Tag Archives: God’s Word

God’s I am Promises

17 December 2012

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God's I am Promises-CourageousGod calls us to meditate on His word; this simply means to focus and consider what His words mean to the state of our heart and the application it has for our life. Not only does meditation have wonderful, positive effects on the well being of our mind, but it also helps us feel closer to God; it cultivates relationship with our heavenly Father. My prayer is that these words, which are life and truth, bring a deep understanding of the love that God has for you.

God bless!

Click here to listen:   God’s I Am Promises

Stop Drinking Milk: Grow Up!

11 June 2012

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If we only drink milk, we will be weak Christians.

After this weekend’s conference, I was struck by the lack of God’s word in the preaching. I don’t consider myself a critical individual, but when it comes to the word of the Lord, I am passionate. The speakers were full of energy, had great content, but I longed for them to take me back to God’s word. It didn’t happen. I truly felt they were feeding me a bottle of milk when my body was asking for solid food. I’m sure there were women who were in the bottle-feeding stage, but my soul was far from that. I wanted a salmon with veggies or maybe an oven roasted chicken with rice.

Now, some of you have been in the bottle-feeding stage way too long. You’ve been comfortable with milk because it’s soothing, convenient and it feels good, but your body is not getting the nutrients it needs to grow as a mature Christian. Paul warns us about this immaturity in Hebrews 6:11-14:

“We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”

It’s time for you to stretch yourself to a new level. Begin eating solid foods (God’s Word), so that you can know the difference between good and evil. If you stay in this level of immaturity, you will miss out on a life of abundance (John 10:10). For those who are in the mature stage, let’s continue keeping our spiritual eyes open to discern the difference between milk and solid foods. Let us help the babes in Christ grow into mature individuals.

Four things to help you grow:

  1. Connect with God daily through prayer and worship
  2. Know God by studying His Word
  3. Memorize His Word – challenge your mind… chew on the solid food
  4. Stretch yourself by Serving others

If we only drink milk, we will be weak Christians. Let’s be strong together. Let’s build each other up with God’s word. Let’s grow up!

Rest in His Word: Colossians 1:9-10

“For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God.” (NIV)

Heart Checkup:

  • How long have you been drinking milk? Are you ready for solids? Why or why not?
  • Find a mature Christian and ask them to mentor you. Learn as much as you can about what they have done to grow in the Lord.

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Is Meditation for Christians?

31 May 2012

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When we are in the presence of God – there is ALWAYS change!

 

I find it interesting the many Christians steer away from the word meditation. Most believe that meditation is a new age word that signifies sitting to a yoga pose. Far from this image, God tells us to meditate on His Word “day and night” – Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:1-3. We have gone so far as to reject this wonderful practice given to us by God, which has great spiritual, physical and mental health benefits: clearing the mind, calming the body and syncs our Spirit with God Himself. It truly is a time to energize the soul.

 

So, what does it look like to meditate on God’s word? I’m going to give you one way (Verse Meditation), but there are many varieties – it’s all a matter of preference. This is just a guide.

  1. Sit in a quiet place – Sitting comfortably on the couch is fine.
  2. Have your Bible ready – Open your Bible to a verse you would like to focus on.
  3. Begin with prayer – Invite the Holy Spirit to guide you and give you insight.
  4. Read the verse – Read the verse out loud slowly… do this at least three times…
  5. Take deep breaths – As you continue reading the verse, take a deep breath in and out slowly… notice how your body slows down… invite the Holy Spirit to calm your soul… continue taking deep breaths in and out focusing on your breath and the verse…
  6. Repeat the verse – Now, try repeating the verse as you continue breathing in and out slowly… don’t worry about doing this perfect… just focus on God’s Word… which word stands out? Repeat it… notice how that feels in your body… continue doing this until you feel ready to stop
  7. Journal – You can journal as God gives you insight or toward the end – it’s up to you. Maybe the Lord reminds you of another verse and so writing it down will allow you to go to it after you are done.

If you can incorporate this to your daily life, be assured you will feel more energized, less irritable and definitely more open to hearing God’s voice. I encourage you to take at least 10 minutes daily to start and see what happens. You can incorporate this to your daily devotions and prayer time or change things up a bit. The point here is to meditate (contemplate, absorb) God’s Word, which “is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” – Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) 

When we are in the presence of God – there is ALWAYS change!

Rest in His Word: Psalm 104:34

“My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the Lord.” (KJV) 

Heart Checkup:

  • What’s your definition of meditation?
  • Why do you think it’s important?
  • What barriers stand in the way of making time to meditate?
  • Can you think of other ways you can meditate on God’s word?

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When Life Doesn’t Go as Expected

9 April 2012

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Embracing the difficult lessons in life is what makes life richer and more fulfilling.

Things didn’t go as I expected this weekend. I played in my mind for months the way it would feel when I passed my first exam, but I never prepared for what actually occurred. Let me tell you it did not feel good at all. My heart stopped when I saw the small words at the lower right: FAIL. It took me a couple seconds to get up from my seat. I walked over to get my papers and signed out. I was still shocked. I didn’t pass.

I walked outside to look for my husband. He looks at me… waiting… I tell him, “I failed.” I didn’t even read the papers they gave me. He looked at it and tells me, “Honey, you missed it by 4 questions.” I was shaking and finally the tears came down. I had waited for this day for almost a year. I was so close. Failed by 4 questions. Now, I will have to wait another six months to retake the test. I was devastated, embarrassed, disappointed, confused and upset. Where did I go wrong? What could I have done differently? Should I have waited a couple more weeks? The questions kept coming…

We had planned to go to San Diego right after my test to celebrate the current highlights in our lives. I was hoping passing the test would be the main celebration. Let me explain something. It’s not so much that I wanted to pass this test to prove that I’m smart or capable. Not even to get the license to put on the wall. The reason I wanted to pass so badly was because for the past year, we have been working so hard to get certified as foster-adoption parents. We are now certified and ready to have a child placed in our home. I wanted to get this test out of the way so that I can focus on our family, but it didn’t happen the way I planned.

On our way, I was still upset. My husband retold a story once shared by a speaker. If you are going through a tough time and feel discouraged, I hope this story directs your thoughts from what you don’t have – to appreciating what you do have right now.

There was a young man, whose grandmother would visit every summer. She a great woman but was the most ruthless Monopoly player he had ever known. One day, a neighbor moved next door and was really good at Monopoly. So, he asked her if she would help him get better at the game. She agreed. So he practiced with her everyday. When summer came, his grandmother arrived and they began to play Monopoly. To his surprise, he won his first game against his grandmother. She then said, “Now it all goes back in the box.” He didn’t want to put it back. He wanted to leave the board out to remind him of this great and triumphant day. “No,” she said,  “None of it was really yours. You got all heated up about it for a while, but it was around a long time before you sat down at the board, and it will be here after you’re gone. Players come and players go. But it all goes back in the box.”*

Wow, the lesson was learned once again. Ultimately, whatever my accomplishments are, they all end up in the box. I was also reminded of this blog’s purpose: To embrace life’s lessons and find comfort in God’s word. Well, I’m trying Lord. Embracing the difficult lessons in life is what makes life richer and more fulfilling. I thank my husband for reminding me it’s not about the “stuff” we accumulate (homes, cars, diplomas, certificates, etc.). What’s truly important is the journey we are on together. I have so much to look forward to – that’s what I choose to focus on.

I may not have passed this time, but I am victorious because of what Jesus did for me on the cross. I want to hear from you. Have there been any struggles in your life where maybe you felt like a failure? Maybe you felt disappointed that something didn’t go as planned. I would love to hear your thoughts.

Rest in His Word: Romans 8:28

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (NIV)

Heart Checkup:

  • What is that one thing that has you upset today?
  • Write it down. It’s okay to feel the emotions… just don’t cradle them too long. Give them to the Lord. They don’t belong to you.

*I belive this story originated with John Ortberg. You can check out his original version by purchasing his book, It All Goes Back in the Box.

The Serving Cow

7 June 2011

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All of us are called for a purpose. Somewhere along the way, we lose touch of the love and passion we have of serving.

Are you finding yourself tired and weary? Has your complaining taken over your joyous song? Do you find yourself judging others for what they don’t do or how they do things? I myself, have been feeling frustrated about my leadership abilities for the past couple weeks. The Lord brought me back to a devotional I wrote last year, which reminded me that I need to re-focus on what’s important; my faithfulness to God alone.

Read: 1 Samuel 6:1-16

Here’s a little bit of history – Israel had been ruled by judges for over 200 years. Eli and Samuel are the last of the judges. This was a time when the Israelites were far from God; sin had entered their hearts. Even Eli’s two sons (Hophni and Phinehas), in line for the priesthood, were wicked in the eyes of the Lord.

In our text, the Philistines attack the Israelites, overthrow them with a terrible slaughter (killing over 30,000 men). They take the ark of the Lord and set it up in the temple of their god Dagon. They keep the ark of the Lord for 7 months until they were visited with God’s judgments (plagues), which forced them to send the ark back with a guilt offering. Although they acknowledged they had offended God, something in them still didn’t believe it was God who sent the plagues. Could it have been plain coincidence?

All of us are called for a purpose. Somewhere along the way, we can lose touch of the love and passion we have of serving. Next time you find yourself in that position, remember this story and ask the Lord to help you examine your heart.

There are four key points I would like to point out to you. My desire is that as you meditate on these points, you are redirected to your Source (God alone).

1.      Check the Condition of Your Heart

Sometimes, we can get to the point of becoming resentful and bitter to do the things of God. Yeah, we do them, but we do them half-hearted. We need a new heart to give our best to God.

I find it interesting that the Philistines used a new cart to send the ark of the Lord back to the Israelites. This should be an example to us that when we worship God – anything we do – we are to offer it solely to the service of God. Do it for His Glory. We are to give our very best to God, not what’s left over.

Many times, we put other things before God (family, our job, activities, etc.) and we find ourselves too tired to approach God. If we do, we are giving him our left over crumbs! Check the condition of your heart today. Ask God to reveal your true intentions of why you do what you do.

2.      Take Action

Now, notice that they send two cows that had just given birth to calves and had never been yoked to return the ark of the Lord. I don’t know much about cows, but I do know that their instinct is to stay with their calves and take care of them as a mother would. These were busy cows. I’m sure they preferred to stay with their calves to take care of them.

All of us lead busy lives, but these cows became available to do God’s work. Many of us have an array of excuses as to why we cannot serve in the ministry: I’m too far from church, my kids… my husband… I don’t have the time, etc… Okay, I’m going to say it straight up; we are all busy! You are not the exception. But is God too busy for you? Think about that next time you find yourself tired and your heart has grown cold for the things of God.

These cows were aware of what they were carrying – they didn’t take their job lightly. Are you available to carry His precious cargo? – The Good News (that Jesus, His only son, died for humanity’s sin). You see, God will use those who are willing to be used. Now, if God used these two cows to carry His most precious cargo (the ark of the Lord), how much more can he use us to show His love to those in need.

3.      Focus on God

We read that the cows indeed went straight to Beth Shemesh. They did not turn to the right or to the left! God supernaturally influenced or led the cows to their final destination. Although we have trials and troubles, we must keep our focus on God – not swerving to any side, but focusing our eyes on Jesus. God will give us the strength to continue onto the path that He has set before us. He will give us the vision of where we need to go.

You see, when our hearts are centered on God, it doesn’t matter what others say, what others do or don’t do because you know who you serve; God alone! It’s not about you my friend – it’s all about Him! So next time you feel frustrated, you may have to re-focus your heart toward Jesus.

4.      Praise Him All the Way!

It also says that the cows were lowing all the way. I don’t know if the cows were Protesting saying, “But God my children are left alone, I must be with them” or if the cows were Praising God along the way saying, “Thank you Lord for choosing me to carry the ark, what a privilege.”

I’m going to say that these cows praised all the way. The question for you is… Which type of cow are you? The type that Protests and complains to God because of all the things that need to get done – OR the one that Praises God for the opportunity given to serve Him. Choose to Praise God as you serve Him and he will manifest Himself in your life. Then, when you serve the Lord Faithfully, God’s power becomes visible to the world and His name will be glorified.

Let’s not be whiny cows. Instead, may we be:

  • Ready to Hear His Voice
  • Be Led by His Spirit
  • Proceed with all His Power

Rest in His Word: 1 Corinthians 4: 1-2

“This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. 2 Now it is required that those who have been given a trust must prove faithful.” (NIV)

Heart Checkup:

  • How have I been unfaithful to God?
  • What can I do today to show God my faithfulness to Him?