Open Doors

What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. ~ Revelation 3:7

Have you ever prayed, “God concerning (this situation), open the right door—the one you want me to walk through—and shut all wrong doors”?  It’s an honest and sincere prayer, but it also requires a lot of faith and trust.  In asking God for help in this manner, patience and prayer will be your allies. 

Over a year ago, a friend of mine found out that her family would be forced to move at an inopportune time in their lives.  She and her husband prayed about all that their new home would need and then asked God to open the right door and close all the wrong ones.  Weeks of searching turned to months with no new home in sight.  My friend began to doubt, questioning God, “Have I not prayed hard enough?  Have I not believed enough? Why is there no door opening to us?” Then God whispered to her, “My child, you asked me to close the wrong doors and that is what I’ve been doing.”

It’s been almost a year since my husband had to make the hard decision of choosing what was right over his paycheck.  Even though he knew he was honoring God by his decision, he still felt as though he had hurt the family with the loss of his job and income.  But we prayed, “God open the door you want him to walk through and close all other doors.”  After sending out thousands of resumes, no jobs have been offered to him and all doors seem shut.  But the other day we realized that even though it didn’t look the way we thought it should, God had opened a door. 

Being a “stay-at-home-dad” leaves much to be desired for a man.  Even though he loves our daughter, he misses feeling like he’s making a difference.  About a month ago a friend presented my husband with the opportunity to help with a project at the church office.  He could bring in our daughter with him and volunteer at the church for a few hours each week.  Until God chooses to close these doors and open new ones, our current open doors have me at work full-time and my husband volunteering in something he really enjoys and raising our daughter.  While it’s certainly not what we would have chosen for ourselves, had God consulted us first, we have peace regarding this situation and know that when the time is right, God will move us.

Every time God closes a door He always opens a window, somewhere. ~ Sound of Music

Plan for the New Year

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last.  ~ John 15:16

As I was praying and reading day 1 in my Bible reading plan, I realized that God is always in front of the beginning of the things He creates.  When God speaks, things happen.  As it says in Genesis 1: “’Let there be…’ and there was…”  So if God is always in front of the things He creates and what He says happens, why do we sometimes feel as though we miss out on some of the things we thought He was going to do in our lives?

Isaiah 55:9 seems to have the answers as to why.  1) It’s not time yet.  God’s timing is always perfect, but it’s not always in our preferred timing.  2) It’s not the way you thought.  Just because God promised to get you from point A to point B doesn’t mean He’ll take the route you thought was best.  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are [God’s] ways higher than your ways and [God’s] thoughts than your thoughts,” (Isaiah 55:9).

As we embark upon a new journey in a new year, prayerfully consider what God wants to do in and through your life this year.  John 15:16 says that you were appointed by God to go and bear fruit, but every plant must first be properly pruned if it is to bear healthy fruit, fruit that will last.  If you feel that God has called you to a place greater than your current position—could be in your job, where you are serving in the church, your relationship with your spouse and/or children—prayerfully consider spending some quality time with God to start this year.  Ask Him to show you how He wants to use you this year.

Father God, as I spend time with you this year, reveal to me how you want to use my life for your glory.  Lord, let my life be a light in this world which leads others to you.  Thank you Father.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Daily Bible Reading Plan: http://66books.wordpress.com/reading-schedule-2010/

Christ is Still KING

The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases. ~ Proverbs 21:1

Our “king” is the President.  It doesn’t matter if our choice for President won or lost.  What matters is that we are Christ on the earth and we need to pray—pray that the President listens to the promptings of the Holy Spirit and is moved with compassion on behalf of God’s people.  Today is not a day of mourning, but of celebration because Christ is still KING!

Set Aside A Day to Rest

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. ~ Exodus 20:8

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day and told her that I work and work and work until I am so worn out that I give-in to sickness to justify my taking a break.  When I read these words, when I say them out-loud, I realize not only how dumb that sounds, but also how prideful.  The Bible says I am to, “Work with enthusiasm, as though…working for the Lord rather than for people,” (Ephesians 6:7).  I am to work with enthusiasm—with goodwill or kindness—not slave and slave and slave until I drop.  When I slave away, I realize it’s to win people’s approval, for my God loves me enough that He has said, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God….Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy,” (Exodus 20:9-11).  God made holy—set aside or purposed for me—a Sabbath—a day of rest—so that I could enthusiastically carry out the work He has given me.  When I follow His plan, then I’m able to—in His power—carry out His desired work in my life with enthusiasm and great success.  However, when I ignore His plan, then I’m slaving away in my power and ability until I collapse in sickness and no longer enjoy the work the Lord has laid before me.

Father, thank you for revealing to me that while I’m not where I want to be, I’m also not where I used to be and it’s all for Your glory.  Thank you for showing me the way.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Perseverance Leads to Break-Through

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. ~ James 1:12

The Bible says that because God is the highest authority, when He makes a promise, He must swear by Himself as the utmost authority, (Hebrews 6:13).   If we believe that God is the highest authority, shouldn’t we also believe God will come through on the promises He makes to us?  I think the tendency is to believe at first—the first month, year, or even five years.  After a while, we begin to weary in the waiting and doubt creeps in, causing us to lose sight of who God is and all the other times He’s fulfilled His promises.

Isaiah 55:9, 11 reveals that God’s Word is greater than anything we can measure and when He speaks, those things happen.  His Word also says, “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19).  Unfortunately, the wearier we become the more we close our spiritual eyes and tell God we don’t see it anymore.  What we need to remember is that this life is not just about promises fulfilled, but about the journey there.  God’s Word says He wants to promote us from glory to glory, (2 Corinthians 3:18). “Glory to glory,” refers to a level of intimacy and maturity and along with that comes blessing.  As we grow closer to our Lord, we become more like Him and our walk is taken from its current level to a deeper and deeper level.  As we grow deeper and higher in our walk, the enemy fights harder to break us, but when we break-through, God’s glory is all the more.

In my own life, I’ve discovered that the areas of trial and testing are the same areas of break-through and blessing.  This kind of cycle has been referred to as strength- or endurance-training.  James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever 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.”  Every new level requires more of me than the last.  And every time we journey between promises fulfilled, we are being “trained” so that when we reach the next level, we won’t freak out and we’ll handle it as if it’s the most normal and natural way to go about things.

What has God promised you?  What has been revealed and what hast yet to be fulfilled?  Thank God for what He’s already done in your life and praise Him that He loves you enough not to leave you there.  Eleanor Roosevelt said, “When you stop learning you stop living in any vital and meaningful sense.”  God’s got you here for a reason; ask Him to reveal it to you and then praise Him that fulfillment is on its way.

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering…But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. ~ 1 Peter 4:12-13

And I Will Heal Their Land

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. ~ 2 Chronicles 7:14

I was listening to the Joy FM this morning and the DJ’s were interviewing Jordan, a man whose story is one of the songs on Matthew West’s new CD.  Jordan grew up in a Christian home with wonderful & loving parents.  In college, he hurt his leg and got introduced to oxycontin. As happens with too many people, Jordan became addicted.  I listened to his story without too much emotion—yes I felt badly for the things he’d gone through, but he’s telling the story, so it must have a happy ending.  As soon as he “defined” himself, I became “attached” to the story.  He said, “I would now have to introduce myself as ‘Jordan, an addict,’ and I was ok with that.”  It was at that moment a light bulb went off and God opened my spiritual eyes and softened my heart and I thought to myself, “Does she think of herself that way?  Does she only see herself as an addict?”  I have a friend who has abused drugs and has seen herself as a victim, and seems to introduce herself that way.  Suddenly, my heart broke for her and all I could do was weep and pray for her.  My heart’s desire is that we would all see ourselves as we truly are: Children of the living God; Redeemed and freed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

A little over a year ago, I read a book by Mike Wilkerson, called Redemption: Freed by Jesus from the Idols We Worship and the Wounds We Carry.  This book changed the way I look at people and it changed the way I look at me.  It said that far too often we walk around with labels such as victim, addict, recovering addict, and the list goes on.  The author said that once you’ve accepted God’s forgiveness and accepted Christ into your heart and life you are no longer that label.  You are free; you are redeemed.  As you think about that, it lifts so many heavy burdens and you begin to feel lighter on your feet all because you have been made free.

I was thinking about this scripture in relation to the revelation I received this morning.  God said that when we pray He will heal our land.  How does He do that?  By opening our spiritual eyes and giving us a revelation; by calling us to pray for others that they would have a God-encounter where they could learn that they are free because they’ve been redeemed.  When we pray, God doesn’t wave a magic wand and turn a toad into a prince or a pile of garbage into a pile of money.  When God’s people humble themselves and pray, God moves mightily and people are healed—sometimes physically, sometimes emotionally, sometimes mentally, sometimes all of the above—and when people are healed, the land is healed.

First Impressions

Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O Lord. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known ~ Habakkuk 3:2

I heard my husband tell his mother that he and I are not like some people they know.  The people he was referring to are Christians, but had put a bad taste in the family’s mouth.  The unfortunate result being that my husband’s family assumed all Christians were like that and if that was the case, they wanted nothing to do with any Christians.

First impressions can have lasting results.  With this in mind, it’s more important for me to be genuine with others.  We are living in a broken world.  Habakkuk 3:2 calls for miracles and the hand of God to move in our lives.  If we are not the hands, feet, and love of Christ, how will people ever know He is real or really cares for them?  A thought to ponder: When people see me do they see Jesus and would they want to meet Him after interacting with me?

Lord, I pray that I would be an expression of your love in others’ lives.  Help me to be a breath of fresh air and carry the aroma of Christ with me.  In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

But thanks be to God, who…through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. ~ 2 Corinthians 2:14