Jubmle-Scmrable

Words, words, words.

                Letters, letters.

All made up of letters.

Like pieces from a thousand-piece puzzle,

All in a jubmle-scmrable.

I look at it.

I sweep them up.

I pick them up.

I put them in a box.

“Daddy,” I say, carrying my box to where He’s sitting.

“I just can’t make it work. Can You help me?”

ALL SMILES!

My Daddy is ALL SMILES!

He smiles because I trust Him.

He smiles because I ask Him.

He smiles because I hand it over.

He smiles because it’s me.

Taking the box of mixed-up, messed-up pieces, He says, “Yes, My child, I’ll take it.  I’ll help you make it beautiful.”

He reaches behind His chair and grabs the box-top with a picture on it.

We sit down on the floor together.

He dumps all the pieces onto the floor.

Now it’s an even greater farrago!

He lays the box-top in front of me,

So that I can begin to visualize what the end result will be.

He works swiftly.

He works calmly.

He smiles quietly.

And before I know it, He’s done.

He gently slides a piece of sturdy cardboard underneath the piece of art before me.

He paints special glue over the top, to hold the pieces in place.

He covers it with a simple, but beautiful frame—just the perfect touch to complement the piece.

Still smiling, He says, “Here, My child.  Here is the work, all finished for you.  Please share it with those you know—and those you don’t.  Tell them it’s a gift of LOVE from Me to them.”

He rises to a kneel and pulls me to my feet.

We are eye-to-eye, He and I.

With nothing but pure adoration in His eyes, He says softly, “Child of Mine, thank you.  Thank you for loving Me back.  Thank you for trusting Me to help you with this.  I hope you know that you can always come to Me and I will always help you.  And more than that, I hope you know how very much I love you.”

He kisses me sweetly on the cheek and sends me off to play.

I will always remember today…

                And the words My Father had to say…

I will always remember His speed in turning my jubmle-scmrable into a beautiful piece of art.

                                But it’s His Words that touched me the most…

He said, “Thank you for loving Me back.”

Father, thank you for this message.  Thank you for the beautiful picture it painted.  Thank you that You do turn all of our messes—when we hand them over to You—into beautiful works of art.  But Lord, more than that, I thank You for Your desire to be in relationship with us.  I thank you that You created the way, so that we could have that relationship with You.  I thank you that You loved us first and because of our relationship, You are able to say—both softly and sweetly, with adoration in Your eyes—“Thank you, My child, for loving Me back.”

In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

By Persevering Produce a Crop

“A farmer went out to sow some seed. As he was scattering the seed, some…fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown…The seed is the word of God…The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. ~ Luke 8:5, 7-8, 11, 14-15

A farmer won’t say, “I’m believing for a harvest of corn,” when he’s planted, or sown, nothing.

A farmer won’t say, “I’m praying and believing for a harvest of wheat,” when he’s sown corn.

Farmers believe they’ll harvest what they’ve sown—wheat for wheat, corn for corn—and so should we.  But it doesn’t stop there.  A farmer’s work isn’t done when the seeds have been planted.  Look at what a farmer does:

He prepares the land.

He plants the seed.

He waters the ground.

He removes the weeds.

He chases off predators, such as rabbits, crows, and deer.

He waters the ground.

He protects the future harvest from inclement weather.

He waters the ground.

He removes the weeds.

And when the first buds pop through the dirt, he knows the harvest isn’t ready yet.

He continues to water the crop.

He continues to chase off predators.

He waits for the perfect timing.

He reaps the harvest.

And then he begins again.

I’ve been praying and believing God for some pretty lofty things in my marriage.  They are nothing that I think God can’t or won’t give us, but they are certainly things I know I can’t obtain or achieve on my own.  So I’ve partnered with Christ.  Daily, I make Him the Lord of my life.  I want Him to be the Author of my life’s story and the Master of this vessel’s journey.

I’ve come to realize that the prize, the victory, is not about “obtaining” those things I desire in my marriage, but about “maintaining” and “maturing” them once we get there.  If all we do is “achieve” the desired level and then stop or back off from the hard work we put in to get there, we will quickly lose all that we’ve accomplished.

Yes, that means continued work, but watching the example of the farmer, it should not be a surprise.  If the farmer planted the seed only, would the harvest have sprouted?  If he did all that work, brought the crop to the perfect timing and even reaped a harvest, but then worked no more, would he continue to have food in his field?  The answer to both is no.  And so it is in our marriages.  If we work hard to win the love of our lives—or even win them again—but then stop working at it, will we keep that same level of intimacy, that same joy, that same passion?

Just as the farmer continued in his field, so we must continue in putting God first in our lives, and work into our marriages.  But through God’s empowering grace, when we look and see all that the Spirit has done in our lives when we partner with Him, we will realize we have not worked at all, but have lived a love story.  And as we continue to put forth the effort, we can say to ourselves, “I am not working for naught, but am working toward greater enjoyment and victories in my marriage.”

Lord, I pray for marriages.  I pray that you would anoint our hands for the work you have called us to do. I pray that everything we put our hands to would prosper because we are more than conquerors. I pray that you would anoint our feet to follow where you call us to go.  I pray for strength in our bones, that our bodies would carry us where you desire for us to go, and we would be able to do the work you call for us to do.  Lord, I pray that we would fix our eyes on Jesus, running as you direct us.  In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus ~ Hebrews 12:1-2

Do You See the Blue Bird?

In the 1940 movie The Blue Bird, Shirley Temple travels in the past, present and future to find the Blue Bird of happiness.  While the overriding theme of the movie is contentment, as she finds at the end of the story that the Blue Bird was at home the whole time, I wonder if a minor theme is to not miss the obvious.  I remember early in the movie that Shirley Temple’s character saw the bird her mother had and her mother saw the bird as a Blue Bird, but Shirley Temple’s character did not. 

How often does that happen in other areas of life; in marriage, in the church, at work, with our friends and relatives?  Jesus said, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home,” (Mark 6:4).  I think sometimes we get “used to” or “comfortable with” the ideas we have about people.  Not a day goes by that my brother does not amaze and astound me.  And why?  Because growing up, while he was quite intelligent, he didn’t apply it in many areas and barely graduated high school.  Many of his teachers were shocked that my brother was eligible to get his diploma.  But today, over 10 years later, he and his wife are living within their means, they are able to enjoy life with their two little girls, and he even has amazing vision and a financial plan for where he sees himself moving professionally. 

I’ve seen this with people we know, friends, acquaintances; they start out in life, hit some rough patches, stumble for a while, but through God’s wisdom, grace, & love are transformed into strong, God-honoring men and beautiful, passionate women.  Who are these men and women?  They live among us.  They are Blue Birds in disguise.  Not by any disguise of their own choosing, but by a shroud their slip-up, trip-ups, and give-ups have laid over them.  What do we need to do?  How do we keep these Blue Birds from flying away, seeking refuge and a chance to start again, seeking a chance to be seen as something other than their past failures? 

We walk with them in Galatians 6-style: restore them gently; carry each other’s burdens; don’t quit on them on or on trying to encourage and coach them along, (vv. 1, 2, 9, 10).  While it’s true that in all of each person’s tough and painful situations, the common denominator is that person, isn’t it sad to think that Blue Birds in disguise are wandering around among us, waiting to be seen as true, beautiful Blue Birds?

Father, open my eyes to the Blue Birds around me, those whose ways and past days have left them scared and broken.  Help me to follow your lead, Lord, to love them back to you, to encourage them, to allow them to blossom and to bloom.  Help me not to disregard the Blue Birds, Lord.  In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. ~ Isaiah 58:11

Changing Desires

Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. ~ James 4:9

This scripture doesn’t sound Biblical…I’m sure it can’t possibly be in there.  Why would the Bible say this?  Because this verse isn’t speaking of healthy, biblical things.  James 4 is talking about what our flesh, our lusts, and our culture have told us we need to desire…not what our heavenly Father desires for us.  So when the Bible says to grieve, mourn, and wail, it’s talking about separating ourselves from the attitudes, desires, and “needs,” we had when we were more connected to the world than we were to our heavenly Father.  I’ll say that again, we are to separate ourselves from being more connected with the world than with God.  God wants us to shift our needs and desires from what our culture says we need and desire to what Father God says we need and what He desires for our lives.

Here’s a brief illustration of marriage.  The Bible is clear that the husband is to be the head of the household, even the head of the wife and he is to love her as Christ loved the church, (Ephesians 5:21-33).  Our culture has taught us that if our husbands don’t lead the way we feel they should, then it is up to the bold, vocal, and strong-willed women to lead the home “the way God would want it.”  Somewhere along the way, women were fed the lie that it is “biblically sound” to push our “weaker” husbands aside and take charge of the home and that by doing so, we are doing what is best for our marriages and our children.  But how is that living out anything in Ephesians 5?  Don’t misunderstand or misalign this message; God does not want abused families to continue to be abused.  God desires healthy marriages and healthy families.

So how do we make the shift from being more connected with our culture’s desires to God’s?  “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you,” (James 4:7).  Our society has taught us that “submit” is a very ugly word, but it means to “voluntarily arrange ourselves under the command of a leader, to arrange under authority, to yield to one’s admonition [counsel, advice, caution],” (submission,blueletterbible.org; admonition,dictionary.com).  We are to go to God, ask Him what He desires for our lives, and then arrange our lives as such.  And if we do not understand what He is saying to us (if we don’t understand what it looks like or how to Biblically submit to our husbands), then we are told to ask God for wisdom, and He promises to give us an abundance of wisdom, (James 1:5).  God doesn’t want us to live a lie or live in misunderstanding.  God wants His kids to have victory!

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. James 4:10

Don't Get Caught

The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer. ~ 1 Peter 4:7

When we are not “on guard” we will always be caught “off guard.”

When hit with a pretty serious illness, or the loss of a loved one, or the loss of a job, or a huge bill, people often say, “I never saw that one coming.”  And they say that because they’ve been “caught off guard.”  But that begs the question, how does one stay “on guard,” so as not to be “caught off guard”?

The answer is in the gospels.  Jesus tells the parable about watchfulness, “But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into,” (Matthew 24:43; Luke 12:39).  The point Jesus is making is not for you to sit on your front porch with a shotgun all day and all night to ward off intruders.  Rather, be watchful and alert through prayer.  It’s in those intimate times of listening that the Holy Spirit reveals what to be on the look-out for, or for what or whom you are to pray.

1 Peter 4:7 says to have sound judgment, which means to have control over your thoughts.  If your thoughts are running amuck, the still, small voice of the Lord won’t be able to break through the noise in your head or at least won’t be loud enough for you to pay attention.  Therefore, you need to take authority over your thoughts so that you may accurately perceive the Truth. 

This scripture also says to be of sober spirit, which means to be calm and watchful.  When your emotions are going here, there, and everywhere, you’re never able to be on guard and will always be caught off guard.  But the Bible declares that we should never be caught off guard.

The end of all things is near; therefore save your mind so that with full understanding you can accurately discern and decide authoritatively and remain calm and watchful—be on guard—so that you are able to pray. ~ 1 Peter 4:7

Answered Prayers

The all-inclusive condition of answered prayer ~ Finis Dake

Isn’t that what everyone longs for, for their prayers to be answered?  I know it is mine and I’ve learned some interesting and important tools along the way.

1) Pray in Jesus’ Name.  I know that may sound obvious, but it’s really quite important that it’s by and through Christ’s authority and not your own.

2) It’s not your reputation on the line.  When you pray in Jesus’ Name (vs. your own), it’s His reputation on the line and, therefore, His responsibility to answer the prayer and not yours.

3) Abide in the Father and His Word.  It’s important to know scriptures, but it’s even more important to know the Author.  When you walk daily with Father God, His Word changes from head knowledge to heart knowledge and from logos to rhema.  If you only have logos—head knowledge—of God’s Word, then it may happen to you as happened to the seven sons of Sceva, “One day the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?’" (Acts 19:15).

4) Pray God’s revealed Word.  Praying scripture has power, but praying scriptures the Holy Spirit revealed to you as promises from the Father is even more empowering.  It gives you the power to tell the devil, when he lies to you, that your God will answer your prayers just as He promised in His Word.

5) Follow the John 15:7 formula. Remain in the Father and His Son + Keep God’s revealed Word (rhema) with you + ask what you need or desire = it will come into existence and begin to happen.

The John 15:7 formula is the all-inclusive condition that Finis Dake was referring to, so try it out in your life and see what happens.  Let God blow your mind as He answers your prayers.

If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. ~ John 15:7

Takeover

As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. ~ Exodus 17:11

Takeover

Such a simple word, and yet, so powerful!  I love it when God reaches down and touches us in simple, yet intimate ways.  When God calls you to greatness, calls you for His purposes and plan, it is His desire that you will take back and takeover the places in which the enemy has had control. 

Last Tuesday, God showed me that when we stand with our whole lives worshiping Him, the enemy is defeated, because he has no power.  It is in that time, that the army of the Lord begins to gain ground—to takeover—defeating the enemy.  The chains of pity, defeat, depression, anxiety and sickness are loosed from around you and begin to bind up your enemy.  Freed from those chains, with your heart stayed on the Father, He is able to promote you from glory to glory, as you grow in the image of the Son and the Father.

But when the details start to pick at you and you begin to notice them more than you do the glory of the Father, when your life of worship begins to fade and become stale, the chains that were binding your enemy become loosed around him and begin to bind you, again.  You stop gaining ground for the Lord and begin to lose the battle you are in. 

But there is yet hope, even for those bound in chains.

A life once lifted up in worship can be lifted up again!  One small step toward the Father is a giant leap toward victory.  Each step we take in our walk of faith is blow after blow in the enemy’s face.

Takeover

That was the word at my seat in a meeting that very same Tuesday.

Thank you, Father God for loving us so personally.  Thank you for taking the time to touch us in intimate ways, just to let us know that you are with us.  In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. ~ 2 Corinthians 3:18