Help Me Find It

It's Thanksgiving morning and while I'm preparing food to share with friends and family, I am listening to some of my favorite songs saved on a YouTube channel several years ago. Listening to these songs brings back memories, but one in particular just reminded me of God's sovereignty, His loyal love, and infinite kindness to me.

Help Me Find It is a song by a group called Sidewalk Prophets.When this song was first released on the radio, I remember listening to the lyrics and identifying with its message. Perhaps you've been there, too. You're on a path and suddenly the path is closed off and you're not sure where to turn or even why the path was blocked off. Questions abound: What happened? Why? Where do I go now? Lord, was this your plan?

When I found myself in that very position, this song ministered to my soul. I deferred to God and asked Him to show me the path to take.  

Help me find it.

I will trust in You.

Give me peace for the moment.

I will wait for You.

Those days were not easy, living in the unknown. But, leaning on God during those times did help. Each time this song came on the radio, it was another opportunity for me to renew my commitment to wait on God and His plan.

I can now look back on those times and know that God is faithful to His promises. I am ever so thankful that I yielded to God's plan, even in those moments of hurt.

On this day of Thanksgiving, I am grateful to my Heavenly Father for His blessings that often come through those hard times.

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; 

I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. - Psalm 32:8

Pray that the LORD your God will tell us 

where we should go and what we should do. - Jeremiah 42:3

Grateful that God helped me find the right path. 

The End of Another Year

This final week of December is filled with reflection on the past year and anticipation of a new year. The Christmas season is behind us and celebration plans for the new year are in full-swing. Facebook feeds are sprinkled with remembrances of the year. Television programs are doing year-end reviews and reminding us of the top stories of 2014.

photo courtesy of www.incourage.me

Reflection on the past is a good thing. During this past week I was reminded not of something that happened this year, but something that happened exactly three years ago on the 26th of December. In an effort to maintain some privacy I won't share the event on this blog, but I will say that a God-timed moment reminded me of how good He is.

Three years ago I made a decision to take a step out of my comfort zone. What happened after that decision set off a chain of events that, had I known what was coming, I might have opted to hibernate and leave well-enough alone! However, what happened was both wonderful and downright painful. For the record, my decision was morally neutral--neither right or wrong. But it did open me up to some new experiences which grew me up spiritually and emotionally.

This blog was birthed during those difficult days and I chronicled some of the ups and downs right here. Someone once asked me if I could go back and change things, would I do it? My answer then (in the midst of the difficulty) was no. And my answer now is still a resounding NO!


This God-timed moment a few days ago reminded me...

of my FREE WILL, given by God. God doesn't sit up in the sky moving me around like some chess piece on a game board. Sometimes my life would be easier for Him to make those moves for me, but He gives me a sound mind and sense to seek His will and make my own decisions. Whether my choices are good or bad, He still uses my choices to accomplish His will for my life. It's amazing what He can do! 
Genesis 50:20 "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive."


that God has a PLAN for me and it's a good one. I've written about this many times on this blog. Going back to the first point: no matter what I do it's not going to "mess up" my future because God already knows before I do what my choices will be. So even when my life looks messed up beyond belief, I can trust that God has everything all figured out. Will He "fix it" for me? Uh... well, not necessarily. It depends on the situation. I need to take responsibility for my choices and pay the price for whatever my part is in my current situation. But He will be there to walk through it with me. Anyway, God can redeem ANY situation if I seek Him.   
Jeremiah 29:11-14 "For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will restore your fortunes and will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring you back to the place from where I sent you into exile.’"


of God's merciful LOVE. Like any parent who loves a child regardless of their behavior, God loves me even more than that. His forgiveness is there when I seek it. God's mercy and blessings are there for me when I run to Him. 
Lamentations 3:22-23 "The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness."

WAITING on the Lord is never a waste of time. This is a big one! As someone who likes to keep busy, waiting on someone else is not easy for me! But, this is a lesson that the Lord wanted to teach me during this period. Over and over again God reminded me to Be Still and Know that He is God (Ps. 46:10). He wanted me to cease striving and stop trying to be independent. God wanted me to stop trying to be my own god. (gulp) Instead, God kept hammering home this point of "get to know ME and trust ME." It took a lot of time, but that lesson finally took hold. I finally learned to Be Still and to wait and to trust Him. I learned, as Psalm 37:4 said, to delight myself in the Lord and trust Him for the desires of my heart.

Psalm 37:4-7a "Delight yourself in the Lord; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him."

There were many, many lessons learned during these past three years. Waiting on God and trusting Him has been worth it. I've seen God do some amazing things! I expect there to be many new lessons to learn in the coming year as I continue to be His student, the daughter of a King, and His beloved. Here's a toast to the past and to the coming new year! 

 

Difficulty Equals Opportunity

"Every difficulty and every temptation that comes our way,

 if we receive it correctly, is God’s opportunity." 

[Quote from Streams in the Desert: 366 Daily Devotional Readings.] 

I read that quote this morning during my quiet time. Hmmm. Something to think about.

Difficulty = Opportunity. 

Oh yes, I think I'd like to get in line for some of that opportunity--two extra scoops, please! Sorry, my sarcasm is showing. Honestly, difficulty is not something anybody looks forward to.

As I sit here, I'm processing what's already been a difficult week for my family and it doesn't show signs of letting up any time soon. Thankfully, there have also been some wonderful moments this week.

The devotional went on to talk about how David's run-in with a lion was an opportunity for God to show David that God was with him and through God he could face whatever came his way. When these "lions" come into our own lives we should recognize it as an opportunity from the Lord, "no matter how fierce it may outwardly seem."

So it appears that the "lions"we face today help us to face the "Goliaths" of the future. I don't know whether these current difficulties are lions or Goliaths. I suspect they are a little of both. When I've gone through difficulties in the past they sure seemed like Goliaths in the moment they were happening. Then sometime later, when a new difficulty arose, I looked back and thought, "that was nothing compared to now."

Shortly after reading this devotional, I listened to a sermon by Charles Stanley. His message was about having courage in the midst of a difficult time. Funny how the Lord orchestrates these things! He used Paul as an example of someone who had courage to persevere despite many difficulties. One would say he had to Endure (my One Word for the year 2014). Ah-ha! Then the phrase that popped into my head during this message was...

Don't Give Up!

This was a phrase I heard many times during another difficult time. It was always a sweet reminder to have hope in God, to keep praying, to persevere, and most of all to trust God.

I'll end with the following scripture and a link to a favorite song:

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. 

We are perplexed, but not driven to despair.  

We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. 

We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.  

Through suffering, our bodies continue to share 

in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus 

may also be seen in our bodies.
2 Corinthians 4:8

This is my command—be strong and courageous! 

Do not be afraid or discouraged. 

For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

"Don't Give Up" by Calling Glory

Jigsaw Puzzles: God Sees the Big Picture

God is always working behind the scenes.

More often than not, we can't see what God is doing all around us. Sometimes we can't see it because we aren't looking. Other times we can't see it because we aren't meant to see it. Often, it's only much later that we can see what God was doing--how all the pieces of that mixed-up puzzle went together.

My family loved to put together jigsaw puzzles when I was growing up. That activity was an indoor winter sport for us. Someone would pull out a 500 or 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle, place all the pieces on the dining room table, and begin working on it. It was not unusual for a puzzle to sit on the table for days. Frankly, I can't even remember how that impacted dinner! It didn't matter, though. Every member of the family participated in one way or another--even the occasional guest who dropped by. Sometimes we would walk by the puzzle on our way to do something else and be so drawn in that we couldn't walk away until a puzzle piece was picked up and put in the exact spot it was meant to go. Other times, several of us would sit around the table and chat as we searched for the missing pieces. Oh, how the pace picked up when the end was in sight! Did you ever know someone who hid the last piece just so they could be the one to finish the puzzle!!!

I was reflecting on circumstances this week that just didn't seem to have an end in sight or make a lot of sense. The Lord brought to mind events in my past and how He brought things together--little by little--until the puzzle was complete. Prayers were answered, sometimes above and beyond what I imagined and in ways I would not have expected. And many times God had to take me through some frustration in order to get me to and through those times so that He could answer my prayers and accomplish His plan.

Yes, I was able to clearly go back in time (15-20 years) and see how my life was a lot like those family jigsaw puzzle sessions. Little by little, He was (and still is) putting each piece in place. Once in a while it looked like He had forgotten or stopped working on the puzzle. No, He hadn't forgotten. God was faithful to complete that puzzle. It encouraged my heart as I remembered these things and applied them to my current circumstances.

Each phase of life seems to be a puzzle and I'm anxious to see what the big picture will look like when I'm finished. God's not in a hurry, though. It reminds me of Habbakuk who was frustrated that it seemed like God wasn't doing anything. But the Lord replied to him:

"If it seems slow in coming, wait patiently, 

for it will surely take place. 

It will not be delayed (Habakkuk 2:3)."

And Paul reminds us that:

"...we know that God causes everything to work together 

for the good of those who love God and are called 

according to his purpose for them (Romans 8:28)."

Endurance

I've mentioned before on this blog that whenever the Lord is teaching me something and then I write about it, I can usually expect a test to follow. Last week was one of those weeks.

Last week I wrote about praising God through the trials. Uh-huh...I bet you can see where this is headed. Every time I turned around it seemed one more thing was going wrong. Most of the issues ranged from minor to major annoyances such as: frozen/burst water line, pet rescue problems, a family member's health crisis hundreds of miles away, car issues, and work deadlines.

I try to keep things in perspective, though. As far as problems go, these were all manageable even though they were coming at like waves at the seashore--each one got a little larger. I kept my sense of humor early on. I kept praising God in the midst of it and was amazed at how He worked out many details. As the week wore on, the wearieness set in and the fussing. (For those who don't live in the South, fussing is another way to say complaining.) Finally an emotional cry out to God to carry me became necessary. I seriously needed Him to take over in the places where I could no longer do anything but pray and and asked for strength to keep going. I have to say that the problems didn't magically stop, but God was faithful to answer my prayer.

My One Word for 2014: Endurance.

I chose this word shortly after the new year began. Little did I know that I would be applying that so soon! This word comes from a Bible passage that I've come to love.

Hebrews 10:35-36

So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. 
Remember the great reward it brings you!  

Patient endurance is what you need now, 

so that you will continue to do God’s will. 

Then you will receive all that he has promised.

The official definition of endurance is...

::: the ability to do something difficult for a long time
::: the ability to deal with pain or suffering that continues for a long time

As I look back at where I've been and forward to the year ahead of me, I believe endurance will be required. Here we go into 2014!

The Maze of My Life

This is the longest I've gone without posting something on my blog. I've taken short breaks before, but those were intentional. I've had a few blog ideas and even started one, but haven't had the time to really flesh it out. So, it just sits here. Frankly, there's probably not that many people who regularly keep up with it anyway. But, today I'll just do a little stream of consciousness writing instead. So the writing may be a little different.

Life--the maze of my life--has gotten a bit crazy lately. I won't go into the details here. Those closest to me know what some of those details are and that's enough. Suffice it to say, I've had some challenging days in the past few months.

When I first chose this blog name, I thought it was kind of a cute word play. But, life is often a series of mazes. Mazes are places that force you from one end to the other. Sometimes you find yourself crossing the same path time and time again. Other times it looks as if you've finally found the way out only to discover that you've run into a dead end. I hear people have gotten lost in corn mazes. Put a mouse in a maze and it sniffs its way to the end where there's a reward for him.

The only thing that remains constant through it all is Jesus. I may not see Him with my eyes, but He's there in the maze with me. John chapter 16 tells the account of Jesus talking to the disciples before the crucifixion. Jesus reassures them and tells them not to be afraid when He had to leave because the Holy Spirit would be here for us. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, our "come alongside."

If we believe Jesus to be our Savior, when the road gets tough and the path is dark, we have someone alongside us to show us the way.

I'll leave with a few verses of Scripture...

Proverbs 3:6
Seek his will in all you do,
    and he will show you which path to take. (NLT)


Isaiah 45:2
I will go before you
    and will level the mountains;
I will break down gates of bronze
    and cut through bars of iron. 


Exodus 43:14
The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 

The Week in Review: Faith Testing

I try to stay consistent about posting on this blog even if it's only once a week. Last week was different. It's not that God wasn't teaching me anything--au contraire! Sometimes it's better for me to "Be Still" and just listen rather than write.

The past few weeks have been challenging in many ways. I won't go into all the details, but suffice it to say that we all have seasons in our lives that push us out of our comfort zones and stretch us in the faith department.

This morning I was working on a Bible study about faith and immediately realized that God used some of the events of the past few weeks to stretch me in the faith department. I wish I could say that I got an A+. Not even close! I had good moments and bad moments. There were times when I reacted to circumstances through my flesh by saying or doing things that were not so Christ-like. And then I had some Spirit-filled moments when I desperately prayed for God's help and turned to Scripture.

As I look back over the week, I can see that those moments when I turned to God and the Word were some of the most peace-filled moments of the week. Did my circumstances get better? No. Not really. But, I did feel peace that passed all understanding...

And the peace of God, 

which surpasses all comprehension, 

will guard your hearts 

and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 4:7

...and when I did go to God and Scripture first, I found that things fell into place a little better than if I had tried to do things in my own strength.

Fear not, for I am with you; 

be not dismayed, for I am your God; 

I will strengthen you, I will help you, 

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10

There's one other thing I learned this morning about my faith: It's been getting stronger over the years. I can now see how my faith has been shaped by my environment and other people since I was a child. My belief system has been rather limited in the past. My knowledge of Scripture was limited and therefore my knowledge of who God is and what He can do was limited. 

As I've spent more and more time in Scripture, I can see how my perception of who God is has been changing. The God I know right now is not the God I knew 10, 20, or 30 years ago. He's much bigger, He's much more loving, He's much more personal, and He's much more awesome than I would have thought a few decades ago. These are the kinds of things we learn only after spending years getting to know someone.

If you need a faith boost, read the 11th chapter of Hebrews. Faith is the confidence we need when we cannot see anything happening and it is by faith that we trust God, knowing that He is able when we are not.

Wax On, Wax Off

I was watching the 1984 version of The Karate Kid and a spiritual analogy came to mind. Daniel wants to learn to defend himself so he asks Mr. Miyagi to train him in karate. Miyagi finally agrees as long as Daniel agrees not to ask any questions. "No questions," says Miyagi.

"Wax on, wax off" Karate Kid 1984.

Daniel shows up ready for his first karate training session and ends up washing cars instead. This is where that famous "wax on, wax off" scene happens. Daniel is a bit confused, but follows orders. He's trusting Miyagi will get around to the real karate training eventually.

The next day Daniel shows up and is shown how to "sand the floor" which he proceeds to spend the entire day doing. This process continues day after day with similar chores of "paint the fence" and "paint the house." By this time, a very patient Daniel is finally getting worn out, frustrated, feeling used, and is ready to go back on his promise of "no questions."

Daniel gets angry with Miyagi and is ready to give up and walk away. Miyagi says, "Ah, not everything is as seems."

What Daniel did not understand was that all the chores he was doing which seemed like busywork, was really his training. During this time Daniel was learning to trust his teacher, he was learning to focus, he was building up strength and skills in his arms. Miyagi's method of teaching was vastly different than the training the other boys at the dojo were getting.

Have you picked up on the spiritual analogy already? Sometimes we ask God for something--a ministry, a new job, a family--and then we find ourselves a million miles away from what we had in mind. Now, we'll assume that whatever we've prayed for is something good, legal, moral, and fits in God's overall plan for our lives. If that's true then it's entirely possible that God will give us that ministry, job, family at some point in the future. However, while we may think we're ready to tackle that dream now, God knows better so He puts us through some training.

In this training time God asks us to trust Him implicitly. We must rest our faith in whatever God is asking us to do right now. And, unlike Miyagi, God doesn't mind if we ask questions (and He's patient when we do!).

We may be waxing cars or painting fences and somehow all of that just may translate into an answer to our prayers later. Ah, not everything is as seems.

Hmmm. Just something to ponder next time we feel as if what we're doing now doesn't really matter.

For we walk by faith, not by sight. ~ 2 Corinthians 5.7

Waiting, Waiting, and Waiting Some More

I've posted about the topic of waiting several times in the past. If you've ever noticed my "topic cloud" on the right side of this blog page, the topics I've written about most often appear much larger than others. The subject of waiting is not in the top five, but it's definitely been visited a lot on this blog. And, if you're curious about those other posts, here's a link to them: Waiting.

I've been trying to think of something to write about for the past few days. I've listened to some great sermons, read some very interesting devotionals and blogs. However, the thing that is uppermost in my mind is this topic of waiting. As a matter of fact, I went back to a book that I read last year on this topic. It's called Waiting On God by Cherie Hill. I've marked it up quite a bit and went back to read the highlighted portions. I was in need of some encouragement and it helped. (There's a link here directly to the book if you're curious about it.)

Then today I was checking Twitter during my lunch hour and saw a tweet from a fellow writer that really got my attention. It was "I'm Tired of Being Single." Dun-dun-dun!!! GASP! That's exactly why I was tired of waiting. Tired of waiting for a mate. Tired of being alone. Just tired of it all--plain and simple. [I included a link above if you'd like to read his article.]  That article pretty much sums up my feelings.

I'm a very patient person. Seriously! Once I got out of my teen years, I managed to live and wait three decades for a mate. THREE DECADES! And I'm still waiting as I enter decade #FOUR.

Now, before you think I'm just ranting and raving like a lunatic (she's lost her mind and we'd better have an intervention), I'm mostly okay with the waiting. I mean, I have a good--very blessed--life. I have wonderful friends and family. I have meaningful work and hobbies. I do my best to glorify God in whatever I do. The key here is the word mostly.  I do have days--sometimes weeks--in which I'm not really okay with the waiting.

I do understand that "the other side" is not a bed of roses and won't be the answer to all my problems. Life doesn't suddenly get better simply because of a relationship. In fact, it probably gets much more complicated. None of that still takes away that desire to share your life with someone who's closer than a roommate or good friend.

So I continue to wait on God's best for me. I wait for God's timing. And I pop the waiting Bible verses like tic-tacs after a spicy meal. Yes, I've got a list. And then I devour books like Cherie Hill's. In parting, I want to share a few of her thoughts on waiting:

"While you’re waiting, God wants you praying, 

drawing nearer to Him, and resting in the peace 

that He provides in the midst of a raging storm. 

As you wait, God strengthens you because you begin 

to realize that God IS at work . . . He’s growing 

your faith and He’s purifying your heart. And faith

is rarely grown with anything other than 

overwhelming circumstances, and typically not 

found in any place other than the 'waiting place.'"
~ Cherie Hill

"You can’t say that you’re praying for God’s will 

and trusting in His timing if you’re not willing 

to 'wait.'"  ~ Cherie Hill

This is a paraphrase of one of her thoughts: The waiting place is where God tests our faith. But, we can know that God will not leave us in that waiting place any longer than absolutely necessary to accomplish His purposes. 

"...no eye has seen a God like you,
    who works for those who wait for him!"

 Isaiah 64:4b

Just being real...

Wordy Wednesday

This is my command--be strong and corageous! 

Do not be afraid or discouraged. 

For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.

This verse in the book of Joshua has become one of my favorite verses. Maybe it's because the Lord puts this verse in my path every so often--particularly when I really need the reminder.

I heard someone wise say that when God keeps telling you something over and over, it's not because He's forgotten what he's said. It's because He's trying to remind you or teach you something. So, whenever the same Bible verse keeps popping up over and over--I take note.

Is there a Bible verse that has become your favorite this way?

Wordy Wednesday

I have fought the good fight, 

I have finished the race, 

I have kept the faith. 

Finally, there is laid up for me

the crown of righteousness, 

which the Lord, the righteous Judge, 

will give to me on that Day, 

and not to me only but also to 

all who have loved His appearing.  

~ 2 Timothy 4:7-9

I saw this quote and thought I'd do a little twist to my typical Wordy Wednesday post. While there's nothing religious about this quote, there is a lot of spiritual life application to be gleaned. It did make me think of several Bible verses.

Life does have a tendency to throw us curve balls. Anyone who has played or followed baseball knows that a good hitter will be patient and wait for the right pitch to come. That patience comes from maturity and carefully observing the pitcher as he throws to other batters. A good batter will also foul off the pitches in order to stay in that batter's box as long as he can. So the batter patiently endures, battling to stay in that batter's box as long as he can. When that right pitch does finally come along, an experienced batter will take his swing and be ready to run. 

As believers, we are often placed in that position of waiting patiently all the while battling those knuckle balls, the curve balls, and the 95 mile-per-hour hanging sliders that come our way. We battle away against things the enemy throws at us. We need to be dilligent to study the "pitcher" and to patiently endure until that "perfect pitch" comes along. When it does, we need to be ready to take that swing and run. We need to keep watch for those opportunities that God provides in our lives. If we have our eyes closed, we'll miss the pitch. And in the end we will find that crown of righteousness.

Let's fight that good fight of faith!

Patient Endurance

"When you come to a mountain you can do one of two things: You can go around it or you can go over it. The first way is the easiest, but you'll miss the view from the top." (Quote from The Waltons)

There is a mountain of wisdom in that quote. I was watching an episode of The Waltons when the older brother (Jason) was giving this piece of advice to his younger brother (Jim Bob). The younger of the two was trying to avoid a path that his life was taking. The path he was avoiding would take him out of his comfort zone and prove to be challenging. It would have been so much easier to avoid the challenging path, but in the end he would not have discovered all that he could accomplish. He rose to the challenge and exceeded his own expectations--and that of friends and family.

Sometimes life gets tedious and sometimes it's treacherous.

The tedious path of life is often quiet. Those are the times when I'm just putting one foot in front of the other on level ground. For the most part it's not very exciting. It's often predictable, but it's safe.   

The treacherous path is challenging. Effort is required to take this path. I may stumble on this path, get out of breath, or look at what's ahead and just become flat-out intimidated. It's unpredictable. Safe?? Hard to say.

Both paths are profitable. The tedious path produces endurance so that we can go the distance. The treacherous path calls upon that endurance to help us climb that mountain. It also makes our senses more keen to notice the path we're walking on so that we're carefully climbing.

If we try to climb a mountain without putting in the endurance training, we might not make it up that mountain or be so incredibly worn out when we get there that we miss the view at the top. If we avoid climbing mountains altogether, we'll definitely miss the breathtaking view from the top.

Usually I'm writing about things I'm learning so why am I talking about mountains? Lately I've been on that predictable, sometimes tedious path. Each day looks about the same as the other--with a few exceptions here and there. It's pleasant, but I keep thinking there should be more.  Then I started getting the feeling that God has a mountain for me to climb. I wasn't ready for that mountain so I decided to keep circling it instead. However, the Lord patiently reminds me that I need to begin taking steps onto that mountain. Thankfully, I don't have to climb it all in one day. Just a little at a time.

The first way is the easiest, but I don't really want to miss the view from the top. And, as I've been constantly reminded lately... If God is leading, then He's also equipping.

"So do not throw away this 

confident trust in the Lord. 

Remember the great reward it brings you!  

Patient endurance is what you need now, 

so that you will continue to do God’s will. 

Then you will receive all that he has promised."

-Hebrews 10:35-36 

What Are You Trusting In?

"What are you trusting in that makes you so confident?"

Those were the words spoken by the Assyrians standing just outside the city of Judah (2 Kings 18:19-24). This may be ancient history, but there is modern day application to this story. The Assyrians had already conquered nearby Samaria. Now they were standing outside the city of Judah politely, but firmly requesting that King Hezekiah surrender.

Typically we think of conquerors as those who storm the gates. They shoot first and ask questions later. But sometimes the enemy stands outside and attempts to use reason to gain control. Why not? If bloodshed can be avoided with a little attack on the mind, give it a try.

King Hezekiah was one of those good guys. He trusted the Lord, obeyed God, and removed pagan shrines in the land. He followed in the footsteps of his ancestor, King David. Consequently, the Lord blessed him. But,the enemy still showed up. Hezekiah tried to smooth over any wrongs his people had done to the Assyrians. He offered reparations of gold and silver. It did no good. The Assyrians weren't interested.

That's when the mind games began. The enemy was standing outside their city walls asking them to surrender. When Hezekiah refused, the Assyrian representative accused them of relying on their own intellect or on another army to rescue them. After Hezekiah refused to surrender, the Assyrian man pulled out all the stops by suggesting that God wanted them to surrender. He implied that God had led them to have Judah surrender because of something they had done.

Here's where the present-day life application comes in. We're cruising along in our lives, trying to follow God's path, being obedient yet not always succeeding. The enemy sneaks up beside us to remind us of those times we've failed and entices us to surrender. He fills our heads with doubt and fear. We try to stand firm in our faith, trusting that the path we're on is the one God want us on. Inside we wonder if he's right...Maybe God did send this circumstance to get me back into His will or to punish me? 

Hezekiah stayed firm in his faith. He prayed rather than responding to those threats (2 Kings 19). The Lord responded by delivering them. In fact, more than 100,000 Assyrians died in their sleep. God stepped in and helped calm their fears and He took care of the enemy. Hezekiah did not trust in his intellect. He did not trust in the strength of his army or Egypt's army. He trusted God.

The enemy seems to be telling me to "throw in the towel," with lies such as: 

The odds of finding a mate at your age are very low. It's time to give up. 

You don't have what it takes to write. There are plenty of writers out there already.

I could go on and on with a laundry list of lies, doubts, and fears. When I hear these, I need to remember to pray and consult the Lord. I need to remember to trust in the God, His promises, and not in anything or anyone else.

What lies are you listening to? Have you consulted the Lord about it?

I'll end with these verses from Psalm 56:1-7.

O God, have mercy on me, for people are hounding me.  

My foes attack me all day long. 

I am constantly hounded by those who slander me, 

and many are boldly attacking me.  

But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. 

I praise God for what he has promised.  

I trust in God, so why should I be afraid?  

What can mere mortals do to me?  

They are always twisting what I say;  

they spend their days plotting to harm me. 

They come together to spy on me— 

watching my every step, eager to kill me.  

Don’t let them get away with their wickedness; 

in your anger, O God, bring them down.

Perspective

"Perspective is never just what you see.

Perspective is how you view

what you see." ~ Tony Evans

From my perspective, things can look distorted or overwhelming or never-ending.

I recently read an interesting example of this: Two mountain climbers looked at the mountain they were about to climb. They spent all day climbing up the mountain. Finally at the top, the exhausted younger climber said to the experienced climber, "We finally made it to the top!" The experienced climber pointed over the other climber's shoulder and said, "No. This is just the top of the first hill. The real mountain is over there."

Life challenges are often like that climbing experience. We're anxious to get to the "end of the road" or the "top of that hill" so that we can see what's on the other side, move on, and enjoy the view from the top. The climb can be exhilarating at times and other times it's simply exhausting. We finally get to what appears to be the top of the mountain only to discover there's still more climbing to be done.

From the climber's perspective, life (problems or the future) can seem impossibly far, unbelievably high, or much too big. God has a different perspective than we do. I've touched on that subject before on this blog. From His sovereign position, God is able to see things from a much different perspective. He can see from the beginning of time to the end; the past and eternity at a glance.

It's hard to imagine that perspective with this human mind. Centuries are like the blink of an eye to God. Gigantic mountains are little more than an ant hill from God's perspective. Evenso, God understands our limitations for understanding this perspective. After all, He came to earth in the human form of Jesus Christ to live among people. Gratefully, He extends mercy to us when we whine and complain about those mountains and long journeys. 

Once again, it seems to boil down to a matter of trust. We have to trust that God knows what He's doing, that He's equipped us for the journey, and that He's right there climbing with us just like that experienced climber in the story. We have to see things from God's perspective and if we cannot see the path before us, we have to trust the Lord to guide us step by step.

"Trusting the Lord means looking 

beyond what we can see to what God sees. 

David won the victory against Goliath—an

experienced, intimidating warrior—because

the young shepherd saw the conflict from the God's perspective." ~ Dr. Charles Stanley

Mount Goliath is intimidating. It's often more than a day's journey. It can stretch into weeks, months, or even years. The climb becomes so tiresome that I'd rather just camp out at the top of the hill I'm already on (or even turn around and go back). After all, the view on this hill isn't so bad. But...

I know God has a better view in mind for me. I have also learned that if I stick close to my Guide, He is more than willing to encourage me the whole way. I couldn't make it up that mountain without Him.

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides

in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, 

for apart from Me you can do nothing. - John 15:5

Be Still and Know Redux

Shortly after I first started this blog (April 2012), I wrote a post called Be Still and Know. During that time I was struggling for answers and upset over a turn of events in my life. As I sought answers from the Lord, He brought up Psalm 46:10 to me, over and over again. Just be still, my daughter, and know that I am God.  The Word provided comfort and peace to my battered soul. It didn't give me the immediate answers I wanted, but apparently answers were not what I needed at the time.

Fast forward to January 2013. The Be Still verses are back. After seeing this same verse pop up several times over the course of a few days, I began to ponder the meaning. My circumstances are much different these days. I'm not distraught or upset. Sure, I can always use a little extra peace in my life--who couldn't!. The Lord has been healing the emotional wounds that I experienced last year. He's also been teaching me much about faith, hope, love, prayer, perseverance, and trust (with an emphasis on the faith and trust portion). So, that left me wondering why I am again seeing these two verses everywhere:

“Be still, and know that I am God!
    I will be honored by every nation.
    I will be honored throughout the world.” 

- Psalm 46:10 (NLT)

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

- Exodus 14:14 (NIV)

I asked the Lord to help me understand. I'm not sure yet that I know the answer, but I am trying to be still and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. He's the best teacher. I do believe that the Lord is reminding me He's in charge--if I let Him be. God also desires to do good things for His children (Ps. 103:2) and He wants to receive the honor and praise. (Psalm 46:10 goes on to say just that.)

The verse before Exodus 14:14 helps me understand the context:

"Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. 

Stand firm and you will see the deliverance

the Lord will bring you today. 

The Egyptians you see today you will never see again."

-Exodus 14:13

 

The Lord was about to deliver His people. Pharaoh and his army were pursuing the Israelites. God wanted to reassure the people to fear not, to stand firm, and watch Him deliver His people from the hands of their enemy. God was about to do something big! The meaning behind Be Still in the 14th verse here is to cut into or inscribe, like a plow. It seems to be saying to dig in and stand firm!

Although the Hebrew word used in Psalm 46:10 for Be Still is different (to let go, relax, cast down), the theme of this Psalm is similar--God is their Help and Deliverer. God is their refuge and their strength so they need not fear. Let go of the worries and trust that God will have their back.

What it boils down to is that no matter what circumstances I (or you) may be in, these verses are sound advice. How this applies to my life at this time remains to be seen. But it is rather interesting to imagine what God may be up to!

A New Year

A little encouragement for all of us as we usher in 2013. 

This verse reminds me of a wonderful song called Press On by Selah. 

If you haven't heard this song, I've included a link to the YouTube song.

Blessings to you all in this coming year.

Coasting Through Life?

Through Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) 
by faith into this grace (state of God’s favor) in which we
[firmly and safely] stand. And let us rejoice and exult
 in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God.

Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph
in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that 
pressure and affliction and hardship 
produce patient and unswerving endurance.

And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character
(approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] 
produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation.

Romans 5:2-4  Amplified Bible (AMP)

I used this AMP translation because of the built-in definitions for illustration.

Suffering produces patience.
Patience produces character.
Character produces hope.

After I read this verse I realized how absolutely true it is. It was as if a lightbulb went off in my mind. That's always how it is when God reveals something to me through scripture. I may have read it before and just glossed right over it. However, this time something about it really resonated with me. I've seen this process unfold in my life over the past year. The pressure put on my life through circumstances produced patience, character, and hope.

It's natural to try and resist pressure. It's uncomfortable. Let's avoid it at all costs. It's much easier to just coast through life. I don't like conflict! But what does coasting produce in my life? Nothing of lasting value. Please don't think I'm talking about rest when I mention coasting. Rest is valuable and necessary. God brings us to places of rest at certain times in our life (Psalm 23:2-3). Coasting means to slide down an incline through the effect of gravity and/or move aimlessly with little effort. Coasting seems to produce spoiled childlike (immature, soft) characteristics. Have you ever been around someone who was spoiled and catered to? Everything seems to be have handed to them with no effort on their part at all. [My mind immediately goes to Nellie Olsen on Little House on the Prairie!] Nobody likes to be around people like that for very long.

Spiritually speaking, coasting through life doesn't make for a mature Christian. One of the purposes of a Christian is to be more Christ-like. To remain immature and be aimless--never experiencing hardships--does not accomplish Christlikeness. A little effort produces stronger faith muscles for endurance. While it seems counterintuitive to rejoice in suffering and hardships, Paul tells us that God is accomplishing great things within us. It's all for His glory and to further His kingdom.