Whispers from God

My last post on the Trusting God box has required me to do a lot of thinking. I spent some time deciding what I wanted to put in the box (maybe it should have been "needed" instead of "wanted" anyways...) Then I decided I wasn't going to put anything in there because I didn't want to take it out. (who's with me on that one) Then I finally took a small piece of paper and wrote on it "My Past" I asked that God would use my past for something good. I know I can't change what happened, nor can I control what has happened, so I am pretty safe on putting that in the box. Right now, that is the only thing that is in the box; My past. That's where I have left it, knowing full well that there are so many other things I need to put in that box. Much to my dismay, I really do not have any control over anything, even though I'd like to think I do. That box has been on my mind so much lately. There is not a day that goes by that I don't think about it. Yesterday I was reading a fictional book by Francine Rivers Called "Redeeming Love" - a ficticious story written to mirror the book of Hosea. When I found myself on page 430 of this book, I read something that literally took my breath away and brought tears to my eyes. I have included it below.

"She took out a box and put it on the bed. 'I have to get down on my knees to get it', she said dusting off ehr hands as she got up... "This is my God box." She said. "When problems prey on my mind, I write them down, fold them up, and put them through the slot. Once they're inside this box, they're God's problem and not mine... I know it sounds ridiculous, but it works. I'm a fixer. A worrier. I've never been able to just let things go. I want to play God, if you will." She smiled in self mockery. "Every time I do, things go awry." She patted the box. "So, I have this.... a plain ordinary box, but it reminds me to put faith in God and not in myself. The bonus comes when I see my prayers answered... I can see you think I am out of my mind. Shall I show you?" She took the top off. Inside were dozens of small papers, neatly folded. She sifted through them and took one at random, opening it. "Cherry needs a home." She read. The note was dated. "I like to know how long it takes God to answer." She laughed at herself. "Since this prayer's been answered, I won't put it back in the box. God, give me patience with Papa. If he brings another prospective husband to the house. I may just join a convent. And you know I would make a very bad nun." Angel laughed with her. "I'd better leave that one in the box." She took out another. She was silent for a moment before she read. "Please make Faith's nightmares go away. Protect her from the evil one." She folded it and put it back in the box. "Do you see what I mean?" she asked. "I think so." Angel said "What if God says, No?" The possibility didn't distress her. "Then he's got something else in mind, something better than what you would think up for yourself."

I was blown away. It's like God was whispering to me a little reminder of who he is.

Beloved, I am with you. I have not forgotten about you. Believe me. Trust me. I have not moved. I will not change. All this stuff that you are worrying about is meaningless, it will all pass away. Don't waste your time on it. Let me handle it. I'm the only one who can. Cast your cares on me because I care for you, beloved. Come to me and I will give you rest for your weary soul. Breathe in the abundant life I have for you, full of joy and hope. I'm waiting for you. I've always been waiting for you. I will never stop waiting for you. Come to me, beloved.

Trusting God Box

I was recently reading a book called "Confessions of a Pastor: Adventures in Dropping the Pose and Getting Real with God," by Craig Groeschel. What I really appreciate about him is that he is one of the people that so many put on a pedestal and yet whenever he writes he is real and honest about his walk with Jesus Christ and about his struggles in all aspects of his relationship with God, including trusting him. He had this awesome idea called a "Trusting God Box" Here is an excerpt from his book:

"Whenever you are worried about something you can't change, write your worry on a piece of paper and put it in the box. Once it is inside the box, it is God's property, his responsibility, not yours (it never was). From the moment you give your problem to Him, you're not allowed to worry about it. If you want to worry about it you have to go to the box and physically take the concern away from God. And when you do, you'll visually and physically act out what's really happening inside, you're choosing to stop trusting God."

Ouch! Physically taking the control away from God and physically choosing to stop trusting God. Ouch! How many of us stop trusting God on a regular basis by choosing to do so and taking back those things we nailed to the cross or surrendered to him, over and over again? I know I do. Things I thought I had surrendered to God, I have chosen to take back in an attempt to control them. The reality and the truth of the matter is I can't control them. I can't handle them. I can't do it on my own. That is why I gave it all the Him in the first place. I know you all know what I am talking about. No need to come up with some excuse or another about why you "can't" surrender X, Y, Z to God. It's not really a "can't" but instead a "won't". And why? We want control. If we are really honest with ourselves, sometimes it is difficult to differentiate between Lousy Larry or Jilted Jane who hurt us in the past when we trusted them with something precious to us and Jesus Christ. God is the ONLY one who will never fail us. He is the ONLY one who is 100% trustworthy all the time. He is the only one who keeps his promises and he is the ONLY one who loves us enough to sacrifice his son for our benefit. The Bible is full of promises reguarding God's trustworthiness, faithfulness, availability, and love. That is why we have the Bible in the first place. To KNOW GOD. Maybe many of us struggle so much with trusting him because we really don't KNOW God. Sure, we go to church. We sing about him. We can read about him. We believe in him and we claim to know him. But, do we really? Maybe the "Trusting God Box" would be a good exercise for us to see whether or not we really trust God. I took some time to make one, but you can use something that's already made.

Here's the challenge for you (and I will be doing it as well)

1) Get ahold of a "Trusting God Box" whether you make it, buy it, or use something lying around the house. Get one.

2) Take some time (and I don't mean a few minutes. I mean some serious time to sit and reflect on the areas in your life that you do not trust God in. Or maybe you might even need to revist those areas you think you trust God in. Perhaps you really don't. That is for you to discover. Ask God to help you, that is what he is there for.

3) Write down the areas of your life that you want to trust God with and place them in the box. Pray to God telling him that you are giving these things over to him and that you are no longer in control of them (you never were anyways) Tell him that you want him to handle them because you can't (be honest, you can't handle them and neither can I)

4) Do not take those papers back out. If you do I want you to visualize physically taking them back from God and physically choosing not to trust him. That is, afterall the purpose of the box.

5) Get to know God. Pick up your Bible and read. That is how you get to know God personally and not just know of him. That is how you get to learn who he is and what he is all about. That is how you learn to trust him, when you see that he is trustworthy (and he really is!) Below are some verses to get you started.

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Peter 5:7, NIV)

God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to him for protection. (Psalm 18:30, NLT)

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28, NLT)

Clear the Stage....

Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

( 1 John 5:21, NLT)

Ross King wrote a beautiful song called "Clear the Stage" Below you will find the words to the song. Take some time to read them. Anything we place above God is an idol. 1 John 5:21 was warning us to stay away from anything that we may even be tempted to place before God and to keep away from anything that would steal you away from God. That is what this song is about.

Clear the stage and set the sound and lights ablaze
If that's the measure that it takes to crush the idols.
Chuck the pews and all the decorations too
Until the congregations few then have revival.
Tell your friends that this is where the party ends
until you're broken for your sins you can't be social.
Then seek the Lord and wait for what he has in store
and know that great is your reward and just be hopeful

Cause you can sing all you want to.
Yes you can sing all you want to
you can sing all you want to
And don't get me wrong, worship is more than a song.

Take a break from all the plans that you made
And sit at home alone and wait for God to whisper.
Beg Him please to open up his mouth and speak
And pray for real upon your knees until they blister.
Shine the light on every corner of your life
Until the pride and lust and lies are in the open.
Then read the word and put to test the things you've heard
Until your heart and soul are stirred and rocked and broken.
Cause you can sing all you want to.
Yes you can sing all you want toyou can sing all you want to
And don't get me wrong, worship is more than a song.

Anything I put before my God is an idol.
Anything I want with all my heart is an idol.
Anything I can't stop thinking of is an idol.
Anything that I give all my love is an idol.
We must not worship something that's not even worth it.
Clear the stage and make some space for the one who deserves it.

Cause I can sing all I want to.Yes I can sing all I want to
I can sing all I want to
And still get it wrong, worship is more than a song.
And you can sing all you want to.
Yes you can sing all you want to
You can sing all you want to
But don't get me wrong, worship is more than a song.

Amen Ross King, Amen.

Love - It's More Than A Feeling

⁷ Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is a child of God and knows God. ⁸ But anyone who does not love does not know God, for God is love. ⁹ God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰ This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. ¹¹ Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. ¹² No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

(1 John 4:7-12)

Every single person on this earth wants to be loved. It's a desire that is ingrained into our very being by the one who created us to love. Real love is an action, not a feeling based on selfish intentions or motives. Romans 5:8 says; "God DEMONSTRATED his love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ DIED for us." "God SHOWED how much he loved us by SENDING his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him." (1 John 4:9) Those are actions. God fully demonstrated his love for us by choosing to send his son to live and die in place of us. God sent his son, perfect and blameless, and without fault to die for people who would deny him, hate him, spit in his face, torture him and kill him. Why? So we wouldn't have to suffer the penalty for our sins and so we would have a chance at living the abundant life that God desires for us. Real love is a choice, not something you fall into or out of. God is our source of love and Jesus is the example we should live by. Everything in Jesus' life showed his love for others. The fact that he was willing to die in place of each and every one of us is the biggest example of sacrificial love. Jesus was willing to pay the penalty for your sins and my sins. Why? Because he loves us. Real love requires sacrifice and death. As Christians, we need to die to ourselves. This means we lay aside our selfish agenda; our life of choosing to follow our fleshly desires and allow Christ to rule and reign in our hearts. Then his love will spill over into our lives and into the lives of people around us. It is impossible to love as God loves without surrendering to the helper that Christ gave us, the Holy Spirit. He gives us the power to love others. He changes us and transforms us little by little and we become more and more like Christ. Choosing to love others is difficult, but the Holy Spirit enables us to do so. Are there people in your life that others deem "unloveable?" Are there people in your life that YOU deem "unloveable?" To be honest, up until about a year ago, there is no way I would ever take the time to interact with people who were addicts - current or former. "Those people" were just not the kind of people I wanted to be seen with. That is the honest truth. I purposely avoided people that I didn't want to associate with. People that in my heart and through my actions I was deeming "unloveable" I was choosing not to love them because I was being selfish. It is easy to love someone we think is loveable. It is not easy to love someone that the whole world (and ourselves) deems unloveable. God has been changing my heart over the past year. I have had the opportunity to spend some time with people the world has essentially pushed aside and forgotten. People that I had previously pushed aside have been teaching me some ugly things about myself and I have been given the opportunity to choose to love them and show them this through my actions. Since I have been involved with Celebrate Recovery, I have seen how judgemental and ridiculously unloving I was. I have heard some amazing stories of God's rescuing and unconditional love through the lives of the very same people I chose to ignore. I have heard the stories of how people loved them when they felt unloveable. I have lived stories of how people have loved me when I felt unloveable. The common thread that each and every one of us has with one another is our need for love. For someone to consciously choose to love us not based on what they can get from loving us, but on loving us without reward and without worrying about what others may think. We are all looking for someone to show they love us by what they do, not merely by what they say. Is there someone in your life that you can choose today to love? God will help you love them. Is there someone you can show God's love to through your actions? God can help you show his love to them. I am reminded of this old hymn...

"They will know we are Christians, by our love, by our love. Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love."

Loving Others

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters. If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person? Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth. (1 John 3:16-18; NLT)

I was driving down the road on my way home from work when I passed him. He was standing there by the light holding a sign that read. "Homeless and living in my car. Please help." He was a young man, who looked to be in his early to mid 20's. As he and his sign grew smaller and smaller in my rearview mirror, I suddenly felt this urge to turn the car around and go back. As I pulled into the grocery store parking lot, I knew I needed to go in and get some food for this young man. I had $20 in my wallet which was supposed to last me for another week and a half until I got paid again. I walked into the store and grabbed some bread, peanut butter, jelly, applesauce, bottled water, and some other various items and headed to the checkout line. I had spent nearly all of the $20 that I had. I walked out, got in the car, and headed back over to where I had seen the young man. I had no idea what I was going to say to him when I saw him. When I pulled over next to where he was, I rolled down my window and said. "Hi. These are for you. I then proceeded to hand him the four bags of items, smiling. He just looked at me. So, I said, "Have a good day" and I drove off. Maybe I was supposed to say something more. I don't know. There was no prompting to say anything, just to provide this young homeless man with food. Even though I've never seen him again, I think about this man often and wonder how he is doing. I know God was directing me to do what I did that day. My own selfishness would have kept me from giving someone my last $20 bill. I keep hearing "whatever you have done for the least of these, you have done for me" over and over in my head. I can't even tell you the number of times I have passed homeless people on that corner and never stopped to see if I could help, and for that I ask for forgiveness. O God, forgive me for my selfishness and pride! The truth of the matter is, right now I could be in that young man's shoes. I could be homeless. I know what it is like to struggle financially. I know what it is like to have made some pretty big, life altering mistakes, but I also know the love of God and the love of others around me. The last 4 years of my life have had a nomadic existence. Moving from place to place and trusting that God will provide. God moved in the hearts of several people to provide a place for me to live. A place to sleep, and food for me to eat. They loved me and accepted me in my weakness and they provided these things for me, expecting nothing in return. God provided all of that for me as an expression of his love for me. Thinking about this, I have to wonder how many opportunities I have missed to allow God to use me as an expression of love towards someone else. I can't change what I have done in the past and I know that God forgives me. I know he loves me despite my selfish actions. Now, I move forward to show others the very same self-less love that has been lavished on me. There are a lot of people out there who need to know the love of God. They need to know that they are worth something and that their past mistakes or their present circumstances need not be their future. Is there someone in your life that you know needs to know the love of God? What is stopping you from showing them?

DORKS and SORKS

See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called the children of God! And that is what we are! ... (1 John 3:1, NLT)

I'm a dork. Yes, that's right. I'm a dork, or more like a D.O.R.K - A Daughter of the Risen King. Some of you can attest that I am also a dork, but that's another story. I'll save that one for another time. I have a very powerful Father, who loves me unconditionally, despite my weaknesses, failures, slip ups, mess ups, mistakes, and all around dorkiness (if that is even a word). He loves me despite my unloveliness at times. He says there is nothing I can ever do to lose his love. He will always love me, no matter what happens. He also says that nothing and no one can ever take his love away from me. He loves me exactly the same all the time, even when I am not loving towards Him. (Romans 8:35-39) He waits faithfully for me every day to come and spend some time with him and he is not mad when I fail to show up. He still loves me despite my unfaithfulness. He has given me such extravagant gifts and he lavishes them on me freely. I don't have to do anything to earn them, because I can't earn them. He is love. He is merciful. He is just. He is faithful. He is forgiving. He is truth. He is grace. All these amazing gifts, he has given to me with no strings attatched. He won't take those away either. He. Loves. ME. ALL THE TIME. He is good all the time! I am precious in his sight. (Isaiah 43: 1-7) He considers me his most prized posession. I am his special treasure (Deuteronomy 7:6) He will never leave me, or abandon me, or forget about me. He is always with me. He will always be with me. He helps me up when I fall and he shows me which way I should go. I have the best Father, ever! I have many brothers and sisters, he loves us all the same. Perhaps you are a DORK too! .... or a SORK... but that's not a word. If it was, it would be an awesome one though....

Our Advocate - A Gift from God

My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world. (1 John 2:1-2, NLT)

Can you even begin to imagine what it will be like when we stand in front of God to give an account of our lives? Think about your life and all the things that have happened during your short time here on earth. How have you "measured up" to the standards that God has written before you? I know I have fallen short. The Bible says in Romans 3, that none are righteous, none are seeking God, and all fall short of God's glorious standards. (Romans 3:10, 23) As much as I, and many, many others, would like to believe, there is such a thing as a "good person", those passages clearly state that there is no such thing! I am not a good person. I have made mistakes, fallen short, and broken the heart of my loving God. If I'm really honest, I have spat in His face and I have chosen to ignore the direction and guidance He was giving me, all to pursue my own selfish desires. I chose sin. What about you? In light of that, how do you think it will go when you stand in front of God? Now, if I chose sin, then I can choose righteousness, right? I can choose to everything right that I possibly can. I can choose to try to make up for all the things that I have done wrong and I can follow each and every commandment to the greatest detail. It makes me feel good to do what is right. The Pharisees knew the law front and back and yet they never knew God. They followed the laws, but they didn't love others, and they certainly didn't believe Jesus was who he said he was. The Bible says, that there will be some people who will stand before God and give account of all the things they have done for him and in his name, and God will look at them and say, depart from me, I never knew you. (Matthew 7:21-23) Imagine that scene. You are waiting in line to see God and the man in front of you steps forward and says to God, "I have lived a good life. I have followed all the laws and I have obeyed your commandments. I have done many things in your name. I am ready for my reward. " God looks right at him and says, "Depart from me, I never knew you!" Can you imagine that! What heartache! God's love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and salvation are not things we can earn if we are "good enough". God gives them freely to those who ask for them and to those who believe in Him. (This is not just knowing of God in your head, this is knowing God intimately in your heart, loving him with all you have and seeking him and his will in everything you do.) There is absolutely nothing we can give or do to earn these things. Actually we could never give or do enough to even come close to earning these things. God knows this. The Word of God plainly tells us that the wages, or what is earned, for sin is death. (Romans 6:23) If we all sin (and we do), then we all deserve death - that is what we earned for our sin. But God has chosen out of his great love for each of us to send his only son Jesus Christ to take on the punishment, and to pay the penalty for each and every one of our sins. Imagine that I bought you an amazing gift and I wrapped it neatly in colorful paper and I even put a pretty bow on it for you. What good would that gift do if you placed it in the closet without opening it and allowed it to collect dust? What good does it do for you to know that God gives you the gifts of salvation, love, mercy, grace, and forgiveness, (and much, much, more) if you never choose to actually receive them? God has given to each one of us the opportunity to choose to receive each one of these gifts from him. Some choose to be content just with the head-knowledge of God and knowing of God and because of that, they are very rule driven, legalistic, judgmental people. There is no intimate relationship with God Almighty! Sure they know of the things that God offers to them and they know what Jesus Christ did on the cross, but they set the gift that God has given to them, un-opened on the shelf. It's collecting dust and doing them no good! They never let God into their hearts and into their lives to transform everything from the inside out. They have chosen to slam to the door and ignore the gentle knocking on their hearts. Jesus still waits patiently for them to answer. What about those people who have opened the gift and receieved it completely; those who have heard the gentle knocking on the door to their heart and have answered? What did they find on the other side of the door? I picture it this way. Jesus standing there, smiling, open arms waiting to take me in his loving embrace and hold us. Then he takes my hand and leads me through each one of the doors in my heart, illuminating the darkened rooms, showing me the truth, healing my broken heart, and transforming me slowly from the inside out. It's tough letting Jesus open all those doors I have shut so tight, but he goes through them with me. He takes me by the hand and leads me. I trust him. One day when I stand before God to give an account of my life, Jesus will be there, smiling. When it's my turn I'll stand before God and Jesus Christ will wrap his arms around me and say. "This one's on me." Then I will hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant." What joy fills my soul just thinking of it! What will you hear when you stand before God? Have you opened and received the gifts that God has given to you or are they collecting dust?

Living in the Light

This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

(1 John 1:5-10 NLT)

"I wanna be in the light as you are in the light. I wanna shine like the stars in the heavens. Oh, Lord be my light and be my salvation. 'Cause all I want is to be in the light"

(In the Light - DCTalk)

"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine"

Light. A dark room isn't easy to navigate through without it. Try to walk in the darkness and you will stub your toe and bang your shin on that pesky coffee table you thought was over a little bit farther. You could easily trip and fall over something carelessly left on the floor and really get hurt. Turn on the light and you can clearly see all of the obstacles that stand in your way and you can easily navigate your way to your destination. As Christians we are not only called into the light and out of the darkness, but we are called to BE the light in a dark and dying world. We all know someone in our lives that claims to follow Jesus Christ, but whose actions show otherwise. Their light is barely visible, if it is even there at all. We all know someone who is really following Jesus Christ. Their light shines brightly and it illuminates the darkness around them. People are naturally drawn to them because of their luminesence. If you have ever driven during the time when the sun just begins to set, you know just how brightly it shines into your eyes. The sun gives us light so that we can see the world around us. God is light. Following Him, really following Him, causes us to shine brightly, so that others can see the world around them and see their way out of the darkness of this world. God uses us to light a path that points to Him. Jesus says in 1 John 1, that if we are living in spiritual darkness, if we deny our sin and refuse to confess it, then we are no longer lighting that path that points others to light, life, and love and ultimately to God and we are not following Him at all. Jesus also says that if we are living in the light, in the truth, and in fellowship with God, giving his Word a place in our hearts to grow and flourish then we are lighting the path for others to see their way to God. I guess the question is, are you living in the truth lighting the pathway for others that leads them to God, or are you burnt out and living in darkness? Is your light barely visible to those around you? What is keeping you from letting your light shine? If we confess our sins, God is faitful and just and he'll forgive our sins, or mess-ups, our failures, and purify and cleanse us from all wickedness and unrighteousness. He'll light the flame of our hearts so that we can burn brightly for him and we can be a light that leads others to the loving arms of God.

Sing Praise!

¹ Praise the Lord!

Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him in his mighty heaven!
² Praise him for his mighty works;
praise his unequaled greatness!
³ Praise him with a blast of the ram’s horn;
praise him with the lyre and harp!
⁴ Praise him with the tambourine and dancing;
praise him with strings and flutes!
⁵ Praise him with a clash of cymbals;
praise him with loud clanging cymbals.
⁶ Let everything that breathes sing praises to the Lord!

Praise the Lord!

(Psalm 150 NLT)

I love that the book of Psalms ends with praise. Don't you? This book is full of the real feelings, questions, praise, and stories of real people, like David who were consistently pursuing God and seeking Him in all they did. That is why I love this book so much! Your story is being written right now. Will you be real and honest with God about your struggles? Will you trust him to keep his promises to you? Will you praise him in the midst of a storm? Will you praise him at all times in all circumstances? Will you consistently seek him and search for him and surrender to him? Will you live your life for Him? God will help you do all these things! Just ask him. Maintain an attitude of praise as you go throughout each and every day of your life. Stop and see the beauty of his creation. Feel the warmth of his presence. Maybe even dance for joy in his presence. Praise the Lord, our God for his faithful love endures forever!

Praise All Day!

¹ Praise the Lord!

Sing to the Lord a new song.
Sing his praises in the assembly of the faithful.

² O Israel, rejoice in your Maker.
O people of Jerusalem, exult in your King.
³ Praise his name with dancing,
accompanied by tambourine and harp.
⁴ For the Lord delights in his people;
he crowns the humble with victory.
⁵ Let the faithful rejoice that he honors them.
Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds.

(Psalm 149:1-5 NLT)

I love this passage. Reading it made me think of having an attitude of praise. That means praising God all day long, in every circumstance and in every moment of the day. I love how verse 5 says; "Let them sing for joy as they lie on their beds." I thought of two different things that could mean. How many of you know people who have been really ill, and yet maintained an attitude of praise through the whole process? 2) What would be a better way to start or end your day than to burst out in praise and in a joyful song to the Lord? Think about it! I am reminded of the story of the Apostle Paul who praised the Lord while he was imprisoned. Here he was in a place where most people are lacking joy and he is praising the Lord! Can you imagine what impact having an attitude of praise would do for you, not to mention everyone around you!?! I challenge you today to maintain an attitude of praise all day. I'm challenging myself too. Let's do it! God deserves it!

Praise the Name of the Lord!

¹³ Let them praise the name of the LORD,
for his name alone is exalted;
his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.

(Psalm 148: 13 NLT)

One of my favorite things to do is to go for a walk with my camera. Fall is my favorite season. I watching the trees change colors and paint the sky in a beautiful array of reds, oranges, and yellows. I love listening to the crickets outside my window as I fall asleep, and I love waking up to the sounds of songbirds each morning. I am absolutely astounded at all the beauty I see that God has created. For me, it is hard to ignore. From the Mountains, to the waterfalls and streams, to flowers and wildlife, and even to the tiny droplets of water on the leaves after a rainfall - it is all so beautiful! Psalm 148 is all about God's creation praising him. That goes for us too. Take a moment to stop and see the wonders of God laid out right before you. Perhaps even pick up a mirror. God in all his infinite glory created everything as a beautiful expression of his love for you. Take a moment and take it all in. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

Our Healer

He heals the brokenhearted
and bandages their wounds.

(Psalm 147:3 NLT)

Emotional wounds, those that are deep and unable to be touched by human hands, are the wounds I immediately think about when reading this passage. Wounds that cut deep from words that were carelessly spoken can only be healed by the illumination of truth and the expelling of lies. I've heard many words throughout my life that I believed as truth because I heard them so much. For many years they affected everything I did, any relationships I had, and what I thought of myself. Maybe you've heard some of them too. "You're not smart enough." "You're stupid." You can't do anything right." "You'll never amount to anything." "You're worthless." "You're not thin enough." "You, don't need that cake. Why don't you go for a bike ride instead." "You're not pretty enough." "You're a failure." Any of those sound familiar? Perhaps you didn't have those exact words spoken over you, but instead the very things people did to you made you think those things about yourself. "If I were _________ then I wouldn't have this problem. Folks, all of these are lies and I can tell you from my own personal experience that you cannot let them rule your life and your decisions. Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly. Listening to and buying into those lies is not living and abundant life. It's living in defeat. Wouldn't you rather live in victory? Over the past few years, I have chosen to break the chains of these lies and allow the truth to come flowing in. It has radically changed the way I view everything. The Word of God is more than powerful enough to shed light onto the truth and dispel the lies in your life too. If you are struggling with any of these lies, here is the truth. You are loved greatly. (John 3:16-17; Romans 5:8; 1 John 4) You are cherished. (Deuteronomy 7:6; Isaiah 43:1) You are a beautiful creation (Psalm 139) You are God's masterpiece. (Ephesians 2:10) Take some time to digest these truths and allow the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to transform you. Keep reading the Word of God it is full of truth and it will fill your life with light, casting away the lies and the darkness. Hold onto the truth tightly and never let it go.

Where do You Find Hope?

Don’t put your confidence in powerful people;
there is no help for you there.
When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,
and all their plans die with them.
But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their helper,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.

(Psalm 146:3-5 NLT)

Where do you place your hope? Who do you find hope in? I am reminded of Proverbs 19:21;

Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails. (NIV)

Men can plan change. They can say they will change and that they support change and they can even have a strong desire to change. They can come up with all sorts of ideas to support change. Just like the passage says, when that person dies, all of their best made plans go with them. Since we are but a vapor, why is it that there are so many of who are quick to place all of our confidence in mere man and we are reluctant to place all our hope and confidence in God? Sure you can see these people. Those in powerful roles are good at making themselves seen, but at the end of the day, all those people that you place on a pedestal, and all those people you idolize and wish you could be like, are finicky, finite, limited, sinful, human beings whose life on this earth is very temporary in the grand scheme of things. Some people change their mind more than they change their shirt. God is eternal, forever, unlimited, perfect, holy, and all powerful; just to name a few. In the end, God's purposes will prevail over any plans that man could possibly conjure up. Why not place all your hope and trust and confidence in Him? The one who will never fail you, abandon you, lie to you, or break promises. After the end of a long crazy day, who do you find your hope in?

Truth

The Lord is merciful and compassionate,
slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
The Lord is good to everyone.
He showers compassion on all his creation.

The Lord always keeps his promises;
he is gracious in all he does.
The Lord helps the fallen
and lifts those bent beneath their loads.
The eyes of all look to you in hope;
you give them their food as they need it.
When you open your hand,
you satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing.
The Lord is righteous in everything he does;
he is filled with kindness.
The Lord is close to all who call on him,
yes, to all who call on him in truth.
He grants the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cries for help and rescues them.
The Lord protects all those who love him,
but he destroys the wicked.

(Psalm 145 8-9; 13-20)

Wow, truth, right in front of your face. Read it. Breathe it in. Soak it in. Meditate on it. Live it out. God is always with you. He will never leave you. His promises are true and real. He is faithful. He will always come through. He loves you far greater than you can possibly imagine. No matter what you do or don't do, his love for you does not change. This is truth people. That is all.

God Our Rock, Our Loving Ally

Praise the Lord, who is my rock.
He trains my hands for war
and gives my fingers skill for battle.
He is my loving ally and my fortress,
my tower of safety, my rescuer.
He is my shield, and I take refuge in him.
He makes the nations submit to me.

(Psalm 144:1-2 NLT)

I just love the descriptions used in the book of psalms to describe who God is, don't you? Take into consideration this passage of scripture from Psalm 144. God is my Rock - that means he isn't moving and he isn't changing. He is firmly set and grounded in who He is. Nothing can change that. He is our loving ally. If God is on our side (and he is) then who can stand against us? No one. Yes, that's right, no one. We've got God on our side and there is nothing more powerful than Him. He is our fortress and our tower of safety. He provides for us a protection from our enemies. He covers us with his mighty shield. We can take refuge in him. We can find rest in him. He will cover us from the storm and hide us from our enemies. He provides shelter for his children. He rescues us out of the muck and the mire and sets our feet upon his solid rock, his immovable fortress of strength and power. How awesome is that! How awesome is our God! How great is our God! Come on... you know you want to sing it!

Desperation

Come quickly, Lord, and answer me,

for my depression deepens.

Don’t turn away from me,

or I will die.

Let me hear of your unfailing love each morning,

for I am trusting you.

Show me where to walk,

for I give myself to you.

Rescue me from my enemies, Lord;

I run to you to hide me.

Teach me to do your will,

for you are my God.

May your gracious Spirit lead me forward

on a firm footing.

For the glory of your name, O Lord, preserve my life.

Because of your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress.

In your unfailing love, silence all my enemies

and destroy all my foes,

for I am your servant.

(Psalm 143:7-12 NLT)

Think about the time in your life when you have been the most desperate. Maybe it was a few years ago, maybe it was last month, or maybe it is right now. David was in one of his darkest moments. He was desperately pleading with God to come and rescue him. Have you been there? I have. Struggling with depression that really had a strangle hold on me. It was slowly choking the life out of me. I had made some pretty huge mistakes and I had lost my job and was struggling to find another. My phone was ringing off the hook from bill collectors who wanted their money - of which I had none to give. I was grasping for anything I possibly could to help me get through this time. I was hanging on by a thread to the faith I had. Deep down, I knew that God wasn't going to leave me like this. I knew that he would come through. As Christmas came, I was unable to give gifts that year, but what was given to me through some nameless people (because 4 years later, I still have no idea who did it) was a glimpse of hope. Typically around Christmas time there was a little mailbox in the church in which people in the congregation could leave Christmas cards. During the Christmas Eve service, they would be sorted out by name and placed on a table for each member to pick up on their way out. That Christmas Eve, I picked up my stack of cards and headed home. I decided to open a couple on my way. (Yeah, I know not the safest thing) As I opened the first card, something fell out. I glanced on the seat and saw a gift card. Tears were already welling up when I looked at the card to see who it was from. There was no name, only a simple reminder. "God is good all the time". Well now I was bawling so much that I had to pull over. What I discovered as I went through the rest of the pile is that there were a few more cards like the first one with the simple message "God is good all the time" There were also words of encouragement and prayers written for me by people in my church. These were simple, but oh so valuable reminders of God's infinite love for me, and of his unchanging goodness. My circumstances do not dicate whether or not God is good. God's character does. (That goes for you too) David wanted to be reminded of God's goodness and of his unfailing love every morning because he was trusting that God would come through for him. He knew that God would. Those cards with the simple message of "God is good all the time" have served time and time again as a reminder to me of God's unfailing love and of his goodness. If you are struggling right now, God is near. He loves you and he will see you through this. His hand is outstretched towards you. Will you take it and let him guide you through? Will you let him lead you out of the darkness and into his marvelous light?

Call on Me

I cry out to the Lord;

I plead for the Lord’s mercy.

I pour out my complaints before him

and tell him all my troubles.

When I am overwhelmed,

you alone know the way I should turn.

Wherever I go,

my enemies have set traps for me.

(Psalm 142:1-3)

"When I call on Jesus, all things are possible. I can mount on wings like eagles and soar. When I call on Jesus, mountains are gonna fall, 'cause He'll move heaven and earth to come rescue me when I call...." (Nicole C. Mullen - When I Call on Jesus"

I just love the book of Psalms. When I read it, I am reminded time and time again why david was considered "a man after God's own heart." He was constantly in pursuit of God and constantly longing for Him. He knew without a single doubt in his mind that all of God's promises were true. David knew that he could trust God, because God is always faithful. Through the Psalms, I have not only learned a lot about David, but I have also learned a lot about God and all that he is capable of. I have seen his character displayed through the real, raw, cries and pleas of David and the other Psalmists. When trouble came his way, David knew who to turn to. He knew who was powerful enough to change what was going on. He knew who would protect him from his enemies. He cried out to God telling him about everything that was troubling him. When he was overwhelmed, he knew that God was the only one who could help. Life can be pretty overwhelming at times. Sometimes my busy, hectic, schedule causes me to be overwhelmed. It is during those times that God has caused me to slow down and take a look at all that I have been doing. It makes me question whether or not I SHOULD be doing all that I am doing. Sometimes, God has used circumstances in my life to cause me to seek him and do nothing else, because I wasn't able to do anything else. I have a history of blood clots in my left leg. I was crazy busy, running around and serving God and others so much that I had very little time for spending time alone with God, or for myself, for that matter. Once my doctor noted that my continual leg pain was, in fact, from a blood clot... I was on bed rest. I wasn't able to be up walking around, or even driving, and definitely not working. So here I am in bed, with nothing to do. It took a few days of me whining and complaining that I had nothing to do until it dawned on me. Ummm... Hello! Didn't you want time to spend with God? Well, here you have it. You didn't get to go to a quiet remote location to do so, but your bedroom still will do. Open your eyes to see that now you have time to spend with him! Don't waste it watching TV, or complaining. Use it wisely! That wasn't the first time that God used blood clot induced pain in my legs for some time to seek Him and it may not be the last. God is the only one who is qualified to make sense out of the chaos that is our busy lives. That's right. He is the only one who is qualified. So, why is it that when we are stressed out, and overwhelmed, that God is not the first one we come running to? I am guilty of this. I have a tendency to run to other people when I am struggling rather than turning to God, who is powerful enough, and strong enough, and capable enough to handle me and the messes I make. When I was struggling and frustrated, God has made it so anyone that I called would not answer the phone, or call me back. Why? Because it was an opportunity for me to "pour out my complaints before Him and tell Him all my troubles." When I am overwhelmed, God really is the only one who can tell me which way to turn. Now, I am not saying that it is not a good thing to seek the wise counsel of others. What I am saying is that God wants you to come to HIM FIRST, and NOT as a LAST RESORT. I know I am not the only one who struggles with this. David continually came to God - in good times and in difficult times. When he was joyful, or when he was afraid - David came to God and poured out all his complaints and told God all his troubles. When is the last time you did that? When is the last time you came to God first instead of a friend or pastor? God is more than qualified to handle anything you could possible throw at him. Do you trust him enough to come to him and call on him first?

Control My Tongue!

Take control of what I say, O Lord,
and guard my lips.
Don’t let me drift toward evil
or take part in acts of wickedness.
Don’t let me share in the delicacies
of those who do wrong.

(Psalm 141:3-4 NLT)

Gossip can be pretty tricky and it can snare you pretty quickly. One moment you can be saying something honoring to God and the next moment you find yourself caught up in the trap of gossip. I admit that I have fallen into this trap many times. For me, this usually happens when I am upset, angry, or hurt by someone. All someone has to do is bring up that person's name and it is hard for me to hold back the tongue lashing I think they deserve. Have you found yourself in that trap before? Immediately after I speak a word against someone, I feel guilty. I know it is wrong. I ask God time and time again to show me when I am gossipping. What God has revealed to me about my sin problem is that it is so much easier to speak badly about someone when I am harboring bitterness and unforgiveness in my heart toward them. Some how I think that by speaking ill of them, they are getting what they deserve for hurting me. Been there? In reality, I am only hurting myself and damaging my integrity. God has shown me time and time again that people will reap what they sow. That includes those who hurt me and that includes me was well. God is the only just judge and the only one who rightfully can judge. I don't want to sow seeds of gossip, anger, resentment, bitterness, and unforgiveness. I want to sow seeds of encouragement, joy, love, and forgiveness. What about you? David asked for God to take control of what he says and help him to not drift towards evil. Gossiping is a sin.... it's drifting towards evil and it does not honor God.

Father God, help me today to honor you with all that I say and do. Forgive me for gossipping about your children. Control my tongue so that I will speak love and mercy into the lives of your children, whom you love very much, no matter how much they have hurt me. Thank you for reminding me that I hurt people too. Help me to live out my faith in you towards all of those around me so that they will only be able to see you in me. Father let all that I do point back to you and not to my sinful self. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen.

Strong Deliverer

I say to the LORD, “You are my God.”
Hear, LORD, my cry for mercy.
Sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer,
you shield my head in the day of battle.

(Psalm 140:6-7 NIV)

Can you imagine being so incredibly overwhelmed and surrounded by your enemies? David didn't need to imagine. This was his reality. He was surrounded and his enemies on all sides, but David had confidence in the Lord. He knew that God would not only hear his cry for mercy, but that God would ultimately protect him. He would shield him from the snares and the traps of his enemies. God would enable him to be victorious over them. What enemies do you have in your life? Is it an anger problem? A sin problem? An addiction? Fear? God is more powerful and stronger than anything or anyone that is holding you in bondage right now. Call on the Lord and he will help you in your time of need. Trust him to help you win the battle. It may not be an easy road, but God will be with you every step of the way, showing you which path to take. God is always faithful and always good. He loves you greatly. You are a precious treasure to Him. What is holding you back from calling upon his name for mercy? He is waiting for you with open arms.

Listen Carefully

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

(Psalm 139:23-24 NLT)

When is the last time you took a spiritual inventory? What do I mean by that? Well, when is the last time you asked God to point out to you the things in your life that were not pleasing or honoring to him? When is the last time you listened to God when he told you what you were doing is not right? God gave us his son Jesus, to pay the penalty for our sins and to provide for us a way back to the Father. Jesus Christ left with us his helper the Holy Spirit, so that we would have guidance in this world. The Holy Spirit convicts us of things we are doing that are not right. He shows us the things in our lives that are not honoring or pleasing to God. He shows us the things that so easily trip us up and cause us to fall. When was the last time you paid attention to his gentle correction? When was the last time you followed his leading? A few weeks ago at church, a young lady sat next to me. I had seen her a couple times, but I had never spoken to her. (shame on me) Right after the service, she introduced herself and asked me if I was new to the church. (she had been attending for a month) Then she asked me "Have you been a Christian all your life?" and said "I am a new at this, but I really want to walk the walk." Immediately, I felt a prompting from the Holy Spirit to talk to her. I mentioned that I had not been a Christian all my life and that I had not grown up in a Christian home. I knew that the little bit of time we actually had at the end of the service would not be enough to continue this conversation. I felt the nudge to give her my phone number, so I did. Next week we are meeting together to finish the conversation we started weeks ago. When I wasn't at church this past week, she checked on me, hoping that I was ok. I am excited to see what God has in store for our meeting next week. He has a reason for everything. Recently, God has really been showing me how anger has effected my life. He is slowly opening doors in my heart for me to follow him through - all in the name of sanctification and purification. Now, I can choose to listen and follow him through that door, or I can slam that door shut and barricade it. I will tell you that as scary as it may be, I am choosing to walk through each door he opens, for I know that he will be with me the whole time. The same is true for you. What doors do you need to walk through? Do you know that he will walk through them with you? What people in your life is God leading you to? Do you know that he will be with you? What things in your life is God showing you that need to go? Do you know that God is enough? Pray. Ask. Seek. Knock. The doors will be opened for you. Listen carefully to the still small voice of the Lord. He is whispering to you right now, can you hear him?

Plans

The Lord will work out his plans for my life—
for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever.
Don’t abandon me, for you made me.

(Psalm 138:8 NLT)

I am a planner. I don't like approach things without a plan. If you are planning something with me, I need to know all the details well in advance. Even though I am a planner, I am also okay with doing things on a caprice, of course these are not major life decisions or actions, but merely "Hey can you do this last minute" items. So, for me, knowing that God has a plan for me, that he doesn't let me in on drives me toward the brink of insanity. I only know parts of the plan as they start to unfold, and even then, sometimes I am wondering what on earth He is up to. You know, God's plans for me are much bigger than anything I could ever dream up. (The same goes for you) The mere fact that he does, indeed, have plans for me, simply amazes me. The God of the universe has plans for me. The Creator of heaven and earth designed plans for the very life that He has given to me. I think we all struggle with the fact that our plans may not necessarily be God's plans for our lives. Yes, he can see the bigger picture and he knows every tiny detail of our lives, even still, it is hard. What it comes down to is surrender. God is not pushy with his request for our surrender. He is not demanding that we surrender, but he gently whispers it to us. Surrendering to God is not a once and done thing. It is more of a daily choice to surrender to God's will and God's plan for your life for that day. It is in effect saying, "Ok, God. Today I'm going to listen intently to what you want for me to do. I will listen to your still small voice and speak when you tell me to speak. I will choose to obey and follow you today because I know that you know what is best for me. I lay aside all of my agendas for the day and I will allow your guidance and leadership to show me the way." Psalm 138 is a great psalm. It's one of my favorites. The verse that has always stood out to me is verse 8. "The Lord will work out his plans for my life, for your faithful love, OLord, endures forever." God is always faithful. If he says he has plans for our lives (and he does Jeremiah 29:11-14) then he has plans for our lives. He always keeps his promises. He will work out the plans that he designed for our lives. Are you willing to surrender each day one at a time to the plans that God has for you? Are you willing to lay aside your agenda in order to sit and listen intently to the sweet whisper of the Lord?

Difficult to Praise?

Beside the rivers of Babylon, we sat and wept

as we thought of Jerusalem.

We put away our harps

hanging them on the branches of poplar trees

For our captors demanded a song from us.

Our tormentors insisted on a joyful hymn:

"Sing us one of those songs of Jerusalem!"

But how can we sing the songs of the Lord

while in a pagan land?

(Psalm 137:1-4)

Sometimes when we are in the midst of a storm in life, our difficult circumstances can overshadow the love of God and we can even find ourselves questioning everything we believe in. Right smack dab in the middle of my own difficult circumstances, brought on by my own sinful choices, I was there - questioning God and whether or not he really cared for me. I was held captive and in bondage to the strongholds that Satan had told me after I had sinned, and I was ashamed of my decisions that lead up to that very same sin. I had been decieved. I desperately wanted things to go back to the way they were before I found myself off the path of life, that God had set me on and on the path of destruction that was stealing the very life from me. I felt like I was in a pagan land. I had turned my back on God and on the things I knew were good and right. I had rebelled against my loving Father. Thinking about how things once were caused me to shed many tears as I wished I could turn back the hands of time and not make the same mistakes again, but that was impossible. What was done could not be erased. It happened. What I didn't realize at the time was that God was going to use my mistakes for his glory. The things that I went through would not be wasted. He turned my focus back to him and as I struggled through confession and repentance, God was there. He never left me. His love exuded from those around me as I told my bitter story of rebellion. God turned my tears of sorrow and regret into tears of joy! As I continued to walk through the valley, it was so much easier to praise God and to be thankful for the things that he had undeservidly blessed me with along the way, because I knew he was with me. Much like the Israelites were in captivity, I was in captivity to my sinful choices and their consequences. Pleading for forgiveness and repenting removed the veil that had been preventing me from seeing God's love for me. He had always loved me, regardless of my choices. He never stops loving me, even if I fail to do what is right. He is always faithful, always loving, always true no matter what circumstances we find ourselves in. Praise God in all things. Rejoice in all things. When the road gets rough, remember that God is with you, he loves you greatly and will never let you go.

God is Good All the Time!

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
(psalm 136:1)

I love Psalm 136. There are 26 verses to this Psalm, and every single verse has, "His love endures forever", closing it. Now, if I was trying to drive home a point, I might go that route. In fact, for the sake of this blog entry on Psalm 136, I will.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is always good.
The Lord, your God, is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord, for his mercies are new each morning
The Lord, your God, is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord, for a night of restful sleep.
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord, for the beautifully painted sunrise.
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord, for the blessing of a hot cup of coffee.
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord, for the job you have, but don't always enjoy.
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord, for the car you have to drive, even if it is falling apart.
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord, for the beautiful weather and fresh air.
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord, for the rain that nourishes the ground and provides you with food.
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord, for opportunities to share his love.
The Lord, your God, is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord, for the person who makes you mad each and every day.
The Lord, your God, is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord, for the person who gets on your last nerve.
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord, for the person who is rude to you for no reason.
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord for the person who has hurt you, maybe even deeply.
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord, for the opportunity to share his love with others.
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord, for the unexpected flat tire, or the unannounced bill
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord for the child who pushes you to be patient.
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord for the trials you face in life.
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord for the times you have to wait on Him.
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord for opportunities to praise Him
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord, for those who are patient with you when you make them mad.
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord for food on your plate, the roof over your head.
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord, for his love for you is great
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is always with you.
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord, for times of suffering.
The Lord, your God is good all the time.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is always good.
The Lord, your God is good all the time.


Yes, the Lord, your God is good ALL the time.

Sing Praise!

Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good;
sing praise to his name, for that is pleasant.
(Psalm 135:3)

I absolutely love waking up with a song of praise in my heart. It sets the tone of the whole day for me. Some days, it is a song I listened to the night before and other days, it is a song that was just there when I woke up. Today, my alarm clock went off at 5:30am. I have been trying to get up and out of bed to go for a quiet walk in the morning before the craziness of getting ready for work. As I reset my alarm for 6am. I said "God, I really want to get out of bed and go for a walk with you this morning. If you could some how help me get up when my alarm goes off again, that would be great." Well, I laid there for about 5 minutes before I realized that I was not going back to sleep. Ask and you shall receive - not exactly when I had in mind, but it still works. As I got out of bed, I recognized the song in my heart for today. This morning I woke up with a song in my heart that I had been listening to in the beginning of the week; "Waking Up" by Charlie Hall.

"And I wake up, 'cause Your mercy is new and it causes me to sing to You. Yeah I rise up, 'cause You're mercy is new and it causes me to sing to You."

As I walked, in the dark neighborhood, apparently it was too early for the street lights to be on, I found myself singing that song and smiling. Now, I could only remember the chorus, so I just kept repeating that as I looked up at the stars. What a blessing it was to wake up and go for a walk well before normal people are out of bed.

Psalm 135 speaks of the greatness of God and the greatness of his power and authority. The psalmist speaks of the great things that God has done for the Israelites. It shows them that any idol is powerless against God.

I don't know about you, but I like to sleep as long as I possibly can. I set the alarm for 5am every day and every day, I stay in bed until 6:45am - the absolute latest I can possibly get up. Now, I have consciously chosen to sleep, over spending some unhurried time with God in the morning. I desire to get up and do so, however, I desire to sleep in more. According to the definition of what an idol is - anything that occupies your thoughts or is more important to you than God - I think it would be a safe bet to say that for me, sleep was an idol. I have tried again and again to get up and go for a walk on my own strength, but after setting and re-setting my alarm numerous times, it simply hasn't happened. This morning when I asked God to help me, well I couldn't even sleep another minute. I would have missed a big blessing and a wonderful start to my day if I had merely stayed in bed and tried again to get up on my own strength. Thank you God for answering my plea!

When I got back from my walk, I looked up the rest of the words for "Waking Up" by Charlie Hall. I decided that they were my prayer for today.

Praise the Lord, my soul and all of my being
Be my all today and all that I'm seeing
Keep me close to You, me heart close to You speaking
Father keep me close, yeah

And I say today that You are true and faithful
I want Your heart today and a heart that is grateful
And in my weakness, Lord, I know that You will sustain me
Oh, restrain me God, please

With all of my being
I rise up to sing
Sing, sing
I rise up to sing

"And I wake up, 'cause Your mercy is new and it causes me to sing to You. Yeah I rise up, 'cause You're mercy is new and it causes me to sing to You."

Watchmen

Praise the LORD, all you servants of the LORD
who minister by night in the house of the LORD.
(Psalm 134:1 NLT)

Working third shift is no easy task. I've worked it for periods of time in my life, three years being the longest. It is hard to adjust to the less than normal sleep schedule and hard for others with more "normal" schedules to understand why you need to be sleeping. When I worked in a group home, it was my responsibility to clean the house and get things ready for the next day. That meant packing lunches, prepping dinner for the next evening, and making breakfast in the morning. There was a lot to do and the house was really QUIET, apart from the creaking floors and settling of the house at night. It was kind of scary to be alone in that house all night. It was also part of my responsibility to watch over the individuals sleeping to make sure they were alright, to send them back to bed when they got up in the middle of the night and to care for them when they were ill. One of the individuals who lived in the house had this life-sized Joe Paterno, the football coach for PennState. It was creepy on it's own in the daylight, let alone late at night in the dark. One night, I came around the corner and was uncomfortably surprised by a figure lurking in the darkness. I opened my mouth and just as I was going to let out a scream, I realized that the figure looking back at me was none other than the cardboard cut-out, Joe Paterno. (My boss thought it was funny to continually move him throughout the house) I made it a point to hide that thing the next night. Can you imagine working the night shift at the Temple of the Lord? There were things to be done, but most importantly, these servants acted as watchmen over the temple. They acted as protectors. They watched over the Temple and praised God in the darkness of the night. The did their tasks as an act of reverence to God and they honored him with the work that they did. It was difficult for me some mornings to be working in that house. If the night was difficult, and an individual was awake when they should have been sleeping, or they were ill, it was tough. I had to take the attitude that I was working in this house for God and I was acting as an instrument of love to people who often get overlooked because of their disabilities. I was often pushed to the edge of my patience and some mornings, I wasn't very lovely to them. For that, I am truly sorry. I can't ever take those moments back. Why don't you take a moment to ask yourself if you honor God with the work that you do. Are you serving him while you are working in the world? Are you doing your work to the best of your ability as an act of reverence to God? Are you loving those around you as Christ loves you?

Unity - By Our Love

How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!

It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down on the collar of his robe.

It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.

(Psalm 133 NIV)

When I think of unity in the church, I think of the Body of Christ functioning as it was meant to. Many songs of praise and hymns come to my mind as I reflect on unity. "Bind us together, Lord. Bind us together cords that cannot be broken. Bind us together, Lord. Bind us together. Bind us together with love." "We are one in the bond of love. We have joined our spirit with the spirit of God. We are one in the bond of love." "They'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love. Yes, they'll know we are Christians by our love." When God's people live in unity, they work together to serve God out of love for Him. They love and serve one another as God loves. This is how the church was designed to work - unrestricted by the four walls that make up a the building called a church, serving everyone despite of what they look like, or what activities they participate in, loving even "the least of these" as we would love our own families. There is so much judgment and criticism among denominations and among congregations today. It's sad really. People who say they love God and yet really have no idea that loving others is a part of loving God. If you walk into a church and immediately feel judged without anyone even saying a word, where is the love in that church? Where is the Spirit of God? Can you imagine how that grieves God?If you can enter a church building and immediately feel welcome and loved, then that's a place you should be. Love openly displayed for ALL who enter. Can you imagine the smile stretched across the face of God as he sees this?! Take a moment to read the lyrics from the Hymn "They Will Know We Are Christians By Our Love" Can those around you tell you are a Christian by the way you treat them?

We are one in the Spirit,
we are one in the Lord,
We are one in the Spirit
we are one in the Lord,
And we pray that all unity
may one day be restored:

And they'll know we are Christians
By our love, by our love,
Yes, they'll know we are Christians
By our love.

We will walk with each other
we will walk hand in hand
we will walk with each other
we will walk hand in hand
and together we'll spread the news
that God is in our land:

And they'll know we are Christians
By our love, by our love,
Yes, they'll know we are Christians
By our love.

We will work with each other
we will work side by side
We will work with each other
We will work side by side
And we'll guard each man's dignity
and save each man's pride:

And they'll know we are Christians
By our love, by our love
Yes, they'll know we are Christians
By our love.

All Praise to the Father
from whom all things come,
And all praise to Christ Jesus
His only Son,
and all praise to the Spirit
who makes us all one:

And they'll know we are Christians
By our love, by our love
Yes, They'll know we are Christians
By our love.

Determination

Lord, remember David
and all that he suffered.
He made a solemn promise to the Lord.
He vowed to the Mighty One of Israel,
“I will not go home;
I will not let myself rest.
I will not let my eyes sleep
nor close my eyelids in slumber
until I find a place to build a house for the Lord,
a sanctuary for the Mighty One of Israel.”
(Psalm 132:1-5 NLT)

Have you ever known, deep down in your heart, something that God was leading you to do? Something that God desired for you to do? Or maybe even something that God called you to do? David knew that he would play a part in building the Temple and he couldn't rest until he accomplished what God was asking him to do. Have you ever experienced that? Whenever the Holy Spirit is prompting me to do something, I get this feeling in the pit of my stomach. That is my clue that there is something I need to be doing, usually it is sharing a word of encouragement. It is important to listen to the still small voice of God (really the Holy Spirit) when he speaks and tells you something that you need to be doing. God can use everything imaginable and even things we can't even imagine to get our attention back to what he wants for us to be doing. David was focused on obeying God and doing what was asked of him and he wasn't going to let anything get in his way of accomplishing this task for the Lord. Following God in obedience is never easy, but it is worth everything. Someone very wise once told me, If God calls you (or asks you) to do something, never let anyone take that away from you. You must obey.What has God asked you to do? Are you willing to follow his leading? What gets in the way of accomplishing what God has asked you to?

Glub! Glub!

My heart is not proud, Lord,

my eyes not haughty;

I do not concern myself with great matters

or things too wonderful for me.

But I have calmed and quieted myself,

I am like a weaned child with it's mother;

like a weaned child, I am content.

(Psalm 131:3)

To be calm in the midst of the storm. Think about the disciples in Mark 3, when Jesus was sound asleep in the midst of what was to them, a terrifying storm. Jesus was calm, in fact he was asleep. Not too many people could sleep on a boat in the middle of a storm. My two older nieces up until recently have been historically afraid to swim without having someone nearby. If they were scared or not holding on to me, or whomever was in the water with them, they would say "Glub, Glub!" It's kind of cute when you consider it was their way of announcing that they were getting scared, however, sobering to realize that they were indeed scared of drowning. They needed a strong arm to hold them up and reassure them that they were safe. The psalmist, David, was a man after God's own heart, and he faced many storms in his lifetime - many which were the result of his own sin. In Psalm 131, David is essentially saying that now, he is calm in the midst of a storm. Why? Perhaps because it would do him no good to worry and fret over things he cannot control. Maybe he has learned his lesson. Remaining calm and keeping our focus on God is something we all should do in the midst of a storm. If we spend all our time focusing on the storm around us and not the storm walker, we will fall, much like Peter did when he tried to walk on water. We are dangerously close to drowning when we focus on our circumstances and our past. Nothing good comes from focusing on them, and yet, we all do it at some time in our lives. David was not only calm in the midst of the storm, but he is content. To be content, is to be satisfied. David was satisfied in knowing everything was under God's control and in His hands. He had great hope in the Lord, and he desired for Israel, to have that very same hope not only in the midst of a storm, but always. When the waves rise up against you and the water of uncertainty threatens to swallow you whole, and you are yelling, Glub! Glub! Remember to keep your focus on Christ. His strong arm supports you, his hand guides you and reassures you that in his arms, you are safe.

Our Great Redeemer

Out of the depths I cry to you, LORD;
Lord, hear my voice.
Let your ears be attentive
to my cry for mercy.

If you, LORD, kept a record of sins,
Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
so that we can, with reverence, serve you.

I wait for the LORD, my whole being waits,
and in his word I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord
more than watchmen wait for the morning,
more than watchmen wait for the morning.

Israel, put your hope in the LORD,
for with the LORD is unfailing love
and with him is full redemption.
He himself will redeem Israel
from all their sins.

(Psalm 130)

Wow! Now this paints such a brilliant picture of God's faithfulness to me! Think about it. If God kept a record of our sins, we would really be hopeless! We couldn't stand a chance in this world! But God has given us all hope and freedom through the blood that his son, Jesus Christ, shed on the cross as a payment for my sins and for yours as well. He offers forgiveness and new life to each one of us, regardless of the things we have done or haven't done. He promises to pick us up right where we are and make us new! His love is unfailing, and unconditional. There is nothing we can do to earn it. God brings hope to the hopeless, rest to the restless. He brings peace and forgiveness to all who ask and believe. To all who seek him and wait upon him, he renews their strength and hope! God is our great redeemer! To redeem something is to turn it in or to exchange it. God redeems us by taking our sin and exchanging the penalty for it, which is death, with life through the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross. God is our great redeemer!