The devil is on attack that is for sure. The last few days have been a whirlwind of emotions. It's always rough for me when I go to visit my home town, but this weekend was especially difficult. I began to remember some child hood events that really cut deep. Some old wounds were broken open for me. Wounds that I thought were long healed. I began to remember some hurtful words said to me at different times over the years and the anger and bitterness began to boil within me. By the time the weekend was over, I was emotionally fatigued. I returned home to my husband a complete emotional angry mess.
I'm beginning to recognize a pattern. When I find myself in this "funk" of emotions, I become this unlovable person. Why you ask? I think it's because I don't feel worthy of love. I think I always felt that love was conditional and had to be earned. So when I've screwed up, somehow love just ceases. When I am feeling down on myself, the thoughts begin to creep in like sludge. Thoughts like, "Why would anyone love me?" "He doesn't truly love me, he just settled for me." (referring to my husband) "No one really loves me, I mean, who could? I can't love me." It becomes a vicious spiral that I can't seem to stop.
And the bitterness and anger towards a particular person breaks my heart. I don't want to feel this way anymore. And I don't want this to ruin the relationship that we have nurtured and finally began to enjoy. Honestly, up until this last weekend, I thought I had truly forgiven. But if I did, how can I feel this way??
I'm reminded of my Savior's forgiveness for me. He sacrificed His own life to be able to forgive me. And my sin is as far as the east is from the west. It's wiped off the books as soon as I accepted Him as my Lord. He has forgotten. Shouldn't I in turn offer this same forgiveness to the one that has wronged me?
Lord, how do you do it?
How do you forgive?
Do you think that you can teach me
The perfect life you lived?
I've tried to pursue it,
I've tried to let love win.
But every time I seem to get close,
Another offense creeps in.
I've read your Word and know
the answer that you gave
A serious question by a serious man
Peter was his name.
He asked how many times should we forgive
a brother who sins against us.
He thought he'd give a hint of answer
in his seven times suggestion.
I think I can almost hear your voice,
your answer was so clear
Seventy times seven Peter
...forever my dear.
I can only imagine his feelings
after the answer that You gave.
My Lord, how do you do it?
Can you teach me to forgive?
(Matthew 18)
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Hide the Word today!
I'm a little late this week. This week is a short one, so if you're like me and fell a little behind with the one for last week, we can work together to get caught up! This verse tells us a little about the characteristics of our loving God. This one is a good one for the memory file when we begin to falter in our faith of Who God is.
Spring break is this next week. I'm excited about being able to visit my parents this weekend and having some family time this next week with the kiddos. Take time and enjoy your family and your Lord this week!
Exodus 34:6
And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness
Spring break is this next week. I'm excited about being able to visit my parents this weekend and having some family time this next week with the kiddos. Take time and enjoy your family and your Lord this week!
Exodus 34:6
And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, "The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Hide the Word Wednesday - a little late
Sorry for the delay. I got busy yesterday and forgot to update. Brace yourselves folks, because this is a long one, but I know we can do it! We'll even take an extra day!
Isaiah 6:1-5
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
This is one of my favorite passages of the bible. It really reveals a lot about God's Holiness. And it revealed to me what it really means to fear God. God is holy and we are unworthy of His love. As Isaiah says he is a man of unclean lips. The Message sates it like this in verse 5:
I'm as good as dead!
Every word I've ever spoken is tainted—
blasphemous even!
And the people I live with talk the same way,
using words that corrupt and desecrate.
And here I've looked God in the face!
Can you imagine with me if you will, what it would be like to see the Lord seated high on His throne in all His splendor. Where the angels sing so loud and with such authority for Him that it shakes the very ground you stand on. Imagine with me also that like Isaiah, you begin to see your imperfections, your flaws, your sin just laid out before the Lord Almighty. Such an experience made Isaiah so ashamed that he could not even fathom that he was able to look God in the face. And he said he was as good as dead, or maybe in that moment, he just wanted to be.
I think all too often we either hide or even ignore our sin because we have forgotten that at all times it is laid out before our Holy God. I can remember people talking about fearing God and that just did not make any sense to me. Why should I fear my loving Father? Forgive me for this analogy, but I think I almost pictured him as this Grand-pappy in heaven sitting on his porch in his rocking chair shaking His head about what stunt I had just pulled. But my friends, God is real! He is Holy! He does judge! And we are not worthy of His love. That's what makes His love so special! He chooses to give it to us anyway. Remember our verse from last week??This is love: Not that we love God; but that He loved us and sent His son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
What we have to offer to Him is but filthy rags, it's what He offers to us.
The next few verses are my favorite in this book. As soon as those words of repentance left Isaiah's lips, he was cleansed by the angel with a live (hot) coal! And the Lord asks, "whom shall I send?" and Isaiah replies "Here am I. Send me!" The Lord then gave Isaiah a message for His people. Girl, that gives me goose bumps! That our Holy God still wants to fill us with a message! He can still use us if we are willing to be obedient to His call.
Think about God's Holiness this week as we learn these 5 verses. Begin to truly understand Who the God we serve really is. He calls Himself the Great I Am. Because He's holy, just, righteous, worthy....basically I AM (fill in the blank)...because He just IS!
Isaiah 6:1-5
1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him were seraphs, each with six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. 3 And they were calling to one another:
"Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty;
the whole earth is full of his glory."
4 At the sound of their voices the doorposts and thresholds shook and the temple was filled with smoke.
5 "Woe to me!" I cried. "I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty."
This is one of my favorite passages of the bible. It really reveals a lot about God's Holiness. And it revealed to me what it really means to fear God. God is holy and we are unworthy of His love. As Isaiah says he is a man of unclean lips. The Message sates it like this in verse 5:
I'm as good as dead!
Every word I've ever spoken is tainted—
blasphemous even!
And the people I live with talk the same way,
using words that corrupt and desecrate.
And here I've looked God in the face!
Can you imagine with me if you will, what it would be like to see the Lord seated high on His throne in all His splendor. Where the angels sing so loud and with such authority for Him that it shakes the very ground you stand on. Imagine with me also that like Isaiah, you begin to see your imperfections, your flaws, your sin just laid out before the Lord Almighty. Such an experience made Isaiah so ashamed that he could not even fathom that he was able to look God in the face. And he said he was as good as dead, or maybe in that moment, he just wanted to be.
I think all too often we either hide or even ignore our sin because we have forgotten that at all times it is laid out before our Holy God. I can remember people talking about fearing God and that just did not make any sense to me. Why should I fear my loving Father? Forgive me for this analogy, but I think I almost pictured him as this Grand-pappy in heaven sitting on his porch in his rocking chair shaking His head about what stunt I had just pulled. But my friends, God is real! He is Holy! He does judge! And we are not worthy of His love. That's what makes His love so special! He chooses to give it to us anyway. Remember our verse from last week??This is love: Not that we love God; but that He loved us and sent His son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
What we have to offer to Him is but filthy rags, it's what He offers to us.
The next few verses are my favorite in this book. As soon as those words of repentance left Isaiah's lips, he was cleansed by the angel with a live (hot) coal! And the Lord asks, "whom shall I send?" and Isaiah replies "Here am I. Send me!" The Lord then gave Isaiah a message for His people. Girl, that gives me goose bumps! That our Holy God still wants to fill us with a message! He can still use us if we are willing to be obedient to His call.
Think about God's Holiness this week as we learn these 5 verses. Begin to truly understand Who the God we serve really is. He calls Himself the Great I Am. Because He's holy, just, righteous, worthy....basically I AM (fill in the blank)...because He just IS!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Hide the Word Wednesday #2
God's love
1 John 4:10
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Remember to review our previous verses each day as we learn this one. I wanted to go ahead and get this posted so we are not behind. I may expand on this verse a little later this week. Keep up the good work and if you're behind, do not be discouraged! This week will be better for you!
1 John 4:10
This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.
Remember to review our previous verses each day as we learn this one. I wanted to go ahead and get this posted so we are not behind. I may expand on this verse a little later this week. Keep up the good work and if you're behind, do not be discouraged! This week will be better for you!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Spring is here!
Winters in the mid-west, can sometimes be too long for me. The land seems to lie dormant for months. The trees are bare, and the landscape appears dead. But lying just below the surface of the ground, just out of view, nature is at work. And about this time of year, new life begins to emerge. I love taking a walk in a wooded area just as spring is beginning. The leaves from fall still cover the ground and have grown brown and soft from the long winter. But if you look closely, you'll begin to see new tender shoots, little white wild flowers and buds beginning on the trees. It always amazes me that these delicate small new plants, push their way through the mud, muck and mire, and stand tall and strong against the dark and dismal landscape.
I wonder if God is in the middle of doing a new work in you. Do your surroundings seem to be dark and dismal? Has it been awhile since you've heard a fresh Word from Him? Beloved, God is still at work.
Ecclesiastes 11:5 says As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. I particularly like how The Message states it: Just as you'll never understand the mystery of life forming in a pregnant woman, So you'll never understand the mystery at work in all that God does.
We may not always understand the work of God. It may be a mystery; just out of view in this season of your life. But Beloved, take heed! He is at work! Remain rooted in Him and you will emerge from the mud, muck and mire, a new creation in Him!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians, 5:17
Monday, March 9, 2009
Stand firm!
After my husband and I got married (8 years ago in July), we headed to Virginia Beach to honeymoon. We spent about 3 days on the beach, and 2 of those days the beach was closed due to huge surf and under tow. Bummer! But being young twenty-somethings, that didn't stop us! After the life guards would leave the beach around 4:30pm, we headed out to the dangerous waters. We were less than 10 yards from shore, where the water would be just below the knee. Then a huge wave would swallow us and we couldn't even stand! When the water would flee, we were disoriented and turned around. We really had no business being out there at all, and were very lucky to not be swept away.
I was reminded of our time in Virginia Beach this week. I have felt lately that sometimes I am with-standing the Devil's attacks, and then all of a sudden without warning I am swallowed in sin and helplessness. I feel as though I'm drowning and close to being swept away from my God's mighty hand. Have you ever felt as though you're drowning in sin and disobedience and this time God just can not rescue you? Psalm 103 says otherwise.
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
(emphasis mine)
I was reminded of a song from Casting Crowns, East to West. Read these lyrics and let them penetrate your heart.
Here I am, Lord, and I'm drowning in your sea of forgetfulness
The chains of yesterday surround me
I yearn for peace and rest
I don't want to end up where You found me
And it echoes in my mind, keeps me awake tonight
I know You've cast my sin as far as the east is from the west
And I stand before You now as though I've never sinned
But today I feel like I'm just one mistake away from You leaving me this way
Chorus:
Jesus can You show me just how far the east is from the west
'Cause I can't bear to see the man I've been come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
'Cause You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other
I start the day, the war begins, endless reminding of my sin
Time and time again Your truth is drowned out by the storm I'm in
Today I feel like I'm just one mistake away from You leaving me this way
Chorus:
I know You've washed me white, turned my darkness into light
I need Your peace to get me through
get me through this night
I can't live by what I feel, but by the truth Your word reveals
I'm not holding on to You, but You're holding on to me
You're holding on to me
Chorus:
Just how far, east is from the west
Just how far, one scarred hand to the other
You know just how far, just how far east is from west
Just how far, from one scarred hand to the other
God is compassionate. Where we can not forget, He can. Where compassion is a struggle for us, He has an over abundance. Will you rest in Him today? Will you believe His promises that you can stand before Him white as snow, blameless in His sight?
Remember our verse this week:
Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Psalm 34:8.
I love the word takes in this verse. It is available to you. Just grab hold! Take refuge in Him and let Him cover you with the saving grace of His mercy!
I was reminded of our time in Virginia Beach this week. I have felt lately that sometimes I am with-standing the Devil's attacks, and then all of a sudden without warning I am swallowed in sin and helplessness. I feel as though I'm drowning and close to being swept away from my God's mighty hand. Have you ever felt as though you're drowning in sin and disobedience and this time God just can not rescue you? Psalm 103 says otherwise.
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
(emphasis mine)
I was reminded of a song from Casting Crowns, East to West. Read these lyrics and let them penetrate your heart.
Here I am, Lord, and I'm drowning in your sea of forgetfulness
The chains of yesterday surround me
I yearn for peace and rest
I don't want to end up where You found me
And it echoes in my mind, keeps me awake tonight
I know You've cast my sin as far as the east is from the west
And I stand before You now as though I've never sinned
But today I feel like I'm just one mistake away from You leaving me this way
Chorus:
Jesus can You show me just how far the east is from the west
'Cause I can't bear to see the man I've been come rising up in me again
In the arms of Your mercy I find rest
'Cause You know just how far the east is from the west
From one scarred hand to the other
I start the day, the war begins, endless reminding of my sin
Time and time again Your truth is drowned out by the storm I'm in
Today I feel like I'm just one mistake away from You leaving me this way
Chorus:
I know You've washed me white, turned my darkness into light
I need Your peace to get me through
get me through this night
I can't live by what I feel, but by the truth Your word reveals
I'm not holding on to You, but You're holding on to me
You're holding on to me
Chorus:
Just how far, east is from the west
Just how far, one scarred hand to the other
You know just how far, just how far east is from west
Just how far, from one scarred hand to the other
God is compassionate. Where we can not forget, He can. Where compassion is a struggle for us, He has an over abundance. Will you rest in Him today? Will you believe His promises that you can stand before Him white as snow, blameless in His sight?
Remember our verse this week:
Taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him. Psalm 34:8.
I love the word takes in this verse. It is available to you. Just grab hold! Take refuge in Him and let Him cover you with the saving grace of His mercy!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Hide the Word Wednesday
OK friends, I promised we would be doing this and the time is now. I believe memorized scripture is so important, and something I have failed at miserably. But I believe if it is stored away in our memory banks, God will use it at the perfect time to minister to our needs, whatever they may be at the time. We can also use them to minister to others. And as I used to remind the youth in our church: right now we live in a free country. We can at anytime pick up our Bible's as reference for our needs as well as our pleasure. But there may be a time where this freedom is not ours to have. Not every person in every country has this freedom without facing certain death. If there would ever be a time when our Lord's precious Words of instruction were not available to us, they could never take away what was already in our hearts and minds.
So here are a few tips to help you get started.
#1 - Make a plan - if you do not make a commitment it probably won't happen.
#2 - Find a friend to keep you accountable - You'll always have me. We can encourage each other as we go along.
#3 - Pray about it. God will lead you to obedience if this is what He wants for your life.
Finally, follow this method. On day 1, read the passage aloud 10 times, then say it 10 times with out looking. On day 2, repeat it 10 times looking only if you have to. Then repeat the verse daily for the rest of the week. Use the same format each week but also repeat each previously memorized verse once daily. You may also want to use index cards.
Drop me a little line on here if you want to commit to hiding His Word. I'll be praying for you as we go along on this journey. And if you have any tips for the rest of us, do share! :)
Week #1 - God's goodness
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8
Don't you just love this verse? I think it was written especially for us women. Anything that has to do with taste or food immediately grabs my attention for some reason! When I hear the word refuge I usually think to flee for protection. But it can also mean to put trust in God or to confide or hope in God. Is He truly your refuge? Do you trust Him with all aspects of your life or are you holding something back? Do you confide in Him all your hopes, fears, dreams and failures? I encourage you this week as you meditate on this verse, to not only memorize it, but to believe it. For He IS good!
So here are a few tips to help you get started.
#1 - Make a plan - if you do not make a commitment it probably won't happen.
#2 - Find a friend to keep you accountable - You'll always have me. We can encourage each other as we go along.
#3 - Pray about it. God will lead you to obedience if this is what He wants for your life.
Finally, follow this method. On day 1, read the passage aloud 10 times, then say it 10 times with out looking. On day 2, repeat it 10 times looking only if you have to. Then repeat the verse daily for the rest of the week. Use the same format each week but also repeat each previously memorized verse once daily. You may also want to use index cards.
Drop me a little line on here if you want to commit to hiding His Word. I'll be praying for you as we go along on this journey. And if you have any tips for the rest of us, do share! :)
Week #1 - God's goodness
Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8
Don't you just love this verse? I think it was written especially for us women. Anything that has to do with taste or food immediately grabs my attention for some reason! When I hear the word refuge I usually think to flee for protection. But it can also mean to put trust in God or to confide or hope in God. Is He truly your refuge? Do you trust Him with all aspects of your life or are you holding something back? Do you confide in Him all your hopes, fears, dreams and failures? I encourage you this week as you meditate on this verse, to not only memorize it, but to believe it. For He IS good!
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