Category Archives: DEVOTIONALS

God Promises His Presence IF . . . Part Six

DAILY LIFE, DEVOTIONALS, ENCOURAGEMENT, HOPE

Review:Image result for Free Picture of Clouds

  • Part One – God’s presence is often termed “God’s face”, He tells us to seek His face, it is a vital need for us, and He will help us.
  • Part Two – Basic truth’s about God’s presence. He promises His presence if we love and obey Him.
  • Part Three – Some of the many ways we can love God.
  • Part Four –  We sometimes see God’s face and sometimes not because God is sovereign. He initiates our awareness of His presence, He responds to our reaching out, and He withdraws temporarily. There are also hindrances to His presence over which we have some control.
  • Part Five: Hindrances to God’s presence include disobedience, lack of love, our physical condition, and our soul’s condition, our spiritual condition, lack of experience or knowledge, hidden sin, and lies from the enemy.

PART SIX: LIES ABOUT GOD’S PRESENCE  THAT THE ENEMY USES

Satan “is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44, JNIV.) He is the enemy of God and of us, so of course he does not want us to have the blessings of God’s presence. So, he lies, wanting Image result for Free Picture Of poisonsus to believe some of the following poisons.

  • Awareness of God’s presence is reserved for a special few.
  • We are not worthy to be in God’s presence.
  • I do not have the personality to be quiet and still.
  • I do not have the time and place, etc. to seek God
  • Other attacks of the enemy.
  • Fear is the enemy’s biggest weapon.

Awareness of God’s presence is reserved for a special few, only for those who live an especially good life, like pastors, teachers, and “special” people.  Jesus says, “

Come unto me all (emphasis added) you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. ((Matthew 11:28-29, NIV). 

And when God says “whosoever” in John 3:16, He means any person.  Period.

We are not worthy to be in God’s presence. On the surface, this seems true because none of us humans could ever be good enough by our own works to be accepted by God. But the blessed truth is that when we trust God, our faith puts us in right standing with God (Romans 4:5).  Chapters Four through Eight of Romans explain this gift of right-standing, or righteousness, with God by faith, so that by grace, through faith, we may have it. These chapters are part of the believer’s foundation. Have you read them recently?

Image result for free picture of personalityI do not have the personality to be quiet and still long enough. I believe it is easier for those of us with quiet personalities to spend time alone with God and the Word. However, those of us with outgoing, very sociable personalities can also cultivate this habit. God does all things well, and He is fair. Each type of personality finds certain things difficult.  And as for being quiet and still long enough, that is different for each person.

If you are an extrovert who blossoms in the company of other people, the enemy would likely tell you that you must be quiet and still for hours. Not true! Try God and see. God gave you your personality, and He knows how to communicate with you in the way that is best for you.

I do not have the time and place, etc. to seek God. Although some may have to sacrifice greatly to carve out time for being alone with God, and some may not have the luxury of a quiet spot in their own home, God will make time and a place for those who sincerely seek to have devotional times with Him. If we ask God for something that is clearly His will, we can be sure He will provide it (I John 4:4-15).

Other attacks of the enemy. Some of trials we experience in this life are caused by the enemy of our souls. While we are here on earth, the enemy attacks us with sickness of body and mind, loss of loved ones, financial hardships, delays, obstacles, etc., etc.

But fear not!  Jesus tells us “In this world you will have troubles and trials, distress and frustration, but be of good cheer [take courage, be confident, certain, undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you.]” (emphasis added) (John 17:33, AMPC).

The things of this world, including what the enemy does, cannot harm us in the long run. They may look bad, and be bad for a while, but God is sovereign! Psalm 115:3 tells us “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.”. Furthermore “. . . we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28). What the enemy intends for evil for us, God intends for good (Genesis 50:20)

The first and second chapters of the book of Job clearly shows us that God is sovereign. Satan has to get permission from God before he does anything to a child of God. Yes, that can be a hard concept to accept. However, as we “diligently consider the mercy and loving-kindness of the LORD” (Psalm 107:43), we will “give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind.” (Psalm 130:8, 15, 21 and 31, NIV). Notice that the phrase “give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind” is repeated in the same words four times in this Psalm, in verses 8, 15, 21 and 31.  Hmmm . . . God must  think it is important for me to remember that!

If we carefully, thoughtfully consider all the kind things God has done for mankind and our own lives, we cannot help but praise Him and give Him thanks. That leads to peace and also helps us choose to believe God when He says that “in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28, NIV)

Image result for free picture of earthAnd remember that Jesus has overcome the world and its troubles for us.  It is good to repeat again the verse where Jesus tells us why we can be of good cheer:

“In the world you will have tribulation, trials, distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, certain and undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] (John 16:33, AMPC)

Fear is Satan’s biggest weapon.  Reread the previous section about the power and mercy of God. I John 4:4 reassures us that God, who is in us, is greater than Satan, who is in the world. Setting “our hearts on things above” (Colossians 3:1, NIV) and thinking on the “whatsoevers” in Philippians 4:8 will drive fear out.

It is good to study what God says about fear and to hear sound teaching on the subject, because it is the favorite tactic of Satan. I have heard many teachers say that fear is mentioned in the Bible 365 times. God obviously wants us to be on guard against fear. I studied many scriptures on fear because it was a huge problem for me. Along the way, I found that studying peace was a safeguard against fear. Think about that! Start with three verses about peace and hide them in your heart. The peace that comes from God’s truth will shield your mind the next time fear attacks.

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In Part Seven, we will talk about what to do if you have never consciously felt God’s presence or if you have not in a long time. Be blessed!

 

 

God Promises His Presence IF . . . Part Five

DAILY LIFE, DEVOTIONALS, ENCOURAGEMENT, TRUSTING GOD

Review:Image result for Free Picture of Clouds

  • Part One – God’s presence is often termed “God’s face”, He tells us to seek His face, it is a vital need for us, and He will help us.
  • Part Two – Basic truth’s about God’s presence. He promises His presence if we love and obey Him.
  • Part Three – Some of the many ways we can love God.
  • Part Four –  We sometimes see God’s face and sometimes not because God is sovereign. He initiates our awareness of His presence, He responds to our reaching out, and He withdraws temporarily. There are also hindrances to His presence over which we have some control.

PART FIVE: HINDRANCES TO AWARENESS OF GOD’S PRESENCE

Unfortunately, in our less than perfect world, many things can block us from being aware of God’s presence, even though He is right there with us. Here are a few we will consider.

  • Sin.
  • Our lack of love.
  • Our physical condition.
  • Our soul’s condition.
  • Our lack of experience or knowledge.
  • Pride must go.
  • Hidden sin we of which we are unaware.
  • Sometimes we just have to wait.
  • Lies from the enemy.  (Part Six)

Image result for Free Clip Art of SinSin.  When I reviewed the final draft of this blog post, it grieved me that I had first labelled this heading “Disobedience.” It is easier to think of ourselves as disobedient to God, rather than thinking what is true, that we sin against God. What a dangerous and damaging trend when “less offensive” or
“politically correct” vocabulary is used instead of the stern vocabulary of the Bible, which includes words like sin, iniquity, evil, guilt, and damnation. If God had wanted to use gentle words and thoughts when talking about sin, He would have used the tender, loving words He uses in, for example, Zephaniah 3:17 or Psalm 103:14. Sin is serious. It IS a matter of eternal life and death. God wants us to take it seriously. He came to earth and died for us because of our sin, as He says in John 3:16. I believe that God makes hearing about sin unpleasant to us so that we will pay attention and do all we can to avoid  it.

Isaiah 59:1-2 motivates me, mightily. It teaches me that sin separates me from God, hides His face from me, and stops His ears from hearing me. That motivates me to love God with all my heart and strength. (Deuteronomy 6:4-5). Love includes obedience. In Chapters 56 through 59 of Isaiah, God is speaking about the horrific sins of Israel during those times, such as “. . . the profaning of the Sabbath, the gluttony of Israel’s leaders, its widespread idolatry with its vile practices, the punctilious fasting while practicing flagrant injustice”, (Halley’s Bible handbook, page 389). And He explains for us the consequences of sin. He says:

“Surely, the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear, BUT (emphasis added) your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear. (Isaiah 59:2,NIV).“

Oh, Lord! Help us all to live a life pleasing to You!

Our lack of love. I had heard the story of the sinful woman who was so grateful for Jesus forgiving her many sins that she poured costly perfume on His feet and kissed and wiped his feet with her hair. (Luke 7:36-50).  When others criticized her extravagant display of love for Jesus, Jesus taught His listeners that people who have had a great debt paid for them, love greatly but that  “. . . he who has been forgiven little, loves little.” (Luke7 :47b, NIV).

In my opinion, one implication of that is that if we are aware of the immeasurable debt Jesus paid for us while we were yet sinners, if we remember what He suffered for each of us, we will have deep, passionate love and gratitude for Him.

Image result for free picture of woman kissing the feet of jesusThat love will be deep, whether we found Jesus at a young age or when older. I know people who were saved while still preschoolers who have a passionate love for Jesus. In my own case, because I did not accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior until the age of 29, I had experienced walking in darkness. I desperately wanted to stay in His light, and I was desperately grateful. I also fell desperately in love with Jesus. Like the sinful woman in Luke 7, I was keenly aware of how sinful my life had been.

Oh, Father! Help each of us remember the price Jesus paid and help us seek to love You accordingly!

One of the biggest blessings of writing is that it makes me really search the Scripture and seek God for understanding for myself. In seeking to understand this story about loving God, I noticed the cause and effect indicated in Verse 47a: “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—for (emphasis added) she loved much.”  To me, this says that part of why our sins are forgiven is that we love God.  And just look at the promise Jesus gives her.

 “But Jesus said to the woman. Your faith has saved you; go (enter) into peace [in freedom from all the distresses that are experienced as the result of sin] (Emphasis added). (John 7:50, AMPC)

Image result for free clip art of healthy habisOur physical condition. Sometimes conditions of our body block our awareness of His presence. Poor health, mental and emotional stresses such as depression and anxiety, fatigue, grief, and loss all affect the body which affects the brain. It is much easier to be aware of God’s presence when I have adequate rest, follow a healthy diet, and reduce stress as much as possible. And God always helps when I try to take care of my earthly temple.

Our soul’s condition. Sometimes our soul is simply disturbed.  Distractions, some we can stop and some we cannot stop, steal our awareness of God’s presence. We cannot control the world, but we can ask God to help us reduce distractions in our life, so we can focus on Him better. Some things that steal my peace are a messy house and surroundings; when I am lazy or neglect to do what I know I should; and sloppiness in daily life, or not doing things with excellence.  I can see that each of these is disobedience. God does things orderly (I Corinthians 14:33—He is a God of peace, not confusion);  He tells us to do our work (Ephesians 4:28), and He says do whatever we are doing as if we were doing it for Him (Ecclesiastes 9:10, and Colossians 3:23).

What things in particular disturb your soul that you can ask God to help you change?

Image result for free picture of child with hurt kneeOur spiritual condition.  If a spiritual matter is blocking our awareness of God, it is essential to get quiet and alone with Him so that we can hear Him and so that He can show us our spiritual condition. If we stay busy, even if we are desperately searching for Him the best we can, we might not hear Him until we find a measure of His peace. In that peace, we can hear Him. We can be like a small child crying and screaming over a scraped knee, when all we need to do is calm down and let God take care of us. He tells us “Seek peace and pursue it.” (I Peter 3:10-12; Psalm 34:12-16).

I am learning that anger in particular blocks my awareness of God’s presence. And my anger is so often childish. When I calm down and take a realistic, adult view of the situation, I usually can see my wrong thinking or else, if need be, can express my upsetting feelings to God, ask for forgiveness if needed, and accept His love and His help to be at peace again.

In what ways are you consciously pursuing peace?
Do you regularly take time to just sit in silence with God?

Our lack of experience or knowledge. I clearly remember as a young believer craving the steady peace and victorious living I saw in older saints. So, I read and obeyed what I learned about God’s presence. It took a while but, it has been worth each moment a thousand times over. Unfortunately, the enemy tries to steal this blessing, because that is his nature (John 10:10) and he sometimes does that by shooting arrows, or fiery darts–lies. (Ephesians 6:16) The enemy does not want us to be aware of God’s presence. (Part Five addresses that important topic).

Image result for free clip art of god hates pridePride must go!  Satan so often works through our pride. I think that might be because he knows that James 4:6b tells us clearly: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” (NIV) Proverbs 6:16-19 lists things God hates; at the top of the list is a proud or haughty attitude. We do well to ask God to reveal pride in our hearts.

Hidden sin we are unaware of – a personal example. I had a personal  struggle for several days – with pride unbeknownst!  Funny, I began this blog post 29 days ago, feeling upbeat and confident about finding the Lord’s presence. Since then, I felt up and down emotionally for several days, sometimes sensing His presence, but more often not. And day by day, I became more discouraged in general than I had been in a long while.

I thought I could finish this writing in two days, but as the days stretched on, every time I sat at my desk, I felt worse and worse, miserable that I was not feeling God’s presence, like I usually do when I write. And the more I focused on that, the less I felt His presence – AND – the more out of balance the rest of daily life became, especially in the areas that disturb my peace the most – a messy house and not keeping on top of things.

Therein, I think, is an essential lesson. We are to seek God, not feelings, just as we are to live by faith, not by feelings. Day by day, as I was writing about this topic, my foot got caught in the snare of going by feelings, and I became frustrated because I could not feel His presence like and when I wanted.  It is good to want to feel His presence– of course But, if you analyze it too much or overthink it, AND if you think you SHOULD be able to feel Him, AND/OR  if you subconsciously think that you deserve to feel His presence because you have in the past and you are doing so many good things for Him and being so good—you find less and less. At least I did.

Thankfully, as I trusted God, He released my foot from that particular snare (Psalm 91:3). When I got to the end of my emotional rope, I gave up, had a good cry with the Lord, and just asked God for His help to restore my soul (Psalm 23:2). Only then did I see how my pride, as described above, had hidden His face (Isaiah 59:2). I confessed my pride and asked God to cleanse that.

As I write this, I can only say “Thank You, Lord!”  for continually cleaning and pruning us. Our own hearts deceive us because they are desperately wicked (Jeremiah 17:9). Only God can clean us up. While I was in fact being prideful, I did not think I was. Also, I did not realize I was feeling entitled. Surprise! We are in grave danger when we think we are doing fine (I Corinthians 10:12). Only God knows what is really inside our human hearts.

“I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.” Jeremiah 17:10, NIV

Confession is, indeed, good for the soul. As I sit here now, writing, nothing external in my world has changed but it all looks okay again because I am focused on God, trusting in Him, not myself, and doing my work of writing for Him. When we trust Him and do good–whether that “good”  is our own particular work for Him or the business of a daily life that reveals God to unbelievers (I Peter 2:12) –then we can “dwell in the land and enjoy safe pastures.” (Psalm 37:3, NIV).  And truly we are then fed and well fed!

Image result for Free Picture of Child WaitingSometimes we just have to wait. Lamentations 3:1-20 talks of the trials Jeremiah has endured, even to the point that he said “Perished is my strength and my expectation from the Lord.” (v. 18, AMPC). However, when Jeremiah changes his focus in verse 21 he says,

“But this I recall, therefore have I hope and expectation: It is of the Lord’s mercies and loving-kindnesses that we are not consumed, because His (tender) mercies fail not. They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness” (v. 21-23)

In verses 24-25, Jeremiah then sets his mind to wait and hope for the Lord.  Verses 24-25 give great comfort and strength while we wait. The NIV phrases it this way: “I will say to myself ‘the Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.’ The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”  The rest of Lamentations 3 explains why it is good to hope quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Read it and see for yourself!

So, in times when we do not feel God’s presence or His peace, we can bring to mind that it is because of His great love that we are not consumed. Then, like Jeremiah, we can wait for Him with confident expectancy because we know “the LORD is good and His love endures forever; his faithfulness throughout all generations (Psalm 100:5, NIV)

Image result for Free clipart of God's QualitiesWe can wait for God with confident expectancy because we understand His nature.   

 

 

 

 

 

In Part Five, we will look at some of the flaming arrows (lies) the enemy uses to keep us from dwelling in the shelter of the Most High, and from resting in the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91)

God Promises His Presence IF . . . Part Four

DAILY LIFE, DEVOTIONALS, ENCOURAGEMENT, HOPE

Review:Image result for Free Picture of Clouds

  • Part One – God’s presence is often termed “God’s face”, He tells us to seek His face, it is a vital need for us, and He will help us.
  • Part Two – Basic truth’s about God’s presence. He promises His presence if we love and obey Him.
  • Part Three – Some of the many ways we can love God.

PART FOUR: WHY WE SOMETIMES SEE HIS FACE AND SOMETIMES NOT 

During the 29 days it took to write this, I came to a partial understanding, based on studying God’s Word, so far, of this question. Even so, it is a partial understanding, with many unknowns. The simplest, and most complex, answer is that God IS sovereign. Period!  Nevertheless, here are some reasons that seem obvious.

  • God initiates.
  • God responds.
  • God withdraws temporarily.
  • It is a blessing for God to discipline, or train, us.
  • We encounter hindrances.

God initiates. He sovereignly makes people aware of His presence. Consider Moses and the burning bush, God calling out to Samuel in the night, and those times He simply overwhelms us, like my early morning experience I described. Why does He do that? Well, He loves us and wants to be with us; He wants to bless us; He wants to guide us; and a host of other reasons far beyond my understanding! I suppose the world filled with books could not contain the reasons any more than the world could contain all the wonders that Jesus performed while on earth. “If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. (John 21:25, NIV)

Image result for Free Picture of Father And childrenGod simply loves us and delights to be with us, as a loving father delights to be with his children. Revelations 3:20 He says, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” (NLT)

He, of course, knows that His presence is good for us. And, it pleases Him. As I wrote this, I was embarrassed at how seldom I ponder the fact that God has feelings. And I sincerely appreciate the gentle reminder from Holy Spirit to do so. . . often. I also decided to look up Scriptures on God’s emotions. Part of loving someone is wanting to know more about them. Let’s see, I know He loves us, He hates sin, He rejoices or feels joy, He is jealous of our love, He gets angry, He is compassionate, and He feels grief.

God responds. Sometimes we feel His presence because we have reached out to Him, because we have hoisted our sails.  Sometimes, I believe He is waiting on us to reach out to Him first. In my mind, I compare that to our human love relationships. We may be confident and rejoice in the fact that our spouse or child or friend loves us and always responds when we reach out and ask for their attention, but when they reach out to us first, it does something different.

How often during the day does God tell us and show us He loves us?

How often during the day do we take 30 seconds to stop and say “I love You, Lord! Thank You for . . . “ ?

How would I feel if my family said, “I love you” and “Thank you” to me as often as I say those words to God?

Image result for free picture of legosWhen Ben asks, “Will you read to me, Nana?”, and when Ansel says, “Come look at my new Leggo set Nana!” it reinforces that they love me and just want me to be with them and share in their life. I respond!

God withdraws temporarily. The Bible is clear that God turns His face away, or hides His face from us, and does not answer us because of sin (Micah 3:4, Ezekiel 39:23-24).  I think another reason we cannot feel His presence is that God sometimes deliberately removes our awareness of His presence because He is training us. Part of that training is requiring us to learn how to keep ourselves calm during troubles. And what best gives us calmness in the middle of troubles? The peace that comes from awareness of God’s presence. Do you think this is part of what Psalm 94:12-13 means?

“Blessed (happy, fortunate, to be envied) is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law, that (emphasis added) You may give him the power to keep himself calm in the days of adversity until the [inevitable] pit of corruption is dug for the wicked.”

It is good to remember that training usually takes more than a day or two. You might not feel His presence for a long time, and perhaps it is because God knows of adversities ahead in your path that could steal the peace of His presence if you are not made stronger first. Or perhaps, He is training you to a closer, more mature walk with Him. That requires being able to do more things on your own.

Image result for Free Picture of Child Feeding DogA parent stays with a first-grader learning how to care for the family dog, but a ten-year-old is able to fill the bowls without parental supervision.

It is a blessing for God to discipline, or train, us. When I cannot feel God’s presence, I am miserable. I believe this is one way He uses to guide me. I often meditate on Hebrews 12, especially when I know God is using a situation to reveal hidden sins and weaknesses in my heart.  God trains those He loves, and sometimes that training process is very painful, uncomfortable, and downright irritating! Training, pruning, the refining fire, and the potter’s wheel all seem painful – but only for a season. Lifting weights, biking, and long walks all take effort, but these exercises produce muscles, cardiovascular strength, and good health.

“No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of peace and righteousness for those who have been trained by it.” (Hebrews 12:11, NIV)

What aspect of God’s training makes you shrink back? If you ask, God will show you and He will strengthen your heart in that area. He loves it when we grow! (3 John 1:4)

Hindrances we can do something about. The previous paragraphs discussed reasons why we do not always feel God’s presence that are related to the sovereignty of God. In Part Five, we will look at hindrances over which we have some control.

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God Promises His presence IF. . . Part Three

DAILY LIFE, DEVOTIONALS, ENCOURAGEMENT, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

Review: In Part One on this subject, we learned that God’s presence is often termed “God’s face”,  that He tells us to seek His face, that it is a vital need for us, and that He will help us.  Part Two covered learn basic truth’s about God’s presence and the fact that He promises His presence if we love and obey Him. In Part Three, we will examine some of the many ways we can love God.

5. HOW DO WE OBEY AND LOVE GOD?

Image result for Free Clip Art of QuestionsSo, if God tells us to seek His face: What do we do to find Him? Why do we sometimes feel aware of Him and other times not? What makes it more, or less, likely?

Summary:
How we behave when we truly love another human instructs us how to obey and love God.

  • If we love Him. . . we will obey His commands.
  • If we love Him, we will . . . meditate on the Word.
  • If we love Him, we will . . . talk with Him – all day
  • If we love Him, we will . . . live our life for Him and do our specific work for Him each day
  •  However, there is no magic formula.

Image result for Free Picture of Father In ParkHow we behave when we truly love another human instructs us how to obey and love God. We will do work for those we truly love, like a parent lovingly labors to provide for his family and does special works of love as well. A mom will stay up late, making a Ralph S. Mouse costume for book character day. A dad will take his kids to a park, even when he is exhausted.

When we love a person, we will also do what they ask, we will think about the words they say, we will talk with them when we are with them, we will sing that person’s praises to others, and we will simply dote on them, as when a parent takes a child into their lap and cuddles them or when a husband and wife embrace. If we truly love God, all these things will come naturally, just as they come naturally when we love a human.

The most important thing, however, is obedience.  God clearly says that if we do not obey Him, we do not truly love Him.

“He who has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.“  (John 14:21, NIV)

If we love Him. . . we will obey His commands. God told Old Testament believers how to seek Him. Psalm 24:4-5 gives God’s first requirement of those who would seek Him. We are told to have clean hands and a pure heart,  to not worship idols (be sure God is first in our life), and never tell lies (Psalm 24:4, NLT) And verse 6 in the AMPC clearly says “This is the generation [description] of those  who seek Him  . . . ) (emphasis added).

If we love Him, we will . . .  meditate on the Word. If you really love someone, you think about what they said they wanted you to do right? That holds true whether that is a child, a friend or a spouse. God tells us what He wants us to do in His Word. For every believer, it is essential to think on His Word all day. He tells us to in Deuteronomy 6:7 and numerous other places in the Bible. Why? So we will live like He wants us to rather than yielding to the temptations of the world, “the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” (I John 2:16, KJV)

Another reason, I believe, that God commands us to ponder on His Word constantly is that thinking about God’s Word all day keeps our human mind safe from fear and worry, which are more of a problem for some of us (like me) than others. Also, if we are always learning some new Bible truth about issues that trouble us, we will gradually learn the Bible principles pertaining to that issue or at least enough to master it with God’s grace.

Image result for Free Clip Art of ShieldGod’s Word in my mind is a shield around my mind.

If we love Him, we will . . . talk with Him – all day. Perhaps you have heard of the classic little book “The Practice of the Presence of God”? Written in the 17th century, this small book shows us how to be aware of God’s presence throughout the day, every day. Brother Lawrence, the author, shows that the most important thing is to simply to talk with God as we go about our everyday tasks of life. The Bible models this behavior for us. Consider Abraham, whom God called His friend. You certainly talk with a friend. Consider Enoch who “walked with God”; surely when we walk with someone, we talk with them! Consider David, who obviously talked with God often!

“Brother Lawrence insisted that, to be constantly aware of God’s presence, it is necessary to form the habit of continually talking with Him throughout each day.” (The Practice of the Presence of God, p. 11)

Whenever I feel distant from Him, I usually find I have stopped talking with Him during daily life, and, that simply to begin talking with Him again restores my soul. It is amazing that I so often forget this simple thing, but I can only thank God for always reminding me to talk with Him and for telling me clearly that He does not condemn my human weaknesses (Psalm 103:14).

IImage result for free clip art of workf we love Him, we will . . . live our life for Him and do our specific work for Him each day.  Throughout the 29 days it has taken to write this, Holy Spirit has edited heavily! One essential truth I left out in the first few drafts was:  We find His presence so often when we are just doing our best to live our individual, simple daily life for Him (I Peter 2:12, I Thessalonians 4:11).

We also find God when we are doing our specific work for Him, letting our light shine into the darkness (Mathew 5:16). We find the joy of His presence as we serve Him.

The love, the joy, the peace, all the good fruits that He showers on us every day as we live for Him are all part of His presence, and they are Him. God is love (I John 4:8), He is our peace (Ephesians 2:14-18), His joy in us gives us His strength (Nehemiah 8:10), and on and on.

Image result for free clip art of fruits of the spirit

We cannot outgive God! When we give Him a daily life that pleases Him and when we do the work He told us to, He surprises us with good things, like awareness of His presence and the indescribable pleasures that His presence brings.

However, there is no magic formula, even when we do all we can. There is no magic formula to make ourselves aware of God’s presence. God is God! He is in heaven, and we mere humans, His creations, are here below on earth. It would be presumptuous to think we have control over anything at all, much less anything concerning God, the Almighty, the Creator, the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega!  Take heed and stand in awe of God. Let us remember our proper place, at His feet, in constant, grateful worship and swift readiness to obey His slightest command.  Remember Micah 6:8? We are to walk humbly before our God.

But, let us at the same time, remember He does tell us to seek his presence and He does tell us how we can do that.  So, why are we not always aware of Him?

To be continued in Part Four.  Be blessed as you seek God’s presence today!

God Promises His Presence IF . . . Part Two

DAILY LIFE, DEVOTIONALS, ENCOURAGEMENT, TRUSTING GOD

Review: In Part One on this subject, we learned that God’s presence is often termed “God’s face”,  that He tells us to seek His face, that it is a vital need for us, and that He will help us. In Part Two, we will learn basic truth’s about God’s presence, and we will see that He promises His presence if we love and obey Him.

3. BASIC TRUTHS ABOUT GODS PRESENCE.

Image result for royalty free picture of god watching over usHere are some basic truths about God’s presence. This is just a start on what is very long list.

  • God is always, always, always with us, watching over us, whether we are consciously aware of His presence or not.
  • God’s presence is a HUGE blessing.
  • God’s presence is a gift, not something we can earn.
  • God’s presence is a mystery.

God is always, always, always with us, watching over us, whether we are consciously aware of His presence or not. (Deuteronomy 31:6; Isaiah 41:10, and Zephaniah 3:17). Because we know God is always with us, we can go ahead and live our daily life, by faith, and enjoy our life, whether we feel His presence or not.  To me, Psalm 37:3 says that if we trust Him and do good, we will then (because of trusting Him and doing good) dwell in the land (which means to me, the promised land, the place where His promises are manifested in our lives.) Then, He will be faithful to us and we will definitely be taken care of.

“Trust (lean on, rely on, and be confident) in the Lord and do good; so shall you dwell in the land and feed surely on His faithfulness, and truly you shall be fed.” (Psalm 37:3, NIV). I like to dwell on “truly you shall be fed.”

God’s presence is a HUGE blessing. In Psalm 16 we hear David taking refuge in the Lord, praising God and thanking God for His goodness, which includes the joy of His presence. David affirms his commitment to the Lord and tells Him “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy, at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11, AMPC). The blessings we have when we are in God’s presence are countless. Three of the most precious to me are peace (Exodus 33:14-17), the reassurance of protection (Joshua 1:5; Isaiah 43:1-2), and that joy David speaks of in Psalm 16:11.    The most important of these for me, at this moment in my life, is peace.

What blessing of God’s presence do you most need right now?

God tells us specifically that He rewards us when we earnestly seek Him. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” (Hebrews 11:6, NIV)

Image result for royalty free picture of a giftGod’s presence is a gift, not something we can earn. Being aware of God’s presence is an indescribable privilege and a gift, not to be taken lightly and not to be thought of as something we are “entitled” to or that we can earn.  We are to have an attitude of humility before the Lord.

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. (Micah 6:8, NIV)

In John 7:37-39, Jesus promises the Spirit to those who were thirsty for Him. Notice that those who believed in Jesus would receive the Spirit and that the Spirit would be given.

“On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” (NIV)

God’s presence is a mystery.  As a human, I cannot expect to completely understand the mystery of being aware of God’s presence. Job 24 says that the wonders God does with the sky and seas are but the “outskirts of his ways or the mere fringes of His force”  so “Who dares contemplate or who can understand the thunders of His full, magnificent power? (Job 26:14 AMPC).  I can only reverently ponder God’s mysteries and be grateful for His mercies and His lovingkindness.

“Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.” Psalm 109:6, NIV.

In my opinion if we did understand it more, or could in some measure control it, we would likely misuse it, like we humans have misused our advanced understanding of human sexuality. I will be content with God’s reassurance that

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and godliness.” (2 Peter 1:3, NIV.)

However, I will continue to seek His face – always!

4. GOD PROMISES HIS PRESENCE IF WE LOVE AND OBEY HIM

If God promises something, we can be assured He will keep his promise. God does not lie, He does not change His mind, and He does what He says He will do. (I Samuel 15:29)

  • One purpose of the Upper Room Discourse.
  • God promises He will reveal himself to us and let Himself be clearly seen by us.
  • God promises He will make his home in us.

Image result for royalty free picture of upper roomOne purpose of the Upper Room Discourse.  Chapters 13-17 of the gospel of John are called the Upper Room Discourse, the last time Jesus addressed His disciples as a group. He invited them into a closer, more intimate relationship with Him. And He clearly told them, and us, how to have that intimate relationship. Ponder that fact. Jesus knew the disciples would especially remember what He said to them on that night, and He chose that time to invite them into a closer relationship with Him.  Why?

At the end of his discourse, Jesus explains why He had said these things.

“I have told you these things so that (emphasis added) in Me you have [perfect] and complete peace and confidence. In the world, you will have tribulation and trial and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer [take courage; be confident, secure, and undaunted]! For I have overcome the world. [I have deprived it of power to harm you and have conquered it for you.] (John 16:33, AMPC).

Jesus knew what His disciples would face, and He was making sure they would know how to find His peace.

Jesus knew the trials each of us would face in this world, and He told us clearly how to live in His peace.

Image result for royalty free picture of fogGod promises He will reveal himself to us and let Himself be clearly seen by us. Jesus told his disciples:

“The person who has My commands and keeps them is the one who [really] loves Me; and whoever [really] loves Me will be loved by My father, and I [too] will love him and will show (reveal, manifest) Myself to him. [I will let Myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.]” (John 14:21, AMPC)

This was one of the verses that helped me overcome depression and fear that had lasted two years. During the healing process, I learned the benefit of meditating on the Word all day long. I carried this verse, and others, everywhere. I repeated the last part of this promise– that He would let me see Him clearly–over and over. That brought comfort when nothing else seemed to.

Knowing I would be able to feel His presence gave me hope, because I knew from experience that the slightest touch from God brings deep peace and joy.

I desperately needed to be aware of God’s presence during those long months and moments of emotional turmoil.  During those moments when all I could feel was fear and sadness and hopelessness, that verse always gave hope and a measure of peace, because I knew God would keep His promise, even if it took a while. Sometimes that “while” was part of a day, sometimes much longer, but He always did—and still does—allow me the unspeakable privilege of seeing Him clearly. He helps me feel I am not alone.

God promises He will make His Home in us. Jesus promises that if we love God and obey His commandments, He will make his home in us.  Jesus gave one of the most comforting promises possible when He said

“. . . If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My word [obey My teaching[; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him.” (John 14:23)

Image result for royalty free picture of child opening doorThat means, that even when we cannot feel His presence, He IS living in us and He IS with us. He is always with us because He makes his home, his living place, with us. I liken that to when a child walks through the front door, calling out “Mama!” That child knows Mama is there—because Mama is always there. Mama lives there, Mama makes her home there, with that child, and that child knows if he calls to her, he will hear her voice and he can go find her.

I think (and this is just my idea, not a specific example from the Bible) it could be like God and I live in the same home, but sometimes we are not in the same room, and I have to go find him or, the other way around!  We are with Him and He is with us in the same house, but we are not in His presence until we go to where He is. And, like the perfect parent He is, He always responds to our calling out for Him. If we go where He is, we will see His face.

When I bring my grandsons back to their house after a visit, they call out “Mama! Papa!” as soon as they walk through the door. Papa might be in the back yard, and Mama might be using the computer in the bedroom, but my grandsons know their parents are somewhere in the house, ready with a hug and an ear to hear what they did. And my grandsons want to be in their presence, to see Mama and Papa – face to face.

Image result for royalty free picture of FATHER AND SON

 

Think about Eden

ANXIETY, DEVOTIONALS, ENCOURAGEMENT, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

“Think About Eden”

Image result for Royalty Free Picture of Sunset over housesGod changes the world, twice, for you each day.

He dims the light

softens the sound

cools the air

and flames heaven with patterned colors,

all to delight your soul, calm your spirit, and give you rest.

As a tender parent, He blankets earth, and you, with soothing peace.

Stop. Still your hands. Let your Maker tell you of His love for you.

Pause in your rush to do. Listen.

He says “Be with Me” as He said to Adam and Eve in Eden.

Honor His love for you.

Pay attention.

Image result for Royalty Free Picture of Trees At NightLet Him show you how He turns green branches into inky black filigree.

Let Him delight your ear with birdsong and thrumming silence.

Let Him cool your skin with gentle whispers of wind that slide through the sheltering trees.

Breathe deeply. Take in the fragrances floating in cooler air.

Let Him give your body rest.

Simply stop. Open your heart and your eyes to your Maker.

And thank Him.

You will feel His presence.

You will know His love.

Image result for Royalty Free Picture of Sunset over housesIn the gloaming. I looked up, tapped my pencil on the slate-board in my lap, and smiled into the sky. Broad bands of carnation pink and dusty blue arched high above from east to west over the play area in the center of Marquis Apartments. From our second-floor balcony, I saw my daughter swinging with the daughter of our next door neighbor. This was my favorite time of day, next to the actual time I picked her up from daycare. We had come home, read two Dr. Seuss books, done homework, had supper and now, in the cool of the evening, in the minutes before the gloaming, I had a few moments to relax and watch her play.

As a believer only months old, I was devouring everything I could about God. Having not seen the light of God’s truth until the age of 29, I had experienced walking in darkness and I desperately wanted to stay close to this wonderful Jesus I had found. Reading a devotional called “God at Eventide” had taught me to stop and practice waiting for God’s presence. And, during that particular eventide, Holy Spirit had given thoughts that formed into words and more words as I wrote.

The poem “Think about Eden” flowed out, in less than ten minutes, with only a few crossed out phrases. Astounded, I stared at the page and reread the words. “Oh! Thank You, Jesus! Thank You, Lord!” I breathed quietly.

Image result for royalty free picture of the garden of eden

“That is so beautiful, Lord! How did You do that?”

How God touches our mind. Well, dear reader, I am still pondering that question and similar questions thirty-plus years later. How does God put such clear thoughts into our minds? How does He give us ideas to solve problems, to do creative work, and to live our daily lives? How does He make His Word speak to us? How does He bring into conscious thought the precise Biblical principle we need in any given situation?

I may never know, but this I know. . . I will not fully understand this side of heaven just how God communicates with us so clearly but I know His Word is one powerful way.

When loneliness attacks, I hear “And behold I am with you and will keep watch over you with care. I will take notice of you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land.” (Genesis 28:15, AMPC) When discouragement seeks to distract me from pressing on in my work for God and in doing all my daily tasks as unto Him, I hear “Wait and hope for and expect the Lord. Be brave and of good courage and let your heart be strong and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord.“ (Psalm 27:14, AMPC).

There is a time . . . there is a season. . . As I thought how to wrap up this little devotional (so it would not spin into another little book, which by God’s grace keeps happening lately!), I thought of the verse” God has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Ecclesiates 3:11, NIV). I thought of that because I had lost the “God Calling” poem over the years, one of the few pieces of writing I have ever lost. I tried to rewrite it several times over the 30-plus years since that tender evening with the Lord, watching my daughter play. But I never could get it “right.”

Well, for two weeks I have been working on a piece called “Finding God’s Presence.” So, today, with my mind soaked in thoughts about His presence, it was time to prayerfully attempt to recreate that long-ago “God Calling” poem. This version is not identical, but it is what my heart says now.

This version, at this time, is what I know of the beauty of simply waiting on God, setting aside time just to be in His presence, taking time to appreciate what He is showing me and letting Him have the pleasure of soothing me when I need it, just as I have had the pleasures of soothing my daughter and my grandsons. And just as their choosing to sit with me greatly pleases me, so I know my choosing to sit with my heavenly Father greatly pleases Him. Truly, everything is beautiful in its time.

Won’t you take time, today, to sit with our Heavenly Father and just let Him love you?

Image result for Royalty Free Picture of Parents Hand Reaching Out To Child

 

 

All-Seeing, All-Knowing

CHRISTIAN VALUES, DEVOTIONALS, ENCOURAGEMENT, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

Image result for Royalty Free Clip Art of Quill PenThis writing thing. Well, fellow pilgrim, I must say this writing thing is an adventure, with many twists and turns along the way. I intended this poem to be an easy blog post because, lately, writing time has been reduced. Then, I found an answer to something I  have pondered for years– how to make poetry more useful.

Writing poetry blesses me because Bible truths come to my mind, but I could not see how to ensure readers saw the underlying Bible truths. Today, I saw the obvious, i.e., just add the explanation into the  poem. So, here we go.  First, the entire poem alone, and then the poem with Bible truths added in.

And would you do me a favor please? Let me know what you think about this format, either in the comment section below this post or by sending me an email (on the “Email me” tab.) God bless you as you read!

“All Seeing, All Knowing”

All seeing, all knowing, how great is Your name!
It wipes out all fear, all guilt, and all shame.
Oh! Thank You, my Dearest, my beloved Sweet One,
for new life in my soul, through Jesus, Your Son.

May He live deep within by the Spirit’s great grace.
May He guide and correct as I run this great race.
He’ll help me press on. In His strength I’m made whole
forgetting the past, made new in my soul!

No more of old me! That person is dead.
I’m risen with new life, Lord, just as You said!

I’m risen with . . .

. . . new life that arises and shines from within,
that shines through the darkness and keeps me from sin,
that reveals the desires of the flesh and the eyes,
that reveals deadly pride and helps me walk wise.

How I thank You, my Jesus, for all that You’ve done,
for abounding new life, for making us one!
No more are we split by sin’s great divide,
We’re one in the blood that flowed from Your side,

Yes, when I walk in Your way,
when I carry Your Name,
all things are made new, yes, nothing’s the same!

“All Seeing, All Knowing” — Bible Truths Included

All seeing, all knowing, how great is Your name!
It wipes out all fear, all guilt, and all shame.
God sees and knows everything. (Isaiah 40:28-29) That is His nature, part of His name or attributes. A name is a word by which we know or describe someone or something. God’s name means His nature. This is helpful to remember when pondering Scriptures with the “name” of God. For example, Psalm 33:22 (“In him our hearts rejoice for we trust in his holy name”) shows that when we trust in the name, or nature of God, in His good qualities, our hearts will be happy.

Image result for Royalty Free Picture of CrownWhen we are adopted into His kingdom, when we bear His name, all fear, guilt, and shame are wiped out. (I John 1:7)

Oh! Thank You, my Dearest, my beloved Sweet One,
for new life in my soul, through Jesus, Your Son.
May God, who gave us new life through the blood His only begotten Son Jesus, shed on Calvary (John 3:16), be the “Fairest of Ten Thousand” to our souls, as the 1881 hymn “The Lilly of the Valley” by Charles Fry says.

May He live deep within by the Spirit’s great grace.
May He guide and correct as I run this great race.
Before Jesus left this earth, He told us that if we truly love Him and obey His teachings, He and the Father will love us and make their home in our heart. (John 14:23)

Image result for royalty free clip art of feet runningLet us long for Holy Spirit’s guidance as we endeavor, like Paul, “. . . to throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles and run with patience the race set before us.” (Hebrews 12:1, NIV)

He’ll help me press on. In His strength I’m made whole
forgetting the past, made new in my soul!
Like Paul, let us remember that although we will never attain perfection on earth, we can “press on” toward maturity, putting all our confidence in Christ as we strive to “. . . take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of” us. (Philippians 3:14)

 No more of old me! That person is dead.
I’m risen with new life, Lord, just as You said!
As we learn in Romans 6:1-23, when we were baptized into Christ Jesus, our old self was “. . . crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be done away with in order that “we should no longer be slaves to sin “ (v. 4- 6)

So, we can “count ourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore . . . “ we do not have to let sin reign in our mortal bodies. (v. 11) As we follow Jesus, He frees us from enslavement to sin. We are free from its power. (NLT)

Image result for Royalty Free Picture of Empty TombI’m risen with . . .
. . . new life that arises and shines from within,
What a promise 2 Corinthians 5:17 contains. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (NKJV) The AMPC says, “. . . the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away.”

that shines through the darkness and keeps me from sin,
God’s Word cuts through the darkness of our world and lights the way for my next few steps (“Your Word is a lamp to my feet. . . ”) and it also shines light further away, along the path (. . . and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105.) Jesus is the Living Word and when He lives in our hearts – what a bright light we are privileged to have! As I John 1:5b teaches us “. . . God is Light, and there is no darkness in Him [no, not in any way]” AMPC.

Image result for Royalty Free Picture of Lamp On Dark Path

that reveals the desires of the flesh and the eyes,
that reveals deadly pride and helps me walk wise
With the light of God–Light that is God–in our hearts, our eyes are enlightened to see sin as sin. And when we use the Sword of God’s Word (Ephesians 6:17), that Living Word penetrates to the deepest part of our hearts and shows us whether the thoughts and purposes of our hearts are good or evil.

“For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immoral] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12, AMPC)

How I thank You, my Jesus, for all that You’ve done,
for abounding new life, for making us one!
Although the enemy of our souls, the devil, always seeks to steal, kill, and destroy, Jesus came to give us a “rich and satisfying life” (John 10:10, ESV) We have that life when we are one with Him. “But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.” (I Corinthians 6:17, ESV)

No more are we split by sin’s great divide,
We’re one in the blood that flowed from Your side,
Sin separates us from God. It is a huge chasm we cannot cross on our own. Isaiah 59:2 tells us that our iniquities have separated us from God; our sins have hidden His face from us, so that He will not hear. But, when we are united in purpose with Jesus, when we are one with Him, when we strive to live like Him and pour out our life for others as He did, our life is united with Him in His life, His blood.

Image result for royalty free picture of walking with jesusYes, when I walk in Your way,
when I carry Your Name,
all things are made new, yes, nothing’s the same!
When we strive, with all our heart, soul and mind, to walk, or live, like Jesus did, when we make His purposes the focus of our life, we share in His likeness. We carry His likeness, His nature, His Name, to the world. As God shines His light and love through us, He uses us for the sake of His Kingdom. And His presence in our life overflows us with blessings.

Once we give up our old life of sin, we are new creatures, and nothing is ever the same again. It just gets “sweeter as the days go by”, as James Poyser attested in his famous song. May we strive to be “. . . to God the sweet aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.” (2 Corinthians 2:15, Berean Study Bible).

 

 

God busies Himself with your details

DAILY LIFE, DEVOTIONALS, EFFECTS OF POVERTY, GRATITUDE, HOPE

Little details are BIG. I signed in at the office and walked down the hall, gazing fondly at pages taped to walls, grouped by classroom, thickly-penciled letters sprawling above and below that distinctive blue-lined paper, with red dots splitting each line. The mashed-potatoes-and-baking-bread smell led me to the cafeteria, filled with mostly empty metal folding chairs.

“Whew!” I took a seat on the front row. Waiting for fifteen minutes was a small price to ensure Haskell saw me. I touched the gold-plated spiral pin clipped to the neck of my tank top and tugged my long skort forward to cover more of two pudgy knees. Haskell would think I was gorgeous, that was all that mattered.

I talked with the mom who joined me on the front row, musing that she was about the age of my daughter, who had to work this morning. Then, students filed in, class by class, the principal welcomed everyone to the award ceremony, and called the two kindergarten classes to the stage.

Haskell was the twelfth kindergartner in line. When he turned around, wide eyes searching the audience, I stuck my hand up high and waved. He smiled a tight, close-lipped smile and waved back, lifting his hand just above his waist.

“Had the teacher told them not to wave?” I wondered.

Then Haskell touched his neck, at the spot where I wore the pin and smiled the wide, full-hearted smile I loved. Tears sprang to my eyes as I touched my hand to the clip at my neck, nodded, and gave him two thumbs-up. After he had spotted that clip in Nana’s joo-ree box a few months ago, I had worn it, whenever he asked, which was often, and wherever he wanted, which included the gym and the grocery, and while vacuuming, delighted that he wanted to decorate his Nana.

“Thank You, Lord, that I remembered this little detail. It is huge to him!”

Image result for royalty free clip art of footstepsTeach me gratitude, Lord, for Your daily attention to details of my life. As I drove back home, I reflected on what I remembered of Psalm 37:23, that God busies himself with the steps of the righteous. When I got home, I looked it up:

“The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step]. (Psalm 37:23, AMPC)

“Oh, Father” I said. “I was overjoyed when Haskell noticed I had worn our special pin. His smiling face said ‘Thank you, thank you, thank you, Nana!’ Father, help me remember to thank You, with my whole heart and a big smile, for the countless details of everyday life You prepare just for me, like songs on the radio, a text from a friend and smiles from strangers, just when I need them. You truly do arrange every detail of the life we share, don’t You, Lord?”

Teach me gratitude, Lord, for Your new mercies that come every day. “And make me more mindful for the big things You give day after day, like the breath of life, food, a home, a loving family, and most of all the privilege of knowing You. Truly, Father, Your faithfulness is great, just like You show us in Lamentations 3:22-23, “Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

I paused, seeing the dining table of my childhood, Daddy at the head of the table, orange knotty pine wall behind him, lengthening late afternoon shadows visible through the window, the view partly obscured by drapes embossed with turquoise flowers. Daddy taught us to thank Mother for supper, and my two brothers and I did, in our own words, and, as I recall, using the same words each time – “Thanks Mother. It was good.” “Thank you, Mother. ‘ppreciate it.” and “Thank you, Mother, for a good supper.” She had always smiled and given each of us a sincere “You’re welcome!”

“But how much more would she have appreciated our thanks,” I pondered, “If we had said, ‘The meatloaf was great tonight!’ or ‘Your biscuits and gravy are the best!’ or ‘That fried chicken was sooo good!”

She never got tired of hearing us thank her, and You never get tired of hearing us thank You either, do you Lord? So thank You, Father, again, for my family, thank You that I have a car to drive to Haskell’s school, thank You . . . “

Royalty Free Pic of Open Bible

Teach me gratitude that You are the loving Father who teaches us. I sat at my desk and opened the three Bibles I use most often when I write. I wanted to check my memory. As I read verse 22, I saw it was connected to verse 23. Psalm 37:22-23 said:

  • (New Living) “The Lord directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.”
  • (New International) “If the LORD delights in a man’s way, he makes his steps firm; though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD holds him with his hand.”
  • (Amplified Classic) “The steps of a [good] man are directed and established by the Lord when He delights in his way [and He busies Himself with his every step]. Though he falls, he shall not be utterly cast down, for the Lord grasps his hand in support and upholds him.” (Psalm 37:23-24, AMPC)

As I compared translations, I marveled again at how Holy Spirit deepens our understanding when we focus and try earnestly to understand God’s Words. As I read and reread the verses, cause and effect linkages emerged:

[1] When we live a godly life, God delights in our way, or our manner of life.

[2] When God delights in how we are living, He busies Himself with every detail of our lives,

[3] Because of [1] and [2], even though we stumble and fall, we will not stay down because the LORD holds our hand and supports, sustains, and strengthens us.

At first glance, the NIV and NLT, which said we would never fall, seemed to disagree with the AMPC, which indicated we would fall.

Image result for Royalty Free Picture of Father And CHILD Walking“Hmmm, Lord? What is the key to understanding this? Well, if I think of a father holding the hand of a little child as they walk together, that child could stumble and fall, but a loving, attentive father, like You are, Lord, would grasp that little hand even more tightly the moment the child began falling so that the child would fall only to his knees and not all the way to the ground, as he would have if the father were not holding his hand and pulling him back up.

Oh, Father! Teach me to always, always, always hold on to Your mighty hand! Let me be grateful You hold my hand. Let me not resist but agree willingly when Your hand tugs me in a specific direction. Keep teaching me to have the same mind as You, to agree with You, so that we can walk together (Amos 3:3). Keep my feet on the paths of righteousness that lead to eternal life. (Proverbs 12:28) What comforting reassurance these verses bring! Thank You, Lord!

Image result for royalty free PICTURE OF SCROLLTeach me to rightly divide Your Word. I closed my eyes and searched for words to express my gratitude. “Thank You, Father, for teaching me to look at more than just one verse. Otherwise, today, I would have missed the connection between verse 22 and verse 23.”

Recently, God had impressed on me the importance of studying out the context of verses I memorized and ones that reappeared in teachings and sermons I heard.

At minimum, I had learned to scan several verses before and after any one verse, checking for connecting words and phrases that indicated cause and effect, words like for, because, therefore, and so that. Ideally, I wanted to know the main message of the book of the Bible the verse was in, the historical, Biblical, and cultural context, a broad outline of the book and a detailed outline of the chapter.

“Well, no, I pondered. “Not just one chapter. I have learned that the original writings were not divided into chapter and verse. I see both missed blessings and danger in letting the thoughts of men, no matter how learned and holy they were, rather than Holy Spirit, determine for me where to “divide” the Truth.

Father, I will study out 2 Timothy 2:15 more but I do believe part of the meaning of “rightly dividing the Word of Truth” is to keep the passages that are all of one piece, as one piece in our thinking, rather than picking one or two verses here or there.

However, I do know that just one or two verses or brief passages can accurately be taught if the pastor or Bible teacher has followed 2 Timothy 2:15 and done the diligent, time-consuming study necessary for proper understanding. That is the spoon-feeding I had lapsed into for so long. Thank You, Father, for using fear and depression to make me desperate enough to study Your Word, diligently, for my personal needs.

Thank You, Father, for busying Yourself with the details of my life today by teaching me how to better study Your Word. It feels like You put truths there just for me, just like I wore that pin so that Haskell would know I was thinking about him, and so he could see that what was important to him was important to me. What a loving Father You are, Lord!

Thank You for Your great grace and Your mercies, which are new every morning, as You say in Lamentations 3:23. . . and I see that verse 22 says, “It is because of the LORD’s great love that we are not consumed because Your compassions never fail. And actually, that whole Chapter Three of Lamentations is so instructive, let’s see . . . let’s start at verse one and recall that the author is probably Jeremiah and that he was writing about. . .

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Standing strong, like the hummingbird

ANXIETY, DEPRESSION, DEVOTIONALS, ENCOURAGEMENT, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

Image result for Royalty Free Picture of Hummingbird Feasting on God’s Presence. In the corner of my bedroom, on top of the cherrywood chest of drawers where my father put his watch, wallet, and keys every night and where, twenty-five years later, I changed my infant daughter’s diapers, stands a light maple jewelry chest, a gift from my daughter. A three-inch hand-carved wooden dog, also my father’s, leans against the jewelry chest. Behind the jewelry chest, a tall, slender faux crystal vase holds a spray of white flowers. On the wall above, where the eye is naturally drawn, hangs a gilt-framed picture of a ruby-throated hummingbird, hovering beside the open face of a crimson day lily, feeding on its nectar.

That picture is my reminder that, as the hummingbird must eat five to eight times per hour to survive, so my soul and spirit must feast continually on God’s presence and God’s Word. Hard experience imprinted that truth on my heart.

Although it was difficult, I thank God for the months of affliction that taught me to seek, to inquire for and require God as my necessity and to truly seek Him with all my heart and mind and soul and life (Deuteronomy 4:29) I now understand why we must always seek the sweetness and strength of His presence. I can truly say that “Before I was afflicted, I went astray, but now I obey God’s Word.” (Psalm 119:67, NIV)

Image result for royalty free picture of woman with jesus We can be strong in the Lord. “In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides.] (Ephesians 6:10. AMPC)

Toward the end of his letter to the Ephesians, Paul writes “In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides.] Notice verse 10 says that our union with Him is what empowers us and makes us strong. We draw our strength from Him, and His strength is boundless, without measure, because it comes from His very nature, His omnipotence.

In the months required to overcome fear and depression, I learned that God’s presence—being in communion with Him– kept me strong. Only God kept me at peace and gave me hope and perseverance, though the path was often rocky.

How did I learn to stay in His presence more often? (I say more often because I still strive to make it constant.) By keeping my mind fixed on Him (Isaiah 26:3), keeping His Word in my sight and within my heart (Proverbs 4:21), and constantly praising and thanking Him for His goodness (Psalm 119:164). Practicing these three disciplines never fails to restore me.

How gracious is our God to give such fullness of joy in His presence so that we, like the hummingbird, may ever be drawn to that nourishing sweetness!

Image result for Royalty Free Picture of Trophy God makes us successful. “Put on God’s whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies, that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil”. (Ephesians 6:11, AMPC)

God gives us weapons to fight this great spiritual battle that is the life of every believer. Verse 11 says that I “may be able successfully to stand up against ALL the strategies and deceits of the devil” if I use all the armor God has provided. That spiritual armor includes: truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation and His Word as well as prayer (from Ephesians 6:14-18). Read the passage from verse 10 through 20. It shows us that victory as a believer requires drawing our strength from God and using the armor He provides, which includes prayer, and standing strong in our place. To fight the good fight, I MUST have the constant, strengthening nourishment of God’s presence and His Word . . . like the beautiful, delicate but mighty hummingbird.

God knows we face impossible odds. “For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere. (Ephesians 6:12, AMPC)

Hummingbird, Flying, Portrait, Wildlife It seems impossible that any living creature could manage to feed itself five to eight times per hour for all its life. God knows hummingbirds face impossible odds in feeding themselves, so God gives His tiny birds the means they need to obtain their 120 to 192 meals each day. He gives them a heart that beats 1200 times a minute; wings that beat 50 to 200 times a second; and aerobatic skill to fly forwards, backwards, sideways, and straight up. They can hover for 50 minutes, and furthermore, do instant 180s while hovering. (www.worldofhummingbirds.com) Possessing those amazing attributes, mature hummingbirds have almost no natural enemies. They simply outfly and outmaneuver them.

Faint of heart! (I am talking to myself here!) How much more then has our all-loving, all gracious, tender-hearted, compassionate, and adoring Heavenly Father given us what we need to face and conquer our impossible odds in the spiritual realms? His Presence and His Word are available to all His children who ask. “God is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you (2 Chronicles 15:2, NIV).

Image result for royalty free picture of roman soldier standing guard God enables us to stand our ground in hard times. “Therefore put on God’s complete armor that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger]; and having done all the crisis demands, to stand firmly in your place] (Ephesians 6:13, AMPC)

To “stand your ground” is a battle term. It means to stand and fight to defend the ground on which you are standing when the enemy attacks. Think about that and think about it in light of verses 10 through 12. Do you see that drawing on God’s strength and using the armor He gives us enables us to resist the enemy and keep standing, firmly in our place, keeping our life settled and safe?

The Word says we will be able to stand firmly in our place. That means we will not lose one inch of our ground. We will fight, yes, but our feet will stay firm, planted, in our own place. We will not grope around with our feet, seeking a firm place to support us. No! With our God we can not only stand firm but with our God’s help we can advance against a troop! We can scale a wall! (Psalm 18:26)

If we, like the hummingbird, constantly seek out the life-sustaining sweetness of God’s presence, as if our life depended on it, we will draw on His boundless strength and, thus, we will stand, firmly, in our place. Image result for royalty free picture of hummingbird

 

How much does God love you?

ANXIETY, DAILY LIFE, DEVOTIONALS, ENCOURAGEMENT, HARD TIMES, HOPE, TRUSTING GOD

Image result for Royalty Free Picture of Grand PianoA few notes into the pianist’s prelude, and I knew what the choir would sing. Eyes closed, shutting out all distractions between me and God, Holy Spirit was right there with me. I felt I could almost touch Him. With the rich harmony of many voices, the familiar melody and words rippled along:
“How many times must I prove how much I love you?
How many times must I show my love for you?
How many times must I rescue you from trouble
for you to know just how much I love you?”
(from “So You Would Know” by Al Hobbs.)

Smiling, I lifted my face upward and raised my hands, murmuring, “Oh, Father!” as tears trickled down. God’s voice continued . .

“Didn’t I wake you up this morning?
Were you clothed in your right mind?
When you walked in on a problem didn’t I step right in on time?When you got weak along life’s journey My angel carried you,
so you would know just how much I love you.”

I shook my head slowly as I recalled how many times God had miraculously come through for my daughter and me during ten years of single parenthood. God’s voice continued. . .
“How many days must I be a fence all around you?
How many nights must I wipe your tears away?
How many storms must I bring you safely through for you to know just how much I love you?”

Image result for Royalty Free Picture of CrucifixionAfter giving my heart to Jesus, three years into single parenthood, the lifetime loneliness had greatly lessened as I sat alone with Him, after Sharon was asleep, looking out the window at the stars. I was so grateful I could feel His love, so grateful He showed me how to take good care of Sharon. God’s voice continued. . .
“Didn’t I put food on your table?
Show up when your bills were due?
When the pains were racking your body didn’t I send a healing down to you?
When you were lost in sin and sorrow, I died to set you free,
so you would know, just how much, I love you.”

I stood, hands lifted, face upturned, as more tears poured down. How many times had God sent an unexpected check for us? How many times had family and friends bought clothes for Sharon, taken us out for dinner, and paid for school activities? How many times . . . That was decades ago. All these years have only added more times to remember how clearly God has shown how much He loves me.

 God reassures us of His love, so many times. The powerful song “So You Would Know”, written by Al Hobbs, trumpets God’s gentle reminder of His love for His children. The melody and words show God’s gentle patience, like a father answering his child, “Yes, sweetheart, how many times do I have to tell you. . .” Why does God reassure us so often, in so many ways?

God knows how we are made. God knows that we, being human, would like to actually see and hear Him, especially during trials, and especially during times like the whole world now faces. Psalm 103:14 reminds us “For He knows our frame, He [earnestly] remembers and imprints [on His heart] that we are dust.” That says that God, seriously and with intensity, always remembers our humanity. He knows we need constant reminders of His love, His presence, His provision, and His power. Let’s look at some things God wants us to know about His love, presence, provision, and power.Image result for Royalty Free Picture of Sunrise

Reminders of God’s love. How loving He is to inscribe into nature itself two visible reminders of His love for us: the height of the heavens and the distance between east and west. “ for His unfailing love toward those who fear Him is as high as the heavens are above the earth. He has removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west.” (Psalm 103:11-12, NLT). Step outside and selah.

Image result for Royalty Free Picture of Jesus Holding PersonReminders of God’s presence. Isaiah 41:10 says “Fear not [there is nothing to fear] for I am with you; do not look around you in terror and be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and harden you to difficulties, yes, I will help you; yes, I will hold you up and retain you with My [victorious] right hand of rightness and justice. (AMPC) When I remember that the God of the universe is right here beside me and living in me, when I remember that I have, indeed, made Him my God by loving and obeying Him, His peace descends like a warm blanket over my troubled soul.

Reminders of God’s provision. Hebrews 13:5b tells you and me to “. . . be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, ‘I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support; [I will] not,[I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!]. Dear fellow believer, let us take God’s Word like the medicine it is and read this verse, out loud, to ourselves, 10 times or more until we feel His peace, right in the midst of this trial!

Image result for royalty free picture of earthReminders of God’s power. In Jeremiah 32:27 God says, “Behold I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is there anything too hard for me?” Let us imprint this fact about the nature of our divine God on our hearts, just as He has imprinted each detail about our human nature on His heart. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1), He holds all creation together (Colossians 1:17) and God says, “I am the LORD: there is no other god.” (Isaiah 45:1, NLT)

NOTHING IS TOO HARD FOR GOD!!!

“Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD” Psalm 150:6,NIV. Choirs give a glimpse of what praise will be like in heaven. There is nothing so powerful as the sound of many voices, singing in harmonious praise to God. Search the internet using the phrase “So You Would Know” and worship and honor God along with the Brooklyn Tabernacle and the Radio Angels, right there in your home, with Holy Spirit.

As you worship, put fear to flight (Joshua 10:10-11), glorify God (Psalm 96), enthrone Him on your praises (Psalm 22:3), worship our mighty God, our KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS, (Revelation 19:16), Who alone sits encircled above the circle of the earth (Isaiah 40:22), Whose plans never fail (Psalm 33:11), in Whose presence the mountains quake (Nahum 1:5), and in Whose name demons flee (James 4:7). This Holy One of Israel, this Wonderful One Beyond Words, He is our God, the One we serve, the One Who cares for us each moment, and the One who will bring us home to live with Him for all eternity! “Let everything that has breath Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!” (Psalm 150:6, NIV)

“The Lord is good, a Strength and Stronghold in the day of trouble; He knows (recognizes, has knowledge of, and understands) those who take refuge and trust in Him. (Nahum 1:7, AMPC)

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