Do not kill”, we honor killers. Why? The commandment never said “Do not defend yourself.” The commandment really meant “Do not murder.” The killers we honor are people who defend others.

God told many people to kill. They obeyed God, saved their people, and were honored for it. This makes me think of the war movies that show men doing whatever is necessary to defend and protect their people by killing their enemy. From Band of Brothers TV miniseries, Captain Ronald Speirs showed courage by running through a town the American troops were trying to take. His run took him in front of the enemy soldiers who couldn’t believe what they were seeing. He ran right past enemy, delivered a message to American troops hiding behind a wall, and then he ran back to his company. Both times he ran, he looked unbelievably crazy and, at the same time, more courageous than anyone in the area. He did what was necessary to protect others. He did what no one else would do.

Capt. Speirs reminds me of the story of Benaiah. Courageous acts are done without a lot of thought and planning. Benaiah was crazy enough to use a club to go against a huge Egyptian who had a spear. After he got the Egyptian’s spear away from him, Benaiah killed him with it.

Benaiah was rewarded for his courage when David put him in charge of his bodyguard. David was smart. I’d want Benaiah next to me too.

Famous: Abishai

2010-01-13T07:46:00.000-08:00

2Sam 23:18-19

Abishai the brother of Joab son of Zeruiah was chief of the Three. He raised his spear against three hundred men, whom he killed, and so he became as famous as the Three. Was he not held in greater honor than the Three? He became their commander, even though he was not included among them.

David’s three mighty men were brave and loyal. But they were not the leaders of all the other men. They had a commander named Abishai who earned even greater honor than the three men who risked their lives to bring David some water from Bethlehem.

When all seems to be against you, do you give up and go home?

Abishai didn’t. He didn’t give up when he encountered a little discouragement. He didn’t give up when he had to fight for his life. He didn’t give up when three hundred men came to kill him.

He fought off those 300 men with a spear (not a tank) and lived to tell about it.

David rewarded valiant soldiers with positions of authority over the other soldiers because they were trustworthy. He knew what to expect from them. He showed them honor because they were obedient to his will.

Christians who have truly earned great honor have been obedient to God’s will. They know what they’re supposed to do and they do it with great bravery and loyalty, without hesitation.

God is looking for those who want to obey him like a soldier obeys a good commanding officer. If we trust God and obey Him, we know He will lead us to many victories.

Famous: David's 3 Mighty Men

2010-01-06T10:27:00.000-08:00

2 Samuel 23:16

So the three mighty men broke through the Philistine lines, drew water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem and carried it back to David.

Read 2 Samuel 23:13-17

Once during the battling days of David, the Philistines were in Bethlehem, David’s hometown. Three of David’s men went to him at the cave of Adullam and heard him say, “Oh, that someone would get me a drink of water from the well near the gate of Bethlehem!”

My guess is that David was tired and homesick. I imagine he inspired such loyalty that when these men heard David pining over the distance between him and the sweetness of home they couldn’t resist surprising him with a taste of the water he longed for.

These three mighty men broke through enemy lines to get water for David to drink. It took bravery, cunning, and determination to get the job done. They must have had a fire in them to get to the well of Bethlehem and back safely – with enough water to make the journey worth it.

I don’t think they were trying to be heroes. I think they were driven to serve David the unexpected blessing of the one thing he longed for. What a great example of a servant’s attitude. They knew they could do it. And because they took the risk, made the effort, and accomplished what they were driven to do, they became heroes in David’s eyes.

When they approached David with the water, he couldn’t believe they did that. David took the water from the men, but he refused to drink it.

He poured the water out before the Lord. David, who had shown enormous bravery and who had accomplished many dangerous exploits by himself, was amazed at these men who put their lives at risk for a simple drink of water.

The men were valued beyond the water. Because they were driven to take that one trip behind enemy lines, they received the honor of a mention in the Bible as David’s “three mighty men.”

Protection in the Storm

2009-12-23T07:30:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 4:5-6

Then the LORD will create over all of Mount Zion and over those who assemble there a cloud of smoke by day and a glow of flaming fire by night; over all the glory will be a canopy. It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain.

When Hurricane Ike came through Houston, my family decided to stay in our house to see what would happen around us during the storm. It was the first time we didn’t leave town before a hurricane hit.

God protected us. Our children were old enough to help clear debris from the yard, but we didn’t have that much work to do in the aftermath. We lost one tree and buckets of leaves. We lost electricity for a few days, but other than a little spoiled food, we came out all right. Our roof didn’t have any leaks. We were safe.

We listened to reports on the radio and prayed for those who lost their homes. God used many with gifts from neighbor to neighbor, sharing generator power and much needed encouragement. We knew God was our shelter, and we leaned on him.

God has proven himself in so many ways. When I read in the Bible about God’s provision and protection, I can add my own stories to the discussion. If we keep remembering what God has already done for us, it’s easier for us to expect the fatherly love of God to show up again and again.

Protection for the Obedient

2009-12-16T11:05:00.000-08:00

Isaiah 25:4

You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in his distress, a shelter from the storm and a shade from the heat.

Verse two of Isaiah 25 reminds me of the battle of Jericho. The strong, fortified city of Jericho became a heap of rubble and a ruin, not because of the tanks and bazookas of the Hebrew people. They didn’t have any tanks and bazookas. They had their obedience to God. That was weapon enough to pull down the enormous, reinforced city walls.

Verse five reminds me of the Cloud by day and the Fire by night that guided the Hebrew slaves in the wilderness after they left Egypt. When the cloud of God hovers, there is relief from the oppressing heat of the desert. When God is with you, you can escape oppression no matter where it comes against you.

God protected the people as they left Egypt and he carried out their protection in the battle of Jericho. He is able to do that and more for you today.

He takes in the needy and protects those who follow him. That’s a great reason for us to look to God for our shelter. He covers us and hides us from the storm.

Like A Rock

2009-12-09T08:14:00.000-08:00

1 Samuel 2:2

There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.

When we enter a giant rock, we call it a cave. We find protective shelter in the cave. Can you imagine being inside the sheltering presence of God?

Part of the fun of reading the Bible is seeing how God describes himself in so many ways. In one place he’s the Living Word, in another place he’s our Rock. Those descriptions give me a variety of pictures in my mind that help me see God better.

In my imagination, I can see God sitting in a field like an impressive mountain. I can run into the mountain to hide from a storm. There, I’m protected. But if I’m out in the field during the storm, I’m dead meat.

God wants to be a permanent part of our lives just like a mountain. But he knows how we can be. Sometimes we love him, sometimes we ignore him, and sometimes we get angry and yell at him. Like a strong mountain, he stubbornly sits in a field and refuses to crumble into dust to be blown by the wind just because we get angry at him. He waits for us to run to him.

Because he knows how we can be.

He is our Rock. He is solid and unmoving, but he has a place for us. He stubbornly cares for us. 1 Samuel 2:5-7 show us other ways God protectively cares for his faithful friends.

He knows we need him, and he’s available right now. So won’t you seek God with me?

Planting A Shelter

2009-12-02T09:20:00.000-08:00

Ezekiel 17:23

On the mountain heights of Israel I will plant it; it will produce branches and bear fruit and become a splendid cedar. Birds of every kind will nest in it; they will find shelter in the shade of its branches.

This verse is from a section that describes how God planned to bring down one who was strong and to lift up one who was weak. A tall cedar tree can be easily uprooted by God. A small plant can be nurtured and protected until it is strong protection for someone else.

When God plants something, it will grow. It will be strong enough to hold up under the weight of those who need a shelter. It will produce an abundance of food and shade for others. It will be beautiful.

God encouraged me with those words. If I see an insurmountable challenge and feel low and weak, he can lift me up. If God called me to do a specific thing, it is not solely my responsibility to carry it out. It’s my responsibility to work with God to achieve the goal.

When God speaks to you, you have a responsibility to respond to him. But know that you won’t be working alone. If God says he’ll do something, rest assured, He will do it.

A Real God Gives A Real Reward

2009-11-25T07:28:00.000-08:00

Hebrews 11:6

… anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

It’s easy to ignore God. Lots of people do it. Developing a relationship with someone is something fewer people do. It takes time and effort. You have to give of yourself and work on two-way communication.

Anyone who wants to hear from God about a particular issue must realize that God doesn’t really approach you in a business-like manner. He doesn’t have office hours. He doesn’t take coffee breaks. He is actually available to us whenever we want to speak and listen.

And since He’s available 24/7, we have to realize one more thing. He’s not a vending machine. We’re not supposed to put in words of praise and adoration like quarters into a machine. He doesn’t give out blessings and miracles if you push the right buttons.

God is real. He’s not only real, but he’s also a person with feelings. We sometimes forget how to approach God since we’ve never encountered anyone else who is Almighty, Omnipotent, and Omniscient. We have to remember that “seeking God” is simply seeking a relationship with him.

He is the powerful Lion who is also the gentle lamb. He’s just, and he’s merciful. He knows we’ve sinned, but he reminds us (often) that we’re forgiven.

The reward mentioned in Hebrews 11:6 is sometimes thought of in earthly or financial terms. But my experience has been that when you seek God with your whole heart, the satisfying and enduring reward that He gives is the thrill of his warm presence. Being with God is more important to me than receiving a small gift of finances. I know He provides and protects in whatever way He chooses, so I don’t fret about what I don’t control. I simply enjoy His presence.

This is the perfect time to thank God for his presence with us.

Two Searches, One Goal

2009-11-18T08:23:00.000-08:00

Matthew 7:8

For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

There are two kinds of searches. The first is a search for something you once had, but lost. The second is a search for something you never had.

The goal of both searches is achieved the same way. You have to look for what you lack.

In the first search you know what the item you’re looking for feels like. You know whether it’s heavy or light. You know its size and smell and general appearance. You even know when you last had it. The search should be easy.

The second type of search is a little more difficult because you may not have all the necessary information. You have to do an initial search for the information that will tell you where you should look for the item.

If you and your dog Jumpy are sitting in the back yard in the shade and you fall asleep, and then you wake up and the dog is gone, you simply look in the usually places for him. If you see Jumpy across the street in the neighbor’s yard, you would recognize him right away. It should be easy to get him back.

However if you go to your Grandma’s house and she asks you to help her find her new dog Simon, but she doesn’t have a picture of him, it would be much harder to get Simon back. Even if she told you he’s a black and white dog, it would be possible for you to bring back three or four black and white dogs before you find the right one.

My point is no matter if the search is easy or difficult, you’re not going to obtain your prize unless you look for it.

When I lost something and knew it had to be there nearby somewhere, I got distracted away from whatever else I could’ve been doing and got really focused on finding it.

That’s how God wants us to be when we’re searching for Him. You ask yourself, “Where’s God in this situation?” He’s there. You just have to look harder. He even gave us a Bible verse to motivate us to keep looking for Him. Deuteronomy 4:29 “But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

Whether your search is for something tangible like a dog or intangible like peace, you may need to get more information before starting your search. You may need to ask God for wisdom to look in the right places. So start there first, and seek God with me.

God Loves His Kids

2009-11-11T07:46:00.000-08:00

Zephaniah 1:6

I will cut off “…those who turn back from following the Lord and neither seek the Lord nor inquire of him.”

God loves you. He wants you to know that.

If you have been in church and found the people in the church to be imperfect, don’t judge God by that. If you’ve been hurt by someone who claims to be a Christian, don’t judge God by that. People – even good Christians – are imperfect. But God is love.

Many find questions in church that they can’t answer, and they turn away from God. We have to realize that some answers don’t come easy. Don’t make getting answers a condition of your love for God. He doesn’t put conditions on his love for you.

God can be in charge and not like what he sees. He’s a parent. Sometimes his children are well-behaved, and sometimes they’re naughty. He loves his kids anyway.

If you’ve ever known God’s love, don’t turn away from him. When difficult times come your way, stay with him. Ask him the hard questions. Seek him in prayer. Sit silently in his presence. He will be with you.

God stays patient with us through our ups and downs, but we have to remain his kids. Why do we turn our backs on God, disown him, ignore him, run away from him, and then wonder why we don’t feel his love?

There will be a day when those who turn their backs on God will identify themselves with the wicked. If they remain arrogantly wicked long enough, they will turn down every chance to come back to God. They won’t seek God when they need him.

God doesn’t want to lose any of his kids. No parent does. That’s why I keep encouraging you to seek God with me.

Seeking Him In Our Brokenness

2009-11-04T07:32:00.000-08:00

Psalm 10:4

In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

Where is God when you need him?

He’s right where he was when you thought you didn’t need him.

He’s always been there for us, but we haven’t always been there for him. We sometimes find that there is no room for God in our schedule. But God always has room for us in his.

Why is God so patient with us?

When we arrogantly think that we can handle all the events in our lives without help from God, we ignore his guiding touch. We push away the hand he holds out to us. Then when we find ourselves in need, we know he is the only one to whom we can run. But we often hold back our call for help. We think he won’t help us. We think we’ve offended God too much for him to hear our plea.

It’s not the cry for help that he ignores; it’s the unrepentant heart. As long as we take him seriously and believe he will respond to us, we can run to him in our brokenness. We can flood his shoulder with our tears. We can ask him to help us stay turned back to him.

It starts with a heart that is willing. You must be willing to be held and directed by God.

The wicked doesn’t seek him. They don’t want his love. But you aren’t wicked and your heart is willing to be held in the hand of God. So seek God with me today.

Getting Rid of Evil

2009-10-28T08:14:00.000-07:00

1 Peter 2:1

Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.

Chapter one of the book of First Peter tells us that our goal is to love each other deeply because we have God’s love. Chapter two continues that thought with step two which is to get rid of the evil that destroys relationships. We aren’t loving each other when we slip into hypocrisy and deceit.

Showing respect for others, submitting to the proper authority, and doing good deeds are ways we love our neighbors. This love is ammunition for demolishing the evil.

How do you rid yourself of darkness? Turn on the light.

How do you rid yourself of evil? Use love. Use God’s love. But to use it, you have to have it. So go to God and receive the life that turns away death and the light that turns away darkness. Go to God and receive his love.

Nine Verses

2009-10-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 4:14

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

In Ephesians 4:8-16, I have found words of hope and clear direction that have often been overlooked. We know that there are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers in our enormous Christian family. But do we read past that verse to find the people the others were put here for?

Let’s look at the verses. Verse 8 tells us that God has given gifts to men. Verses 9 and 10 tell us about the one who gave the gifts. Verse 11 tells us what the gifts are. Verse 12 and 13 tell us why he gave the gifts. Verse 14 tells us what happens when we reach the goal achieved by using the gifts. Verse 15 tells us we will grow up by speaking the truth in love. Verse 16 tells us we’re supposed to work together.

Those nine verses tell us that each one of us has been given the gift of a job that is so special and so necessary that there are people being directed by God to help each of us prepare for that job. If we each do our job to the best of our ability, we will mature in the process. Then we will no longer be deceived by the “good ideas” that get thrown at us all the time. If we each do our jobs and mature until we reach unity in the faith, we will be stable so we’re not blown about by every wind of teaching.

Can you imagine what would happen if everyone actually did this?

I believe we will do this. But each of us has to do those works of service that we were created to do.

If you are doing your God-given works of service, good for you. I’m proud of you. Keep it up. If we all keep it up, we will reach a unity in the faith that we have only dreamed of so far.

God has a plan. Let’s stick with it.

Flattering Lips

2009-10-14T08:09:00.000-07:00

Psalm 12:1-2

Help, LORD, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men. Everyone lies to his neighbor; their flattering lips speak with deception.

Have you ever felt like you were the only one trying to do what was right?

I know children often complain about getting into trouble for something they’ve done because it seems as though their siblings never get into trouble. Does a mother forego justice to keep the peace?

No. Parents must teach their children to do what is right even when you really are the only one doing it.

Psalm 12 shows us that this feeling has been around a long time. When we think everyone is lying, God reminds us that His words are flawless. We can lift up the words of the Lord and remain in His protection.

Deceitful Gain

2009-10-07T07:47:00.000-07:00

Genesis 27:35

But he said, “Your brother came deceitfully and took your blessing.”

When you think of the story of Jacob and Esau, the word “deceit” comes to mind. Although he was helped by his mother, Jacob was the one who deceived his father into giving him his brother’s blessing.

Jacob received the blessing, but did he walk in honor? No. He had to run away to protect himself from Esau who was consoling himself with the thought of killing him.

Many people are able to get what they want – one way or another – like Jacob. Anyone can stoop to being a deceitful scammer, but I don’t think it feels as good as getting what you’ve earned and walking in honor.

Why flee when you can live free?

It’s hard to forgive those who take things by deception. The good news, however, is that Esau was able to forgive Jacob. Genesis 33:4 tells us that the brothers saw each other again after years of separation – and Esau didn’t kill him as Jacob had feared.

Hannah's Prayer

2009-09-30T07:51:00.000-07:00

1 Samuel 1:2

He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none.

Hannah had no children.

Year after year, Peninnah persistently irritated Hannah about the fact that she had no children. She provoked her until Hannah broke down and cried.

Isn’t that sad? Not only was Hannah not able to bear children, but she was also tortured by the one woman who could provide sons for their husband. She had the love of her husband, but she that didn’t solve her problem. She was frustrated with the fact that there wasn’t anything she could do to fix her problem.

So she prayed.

She prayed so fervently and with such anguish that she got the attention of Eli the priest. He told her to go and God would give her what she wanted. She immediately believed God would do it.

I think a lot of Christians do that kind of praying. We try to be patient and endure whatever may come. Then when we get so frustrated by our inability to get what we feel we should have, we fall on our face and pray to God.

I wonder what would happen if we’d listen to God earlier in the scenario. Does God wait until we’ve cried our last tear before he acts? I don’t think so.

I don’t think we see things the same way God does. Maybe he waits on us to act on our faith. Maybe he wants to see if the thing we want is going to be ahead of him in our list of priorities. Maybe he waits for us to throw away the arrogant notion that it was our idea to want the thing.

When we get to the point that it has to be God making it happen, we can never claim the gift as our own creation. We can never own the miracle. It’s God’s hand at work, not ours.

We are his children, after all. He knows our tendencies and weaknesses. Some of us generally lean toward self-sufficiency. I think God tries to do what is necessary to keep our attention on him.

He wants to help us achieve success, but we have to wait for God’s plan. He sees things we don’t see. That includes pitfalls as well as successes. He knows what will trip us up and what will help us triumph.

Hannah had no children. And then she had a very important child.

If we’ll trust God’s plan, our obedience will speed us to the victory.

Relationship Renovation

2009-09-23T08:14:00.000-07:00

Genesis 48:11

Israel said to Joseph, "I never expected to see your face again, and now God has allowed me to see your children too."

I missed out on going to my family reunion this year. I enjoy going as often as possible so I can visit with aunts and uncles and cousins. I love seeing how the young ones are now so tall.

My kids also enjoy seeing my brother’s kids every year. They used to be a lot closer in size than they are now, but they still party like there’s no tomorrow when they see each other. Their love for each other makes even the adults smile.

I imagine there will be great rejoicing in Heaven when we return to those friends and relatives who have gone before us. Won’t that be an exciting time (– among many exciting moments in Heaven)?

I love it when God brings loved ones back together again. Or when he restores friendships or family relationships between those who allowed something to come between them.

Mercy and Healing

2009-09-16T07:58:00.000-07:00

Genesis 20:16-18

To Sarah he said, "I am giving your brother a thousand shekels of silver. This is to cover the offense against you before all who are with you; you are completely vindicated." Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech, his wife and his slave girls so they could have children again, for the LORD had closed up every womb in Abimelech's household because of Abraham's wife Sarah.

There are those to whom pregnancy comes easy. And then there are those who pray for a child. Those who are praying God would open their womb and help them conceive a child can read about Sarah and Hannah. God gives us examples of women who stubbornly loved God and stubbornly asked Him for help with a pregnancy.

I know children are a blessing. They’re a lot of work, but they’re also a blessing.

Some women find it unfair that those who don’t want kids get pregnant easily. And those who want kids, but can’t have any, must learn to not take offense when someone else gets pregnant.

As much as God loves the sound of children’s laughter, He also cherishes the hearts of the adults. No person is more important than another, regardless of age or even child-related cuteness.

God wants each of us to notice and accept Him. Even if we don’t get everything we want. We are to follow God’s guidance because His plan is better than ours.

In Genesis, God had to deal with the hearts of Abraham, Sarah, Abimelech, his wife, and his slave girls before the issue of child-bearing could be corrected.

My kids are old enough to take on a little more responsibility now. I give them tasks and expect them to obey. God does that with me, only I’m just as imperfect as my kids. Should I expect my kids to obey me to the letter when I don’t follow God perfectly?

Because our kids are a blessing, we should recognize that we’re here to be that kind of a blessing to our Heavenly Father. Because he gives us mercy, we should pay it forward to our kids.

Thank You, God, for healing us and showing us mercy.

An Inheritance For Your Children

2009-09-09T08:12:00.000-07:00

Joshua 14:9

So on that day Moses swore to me, 'The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.'

Joshua and Caleb were the only two men to bring back a fearless report of the land they’d been sent into. They told of a land flowing with milk and honey, but the other men stirred up fear in the hearts of the people.

At eighty-five years old, Caleb reminded Joshua what had happened when he was forty. Moses gave him land as an inheritance, and Caleb wanted to move into what was his.

I come from people who live a long time on the earth. They’re strong and proud and active. I can just imagine Caleb looking even more fit than my relatives. His words sound like he was energized and ready to go.

One of the things I like about Caleb is the fact that he doesn’t expect to drive out his enemies with his own strength. He knows he can be victorious against his enemies with the Lord’s help. Verse twelve shows his confidence is in the Lord. “You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there and their cities were large and fortified, but, the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said.”

Because of his obedience and trust in the Lord, Caleb secured a great inheritance for all of his descendants. Or from verse nine, “your inheritance and that of your children forever.”

How are you building up an inheritance for your children?

Rejoicing

2009-09-02T07:37:00.000-07:00

Nehemiah 12:43

And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

The wall of Jerusalem had been finished, and the Israelites had settled in their towns. Then Ezra read the law to the people. They had a feast and celebrated. They made a binding agreement, took part in ceremonies, and rejoiced.

They didn’t just have a pot-luck supper where everyone sat around drinking tea and visiting. They rejoiced. Loudly.

Have you been to a party that was so loud you were sure the police were going to shut it down because it was disturbing the neighbors? The Jerusalem party was like that combined with a large group of junior high girls screaming at a concert. I’m saying it was loud.

They had a right to be loud. They had come back to Jerusalem and had fought to stay there. The city wall, which was destroyed, had been rebuilt. They listened to the law of God and committed themselves to the God who had never left them through all their many problems.

They had come back home.

In this age of mobility, we understand what it’s like to move from home to home. Today there aren’t as many people who live in one place as there used to be. People who, decade after decade, live in the same house next door to the same neighbors.

Many parents want to be in one place to raise their children. They want their children to relax in the place they call home.

God had brought these people through many hard situations. He gave them a victory and a reason to fill their mouths with thanksgiving. And now it was time to celebrate.

The next time God gives you peace, rest, and a reason to celebrate, remember the people of Jerusalem, the men and women and children who responded to God by rejoicing from the bottom of their hearts.