Mighty God

“ . . . And he will be called . . . Mighty God  . . . “ Isaiah 9:6

The birthday of our Lord is quickly approaching! I pray this Christmas will open for you a new revelation of who Jesus really is. He is so much more than I ever thought He was. I hope you will also discover that Jesus is full of delightful surprises. He won’t just meet your expectations. He exceeds them!

Last week, we saw that Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection paved the way for the Wonderful Counselor to come, the third person of the Divine Trinity. Adam’s choice to step outside of God’s will withdrew the Spirit’s presence from mankind and left us disconnected from God, but Christ’s atoning sacrifice for our sin released Him to dwell within man once more. The fellowship of the Garden has been restored! God now resides within all who believe in Jesus by His Spirit, sealing us as His own, and guiding us along the path of His will.

But God’s perfect counsel in our lives isn’t the only gift Jesus gave us. The outpouring of God’s Spirit on mankind also opened up another new way we can know and experience God. Acts 1:8 teaches,

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Dear one, the manifestation of God’s power accompanies the advent of the Holy Spirit! When we put our faith in Jesus, the might of God comes to rest within us. The ordinary becomes extraordinary as the natural meets the divine. What had been impossible becomes possible as we become living, breathing witnesses of God’s glory “to the ends of the earth.”

We often gaze back at the wonders of the Old Testament with envy. How awesome it would be to see the waters of the Red Sea pile up revealing dry ground! To witness water bursting forth from a rock to quench our thirst! To experience God’s daily provision as bread literally fell from the sky . . . the Israelites even walked the desert for forty years in shoes that did not wear out.

Pretty amazing, I admit. But our longing for the days of old often ignores the great reality that accompanied the Israelites through those miracles: they were miserable.

Even with the glory of God revealed before their very eyes, they doubted Him. They turned away from Him and rebelled. They repeatedly grumbled against God, saying, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt!” (Exodus 16:3)

They saw visible evidence of His presence, yet still they rebelled. How could they have been so callous toward God?  

Because they’re just like you and me. They had a heart condition, one that Christ came to heal and restore.

God still desires to do wondrous works in the lives of His people, dear one. But He redirected the focus of His power with the coming of Jesus. Now He has set His gaze on restoring the deceitful human heart.

Beloved, the miracles of today are no longer limited to the external works of old—the parting of seas or even the calming of storms witnessed in Jesus’ day. A far greater miracle awaits those who will yield to the work of the Holy Spirit. Through Jesus, God now raises what sin has left dead.

Ephesians 1:19-20 describes “his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms.”

Beloved, if you have put your faith in Jesus Christ, the same power that raised Christ from the dead now resides in you. And it’s available to you. In fact, God is just waiting for you to choose to use it so He can show Himself mighty on your behalf. He seeks to work within your very being, fixing what’s been broken and recreating you into someone completely new—the “you” He created you to be.

So why do we seem to witness so little of God’s mighty power? Most of us simply refuse to admit how desperately we need it. Our pride convinces us that we carry no baggage and we have no need to seek God for His healing power.

Would you open your heart to the possibility that you have been deceived, dear one? Would you consider that a miraculous work bearing your name awaits you from God’s hand?

Perhaps Jesus has brought you here to heal some wounds you can’t yet recognize you carry. Trust Him with your heart, dear one. Offer it to Him and give Him permission to do His mighty work. You just might be amazed at what He shows you.

And as the heavy chains you’ve carried fall broken to the ground, you will discover a new and wondrous joya joy you did not know you could feel. And your heart will leap in celebration as a new understanding of freedom in Christ is revealed.

Beloved, God wants to show Himself mighty in you!

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

Wonderful Counselor

“ . . . And He will be called Wonderful Counselor . . . “  Isaiah 9:6

Have you ever wished you could have your own, personal adviser? I’m not just talking about financial advice or help in making major decisions. I’m talking about someone who holds every answer, even to the questions you don’t know you need to ask.

What if you had access to unfailing guidance in every situation? Guidance that would always prosper you somehow, that would steer you away from pitfalls, and would direct you straight into the heart of God’s plan for you?

Allow me to introduce you to one of the amazing gifts God offers through Jesus. Meet the Wonderful Counselor.

I am humbled and awed each time I consider the lengths God took to preserve my life and yours. Sin’s pull on our hearts is so strong, it’s nature so destructive, God knew we could not overcome it without divine intervention. So He sent us Jesus. The Son of God left His throne in heaven, wrapped Himself in human flesh, and entered our world on a lonely night in Bethlehem to save us from ourselves.

No throng of worshipers greeted Him. Instead, the voice of the Word made flesh first graced the ears of stable animals near to His infant cries. Unwelcomed at birth, the world He created would also reject Him at His death. Jesus would one day exchange the rough wood of the manger for the splintered beams of the cross.

Even the angels’ announcement proclaiming Jesus’ arrival to the shepherds foretold His fate.

“Do not be afraid, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11

Jesus came to the earth to save. He was born to die, a perfect sacrifice that would defeat the power of sin and death, restoring sweet fellowship with God. Not only would Jesus’ death and resurrection provide for our forgiveness and restoration, but His return to the Father would usher in the release of the Wonderful Counselor.

This was the gift the Disciples didn’t know they wanted.

As Jesus was nearing the end of His earthly ministry, He tried to prepare His followers for His departure. As you may imagine, they didn’t take it well. In their defense, would you?

They had repeatedly witnessed the revelation of God’s miraculous power through Jesus’ ministry, proving Him to be the long-awaited Christ. Chains were broken, sick were healed, water turned to wine, and loaves multiplied. Even storms ceased at Jesus’ word. It doesn’t get any better than that!

Yet Jesus spoke these words in John 16:7,

“But I tell you the truth: It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.”

Jesus taught that what the Counselor would provide surpassed what Jesus could do if He remained here in His earthly form. It was in our best interest for Him to leave.

We often think how much easier the Disciples had it. They saw Jesus face to face! They could touch Him and hear His voice. While we struggle so much with our faith, they had the assurance of His presence among them to wipe away their doubt. Yet Jesus claimed that we have the greater gift!

What does the Counselor offer that the person of Jesus could not? Jesus explained further in John 14:16-18.

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”

No, we don’t have the physical person of Jesus walking beside us. But those of us who believe have the presence and power of Jesus dwelling within us! We’re no longer limited by the physical boundaries of our location. He remains wherever we are because He dwells inside us. And Scripture assures us that once we have Him, He’s here to stay.

Jesus kept His promise, dear one. He hasn’t left us alone. When we commit to follow Him, He makes His home in us as the Counselor, the Spirit of truth. Listen to what He desires to do in your life.

“But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will bring glory to me by taking from what is mine and making it known to you.” John 16:13-14

Jesus promised that the Wonderful Counselor will guide us into all truth. Do you understand what that means, dear one? The Counselor will not only give us understanding of God’s Word, but He’s also available to warn us away from deception. His job is to steer us along the path of God’s will, thwarting the enemy’s plans to harm us and leading us safely through to God’s blessing. He speaks what He hears from Christ and makes it known to us. And verse 13 promises that He will even tell us what is yet to come!

Beloved, are you listening? Have you opened the gift of the Wonderful Counselor? Will you tune your ear to His quiet voice and follow Him on your path to blessing?

A Son is Given

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

I trust by now you’ve had your fill of turkey, stuffing, and apple pie—or whatever special foods your traditions dictate for Thanksgiving. And now, I’m guessing that ornaments, evergreens, and sparkling lights are quickly replacing your decorative pumpkins and fall leaves.  Today, in fact, my own home began its transformation.

December ushers in one of my very favorite seasons. The holidays have filled my heart with wonder for as long as I can remember. As we hung the lights and holly and evergreens made their way inside our home, the joy that flickered deep within told me that this time of year was special. Christmas simply felt different than the rest of the year.

As a child I looked forward to it with great anticipation. I loved the family gatherings that accompanied Christmas, complete with caroling, special foods, and holiday smells. But nothing inspired quite as much awe as the sight of the gifts spilling out from under the tree.

Lots of extended family gathered in our home for Christmas, and large numbers of people meant a large number of gifts! Packages and ribbons beckoned our exploration, and I joined my brothers to examine the nametags, searching for the owner of each new possession. Joy would ripple through me when I found my name. This one’s for me.

And hope would rise to the surface. Perhaps this is the one I have been waiting for!

Do you remember how it felt to experience Christmas with the heart of a child, dear one? Can you recall the sensation of sugarplums dancing in your belly, a delightful mingling of anticipation and hope?

For many of us, much of the marvel of the holidays has been replaced by routine. And let’s be honest; the work often overshadows the wonder! Some no longer even experience the thrill of surprise on Christmas morning, having purchased and wrapped the gifts bearing their name beneath the tree with their own hands.

And Jesus, the One whom we gather to celebrate, is almost forgotten, worked into our festivities with brief mentions and a visit to church on Christmas Eve.

Perhaps we have been missing something.

I’d love for you to entertain this thought with me. What if Christmas still holds something worth anticipating? What if its offer of joy, hope, and wonder extends to more than just children? What if you and I could experience that child-like awe as we unwrap the gifts the Christ-child came to bring?

Consider Jesus’ words to His disciples during His earthly ministry:

He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:2-3

Do you have a child-like heart, beloved?

Jesus said that unless we approach Him with the heart of a child, we will miss His kingdom. He wasn’t just referring to the eternal kingdom He will establish when He returns. He was also warning us that we can miss the kingdom blessings we’re supposed to experience on this earth until He does.

Jesus came to the earth to draw us to Him in divine relationship and reveal the glory of what’s to come. He came so people like you and me could know Him and experience a foretaste of heaven.

Have you tasted it, dear one? You’re meant to!

What if we tried a new approach this Christmas? What if we chose to see Jesus as the all-surpassing gift scripture claims He is? What if we opened our hearts to believe like a little child?

Let’s invite the wonder of Christmas to return! Gifts bearing your name await your attention under the tree. Jesus invites you to explore them so you can claim them as your own. This one’s for me.

We will spend the next four weeks unwrapping the gift God gave us in His Son. We will focus on the four names given to Jesus in His prophetic birth announcement proclaimed to us in Isaiah 9:6—Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

Throughout scripture, the names of God appear as the people experienced that aspect of His character. These names, appearing in association with Jesus’ birth, tell us that we are now able to experience God in these ways through Jesus. His birth opened the way to a whole new experience of God!

Dear one, the entire season of Christmas we celebrate is a gift given for you. Jesus is the all-surpassing gift that will exceed your expectations when approached with a humble, expectant heart. What’s more, He’s the gift that keeps on giving!

This season, let’s renew our hearts with a fresh revelation of the true gift of Christmas: Jesus. Allow your heart to open with the wonder of an expectant child, approaching each gift He offers with hope and anticipation.

Beloved, these are the gifts you’ve been waiting for all your life.

Practicing Gratitude

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe. Hebrews 12:28

Did you notice that God links acceptable worship with gratitude? You and I cannot properly revere God, dear one, without recognizing that He is the source of every good thing.

Does your heart sing with gratitude for all He has done for you?

Because you and I are human, sometimes we struggle with that. It’s easy to overlook our blessings because our hearts remain focused on whatever we feel we lack.

Let’s not let that happen today, beloved. Let’s lift our hearts in gratitude to the One who gave it all.

In this season of Thanksgiving, before we get too distracted by turkey fixings and homemade pies, I’d like to share with you a few of the things that I’m thankful for.

I am most thankful for the gift of life given to me in Jesus.

I’m thankful that He forgives, even when I struggle to do so.

And I am so very grateful that He provides strength in my weakness.

I’m thankful for my mom and dad, who have loved me well and pointed me toward Jesus.

I am especially thankful for my husband, Steve, who is my very best friend.

I’m thankful for his leadership, and his prayer covering over my life and ministry.

I’m thankful that God chose to grace my man with the gift of giving, and I get to witness God use him to impact lives over and over again.

I’m thankful my husband is letting Jesus transform his heart, and that my sons can know that Jesus is real from what they’ve witnessed in their father’s life.

I am thankful for my boys, Austin and Mason, who I love more than words can say. It seems a miracle that God entrusted them to me.

I love how individual they are. And I love how they love each other and always feel bad when they fight.

I’m extremely thankful that my teenage sons still enjoy spending time with us.

And I’m thankful that God has a plan for each of them that far surpasses anything I could plan.

I’m thankful for laughter every day in our home.

I’m thankful for in-laws who showed me that it’s fun to make time for Jesus each day, even on vacation.

I’m thankful for friends who love Jesus, especially the amazing sisters God has gifted me through His Son.

I’m grateful my sisters love me in spite of me, and that they’re always there to lift my arms when I no longer have the strength to hold them myself.

I’m expressly thankful for the ability to enjoy food.

And I’m thankful for dogs, especially our Annie and Jack, for their wholehearted devotion and their love of snuggling.

I’m also grateful that puppies grow into dogs, and that Resolve carpet cleaner leaves a fresh scent.

I could go on, but I may be keeping you from your holiday celebrations.

Still, before you get too busy preparing to sit at your holiday tables and feast on your family’s favorite dishes, I pray you will spend some moments considering all that you have to be grateful for. And as your thoughts linger on your blessings, remember the One who is responsible for them all.

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17

Happy Thanksgiving, dear one. May your holiday be blessed, marked by the presence of the King.

Are You Changing the World?

“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.”

John 17:15

I find it interesting that as Jesus knelt in the garden preparing to go to the cross, He clarified what He was not praying.

Did you notice that? Think about it for a moment. I don’t think I’ve ever knelt before God and told Him what I wasn’t praying for. I’m far too focused on the result I’m after. Yet that’s exactly what Jesus did.

“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world.”

I think it’s safe to assume that since God is already aware of our thoughts and knows our prayers before we utter them, Jesus meant those words for us. He wanted to be clear. “I am not praying that you be taken out of the world. What I want is your protection while you’re in it.”

Perhaps you haven’t considered this thought before: 

Jesus wants you and I in the world.

That may seem an odd statement to you, especially if you had a church background like mine that stressed the importance of 2 Corinthians 6:16-17,

What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said:  “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”  Therefore, “Come out from them and be separate,” says the Lord.

I think we’ve stumbled upon one of those teachable moments when God moves us beyond the surface meaning of a text and opens a window to His heart.

In 2 Corinthians 6, God clearly indicates His desire for us to separate from the world. And yet Jesus prayed that He didn’t want His disciples out of the world. In fact, He clarified His point in John 17:18 when He prayed to the Father,

“As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.” (emphasis mine)

So here’s our quandary: Jesus wants us in the world, yet separate from it. I never said following Christ would be easy.

But let’s be honest; easy is usually what we prefer, so we tend to pick one or the other.

Some go into the world but neglect to separate from it. They associate themselves with Jesus, but they don’t look much like Him. They raise grace as a banner to do what they please, adopting the world’s principles and claiming that love shouldn’t offend anyone. They do, however, manage to offend those choosing the separation route.

Many who “separate” from the world fill their schedules with church events and only associate with church people. They avoid people who are too “worldly,” but neglect to ask God what worldly really means. So they come up with a list of things that denote worldliness and do their best to avoid them—things like drinking, dancing, smoking and tattoos—but they give little thought to God’s list.

In case you’re wondering, here’s a partial list He provided in Romans 1:29-31.

Wickedness, evil, greed, depravity, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, arrogant, boastful, disobedient, faithless, heartless . . .

Hmm. I can understand the temptation to focus on the drinking and smoking. Behavior modification is much simpler than what God’s after. To avoid the things on His list—things like greed, envy, gossip, disobedience, and arrogance—we need real heart transformation. Come to think of it, that’s exactly what Jesus indicated when He prayed about sending His disciples into the world.

“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. As you sent me . . . I have sent them into the world.” (John 17:15-18, emphasis mine)

Do you see it, dear one? Go into the world, but don’t be of the world. That’s our calling as Christians. You and I are supposed to carry Jesus into the world, and our presence there will affect change because we are not the same substance as the world we’re in.

Great plan. Our problem has been that most of us have remained so much like the world that we’ve made no difference in it. We may follow a few biblical rules, but our hearts are still bound to the same selfish desires that govern everyone else. We seek comfort and prosperity instead of Jesus. We allow bitterness and unforgiveness to drown out love. We choose ambition instead of humility.

Beloved, darkness has no effect on darkness. It just gets lost within it.

Only light can transform darkness, dear one. And light only becomes possible when we allow Jesus to sanctify our hearts. “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”

You and I need to stop simulating righteousness by manipulating the outward things we do. Pretending, after all, bears the mark of the father of lies. 

We need Jesus to cleanse us from the inside out so that real Light can emerge. Change the heart, and our actions will follow.

You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence . . . First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

Matthew 23:25-26

What would happen if each of us set our hearts on God’s priority goal? Transformation into the character of Jesus by the power of the Spirit through the washing of the Word.

The armies of darkness would weaken and crumble in the face of divine Light. Love would advance, and healing would take place in broken lives.

That’s your mission, dear one. Will you let Jesus use you to change the world?

 

Surrender Without Trust

“The one who trusts will never be dismayed.” Isaiah 28:16b

The Lord stirred up a fresh thought in Bible study this week that I find myself still chewing on. I tend to process things better when I share them, so I’m inviting you in for a taste. Here’s the morsel.

Surrender differs from trust.

I’ll give you a moment to bite down.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably linked these two together in your mind. After all, it seems logical that we won’t surrender if we don’t trust. If we commit to the act of surrendering to God, it must mean we trust Him, right?

Clearly surrender and trust intertwine. But are they one and the same? Is it possible to surrender in obedience to God without trusting Him?

I can’t seem to let go of the thought. Perhaps this could explain why our acts of surrender aren’t always met with grace.

Think about it. Have you ever struggled to obey God and wondered why your obedience didn’t result in real change? Why you fell short of God-powered transformation?

I’m reminded of an area in my life that I have repeatedly surrendered to God in prayer. I have tried to choose obedience, fully expecting His divine intervention to change me. Yet I remain stuck. Instead of reveling in transforming grace, I’m just tired. Can you relate?

According to Scripture, the absence of grace suggests a lack of faith. You might know the Scriptures.

  • We gain access “by faith into this grace in which we now stand” (Romans 5:2).
  • God saves us by His grace, through our faith (Ephesians 2:8).

Our faith looses God’s grace into our circumstances. If I’m missing grace, I must have a problem with faith.

The issue can’t be that I don’t have enough faith. God’s Word promises we only need faith as small as a mustard seed to see mountains move (Matthew 17:20).

So maybe the problem has been that I’ve tried to surrender in obedience without trust.

If I get honest with myself, that’s where I’ve been. I’ve tried to obey God because I know that I’m supposed to, but I haven’t been agreeing with Him in my heart and trusting that what He’s asking of me is really the best choice. I’ve been going through the motions, but my heart wasn’t in it.

Surrender wrapped in rebellion. Ouch.

This story I read in Kelly Minter’s No Other Gods about her niece might help you understand what I’m talking about. When the little girl’s behavior in a store led her mother to make her sit down on a bench, she crossed her arms and said, “I’m sitting down on the outside, but in my heart I’m standing up.”

I’m guessing you can relate. Have you ever obeyed God on the outside but rebelled against Him in your heart?

Jonah offers a clear example of this struggle and demonstrates what can result. You know the story. God told Jonah to go to Nineveh and preach against their wickedness. Jonah decided he’d rather jump on the nearest ship to Tarshish. 

After a storm at sea and three days tossing about in the belly of a fish, God gave Jonah a second chance. Once again, He sent Jonah to Nineveh. Jonah preached, and the people repented. The entire city was saved from God’s wrath.

You might think this would be cause for great celebration, but the preacher had a different response.

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.  Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

Jonah 4:1-3

Jonah had surrendered in obedience to God, but he did it with a hard heart. He didn’t trust that God was doing the right thing, that God’s way in the matter was right. He simply didn’t agree with Him. Jonah didn’t think the people deserved God’s grace or His mercy. And the fact that God gave it made him angry, angry enough to want to die.

He obeyed God, but he couldn’t trust Him with Nineveh’s future. He surrendered His will without trusting God’s purpose. That lack of trust robbed him of joy and made him just plain miserable. Kind of offers a new perspective on Isaiah 28:16b, doesn’t it?

“The one who trusts will never be dismayed.”

I wonder. How often do we pray to forgive someone because we know God wants us to, but we don’t experience His transforming grace because our hearts aren’t in it? We don’t really want to let them off the hook. Or maybe we take a step of obedience at God’s insistence, but our heart remains so hard that we can’t experience the blessing meant to come from it.

Perhaps we need to ask God to help us change our wayward hearts. Like the disciples, we can cry out to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” (Luke 17:5)

Dear one, God does want us to surrender our wills, but to encounter grace, we also need to trust Him from the heart. Surrender wrapped in trust just might move your mountain.

Help me, Jesus. I surrender all.

Rest for the Weary

I have nothing to offer you today. Seriously.

I sat at my computer several times over the last few days praying for divine inspiration to share with you. What do they need, Lord? What do you want to speak through me?

Several times I felt I had a direction, and my fingers began to move across the keyboard. They stopped moving after about the second paragraph. Going nowhere.

I have to admit it’s been frustrating. And I’m not used to it. I prefer when God weaves a message together nice and early in advance of my deadlines. Not so this week. Like I said, frustrating.

I have a feeling He’s trying to teach me something. After all, Jesus has been speaking one word into my life for several weeks now.

Rest.

I don’t believe He’s telling me I need to take a vacation, although Scripture clearly points to the need for Sabbath rest. I’m talking about resting in Him.

I think it’s one of those things we talk about but usually don’t know how to do. I’ll admit, it’s my nature to struggle with this one.

But God promises in Isaiah 46:4,

“I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”

Yet very often we fall short of experiencing that promise. Instead, we find ourselves striving so hard we’re exhausted. And frustrated.

Like when I tried to will a blog into existence. Or should I say, when I tried to get God to give it to me in my timing instead of His.

I’ve discovered that when I try to force my will on God, I always end up weary.

God wants to carry us, dear one, but sometimes we’re so busy trying to make things happen that we don’t allow Him room to move. Our self-sufficiency blocks the flow of His power.

You and I need to learn to rest in Jesus.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Jesus always keeps His promises, beloved. He kept this one to me today.

You see, I’ve also discovered firsthand that He sends us what we need if we will open our hearts to receive it. And He’s always right on time, even if it is Tuesday evening and later than I would like. So when my girlfriend called late this afternoon to share something with me, I didn’t tell her I couldn’t talk because I had to write my blog. Instead, I listened. And we talked. And then we prayed.

And prayer has a way of releasing things.

Phone in hand, I moved to my knees on my living room floor and for a few moments stopped thinking about my own frustration. I let the Lord lead us in prayer for a dear sister and friend who is struggling under the weight of oppression. We wept together in intercession for several people God placed on our hearts to lift before the throne. Precious minutes turned to half an hour.

And Christ met us there. I can say that with certainty because He promises He will.

“For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20

As we finished our time together, my friend prayed for me on the phone, asking the Father to provide what I needed. And God spoke. Just write from where you are.

So I started typing without a direction in mind, without a Scripture to anchor the teaching. I have nothing to offer you today. I just trusted He’d take me somewhere. Apparently, He did, because I seem to still be typing.

Come to think of it, isn’t that what faith is supposed to look like? At least, that’s how it began when God first called Abraham.

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.” Genesis 12:1

God asked Abraham to leave behind everything he knew and follow Him to a land he’d never seen. He had nothing but a promise to hold onto, “I will show you.”

Faith looks pretty similar in the New Testament as well.  Jesus didn’t tell the disciples where they were going in advance. He simply said, “Follow me.”

Dear one, faith isn’t about working hard, or having the answers up front before we trust God. It’s about drawing near to Jesus and trusting Him to lead you into the unknown, beyond the boundaries of what you have planned.

That’s a pretty scary place for most of us. But it doesn’t have to be. In fact, it shouldn’t be. Because the Lord who promised to lead and carry you means to “prosper you and not to harm you” (Jeremiah 29:11). He intends to lead you into a beautiful future.

It’s only scary if you don’t believe.

The Bitter Root

Perhaps you can’t relate to this, but occasionally, I get angry. And when I do, I have a list of very valid reasons that explain why I have every right to feel that way. If I choose to feed that anger, it can turn into something pretty ugly. Just ask my husband. After nineteen years, he’s witnessed a few of my less than godly moments.

Those moments, however, are always the ones I look back on with regret. Have you ever noticed how they usually come back to bite you?

Today my friend Wendy Blight, author and speaker with Proverbs 31 Ministries, shares her own experience with holding bitterness. I pray her story will encourage you to trust God and extend grace when you feel wronged by someone. Remember, God’s instructions don’t always feel natural, but they are always for us.

Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13

The Bitter Root

By Wendy Blight

 

"See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." (Hebrews 12:15 NIV)

How dare she ask this of me?

I reread her email, which only fueled my fury. Rather than reply immediately, I decided to forward the note to my husband for his advice. Any words I would've written to her at that moment would not have been kind.

Bitterness took root as I typed a note to my husband, spewing out my frustration. When I finished, I reviewed my message with great satisfaction. I'd expressed myself well to a safe person. Then I pressed send.

In that moment, I glanced at the "to" box. I was horrified when I realized I'd hit "reply" instead of "forward." My heart sank. All my hurtful words and anger were now en route to her, not my husband.

I felt sick. What should I do? I picked up the phone and called my husband at work. We both agreed I needed to email her, explain what happened, and ask forgiveness. It was the hardest email I've ever written.

Her gracious response astounded me. She thanked me for my apology and closed her response with these words, "I forgive you, so let's just put this behind us." Her words of forgiveness melted the bitterness that had consumed my heart just an hour before. I'm sure she was hurt. My words were harsh. Yet she chose to overlook and pardon my offense.

It's easy to forget that we have choices when we're offended. We can surrender our hurt or hold on to our hurt. We can extend grace or harbor bitterness.

Bitterness is like poison that infects our lives. The author of Hebrews compares bitterness to a root that overtakes our hearts and causes trouble in many other areas of our lives (Hebrews 12:15). Although our feelings of bitterness, anger, and resentment may seem justified, they are not. Instead, they're hurtful and destructive—to ourselves as well as to the person who hurt us.

God's Word teaches us to forgive and instructs us not to let the sun go down while we're angry. When we do, we give the devil a place to work in our hearts and relationships. Instead of allowing the enemy room to plant relational weeds between us, my friend chose forgiveness, extended grace, and prevented a bitter root from taking hold.

She became a living example of the apostle Paul's words to the believers at Ephesus: "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:32). Her wise example helped me move beyond my anger. My friend's gracious decision modeled humility. Her choice to forgive salvaged our friendship and changed how I react toward others who offend me. From that day forward, I've prayed that God's grace would flow through me, leaving no room for bitter roots.

Dear Lord, search my heart. See if there is any bitterness in me. Lead me to forgiveness. Enable me through the power of Your Holy Spirit to let go of all bitterness and to extend Your amazing grace. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Remember
Choosing forgiveness is the only way to prevent a bitter root from taking root in your heart and growing.

Reflect
Is there someone against whom you harbor unforgiveness? What is it that keeps you from being able to forgive this person?

Respond
Review the verses shared in this devotion. Prayerfully ask God what your next step is with this person. Ask Him to equip you to take that first step, and then take it.

Power Verses
Colossians 3:13; Romans 12:9

Taken from Encouragement for Today: Devotions for Everyday Living by Renee Swope, Lysa TerKeurst and Samantha Evilsizer and the Proverbs 31 Ministries Team. © 2013 Proverbs 31 Ministries. Used by permission of Zondervan.www.zondervan.com.

For more from Wendy Blight, visit her blog at www.wendyblight.com, or study with her at www.inscribedstudies.com.

Cancer – A Paradigm Shift

This week’s Word comes from a friend of mine who has spent the last three years battling colon cancer. Today Wendy Stauffer, founder of Ultimate Wellness (www.UltimateWellness.jigsy.com), shares her thoughts on her journey so far.

Recently, God changed her view of her situation. Her words stirred my soul as I thought of the many times I have found myself in a battle. I have worked and fought for a particular outcome—and I have wearied myself with all the working. After reading her words, I can’t help but consider: How many hours have I spent fighting the “enemy,” when in fact I was actually fighting against God?

Think about it for a moment. Nothing passes into our lives that God didn’t either ordain or allow. Whether we like the idea or not, Satan must have permission from Jesus to attack and “sift” His disciples (Luke 22:31-32).

When things come into our lives we wouldn’t choose, we tirelessly battle against them, determined to change our circumstances to match our will. But if God has allowed our circumstances, wouldn’t that mean that we are actually fighting Him?

No wonder we get tired. You and I don’t have the strength to win that battle.

Perhaps God’s blessing for you in your trial looks different than the one you’ve been fighting for. And just maybe, dear one, you’re missing what He wants to give because you’re fighting so hard for it.

What if the secret to your great victory lies in rest, beloved? What if surrendering to God’s choice for you and allowing Him to shape your heart through it becomes the catalyst to experiencing Exodus 14:14?

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

 

Cancer –  A Paradigm Shift

by Wendy Stauffer

People are constantly saying things like, “You are a fighter, Wendy.  You’re gonna beat cancer!” “You just keep fighting.  You are so strong.” My dearest family and friends often put out prayer requests that read, “Pray for Wendy in her battle against cancer.”  We’ve all been well programmed on how to view cancer.  I see organizations crusading in the fight against cancer with billboards and slogans properly worded for defeating or beating this horrible foe.

As I’ve had time to ponder just how this battle is going, Dr. Phil’s haunting question keeps coming to mind. “How’s it working for ya?”  Well, I need to be totally honest. It isn’t working!  I have been so consumed these past three years being afraid of cancer, being angry at having cancer, being on a crusade to wipe out cancer, (which I think is a curse from the pit of hell), trying to figure out how to avoid cancer, feeling defeated by cancer, saddened by new reports of loved ones getting cancer, being consumed trying to rid my body of cancer, being overcome with grief and tears over cancer, that I’ve wasted so much precious time and energy on it, and it is still winning! Not only is it winning; it has gotten worse!

All of my efforts to conquer and overcome cancer have sent my cortisol levels sky high, allowing cancer deeper access to me, blocking my immune system from getting rid of it naturally.   Something needs to change.  To continue to do the same thing and expect different outcomes is called insanity.

I believe it’s time for a paradigm shift. What would happen if I actually stopped fighting, stopped being angry, stopped crying, stopped trying or striving to conquer or overcome cancer?  One thing is certain.  My stress levels would go down!  What if I turned the tables on the Enemy’s strategy to engage me in this fight?  What if I accept cancer? Learn to enjoy every moment of every day – cancer and all? What if I stop fretting about having it and make peace with it? That doesn’t necessarily mean I give up HOPE and don’t do anything positive.  It doesn’t mean giving up and dying from it, but truly making peace with the situation I’m in, thanking God every day for allowing me to experience this and learn from this, viewing it as a way He is preparing me for future ways to bless others.  

You know what I think might happen? The Enemy won’t get any more evil pleasure from tormenting me because I refuse to be tormented.  Maybe he’ll just give up and move on. My cortisol levels will drop because my body won’t be constantly in a “fight or flight” mode and my immune system might actually kick in like it’s supposed to and kill the cancer cells.  It will no longer be sidetracked dealing with removing cortisol.  I will be honoring God and praising Him more, being grateful for each day, living life to the fullest as I tenderly care for my body, rather than declare war on cancer.  As I get my mind off the cancer, I get my mind on whose I am, God’s beloved daughter, treasured, worthy of health, a royal princess.  Instead of constantly being in battle-mode, I’d experience all the good things He wants me to have like peace, contentment, abundant life.  I’d let go of regret and embrace all I’ve learned through this season of life, excited for how He plans to work all things out for my good according to His good purpose. 

Cancer is not the enemy.  I believe it is being used BY the Enemy to destroy God’s precious children.  God is not our enemy either just because He allows people to experience cancer.  Cancer is something that can send you into the loving arms of God to learn life lessons, like it has me.

You’ve heard the saying, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”  Just like everything else we go through, this too shall pass one day, but not until I’ve been able to squeeze every drop of lemonade from it. So I don’t plan to fight anymore.  I plan to put up a lemonade stand so that all who come into my life can have a delicious, refreshing, alkalizing, life-giving drink of God’s goodness from my lemons. 

Anyone care for a cup of lemonade? (without the white sugar, of course!)

Unlikely Cherished Things

Confession time again.

Have you ever held onto a promise of God—watching, waiting, wrestling with the time it has taken to fulfill it—and wondered if perhaps you had been wrong to believe it? You reason that God might fulfill this promise for someone else, but what if He’s decided not to do it for you? What if this isn’t part of your blessing?

A part of my heart has been broken for a very long time. Nothing particularly traumatic or extraordinary happened to me to break it. Years ago, I simply made some destructive choices in search of acceptance. Choices that the world offers as commonplace and right, but that God warns will leave their mark. They did.

I had no idea the extent of the damage. Like most of us do, I looked at my life and the progress I’d made with the Lord and thought I was okay.

But God is too good to allow us to settle for okay. After all, His Son was beaten, bled, and hung on a cross to heal what sin’s damage left broken. To restore us. To make us whole.

Still, as much as God has transformed me and poured His grace into my life, in this area, I have not been whole.

And I’ve struggled with God over it.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve cried out to Him in prayer, surrendering this one thing and asking for healing. Yet I remain stuck.

While Living Water flows and empowers so many areas of my life, something has blocked its movement here. This place remains a dry desert.

This week, I revisited Numbers 13. I stood in the desert with Moses and witnessed God sending men from each tribe to explore the land He’d promised to Israel. After forty days, the men returned and reported what they had found.

“We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit.” Numbers 13:27

They found the land exactly as God had promised. They even tasted the fruit available to them there.

“But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large.” Numbers 13:28

So they determined not to even try to claim the land God had promised them.

Listen, dear one. Twelve men entered the land God clearly said He was giving them as an inheritance (verse 1). They all witnessed the same things. They all saw that the land was good, and they all saw the fortified cities and fighting men.

Two of those men focused on the promises of God and received them into their lives. The other ten focused on the obstacles keeping them from attaining it. Those ten, as well as the rest of the Israelites who believed them, never left the desert. That’s where they died.

It struck me that I have had a similar experience to those Israelites. I have witnessed God’s awesome power to deliver and have left the captivity of much of my sin. Now I stand in the desert looking at the promise of wholeness God has placed before me, that He has promised to give me through His Word. I have even tasted the fruit of it as God has graciously allowed breakthrough moments that have shown me what’s possible in Him.

But those moments always fade, and the obstacles loom large once again. Still, I remain in the desert.

I can’t help but ask the question. Why?

I’m not particularly fond of the answer He gave me.

You see, just like those Israelites, I have kept myself in the desert. Part of me clung to its familiarity, even while I cried out to God to deliver me from it.

Somehow along the way, this very part of myself that I hated and cried out to God to restore became a cherished thing. I wanted God to miraculously heal it, but at the same time, I’m recognizing that I didn’t really want to give it up. It defined me. It was familiar. I actually feared the void it might leave if I let go of it. So I didn’t. I asked God to take it, but I wasn’t willing to hand it to Him. I said I was, but I’ve discovered that my heart didn’t agree.

And that was the problem, dear one. Because God will only take what we freely offer Him.

Yesterday, my Scripture reading took me to Mount Moriah. I wept with Abraham as he placed his cherished thing, his beloved son Isaac, on the altar of sacrifice. He didn’t allow the obstacles ahead of him—death itself—to keep him from believing God’s promise to bless him through Isaac. Hebrews 11:19 reveals that he reasoned God could raise him from the dead.

So Abraham placed his son on the altar, fully believing in the goodness of his faithful God. Expecting a miracle, he chose not to withhold his cherished thing.

And God provided a ram in place of Abraham’s offering. God didn’t take, dear one. He gave. And He multiplied Abraham’s offering. Instead of only the one cherished son, Abraham would have “descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore (Genesis 22:17).”

Look at God’s response to His faithful servant.

“I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you . . .” Genesis 22:16-17

What are you withholding from God, dear one, that blocks the flow of His blessing into your life? As I discovered, sometimes the things we’re holding onto aren’t even good things. They’re destructive things. Things we’ve convinced ourselves we need, when actually they are the very things that rob us of the blessing we desire through them.

God doesn’t empty, beloved. He fills. He swears on His own name that He will do it.

“I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld ____________________________ I will surely bless you . . .” Genesis 22:16-17

Will you believe Him?