Above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony (Colossians 3:14, ESV). Lord God, You have loved me with an everlasting love. You have demonstrated love to me in ways that I could never hope to repay. I praise and honor You for Your incredible patience and Your jealous tenacity that keeps You pursuing and forgiving me. Help me honor Your willingness to love me by loving others with a "no matter what" commitment to them. Equip me to become one of Your means of showing how deep, wide, boundless, and irrepressible Your love truly is. In Jesus' name, Amen. ~ WITW
Solitude...the Furnace of Transformation
Henri Nouwen called solitude..."the furnace of transformation." This doesn't refer to mere personal privacy for a twelve-second pit stop where we get a quick fix to reenter the race.
It's more than that.
It's an oasis of the soul where we see ourselves, others, and especially our God in new ways. It's where much of the "clutter" of life is identified and exterminated, thanks to the merciless heat of the "furnace."
Soul surgery transpires as serenity replaces anxiety. In solitude, struggles occur that no one else knows about. Inner battles are fought here that seldom become fodder for sermons or illustrations for books. God, who proves our deepest thought during protracted segments of solitude, opens our eyes to things that need attention. It is here He makes us aware of those things we try to hide from others.
If you have found this to be a blessing please share!
Hear not, for they are a rebellious house
The word of the Lord came to me: "Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see, but see not, who have ears to hear, but hear not, for they are a rebellious house (Ezekiel 12:2b)
Father, as I look back on my life I am forever thoughtful and thankful for Your hand that was always with me even when I didn't know You.
I spent the first three decades of my life...lost. I try to remember what I used to think about before You came into my heart and my life. When I remember all of the nonsense and reckless things I did, I shake my head. Yep, that was me! I was drunk 2-4 days a week, smoked like a chimney, and cussed like a sailor.
Although, most would never believe it - You know. You know all the details even though I remember only a few parts of those days.
Even before I was told I may lose my life without brain surgery, I didn't pray. I wasn't afraid. I wasn't even wise enough to be aware that if I had not made it through surgery, I would have gone straight to hell - lost forever. Harsh words for a monday morning but sometimes that's what I need. Reality. Check. You were, are, and always will be the faithful one - not me. It's so easy for me to check out when it comes to reality. Forgive me for my stubbornness and rebellious attitude. Although those days are long gone...I don't have to look far to see the remnants of those attitudes still today. Consume me. Refine me. Fill me with your spirit always. Light my way. The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple; (Psalm 19:7)
Thank you for making a Way for a simple person like me to ask Jesus into my heart and be forever saved despite my sin and my rebellious attitude. Thank you that when your work is done in and through me, I'll spend eternity in heaven with You and all those who recognize their desperate need for a Savior. Open their eyes. Thank you that peace and joy is always available despite my circumstances. I pray these things in Jesus powerful and matchless name, amen.
If you have found this to be a blessing, please share.
Pray with our eyes on God
In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, and His children will have a place of refuge (Proverbs 14:26).
As children grow into adulthood, their decision-making power increases. Although it starts as early as two years old when a child realizes what he wants and screams to demand it. But when a child is two, the parents have both the physical and mental upper hand and can begin the process of training their child to ask politely and take "no" as an acceptable answer. When it comes to grown-ups, not just to family, we can often feel that our hands are tied, especially when a loved one is making poor decisions. Even when the decisions are not devastating or far-reaching, it is difficult to swallow when a person chooses either a path we disagree with or one that is unsound.
To counter the weight of worry that would settle over us are prayers that remind us that God cares deeply and is at work, even behind the scenes. Our prayers can refocus our attention and help us release the person to God. Praying Scripture over our loved ones when we cannot find the words and remembering God's power can sustain and carry us when our resources are exhausted and we are unsure of the future.
We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties. ~Oswald Chambers
If you have found this to be a blessing please share!
In quietness and in trust shall be your strength
For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,
"In returning and rest you shall be saved;
in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." (Isaiah 30:15)
Some of the most profound ministries of the Spirit of God are not public or loud or large. Sometimes His most meaningful touch on our lives comes when we are all alone.
I urge you to include in your schedule time to be alone with God...
You do have places where you can get away for a long walk, don't you? I hope it's in a wooded area. The gentle breeze blowing through the forest is therapeutic.
Sometimes just being alone out in God's marvelous creation is all that's needed for the scales to be removed from your eyes and for you to silence the harassment and the noise of your day and begin to hear from God.
If you have found this to be a blessing please share!
I have hope
And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul (Jeremiah 32:38-41)
This world often times feels hopeless. But when I recall your promises, oh faithful god, I have HOPE. Thank you for your Word that convicts and comforts me. Thank you for your steadfastness that assures me. Thank you for Jesus, my Rock, my one way, Amen.
If you find this to be a blessing, please share!
Calm and Peace
Before they call I will answer;
while they are yet speaking I will hear
(Isaiah 65:24).
These are such busy days.
I find myself blinking and the day has already gone by. The whirr of phone calls, dings of text messages, and chaos of chaperoning kids from here to there in the heat of the summer. I can hardly believe it's almost time to get back in the structured schedule of school in a few short weeks.
Isn't that how life is? As I look back on the last 10, 20, 30 years I can hardly believe how quickly time has gone. Hardly anything that I worried about back then has ever happened. And things I could never have predicted, has happened. How easily I forget.
Therefore, when I look ahead at the weeks, months, and years to come - it's easy to find myself anxious trying to make decisions, set goals, and make commitments. Ahhhh! Life can be so overwhelming at times.
But You. You my Lord give me calm and peace. As I take the time to sit quietly with you, You remind me, "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."
Thank you for your faithfulness. Thank you for hearing my prayers while I am yet still speaking. I release all my plans to You - the only One who brings favor and success. May You alone be glorified in my life and deeds. It's in Jesus powerful name I pray these things, amen.
If you find this to be a blessing, please share!
Because He loves us
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2).
I choose NOT to watch the news.
In today's society with social media and on demand everything, I decided that if something urgent was to happen...I would hear about it no matter how I try to insulate from it. Today's CNN - constantly negative news, exploits our emotions and is so polarized that very little information is truly constructive or informative.
It's true - Earl Nightingale once said,
- We become what think about.
- We become who we hang around.
- We become what we read and watch.
I choose God's word.
It's my only plumb line.
My only barometer.
My only truth.
Righteous are you, O Lord,
when I complain to you;
yet I would plead my case before you.
Why does the way of the wicked prosper?
Why do all who are treacherous thrive?
You plant them, and they take root;
they grow and produce fruit;
you are near in their mouth
and far from their heart.
But you, O Lord, know me;
you see me, and test my heart toward you.
Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter,
and set them apart for the day of slaughter.
How long will the land mourn
and the grass of every field wither?
For the evil of those who dwell in it
the beasts and the birds are swept away,
because they said, “He will not see our latter end.” (Jeremiah 12:1-4).
What do I THINK ABOUT:
Jeremiah was bringing his complaint before the Lord. What are you waiting for Lord? Why do good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people? Why do they have blessings while we - your chosen, perish? I can hear his aching heart in these words. I understand because I have been there.
On the other hand, it's a fine line to walk. We must be careful not to make assumptions about others lives. It's such an easy habit to fall into. For example, "that person just got lucky". Or that person "got life handed to them on a silver platter at birth". Or "Why do they always have good things happen and I just get the leftovers?"
I've done it.
People can often resonate more with the struggles than they can the victories. It's easier to relate to the struggle because we've all had struggles. Yet, not all have seen the victory yet.
It's an easy habit because it never calls us out personally. Blame and jealousy never hold us accountable. They never push us out of our comfort zones. Therefore, God often allows calamity to push us out of our complacency. He allows it because He loves us. He knows we are from dust and that we are His workmanship. He will bring it (us) to completion on that Day. What is He calling you to?
A new job?
A new opportunity?
A new bible study?
A new relationship?
Keep your eyes and ears open to His voice. You will know...
Who do I HANG AROUND:
I choose real friends who are looking out for my best without criticism, jealousy, or resentment. I seek constructive feedback, truth shared in love. Unconditional love. There's not many of those available in each persons life to choose from, but God has blessed me with a few. Those who were there for me before the victories - in the trenches of life. They still are today. They ask nothing in return but the same love and respect in good times and bad. I am forever grateful. You know who you are.
What do I READ/WATCH:
Again, I don't watch the news. I am normally very careful about what I allow in my head. Unfortunately, it's very clear when I start getting sloppy about this practice. When I'm casual and sloppy about this area, confusion, moodiness, and poor attitude are close at hand as well. It's not pretty and I hate to say - it still happens today. Thankfully, much less often than years past. Be careful what you allow into your head through what you watch and read.
Bottom line?
What we fill our lives with, we consume our lives with with. Take intentional care of your mind and close perimeter of your life.
"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..." (Proverbs 23:7a KJV)
My prayer for us all today. Be careful who and what you allow to hold power in your life. Friends, colleagues, world news, books, television, etc. These can all be innocent and even good when screened properly through the filter and truth of God's Word. But, we must all be scrupulous and intentional because the enemy is.
"Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).
Ask for discernment.
He'll show you.
It's in Jesus righteous and powerful name, I share these thoughts and prayers, amen.