Love

Love...is not self-seeking...keeps no records of wrongs...It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

This verse says that it's not about me and what I can (or should) receive, but what I can give. And so I write this as a wife to my husband, in hopes that all spouses will seek to give this perfect Love.

Not Self-Seeking: Lord, teach me to put my husband's needs first in line. Help me to remember that I have been called to serve my husband, to respect him, and to honor him. Help me to learn about his needs, his dreams, his desires and to seek to help him fulfill those.

No Records of Wrongs: Lord, help me to view my husband through today's eyes. Help me to put the things of the past in the past. Help me not to jump to the conclusion that his actions are based on anything but the man he is today. And Lord, if I do keep any records, let them be only of his accomplishments and growth.

Always Protects: Lord, it is my honor to cover my husband in prayer for protection, and to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, so that I may give my husband wise counsel in all things. Lord, help me to always protect my husband.

Always Trusts: Lord, help me to make my decisions and my conclusions out of trust and truth and not out of fear. Help me to listen to the voice of Truth--the voice of the Holy Spirit.

Always Hopes: Lord, help me to remember that there is always hope--no matter what, there is always hope. As Your Word says, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," (Hebrews 11:1). Because hope turns into faith and faith into actions, let there always be hope.

Always Perseveres: Father, they say when the going gets tough, the tough get going--they persevere. Help me to persevere in all areas, not just a few. "Consider it pure joy, my [sisters] when you face trials 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 anything," (James 1:2-4).

Lord, help me to love like that! Love never fails. ~ 1 Corinthians 13:8

It's All About Me

Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. For you will spread out to the right and to the left...Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. ~ Isaiah 54:2-4

Am I the cause of my current situation? Why don't I have more, give more, live more? Why am I stuck in a $10, $15, $50 per hour job? What holds me back? What keeps me locked in this place?

The answer, I discovered, was simple. The answer is me. God says, "[You] enlarge the place of your tent, [you] stretch your tent curtains wide, [you] do not hold back; [you] lengthen your cords, [you] strengthen your stakes...[you] do not be afraid...[you] do not fear disgrace." God says it's all about and up to you. God has provided it all, but I have to be the one to take the initiative to go after it. I can't wait for it to be done for me; I can't blame someone else. I need to trust God and go for it.

So what holds me back? I think it comes down to what Joyce Meyer refers to as "stinkin' thinkin'." God knew we would struggle with this and that is why He tells us to take our every thought captive, (see 2 Corinthians 10:5). What does that look like? How do you do that?
1) Get familiar with God's Word. If we're not reading, studying, and thinking about God's Word, how will we know if something is found in His Word?
2) Get familiar with God's voice. When you're praying and spending alone time with God, are you doing all the talking, or are you listening, too? Practice listening to God's voice; He's always talking to us, but are we listening?
3) Visualize taking your thoughts captive. Imagine every thought as a piece of paper. When one tries to enter your mind, grab hold of it. Examine it. This is where knowing God's Word and His voice come in handy. As you examine the thought, ask yourself, "Does this sound like something God has said in His Word or has spoken to me?" If so, then allow the thought. If not, throw the paper (thought) down and stomp on it!

So how does this help me to enlarge the place of my tent? Studying God's Word is a double blessing: it teaches you what not to allow and fills your mind with good stuff. As you go deeper and deeper into God's Word, you begin to believe that His promises are true...even for you...even for today! As you begin to believe, you can begin to open up to all that God has for you and when He calls you to enlarge the place of your tent, you will, without question, simply because He said so.

Lord, I pray that you would help us all to fill our minds with your words--help it to be unmistakable and unforgettable, always at the forefront of our minds. Father, I pray that as we study your word, that we would be doubly blessed: that you would both fill our minds and build up our defenses against the enemy's attacks. We know that he comes only to take from us, but you have promised us abundant life. Lord, I pray that all (including me) who read this today would put it into practice, that we'd be filled with your word and we'd begin to enlarge our borders, that we'd begin to see beyond what our physical eyes can see. Lord, I pray these things in Jesus' Name, Amen.

The Precious

Therefore, thus says the Lord, "If you return, then I will restore you--Before Me you will stand. And if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesman. ~Jeremiah 15:19)

There are times in all of our lives that don't make sense, whether it's a disease, a child's wild behavior, a parent's lack of presence, the death of a baby, etc. When those things happen to us, what do we do? Sometimes, we ask why, but we may never get an answer--one we can work out in our heads--this side of heaven. So what do we do?
1) Return to God. Often times, we blame God and turn our backs on Him. Our first step, always, is to come back to Him.
2) Allow Him to restore you. No matter what has happened to you, no matter who was to blame--if there is someone to blame--allow God to wash away the pain and bitterness you've been carrying around in your heart. Allow Him to weed it out and give you a new heart.
3) Know your position--Stand before God. You are God's kid, that makes you a prince or a princess in the Kingdom of Heaven. Stand tall and be proud, as a person of royalty. Allow God to restore you to your position before Him.
4) Extract the precious. Look at the situation and determine if there is anything that can be learned from it. Is there anything to be gained out of the painful situation? Whatever can be taken, gained, or gleaned, keep those parts--then pitch the rest. Don't hang on to them, just pitch them!
5) Become God's spokesperson. Don't waste what you went through; console others, love them, share with them, stand with them. When you've been through something painful or traumatic, you want to be surrounded by people who truly love you--who really understand. Be God's light in someone else's darkness...be God's spokesperson.

Training

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. ~ Galatians 5:1

I've heard it said that it takes 21 days to break an old habit and an additional 21 days to form a new one. That's a total of 42 days or 6 weeks. When you're trying to form a new habit--eating right, exercising, taking better care of your body, trusting God, being transparent, trusting and/or listening to your spouse--6 weeks can feel like an eternity. But, from the benefits side, it's worth it.

God knows that when He created us, we were made from clay, which is why He says in His Word, "Stand firm," because He knows that when we are so close, many will give up and then will have to start over again later. If God knows we are weak, why must we endure such a lengthy retraining? It is because God needs warriors. Joel 3:10, "Train even your weaklings to be warriors." God needs us to follow Him, without question, so He uses these times as a training ground. He needs people who will stick with it, who won't quit on Him. He is raising up warriors.

I know you're thinking, "You just don't understand my situation, you just don't understand my pain." Probably not, but God does and He's with you every step of the way as your coach. He's calling out to you, "Come on, one more step, one more, one more! Keep going, it's almost over, it's almost done! You're almost there, you've almost got it! Keep going, don't quit, don't quit, don't quit!" God knows what you are going through, He knows what you're facing, but He's allowing it because He needs something from you: He needs warriors. He needs us in the field to be His hands and feet to walk with others who need Him, too. This is your training ground, don't quit. It's not even about the rewards in heaven--and they are promised to us as rewards. It's about the day when your training will be over and God will call out to you, "Your training is done. Now get on your feet and walk!"

Train even your weaklings to be warriors...And now, O Lord, call out your warriors! ~ Joel 3:10-11

Uniquely His

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others. ~ 1 Peter 4:10

Have you ever seen somebody and thought, "I wish I could be like that person," or had what they had or could do what they could do? But God said that we are all important in our own roles and He made us to be individuals, serving and praising the way He created us. For example, I kind of tripped over my gifts from God in college. I was going to be a Marine Biologist because I was fascinated with the way sharks eat. My mom tried to point out that this field was going to be more than just sight-seeing and shark-watching, but I didn't listen. After my first year in college--when I had failed my science classes--I decided Marine Biology wasn't the thing for me. So, somebody said, "What about physical therapy? You'd be good at that. They make great money." So I took some more science classes and added a few math classes. But, unfortunately, I didn't do well in those either. But what I realized was that I was excelling in all my writing classes, and I was enjoying them. So I changed my major to English so I could write papers and poetry and short stories.

The point isn't what God didn't create me to be, but that He created me to be uniquely me. He created me to fulfill a specific purpose that He had set aside for me. That's what the Bible is talking about in 1 Corinthians 12, when it's describing the many parts of the body. "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though its parts are many, they form one body," (vv 12). God created some to be singers, some to prayer warriors, some to be teachers, some to be small group leaders, some to be counselors, some to work all the technology that churches need, some to do the financing, some to be elders, some to be ministry leaders, some to be pastors, some to be creative writers, and so on. We may all be serving in different areas, in different ways, "But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be," (vv 18). Just think what life would be like if we all tried to sing, all the time...especially for those like me who aren't sure if we ever hit a key. Or think of what the equipment would look like if we all tried to run the technology or the smoothie machines. But God didn't make us to be the same. He made us all to be uniquely His, that the parts of His body, "should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it," (vv 25-26).

We are all a part of God's one body. We are all God's kids. We are all uniquely His.

That the Lord Promised Me

"Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day." ~ Joshua 14:12

Do you remember your wedding vows, the ones that said, "to have and to hold, in good times and bad, for as long as we both shall live,"? Your vows were promises to each other and to God. You were promising that when the going gets tough, you weren't going to walk out, but rather, you were in it for life and would stand up and fight to fulfill your vows. When we are married, God makes promises to us, too. He promises that He has a plan and a purpose for your marriage and if you will only walk with Him and do as He asks, He will fulfill every one of those promises. Now, if you don't know what those promises are, you need to ask God and He'll show you. Once you've received those promises, you must be committed to them. You must be determined to fight for them and often times, they aren't overnight promises.

Consider Caleb. Caleb and Joshua were two of 10 spies who were sent to check out the promise land. When they returned, Caleb and Joshua said that while there were dangers, they knew that God would be faithful to protect them and they could enjoy the land. The other spies had lost sight of the promise of God's protection and saw only the dangers and unfortunately, majority ruled and no one entered in at that time. However, because of their trust, God made promises to both Caleb and Joshua. To Caleb, God promised he'd live at least till 85 years of age and that he'd inherit Hebron the hill country. Caleb was 45 when God made those promises--plenty of time for Caleb to give up and lose heart and doubt.

But Caleb did not doubt and he did not lose heart. Instead, he said, "Now then, just as the Lord promised me, he has kept me alive forty-five years...So here I am today, eighty-five years old! I'm still as strong today...I'm just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. Now give me this hill country that the Lord promised me that day," (Joshua 14:10-12). Caleb knew that God would never forget or take back His promises and because of that Caleb had no fear to stand up and say, "Now give me what was promised to me."

We need to be like Caleb in our marriages. We need to stand up to every authority, person, and any other opposition that holds itself against our marriage. We need to say, "God promised and is faithful and I refuse to give up. I know that God will do as He promised." We need to not fall into the trap of laziness and stop nurturing our marriage, for just as a baby will die without nourishment, so will our marriage. We need to be determined that we will not give up and we will not quit fighting for this blessing for this gift that God has given us. We need to have a Caleb-strong marriage.

Father God, I pray that every person reading this would have the resolve to hang on to their marriage--no matter the state their marriage is in today. Lord, I pray right now that you would come upon every marriage and give them encouragement, help them to know that they are not alone and they don't have to fight alone anymore. Help them to know that, if they ask, you will give them the vision for their marriage and send them fellow believers to surround them and keep them on that track. Lord, I thank you for the blessing of marriage and I pray that you would teach us how to always keep it Holy. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

With All His Energy

To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works within me. ~ Colossians 1:29

Have you ever been given a task, an assignment, a job, a purpose, and you looked at it and thought, "There's no way. There is just no way I could do that." I have to imagine that's what every "hero" of the Bible thought when they first heard their assignment. Consider Moses, who was assigned the task of delivering the Israelites from the powerful Egyptian Pharaoh, who told God that he couldn't and the people wouldn't believe God sent him, (see Exodus 3-4). Review the story of Ester, who was asked to approach the King to save the Israelites; she said she couldn't do anything or her life would be over, (see Ester 4). These are two "greats" in the Bible. Why? Were they the best dressed? Were they the smartest? No, what set them apart was their willingness to obey God's call.

In Colossians, Paul, who had been given the task to preach the Word of God to the ends of the earth, said, "To this end, I labor." He's going from town to town, village to village, to speak with as many people as will hear and receive the words God has given him to proclaim. But he was only one man; how could he do the huge task the Lord had assigned him? By not doing it on his own, in his own power or strength. Look at what he says, "To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works within me." The "his" he's referring to is Christ's power. We need to follow Paul's example and approach the tasks that God has assigned to us with the resolve that it is not by my power or my strength, but Christ who is at work within me.

If God has called you, then He will strengthen you, He will give you the tools, people, knowledge, wisdom, finances, everything you need. If God has called you, what are you waiting for?

Redecorated

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ~ Colossians 3:9-10

In 2 Corinthians 5, Paul talks about who we are, who we have become because of Christ's sacrificial death on the cross. In verse 17 he says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation." But how can that be? I still look the same, may act the same, I haven't changed into a horse or a puppy. If I don't see a change, how can Paul say that I am something else? When Paul said that we were a new creation, he wasn't referring to our outer image, but what happens to us on the inside. The Book of Genesis explains how God created Adam to show that we are body, soul, and spirit. When sin entered the world, our body (our flesh)--the part that lives "for me"--took over. But, when we accepted Christ into our hearts and lives and His Spirit dwells--lives, sets up camp, makes it His own residence, redecorates--within us, we are changed from the inside out and that is what Paul is talking about.

Let me give you an example, my husband and I have adopted new eating habits. We're starting to eat better, healthier. We are allowed one cheat day per week and on those cheat days, the "cheat foods" aren't as satisfying as they used to be. They don't taste as good as they used to, they don't sit well anymore, it's just not as fun to "cheat" all the time. When God's Holy Spirit comes and lives within us and He "redecorates,"--cleaning up the cobwebs, throwing out old curtains, stripping the wall paper, pitching old junk, etc.--even when we return to the things that used to be "fun" and the things that used to "satisfy" us, they're not fun and fulfilling anymore. That's because we've been changed from the inside out, and now we have a craving for the things of our new self. We desire to go to church and hear the message, to fellowship with other believers, to read God's Word. That is because we are no longer the old self, trapped in a sinful man. Instead, we are a new creation, we have God's Holy Spirit living inside of us. He has broken all the chains and we have been set free!

Now that we realize that the Holy Spirit is living inside of us, removing the old selfish nature--He did some spring cleaning and threw out everything--and filling us with His nature, His self, we don't have to believe a lie anymore. The Bible says that the devil has come to lie to us (John 10:10) and he has spun a really good one. He has convinced a whole slew of people that we will always be sinners, always be fallen, never be the righteousness of Christ. But if the Holy Spirit has redecorated you from the inside out, how can that be? If God, through the Holy Spirit, is living inside of you, then what is keeping you from living in God's fullness? What is keeping me?

PRAYER

Prayer is a Powerful Resource Against Your Enemy's Reign.

Did you know that since sin entered the world through the sin of Adam, that Satan has been known as the prince of this world? He is the fallen angel and he prowls around the earth, like a roaring lion, looking for someone he may devour, (1 Peter 5:8). The Bible tells us that his desire, his purpose, is "to kill and to steal and to destroy" us, God's kids, (John 10:10). But God has given us weapons with which we can wage war against our enemy. One of those weapons is prayer. Prayer is powerful. Ephesians 6:12 tells us that our battle is not against humans and will not be fought with traditional weapons, such as guns and bombs. Instead, we must use the weapons God gave us to fight this war in the heavenly realms; we must pray. Our prayers activate God's angels--His troops--who fight on our behalf against Satan's army.

You may never see the physical fruits of your labor of love--prayer--as you pray for the protection over your loved ones. But just think, as they are protected and blessed, isn't it better to know that you're praying and they're protected instead of leaving them vulnerable to attacks that are certain?

Shake It Off!

Over the weekend, I actually heard my pastor say that we need to be stubborn mules! Now, before you start to question my pastor, let me explain. He told the story of a man who owned a donkey that fell into a deep hole. The hole was so deep that he could barely see the animal. With regret in his heart, he decided to bury the animal, for he knew not how to get him out of the hole. So he got a shovel and began to shovel dirt onto the animal. After an hour, the man peered into the hole to see how much more he had to go and was surprised at what he found. Not only was the animal not covered up, but he had started to rise. This was a stubborn mule! Every time the man would throw dirt on the animal's back, he would shake it off, stamp it into the ground, and stand on it. Our pastor said we need to be stubborn mules! When life dumps dirt, gossip, stress, worry, whatever on our backs, we need to shake it off, stomp it to the ground and stand on it.

We need to get to the place where we realize that life is less about our circumstances and more about our attitudes. It's less about what's "fair" or "unfair," and more about our response to the things that come our way. Jesus told His disciples that very thing when He said, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world," (John 16:33). Jesus warned His disciples that life wouldn't always be fair, but in those times they could have peace and joy when they remembered that it's not about what problem is staring us down, but who lives inside of us that counts. When Jesus is inside of us, peace and joy can be ours if we determine to shake off the bad and stand on it.

On the Hills

Will he not leave the ninety-nine on the hills...? ~ Matthew 18:12

People who read the parable of the lost sheep tend to think one of two things: 1) I was the one whom God came and found. After Jesus trained up His disciples, He sent them out into the world to find those who were yet to be found. The Lord is always seeking after us, even when we are not seeking after Him. He is wooing us to His heart, to His love. 2) Why would God leave the ninety-nine--why would God leave me? Aren't I as important as 'the one'? This second group feel hurt and abandoned. They are not reading the full verse; they think it reads: "Will he not leave the 99 and go to look for the one that wandered off?" But when they read it this way, they miss the most important part: God left the ninety-nine on the hills.

The phrase, "on the hills" or "on the mountains," is referring to a safe place. God has taken the ninety-nine to safety, to a protected area where they are not readily accessible to predators. He has raised up His kids and raised up protection around them. Once He knows they are safe, then He will leave them--even send them out--to go find His lost sheep. God takes great care with each one of His children. He does not ignore one to take care of another, but rather takes care of each one's individual needs. God is the Shepherd and we are His sheep and He is raising us up so that we can take care of each other and He can go out--and He can send us out--to find His lost sheep.

Lord, thank you that when I was once lost, you came and found me. I pray that we wouldn't feel abandoned, but we'd always know we are protected by you, because you have placed us high on your hill, high on your mountain. Thank you for being with us, Lord. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.

In Our Own Eyes

We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes... ~ Numbers 13:33

From our point of view, we tend to judge ourselves--our lives, bodies, actions, etc.--harsher than anyone else. For example, I have many female friends, all of whom are beautiful. But only a small handful will even accept the compliment that she is beautiful and I don't know how many of those believe that she is beautiful. These women--these beautiful, amazing women--view themselves as less than God created them, as less than He sees them.

I've heard it said that our perception determines our reality. Our perception may not be the truth, but it's still the reality we live in. Consider this visual experiment. Standing in your house, how far can you see? Think about the distance and everything in your field of vision. Now, walk outside your front door. Now what do you see? How much more can you see than inside your home? Can you still see the same amount of details? Now, (in your mind) climb to the highest point of your roof. How much more can you see there than you saw standing outside your front door or inside your house? Now multiply that by infinity and that's what God sees. But since God is omnipresent--everywhere at the same time--He sees the world at large and all the details of you, all at the same time.

We need to stop looking at ourselves, our lives, our circumstances with our own eyes. As we saw from that experiment, we can't capture all the details and see the full distance, but God can. Whatever you're facing--whether it's yourself in the mirror or uncertain, cloudy circumstances or even giants--ask the Lord to help you see with His perception, His field of vision, His point of view.

With the Flock

Most wounds result from living with the flock. So the shepherd regularly inspects his sheep because he doesn't want today's wounds to become tomorrow's infection ~ Word for You Today, 25 Aug, 2010

There are definitely benefits to living "with the flock:" warmth, love, relationships, protection, encouragement, etc. But because you live so closely with others who are flawed, just like you, it's more likely that someone will step on your toes, butt heads with you, or cut you without even knowing it. When these things happen, we need to remember two things: 1) No one is perfect and eventually wounds will happen. Since sin entered the world (with the exception of Christ), there has never been a perfect person. To think otherwise is set ourselves or others up for failure. Eventually, the person or people you thought perfect will injure you in some way.

2) We need to determine if the relationship is worth saving. Since God never intended us to be alone, then He intended us to be in community with others, (Genesis 2:18). When wounds are inflicted, we need to decide if this relationship is worth working through the pain of rebuilding. Regardless of our decision, however, we are commanded to forgive others, even if the relationship is not restored, (Matthew 6:14). If someone steps on your toe, is the relationship over? What if you get cut and the wound is deep, is it worth rebuilding and restarting? Only you can make that decision. But, before you make a decision to go it alone, just remember all the benefits and comforts you enjoy as a part of the community--protection, knowing someone's got your back--will not be available to you in solitude or isolation.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three stands is not quickly broken. ~ Ecclesiastes 4:9-12.

It's Never a Reason

It's only money!

Who says that? That was said by a person who was not following along the path they were called and were, instead, living for themselves. The story in yesterday's Word for You Today tells of a business man who was so comfortable with his money and with his way of life, that when God called him, he didn't go; he didn't follow the path God chose for him. That resulted in his never feeling satisfied, always feeling empty, hollow, inside. He did finally turn to what God had called him to do, but now he says that he feels as though it's just a race against the clock and he's running out of time. "It's only money! It's never a reason not to follow Christ. It's never a reason not to do the thing He has called you to do."

What has God called you to do? Perhaps it's writing a book, being a school teacher, starting a business, having a child, being a counselor, being a pastor, planting a church, being a doctor or a nurse. Whatever God has called you to, you need not worry about the things you will "give up" for Him. For the Bible tells us, "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life," (Matthew 19:29). When you begin to follow what the Lord has called you to, the feeling in the pit of your stomach--the one that's been telling you that there's something missing--goes away, because you're fulfilling God's plan for your life.

It's scary, facing the unknown, but ask the Lord to show you the way:
Lord, I want to live my life for you, Jesus. I don't want to mess up what you want to do in my life. Show me what you want me to do--cast the vision in my Spirit so strongly that I can't ignore it anymore. Then, Father, send people to help encourage me and to help me take that next step. Lord, I confess that I'm nervous, but with you as the Lord of my life, what can stop me? What can knock me down? As your Word says, "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:1). Thank you, Jesus, for not sending me on this journey alone, but for always being by my side. In Jesus' Name I pray, Amen.