October 21, 2011 Having a Good Day?

October 21, 2011 Having a Good Day?


Psalm 37:4 Delight thyself also in the LORD; and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

I Peter 1:7-8 That the trial of your faith , being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried by fire, might be found to the praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ; Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now for season ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.

• Psalm 37: 4 anag: delight - to be soft, be delicate, be dainty; a) (Pual) to be delicate; b) (Hithpael); 1) to be of dainty habit, be pampered; 2) to be happy about, take exquisite delight; 3) to make merry over, make sport of

• I Peter 1:8: agalliao: rejoice - to exult, rejoice exceedingly, be exceeding glad

Maybe it's the fall weather, a lot of heavy skies filled with leaden clouds (here in Northeastern PA we are headed toward the rainiest year on record), but when I read this verse in Psalm 37:4, I hit a wall of sorts. Day before yesterday I asked a student how she was, and she said, "Not very well, kind of depressed, and maybe it was all the clouds. She really did say that.

But it made me think about the quality of our lives. God's desire is that we live delighting in Him or rejoicing with joy, and honestly, I don't see a lot of that going around. Instead, it seems that people find it so much easier, even socially easier, to talk about how tough it is or how much they have to do or worry about or... you get the idea.

I just asked someone if they were enjoying their pregnancy and they looked at me like I was speaking Greek. Pregnancy is such a beautiful miracle, the privilege of "growing" a baby in your body, having the child of the man you love, that I don't understand how you would not enjoy it. Now, I do know that there are hard moments, but my word, what a gift God has given us to have a child, especially when you think of all of those women (15% of those who want a child) cannot have one.

I met another friend in the hall with her toddler and it was all about how exhausting it was. It made me sad because this is such a beautiful, healthy and normal little one. I say all those things because of so many women who are called to parent children who aren't. I challenged her to enjoy this little one because there will always be challenges to all the ages of our children, and honestly, the ones you face with little ones may well be much easier than the ones you face as they grow older.

All of those events made me wonder how we make God feel with all our whining and complaining and lack of appreciation of what God had blessed us with: first of all, salvation, and hope, and a future which grants us peace today, and then there is meaning for our lives because He has given us a place in the Body that is so significant the body is wounded when we walk away from that place. And we haven't even considered our health, sight, hearing, ability to walk and communicate, relationships, roof over our heads, closet full of clothing, and for most of us reading this, the freedom to worship as we wish.

Have we forgotten to or how to rejoice or delight? Is it something for little kids on their birthdays or Christmas or when we win something? I wonder what kid of day we could give God if we rehearsed what we have in Him, and then allowed ourselves to rejoice in that, to actually feel the joy and thrill of being His?

October 20, 2011 He's Listening!

Nehemiah 2: 12b I didn't tell anyone what My God had laid on my heart to do for Jerusalem.

                2:18 I told them how the gracious hand of God had been on me...

                2:20 I gave them this reply, "The God of heaven is the One who will grant us success...

I have been praying specifically for God's guidance as to what He wanted me to do, as Nehemiah did,  both in the immediate future and in the long-term - maybe a few years away. God does answer prayer; yes, He does. Sometimes you have to wait for an answer, and God uses even the waiting as a way to shape us and the answer. Sometimes you do get an immediate answer, and sometimes I think, the answer comes in two parts, an assurance of His presence immediately, and the promise that He will never leave us nor forsake us, all of that before the specific request is answered. The implication for me is that though the answer will come, we may not recognize it right away because of the other things God is doing in our lives...sometimes as significant as drawing us back to His side, reminding us of Who actually is in control.

Anyway, each fall I usually tackle a writing project that becomes part of my family Christmas presents, much like someone who knits might give away sweaters or mittens that she had handcrafted. So I started praying about it, and God laid something particular on my heart, a writing project about how God pursues us. (On a side note, I will be looking for personal stories where someone has recognized God's pursuit in their lives.)

As I have worked on it, God has reminded me of how many times He intervened in my life, to show us the way, to protect us, and even to use us which brings me to the relevance of the Scripture above. And I have to say that I love looking at familiar passages in a new light, looking to see what God might be saying that I haven't recognized before.

I think of Nehemiah's words in verse 12, what he doesn't say, but what is implied. He and God have been chatting and regularly I think. He recognized God's voice and the burden he felt for Jerusalem as a clear call of God to a particular cause.

Then he told them about his God, how kind and merciful and generous (all things that make up graciousness). Have you ever felt so full, so aware of the goodness of God that you wanted to tell everyone? That was Nehemiah. Today our church is observing a Day of Prayer. Over the last couple of weeks we were invited to sign up to pray at specific times during the day, so all the hours of the day would be covered. And a tent was set up in the parking lot so people could easily park and spend time in prayer. Anyway, afterwards, that's how I felt, full of the presence of God and like I wanted to tell people about it - like you.

Finally Nehemiah writes of his recognition that God will give them success. I cannot tell you the comfort that was to me today - a recognition that the success of my projects, specific things that I believe God has called me to, is possible...assured even, as I am faithful to this mission, and that's what I think it is - a mission God has called me to, just as you are called to different missions.

The beauty of God's Word- this passage written about 2500 years ago, and just as fresh and relevant and useful to God and me as it was when Nehemiah penned it.

October 18, Taking God for Granted

Jeremiah 29:11-13 I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me.

I guess the first thing I need to say is that really, even though I haven't posted here I have continued to be in conversation with God, both the listening and the speaking sides of that conversation. I just likened it to texting to a student - I was talking to her about how God has texted us (non-literal translation here) and He wants us to text Him back ( what we do when we pray.) But these last two weeks have been really full. First with Bible conference, and then four medically related appointments - an x-ray and MRI - cortisone shot in the knee and probably surgery, finals week in my online class with attendant grading, and life as it relates to having college students life with us. OH, and the readying of my next online class which begins next week.

Anyway, now to some challenges that God has brought my way. I met with a student this week (we've been meeting for a couple of weeks) and when I asked her about how often she talked to God, she said, "Hmm, not so much." I was stunned. Students often tell me they have trouble reading their Bibles but they pray a lot. As I asked the next question, she told me maybe she prayed when she was really stressed, but not really otherwise. When I asked her about the reading of her Bible, quiet time she called it, not so much either.

I was stunned - she is a Bible College student who told me that she "asked Jesus into her heart" when she was seven, and grew up in a Christian home. How does this happen? Did she pray a prayer because her mother, after a fashion, talked her into it? Did her mother feeling secure, now that her daughter was "going to heaven" feel like her job was done? Did the church or Sunday School teachers feel like the lesson was enough? So did she learn to take the Father's love for granted? Do we?

Brennan Manning said, "When the Father's love is taken for granted, we paint Him into a corner and rob Him of the opportunity to love us in new and surprising ways."

I reminder her that God was a Person, that He had feelings, and that He loved her. He wanted to hear from her and He wanted her to listen to Him. But we have to look for or seek God. If we just take Him for granted, pulling Him out when the stress gets overwhelming, what have we done to our own quality of life. God has good plans for us, and for my student, and now it is my responsibility and opportunity to help her learn that, to introduce her to what it really means to "have Jesus in her heart."

I guess my thoughts right now all revolve around how may young people are like her, looking good, not in serious sin, just putting in their time, and missing the best.  Because of whose fault?

October 5, 2011 Not your ordinary prayer request!!

Colossians 1:9-12 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask 1. that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that  a. you may walk worthy of the Lord, to b. please Him in all respects, c. bearing fruit in every good work and d. increasing in the knowledge of God; (so we would be) e. strengthened with all power according to His glorious might, for the f. attaining of all steadfastness and patience;  g. joyously giving thanks to the Father who has qualified us to h. share in the inheritance of the saints in the light.

How many times have you prayed that God would heal someone, guide someone in decision making, bless someone, maybe even keep someone from sin, or even be with someone?

OK, the last one is a pet peeve of mine - because if the person is a believer God is there. According to Colossians 2:9-10," In Christ the fullness of God lies in a human body, and you are complete through your union with Christ." I don't know how much closer God can be than that - in union with the believer. But that is not the point of this discussion.

The point is that I, and I mean me, pray too often almost in cliches, saying or asking God to do that which He does by His nature - He is good and He does all things well, and for the good of those who love God and are the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Still, we are constrained to pray - to give thanks, to bring our requests and petitions to God, and here Paul gives us a way to pray very specifically. As I rehearse this prayer, I also get an idea of what God wants for me.

He wants me to walk in way that shows I am aware of the price Christ paid to redeem me from my sin - walking worthy of the Lord. He wants me to please Him in all respects - all the choices I make, from what I eat, how I dress, where I go, what I watch, and everything I say. It matters to Him; it affects how He feels. Pleasing implies the giving of pleasure and the failure to do so - which is to cause pain.

He wants me to bear fruit in every good work - do things that matter, spending my time and energy doing things that have good consequences. And since increasing in the knowledge of God faces the good work thing, I wonder if God and Paul consider what we do to increase in the knowledge of God "a good work."

The result of all the things Paul prayed for was for the Colossians and for us, that we should be strengthened by them, we should grown in patience and demonstration of inner joy and the future hope we share with other believers.

I cannot help but wonder what would happen if we would put that passage on paper, carry it around with us so that we would remember to pray in this way, not just for others but for ourselves as well.

October 3, 2011 My Best Friend

October 3, 2011 My Best Friend


Philippians 4:6-7 Don't worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful that the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

I don't mean to be in any way disrespectful but this verse brought this image to mind, and I can tell you why.

When I was a tiny girl, before actually I can remember, our family had a collie who functioned as my baby sitter, or so I am told. And I must say, there are photos to prove it. My parents or big sister could lay me on a blanket in the yard, and our dog would guard me - nudging me back on the blanket if I rolled off, and fiercely protecting me from anyone who might threaten me. That dog was my best friend even before I knew about best friends. And not only did he keep me from fear, but he gave peace to my family.

In this image, you see a baby at absolute peace sleeping on this much larger dog. I am not seeing God disrespectfully here, but this we can have the same peace illustrated in this photo. We are invited in this passage to go to the One who longs to give us peace and who will listen to all of our joys and woes, never leaving us. Just as the baby can rest on this dog and have no worries, we can rest in God.

God is our best friend in an even greater way than a dog is man's best friend. I wonder how many of us have poured out our hearts to our dog, cried into their necks, and felt better, especially after our dog licked away our tears.

But God not only can listen, wants to listen, He is able to do something about our needs. He longs to be our best friend - to listen to us, our deepest secrets and regrets and pour peace out on us. Our dog may make a good listener, but God listens and responds in a way that is for our good. Human friends and even animal friends will fail us. But God will not, ever!!

September 29, 2011 Who's in Charge?

Eph. 5:18-20 Don't be drunk with wine because that will ruin your life. Instead, let the Holy Spirit fill and control you. Then you will sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, making music to the Lord in your hearts. And you will always give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Eph. 6: 18 Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit.

I love the illustration and the way Paul uses it in Ephesians 5:18 because it is so clear. There are few people who have not seen someone under the influence or control of some kind of alcohol. That individual no longer has any restraints; it is though there is a disconnect between the brain and the body - a message of do whatever is before you to do without regard to the consequences is now in control.

Paul then talks about the Spirit's control, having shown us what control looks like. Wine controls and leads the individual to one end; the Spirit of God leads in the opposite direction. When wine is in control, we draw attention to and make fools of ourselves. When the Spirit of God is in control, we draw attention to God and glorify Him through our behavior.

The singing of psalms and hymns, and even choruses today, will be the natural by-product of intimacy with the Spirit. The awareness of the goodness and kindness and mercy of God will so rule our lives, that we will naturally be a people of thanksgiving.

Paul goes on to talk further of the Spirit, encouraging us to pray in the power of the Spirit always. I love the way Cheri Fuller puts it in Praying Through the Bible. Our eternal destiny is to corporately and individually be the place where the Spirit dwells and through which he intercedes. God is using every circumstance to help us grasp this truth and to learn to let the "rivers of living water" flow through us."

The challenge for me today is to make room for the Spirit to lead; that means getting out of his way. I can either control my life or allow him to, and honestly, it takes time to allow him to control me.   It requires me to get off the merry-go-round or the roller coaster of my own will which takes me thoughtlessly wherever, and own the presence of God. I must indeed "be still and know that He is God" and invite his control.

September 26, 2011 What do they hear?

Eph. 4:29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a words as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, that it may give grace to those who hear. v 20 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Definition of UNWHOLESOME 1 : detrimental to physical, mental, or moral well-being : UNHEALTHY 2 a : CORRUPT, UNSOUND b : offensive to the senses : LOATHSOME Mirriam-Webster Dictionary

Boy, the word unwholesome covers a lot of territory, doesn't it? Detrimental to the body, the mind and the morals or ethics! Paul is here encouraging or admonishing the Ephesians, and by extension us, to be careful about what we say, how we use words. And as I read this, I noticed something - it says "that it may give grace to those who hear."

Did you ever notice the difference between hearing and listening? I didn't until I was learning French and the words ecouter and etendre. One means to hear - like to hear a sound. The other has the sense of paying attention to the sound - listen, more than just noticing a noise.

Have you ever heard something you were not listening for or to? Perhaps it was a parent, shall we say, communicating with a child at the grocery store, and the child communicating back. Maybe it was someone sitting behind you in church, or near you in a store, even in a waiting room somewhere. You heard words that, though not meant for your ears, still offended or hurt or discouraged you. That's what this verse is talking about.

We are to speak in such a way that we not only grace the person who is listening to us, to whom we speak, but those who may hear our words, even accidentally. The ones who hear words out of context, but who nonetheless are affected by them.

All of these makes me think of the "private jokes" we participate in where some are not included in the inside story, and feel left out, and are thus hurt or offended. Or the times when we indulge ourselves and say out loud what we are thinking without thinking about how it might affect those around us.

Words are powerful, to encourage and to discourage, and God expects only the first from us. We cannot forget the words that follow the admonition to use our words wisely, "Do not grieve the Holy Spirit." God notices what we do with our words, and not only can we hurt or offend other people, but we sadden God when He sees us act so thoughtlessly, misrepresenting who He is and who we are...as His children.