It's beginning to look a lot like CHRISTmas...every where you go...
I love Christmas! I love the way we can celebrate Christ's birth. It can be controversial amongst believers...We know Jesus wasn't actually born on Dec. 25th because the sheperds would not have been "keeping watch" over their sheep in that cold weather...Nonetheless, we have redeemed Dec. 25 and choose to celebrate the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Love it!
The focus of course for the world is "outward" not inward.
The focus of course is on money---focus on gifts and purchases and sales and new gadgets and good deals, etc., etc., etc....
Well deep in my heart I have been thinking a lot about gifts, but not the kind that can be wrapped and put under a tree.
I've been thinking of SPIRITUAL GIFTS.
(There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all. 1 Corinth 12:4-6)
The other day I went to a lovely Christmas gathering. I noticed the cute Christmas towels in the bathroom embroidered with "Noel." They were very pretty. They seemed to sparkle with the glittery thread. Here's the thing though...They were for display only. There was another type of towel there too.
The paper towel.
The Christmas disposable, paper, "throw away" napkins were the ones folded beneath the cloth towels and these paper napkins were the ones our host intended for us to use.
The Christmas towels were not meant to be used...they were more for decorative purposes. The disposable paper napkins were the ones you actually "used" to dry your hands.
Funny! I thought about this last year too.
God spoke to my heart:
Are you Laura like a Christmas towel? Nice and neat on the outside. Nice looking to the world...but your gifts are for decoration only. I am not using you and you display yourself proudly once a year. Once in a while you will shine for me...but then you go back into the Christmas box....only to be stored in the dusty garage for another 12 months.
NO LORD I prayed! I don't want to be like that.
I want to be used over and over again by the LORD. I don't want my gifts to be "shelved" or put away like the Christmas towels. I would much rather be useful to the LORD. You see, the Christmas towels are nice. Don't get me wrong. We all like "looking" at them...but they are not of any use. They are only for decoration. They are really a phony if you think about it. They bear the name "bath towel" but really they are not meant to be used at all. The disposable napkins, however, are USEFUL. (See Matt 7:18-23)
God really used this picture to get my attention about spiritul gifts. Do I desire to be a prayer warrior, or memorize scripture, or be an evangelist or encourager, or to have a generous heart just for "decorative purposes?" Are these gifts just for display? Or do I desire to truly, truly be used by God? If I choose to allow God to use those gifts and talents He has given to me for HIS PURPOSE, for HIS GLORY, believe me, I may feel at times like a crumpled up, tired, worn out, disposable napkin. But guess what? That's OK. Because our temporary emotional state doesn't really matter in light of eternity. I will GLADLY allow my life to be poured out for Christ's sake. (present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.Rom.12:1; Also, Phil 3:20-21)
So on that note- Think about this my dear friends. Are you a Christmas towel? Or are you a disposable napkin? I want to be the napkin. I want to be used over and over again by God, encouraging others and living that sacrificial life God called me to live.
Paul said, "Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ." Phil 3:8 and "And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor" 1 Corinth. 12:23
"Till He appeared! And the soul felt it's worth.....fall on your knees!"
Friday, December 17, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Is it hard to Say “Thank You?”
Is it hard to Say “Thank You?”
You may read this question and think, “Of course not!” It’s easy to thank God for who He is and what He’s done. It’s easy to thank the waiter or waitress for doing a good job. But I challenge you to really think about this…
Can it sometimes be hard to say, “thank you” ?
I think it can...
When a person gives you an extravagant gift you know you don’t deserve, it sometimes can make you feel uncomfortable. You might feel unworthy. You might try to “reject” the gift. Or, you might just feel uncomfortable by a person’s continual generosity.
I had a girlfriend in law school that constantly bought me a Starbuck’s coffee to our study dates and would never let me pay her for them. She would drive by Starbuck’s at least 2-3 times a week and pick up our coffee. It was so thoughtful, sweet and generous (you know it can get expensive). She would get offended if I tried to pay her back or cut in front of her to pay at a Starbuck’s line. It was something she felt she had to do…What could I say but “thank you?”
I think sometimes people can do something for us that catches us off guard and we aren’t prepared to properly say thank you. One time a woman in my Bible study group was surprised when she came to study and there were boxes and boxes of diapers for her newborn twins. She called me later and asked, “Did I even say thank you to the group?” She was surprised by the generosity and was literally speechless. (She did say thank you by the way)
There are so many verses in the Bible that talk about thanksgiving.
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:15
When is it a sacrifice of praise to give God thanks? When it hurts. When we are in a trial or when we don’t feel especially thankful. I have a friend with a child with Autism. I am sure it is especially hard for her to thank God for this. It is an ongoing trial for her and her family. But does she thank God even when it is hard to? Absolutely. She says that she can see God’s hand at work in her child, in her family and in her walk with God and although she can’t wait until her child is completely healed in heaven, she can continually offer the sacrifice of praise, thanking God for who He is and TRUSTING although not all things are good, all things are working together for good. Amen?
AMEN.
Sometimes it is a sacrifice of praise to give thanks because we are prideful. A relative of mine once said, “Why should I thank God for this? I am the one that did it!” That’s just pride. Not one single heart beat or breath or thought can occur without God. Sometimes pride can creep in and we don’t feel we need to give thanks to God. It can be simply, “I did a good job at work and I deserved that gratitude from my boss.” Or “I worked hard on dinner and I deserved that gratitude from my husband.”
Wrong.
We deserve nothing.
God deserves the credit and thanks and it is a sacrifice of praise when we can die to ourselves and pride and truly say, “God does give talents and gifts but how can I receive the credit, praise or glory? How can someone praise the gift more than the gift-giver?”
Sometimes it is a sacrifice of praise to give thanks because we are bitter. This is tied to pride but slightly different. When a person feels “wronged” by something or someone, when that person does something polite or kind, the “wronged” person may feel there is no need to say thank you. “Why should I say ‘thank you’ when he hurt me to begin with?” He is only correcting the wrong and there is no need to say thank you. We are even. This is another time we can offer a sacrifice of praise to God by giving thanks. Sometimes God allows things to stretch our faith and to grow our faith. When the trial is done and we’ve come through the fire, sometimes we stay “bitter” by the trial and don’t thank God for the answers to prayer…
At Thanksgiving, it’s easy to give thanks for our food, for our families and for our spiritual and material blessings, but it isn’t easy to say “thank you” to a person who has wronged us…It isn’t easy to say “thank you” to God when we are in a trial or when we see others suffer or we see injustice. But truly, God is well pleased when we continually, not just on Thanksgiving day, but we continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, giving thanks to His name. Thanking God for His love, His saving grace, for His sovereignty, for His perfect will, for His hand in our life even in the midst of trials…we can even thank God for the trial itself knowing that although we don’t understand it, somehow in God’s infinite wisdom He WILL work it together for good in our life. It’s certain. It’s a fireproof promise from His Word (Rom 8:28)
It’s God’s will to give thanks.
In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thess 5:18
So even if you are upset, or confused, or you might feel so emotionally and mentally tired to give thanks, do it any way…for in this, you are giving a sacrifice of praise and God is well pleased.
You may read this question and think, “Of course not!” It’s easy to thank God for who He is and what He’s done. It’s easy to thank the waiter or waitress for doing a good job. But I challenge you to really think about this…
Can it sometimes be hard to say, “thank you” ?
I think it can...
When a person gives you an extravagant gift you know you don’t deserve, it sometimes can make you feel uncomfortable. You might feel unworthy. You might try to “reject” the gift. Or, you might just feel uncomfortable by a person’s continual generosity.
I had a girlfriend in law school that constantly bought me a Starbuck’s coffee to our study dates and would never let me pay her for them. She would drive by Starbuck’s at least 2-3 times a week and pick up our coffee. It was so thoughtful, sweet and generous (you know it can get expensive). She would get offended if I tried to pay her back or cut in front of her to pay at a Starbuck’s line. It was something she felt she had to do…What could I say but “thank you?”
I think sometimes people can do something for us that catches us off guard and we aren’t prepared to properly say thank you. One time a woman in my Bible study group was surprised when she came to study and there were boxes and boxes of diapers for her newborn twins. She called me later and asked, “Did I even say thank you to the group?” She was surprised by the generosity and was literally speechless. (She did say thank you by the way)
There are so many verses in the Bible that talk about thanksgiving.
Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:15
When is it a sacrifice of praise to give God thanks? When it hurts. When we are in a trial or when we don’t feel especially thankful. I have a friend with a child with Autism. I am sure it is especially hard for her to thank God for this. It is an ongoing trial for her and her family. But does she thank God even when it is hard to? Absolutely. She says that she can see God’s hand at work in her child, in her family and in her walk with God and although she can’t wait until her child is completely healed in heaven, she can continually offer the sacrifice of praise, thanking God for who He is and TRUSTING although not all things are good, all things are working together for good. Amen?
AMEN.
Sometimes it is a sacrifice of praise to give thanks because we are prideful. A relative of mine once said, “Why should I thank God for this? I am the one that did it!” That’s just pride. Not one single heart beat or breath or thought can occur without God. Sometimes pride can creep in and we don’t feel we need to give thanks to God. It can be simply, “I did a good job at work and I deserved that gratitude from my boss.” Or “I worked hard on dinner and I deserved that gratitude from my husband.”
Wrong.
We deserve nothing.
God deserves the credit and thanks and it is a sacrifice of praise when we can die to ourselves and pride and truly say, “God does give talents and gifts but how can I receive the credit, praise or glory? How can someone praise the gift more than the gift-giver?”
Sometimes it is a sacrifice of praise to give thanks because we are bitter. This is tied to pride but slightly different. When a person feels “wronged” by something or someone, when that person does something polite or kind, the “wronged” person may feel there is no need to say thank you. “Why should I say ‘thank you’ when he hurt me to begin with?” He is only correcting the wrong and there is no need to say thank you. We are even. This is another time we can offer a sacrifice of praise to God by giving thanks. Sometimes God allows things to stretch our faith and to grow our faith. When the trial is done and we’ve come through the fire, sometimes we stay “bitter” by the trial and don’t thank God for the answers to prayer…
At Thanksgiving, it’s easy to give thanks for our food, for our families and for our spiritual and material blessings, but it isn’t easy to say “thank you” to a person who has wronged us…It isn’t easy to say “thank you” to God when we are in a trial or when we see others suffer or we see injustice. But truly, God is well pleased when we continually, not just on Thanksgiving day, but we continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, giving thanks to His name. Thanking God for His love, His saving grace, for His sovereignty, for His perfect will, for His hand in our life even in the midst of trials…we can even thank God for the trial itself knowing that although we don’t understand it, somehow in God’s infinite wisdom He WILL work it together for good in our life. It’s certain. It’s a fireproof promise from His Word (Rom 8:28)
It’s God’s will to give thanks.
In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thess 5:18
So even if you are upset, or confused, or you might feel so emotionally and mentally tired to give thanks, do it any way…for in this, you are giving a sacrifice of praise and God is well pleased.
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
God’s Shadow is PERFECT Shade
HE who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1
Wikipedia states, “A shadow is an area where direct light from a light source cannot reach due to obstruction by an object. It occupies all of the space behind an opaque object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two-dimensional silhouette, or reverse projection of the object blocking the light.”
This is profound to me.
You see, a shadow is not the “thing.” A shadow is a reflection of an object that is blocking the light.
The Bible says, “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 1:18
Moses desired to see God’s glory but He could not. No man or woman conceived in sin could see God and live. He could only see Him from behind.
“Then I will remove my hand, and you will see me from behind. But my face will not be seen." Exodus 33:23 NLT
A shadow is the silhouette of the image of something or someone. The shadow is a reflection of the substance.
What is the substance? Christ Jesus Himself.
The Bible describes the law as a shadow or “preview” of what was to come…
As it says in Colossians, “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Colossians 2:16-17 (emphasis mine)
The law was only a shadow of Christ’s completed work…
"For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect." Hebrews 10:1
Only Christ can make us perfect.
So again, what is the point of giving some thought to God’s shadow? Well a person who chooses to dwell with God (in the secret place of the Most High) will live or abide under the shadow of the Almighty God. If we choose to continually dwell with God, God provides our shelter, our shade, from a hot and dry land. We rest under His shadow. He is our covering. Again, who is the shadow? I believe the shadow is Christ Jesus Himself, for He is the express image of the Father. (Hebrews 1:3)
Psalm 91:1
Wikipedia states, “A shadow is an area where direct light from a light source cannot reach due to obstruction by an object. It occupies all of the space behind an opaque object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two-dimensional silhouette, or reverse projection of the object blocking the light.”
This is profound to me.
You see, a shadow is not the “thing.” A shadow is a reflection of an object that is blocking the light.
The Bible says, “No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.” John 1:18
Moses desired to see God’s glory but He could not. No man or woman conceived in sin could see God and live. He could only see Him from behind.
“Then I will remove my hand, and you will see me from behind. But my face will not be seen." Exodus 33:23 NLT
A shadow is the silhouette of the image of something or someone. The shadow is a reflection of the substance.
What is the substance? Christ Jesus Himself.
The Bible describes the law as a shadow or “preview” of what was to come…
As it says in Colossians, “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ. Colossians 2:16-17 (emphasis mine)
The law was only a shadow of Christ’s completed work…
"For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect." Hebrews 10:1
Only Christ can make us perfect.
So again, what is the point of giving some thought to God’s shadow? Well a person who chooses to dwell with God (in the secret place of the Most High) will live or abide under the shadow of the Almighty God. If we choose to continually dwell with God, God provides our shelter, our shade, from a hot and dry land. We rest under His shadow. He is our covering. Again, who is the shadow? I believe the shadow is Christ Jesus Himself, for He is the express image of the Father. (Hebrews 1:3)
Friday, November 12, 2010
A Future and a Hope
I have been reading through Jeremiah and I must confess, it's depressing....So many terrible things happen in this book. The people reject Jeremiah's prophecies, Jeremiah weeps, the people continuously reject God and His promises, etc.
"Jeremiah is known as 'the weeping prophet' (Jeremiah 9:1), but he did not weep for himself. He wept over the lost condition of his people..." (author unknown)
So as I was reading I came across one of our beloved verses...Jeremiah 29:11. It just jumped out at me...I read through Jeremiah's call to repentance, his prophecies about Israel about to be overtaken by Babylon, about a promised remnant, etc.
Wiersbe says the four themes of Jeremiah are rebellion, repentance, righteousness, and retribution.
It's a tough read. It seems as though God's people will never get it together...God even gives a picture to Jeremiah of good figs and bad figs and calls His people "bad figs" that cannot be eaten. There is nothing more nasty than moldy fruit! But the good figs represented the remnant God would preserve...
When I came across Jeremiah 29:11, I was reminded of all the times I have read this verse...in a card on graduation, in a card for a baby dedication, etc. I love this promise from God's Word! The LORD had reminded me of it for the future of my son Isaac. Some say he has a "speech delay" because at almost 3, he is not saying words yet. Nonetheless, God spoke to my heart and reminded me that His plans and thoughts towards Isaac are good and not evil...
But there was something new I learned from this verse...the historical context!
Listen to the verses before and after it:
"The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel says, 'Do not let the prophets and mediums who are there in Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams because they prophecy lies in my name. I have not sent them.' says the LORD. The truth is that you will be in Babylon seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you, ' says the LORD. 'They are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I will be found by you, 'says the LORD. 'I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and bring you home again to your own land.' " Jeremiah 29:8-14
It's been an amazing journey over the last 11 weeks studying Daniel at Calvary Chapel Chino Valley with the women's Bible study. The Beth Moore DVD series is an awesome compliment and commentary to studying this amazing book...
Since we have been in Daniel, I was so familiar with this Babylonian exile that Jeremiah talks about here....Babylon is a type of the world, a self-centered, self-absorbed, self-indulgent, godless society. We live in Babylon today. We are encouraged to be like Daniel, to pray even if it is against the law and to NOT bow down to the world's golden image, even if it means we are thrown into a lion's den. Here, Jeremiah warns us NOT to believe the false prophets. The Israelites were being lied to. They were told, "Don't worry! You aren't going to be taken captive for 70 years into Babylon, so just ignore Jeremiah's warnings." God says, "That's a lie! You are being lied to! I know my plans for you and I know what I am doing and what I am doing is always, yes, always for your good!" (please note, not all things that are allowed in this world ARE IN THEMSELVES GOOD, but God will always work them together for good -Rom 8:28)
Wow! This amazing promise from the LORD (Jeremiah 29:11) has even MORE power in my life in knowing that God did send Jeremiah to give warning of judgment- they would be taken captive by evil Babylon for 70 years, but this was not the end!!! God would end their captivity and restore them. It's like us friends!!! We are in a world that is not our home. We are living in a world that loves evil...but God is at work!
The verses right after Jeremiah 29:11, verse 12 and 13, say, "In those days you will pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me"
We must do our part too! We must pray and read.
I love what Warren Wiersbe says, "God's people have the responsibility to seek the LORD, pray and ask Him to fulfill His promises, for the Word and prayer go together." (Acts 6:4).
Isn't that so awesome?
I know you love Jeremiah 29:11 too- God's promise that His thoughts and plans for us are good and not for evil or disaster and that He promises us a blessed future and a hope. But what are we to do about this? Pray all the more! Pray God's Word BACK to Him and seek Him out in His Word.
What an encouragement! Thank you LORD for books like Jeremiah and Daniel that give us examples of people who were faithful in a generation that rejected them...
"Jeremiah is known as 'the weeping prophet' (Jeremiah 9:1), but he did not weep for himself. He wept over the lost condition of his people..." (author unknown)
So as I was reading I came across one of our beloved verses...Jeremiah 29:11. It just jumped out at me...I read through Jeremiah's call to repentance, his prophecies about Israel about to be overtaken by Babylon, about a promised remnant, etc.
Wiersbe says the four themes of Jeremiah are rebellion, repentance, righteousness, and retribution.
It's a tough read. It seems as though God's people will never get it together...God even gives a picture to Jeremiah of good figs and bad figs and calls His people "bad figs" that cannot be eaten. There is nothing more nasty than moldy fruit! But the good figs represented the remnant God would preserve...
When I came across Jeremiah 29:11, I was reminded of all the times I have read this verse...in a card on graduation, in a card for a baby dedication, etc. I love this promise from God's Word! The LORD had reminded me of it for the future of my son Isaac. Some say he has a "speech delay" because at almost 3, he is not saying words yet. Nonetheless, God spoke to my heart and reminded me that His plans and thoughts towards Isaac are good and not evil...
But there was something new I learned from this verse...the historical context!
Listen to the verses before and after it:
"The LORD Almighty, the God of Israel says, 'Do not let the prophets and mediums who are there in Babylon trick you. Do not listen to their dreams because they prophecy lies in my name. I have not sent them.' says the LORD. The truth is that you will be in Babylon seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you, ' says the LORD. 'They are plans for good and not disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me. I will be found by you, 'says the LORD. 'I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and bring you home again to your own land.' " Jeremiah 29:8-14
It's been an amazing journey over the last 11 weeks studying Daniel at Calvary Chapel Chino Valley with the women's Bible study. The Beth Moore DVD series is an awesome compliment and commentary to studying this amazing book...
Since we have been in Daniel, I was so familiar with this Babylonian exile that Jeremiah talks about here....Babylon is a type of the world, a self-centered, self-absorbed, self-indulgent, godless society. We live in Babylon today. We are encouraged to be like Daniel, to pray even if it is against the law and to NOT bow down to the world's golden image, even if it means we are thrown into a lion's den. Here, Jeremiah warns us NOT to believe the false prophets. The Israelites were being lied to. They were told, "Don't worry! You aren't going to be taken captive for 70 years into Babylon, so just ignore Jeremiah's warnings." God says, "That's a lie! You are being lied to! I know my plans for you and I know what I am doing and what I am doing is always, yes, always for your good!" (please note, not all things that are allowed in this world ARE IN THEMSELVES GOOD, but God will always work them together for good -Rom 8:28)
Wow! This amazing promise from the LORD (Jeremiah 29:11) has even MORE power in my life in knowing that God did send Jeremiah to give warning of judgment- they would be taken captive by evil Babylon for 70 years, but this was not the end!!! God would end their captivity and restore them. It's like us friends!!! We are in a world that is not our home. We are living in a world that loves evil...but God is at work!
The verses right after Jeremiah 29:11, verse 12 and 13, say, "In those days you will pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me"
We must do our part too! We must pray and read.
I love what Warren Wiersbe says, "God's people have the responsibility to seek the LORD, pray and ask Him to fulfill His promises, for the Word and prayer go together." (Acts 6:4).
Isn't that so awesome?
I know you love Jeremiah 29:11 too- God's promise that His thoughts and plans for us are good and not for evil or disaster and that He promises us a blessed future and a hope. But what are we to do about this? Pray all the more! Pray God's Word BACK to Him and seek Him out in His Word.
What an encouragement! Thank you LORD for books like Jeremiah and Daniel that give us examples of people who were faithful in a generation that rejected them...
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Change
I have been thinking a lot about change...not like Obama's campaign slogan "Change we can believe in...." Not political change, but spiritual change.
I am talking about change in our walks with the LORD.
When Chuck and I were dating we would often go on a date to Chili's for lunch or dinner. I love soup so one of my favorite things to order is Chicken Enchilada Soup and salad. Their soup is soooo good. Even if on the rare occasion I decided to get a different meal, I would often get a "cup" of that soup because it's just so delicious.
I had this battle everytime I went to Chilis. I look at the menu (which I pretty much have memorized) and I would still get the soup and salad. It's my favorite and I just enjoyed getting the same thing over and over.
We can do this in our walk with the LORD.
We read our Bibles. We pray. We attend church services. We listen to Christian music...but we feel dry.
I challenge you that the reason may be it's time for a change.
We all know that trials stir us up. Trials make us fall on our faces in prayer like never before. Trials make us weep when we read our Bibles, when we ponder the Psalms because it's as if God is speaking to our hearts in a fresh way. We feel like David's words are our words. If you know someone who is righteous and has had trial after trial after trial, you read Job and the Bible comes alive. You see how Job was tested and either you, or someone close to you is tested too. The Bible offers great encouragement to us when we are going through trials...
Worship is heightened when we are in trials. You hear a song on the Christian radio and you cry or shout out loud because it's so moving...it ministers to the deepest part of your soul.
But what about when you aren't going throuh difficulty? What about when you aren't personally going through a major trial? You feel blessed. Your family is healthy. The bills are paid. Things are going great....but you might feel dry spiritually.
It's time for a change. (They sang as it were a new song before the throne...Rev. 14:3)
God has spoken to my heart that we can be proactive in stead of reactive in our walks with God. Instead of waiting for a trial to deepen our faith and strengthen our walk, we can (as the Holy Spirit leads) make a change, a decision of the will to NOT BE COMPLACENT. God is waiting for us to climb out of our box (or jump out!) and run to Him in a fresh and NEW way.
"He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD." Psalm 40:3
"Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You." Psalm 143:8
This is what I mean...
Change it up!!!
-Maybe you have read the New King James Version all of your life. Get a new version, or use a new Bible commentary during your devotional time.
-Maybe you always sit in the middle row back center at church. Sit somewhere else! You will meet some new people and it will change the experience at church (break your routine, once in a while).
-Maybe you always pray in a certain posture. Change it. I am not saying you have to be dogmatic about it. Try to lay totally face down to the floor, or take a walk and pray with your eyes opened thanking God for all the things in nature that inspire you to give Him praise.
-Change the words you use in your prayers. God is all about relationship. He loves when His people pray. But for OUR SAKE we need to change our routines in prayer. Use the psalms as a model and pray back God's promises to the LORD. Use different words than you usually do. Just think of it as a conversation with God and express your heart.
-Take some time each day to pray, just for the purpose of worship. Pray the names of God and thank Him for who He is. Praise Him for what He has done, is doing, and will do in the future.
-Fast for someone you love who is going through a heavy trial or for someone's salvation.
I believe there is nothing that increases and enhances our prayer time quite like fasting! (you can fast one meal a day or fast from something you enjoy like coffee, chocolate, shopping, tv, etc. there are so many ways to fast...)
-Hang out with a new friend and talk about what the LORD is doing in his/her life. Ask this friend how you can pray for them.
-Pray for missionaries.
-Think about the Holiness of God and how far from His standard we are. Ask God to work in your heart to make you holy, not in a self-righteous way, but in a way that honors Him. (But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:13-16)
We must fight against comfort. What I am advocating is this, if you feel "comfortable" in your walk right now, do something to make you uncomfortable. Do something out of the box. Fight against becoming luke warm-
""I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." Rev. 3:15-16
Listen to this from A.W. Tozer, "Fighting Complacency" -Be hard on yourself and easy on others. Carry your own cross but never lay one on the back of another. Begin to practice the presence of God. Cultivate the fellowship of the Triune God by prayer, humility, obedience and self-abnegation. Let any Christian do these things and he will make rapid spiritual progress. There is every reason why we should all go forward in our Christian lives and no reason why we should not. Let us go on."
Let's "practice the presence of God."
That's it friends!!!!! We all need to work on this. We all need to change our routines and begin to intentionally practice His presence and allow Christ to invade every area (and I do mean, EVERY area of our lives). Let's ask God to through His Holy Spirit allow us to worship Jesus in a new way, singing Him a new song.
I am talking about change in our walks with the LORD.
When Chuck and I were dating we would often go on a date to Chili's for lunch or dinner. I love soup so one of my favorite things to order is Chicken Enchilada Soup and salad. Their soup is soooo good. Even if on the rare occasion I decided to get a different meal, I would often get a "cup" of that soup because it's just so delicious.
I had this battle everytime I went to Chilis. I look at the menu (which I pretty much have memorized) and I would still get the soup and salad. It's my favorite and I just enjoyed getting the same thing over and over.
We can do this in our walk with the LORD.
We read our Bibles. We pray. We attend church services. We listen to Christian music...but we feel dry.
I challenge you that the reason may be it's time for a change.
We all know that trials stir us up. Trials make us fall on our faces in prayer like never before. Trials make us weep when we read our Bibles, when we ponder the Psalms because it's as if God is speaking to our hearts in a fresh way. We feel like David's words are our words. If you know someone who is righteous and has had trial after trial after trial, you read Job and the Bible comes alive. You see how Job was tested and either you, or someone close to you is tested too. The Bible offers great encouragement to us when we are going through trials...
Worship is heightened when we are in trials. You hear a song on the Christian radio and you cry or shout out loud because it's so moving...it ministers to the deepest part of your soul.
But what about when you aren't going throuh difficulty? What about when you aren't personally going through a major trial? You feel blessed. Your family is healthy. The bills are paid. Things are going great....but you might feel dry spiritually.
It's time for a change. (They sang as it were a new song before the throne...Rev. 14:3)
God has spoken to my heart that we can be proactive in stead of reactive in our walks with God. Instead of waiting for a trial to deepen our faith and strengthen our walk, we can (as the Holy Spirit leads) make a change, a decision of the will to NOT BE COMPLACENT. God is waiting for us to climb out of our box (or jump out!) and run to Him in a fresh and NEW way.
"He has put a new song in my mouth— Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD." Psalm 40:3
"Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You." Psalm 143:8
This is what I mean...
Change it up!!!
-Maybe you have read the New King James Version all of your life. Get a new version, or use a new Bible commentary during your devotional time.
-Maybe you always sit in the middle row back center at church. Sit somewhere else! You will meet some new people and it will change the experience at church (break your routine, once in a while).
-Maybe you always pray in a certain posture. Change it. I am not saying you have to be dogmatic about it. Try to lay totally face down to the floor, or take a walk and pray with your eyes opened thanking God for all the things in nature that inspire you to give Him praise.
-Change the words you use in your prayers. God is all about relationship. He loves when His people pray. But for OUR SAKE we need to change our routines in prayer. Use the psalms as a model and pray back God's promises to the LORD. Use different words than you usually do. Just think of it as a conversation with God and express your heart.
-Take some time each day to pray, just for the purpose of worship. Pray the names of God and thank Him for who He is. Praise Him for what He has done, is doing, and will do in the future.
-Fast for someone you love who is going through a heavy trial or for someone's salvation.
I believe there is nothing that increases and enhances our prayer time quite like fasting! (you can fast one meal a day or fast from something you enjoy like coffee, chocolate, shopping, tv, etc. there are so many ways to fast...)
-Hang out with a new friend and talk about what the LORD is doing in his/her life. Ask this friend how you can pray for them.
-Pray for missionaries.
-Think about the Holiness of God and how far from His standard we are. Ask God to work in your heart to make you holy, not in a self-righteous way, but in a way that honors Him. (But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." (1 Peter 1:13-16)
We must fight against comfort. What I am advocating is this, if you feel "comfortable" in your walk right now, do something to make you uncomfortable. Do something out of the box. Fight against becoming luke warm-
""I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." Rev. 3:15-16
Listen to this from A.W. Tozer, "Fighting Complacency" -Be hard on yourself and easy on others. Carry your own cross but never lay one on the back of another. Begin to practice the presence of God. Cultivate the fellowship of the Triune God by prayer, humility, obedience and self-abnegation. Let any Christian do these things and he will make rapid spiritual progress. There is every reason why we should all go forward in our Christian lives and no reason why we should not. Let us go on."
Let's "practice the presence of God."
That's it friends!!!!! We all need to work on this. We all need to change our routines and begin to intentionally practice His presence and allow Christ to invade every area (and I do mean, EVERY area of our lives). Let's ask God to through His Holy Spirit allow us to worship Jesus in a new way, singing Him a new song.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
A.C.T.S.
-Prayer changes things
-The Power of Prayer
-God Answers Prayer
-Pray Hard
These statements have been printed or engraved on decorative pieces of art, t-shirts, bumper stickers or even tattooed on people (see the Whosoevers website :)
One of my favorites is the model of prayer given by Jesus and made into the acronym "A.C.T.S."
When we go before the LORD God in prayer we offer, A-Adoration, C-Confession, T-Thanksgiving, and S-Supplication.
I want to focus on T- Thanksgiving.
Unfortunately, we all can fall into this habit in prayer-- We offer a quick hello to God, forgive me quickly, now here is where I want to spend my time God, here are all the prayer requests I have... and we unleash a 20 foot scroll and go on for 10-20 minutes or longer with our petitions.
Please, please, please don't misunderstand me--- God loves us and He is all about relationships. Even a prayer, "Lord Help me" or "Lord Thank you" is like sweet smelling incense to Him. He wants us to come to Him with all our requests...
But what I want to share, what I was reminded of recently was the importance of praying...simple prayers just for the purpose of giving thanks.
Last night God reminded me of the importance of prayers of adoration and thanksgiving to honor our Father. God did an amazing victory and answered prayers in a wonderful way and I fell to my knees and all I could say was, "LORD thank you, thank you, thank you." It felt so good! No laundry list, no burdens, no distractions, just me....just Him and just two words I could offer, "Thank you."
One time I heard Pastor Chuck Smith mention that God loves the spontaneous praise and prayer of thanks we give the LORD. This is what I think he meant---
We are driving in our car and just "out of no where" from the depths of our soul we bless God for who He is and what He's done. I like that!!! We can simply praise Him and thank Him for being good. The loving thing about our God is that we will be refreshed too as a result.
I think sometimes we can feel burdened by our supplications and petitions. Again, I am 100% convinced we do not come to the LORD with our supplication and petitions enough, so I am not saying that we should stop...If anything, we need to come to Him MORE with our petitions and requests. We need to truly offer prayers without ceasing...all day, all the time. Prayer is like oxygen. It's vital and we can't grow as a believer without it. How can one have a relationship with another he doesn't talk to?
What I am encouraging you (and me) is to take in EVEN MORE good stuff, more vitamins- Taking time to offer Thanksgiving Prayers once a day, or more.
It could be a prayer of thanks like this:
"God you are too good to me. Although I fail you, you never fail me. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for dying for me. Thank you for writing my name in your book of life. Thank you for doing exceedingly abundantly more than we could ever ask or think with my life and my testimony. Thank you for being the good sheperd and taking care of me your sheep, your precious lamb. Thank you for my spouse. Thank you for my family. Thank you for my friends. Thank you that I can see, hear, think, walk, dance, laugh, meditate on your Word and sing songs to you. Thank you that I have a roof over my head, clothes and shoes to wear, food in my fridge and cupboards and even extra resources to eat out! LORD you are too good. Thank you for my children. Thank you for the church I go to and the way you move there. Thank you for the ministry opportunites you give me daily. Thank you for my health. Thank you for my husband's job and my daily tasks you assign for me. Thank you for the Holy Spirit that indwells me. Thank you for being the Great I AM, the all sufficent one. LORD you are too good. LORD thank you. LORD thank you. LORD thank you for being you and for loving me. God, all I can say is thank you and ask you would use my life to be a blessing an offering poured out for you and your glory. In Jesus Name I offer thanks, AMEN."
(Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:15; Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.Phil 4:6)
I am sure as you read this prayer you thought of 101 other things to offer thanks to God for. I bet you forgot what your petitions even were. What were you in need of again? At the time of utter surrender in thanksgiving to God we forget. We forget our worries and we just swim in the ocean of His amazing grace and love and provision.
Oh that we would give thanks more often to our Father!!!!!!
(Scripture References:
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 2 Corinth. 9:15
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. Rev. 11:17
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinth 15:57
Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 136:2
We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.Psalm 75:1
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers. 1 Thess 1:2
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.Col 3:17
For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, 1 Thess 2:13
I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 1 Corinth 1:4
-The Power of Prayer
-God Answers Prayer
-Pray Hard
These statements have been printed or engraved on decorative pieces of art, t-shirts, bumper stickers or even tattooed on people (see the Whosoevers website :)
One of my favorites is the model of prayer given by Jesus and made into the acronym "A.C.T.S."
When we go before the LORD God in prayer we offer, A-Adoration, C-Confession, T-Thanksgiving, and S-Supplication.
I want to focus on T- Thanksgiving.
Unfortunately, we all can fall into this habit in prayer-- We offer a quick hello to God, forgive me quickly, now here is where I want to spend my time God, here are all the prayer requests I have... and we unleash a 20 foot scroll and go on for 10-20 minutes or longer with our petitions.
Please, please, please don't misunderstand me--- God loves us and He is all about relationships. Even a prayer, "Lord Help me" or "Lord Thank you" is like sweet smelling incense to Him. He wants us to come to Him with all our requests...
But what I want to share, what I was reminded of recently was the importance of praying...simple prayers just for the purpose of giving thanks.
Last night God reminded me of the importance of prayers of adoration and thanksgiving to honor our Father. God did an amazing victory and answered prayers in a wonderful way and I fell to my knees and all I could say was, "LORD thank you, thank you, thank you." It felt so good! No laundry list, no burdens, no distractions, just me....just Him and just two words I could offer, "Thank you."
One time I heard Pastor Chuck Smith mention that God loves the spontaneous praise and prayer of thanks we give the LORD. This is what I think he meant---
We are driving in our car and just "out of no where" from the depths of our soul we bless God for who He is and what He's done. I like that!!! We can simply praise Him and thank Him for being good. The loving thing about our God is that we will be refreshed too as a result.
I think sometimes we can feel burdened by our supplications and petitions. Again, I am 100% convinced we do not come to the LORD with our supplication and petitions enough, so I am not saying that we should stop...If anything, we need to come to Him MORE with our petitions and requests. We need to truly offer prayers without ceasing...all day, all the time. Prayer is like oxygen. It's vital and we can't grow as a believer without it. How can one have a relationship with another he doesn't talk to?
What I am encouraging you (and me) is to take in EVEN MORE good stuff, more vitamins- Taking time to offer Thanksgiving Prayers once a day, or more.
It could be a prayer of thanks like this:
"God you are too good to me. Although I fail you, you never fail me. Thank you for loving me. Thank you for dying for me. Thank you for writing my name in your book of life. Thank you for doing exceedingly abundantly more than we could ever ask or think with my life and my testimony. Thank you for being the good sheperd and taking care of me your sheep, your precious lamb. Thank you for my spouse. Thank you for my family. Thank you for my friends. Thank you that I can see, hear, think, walk, dance, laugh, meditate on your Word and sing songs to you. Thank you that I have a roof over my head, clothes and shoes to wear, food in my fridge and cupboards and even extra resources to eat out! LORD you are too good. Thank you for my children. Thank you for the church I go to and the way you move there. Thank you for the ministry opportunites you give me daily. Thank you for my health. Thank you for my husband's job and my daily tasks you assign for me. Thank you for the Holy Spirit that indwells me. Thank you for being the Great I AM, the all sufficent one. LORD you are too good. LORD thank you. LORD thank you. LORD thank you for being you and for loving me. God, all I can say is thank you and ask you would use my life to be a blessing an offering poured out for you and your glory. In Jesus Name I offer thanks, AMEN."
(Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. Hebrews 13:15; Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.Phil 4:6)
I am sure as you read this prayer you thought of 101 other things to offer thanks to God for. I bet you forgot what your petitions even were. What were you in need of again? At the time of utter surrender in thanksgiving to God we forget. We forget our worries and we just swim in the ocean of His amazing grace and love and provision.
Oh that we would give thanks more often to our Father!!!!!!
(Scripture References:
Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! 2 Corinth. 9:15
We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. Rev. 11:17
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinth 15:57
Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever. Psalm 136:2
We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.Psalm 75:1
We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers. 1 Thess 1:2
And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.Col 3:17
For this reason we also thank God without ceasing, 1 Thess 2:13
I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 1 Corinth 1:4
Friday, October 8, 2010
Wisdom with Words
The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, But the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. Proverbs 15:2
LORD Jesus, give me wisdom. I have been putting my foot in my mouth a lot lately. Please give me wisdom when to speak and when to be silent. When to share and when to listen. Help me know Jesus that you are my best friend and I don't need to share all the details of what you teach me with people....You want to hear from me. You love talking with me. I don't understand it God, why you love me so much, such a sinner, but I thank you and bless you for your unfailing unconditional love for me. Help me Jesus. Give me wisdom over my words and help me to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading and bind my propensity to talk too much. In Jesus name AMEN.
This has been my frequent prayer.
My precious husband and I had a great discussion a few weeks ago. He lovingly told me, "Laura, you need to be a better listener. You sometimes interrupt and you need to be careful about that."
I took this to heart. I prayed and I asked God to help me be a better listener. I asked God to give me wisdom.
My heart was so heavy over this. I didn't want to seem rude or like I was trying to be a Holy Spirit.
I felt confused.
When do I speak?
When do I just listen?
How do I know if I am talking too much and it's wrong, and how do I know when I am obeying the Spirit and offering encouragement?
I continued to pray through this struggle.
I emailed my husband, and shared with him that I knew he was right and I needed to "Preach the Gospel every day, if necessary use words." St. Francis Assissi
The very next day a pastor in our church said the SAME THING.
Two days later I went to Disneyland and a man with a long beard had a cool Christian shirt on. I couldn't read the text so I looked closer...it said, "Preach the Gospel every day, if necessary use words"
Wow LORD.
You are really speaking to me. You are speaking to my heart. I need to not just "talk" about the things of the LORD, I need to behave in a way that is loving and brings glory to God, even if it's without words.
I love it when God reveals Himself through His Word like this!!
I continued to struggle with this issue of feeling extremely low on discernment or "wisdom." I prayed and I even thought about buying books on wisdom and discernment. I know Proverbs is the book on wisdom, but I thought I might gain insight from a commentary on Proverbs or some other book on wisdom.
In my morning devotional reading from my one-year-Bible I came across Ecclesiastes. I started reading it and it took me a couple of days (duh!) when I realized I was reading one of the greatest books on wisdom from the greatest men who was endowed with wisdom, King Solomon and from the best book of all- God's Word.
I was blown away and I even chuckled with the LORD. I love His sense of humor. Here I am trying to find some additional reading material to help in wisdom and the Holy Spirit orchestrated the exact day, month and time when He knew I would need to read Ecclesiastes and learn about the foolishness of man and the wisdom that, we all know, begins and ends with the LORD.
I learned:
1) God was pruning me. God did want me to change. God wanted me to listen to my husband's loving correction (thank you Jesus for my husband) that I need to be a better listener and I need to let the Holy Spirit lead me, not just talk/share all the time, it could be the wrong timing. Communication tone and surroundings are both important. Exp: If your spouse just had a long day at work, that is not the best time to share things....Let him/her have time to breathe and settle in and wait to share until the timing is right. (John 15:5)
2) God created me with a desire and hunger to share and encourage other believers. You (and I) can't stop God's work. God created you with a purpose and we all have very specific gifts. We must use them, but remember, we bless God when we honor Him with our gifts and talents as HE LEADS. (There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.1 Cor. 12:4-6)
3.) I got spiritually attacked! The enemy was attacking me because he doesn't want us to encourage each other. He rather shut us up...that's what I started to do...be more quiet. But that was wrong. Forgive me Jesus. "The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue." 2 Sam 23:2
4.) Practice this- If God is placing someone on your heart and you want to share something. PRAY FIRST. READ God's Word and ask Him to reveal the scripture to share, the way to share, the time and place and ask the Holy Spirit to direct a divine appointment. (See Colossians 1:9; also If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5)
5.) Remember the tongue is evil! We can use the same tongue to bless or encourage another believer or tear someone down. So be very cautious and PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. 1 Thess 5:17 (see James 3-But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. James 3:8)
I hope and pray this encourages anyone who like me, has put her foot in her mouth when trying to share something of the LORD. This is important stuff and the enemy wants to muzzle us from sharing God's Truth. Pray and seek the LORD, then open your mouth, preach the Gospel, if necessary use Words.
The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. Isaiah 50:4
LORD Jesus, give me wisdom. I have been putting my foot in my mouth a lot lately. Please give me wisdom when to speak and when to be silent. When to share and when to listen. Help me know Jesus that you are my best friend and I don't need to share all the details of what you teach me with people....You want to hear from me. You love talking with me. I don't understand it God, why you love me so much, such a sinner, but I thank you and bless you for your unfailing unconditional love for me. Help me Jesus. Give me wisdom over my words and help me to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading and bind my propensity to talk too much. In Jesus name AMEN.
This has been my frequent prayer.
My precious husband and I had a great discussion a few weeks ago. He lovingly told me, "Laura, you need to be a better listener. You sometimes interrupt and you need to be careful about that."
I took this to heart. I prayed and I asked God to help me be a better listener. I asked God to give me wisdom.
My heart was so heavy over this. I didn't want to seem rude or like I was trying to be a Holy Spirit.
I felt confused.
When do I speak?
When do I just listen?
How do I know if I am talking too much and it's wrong, and how do I know when I am obeying the Spirit and offering encouragement?
I continued to pray through this struggle.
I emailed my husband, and shared with him that I knew he was right and I needed to "Preach the Gospel every day, if necessary use words." St. Francis Assissi
The very next day a pastor in our church said the SAME THING.
Two days later I went to Disneyland and a man with a long beard had a cool Christian shirt on. I couldn't read the text so I looked closer...it said, "Preach the Gospel every day, if necessary use words"
Wow LORD.
You are really speaking to me. You are speaking to my heart. I need to not just "talk" about the things of the LORD, I need to behave in a way that is loving and brings glory to God, even if it's without words.
I love it when God reveals Himself through His Word like this!!
I continued to struggle with this issue of feeling extremely low on discernment or "wisdom." I prayed and I even thought about buying books on wisdom and discernment. I know Proverbs is the book on wisdom, but I thought I might gain insight from a commentary on Proverbs or some other book on wisdom.
In my morning devotional reading from my one-year-Bible I came across Ecclesiastes. I started reading it and it took me a couple of days (duh!) when I realized I was reading one of the greatest books on wisdom from the greatest men who was endowed with wisdom, King Solomon and from the best book of all- God's Word.
I was blown away and I even chuckled with the LORD. I love His sense of humor. Here I am trying to find some additional reading material to help in wisdom and the Holy Spirit orchestrated the exact day, month and time when He knew I would need to read Ecclesiastes and learn about the foolishness of man and the wisdom that, we all know, begins and ends with the LORD.
[there is] a time to keep silence, And a time to speak; Ecclesiastes 3:7b
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding. Prov. 9:10
I will always be a talker.....but now I will try more to be sensitive to the Spirit and to others and to discern when to speak and when to be silent.
I learned:
1) God was pruning me. God did want me to change. God wanted me to listen to my husband's loving correction (thank you Jesus for my husband) that I need to be a better listener and I need to let the Holy Spirit lead me, not just talk/share all the time, it could be the wrong timing. Communication tone and surroundings are both important. Exp: If your spouse just had a long day at work, that is not the best time to share things....Let him/her have time to breathe and settle in and wait to share until the timing is right. (John 15:5)
2) God created me with a desire and hunger to share and encourage other believers. You (and I) can't stop God's work. God created you with a purpose and we all have very specific gifts. We must use them, but remember, we bless God when we honor Him with our gifts and talents as HE LEADS. (There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are differences of ministries, but the same Lord. And there are diversities of activities, but it is the same God who works all in all.1 Cor. 12:4-6)
3.) I got spiritually attacked! The enemy was attacking me because he doesn't want us to encourage each other. He rather shut us up...that's what I started to do...be more quiet. But that was wrong. Forgive me Jesus. "The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, And His word was on my tongue." 2 Sam 23:2
4.) Practice this- If God is placing someone on your heart and you want to share something. PRAY FIRST. READ God's Word and ask Him to reveal the scripture to share, the way to share, the time and place and ask the Holy Spirit to direct a divine appointment. (See Colossians 1:9; also If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. James 1:5)
5.) Remember the tongue is evil! We can use the same tongue to bless or encourage another believer or tear someone down. So be very cautious and PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. 1 Thess 5:17 (see James 3-But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. James 3:8)
I hope and pray this encourages anyone who like me, has put her foot in her mouth when trying to share something of the LORD. This is important stuff and the enemy wants to muzzle us from sharing God's Truth. Pray and seek the LORD, then open your mouth, preach the Gospel, if necessary use Words.
The Lord GOD has given Me The tongue of the learned, That I should know how to speak A word in season to him who is weary. Isaiah 50:4
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
