Knowing Him as Creator

With an hour to kill sitting in the bleachers at my daughter's gymnastics lesson, I decided it would be a good time to finish up my homework for Bible Study the next morning. I pulled out my copy of Lord, I Want to Know You by Kay Arthur, my favorite pen, and my shiny new, green, spiral notebook, and settled in to study.

As I read the chapter, two questions the author asked jumped out at me:

1. Why do you think it is important to know Him as Creator?

And

2. What role has God had in your life?

Drowning out the noisy gym, I let my mind chew on these questions for awhile. Why is it important to remember He is the Creator? I asked myself. And I wondered if someone asked, What role has God played in your life? how I would answer.

I opened up my new notebook and put my favorite pen to work brainstorming. Here are some of my disorganized thoughts on these two questions:

• Knowing Him as Creator, reminds me of His power. The same One who created stars so large I cannot fathom them, and who's very fingerprints are all over the tiniest of cells my eyes cannot even see, is the same One who knows me AND He is knowable. Amazing! This knowledge leads to worship and gratitude.
• Knowing Him as Creator leads to humility. I am reminded that I am created, He is my Creator, therefore I submit to Him, to His will, His ways, and have no right to dictate how things should be. (Job 38) I don't even know enough to know how He does the simplest of things in creation, how can I then tell Him how to run my life?
• Knowing Him as Creator, reminds me that He is worthy of my trust. As my eyes sees all that He has made around me, and as I'm reminded of how mighty He is, how powerful that He could speak life into existence, I'm no longer anxious or afraid. I am His.

And how would I respond to what role God has played in my life? Well....that would take a very long book to write. : ) But here is a shorthand list:

• He had a plan for me, my life, my purpose, and my salvation before the foundation of the Earth.
• He created me. Perfectly. Even with my imperfections. He allowed my left eye to be small and blind for a purpose and my body, my personality, my mind, everything to be formed according to those plans and purposes He had for me before time began.
• He called me and accepted my little girl invitation to come into my life and be my Savior.
• He directed my life, but gave me free will to decide to love and follow Him.
• He forgave me every time I strayed, and welcomed me back with open arms. (Still does)
• Allowed trials, hard things to draw me to a deeper relationship with Him, more reliance on Him, a stronger character, and an ability to comfort and minister to other people in a way I would never have been able to do if I hadn't been there myself. During all of it, He carried me and comforted me.
• He healed my broken heart and made me whole again
• He gave me hope, purpose, and eternity.
• He filled me with peace that is unexplainable and completely outside of the circumstances in my life.
• He loves me with a love that NO ONE and NO THING can ever take away from me.
• He is my everything, my very reason for existing.

Now it's your turn. Because meditating on these two questions blessed me so much this week, I wanted to deviate from my regular devotion format and encourage you to contemplate these questions yourself this week. Feel free to use the comment section to do some brainstorming and sharing of your own. It would be awesome for me to read what your thinking about our Creator.

Love,

Wise Investing

From God's Word:

Click and Read Matthew 6:19-21

Key Verse:

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. -Matthew 6:20 (NIV)

Without Googling his name, can you tell me who Millard Fillmore is?

A few history buffs will be able to tell me, but most of us won't have a clue.

Millard Fillmore was the 13th President of the United States of America. You would think we would know the name of someone who held such a prestigious office, right? If I don't even know the name of someone who was president, who will ever remember me when I'm gone? Does this life even matter?

It is a sad fact that most of us will be completely forgotten within two, maybe three, generations after we pass away. Here today, gone tomorrow. No matter how much we gain or accomplish, no matter how noble the causes we fight for, no matter how powerful the positions we hold, our lives truly are just a vapor.

Solomon saw it. When he looked at the works of mankind, he said, "I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind" (Ecclesiastes 1:14 NIV).

This has been a reoccurring theme for me this week. I've been reminded so much in sermons and my own study time, that time is short. So what am I doing with it? With the time I have been given, is it possible to do something meaningful? Can I devote myself to something more than chasing after wind?

I've been looking at my life and doing some self-inventory. I don't have the answers yet, but I've been going through my day today asking:

• What in my life has eternal value?
• In what ways am I investing in eternity?
• What activities am I wasting my time on?

It's been good just to ask the questions. If this is all there is, then life is utterly meaningless. I should just go have fun, eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow I die. But since this is not all there is, I want to build a life that is meaningful and purposeful.

Our pastor taught us this weekend that the key to a purposeful life is doing life as if you are doing it unto God. Whatever you do, do it unto Him. I'm not famous or powerful. I am a mom. I'm a wife. I'm a homemaker. Not very exciting!

Cleaning my toilets, changing the diapers, serving my family, all of these appear meaningless, but they have the potential of being more eternally significant than being President of the United States if done with the right heart. If I do my life, the things I've been called to do, and do them as if I was doing them for God and for His glory, that work will last. And it will bring me joy.

Personal Application:

Do your own self-inventory this week:

• Can you identify ways you are chasing after wind and wasting time?
• How are you investing in eternity?
• If you were to die tonight, is your life in order? What would you be able to take with you?
• Are you ignoring eternity or building up treasure there?
• How can you do your own life as if unto God? What meaningless activities can become eternally significant just by changing your heart and attitude about them?

Dear Lord,

Thank you that this life is not it. Give me an eternal perspective and help me to build my life in a way that will have eternal significance. Help me to set aside the things that are worthless and to strive for the things you value. Show me how to do my everyday life for you.

In Jesus' Name I pray,

Amen

More of God's Word:

So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective. - Colossians 3:1-2 (The Message)

Pray As You Would Want to be Prayed For

From God's Word:

Click and Read Acts 12:1-17

Key Verse:

So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him.
- Acts 12:5 (NIV)


I'm sure she didn't think it was particularly profound when she said it, but it hit me hard and has stuck with me all these years later. I was in Bible Study and we were discussing praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world.

One of the ladies said, "You know, I always just think about how I would want to be prayed for if it were me in that situation."

I remember sitting back and thinking, "Yeah. If I the roles were reversed how would I want to be prayed for?"

Recently, our church family had the privilege of praying for one of our very own in a situation of persecution for his faith. A man from our church was arrested and imprisoned for his faith when he was trying to leave his home country, a Muslim country where it is illegal to convert to Christianity. Saeed was facing the death penalty for sharing his faith, while his wife and children were here waiting for news.

His faith and his story gripped the hearts of so many of us, including my two young daughters. It was amazing to watch my little girls' grow in their faith and compassion as they prayed for Saeed to be freed and returned to his family. I had tears in my eyes when I told them a miracle happened and he was freed.

It is rare in this country of religious freedom to personally know someone suffering like that for their faith. Saeed's commitment to Christ and his family's courage touched so many of us. Many people gathered for prayer rallies and believed for the miracle God was so gracious to provide.

My eyes were opened once again to the power of prayer and the need to lift up our sisters and brothers suffering around the world for their commitment to Jesus. How would I want to be prayed for if that were me or my husband?

Personal Application:

How would you want to be prayed for if you were being persecuted for your faith? Write your ideas down and find ways to pray for someone who is suffering today simply for their faith.

How can you grow in your commitment to pray for the persecuted church?

Here are two situations you can lift in prayer:

Saeed needs our prayers for safety. Please pray him home.

These sisters need our prayers. Lift them and pray for their healing and that God would give them all they need.

Dear Lord,

Thank you so much for the freedom I enjoy in this country. Help me to remember the men and women around the world who love you and do not have that same freedom. Bring them to my mind and teach me how to pray. Remind me of how I would want to be prayed for in similar situations. Please comfort and heal the sisters who are suffering so much in prison right now, and please deliver Saeed safely home to his family. In all of these situations be glorified!

In Jesus' Name I pray,
Amen

More of God's Word:

Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering. -Hebrews 13:3 (NIV)

Allow Them to Use Their Gifts

From God's Word:

Click and Read Hebrews 10:19-25

Key Verse:
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching. -Hebrews 10:25 (NIV)

Church was an almost unbearable place to be after my miscarriages. Each week I would think to myself, “OK, I’m fine today,” but the desire to leave would hit immediately as I entered the building.

I tried week after week to “be strong this time” and would make myself sit down in the sanctuary. As worship began, the music stirred emotions, leaving me vulnerable, and the tears would inevitably start falling. I knew, “I have to get out of here or I’m going to start bawling,” but I realized walking out would allow everyone to see I had been crying. If I stayed, I wouldn’t be able to keep from sobbing and causing a scene. I was trapped. Choosing to leave the sanctuary, I wandered around until the service ended trying to get myself under control and presentable before anyone could see me.

Picking up my daughters from their classes, I would run into well meaning people who were unaware of the situation. They would look at me with a quizzical look and innocently ask, “Now when are you due again?” It was awful explaining everything, watching these sweet people become mortified because they had hurt me by asking.

This struggle continued for months. It was just too painful and embarrassing to be there, and there were constant reminders of what I lost. Churches are full of pregnant women and babies. One service ended for me when I opened the bulletin and read the advertisement for the upcoming Father/Son campout.

Knowing I needed to be there, by God’s strength I continued to show up to services and Bible studies week after week. I was constantly embarrassed by my weakness. Telling myself, “I’m not going to cry this time,” didn’t work. I always ended up in tears. I hated being so publicly emotional, but I didn’t know how to stop it.

There is no verse in the Bible that says, “God helps those who help themselves.” Most Americans believe it is in there somewhere because it is a cultural tradition, yet the truth is God helps those who run to Him in weakness, and rely upon His grace.

He also places us in a spiritual family so we can be helped by each other. Our key verse says, “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another- and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

As difficult as it was to control my emotions when I was at church, had I been able to stop the flow of emotion or hidden my pain, I would have robbed other believers of an opportunity to use their gifts to minister to me.

I was amazed how many times God lined up specific people to minister to me during those times I struggled to be at church. When I left the sanctuary, some woman who had also miscarried in the past would “magically” appear to pray with me. When I felt alone and emotional, someone would hug me. When I needed a word from the Lord, someone would read scripture that spoke directly to my heart. When I was in Bible Study, people said things they didn’t know where meant for me. I experienced the work of the Spirit through the love, prayers, hugs, words of prophecy and wisdom that came from the flesh and blood people in my church family. We have a large church, but it became small as people poured out love on me.

Some of the best comfort came from women who had been there. They could minister in a way no one else could. After she read 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, my friend Jeanine began praying she would have an opportunity to comfort someone else in the way she had been comforted when she miscarried. If I had run away from church and fellowship, then I would have not been a part of that prayer being answered.

It feels good to be used by the Lord. When we are weak, we allow others the privilege of being used by the Lord in our circumstance. Pastor Bob tells us often that when Christians go off on their own they “get weird.” We need each other. As we draw near to God, He often sends us to our spiritual family for some love and comfort. Don’t run away.

Excerpt from And Then You Were Gone: Restoring the Broken Heart after Pregnancy Loss. All rights reserved. Do not copy or use without author's permission.

Personal Application:
Do you ever find yourself embarrassed over your emotion or weakness at church or around other Christians?

Remember that by allowing yourself to be weak, you allow others the joy of using their God-given gifts in response to your circumstances.

Dear Lord, Prevent me from running from fellow believers when I'm feeling weak or am hurting. Thank you for providing a spiritual family to comfort me and for giving them gifts to help me in my time of need. Thank you for the joy we all feel when we get to use our gifts to bring comfort to other people. In Jesus' Name I pray,
Amen

More of God's Word:

Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. - Romans 12:4-8 (NIV)

Doors

I’ve been a busy traveling girl this summer. Thank you for being patient while you waited for a new post.

One of the trips I took was to Charlotte, North Carolina where I attended a conference for speakers, writers, and ministry leaders. I won a scholarship to go and have been looking forward to the trip all year. I saw it as a gift from the Lord and an opportunity to share with editors a book I wrote on healing after pregnancy loss.

Four days before I left for the conference, I was at my Mom and Dad’s house in Washington State and tried to do a few finishing touches on my book proposal. As I researched for the "competition" section on my proposal, I made a startling discovery.

The two editors I had made appointments to meet with, the two I'd prayed over so much, represented publishing companies that had just released their very own books on the topic of- you guessed it- miscarriage.

At that moment, I knew I would be wasting their time pitching competition for books they had just published on the same subject.

There I was:

- 10 hours away from home
- Four days away from the conference
- Totally and completely prepared to pitch a book I now knew they would not want.

I did what any girl would do.

I cried.

A lot.

All day Sunday I mourned. Waiting for the conference to arrive, I carried the weight of being a scholarship winner. I knew there were so many women who wanted the gift I was given, and I was determined not to waste it. So, I was so ready. I had handouts, sample chapters, a beautiful proposal, and then- nothing.

Crying it out on Sunday, I learned some hard lessons. I had wrapped up so much hope in getting that book published because I was counting on the book bringing meaning to our loss. God had to show me that the beauty He was and will continue to bring out of our hurt had nothing to do with me or my book, it had everything to do with Him.

He also showed me I was relying on myself. I wanted to be ready. I wanted to be prepared. I didn't leave any room for miracles, so He took away the crutches I was leaning on.

That night I made a crazy decision. I have a novel I've been working on, and I decided right then I was supposed to pitch that book instead. It wasn't ready though. I only had four rough chapters written and a vague idea of were I was going with the story. I didn't sleep for the next three days, worked all the way home in the car, spent hours on the telephone with my amazing dad editing what I did have, and then left Thursday morning far less prepared then I would have ever wanted.

While we were in the air, my friend, Rochelle, handed me the devotion book she was reading. I read that day's devotion, overwhelmed and grateful that it was a message just for me. Here's an excerpt:

Streams in the Dessert

July 31 With skillful hands he led them - Psalm 78:72

When you are unsure which course to take, totally submit your own judgement to that of the Spirit of God, asking Him to shut every door except the right one. But meanwhile keep moving ahead and consider the absence of a direct indication from God to be the evidence of His will that your are on His path. And as you continue down the long road, you will find that He has gone before you, locking doors you otherwise would have been inclined to enter. Yet you can be sure that somewhere beyond the locked doors in one He has left unlocked. - F.B. Meyer

I knew God wrote that devotion just for me because I live that scenario everyday.

My baby boy is one week shy of turning one, and he still has not figured out how to crawl right.

(And he doesn't listen to his mommy either when I tell him he'll never be able to read because of it!)

But man can he scoot! He's fast!

His sisters keep forgetting to close doors behind them, so when he sees an opportunity, he looks me in the eye as if to say, The race is on Mommy!

He scoots as fast as he can, trying to beat me to the bathroom door before I can close it in his face.

It dawned on me. How often do I do that with the Lord? How often do I try to race Him to a door before He closes it?

As a loving parent would, God closes doors I might be inclined to walk through and shouldn't, but one day He's going to leave one open for me. It will be the "JUST RIGHT FOR BECKY" door and instead of just leaving it open for me, He'll come and lead me by the hand so we can walk through it together.

Personal Application:

Do you have hopes and dreams you worry will never happen?
Are you in a hurry for God to DO something, anything?
Are you racing God for open doors because you are worried He will close them before you can walk through them?

Take some time this week to lay those dreams at His feet and then wait on Him to not only leave a door open for you, but to take you by the hand and walk you through it with Him.

In my case, stripping away my security opened up doors for miracles that happened all weekend long. I had chances to pitch BOTH books, and I knew it was all God’s doing, not my own.

Trust Him to lead you in the pursuit of your precious dreams. He is worthy of that trust.

Love,

Looking at the Wrong Person

From God's Word:
Click and Read>Matthew 14:22-33

Key Verse:
But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!" - Matthew 14:30 (NIV)


I made a startling discovery this week.

There are some awesome people out there doing some amazing things for the Lord, and I DON'T MEASURE UP!

When the kids are tucked in for the night, I love to put my feet up, grab my laptop, and surf my favorite blogs. There are some that I follow on a regular basis and look forward to seeing what has been going on in the lives of my blogging buddies. This week, it became clear to me that my blogging buddies are stellar people. I came across stories of people feeding the hungry, traveling to Africa to serve orphans and other ministries, families adopting here and abroad, people reaching out and ministering to hurting people. Others who are missionaries far from home.

A great wave of discouragement rolled over me. Inventory of my life showed much lacking: Inconsistent prayer life, no time in the Word, nothing done to meet the spiritual or physical needs of hurting people. In my own estimation, I've been boring, blah, and of little value to the Kingdom of God.

As I pushed my stroller along the greenbelt on Thursday afternoon, I prayed about the situation. And I got a strange answer.

The Holy Spirit said to my heart, "Turn your eyes off of yourself and on to the glory of Jesus."

I remembered Peter walking on the water to meet Jesus. As long as his eyes were locked on the Lord, he was doing the miraculous, but as soon as he took his eyes off the Lord, looked at the waves and thought about his own inability to do what he was doing, he sank.

When my eyes and focus are locked on Jesus, I will reflect His glory to this hurting world. When I'm stuck focusing on myself and my sin and failures, I get nowhere other than discouraged. My eyes this week have been on the wrong person.

Awhile ago, I read about a mom who was seriously struggling to love her adopted teenage daughter. She confided in a missionary friend how difficult this girl was to love. The missionary told her, "Quit working so hard to love her. Instead focus on loving God. That is where you will find the ability to love her."

God's purpose in my life is to make me more and more like Jesus. Focusing on my sin and failures won't make me more like Jesus. Focusing on Jesus will make me more like Jesus.

Personal Application:

Read this excerpt from Andrew Murray's book Humility:

Being occupied with self, even having the deepest self-abhorrence can never free us from self. Not to be fully occupied with your sin but to be fully occupied with God brings deliverance from self. This gives us the answer to the question so often asked and seldom clearly understood: How can I die to self? Death to self is not your work: it is God's work.

Commit today to turn your eyes off of yourself and on to the Lord Jesus, desiring to know Him more, so you can reflect Him more. That is when you will make a significant impact on this hurting world.

Father,

Forgive me for my self-focus. Turn my eyes off of me and my failures and on to Jesus and His glory. Make me more like Him. Help me to know Him more and more daily, so I can be transformed into His likeness. Be glorified through me.

In Jesus' Name I pray,
Amen

More of God's Word:

1. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:2 (NIV)

2. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
- 2 Corinthians 3:12-18 (NIV)






Turning my eyes to Jesus,

What I've Been Training For

From the Word

Click and read >Hebrews 12:1-12

Key Verse:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. -Hebrews 12:1

Bright and early Saturday morning, I ran a 5K in the Famous Idaho Potato Race to help raise money for the YMCA. It was a special moment for me. The weather was absolutely perfect. The greenbelt was beautiful. And I was surprised by how easily I was able to run the three miles.

I have been training for this race for the last 10 weeks, following a plan called 'From Your Couch to a 5K" Ten weeks ago, I was only running for 60 second spurts followed by 90 seconds of walking for a total of about 15 minutes. Saturday, I ran 30 minutes straight without a need to stop and rest. My training paid off.

Friday night before the race, I went to pick up my number, timing chip and course map. While I was there I was so impressed by the people I considered the real runners, those who planned to run the 1/2 marathon and marathon races.

Marathon runners train for something called "Hitting the Wall." It is common to run out of glycogen stores in your muscles and liver somewhere around the 20 mile mark. They have to train to persevere through that crash of energy, when the race feels unbearable. I saw some runners this weekend that must have hit that point in their race when I passed them. One lady was sobbing, others looked in physical pain.

It made me think of the spiritual implications of running the marathon race of this life. Walking faithfully with Christ, remaining faithful to him through persecution, heartache, and overwhelming trials of this fallen world, is the ultimate endurance run. Thankfully, we do not have to rely on our own strength. When our "glycogen" stores run out, we rely on His strength and energy to keep us going, and we put our faith into practice. When burdens feel unbearable and our strength is gone, we must remind ourselves that "this is what I have been training for," this test of my faith will make me stronger. Press on! Don't quit! Run with perseverance that race marked out for you.

At the end of my race on Saturday, I hit a point where I wondered how far I had already run and how much farther I had to go. Then all of a sudden, on my left through the trees, and over the river, I caught glimpses of the finish line. There were hundreds of people celebrating with loud music, cheering on the runners as they came in. My speed picked up, my hope increased, and I ran faster than I knew I could just to get to that party! As I ran across the finish line I was huffing and puffing but I felt so much joy and victory. I did it! I was "home free."

I was surprised by how much it helped to know the end was near, to get those little glimpses of the finish line through the trees, and to know what was waiting for me. That's what the hope of Heaven is intended to do for us. As that day draws ever nearer, as we look up in anticipation, we can run faster toward the prize waiting for us. We can remember that our faith is strong enough to carry us home because we've been training for this. Don't lose hope! Just like the crowd was cheering for me during the race, I'm cheering for you, "Keep going! You are doing awesome! You're almost there!"

Personal Application:

Are there areas of your life where you can see your faith being tested? Have you "hit the wall" in the race of life? Pray for God to strengthen you to push on, to persevere, and to remember that you are almost there.

Father,

Thank you for training my faith, making it grow and increase. Thank you for equipping me with the strength I need to endure this marathon of life. Please keep reminding me of the prize that awaits. My very great reward on the other side of the finish line is You! During this time of trial and struggle, please give me your grace and help to persevere.

In Jesus' Name I pray,

Amen

More of God's Word:

1. Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 2 Thessalonians 1:4

2. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything -James 1:4

3. Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains. -James 5:7

4. I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. - Philippians 3:14

When We All Get to Heaven

Eliza E. Hewitt, 1898

Sing the wondrous love of Jesus,
Sing His mercy and His grace;
In the mansions bright and blessed
He’ll prepare for us a place.

Refrain:
When we all get to heaven,
What a day of rejoicing that will be!
When we all see Jesus,
We’ll sing and shout the victory!

While we walk the pilgrim pathway,
Clouds will overspread the sky;
But when trav’ling days are over,
Not a shadow, not a sigh.

Let us then be true and faithful,
Trusting, serving every day;
Just one glimpse of Him in glory
Will the toils of life repay.

Onward to the prize before us!
Soon His beauty we’ll behold;
Soon the pearly gates will open;
We shall tread the streets of gold.


Pressing on with you!

Princess School

From the Word

Click and Read Hebrews 10


Key Verse:

For by that one offering he forever made perfect those who are being made holy.
-Hebrews 10:14 (NLT)

"I have to walk on my tiptoes," my daughter told me when I met her at the school bus stop. "I'm going to Princess School and this is how a princess is supposed to walk."

As we walked home, she explained that her new library book was called Princess School and she was officially training in all things princess. She's been very committed to this plan all week, insisting on wearing dresses and paying lots of attention to manners because "princesses are very polite."

As I've watched her practicing her princess skills, it reminded me that I too am a princess. Because of my faith in Jesus, I have become a child of God, the Daughter of the King of Kings, and the bride of Christ. Royalty.

How very un-royal I feel at times! It is easy for me to slip into condemnation mode and to wonder if I'm ever going to get things right. But the truth is, whether or not I pass Princess School or get an A+ in Royal Manners, I have already been made a princess. That can not be taken away from me.

The struggles I have to overcome sin in my life do not and can not take away from who I already am in Jesus. I had a counselor help me understand this with this analogy. He said:

When a prince or princess is born, they are immediately a part of the royal family. They already are a prince or princess. Then they spend the rest of their lives learning how to be royal.

That's how the sanctification process works for us. When we turn our lives over to Jesus in faith, at that moment we are positionally perfect. God sees us through the lens of justification. We are already made perfect, even as we are being made perfect or holy.

Throughout my lifetime, God will be making me into the image of his son. I will be learning how to be royal, but I can rest in the knowledge that that work is already completed. I am his. He promises to finish the work he began in me, so condemnation and discouragement has no place in my life. I need to lift my head up in confidence and start walking like the princess I am.

Personal Application:

Do you ever doubt your salvation? Do you find it difficult to believe that you are forgiven and free? Replace the lies with truth by confessing your false beliefs and replacing them with scripture that tells the truth.

This royal position does come with responsibility. There are warnings throughout the Bible to not treat this amazing grace cheaply. It is our responsibility as a princess to bring honor to our King. We should strive for holiness. We should try to win people to Him by our goodness and by our example that Biblical principles really do work. The difference is in our hearts. We are motivated by love and gratitude, not because we think we can earn our salvation or because we are afraid of His wrath.

After you are aware of this amazing gift, how terrible it would be to throw it all away. The end of Hebrews 10 can be scary and appear to contradict what the beginning of the chapter says. It does not! I think Matthew Henry did a great job of explaining it in his Concise Commentary, so I'll let him explain:

The exhortations against apostasy and to perseverance, are urged by many strong reasons. The sin here mentioned is a total and final falling away, when men, with a full and fixed will and resolution, despise and reject Christ, the only Saviour; despise and resist the Spirit, the only Sanctifier; and despise and renounce the gospel, the only way of salvation, and the words of eternal life. Of this destruction God gives some notorious sinners, while on earth, a fearful foreboding in their consciences, with despair of being able to endure or to escape it. But what punishment can be sorer than to die without mercy? We answer, to die by mercy, by the mercy and grace which they have despised. How dreadful is the case, when not only the justice of God, but his abused grace and mercy call for vengeance! All this does not in the least mean that any souls who sorrow for sin will be shut out from mercy, or that any will be refused the benefit of Christ's sacrifice, who are willing to accept these blessings. Him that cometh unto Christ, he will in no wise cast out.

This is a final throwing away of God's grace. We know from Jesus' story of the prodigal son that there is always hope that someone like this will come home and a grand reception of forgiveness and love will be waiting when they do.

Dear Father,

I'm overwhelmed by the beauty of this truth. From the time I was a little girl, I dreamt of being a princess. You have made me a princess. You forgave my sins, made me right before you, and are now molding me, shaping me, and training me for this royal position. Thank you for redeeming me and for forgiving me. Thank you for the hope of eternity with you. Thank you that I get to enjoy the benefits of your Kingdom even now. How good you are! How amazing your grace and love!

In Jesus' Name I pray,
Amen

More of God's Word:

1. Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. -Philippians 1:6 (NIV)

2. But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light. -1 Peter 2:9 (NLT)

3. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. -John 1:12 (NIV)

Love,

Princess

Cover Where I Fail

From the Word:
Click and Read Psalm 127

Key Verse:
Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. - Psalm 127

We attend the Saturday night service and getting their this weekend was so hard on me! All day Saturday, I was grumpy and irritable, and so were my kids.

The girls kept bickering, the baby whined incessantly from the moment he woke up, and my husband had to work, so getting all of us grumpy people dressed and out the door and to church on time was all my job. I'm ashamed to admit I didn't do that job well. I nagged and yelled and acted like I was the kid.

On the way to church the Mommy guilt rolled in, and I apologized to my kids for the way I behaved.

My oldest daughter was so kind and said, "That's OK, Mommy, you ALWAYS do that. We're used to it."

Ouch! That did not help the Mommy guilt one little bit. Usually, an incident like this would lead to great discouragement, but I'm learning to respond differently. This time I just stopped and prayed the prayer that is becoming all too familiar, "Lord, please cover where I fail."

Cover where I fail- How thankful I am that I can pray that. When I can't live up to the ideal mom that I long to be and worry that I'm failing and ruining my children, I can let go, look up, and say, "Help!" And my kids are somehow surviving being raised by me! Ha Ha.

I would not want to do this job without Him! Thank you Jesus for covering where I fail, when I fail....even when it is so often.

Personal Application:

Are you a parent or grandparent? Or have you felt like a failure lately in another area of your life? Commit these areas to the Lord and trust Him to make them what they need to be. Remember that His grace is sufficient for you, and He will carry you through your failures, turning them into good, when you trust in Him to do it.

Father,

Thank you that I am not parenting alone. My failures are opportunities for You to be strong in the lives of my precious children. I pray that in all areas of my life, I will be able to commit my ways to you and allow you to build them into what they need to be. Thank you for being my strong tower, my refuge, and for covering where and when I fail. I love you!

In Jesus' Name I pray,
Amen

More of God's Word:

1. Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. - Psalm 25:4-5 (NIV)

3. Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. -Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

4. Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. -Proverbs 16:3 (NIV)

Love a very imperfect,

Is it Conviction or Condemnation?

From the Word:

Click and Read John 16:5-15

Key Verse:

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth

- John 16:13a


I've finally been able to make it back to a Women's Bible Study, and it feels so good to be there. After my baby was born, it took a little bit of time to get our routine down enough for me to make it out of the house. It has been so good for me to be back in the Word and in fellowship with other women.

During the study a few weeks ago, we had a brief discussion about condemnation. It reminded me of my own personal struggle to understand the difference between condemnation and conviction.

When I was in the middle of grief over my miscarriages, I became acutely aware of my own failures and sin. Condemnation came in like a flood. At one point, I even believed I had identified a failure in my life that was responsible for all of the pain I was going through. I was convinced I was being punished. I was overcome with guilt over the issue and knew God must be so angry with me, too.

It took time in the Word and in prayer for me to be able to figure out the difference between spiritual attack and the heavy guilt and condemnation that can come with that, and the voice of conviction that often comes from the Holy Spirit when there is sin in our lives that needs addressing.

One of the easiest ways I found to discern the difference was to ask the question, "Where is this sending me?" Condemnation makes me flee from the Lord to hide my shame. Conviction draws me to God, puts me on my knees, and leads me to repentance and change. Condemnation brings feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness, while conviction builds me up spiritually, shapes me and molds me into the woman God wants me to be, and makes me more effective for the Kingdom.

Personal Application:

If you are a believer in Jesus, and you are feeling condemnation, it is not from God. If past sins are haunting you, seek God for freedom. If you are enslaved to guilt and fear, you will not be effective for the Kingdom.

Condemnation and conviction differ in their source and in their purpose. Condemnation comes from the enemy but conviction comes from God. Conviction leads to repentance. Condemnation sends you running from God in shame. Conviction sends you running to God for change. We are commanded to live a holy life by God’s help, but we are not to live in a state of shame waiting for the axe to fall.

When we have strayed from God’s best for our lives and are living contrary to His ways, we open a door for Satan. We open a door for his temptation, accusation, and deceit. These things lead to further sin and estrangement from God. If you have unconfessed sin, confess it quickly. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Be done with it, stop doing it, and live free from it. After you have agreed with God that it is sin and turned from it in repentance, feel forgiven and move on. Stop expecting punishment and condemnation from the God who loves You and gave His life to prove it.

Father,

Thank You so much for the gift of grace You have given me. I am so grateful that there is no condemnation for me because I belong to Jesus. I desire to live a life that is holy and pleasing to You, by the power of your Holy Spirit, and for Your glory, not my own. When I need to be convicted of sin in my life, I pray I will recognize it and run to You, not from You. I pray the Enemy would fail in his attempts to use condemnation to render me ineffective for your Kingdom. Help me to know truth and to recognize lies. Mold me into the woman you want me to be. Thank you for your gentleness, faithfulness, and forgiveness.

In Jesus' Name I pray,

Amen

More of God's Word

1. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
"Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.
For the accuser of our brothers,
who accuses them before our God day and night,
has been hurled down. -Revelation 12:10 (NIV)

2. There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. -Romans 8:1 (NKJV)

Love,

The Ugly Green Monster

From the Word:

Click and Read Galatians 5:16-26

Key Verses:
Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another. - Galatians 5:26 (NLT)

Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. - Romans 12:15 (NKJV)

Jealousy reared its ugly head this week. I didn't see it right away, but during my prayer time, I had to face the fact that it was there, repent, and battle against the ugly green monster.

Isn't it strange that you can be jealous even of people you love? My jealousy issues were wide ranging, and involved many different people. There was jealousy over other people's success, recognition, opportunities, ministries, possessions, bodies, clothes, houses, etc. Once I was aware it was there and started digging in my heart and relationships, there was a lot to confess.

Most of us are familiar with the second part of Romans 12:15 where we are told to weep with those who weep, but it is easy to skip over the command to rejoice with those who rejoice. Why would we need to be reminded to do that? The happy part is the easy part, isn't it?

But is it really such an easy thing to do? Do you feel like rejoicing when:

- Your friend invites you over to see her new living room makeover?

- You want nothing more than to be married or to have a baby and you get THE CALL from a happy friend who wants to share her good news?

- You feel fat and frumpy but your friend loses weight and is now able to fit into a size 6?

- You watch someone else achieve their dreams when you wonder if you'll ever even find the time to TRY to realize your own?

- Someone else gets special recognition or enjoys success?

- You meet a beautiful woman and know you could only imagine what it would feel like to look like that?

Happiness for another person's good fortune does not come easily. It is against our nature. The natural man wants to be a god, wants to be significant, and adored. The natural man wants it all for himself. In our case, I should say "herself." Jealousy, envy, selfish-ambition- those are all trademarks of our sinful natures.

Thankfully, we are no longer slaves to that nature! God gives us the ability to be different. We are new creations in Christ. Because I belong to Him, I have the ability to love instead of envy. I can fight my sinful nature because of the Holy Spirit within me. I can rejoice with those who rejoice because as a daughter of the King of Kings, I have nothing to envy!

Personal Application:
Spend some time looking for evidence of envy in your own heart. How has that affected your relationships? Your ability to love? And your ability to rejoice with those who rejoice?

Take some time to confess any jealousy you find and pray that God will prevent it from continuing and harming relationships in your life.

Here are some steps to fighting jealousy that I've found effective:

- It is very difficult to be jealous of someone you are sincerely praying for. Often those feelings of jealousy are replaced with genuine love for that person as you pray for them. You begin to find it exciting when good things happen to them and feel privileged to be a part of participating in their lives in a special way.

- Praise God for creating that person. Thank Him for the ways their talents, beauty, success, etc. enrich the lives of those around them and fulfill the special purposes He has for their lives. Praise does amazing things in our hearts.

- Ask God to give you the eyes to see them the way that He sees them and the heart to love them the way that He does. Ask Him to equip you with genuine desire to see them prosper and to be blessed.

Father,

Forgive me for the way jealousy has crept into my life. I lift this situation ________ and ask you to work in a mighty way to heal that relationship. Change my thinking and replace my jealousy with genuine love. Show me how to esteem others above myself and to love like you love. Help me to appreciate the variety of gifts and talents you've given other people. Enable me to rejoice with those who rejoice. Help me to be content with my own life, gifts, and blessings. I thank you for the change you are going to do in my heart and in my relationships.

In Jesus' Name I pray,
Amen

More of God's Word:
1. A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. -Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)

2. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. - Romans 13:12-14 (NIV)

God bless your week! I am praying that you all have a blessed time celebrating Jesus' resurrection. He is Risen!

Love,

Audience of One

From the Word:

Click and Read Colossians 3

Key Verses:
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24


Hi, my name is Becky, and I'm an approval junkie.

Words of praise, acknowledgement for a job well done, and positive feedback are gold to me. When I was in elementary school, I loved getting assignments back with a "Scratch 'n Sniff" sticker and words like "Way to Go" or "Fantastic" written across the top in red ink.

As an adult, I often long for that same kind of encouragement. When I get done scrubbing a toilet, no one hands me an "Excellent Work" certificate. Most of the time, no one even notices a clean toilet. The other day, I actually dragged my poor husband into the bathroom to show off my handiwork. I had used a new steam cleaner, and I wanted him to see how shiny it all was. Trying to be enthusiastic, the best he could come up with was, "It smells nice and disinfected!" Not exactly the glowing praise I was after. : )

Recently, God gave me some ministry assignments. I struggled with them at first because I wasn't getting feedback. There wasn't anyone telling me if I was doing things "right" or "well." I wasn't even sure if He was using the work at all or if anyone was even aware of the work I was doing. And when I reached out and took the risk of looking for affirmation from people, it was all falling flat. I started to doubt God had called me at all. My natural self wanted to quit. I felt apathetic about the work because I figured no one was paying attention anyway. It became drudgery to do the work.

It took time to figure it out, but my attitude is slowing changing. I'm learning I am doing it for an "audience of One." There is only One person to please, only One who needs to see. And whatever I do, in word or deed, it should be done with excellence, because it is done for Him!

Personal Application:

We can forget that as followers of Christ, our WHOLE lives need to be lived for Him. There should be no separation of religious and secular aspects of life. Everything needs to be done as an act of worship.

Take a look at your attitude about the work you do. Are you doing it with excellence? Are you finding joy in doing it for Him? Talk to Him about it this week. Ask Him to breathe new life into the way you look at your responsibilities. Ask Him to show you how to make them your own acts of worship and gifts to Him.

Do you crave affirmation and approval? Do you find it hard to do work where there will be no affirmation or encouragement? Ask Him to help you crave His approval and to get the encouragement you need from Him. He has already accepted you and loves you. Your worth is not determined by your boss' opinion of you nor by that important person you hope to impress.

Father,
Help me to desire your approval above the approval of anyone else. Give me the desire to work hard for you. Make my everyday activities acts of worship to you. Be glorified through me and forgive me for the times when I want the glory for myself. Where I have experienced discouragement, I pray you will build me back up and renew me. Help me to see that my worth is in belonging to you, not in the opinions of other people. Thank you for loving me and accepting me. Thank you for giving me a unique purpose and gifts that I can use for you and your Kingdom.

In Jesus' Name I pray,
Amen

More of God's Word:
1. On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts. 1 Thessalonians 2:4 (NIV)

2. Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ. - Galatians 1:10 (NIV)

3. The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' - Matthew 25:40 (NIV)

Held Up By Many Hands

From the Word:

Click and Read Exodus 17:8-16

Key Verses:

As long as Moses held up the staff in his hand, the Israelites had the advantage. But whenever he dropped his hand, the Amalekites gained the advantage. Moses’ arms soon became so tired he could no longer hold them up. So Aaron and Hur found a stone for him to sit on. Then they stood on each side of Moses, holding up his hands. So his hands held steady until sunset. As a result, Joshua overwhelmed the army of Amalek in battle. Exodus 17:11-13 (NLT)

The garage door goes up. My minivan drives in. The garage door goes down.

I don't interact much with my immediate neighbors. We all drive in to our garages and disappear into our homes. We occasionally knock on each other's doors to hand the mail that was delivered to the wrong box, but that's about it.

I'm sure my neighborhood isn't unique. Today, face to face interaction is becoming old fashioned. We read each other's blogs and catch up on Facebook or Twitter. We "talk" to each other through text messages. It's convicting that I know more about the contestants on Biggest Loser than I know about the young family that lives across the street from me.

We are an affluent society. We are technologically advanced. We are lonely.

God did not design us to be isolated and alone. He designed us to need Him and need each other. We are made for communion with God and fellowship with one another. But reaching out to people, developing and maintaining relationships and friendships, requires commitment, risk taking, time, confidence, and work. There are so many things that can get in the way. Being alone can be the easiest and most comfortable, if not satisfying, choice to make.

I am so blessed to be able to say I have amazing girl friends, and as a family we have wonderful friends that enrich our lives, but my husband and I will be the first to admit we have the tendency to be lazy friends in return. Often, we allow busyness, distractions, time, distance, etc. keep us from prioritizing those relationships and doing what is necessary to maintain those friendships. It is easy to take those friendships for granted. That is until life throws you a curve ball and those amazing friends are there to hold you up, like Aaron and Hur held Moses up.

Life is hard. Ministry can be exhausting. We NEED support. Real life, face to face friendships must be a priority in our lives. Those friendships need to be prioritized, maintained, and nurtured long before you need them in crisis. Trying to serve God as a lone ranger doesn't work. Moses needed help. We need help. Pastor Bob says that when Christians go off on their own they "get weird." It's humorous, but true. We can't be all that God called us to be when we are alone.

Personal Application:
Spend time in prayer thanking God for the people in your life. Ask him to reveal to you ways that you can enrich the relationships you have and to find friendships where they are lacking in your life. Pray that he will reveal ways that you need to step out of your comfort zone in order to maintain or develop fellowship in your life.

There are many enemies to fellowship. Here are a few:


- apathy
- insecurity
- gossip
- jealousy
- fear
- busyness
- computer and technology taking away from real life friendships/relationships
- unreasonable expectations
- pettiness
- lack of forgiveness
- self-centerdness
- not making it a priority

Take an honest inventory of your life this week and look for ways to make people a priority. Ask for God's wisdom and provision.

One of the very best ways to get fellowship is to attend a women's Bible study. Here's a link to the current Bible studies that Calvary offers for women. They are all wonderful. Push yourself out of your comfort zone and get plugged in with other women who can support you, help you know more about the Bible, and can point your heart to Jesus. It may take several weeks before you feel at home, but it will be worth the effort and will feel more and more comfortable the longer you go.

If female friendship has been a source of pain in the past, ask God for healing and trust him to help you trust again.

More of God's Word:
1. If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! … Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. -Ecclesiastes 4:10- 11 (NIV)

2. A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
-John 13:34-35 (NIV)

Love,

The God Who Sees

I'm sorry that there hasn't been a new post in awhile. We had some technical difficulties that I think are ironed out now. Thanks for your patience and for those of you who are faithful to read these devotions.

Today's devotion was inspired by my own personal Bible study. I'm following a plan for reading the Bible in a year in chronological order. I love it. It is so interesting to read the Word in the order the events were happening in history. I highly recommend it. Here's a link to the same plan that you can customize for yourself.

From the Word:
Click and read Genesis 16

Key Verse:
Thereafter, Hagar used another name to refer to the Lord, who had spoken to her. She said, “You are the God who sees me.” She also said, “Have I truly seen the One who sees me?”
-Genesis 16:13 (NLT)

During my reading recently, I read about Hagar. God promised Abraham he would be the father of countless descendants. While waiting for the fulfillment of that promise, his wife, Sarah, decided to take matters into her own hands and offered her husband her servant, Hagar, to provide his heir.

(Note: Taking matters into our own hands is a topic I'll have to tackle in another devotion. Bad Idea! Ha ha)

What stuck with me after the reading was how hard life was for Hagar. She must have felt so alone, and of so little value. She was property, to be given to an old man for sex without her consent. How insignificant she must have felt!

This is an overused analogy, but it always amazes me when I'm in an airplane and look down at the ground. People become smaller and smaller and more and more insignificant the higher the airplane goes. Looking out that airplane window, I can relate to the feelings of the agnostic. Why would God care about me, someone so small in the sea of humanity?

But the Word tells us that God is intimately aware of us. He knows our name. He cares about our circumstances. We are known! We are seen! He knows even the number of hairs on our heads.

In today's reading, Hagar says, "You are the God who sees me!" Isn't that an amazing thing to consider? The God who is big enough to create the universe, and small enough that His fingerprints are seen in the tiniest of cells, saw Hagar, an insignificant servant girl with a rough life. He also sees you and me.

What a comfort to be KNOWN and SEEN. I join Hagar at being amazed by this truth.

Personal Application:
Do a study on the names of God. You can do a Google search or check out one of the many book on that subject. His names give insight into His character. Worship Him for who He is! Thank Him that in the midst of your everyday life, in the midst of the joys and sorrows, you are seen by the One who loves you. Trust him today and rest in knowing that you are not alone.

More of God's Word

1. You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day. -Psalm 139:15-16 (The Message)

2. Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? -Psalm 113:5-6 (NIV)

3. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. - Matthew 10:30 (NIV)


Love,

All Other Ground Is Sinking Sand

From the Word:

Click and Read Matthew 7:24-29


Key Verse:

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. -Matthew 7:25

My good friend and I were on the phone talking about some of the national news upsetting us lately. Shook up, she said, "I have to stop reading the news. It is too scary."

I told her, "I know what you mean. Sometimes, I feel like the America I have always loved and trusted in is eroding before my eyes, and I can't do anything to stop it."

Until recently, I was unaware of how much trust I've placed in our country, or how much security I've felt simply from being an American. In this current climate of uncertainty and change, I've felt like I'm standing on shifting sand, that my foundation has been shook. It's not a pleasant feeling.

During one of these episodes of fear, I suddenly remembered an old hymn from my childhood. I could only remember a few phrases, so I looked up the lyrics on the Internet. What a sermon that old song has preached to me these past few weeks. I can't get it out of my mind. I sing it in the shower. I sing it in the car. I sing it to my baby. (He doesn't mind how off key I am)

Every time bad news, politics, or current events trigger that insecurity anew, I sing again, "On Christ the Solid Rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand!"

As a follower of Christ, my security does not come from the success or failure of the U.S. Yes, I love my country. Yes, I'm proud to be an American. But, my foundation is the Solid Rock, Jesus Christ. He will never fail. He will never forsake me. My foundation hasn't been shook at all. He is the same yesterday, today, and forevermore.

Personal Application:

Have you placed your faith and trust in anything other than Jesus Christ?
All other foundations are weak and will fail you.
Renew your commitment to trust in nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.
As you look at current events, remember to whom you belong and in whom you trust. He will NEVER fail you!

More of God's Word:

1. When the storms of life come, the wicked are whirled away, but the godly have a lasting foundation. -Psalm 10:25 (NLT)

2. But the Lord is in his holy Temple; the Lord still rules from heaven. He watches everyone closely, examining every person on earth. -Psalm 11:4 (NLT)

3. When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm. - Psalm 75:3 (NIV)

Are there fears and worries facing you this week? I pray these songs will encourage you as they did me this week:









Here are the lyrics I've sung in the shower this week:

"My Hope is Built on Nothing Less"
by Edward Mote, 1797-1874

1. My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

2. When darkness veils His lovely face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In every high and stormy gale
My anchor holds within the veil.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

3. His oath, His covenant, and blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When every earthly prop gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found,
Clothed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne!
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

God Bless You!

Prayer Cover

From the Word:
Click and read Colossians 4:2-4

Key Verse:
Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. - Colossians 4:12

My mom is a prayer warrior, and I've benefited all these years from her prayer cover over my life. Lately, I've been reflecting on how faithful she was (and still is) to pray for me. I know the blessed life I am living right now is a direct result of Mom's persistent prayers.

She prayed for the immediate things going on in my life, but she also prayed for my future- my future husband, my future children, etc. Our family talks often about Mom's gift of prayer. I always know I can call her on the phone and ask, "Will you pray for me?" And she will.

When I read our key verse, about Epaphras wrestling in prayer for his beloved Colossian brothers, I was inspired. What a gift to have someone battling for you in the spiritual realm, lifting you before the Lord. Not just once, but always.

As the recipient of the blessings of persistent prayer, I'm inspired to give that same gift to the people I love.

Not only can we bless the lives of our loved ones through prayer, but we can also participate in the work being done for the Lord worldwide. I may not be able to jump on a plane and go to my friends who are missionaries in Romania, but I can pray. Paul's request of the Colossians to cover his ministry in prayer reminds me that praying for my missionary friends is not insignificant or unimportant. Through my prayers for them, I'm participating with them. I'm investing in the work being done. Prayer is an amazing privilege.

Unfortunately, it doesn't always come easily. I've really struggled with my prayer life this winter. I don't know why I resist doing something so important. I always leave my time of prayer refreshed and renewed, but oh how often I replace the privilege of prayer with lesser things! I'm so easily distracted. I firmly believe our prayer lives endure spiritual attack because prayer is so effective and important, and such a gift we can give.

Personal Application:
Who needs your prayer cover this week?
What obstacles prevent you from regular prayer?
What can you do to overcome those obstacles and make prayer time a top priority?

Resources and Tips That Have Worked For Me:

Fighting Distraction:
If you are easily distracted (like me!) try journaling your prayers. I love being able to look back and re-read prayers from the past that I forgot I prayed but can now see how God answered. Writing or typing my prayers keeps my mind focused so I don't end up doing the dishes or starting a load of laundry because I was distracted away from my prayer time.

Praying for Kids:
Wanting to be a praying mom like mine, I saw the value in prayer, but I didn't necessarily know what to pray about for my kids. Then I found this list online. There is one spiritual virtue or character trait to pray for each day of the month. It has been so helpful in showing me how to pray about their spiritual development.

I saved the list as a Word file I can refer to do during my morning prayer time, and I also printed a hard copy I leave on my nightstand so I can check it before bed. On the first day of each month, I start over again at number one. Today, being the first day of February, I prayed for my kids' salvation.

There are many things I pray for my kids that aren't on the list, but I'm thankful to have this reference and know that God will be shaping their hearts as they grow up.

An unexpected result of going through this list has been realizing how much I need to grow in each of these areas. This list could be used to pray for anyone you care about and also as a list for praying for yourself. None of these things come naturally. Only God can make these reality in a person.

Praying for Your Husband:
I highly recommend the book, The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian. I have read this book over and over again and am grateful to know how to specifically pray for my husband.

There is no right or wrong way to pray. These were just helpful resources I hope will help you too, as we commit to not take the privilege of prayer for granted. (Thanks for praying for me, Mom)

Father,
Thank you so much for the privilege of prayer. Please help me to value time in your presence and to make it a priority in my life. Show me who needs me to pray for them this week. Help me to give the gift of prayer cover to the people I love and to brothers and sisters worldwide who are working for your Kingdom or who are suffering for your name. Make me a prayer warrior and do not allow me exchange this privilege for lesser things.

In Jesus' Name I pray,
Amen

An Unexpected Agenda

From the Word:

Click and read Psalm 139

Key Verse:
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life. -Psalm 139:23-24 (NLT)

While running errands the other day, I turned on the radio and heard a brief section of a sermon by Chip Ingram. He asked the audience to consider what items they thought God would put on their "growth list" for the upcoming year. That's all I caught before I drove up to the Dutch Brother's window and had to turn off the radio to order my very much needed Sugar Free Soy Almond Joy. : ) I tucked that thought in the back of my mind and resolved to think about it later.

A few days later during my prayer time I remembered his question and asked, "What would you put on my list, Lord?" I opened up my laptop and started typing a list of the things I thought would be there, fully expecting a long to-do list for improving my inadequacies. I started to type things like:
- Less procrastination
- Be more of an evangelist
- Work harder and quit being lazy
- Lose weight

But as I was making the list, the "to-do" things started getting pushed to the bottom of the list as He started sharing with me His growth agenda for me. My growth list was a long list of "to-do," but His growth agenda prioritized attitudes and heart condition over action. I was surprised and humbled.

His list included:
- Assurance of His love for me
- Replacing lies with truth
- Increased faith especially when I doubt my salvation
- Desiring His approval over the approval of the World
- Freedom from the hold the enemy has over me in the areas of shame, fear, and anxiety.

My list ended up so different than I expected it to be. I was once again reminded of God's grace and love for me. I saw again His desire for me to be free from lies and to trust fully in Him. He didn't dismiss the areas of holy living that I thought He would want me to be concerned about, but losing weight is far less important to Him than the fact that I allow shame over my weight to interfere with my relationship with Him, and procrastination is less important to Him than the level of my faith. And over all else, He wanted me to be absolutely assured of His love for me. My performance was less of a priority than the condition of my heart.

Personal Application:
I'll ask you the same question:

"What items would God put on your growth list for 2009?"

Spend time in prayer this week seeking that answer. Are there areas of your heart that Jesus longs to get to? Are there places He wants to heal? Have you believed lies that need to be replaced with truth? Use today's key verse as your prayer this week and allow Him to shine His light on your heart.

Don't allow fear to keep you from asking Him. You will probably be surprised by His unexpected agenda for your life. If there are areas of sin He points out to you, confess them quickly and receive His forgiveness. Often the individual sin actions in our lives stem from deeper sin issues in our hearts. Allow Him to dig out the root of what is causing the behaviors so you will not be hindered in your spiritual growth.

Father,

Thank you for your goodness toward me. Thank you for caring about my spiritual health and heart condition. Show me the areas of my life and heart that you want access to. Help me to submit to you and your priorities for my spiritual growth. Give me the ability to hear from you and to know where You want to work in my life.

In Jesus' Name I pray,
Amen

More of God's Word:
1. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. -1 John 1:9 (NIV)

2. But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart. -1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)