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)

The Shepherd's Voice

From the Word:
Click and read John 10:1-21

Key Verse:
The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. John 10:4 (The Message)

On January 4, 2007, our family officially began the process to adopt a child from Liberia, West Africa. I had been praying for a long time prior to that decision and had faithful friends praying along with me. I watched as God miraculously worked out the details and prepared our hearts for this big leap of faith. Confirmation arrived in amazing ways, convincing me this was His will for our family. I couldn't wait to send in our application and get the process going, fully expecting to have our adoption complete before the following Christmas.

Two years later, the adoption is nowhere near complete. In fact we have met obstacle after obstacle and closed door after closed door, to the point we've had to make the very difficult decision to stop the process all together. I'm still in shock that this is the way it is ending. How could this be the answer? Wasn't this God's will?

Going through this shook my faith. Did I really hear His voice, or did I make it all up? Maybe I can't hear God's voice after all. I was so sure of God's prompting to adopt, but obviously I was wrong. Or was I?

After a lot of soul searching, I am convinced it was God's will for us to go through this adoption journey. Our role was obedience. His job was to determine the outcome. These past two years were not wasted. The destination was different than I expected, but the journey was in His purpose for our lives. And I can rest knowing that I did hear my Shepherd's voice and followed where He led. That's all He asks.

Personal Application:
Can you point to decisions you've made that you thought were God's will for your life, but the outcome of those decisions seem to say otherwise? Is it possible that it was still God's will for you even if the destination was different than you expected? How has He used those circumstances in your life? Talk to Him about the disappointment or disillusionment you feel and ask Him to show you where to go from here.

Or are you currently at a place where He is asking you to obey? If you recognize the Shepherd's voice, take the leap of faith and follow His lead. How things turn out is up to Him. Your job is obedience. Re-read last week's post on decision making. After you've gone through those steps of seeking the Lord for direction, trust Him when He does lead.

Make this verse your prayer today:

God,
Teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course.
Give me insight so I can do what you tell me-
My whole life one long, obedient response.
- Psalm 119:33-34 (The Message)

More of God’s Word:

1. Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you. -Hebrews 13:5

2. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. -Romans 8:28
3. "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
-Jeremiah 29:11

4. 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

5. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
- Psalm 143:8