Hi! It has been several weeks since I have written anything here. So I thought I would share about what the Lord has been teaching me recently.
Pastor Jon has been preaching through James and it has been such a good study and reminder to me that I should consider it Pure Joy when I go through trials of various kinds, because the testing of my faith develops perseverance!
Perseverance is a hard lesson for me. Recently I have just wanted to give up in many areas, but the Lord keeps reminding me at every turn that he wants to develop my faith more and more.
Today in my quiet time I read the following devotional and I thought it was written just for me!
Proverbs 3:6 He will make your paths straight.
The author goes on to write: This isn't a promise for an easy, obstacle-free life. There are rugged mountains to climb and deserts to cross, rivers to ford and jungles to traverse. That's where wisdom comes in.
There is a bonus in this straightening process; for in the straightening of our paths, we too are made straight. "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trails of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance MUST finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking in ANYTHING!!" (James 1:1-2) Struggles can be good for us if we have the wisdom to handle them. "So, if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God." (James 1:5) There you have it: As paths are made straight. people are made mature.
Proverbs 3:6 says "In all your ways acknowledge Him" What does ti mean to acknowledge the Lord in all our ways? It means to live by his Word in every circumstance, in every place we find ourselves.
A father and son were traveling to a city in a far country. The journey would take several days. As they walked over mountain passes and through forests, the boy wanted to explore things. They would enter a meadow, and the boy would want to run to the other side. If they passed a rock outcropping the boy would beg his dad to let him climb it. The boy got bolder and bolder as they journeyed. One day he wanted to go a greater distance off the road that he had ventured. The father agreed that he could, but as the boy started off, he felt a tinge of fear. He asked, "How can I know if I've wandered too far away, Father?
The father smiled and answered, "I'll call your name every few minutes and you answer. You call my name every few minutes, and I'll answer. If you get to a place where you can't hear my voice very well, you've wandered too far.
That is what it looks like to acknowledge the Lord in all of our ways. It is a picture of prayer and the Word of God--his voice calling to us, and our voice calling to him.
Prayer-O dear Father! Speak, for I am listening. And hear me when I pray. Make my paths straight and my life mature.
With all of that said, I am learning that the Lord is still working in my life to mature me in Him. Yes he has grown me up so much these past 40 years since I received him as my Savior at age 7, but he still isn't through with me. The trails, circumstances and crooked paths that I have been experiencing and even rebelling against at times, have been the one thing that the Lord is using to make my paths straight and mature me in Him.
My prayer for each of you is that the Lord is maturing you day by day. That He is taking the trials and circumstances of your life to make your paths straight so that you run to Him and Him alone.
Blessings!
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
These Things Remain...
Hi~
This weekend I attended a Women's conference with a dear friend of mine.
The conference was entitled Spaghetti for the Soul. I wasn't sure just what to expect but I knew if Kathy Troccoli was on the list of speakers, I would at least enjoy her music. She is one of my favorite Christian artists because she writes her songs from the depths of her being.
I had never heard of Ellie Lafaro before, but the moment she began speaking she had my attention. She opened by saying "I don't know why you came here today." You may have been a capital C christian for along time, but I hope you will go home today challenged and encouraged." That really got my attention. So many times when you have walked with the Lord for as long as I have you wonder if you have heard it all at women's conferences. O I knew I would laugh! How could I keep from it as these two Italian born women bantered back and forth from everything from Child Birth to Menopause!! Very funny stuff!! I was ROFL (Rolling on the floor laughing) actually I was sitting on my chair trying not to roll of onto the floor laughing!!
But when the laughing ceased and the Word of the Lord was presented, the Holy Spirit took over and began showing me why I had left home for a day away from the pressures of life and ministry. The Lord once again wanted to speak to my heart. One of the fist things the Holy Spirit said to me was "Don't let where I am today, be where I stay."
When my life is said and done, How do I want to be remember? A loving wife, a great mom, a caring mentor... All those things would be wonderful but scripture tells me that only three things will remain and that is Faith, Hope and Love.
You see faith is rooted in the past. I need to look back and see what the Lord has done. I need to tell the storm I am facing right now, how big My God is! Christ gives me the faith I need daily and all I have to do is receive it from him. Romans 1:17 tells me that the righteous live by faith. Faith is necessary to walk with the Lord, because without it, it is impossible to please him. (Hebrews 11:6) Faith, saved me, it gives me peace and it helps me to persevere and grow when I am led into the valleys in my life. Do I want to be remembered as those Bible saints of Hebrews chapter 11? YES I DO!!!!!!
Hope is our future! It is what God will do! Did you know that Hope has a name. His name is Jesus! All the things that seem to bind me up here on earth I should consider as grave clothes and they need to come off so I can live in freedom. Someday they will!!! That is my hope!!! Hope never leaves! My earthly view is to have the Fairy Tale in life, but Jesus is the only one who can satisfy. I was made for another world!! Often I interpret pain as the absence of God working in my life. He is never closer than when I feel pain. God is writing my story and sometimes I am slamming the book on His hands. Feelings and Circumstances don't make his promises null and void! Until we admit that we are stuck! He can't change us. The question is "What do I think that Christ won't give me"? I need to hold onto hope! This is my responsibility. God never wastes our pain. God will use my story and orchestrate my pain for His Glory!!! You see that Christ in me is the Hope of Glory!
God's love is infinite, eternal and secure! Most of us were raised I love you if.... Or I will love you when... His love is not like earthy love. Part of our loving God is that we should be expectant of what the Lord is going to do in our lives. He loves me!!!! The speaker said we should get out of bed praising God and saying, "Lord I am reporting to duty today." That is the great legacy we have in the cross that as Christians we can ask the Lord to show us how and what to do each step of this journey of life. We need to love ourselves as God see us. God values each and every life. Because he loves me. I need to engage in the culture he has placed me. The speaker challenged us that if everyone in your circle of influence is a Christian, then you are not engaging the world the Lord wants us to win for him. Really made me look at who in my life is not a believer and how I can be a better influence for Christ to them. She also challenged me that every believer needs a Paul in their life. Someone who has mentored you. I can say I cherish the Paul's the Lord has placed in my life. One is a second mother to me, the other has been a godly example of a Pastor's wife and the third Paul in my life taught me so much in the area of prayer. The speaker also challenged me that we should always have a Timothy in our lives. Someone who you are mentoring. I am so glad the Lord has provided and continues to provide young adults who I can poor my life into, sharing how the Lord has been with me as I have grown up in the faith. You may be saying, but.... Remember God qualifies the call. I don't have to worry about all the logistics, I have to just be available. I need to Love others as Christ would. I was challenged by this chiastic structure (those of you who have studied the Beth Moore's Esther Study will understand) You can give without loving but you can't love without giving! What can I do for others who cannot repay me!
This weekend I attended a Women's conference with a dear friend of mine.
The conference was entitled Spaghetti for the Soul. I wasn't sure just what to expect but I knew if Kathy Troccoli was on the list of speakers, I would at least enjoy her music. She is one of my favorite Christian artists because she writes her songs from the depths of her being.
I had never heard of Ellie Lafaro before, but the moment she began speaking she had my attention. She opened by saying "I don't know why you came here today." You may have been a capital C christian for along time, but I hope you will go home today challenged and encouraged." That really got my attention. So many times when you have walked with the Lord for as long as I have you wonder if you have heard it all at women's conferences. O I knew I would laugh! How could I keep from it as these two Italian born women bantered back and forth from everything from Child Birth to Menopause!! Very funny stuff!! I was ROFL (Rolling on the floor laughing) actually I was sitting on my chair trying not to roll of onto the floor laughing!!
But when the laughing ceased and the Word of the Lord was presented, the Holy Spirit took over and began showing me why I had left home for a day away from the pressures of life and ministry. The Lord once again wanted to speak to my heart. One of the fist things the Holy Spirit said to me was "Don't let where I am today, be where I stay."
When my life is said and done, How do I want to be remember? A loving wife, a great mom, a caring mentor... All those things would be wonderful but scripture tells me that only three things will remain and that is Faith, Hope and Love.
You see faith is rooted in the past. I need to look back and see what the Lord has done. I need to tell the storm I am facing right now, how big My God is! Christ gives me the faith I need daily and all I have to do is receive it from him. Romans 1:17 tells me that the righteous live by faith. Faith is necessary to walk with the Lord, because without it, it is impossible to please him. (Hebrews 11:6) Faith, saved me, it gives me peace and it helps me to persevere and grow when I am led into the valleys in my life. Do I want to be remembered as those Bible saints of Hebrews chapter 11? YES I DO!!!!!!
Hope is our future! It is what God will do! Did you know that Hope has a name. His name is Jesus! All the things that seem to bind me up here on earth I should consider as grave clothes and they need to come off so I can live in freedom. Someday they will!!! That is my hope!!! Hope never leaves! My earthly view is to have the Fairy Tale in life, but Jesus is the only one who can satisfy. I was made for another world!! Often I interpret pain as the absence of God working in my life. He is never closer than when I feel pain. God is writing my story and sometimes I am slamming the book on His hands. Feelings and Circumstances don't make his promises null and void! Until we admit that we are stuck! He can't change us. The question is "What do I think that Christ won't give me"? I need to hold onto hope! This is my responsibility. God never wastes our pain. God will use my story and orchestrate my pain for His Glory!!! You see that Christ in me is the Hope of Glory!
God's love is infinite, eternal and secure! Most of us were raised I love you if.... Or I will love you when... His love is not like earthy love. Part of our loving God is that we should be expectant of what the Lord is going to do in our lives. He loves me!!!! The speaker said we should get out of bed praising God and saying, "Lord I am reporting to duty today." That is the great legacy we have in the cross that as Christians we can ask the Lord to show us how and what to do each step of this journey of life. We need to love ourselves as God see us. God values each and every life. Because he loves me. I need to engage in the culture he has placed me. The speaker challenged us that if everyone in your circle of influence is a Christian, then you are not engaging the world the Lord wants us to win for him. Really made me look at who in my life is not a believer and how I can be a better influence for Christ to them. She also challenged me that every believer needs a Paul in their life. Someone who has mentored you. I can say I cherish the Paul's the Lord has placed in my life. One is a second mother to me, the other has been a godly example of a Pastor's wife and the third Paul in my life taught me so much in the area of prayer. The speaker also challenged me that we should always have a Timothy in our lives. Someone who you are mentoring. I am so glad the Lord has provided and continues to provide young adults who I can poor my life into, sharing how the Lord has been with me as I have grown up in the faith. You may be saying, but.... Remember God qualifies the call. I don't have to worry about all the logistics, I have to just be available. I need to Love others as Christ would. I was challenged by this chiastic structure (those of you who have studied the Beth Moore's Esther Study will understand) You can give without loving but you can't love without giving! What can I do for others who cannot repay me!
We ended the day with the challenge of God's love for us. God has a gracious love. God has a victorious love. We must be filling up daily on God's word. That is how we will know that God Love us. It is written as a love story in His book the Bible. The speaker asked "What are we eating on?" I must contineu to be a woman of the Word!
I have written all of this to say I am so glad that I took the time to attend this conference. As much as I just wanted to go and get away from the busyness that so often overtakes me, and to be with friend and mentor of in my life, the Lord took me away for the day so that I would listen to His voice and to refocus my thoughts on Him and the things that really matter and will last for eternity. Faith, Hope and Love.
I am praying that the Lord will speak to each of you and show you His wonderful, but sometimes painful and challenging story that He is writing on your life.
Blessings,
Deb
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
