What's Under Your Boat???

I was flipping through some old notes from a conference I attended a few years ago. The speaker was Priscilla Shirer. She is definitely a woman I can relate to and learn from. I remember these words jumping out at me as being quite profound (which is why I wrote them down!). Maybe these are the words YOU need to read today!

"Turn over the boat and something will hop or slither out from under it. The overturned, damp, shady boat invites the critters. Unrighteous ( NOT living under God's rule; sinful) living is the invitation to satan's demons to come and join you. (Under the damp, dark, overturned boat) Righteousness is to align your life with the scripture you say you affirm. ( You can't align yourself with scripture if you don't read it, study it and learn to apply it to your life.) Righteousness invites Gods favor. Righteousness guards your heart. Live in a way that honors God!"

This is the ONLY way to find true contentment and peace in your life.

A New Year, A Fresh Start!

I'm not a person who makes New Year's resolutions, however I do believe this is a good time to kick off the dust of last year, with its mistakes, it's difficulties, it's questions and areas in which I failed miserably. It's time to re-focus; time to look forward. This is the time to evaluate what has been effective and what needs to change.
  
Change. Ouch!!! Nobody really likes change. If, however, we want to make improvements and be more effective, there must be change. That change is not made through determination, setting you're mind to do something, but is, instead, made in the heart. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Never rely on what you think you know. Remember the LORD in everything you do, and he will show you the right way." The key to effective change is trusting the Lord with your WHOLE heart.

It's easy to trust the Lord with part of your heart, leaving some of your own ideas, thoughts and "wisdom" as back-up, in case God's way isn't what you had in mind. Oh my!!!!! That's where we get into trouble!!! The last part of that verse says, "HE will show you the RIGHT way."  Verse 7 also says, "Never let yourself think that you are wiser than you are; simply obey the LORD and refuse to do wrong." In other words, do what God says to do - PERIOD. Give God your WHOLE heart this year and allow Him to guide your steps, making whatever changes need to be made, for His honor and His glory!

Trust in the Lord with your WHOLE heart and you will have a Blessed New Year!

Tell Your Story

    This morning, as I was reading my devotional, a verse just lept off the page! Has that ever happened to you? (It happened to me a couple of weeks ago, too, but that's a different story.) So, what was it that got me so motivated that I would blog about it? After all, if you look closely, you'll see it's been over a YEAR since I've written anything. (Yes, I, know what you're thinking. Again, that's a different story.) Here's the verse:
   "Give Thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story..."
                                       Psalm 107:1-2

The last half of that passage stood out! If you know me, you know that music and missions are my passion. That verse took me back to my first mission trip to Hungary. We were working at a university in Gyor, during registration week. Our job was to engage students and invite them to join a group, to work on their English speaking skills. We also took surveys and handed out Bibles and literature about English classes. In addition, we held a different event each night, providing an opportunity for our team to meet and get to know the students.
    OK. That sets the scene. Now to the verse. One night, our activity was to meets students in a local coffee shop and just sit around and talk to them but only two people showed up. That was a little awkward! There were 10 of us and 2 of them, so we all went to a dimly lit back room, full of comfy chairs and couches. We sat in a circle and the local leaders asked us to "tell our story". My story? What is THAT? I had never heard anyone use that terminology before.
     We told a little about our personal background, how we came to be believers, how that decision had affected our lives and how we ended up in Hungary. It literally took NO preparation. I just told the story of ME. So SIMPLE!
    As I sat and listened to each story, it was amazing how much I learned. The students were even willing to tell us THEIR stories!  I remember thinking, " THEIR stories are very different from mine." Yet, God used that opportunity to open a dialogue that would eventually lead to two new believers!  All we had to do was tell our stories and then listen.
    " Let the redeemed of the Lord (those who have been forgiven and have trusted in Christ as their Savior) TELL THEIR STORY." How simple! How effective!
    Find a new friend and tell YOUR story!

Perfection? What's THAT?

Today I have been thinking about my recent mission trip and the fact that SO many people just do NOT see the need for God or for forgiveness. They think they are good people and, therefore, they have no need of a Savior! This reminds me of an elderly man in the very first church my husband and I served as pastor and wife. He told my husband, "Oh, pastor! If we could ever get them lost, then we could get them saved!" Even way back then, this man was seeing this same problem. Lostness. If you can't find your way to a certain place, but you enjoy all the little side trips and diversions along the journey, you may not consider yourself lost at all! BUT, you are still LOST!!!

A couple of scriptures leap to my mind.

   " For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile - the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, for, 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.' How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written, 'How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!' "

                                                                                         Romans 10:12-15

   " Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect." Matthew 5:48

I believe there are LOT of people, even people who are Christians, who don't know that second verse. 

Those are the words of Jesus, telling us we are to be perfect. Well, we know that's not possible! Here most folks are walking around thinking, "I'm pretty good! God's going to accept me. I haven't done anything wrong."  What they don't know is just how high the bar is! The standard we must meet is PERFECTION!  Pretty good just won't cut it! The ONLY WAY TO BE PERFECT before God is through forgiveness and cleansing of sin that only JESUS can give!  

So. Lost people, not realizing they are lost, need to find out just how far off-track they really are! How are they going to see it? Enter Romans 10:12-15. Someone must TELL them; must SHOW them. It is my prayer that God will use me to tell and to show people the love, forgiveness, peace and purpose that only Jesus can give. A relationship with Jesus is the destination our hearts are searching for!  We never quite feel "at peace" until we are forgiven and freed of our sinfulness and begin a personal relationship with Jesus. Then, and only then, can a person truly become all he or she was meant to be!

What about YOU? Are you willing to be the hands and feet of Jesus to the world? That could mean talking to someone who looks or acts or thinks differently than you. It could mean going somewhere outside your normal travel plan - across the street, across the tracks, across the country, or across an ocean. There are many people who have heard the name "Jesus" but have no idea that He wants to have a personal relationship with them! Who will bring them the Good News of Jesus? Who will explain it to them? Who will pray for their eyes and ears to be opened? Who will pray for those who go? Who will financially support those who go? Who will say, " Here am I. Send me!" ?

The Solution.

Today is the National Day of Prayer. Naturally, my thoughts today are on the subject of prayer. Our country is on the edge of a cliff. We must decide if we are going to walk away from it or fall into the gorge below.

I watched a television show last night in which a young man, a soldier who had returned home after three tours of combat duty, was distraught. His mind and emotions were all over the spectrum. He couldn't function as a normal human being because of what he had seen and experienced as a soldier. He was up on a rooftop, ready to end it all. This man was in great need of help. He needed a savior to rescue him from this situation; from himself.

Enter police officer. This officer was also ex-military and had dealt with the same issues this man was dealing with. He assured the man that it was possible to overcome his problems and he offered to personally help him. The soldier had a choice to make - humble himself and get the help he needed or jump. Sadly, he chose to jump.

Our country clearly has a lot of problems. Everyone seems to want to "fix" our country, but the answer doesn't lie in presidential candidates or political parties. The answer lies in turning our hearts to God; in forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ.

2 Chronicles 7:14 says, "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 I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

Clearly, God is offering the solution to our problems! The solution lies in confession of our sin, humbling ourselves before Almighty God. We must pray. We must seek His face, which is to CRAVE Him. We, as individuals, must each make a choice. Do we reach out for help from the only one who can "fix" us, our do we choose to jump? I choose to humble myself, pray for forgiveness and crave to know God better and better each day.

Which do you choose?

He is with us - Always!

Have you ever had one of those moments when you are reading your Bible and a scripture just leaps off the page and grabs your heart? That happened to me this morning. It wasn't a "new" scripture, to me. I had read it many times before and even had it highlighted in my Bible! But today, as I prepare to speak at a women's retreat and as I look toward taking an extended summer mission trip, the Lord impressed on me that I need to memorize these verses. So that's what I'm going to do! I have written them on an index card and put that card in my little Jesus Calling devotional book. 

Today, Jesus is calling me to memorize scripture, which I really haven't done in years. He is also assuring me that He will be with me wherever I go, both at home and abroad. He is with me.

What is Jesus calling you to do today?

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you...the Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

                                                                          Deuteronomy 31:6 & 8

 

     "I lift my eyes unto the hills. Where does my help come from? 

      My help comes from the Lord, the maker of Heaven and earth!"

The Main Thing

It seems like lately my life has been busy, one thing after the other, going, going, going! I make a plan, prepare for the plan, carry out the plan, then repeat. I love doing all the many things the Lord has gifted and called me to do but I must be careful, when I am busy, to not let the important things slide. 

Most mornings, I like to have a cup of coffee and a little something for breakfast while I read a page from my devotional book, look up the scriptures that go with it and spend some time in prayer. Now that could be done in 10 minutes or less but, for me, it could take an hour or two! I will look up the suggested scripture, but I often read much more than just the one verse. I might read a chapter or two. I might search more about the topic of the day or another topic the Lord has brought to my mind through His Word. Then I look up those verses, too! I often take notes. Sometimes I just have to post my thoughts on social media. Then there's prayer. There is nothing more precious than spending time with God in prayer. 

 Many years ago, when I was a young teacher, a colleague of mine became very ill. The teachers decided to meet at a local church and have prayer together. We sat in a circle, people of many different faiths, together for one purpose, that was to pray for this woman.  As we went around the circle, each one who wanted to pray aloud had the opportunity to voice their petitions to God on behalf of our friend and colleague. When our time of prayer ended and we began to leave, a woman said to me, "I've never heard anyone pray like you. You talked to God as though you knew Him. It was beautiful."

This really caught me off guard. I thought to myself, "That's because I DO know Him! Don't you?"

Even today, I wonder why people pray to a God they don't really know! I am blessed and privileged to know the God of the universe, personally! I know that when I pray, He listens. He answers my prayers although not always in the way I expect.  My relationship with Him is not one-sided. I pray, He listens. He speaks through His Word, through music or media, through other Christ-followers and I listen. This is how I get to really KNOW Him. Prayer. Bible study. Listening, as well as talking to Him. You can, too!

You may say, "I don't have an hour or two available in my schedule!" I get that. For many years my time with God was limited to 10 minutes or less in His Word and Pray-on-the-go kind of prayers. That's OK!

The important thing is communication with Him. Keeping Christ central in our lives and staying focused on His will for us the key to a happy life! Don't let the rush, rush, rush of job and kids and little league and dance and the TV and the family and church ( yes, even CHURCH!) keep you from spending time with God. It is in spending time with Him that you are recharged and energized for the busy life you lead, serving God and serving others, using your gifts and talents for His glory!

I have a friend who has a habit of saying, "We've just got to keep the main thing, the MAIN THING !"

To that, I say "Amen!"