Which way ???

Have you ever felt like a starfish?

Huh??? A starfish???

Yeah, I mean it’s got at least five choices in which way to go. How does it know which way is the best way?

You’ve got a dream, a fleeting glimpse of something that you are sure God put in your heart – well, at one time you were sure.  How to get there? By what means? Which way should you turn?

You’ve got a decision to make, it’s a tough decision – which way should you turn?

Your friends are all comfortable with a certain activity, but there is something gnawing away at your spirit about it. Which is better, to risk offending your friends and follow the leading of the Spirit or just let things slide? Which way should you turn?

There are numerous scenarios, aren’t there. Everyone, no exceptions, faces choices every day – some difficult, some not so difficult, and thus the reference to the starfish. It can set out in any direction. I know that there are times that I have felt exactly like that – which way should I go?

There is One who has promised to lead us and guide us. His promise is to not leave us alone to our own devices, but to show us the way. There are times the way is not so evident but that does not nullify the promise, it just means we need to be patient and diligent in seeking direction. He will help us. He will guide us into the plan He has for us.

Proverbs 3: 5-6 TRUST in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.

Psalm 138:8 The LORD will perfect that which concerns me.

Psalm 86:11 Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk and live in your truth; direct and unite my heart (solely, reverently) to fear your name.

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

Getting to know the Voice

I heard an interesting story. It was the story of a man who went on a trip to Israel. He was visiting some area of the countryside and he had stopped by a well where there was a watering hole for animals. One shepherd was there with his sheep when along came another shepherd and his sheep. The two herds of sheep mixed all together to drink water and the two shepherds stood together talking. The man thought, I have to wait around and watch this, how are these men going to separate their sheep. After a few minutes, to his amazement, he watched as one shepherd started to walk away and as he called out to his sheep his flock left the watering hole and followed him. The sheep knew the voice of their shepherd.

We need to know the voice of our Shepherd so that we will follow Him wherever He leads. Not only will we hear Him speak direction to us for our own lives, I believe it is God’s desire to use each one of us to touch the lives of those who surround us. He wants to use us to bring His words of life, a healing word, His love and comfort. Let’s get to know His voice more, to trust Him more so that as we go about our daily lives we will be so in tune with Him that we will always be able to discern His voice over the many voices that compete for our attention. Maybe there is someone God is laying on your heart to intercede for. Maybe someone needs an encouraging word. Maybe someone needs a loaf of bread or a bag of groceries. The Shepherd will talk to you about these kinds of things. Let’s get in tune with Him. Let’s spend time with Him in the Word. Let’s learn to hear and to obey.

Does God really talk to us today? Yes. John 10:3-5 says “He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.. he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice”; v. 14-16 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me… they will listen to my voice”. 

When life throws you a curve ball...

It can happen to you, it can happen to me – and it did, a curve ball that I was not expecting. And therefore the struggle, I know how I should react and respond, but will I? Yes, by God’s grace I will react in the right way. I find it interesting that after I wrote what I did last Friday morning that I would need to apply that word myself the same afternoon and I will need to in the coming days.

When first processing the situation I was upset, angry and overwhelmed. There’s no way around it, I have to walk through, and walk through I shall with my Father, because He is able to make all grace abound towards me.

Here’s the thing, the battle is in the mind. The flesh says, stick up for yourself, let them know what you think. There is a time and a place for that in certain circumstances, but not always. Sometimes it’s best to say nothing and let God take up the battle for you. We need to seek God’s wisdom in the things we face. We need to obey what we know is His way. His way is the winning way. His way is the overcoming way.

So as a follow up to Friday’s post about relinquishing our rights and pressing on, here are a couple of thoughts. It is true that we have a choice – we can choose to react any way we want because we have the freedom to choose. We will of course reap the consequences of our choices. We have the choice to lay down our lives for God and to follow His ways in obedience or to live for self. It is a daily walk with daily decisions, isn’t it? As we face different situations, different decisions, we choose whether to obey God’s way or what our flesh and the enemy of our soul is trying to dictate.

The question pops into the mind “so you’re just going to let them think that you’re fine with everything, you’re just going to let them win without saying a word – that’s not fair!” Recognize that voice? Yeah, it comes from the pit.  

Well I’m choosing life !! I’m casting my cares on Him and facing the day knowing that Father is actively working everything out for my good AND more importantly, for His glory. Here we go Lord, into the day together. Change me Lord, make me strong. I’m pressing on.

Pressing On

Cast all your cares on God believing that in so doing He is actively at work to perform His word and His promise. Get up and face the day with the conviction that God is working everything out for your good, and more importantly, for His honour and glory.

There has to be a turning point where you consciously make this decision. When it is done then you can face the day with joy and peace. This is the relinquishing – relinquishing what you want, what you think is best and trusting God instead. This is not always easy, but must be done so that God can take the lump of clay and form it. This will only happen through continually yielding your life over into the Potter’s hands.

Is God truly able to make something more and more beautiful out of your life? In the yielding is He truly able to make all grace abound in your life? Are we able to stop thinking about what we (our flesh) want? Is it possible for us to live daily with the attitude – You are my desire Lord? YES it is possible!!! YES it is worth dying to self!!! YES He is worthy of our trust!!!

With God nothing is impossible. We can be tempted to hang around in graveyard mourning over something on which God has closed the door. If He closed one door it is only because there are new horizons to discover, to move towards.

Help me today Lord. Help me to relinquish my right to what I want to do, what I think is best, so that You can bring new life, hope and peace to me. Yes Lord as I stand here at the edge and take a great leap of faith, believing that as I leap and begin falling, you Father will catch me and swoop me up in Your arms and say “Now see what I have planned for you all along, what I have been longing to see in you all this time”.  Yes Lord, as an eagle pushes the eaglet out of the nest so it will learn to soar on the winds, so too Lord you nudge us ever onward into trusting You alone so that we will learn to soar on the winds of Your Spirit, always heading in the direction of Your divine plan and purpose. Oh Lord, may it be so with me.

His love endures forever. His ways are perfect and far above our ways.

Philippians 3: 12-14

Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me ... forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

The Land of In-Between (Part 2/2)

(If you haven’t read yesterday’s post please do so before reading this one).

It may be that God is leading you away from something familiar into a new thing; from something that has become comfortable into the unknown. I am not referring to deliverance from captivity (although that is one application). This could be from one place of ministry to something new. It could be a move from one place to another or from one job to another, from one situation in life to another, etc. Part of the journey may include a trip through the desert. Expect that your old sources may dry up. Expect some doors to close before new ones are opened. This is by God’s grace. It’s all a part of getting you ready for the next phase. Those of you who are living this now, or have made the journey at least once will understand that it is not an easy place to dwell, the Land of In-Between. It is a hard place. There are tests that come in the desert. Resist the temptation to become fearful. Resist the temptation to become complacent or impatient during the time you are hidden away. Resist the thoughts that the enemy tries to get you to believe, that you have missed God somehow and that He won’t use you again or that He has forgotten about you. Keep your focus on Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith. He hasn’t forgotten you. He sees you there in that desert. In fact it’s all a part of the plan – the plan for good and not for evil, the plan to prosper you, not to harm you; and the plan to bless others through you.

It’s like a person who owns a valuable treasure. He sets it out for all the world to see. Then sometimes he puts it away for awhile, tweaks it a bit, polishes it up, and then sets it back out again in a different setting. The treasured piece did not lose its value; it just wasn’t the right time and place for it to be displayed. The owner knows the purpose of the piece and when is the most opportune time to set it out.

If you are presently in the Land of In-Between I encourage you to keep gathering up and eating your daily portion of Manna while God is leading you into the new thing He has purposed for you. Rest in Him. Trust Him always. Listen for His voice telling you to go this way or that. Let Him lead. He will bring you into a profitable land. Do you know what else? He will even send you a ‘Moses’ or two along the way with an encouraging word from the Lord to strengthen you on your journey. Yes, God is always and forever GOOD.

The Land of In-Between (Part 1)

When Moses under God’s direction was leading the Israelites out of captivity they eventually ran out of their own provisions. The supply of food they were used to eating back in Egypt was consumed and now here they were in the desert with nothing. There was no market around the next sand dune where they could buy food, even though they had plenty of money – the wealth of Egypt in their pockets. What had become familiar to them was gone. They didn’t know what the land they were going to would be like. All they knew was that here they were in the desert, in between where they came from and where they were going, and they were hungry, confused and afraid. This turned to anger, anger towards God’s chosen leader Moses, and before too long anger towards God.

God had a plan all along. He knew that the way to the next thing He had on the agenda for them passed through a desert. He knew they would run out of their own provisions, all the worldly things they were counting on. Surely they knew after seeing how He had delivered them from the land of bondage that He would continue to look after them now! How quickly they forgot the awesome display of His power. How could they have thought that God would leave them now and let them starve in the desert? Could it be that they knew about Him but they didn’t know Him? Or if they knew Him, they didn’t know Him well enough? God wanted them to know Him. He knew they needed to know Him, not just about Him. He was their Father. He had a plan, a plan for good and not for evil; a plan to prosper them, not to harm them. This part of the journey was a part of that plan.

No, God did not let them starve. He fed them, miraculously, there in the desert. They called it Manna (Exodus 16). It was bread that fell from heaven. Not too much, not too little – just what they needed each day to keep them going from the Land of In-Between to the land of promise.

If you have time today, read this over again and make a note of what comes to mind. It could be that Father has something to say to you.

Part 2 tomorrow…

Alone

Over the last few weeks on my drive to work early in the morning I have noticed a little boy standing by himself waiting for the school bus. He must be no older than 7 or 8. Why do I find this disconcerting? It’s because a few steps away there is another group of children waiting for the same bus. They are all laughing and talking together. I find myself wondering, why is this little boy standing all alone? Why is he not with the rest of the kids? He is probably in the same class at school with some of them.

Unfortunately the possible answers to my questions all lead to a negative conclusion and my heart goes out to this little one. But what can I do? I don’t know who he is. I don’t know any of the children. There is one thing I can do, and that one thing I did – I talked to God about him. I talked to the Friend of the friendless, the Father of the fatherless, the One who sees and knows all things. Yes, I prayed for this little boy and I will continue to do so every time I see him or that he comes to mind. I am expecting a good outcome – to see him someday soon talking and laughing with the other children.

Jesus often went out of his way to minister to the lonely, the social outcasts, the ones no one wanted anything to do with. We can think of the woman at the well, the lame, the blind, the lepers, tax collectors, etc.  Jesus saw them all as people of value and definitely worth His time.

Let’s be mindful of those around us. Who needs a smile or a friendly word? Who do you see who is seemingly alone? Who can you share God’s love with today? 

What’s in a name?

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet.”

Yes, the famous line that Juliet Capulet speaks to Romeo Montague in Shakespeare’s play. Juliet is telling her lover that his name has no importance; it is the person she loves, thus asking him to give up his name and family so he can be hers. It is a tragic story.

Equally tragic is the fact that in the name of peace, tolerance and global goodwill, we are encouraged to attach no importance to names as well. What’s in a name, people say. The gospel of world is do your best to be a good citizen, accept everyone and their beliefs just as they are, point no fingers, make no waves, worship the god you choose, or no god at all.

But there is a NAME above every name!!!

There is one NAME given among men by which we must be saved.* There is only one NAME at the mention of which every knee will bow and every tongue will confess; there is only one NAME at the mention of which demons tremble in terror – that is the name Jesus; Jesus who is the Christ, the Anointed One, Lord of lords and the King of kings.

Yes people are free to name any name they like and to worship any gods they like, place their hope in one or a million gods but, there is only ONE who rose triumphant from the grave, who took away the sting of death. There is only ONE who paid the price, who took the wrath of God against sin on our behalf.

That is a Name not to be given up at any cost, not to be trifled with – a name to be honoured and cherished, the name JESUS.

* Acts 4:12 – Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.

Putting your best foot forward (4/4)

So here you are, standing at the door looking down into the basement. You don’t need to face the darkness alone. There is Someone standing right beside you. He’s not worried about what He is going to find. He already knows what’s there. Take off the mask!!! Invite Him in! There will be no shocked expression on His face. He is excited about getting down there, about setting you free! What does the Word say? “There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). Take the hand He is holding out to you and He will walk with you down the steps. He will bring light to the darkness, reveal things that are hidden. Some things will need to be thrown away and completely destroyed. Other things He will repair and transform. He is gentle and kind, but He is absolutely thorough. There are no half-measures with Him, nor would you want there to be.

It is a process. Restoration may be finished in a day, a month, a year or longer. God knows the time it will take. Whatever it takes, however long it takes, it is worth it. We will always need to grow in grace and in truth until the day we meet Him face to face. Just ask Him every day – Come in Lord Jesus, search my heart, see if there is any wicked way in me, if there is any lie I am believing, if there is anything that needs repair, any wounds that need to be healed. I want to set my unmasked face before the world. I want to be me, the me you created me to be – the me that is continually being transformed from glory to glory. Let the world see the me that experiences ups and downs, that is sometimes perplexed, happy or sad, that laughs and cries, and at the same time a me who with unmasked face reflects the inner peace and joy that comes from knowing Christ.

No more worries about putting your best foot forward. Step out with confidence knowing that He will complete the good work He began in you. (Phil 1:6)

Putting your best foot forward (3/4)

Have you ever said or thought to yourself, “I wish I had someone I could talk to, I mean really talk to who would truly understand, someone who wouldn’t judge me or think less of me”? The Lord is that person! Not only does He see what is going on inside your head and your heart, He knows what to do about it.

It’s like a dark basement in a house where things are put away; put away from your vision and hopefully from your mind. You don’t want to go there. It makes you feel uncomfortable and uneasy. You don’t want anyone else to go there either – I mean look at the clutter and the cobwebs. What would they think!!! You don’t trust these places in your heart with just anyone, and you shouldn’t. But there is One you can completely trust. He will not break that which is already bruised. He will not snuff out the dying ember. (Isaiah 42:3)

Jesus said this about Himself in Luke 4:18-19 (NKJ):

The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.

Here is verse 18 in the Amplified version:

The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He has anointed Me [the Anointed One, the Messiah] to preach the good news (the Gospel) to the poor; He has sent Me to announce release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to send forth as delivered those who are oppressed [who are downtrodden, bruised, crushed, and broken down by calamity]

Whatever is holding you captive, whatever has caused brokenness in your life, bring it to Jesus. He will set you free. He will heal your brokenness.

(Meditate on Psalm 34 and come back tomorrow for the conclusion.) 

Putting your best foot forward (2/4)

Have you been thinking about the answer to yesterday’s question: How do we become this ‘put together’ person who doesn’t need to wear a mask?

If you remember from yesterday, the last mask I mentioned is the one we put on when we go before the Lord in prayer. Actually, this is the FIRST one we have to get rid of. When this mask is destroyed the other masks will be destroyed as well.

Ask yourself, “Do I wear a mask before God?” Think about it. Do you ever try to hide things from Him? Are there things you don’t want to discuss with Him? Things you can’t face? Places you just don’t want to go? Things you don’t want to pray about? Things that are too painful? Things for which you are too ashamed? Things that you don’t want to admit to yourself and certainly not to Him?

These same things that you don’t want to, or can’t bring yourself to discuss with your heavenly Father are the very things that keep you bound to all the other masks that you wear!

Let this sink in – there is one person in the universe before whom you don’t have to put your best foot forward. Do you know why?

Because He already knows! – He already knows what both feet look like !!! Yes my friend, He sees behind the mask that you wear. He knows more about you than you do yourself! Let Him help you remove the mask. He so wants to set you free!

(to be continued)

Putting your best foot forward

We try to do that, don’t we? – Always put our best foot forward. Why? Because we want the world to see a person who is all put together, successful, happy and who has everything under control 100% of the time.

In order to keep up this masquerade we have to put on many masks. We have one we wear in public, another one in front of our spouse, one when we’re with our children, a different one for our work colleagues, a very special one reserved for when we go to church, etc. etc. We even have a mask that we wear when we look at ourselves in the mirror. Oh yes, and don’t forget the one that we put on when we go before the Lord in prayer.

Now before I go any further let me say that of course we should be positive and pleasant with everyone we meet. What I am saying is that this should come from a true state of who we have become from the inside out, not something that we have to pretend.

All these masks we carry around are quite a heavy burden; even so we become very adept at juggling them. It all takes a toll on our wellbeing. So the question is how do we become this ‘put together’ person who doesn’t need to wear a mask?

Tune in tomorrow….

The Scary Prayer

“Now I lay me down to sleep

I pray thee Lord my soul to keep

If I should die before I wake…..”

What???  If I should die???  Am I going to die???

Now that’s a scary prayer for a child, and unfortunately it’s children that were taught to pray it.

I remember one night when I was five years old that I was lying in my bed crying and crying. My mother came into my room to see what was the matter. So through my sobs I wailed “I’m going to get old… sob… sob… and I’m going to die…” I don’t remember what comforting words my mother told me, I’m sure she did give me some because I don’t remember ever crying over getting old again (until recently that is… sorry, just kidding).

As a young child I prayed this scary “Now I lay me down to sleep” prayer.  I didn’t really know much about God, but I’d heard that He was in heaven somewhere and I hoped that I would get to go there someday, if I was good enough. I remember thinking that God, whoever and wherever he was, had the whole world to worry about so I was quite sure he was much too busy to care about me.

What an absolute joy it is for me to hear my grandchildren’s bedtime prayers when they sleep over at our house on occasion.  They are not praying the “Now I lay me down to sleep” prayer. They amaze me that at the tender ages of 6 and 8, they talk to God like they really know Him, like He’s right there listening to their every word (which He is) and like He is going to answer their prayers (which He will). They speak to the Lord about many different things, for example they ask God to keep their daddy safe at work, pray to have pleasant dreams, for a friend’s mother to believe in Jesus, healing for another one in need and even for world events that they hear about – all spoken with absolute confidence and with thankfulness mixed in.

Do you talk to God like that? Or are you still of the mindset that God is so busy looking after the universe that He doesn’t care about or have time for you.  Jeremiah 33:3 says “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”

Yes, call on the Lord today, He’s not too busy for you. He will answer you. Talk to Him like He’s your best friend, because He is!!!

He loves me ! (4/4)

No greater love.

God loves us so much that He made a way for us to come into His presence. Do you realize how valuable you are to Him? Think of the price that was paid – that should give you an idea of how valuable you are to God. Think about that!

Because of the love and mercy the Father has for us Jesus came into this world and to the cross to take the punishment upon Himself that we deserved, because of our sin. Jesus has done what was impossible for us to do. It is by grace that we are led to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. If this is your testimony you can go boldly and confidently to Him because you have been adopted into His family.

The Bible tells us in Heb 4:16 to go BOLDLY before the throne of grace - boldly, not sneaking up to the throne hoping we won’t get kicked away. Go boldly.

Let me tell you about my daughter’s two Siamese cats, Sushi and Misu. (Great name for Siamese cats, don’t you think?). Misu is very timid. When she wants to get up on my lap she kind of daintily goes around and under the chair a couple of times and then crouchingly sneaks up and then looks up at me with her big blue eyes to see if I am going to let her stay there or not.  Sushi on the other hand, is completely different – no sneaking around with her, she just jumps up with confidence as if to say “here I am”.

That’s what we need to do. Go to our Heavenly Father with confidence. He always has time for us.

People are searching for significance and security. We will not find true significance and security in what the world has to offer, but it is found in Christ. He does not treat us the way the world treats us. His ways are far above our ways. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. Heb. 13:8

Let it be ANCHORED in your heart that God is for you - that He loves you and that He is able to keep you; that He is able to complete the good work He started in you.  Phil 1:6

How healing it is to just to sit securely in Father’s lap, enfolded in His strong arms. You don’t have to say a word.  In fact, sometimes it’s better not to say anything - just listen. Listen to Him say “I love you”.

The Father loves me.

The Son loves me.

The Holy Spirit loves me.

I am loved.

Nothing can change God’s love for me.

He loves me... He loves me not (3/4)

God’s steadfast love

I Peter 5:7 (AMP) “Casting the whole of your care (all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully.”

WOW, the Word says He cares for us affectionately and watchfully!!! We are to cast our worries, our burdens and our cares on Him. What burdens are you carrying around? Why not do what this verse says and lay them all at the feet of Jesus. He doesn’t just care for you affectionately - He cares about you watchfully! He’s watching over you, you just have to call His Name.

Whoops… some of you have just had a thought, it just crept in there, in your mind, that goes something like this:  “yeah I know He’s watching over those who deserve it, you know, they’ve done all the right things” – no, no, my friend – let’s say it again, you can’t earn His love.  It’s not about what you’ve done. It’s about who HE IS!!! HE IS LOVE AND HoE LOVES YOU!! PERIOD.

What an amazing love, a deep and abiding love that we will only fully grasp when we meet Him face to face.  Until that time we can grow in that love every day.

His love gives    STRENGTH to go on in difficult times

                        PEACE in the storms of life

                        HOPE when things look bad in the natural

                        JOY in spite of circumstances

                        COURAGE to take that next step, to face the giants in our lives

His love gives    FREEDOM to discover who He is

FREEDOM to discover His plan for our lives

FREEDOM to be yourself and

PEACE & ASSURANCE to wait on Him – He really is working all things together for good in your life.

Psalm 57:1-3 BE MERCIFUL and gracious to me, O God, be merciful and gracious to me, for my soul takes refuge and finds shelter and confidence in You; yes, in the shadow of Your wings will I take refuge and be confident until calamities and destructive storms are passed. (2)  I will cry to God Most High, Who performs on my behalf and rewards me [Who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them]! (3)  He will send from heaven and save me from the slanders and reproaches of him who would trample me down or swallow me up, and He will put him to shame. Selah [pause, and calmly think of that]! God will send forth His mercy and loving-kindness and His truth and faithfulness.

He loves me… He loves me not?????

I believe the truth is sinking in… He loves me !

He loves me... He loves me not (2/4)

God’s love sets us free.

Psalm 56:3 in the Amplified Bible - - “What time I am afraid, I will have confidence in and put my trust and reliance in You”. 

God does not want us to live afraid.  What casts out fear?  God’s LOVE.  Once the truth that God loves you gets rooted in your heart, you can continue on without fear.  You will have courage to face anything.  And when you do become afraid you can do what this verse says, put your trust in God. Why? Because God is all-knowing, ever-present and all-powerful.  If He is on your side, who can be against you?

1Jn 4:18  There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love's complete perfection].

One of the great hindrances to accepting God’s love is having suffered from rejection. I spent my younger days trying to earn affection by being perfect – which I couldn’t be of course; always in the back of my mind was “maybe if I’m good enough they will love me”.  I was set free from this when I discovered and understood that God truly loves ME, just the way I am, just for me – when I understood that there was nothing I could do to earn His love. 

If you have grown up being hurt, rejected or betrayed, which produces fear, then your mind needs to be renewed on this one point before you try to “do” anything for God (which is another subject in itself). Rejection is a weapon that the enemy wields against us to keep us bound and hopeless. Satan does not want us to discover the boundless love of God in Christ, because when we do, we will joyfully give ourselves to Him and fearlessly go anywhere, do anything He leads us to do.

So let’s continually be ‘growing into love’s complete perfection’. Let’s water that love with the Word, and through talking to God throughout each day.

He loves me… He loves me not… ???

God is LOVE and He LOVES US !