Oh, so it’s not all going to be easy…

...You want us to persevere.

Following is a note that our choir director, Tania DeVito Roberts, sent out to the members of our ladies ensemble (of which I am a part). I’ve asked her permission to post her message here on my blog. So here it is. After reading it you will understand why I felt this was a message that needed to go beyond our little group. 

“Why do we think that when God tells us to do something, if it doesn’t fall into place neatly, we must have heard wrong? We seem to think that we are excused for giving up when we meet obstacles because if it is God’s will, He will “open the door”. We even tell Him we’ll just follow the path of least resistance, and that’s how we’ll recognize the way He has laid out for us.

But…Jesus is our perfect example and that is not how things went for Him. When He was faced with the important task of choosing the 12 men who would spend 3 ½ years with Him and to whom He would then entrust with building His Church after He left, He did not look up to heaven and say “OK, Father, I am open to whatever You decide. You bring me the guys You want me to choose and I will accept whomever You bring to me. I’ll take the first 12 that come along, and I’m trusting that You will send them my way.” He didn’t do that. He spent 40 days starving and praying in the desert, culminating in face-to-face confrontation with the devil. That wasn’t easy. Gethsemane wasn’t easy. The day of His crucifixion wasn’t easy. But it was exactly what God wanted Him to do.

Why do we think things should be different for us? Jesus knew God’s heart and He knew God’s will, and He set His face like a flint and walked forward until the whole mission was complete. He met with many obstacles and was misunderstood by just about everyone, but He persevered because He knew God’s word and He believed it.

It wasn’t easy for Noah to keep building a massive boat in the desert for 100 years, and he also was misunderstood by everyone around him. Why did he keep going? Because he had heard from the Lord, and he knew it, not because all the circumstances just seemed to work out that way, and certainly not because it made sense.

Samuel did not choose David based on his looks, age, size or reputation. In fact, he didn’t even get a look at David when he saw all of Jesse’s sons. David wasn’t even there. Samuel knew God’s voice, and he knew when God said, “This is the one.”

We know God’s voice because we are His children. He speaks to us all the time. Even when we’re only half-listening, He speaks extra loudly lest we should have an excuse. We hear Him, but then we become nervous. We don’t want fulfilling the mission He’s assigned to us to be hard or painful, and we certainly don’t want it to take too long! But that is the opposite of what we consistently see in scripture. Those who had been given important tasks faced severe opposition. They had to be determined to accomplish what they set out to do, or it never would have come to pass.

God doesn’t want us to give up every time we come to a road block and say, “I guess it just wasn’t God’s will.” He has important stuff for us to do, and He can’t afford for us to be wimps. He needs us to be mighty warriors, and soldiers don’t get trained by having everything handed to them on a silver platter. We are His army in training, and we’re going to have to get dirty and bruised and tired and knocked down in order to get toughened up for the crucial battles.

God proves to us over and over through the difficulties we face that He is faithful and able to overcome every one of them. The sooner we give up trying to make obedience easier on ourselves, the sooner we are on our way to fulfilling every great plan He has for our lives. Time is getting short, so we need to make the most efficient use of it possible, and backing off when we know God has spoken, is not the way to accomplish that.”

So friends, now you know why I wanted to share this message with you.

Let's be quick to obey and then push through to the victory. When we are anchored in His love and who we are in Him, coupled with the power of the Holy Spirit, imagine what can be accomplished!! I want to be like that, one who obeys and who perseveres. God please help me!

And the Word of the Lord Came...

I was reading in the gospel of Luke the other morning, skipping along through the text. A few words especially caught my eye, but in my endeavour to read more than a few lines, you know, at least read a whole chapter, I just kept on going, thinking I’ll go back and look at that later. Then I said to myself, what am I doing? Isn’t this the whole point? If a few words jump out at me, aren’t I supposed to park there for a few minutes and really think about what I’m reading?

So I stop and go back to those words which were: “the word of the Lord came to John… and he went” (Luke 3:2, 3a) God had a specific purpose and plan for John (the Baptist), a very special purpose – he was to prepare the way of the Lord. How was John to know what to do next? Where was he to go? What was he supposed to do? When was he supposed to do it? The answer is right here in the text “the word of Lord came to John”. I wonder what the exact words were that John heard (that's just me being curious, I’m sure it’s a girl thing) but, in any event John knew the voice of the Lord and he obeyed the word that he heard.

Isn't it amazing and wonderful that God speaks to his people? WOW! And the fact that God has created us with the ability to understand what He says!! Again, it’s amazing! So often we just read over verses and chapters as if they were ordinary, in a ‘nothing remarkable there’ kind of way, as if we had just read “John got up at 6:30 and had breakfast” [Of course in John the Baptist’s case it would have been remarkable because he ate locusts and honey for breakfast! – sorry I digress]. No, there is something extraordinary here. The verse says “the word of the Lord came to John”. God spoke to John and told him what he was to do. And John understood God’s voice and did what He said to do.

Is it any different for us? Is God a respecter of persons? Friends, God has a special purpose and plan for your lives too, and for mine. He is speaking to you too, and to me. He speaks in many different ways – through scripture, another brother or sister, the preaching of His word, directly to us with His “still small voice”, an inner prompting, etc.

Life in Christ should not be boring. If it is, I’m sure it’s because we are not listening. Are we brave enough to say “Speak Lord, your servant is listening?” Let’s discover what He is saying. Things could get really exciting!

It's Time for a Walk

Lord, can we go for a walk? I just need to be with You. He takes my hand and we begin to walk down a country lane. There is a blue sky, a few puffy white clouds, a light refreshing breeze. We are walking… walking… as always when with Him, there is no need for a rush of words… walking… walking. Ahhh, I can breathe, it’s okay, everything will be okay. Walking… walking… oh Lord, You are my joy. The joy of my salvation is You! We stop. He directs my gaze out over a beautiful meadow, and yes, there they are – the daisies. I see their joyful dance in the summer breeze… I know the question before it is asked. “Have you picked any daisies lately?” My excuses for the negative reply I must give all come rushing to my mind, ready to spill out of my mouth, but I don’t utter a word. What are my excuses in the Presence of the One who knows me more intimately than anyone ever could, more than I know myself? Instead I simply say “Lord, you know that I have not picked as many as I should and therefore my present state of mind”. Why is it that even though I know what I need to do for my own good, that I neglect it?  I gain little comfort from the knowledge that this question has been asked by those much greater than me. At the same time I am reassured by the One who holds my hand, who walks with me and promises to never let me go. Yes Lord, You will lead me in the paths of life. Goodness and mercy will surely follow me. As I look up into His face I ask once again, “Lord give me a passion for your Word, that Word that is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path”.

Psalm 1

Blessed is the man who…

Delights in the law of the Lord

And in His law and he meditates day and night.

He shall be like a tree

Planted by the rivers of water

That brings forth its fruit in its season

Whose leaf also shall not wither

And whatever he does shall prosper.

And so, I ask you the question as well – have you been picking daisies lately? Looking into their depths? – you know that I am talking about reading scripture and spending some quiet time with the Lord while reading His word. Therein lies our strength and peace.

New beginnings...

I was looking at some old photographs this morning and came across this one –

Yes, I thought, one of my first trips out to “the Daisy Field”. Of course I didn’t know then what daisies would one day mean to me. (Guess it rather explains why I like cats too.) Looking at this picture of me when I was just about two years old made me think of innocence and discovery – a sense of childlike wonder.  Life’s circumstances often have a way of diminishing and sometimes destroying those things in our lives, don’t they.

Here we are at the beginning of a new year… day two. Often at the beginning of a new year we take stock of the year that has gone by, think about what the future holds and about what changes we need to make in our own lives in order to reach our idea of what success means.

I think for me, right now, I want to be like that little girl in the picture – on a journey of discovery, with a renewed sense of wonder. I’m so thankful that in Christ that is possible!  

Lamentations 3:22-23

The Lord’s lovingkindness indeed never cease,

For His compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

Great is Your faithfulness.

As I consider the past year and look forward to the new I want to lay hold of those things that God has purposed for me. As Philipians 3:12 says: “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.”

In order to lay hold of the things God has purposed for me I need to keep walking in the Daisy Field (in God’s Word) and allow Him to transform and shape my life.

And so Lord, I am walking into 2012 holding Your hand, ready to discover how You can use me to be a blessing to others. Do in me Lord what needs to be done in order for that to become a reality.

The Gift

I love this time of year! There’s just something in the air. Last night I finished wrapping the Christmas gifts and now can hardly wait to be together with family to celebrate.  As I was wrapping, a memory from long ago came to mind – not that I remember actually but, I remember the story being related to me over the years, especially at this time of year. The story is about a little girl, two and half years old, who caused quite a stir one Christmas. Oh yeah, that little girl was me.  My parents, baby brother and I had been invited to a friend’s home for dinner a couple of days before Christmas. Apparently the dinner conversation at the table was so interesting that the adults did not notice that the little girl had slipped away and had not been seen for quite some time.  Hmmm… where could little Mary be?  My parents got up to look for me, followed by their friends. And then they found me… in the living room, by the Christmas tree sitting in a pile of wrapping paper and ribbon having a wonderful time. I had ripped the paper off of every present under the tree! I wasn’t at all interested in the gifts, but in all the shiny paper and ribbon. I cannot imagine how mortified my parents must have been! These friends had no idea now what presents were for whom, or who had given them what.  Of course, I was oblivious to all of that.

I’m wondering today how many of us overlook the Gift at Christmas. We get caught up in all the hustle and bustle, the glitter and glee so easily. Just as I, so many years ago sat amidst the shiny paper not aware of the things of more value – the gifts that had been enclosed in the paper, how many today overlook what is the most valuable gift of all? Christmas is the celebration of God’s gift to mankind, in the person of Jesus. The gospel of Luke recounts the angel’s message to the shepherds: “I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” John 3:16 tells us “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

So as we enjoy the giving and receiving of gifts, the wonderful family time, good food and celebration, let’s be mindful of the reason for the season – the coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus the Messiah. Let’s not forget the Gift.

Merry Christmas everyone !!!

Decisions...

At our church we have several home groups that meet on Sunday nights.  The Fall sessions started last night and my husband and I joined the group studying the subject of knowing God’s will and how we can discover what God’s will is for our lives. 

As I have shared with you before, sometimes the Lord gives me a ‘picture’ in my mind that helps me to understand something or that helps me to commune with Him. Below is one such time. It is from my journal, written a few years ago, about a time that I was struggling with knowing what God’s will was for me in a certain area.

“I have a picture in my mind that I’m sitting in a boat.  It is evening and I’m looking at a beautiful sunset over the ocean.  The water is very peaceful.  I am alone with Jesus.  I am very happy and at peace there.

As I was thinking about this I began talking to Him about how I feel stressed about my circumstances.  I feel torn in two somehow over the decision I must make.  I feel so much better alone “in my little boat”, but, I am thinking that while it is good to be alone with God that there is much to be accomplished.  So I feel guilty about not doing more.  This turmoil has been in my heart for some time.  God help me to see your will and purpose for my life, and to walk in your will.  [Galatians 6:9 – Let us not become weary in doing good...]  I feel weary even though it seems I’m not doing anything.  I trust God is working this out.  I turn it all over to you Lord.  I will watch and wait for an answer.  Open my ears that I might hear, and my eyes that I might see.  Pour your oil over me Lord and heal my broken heart.  Thank you for letting me float along with you in that little boat and contemplate your beauty.  I love you Lord.

It is when we quiet our hearts before the Lord that we are able to put words to our thoughts, to bring them before the Lord and commune with him.”

Yes, God is always faithful!!!  He did help me and gave me direction for the circumstance quoted above. Do you know one of the things that I so love about God? It’s that I never have to be afraid of what He will think of me when I talk to Him. I can tell Him anything. I can say to Him exactly what I think, what apprehensions I may be having, what I don’t understand – what I love and what I hate; anything at all that I might be feeling. He knows all about it anyway, doesn’t He?  I can bring Him my questions, no matter how simple or how difficult, and yes I can ask Him to help me with decisions that I need to make and then trust Him to guide me on the right path.

Take a quiet time away from the hustle and bustle of life and sit with Jesus for a while.  You will find peace there, peace that passes understanding.

The Chair...

You know those emails that circulate at the office sometimes, or that friends post on social media from time to time – those sentimental stories? Well this is one I received this past week, and because it brought something to my remembrance of what I had personally walked through a few years ago, many years ago now, I wanted to share it and my story with you…

MOM'S EMPTY CHAIR

A woman's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her mother. When the minister arrived, he found the woman lying in bed with her head propped up on two pillows, an empty chair sat beside her bed. The minister assumed that the woman had been informed of his visit... ‘'I guess you were expecting me’, he said. ‘No, who are you?’ said the mother. The minister told her his name and then remarked, ‘I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show up...’

‘Oh yeah, the chair,’ said the bedridden woman. ‘Would you mind closing the door?’ Puzzled, the minister shut the door. ‘I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter,’ said the woman. ‘But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head... I abandoned any attempt at prayer,’ the old woman continued, ‘until one day four years ago; my best friend said to me, “Prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest. Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, ‘I will be with you always’... Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now...” ‘So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm careful though.  If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.’

The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old woman to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with her, anointed her with oil, and returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her mama had died that afternoon. ‘Did she die in peace?’ he asked. ‘Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock, she called me over to her bedside, told me she loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found her. But there was something strange about her death. Apparently, just before Mom died, she leaned over and rested her head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?’ The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, ‘I wish we could all go like that.’

This story touched me because I remember one time that I actually did this; pulled up a chair to the table and asked Jesus to sit with me because I so needed His help. It was at a time when I was going through a crisis of obedience to what I believed that the Lord was leading me to do – write a letter of forgiveness to someone very close to me. I remember thinking, ‘Lord I know that you are with me always, but how I wish I could just see you sitting on a chair next to me and that I could talk to you just like I would with a close friend. I can’t do what you are asking me to do without Your help.’

Here I was at the table with the paper ready and pen in hand; my obedience to His word to me had gotten me that far, but it was so difficult! How would I find the words, make them the right words and make them sincere words that truly came from the heart?

So I pulled up a chair next to me and talked, poured out my heart and asked for my Friend Jesus to sit next to me and help me write this letter. The more I wrote, the more my own heart was healed of the brokenness I had felt for many years. When the letter was finished I knew that truth was contained in the words that were on the page, the truth that I had truly forgiven all by the grace and ability that God had given me to do so. My Helper and my Counselor was indeed with me.

I mailed the letter, which again was hard to do because I was thinking ‘What will they think? Will they understand? Or will I be crushed again?’ I am so thankful to be able to say that through that letter God worked a healing in the brokenness of the other person too and that that person and I became close, as God had always intended for us to be.

I just want to encourage you, friends, to obey if you have felt God prompting you to do something in any area of your life. He won’t ask you to do it alone. He’ll help you all the way. Just take a step of obedience. Talk to Him like He’s your very best friend. He is!!! – a closer friend than anyone who could sit next to you on a chair.