Transformational Thought
When someone asks you the question, “Who are you?” what do you reply? Most say, I am a housewife … a psychiatrist (fill in your profession) … a father, soccer mom, or volunteer.
Sometimes a role we play in life can become our main identity. Our world then actually revolves around that part of our life ... and it can make us feel pretty good about ourselves.
Super mom ... world's best dad ... successful career person ... accomplished musician ... popular pastor ... well-known writer ... politician ... beloved teacher ... computer whiz ... helper of others: like doctor, nurse, volunteer for a non-profit, feeder to the homeless.
These can all be good roles to play—but, if we aren’t careful, they can hinder our growth and even lead to our downfall. When we start thinking the role we play is our main identity in life, defining us, our focus on Jesus and his plan for us will certainly diminish. Then pride can set in as we think this great accomplishment is our own doing. Or on the opposite end, fear can set in. We have to keep up that persona so people will know us and care about us … otherwise we wouldn’t know what else to do.
Watching the Super Bowl and these amazing athletes, you see that some of them get defined by their skill and then even develop a persona around that. Unfortunately, this posing leads them down some terrible paths. Mike Vick, Ben Roethlisberger, Tiger Woods, and OJ Simpson are a couple examples of what happens when what we do and are excel at becomes our identity and it gets out of control.
As Christians, we all have the same innate identity … we are children of God and followers of Christ. He will give us a different combination of gifts, have us grow through different experiences and situations, lead us into different roles, and give us opportunities to represent Him wherever we are and whatever we do.
But the bottom line is this: We are his children. That's our main identity. That's who we are … and nothing could be better. We need to keep that mindset and focus throughout each day, as this dramatically affects how we view the circumstances we experience and the people we interact with … everyday.
Today, think about who you view yourself as. How has this affected your course in life? If you answer the question, “follower of and ambassador for Christ”, ask if this is an intellectual answer only, or one that truly determines your thoughts, feelings, and actions in your experiences today? Make it your identity and attitude today! Your decision, choose well.
Prayer
Father, thank You for the gifts and opportunities You've given me. Help me to always remember that I am, first and foremost, Your child ... and to use these gifts and opportunities to honor You. May I never become proud of myself for anything I do. Help me to always remember that all good and perfect gifts come from You. I pray this and all prayers for the One who gives us our identity, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
So I have reason to be enthusiastic about all Christ Jesus has done through me in my service to God. Yet I dare not boast about anything except what Christ has done through me.
Romans 15:17-18
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Stepping Stones: When The Laughter Ends…
Transformational Thought
Most of us have some degree of trouble admitting our true feelings or being able to express them, especially if we are struggling with life-interfering problems. But throughout the Bible, God encourages us to be in touch with our feelings and to know them. Then He doesn’t want us to keep them hidden inside. Jesus set an example for us: He had emotions and he expressed them. He cried. He got angry. He was sad. He was concerned and sweated blood in the garden.
We often hide the way we feel behind a defense to keep our real selves from showing through. Inside we may feel angry, or fearful or sad, but we hide those feelings by joking…or acting superior or looking important…using sarcastic comments…being silent…deflecting attention to something else…anesthetizing it with substances or food…isolating or employing some other defense. We may try to cover our sadness with laughter, but when the laughter ends, the hurt or loss remains. Hidden shame and sadness are roadblocks to hope and healing.
Hiding our feelings gives them control over our lives. Unexpressed anger, fear, unforgiveness, or guilt will have a destructive influence on everything we do. We only have a small box inside to keep these feelings in…it overflows quickly. And when it overflows, those feelings will come out into our real everyday functioning…that is a fact.
Your choice is very simple. Express your feelings as they happen in ways that are controllable, functional, measured, healthy, respectful, and useful to you while they match the situation. Or instead, while you are trying to hold in your feelings they will start to overflow from that little container inside and ooze out in ways that are uncontrollable, dysfunctional, random, sabotaging your efforts to deal with the situation at hand and move forward. This is what usually happens and why we are so afraid of our feelings or other people’s feelings.
Today, ask yourself this question: has your "cover-up" helped? Or have you learned first-hand that when the laughter ends, the grief remains? Your suppressed feelings are coming back to undermine your happiness and relationships. Admitting your feelings can be a turning point. Be honest with yourself…and with God…and then with a friend. Being real will open the door for healing. Journaling your feelings as they come up is a good step towards better commanding your emotions.
Prayer
Dear Father God, I've been hiding my feelings for a long time, but I know now it's time to be honest. Help me to be real. Help me to have better awareness of my feelings and more control in expressing them. Set me free from their grip. Soothe me and increase my awareness of Your soothing. Help me to share my real feelings with my loved ones. I pray in the name of the One whom You sent to be my perfect emotional role model, Jesus Christ - and all God’s children said AMEN!
The Truth
Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when laughter ends, the grief remains.
Proverbs 14:13
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
and give no opportunity to the devil.
Ephesians 4:26,27
Most of us have some degree of trouble admitting our true feelings or being able to express them, especially if we are struggling with life-interfering problems. But throughout the Bible, God encourages us to be in touch with our feelings and to know them. Then He doesn’t want us to keep them hidden inside. Jesus set an example for us: He had emotions and he expressed them. He cried. He got angry. He was sad. He was concerned and sweated blood in the garden.
We often hide the way we feel behind a defense to keep our real selves from showing through. Inside we may feel angry, or fearful or sad, but we hide those feelings by joking…or acting superior or looking important…using sarcastic comments…being silent…deflecting attention to something else…anesthetizing it with substances or food…isolating or employing some other defense. We may try to cover our sadness with laughter, but when the laughter ends, the hurt or loss remains. Hidden shame and sadness are roadblocks to hope and healing.
Hiding our feelings gives them control over our lives. Unexpressed anger, fear, unforgiveness, or guilt will have a destructive influence on everything we do. We only have a small box inside to keep these feelings in…it overflows quickly. And when it overflows, those feelings will come out into our real everyday functioning…that is a fact.
Your choice is very simple. Express your feelings as they happen in ways that are controllable, functional, measured, healthy, respectful, and useful to you while they match the situation. Or instead, while you are trying to hold in your feelings they will start to overflow from that little container inside and ooze out in ways that are uncontrollable, dysfunctional, random, sabotaging your efforts to deal with the situation at hand and move forward. This is what usually happens and why we are so afraid of our feelings or other people’s feelings.
Today, ask yourself this question: has your "cover-up" helped? Or have you learned first-hand that when the laughter ends, the grief remains? Your suppressed feelings are coming back to undermine your happiness and relationships. Admitting your feelings can be a turning point. Be honest with yourself…and with God…and then with a friend. Being real will open the door for healing. Journaling your feelings as they come up is a good step towards better commanding your emotions.
Prayer
Dear Father God, I've been hiding my feelings for a long time, but I know now it's time to be honest. Help me to be real. Help me to have better awareness of my feelings and more control in expressing them. Set me free from their grip. Soothe me and increase my awareness of Your soothing. Help me to share my real feelings with my loved ones. I pray in the name of the One whom You sent to be my perfect emotional role model, Jesus Christ - and all God’s children said AMEN!
The Truth
Laughter can conceal a heavy heart, but when laughter ends, the grief remains.
Proverbs 14:13
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,
and give no opportunity to the devil.
Ephesians 4:26,27
Friday, February 4, 2011
Stepping Stones: Super Bowl Level Importance
Transformational Thought
100 million viewers, $2.8 million for a 30 second commercial, biggest betting day of the year, 1 billion wings eaten, the day most pizzas ordered, and the worst day for domestic violence.
The Super Bowl is an unbelievable event…so much emotion, buildup, and expectations. The winner is remembered and worshipped forever and the loser is branded a choker…forever. Commercials, mega halftime shows, plays, players and personalities are seared in our mind or become societal icons.
One Super Bowl a year is enough, just ask my wife…could you imagine 2 a year, or one per month, or heaven forbid, weekly Super Bowls? We would be overwhelmed, on edge, emotionally spent, fed up, bankrupt, hung-over, and paralyzed.
Life is the same way. We have “Super Bowl” events…getting married, child’s birth, loved one’s passing, first day on the dream job, an affair, grand vacations, kid with a disability, first day of school, child leaves for college, divorce, get fired. You get the idea - they don’t happen every week. Then we have some “playoff game” events and some other life events that rank on the very-important-regular-season-game level.
The reality: 99% of life is either an average regular season or even a preseason game in level of importance and impact. The problem: we react to a lot of our daily events as if they have the importance and impact of a Super Bowl or playoff game. We forget these same events within 1-15 days. We can’t handle the emotional rollercoaster of 6 Super Bowls a year, let alone 3 Super Bowls a day. While only few people are “drama queens”, most people fall into the Super Bowl mentality trap. We feel so many things in life are all-important and life-changing.
One of the questions I ask patients (that they, even females, repeat to me years later saying it really impacted them) is, “Does that event really rate the ‘Super Bowl‘ level of importance you are giving it?” The question really helps people gain a more eternal, Godly perspective about everyday events.
Today, remember Super Bowl magnitude events usually occur once or twice a year. Look at how you react to minor disruptions and ask yourself, “Self, is this situation really a Super Bowl event in magnitude and long term impact, or am I having an exaggerated response?” If you are inappropriately Super Bowling it, ask yourself “Why?” and “How often do I do this?” Parents, you’ll probably be amazed as you contemplate your reactions to your kid’s behavior.
Prayer
Dear Father God, thanks for being sovereign over all things…this truth, and faith in Your sovereignty gives me such peace in most situations. I confess though, that sometimes I over-react to the spiritual warfare and minutiae of the day and blow it into a Super Bowl level of importance. Give me discernment and the Mind of Christ to realize what really is important and what isn’t. I pray this in the name of the greatest ‘Super Bowl’ event of all time, Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection; And all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?
Luke 12:25,26
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:15-17
100 million viewers, $2.8 million for a 30 second commercial, biggest betting day of the year, 1 billion wings eaten, the day most pizzas ordered, and the worst day for domestic violence.
The Super Bowl is an unbelievable event…so much emotion, buildup, and expectations. The winner is remembered and worshipped forever and the loser is branded a choker…forever. Commercials, mega halftime shows, plays, players and personalities are seared in our mind or become societal icons.
One Super Bowl a year is enough, just ask my wife…could you imagine 2 a year, or one per month, or heaven forbid, weekly Super Bowls? We would be overwhelmed, on edge, emotionally spent, fed up, bankrupt, hung-over, and paralyzed.
Life is the same way. We have “Super Bowl” events…getting married, child’s birth, loved one’s passing, first day on the dream job, an affair, grand vacations, kid with a disability, first day of school, child leaves for college, divorce, get fired. You get the idea - they don’t happen every week. Then we have some “playoff game” events and some other life events that rank on the very-important-regular-season-game level.
The reality: 99% of life is either an average regular season or even a preseason game in level of importance and impact. The problem: we react to a lot of our daily events as if they have the importance and impact of a Super Bowl or playoff game. We forget these same events within 1-15 days. We can’t handle the emotional rollercoaster of 6 Super Bowls a year, let alone 3 Super Bowls a day. While only few people are “drama queens”, most people fall into the Super Bowl mentality trap. We feel so many things in life are all-important and life-changing.
One of the questions I ask patients (that they, even females, repeat to me years later saying it really impacted them) is, “Does that event really rate the ‘Super Bowl‘ level of importance you are giving it?” The question really helps people gain a more eternal, Godly perspective about everyday events.
Today, remember Super Bowl magnitude events usually occur once or twice a year. Look at how you react to minor disruptions and ask yourself, “Self, is this situation really a Super Bowl event in magnitude and long term impact, or am I having an exaggerated response?” If you are inappropriately Super Bowling it, ask yourself “Why?” and “How often do I do this?” Parents, you’ll probably be amazed as you contemplate your reactions to your kid’s behavior.
Prayer
Dear Father God, thanks for being sovereign over all things…this truth, and faith in Your sovereignty gives me such peace in most situations. I confess though, that sometimes I over-react to the spiritual warfare and minutiae of the day and blow it into a Super Bowl level of importance. Give me discernment and the Mind of Christ to realize what really is important and what isn’t. I pray this in the name of the greatest ‘Super Bowl’ event of all time, Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection; And all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? If then you are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest?
Luke 12:25,26
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:15-17
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Stepping Stones: Super Bowl Memories
Transformational Thought
I’m a Steeler fan…born in Pittsburgh area…so Super Bowls in the 70’s, my teen years, were unbelievable memories as my beloved Steel Curtain smashed their way to an unprecedented 4 championships in 6 years. Awesome memories!
For a while though, Super Bowl Sunday also conjured up some terrible memories. You see, from late high school through college and into medical school, I made many poor choices leading to a significant alcohol addiction. Worst memory ever: Jan 25, 1987, Super Bowl Sunday…middle of medical school, an awesome future ahead of me. It started off at a party with a bunch of med school friends. Through a series of progressively stupider decisions…consuming lots of alcohol, winning $600, more “celebrating” at a strip bar, driving drunk (after a snow and ice storm), 6 counts of aggravated assault, a cut, bruised and battered body…I ended up in a Newark jail. Could’ve gotten killed or worse, killed others, several times that day.
Jail…it was what I needed at that time to protect me from myself, Satan, and the world…it was a great place to think. And God really spoke to me. I finally listened and was able to realize that life according to my instruction book…my kingdom come, my will be done mentality…wasn’t working. My hole kept getting deeper and deeper over a 10-year stretch. I finally understood what Jesus did for me, and what God wanted to do in my life…transform me and bless me with an abundant life by fulfilling all my needs. I started to really know, love, and delight in my Lord.
Well, it took me several years to sort it out and really appreciate that day, and now I look back and thank God so much for what He has done for and through me. My terrible memories of that one Super Bowl Sunday have been wiped clean with the blood of Christ. What He has blessed me with since then…spiritual growth, marriage, my girls, friends, profession, ministry, coworkers, experiences, has been beyond my wildest dreams, especially compared to being in jail facing felony charges. (Not testing God, I make sure I am in a safe place Super Sunday.)
Today, realize each decision, regardless how big or small, has definite ripples. Second, if you are experiencing difficulties, hope is in the Lord, not your efforts or abilities. Third, if you have done some terrible things in the past, God will forgive and help you move forward, using even those events in powerful ways to impact you, others, and His kingdom. Enjoy the game.
Prayer
Dear Father God, You, Your love, and grace are truly amazing. I thank You for not leaving me even though I left You many times. Thanks for landing me in jail, so I finally could meet You and listen to what You had been trying to tell me for many years. Thanks for the tremendous opportunity to serve You and for Your willingness to use me in Your service…it is truly humbling. I pray this in the name of the One I delight in, Jesus Christ; And all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.
Psalm 37:4
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
John 10:10
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1,2
I’m a Steeler fan…born in Pittsburgh area…so Super Bowls in the 70’s, my teen years, were unbelievable memories as my beloved Steel Curtain smashed their way to an unprecedented 4 championships in 6 years. Awesome memories!
For a while though, Super Bowl Sunday also conjured up some terrible memories. You see, from late high school through college and into medical school, I made many poor choices leading to a significant alcohol addiction. Worst memory ever: Jan 25, 1987, Super Bowl Sunday…middle of medical school, an awesome future ahead of me. It started off at a party with a bunch of med school friends. Through a series of progressively stupider decisions…consuming lots of alcohol, winning $600, more “celebrating” at a strip bar, driving drunk (after a snow and ice storm), 6 counts of aggravated assault, a cut, bruised and battered body…I ended up in a Newark jail. Could’ve gotten killed or worse, killed others, several times that day.
Jail…it was what I needed at that time to protect me from myself, Satan, and the world…it was a great place to think. And God really spoke to me. I finally listened and was able to realize that life according to my instruction book…my kingdom come, my will be done mentality…wasn’t working. My hole kept getting deeper and deeper over a 10-year stretch. I finally understood what Jesus did for me, and what God wanted to do in my life…transform me and bless me with an abundant life by fulfilling all my needs. I started to really know, love, and delight in my Lord.
Well, it took me several years to sort it out and really appreciate that day, and now I look back and thank God so much for what He has done for and through me. My terrible memories of that one Super Bowl Sunday have been wiped clean with the blood of Christ. What He has blessed me with since then…spiritual growth, marriage, my girls, friends, profession, ministry, coworkers, experiences, has been beyond my wildest dreams, especially compared to being in jail facing felony charges. (Not testing God, I make sure I am in a safe place Super Sunday.)
Today, realize each decision, regardless how big or small, has definite ripples. Second, if you are experiencing difficulties, hope is in the Lord, not your efforts or abilities. Third, if you have done some terrible things in the past, God will forgive and help you move forward, using even those events in powerful ways to impact you, others, and His kingdom. Enjoy the game.
Prayer
Dear Father God, You, Your love, and grace are truly amazing. I thank You for not leaving me even though I left You many times. Thanks for landing me in jail, so I finally could meet You and listen to what You had been trying to tell me for many years. Thanks for the tremendous opportunity to serve You and for Your willingness to use me in Your service…it is truly humbling. I pray this in the name of the One I delight in, Jesus Christ; And all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.
Psalm 37:4
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
John 10:10
I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:1,2
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Stepping Stones: Divorce: Despair or Trust?
Transformational Thought
Divorce is the ultimate relationship wound and loss. When marriage problems end in separation and then divorce, the loss is deeply experienced not only by the couple, but also by the entire family. It even impacts friends and often the coworkers of that family. Divorce can leave the family in suspended animation and battles usually rage for many years after.
Recovering from divorce involves working through a grieving process, much like when a spouse has died. It also involves making choices. You might not have had a choice in getting a divorce, but you do have choices in your response. Will you hold on to bitterness and anger…or will you forgive? Will you give up and give in to despair…or will you trust Jesus to help you rebuild your life on Him and not on your marriage or your spouse? Will you walk in fear…or will you be courageous to face the future God has for you? Do you trust you, marriage, your ex-, or God?
Satan and your flesh, filled with insecurities and hurt, will try to influence your me-centered focus to give up, to feel like a failure, to feel no hope is possible, and that you’ve lost everything. You have to resist these lies and distortions. Remember, Satan is the Great Deceiver. He has no other character trait to relate to the truth.
Divorce can bring one of the most intense pains possible into a person's life. But you don't have to go through it alone. Jesus loves you and wants to help you. If you will commit your ways to Him, the Holy Spirit will guide you in making those choices…He will give you the courage you need…and He will restore your hope. With God, all things are possible.
Today, if you are thinking about divorce, STOP! This is not God’s plan, and therefore will be a nightmare for you and a lot of loss for many. If you are divorced, dive into the Bible and get to a church based Divorce Recovery group so you can process and heal using Biblical truths and lenses. If you are a child from divorced parents, really examine the lies that divorce embeds in your mind about you, your parents, and relationships. If you know people in these situations, be there to help them genuinely heal and see God and life more clearly, because Satan really uses divorce to suck the soul out of people and make them his puppets.
Prayer
Dear Father God, forgive me for the poor choices I have made in the past. I know divorce saddens You. My hurt and loss seem unbearable at times. Please help me access the strength, power, peace, and comfort You provide to overcome. I know that through You I will not just overcome, but even thrive as a result of learning through these experiences to put all my eggs in Your basket alone. Right now I have to make so many decisions. I need your help. Help me to choose the right path…the one that is right for my family and for me, and most of all the path that pleases You. I pray this and all prayers in the name of the One who shows us what step to take next, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.
Psalm 25:12
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Psalm 147:3
So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.
Matthew 19:6
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Genesis 2:24
Divorce is the ultimate relationship wound and loss. When marriage problems end in separation and then divorce, the loss is deeply experienced not only by the couple, but also by the entire family. It even impacts friends and often the coworkers of that family. Divorce can leave the family in suspended animation and battles usually rage for many years after.
Recovering from divorce involves working through a grieving process, much like when a spouse has died. It also involves making choices. You might not have had a choice in getting a divorce, but you do have choices in your response. Will you hold on to bitterness and anger…or will you forgive? Will you give up and give in to despair…or will you trust Jesus to help you rebuild your life on Him and not on your marriage or your spouse? Will you walk in fear…or will you be courageous to face the future God has for you? Do you trust you, marriage, your ex-, or God?
Satan and your flesh, filled with insecurities and hurt, will try to influence your me-centered focus to give up, to feel like a failure, to feel no hope is possible, and that you’ve lost everything. You have to resist these lies and distortions. Remember, Satan is the Great Deceiver. He has no other character trait to relate to the truth.
Divorce can bring one of the most intense pains possible into a person's life. But you don't have to go through it alone. Jesus loves you and wants to help you. If you will commit your ways to Him, the Holy Spirit will guide you in making those choices…He will give you the courage you need…and He will restore your hope. With God, all things are possible.
Today, if you are thinking about divorce, STOP! This is not God’s plan, and therefore will be a nightmare for you and a lot of loss for many. If you are divorced, dive into the Bible and get to a church based Divorce Recovery group so you can process and heal using Biblical truths and lenses. If you are a child from divorced parents, really examine the lies that divorce embeds in your mind about you, your parents, and relationships. If you know people in these situations, be there to help them genuinely heal and see God and life more clearly, because Satan really uses divorce to suck the soul out of people and make them his puppets.
Prayer
Dear Father God, forgive me for the poor choices I have made in the past. I know divorce saddens You. My hurt and loss seem unbearable at times. Please help me access the strength, power, peace, and comfort You provide to overcome. I know that through You I will not just overcome, but even thrive as a result of learning through these experiences to put all my eggs in Your basket alone. Right now I have to make so many decisions. I need your help. Help me to choose the right path…the one that is right for my family and for me, and most of all the path that pleases You. I pray this and all prayers in the name of the One who shows us what step to take next, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
Who, then, is the man that fears the LORD? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him.
Psalm 25:12
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Psalm 147:3
So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.
Matthew 19:6
Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
Genesis 2:24
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Stepping Stones: What’s Your Body Image?
Transformational Thought
We need God. We won’t enjoy life, be fulfilled in life, or attain our God-given potential without closeness to Him. God desires it as well. Unfortunately, so many factors and forces keep us from this closeness to God. Eating disorders are one of those forces. 30-35% of our society struggle with significant eating issues that disrupt their lives.
“Eating Disorder” basically means unhealthy habits of restricting nutritional intake, overeating (yes, this is a large part of our American society), or being obsessed with or spending too much time focusing on or actually worshipping elements, rituals, or the results of eating. It really becomes an addiction. People tend to get so preoccupied with body image, and what others think, that they develop a distorted view of themselves. Their concerns, or lack of concerns, about food, diet, body, and weight even begin to affect their health, relationships, and their ability to function in day-to-day life.
Like almost everything in life, God gave us food to use in moderation. Too much isn’t good, but not enough isn’t good either. Our body is a temple for the Holy Spirit to reside in and God wants us to be good stewards of our body and health. But more importantly, we need to look at the psychological and spiritual aspects of our eating habits. If you are in this situation, determine not to let your focus on your body or food keep you from closeness with God and with others. Decide how you wish to spend your energy: pursuing the "perfect" image, or focusing on your spiritual growth and your personal and interpersonal needs.
The outside, what man sees, or the inside, what God sees. Society changes its view of what is beautiful...styles come and go. But God's view of beauty never changes. Identifying and challenging your distorted thoughts and feelings about your body and food, and keeping God's view in mind are essential to accepting yourself and your body. We all have feelings of inadequacy and insecurity. Don’t let food or your body image be your soothing mechanism. Let God and His grace and love bring you the peace you really are hungry for and crave. He is one buffet where you may eat all you can without consequences!
Today, as you approach food and eat meals, examine the importance you put on these elements. What do you get out of it? Are food and your eating habits a coping mechanism for you? Are you getting healthier, or are you harming your health? Remember, your value as a person is not based on how you look or what you do. Your value is based on the unchangeable fact that God loves you so much that He gave His son, Jesus, to die on the cross for you. Eating issues are about believing lies. Seek the truth. Your decision, choose well. WITHIN REACH can help.
Prayer
Dear Father God, I've been pretty confused lately. I've been so concerned about food or used it to comfort me that I've ignored You…and relationships with others I care about have suffered. Please help me begin thinking more clearly...to see things from Your point of view. Thank You for loving me just the way I am. I pray this in the name of the One who loves me as I am, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:1-2
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7
We need God. We won’t enjoy life, be fulfilled in life, or attain our God-given potential without closeness to Him. God desires it as well. Unfortunately, so many factors and forces keep us from this closeness to God. Eating disorders are one of those forces. 30-35% of our society struggle with significant eating issues that disrupt their lives.
“Eating Disorder” basically means unhealthy habits of restricting nutritional intake, overeating (yes, this is a large part of our American society), or being obsessed with or spending too much time focusing on or actually worshipping elements, rituals, or the results of eating. It really becomes an addiction. People tend to get so preoccupied with body image, and what others think, that they develop a distorted view of themselves. Their concerns, or lack of concerns, about food, diet, body, and weight even begin to affect their health, relationships, and their ability to function in day-to-day life.
Like almost everything in life, God gave us food to use in moderation. Too much isn’t good, but not enough isn’t good either. Our body is a temple for the Holy Spirit to reside in and God wants us to be good stewards of our body and health. But more importantly, we need to look at the psychological and spiritual aspects of our eating habits. If you are in this situation, determine not to let your focus on your body or food keep you from closeness with God and with others. Decide how you wish to spend your energy: pursuing the "perfect" image, or focusing on your spiritual growth and your personal and interpersonal needs.
The outside, what man sees, or the inside, what God sees. Society changes its view of what is beautiful...styles come and go. But God's view of beauty never changes. Identifying and challenging your distorted thoughts and feelings about your body and food, and keeping God's view in mind are essential to accepting yourself and your body. We all have feelings of inadequacy and insecurity. Don’t let food or your body image be your soothing mechanism. Let God and His grace and love bring you the peace you really are hungry for and crave. He is one buffet where you may eat all you can without consequences!
Today, as you approach food and eat meals, examine the importance you put on these elements. What do you get out of it? Are food and your eating habits a coping mechanism for you? Are you getting healthier, or are you harming your health? Remember, your value as a person is not based on how you look or what you do. Your value is based on the unchangeable fact that God loves you so much that He gave His son, Jesus, to die on the cross for you. Eating issues are about believing lies. Seek the truth. Your decision, choose well. WITHIN REACH can help.
Prayer
Dear Father God, I've been pretty confused lately. I've been so concerned about food or used it to comfort me that I've ignored You…and relationships with others I care about have suffered. Please help me begin thinking more clearly...to see things from Your point of view. Thank You for loving me just the way I am. I pray this in the name of the One who loves me as I am, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Romans 12:1-2
But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart."
1 Samuel 16:7
Monday, January 31, 2011
Stepping Stones: The Depression Epidemic
Transformational Thought
25% of the US population…75 million people…will suffer from clinical depression in their lifetime. Most people suffering from chronic depression feel so utterly unlovable, that they cannot bear the pain of even trying to experience love in a relationship with God, with self, or with others. They feel like a failure and think that anyone who disagrees with that assessment just doesn't understand. Even if you are not suffering from chronic depression, you may experience feelings like this from time to time…almost every person does.
If you are feeling this way, think about this good news: God knows you better than you know yourself, and He still loves you. He knows you are not perfect, but He loves you anyway…unconditionally. He loves you so much that He sent His only son, Jesus, to die on the cross for your sins because He wanted to provide a way for you to be with Him…for eternity…no matter how sinful or worthless you think you are.
God loves you so much, He has promised never to leave you. The Bible tells us that He is full of compassion for you…takes pleasure in you...loves you and gives you honor…You are precious in his sight. He promises He will love you forever.
If you suffer from depression, seek professional help. Often, medications, even though they don’t cure depression, are incredibly helpful for the symptoms of depression. This will allow you to work on some of the underlying elements that are fueling your depression.
If you aren’t depressed, then work on developing a solid spiritual and psychological foundation of understanding who God is, who you are, and how to be a Godly decision-maker in all you do. This will renew your mind, the actual biology of your brain chemistry, and be the most preventative strategy for warding off depression and other mental health struggles.
Today, help yourself by reading the short bible passages below. Let His message sink deeply into you. The Bible says Jesus loves you so much that He seeks after you. You are never alone. Right this very moment you may feel alone, but you are not. Jesus is there with you, seeking to help you. Say yes. Yes to his love. Yes to his help. Yes to Jesus. The Holy Bible is true. You can believe it. He is the Word and the great healer, so His word does heal.
Prayer
Dear Father God, I thank You for loving me no matter what. Thank You for promising to be with me…always…and for honoring that promise, even though I don’t sense it sometimes. Help my radar tune in strongly to know You are always there. Thank You for showing me reminders each day of Your presence, and help me not to overlook them. When I start to feel alone, help me rely on Your instruction book and not my own. I pray this and all prayers in the name of the one who bled every drop of His blood for me, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'
Hebrews 13:5-6
The LORD is gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and rich in love.
Psalm 145:8
For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.
Psalm 149:4
Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.
Isaiah 43:4
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”
Jeremiah 31:3
25% of the US population…75 million people…will suffer from clinical depression in their lifetime. Most people suffering from chronic depression feel so utterly unlovable, that they cannot bear the pain of even trying to experience love in a relationship with God, with self, or with others. They feel like a failure and think that anyone who disagrees with that assessment just doesn't understand. Even if you are not suffering from chronic depression, you may experience feelings like this from time to time…almost every person does.
If you are feeling this way, think about this good news: God knows you better than you know yourself, and He still loves you. He knows you are not perfect, but He loves you anyway…unconditionally. He loves you so much that He sent His only son, Jesus, to die on the cross for your sins because He wanted to provide a way for you to be with Him…for eternity…no matter how sinful or worthless you think you are.
God loves you so much, He has promised never to leave you. The Bible tells us that He is full of compassion for you…takes pleasure in you...loves you and gives you honor…You are precious in his sight. He promises He will love you forever.
If you suffer from depression, seek professional help. Often, medications, even though they don’t cure depression, are incredibly helpful for the symptoms of depression. This will allow you to work on some of the underlying elements that are fueling your depression.
If you aren’t depressed, then work on developing a solid spiritual and psychological foundation of understanding who God is, who you are, and how to be a Godly decision-maker in all you do. This will renew your mind, the actual biology of your brain chemistry, and be the most preventative strategy for warding off depression and other mental health struggles.
Today, help yourself by reading the short bible passages below. Let His message sink deeply into you. The Bible says Jesus loves you so much that He seeks after you. You are never alone. Right this very moment you may feel alone, but you are not. Jesus is there with you, seeking to help you. Say yes. Yes to his love. Yes to his help. Yes to Jesus. The Holy Bible is true. You can believe it. He is the Word and the great healer, so His word does heal.
Prayer
Dear Father God, I thank You for loving me no matter what. Thank You for promising to be with me…always…and for honoring that promise, even though I don’t sense it sometimes. Help my radar tune in strongly to know You are always there. Thank You for showing me reminders each day of Your presence, and help me not to overlook them. When I start to feel alone, help me rely on Your instruction book and not my own. I pray this and all prayers in the name of the one who bled every drop of His blood for me, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
God has said, 'Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.' So we say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?'
Hebrews 13:5-6
The LORD is gracious and compassionate; slow to anger and rich in love.
Psalm 145:8
For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with salvation.
Psalm 149:4
Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.
Isaiah 43:4
The LORD appeared to us in the past, saying: "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with loving-kindness.”
Jeremiah 31:3
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Stepping Stones: “Care-Fronting”
Transformational Thought
I have two brothers with drug addictions. One is in recovery; the second brother died from an overdose. Life-impacting issues so often turn to life-taking addictions. Each day I live with the guilt of not having done more to help the brother I lost. Talking with a friend or loved one with a life-impacting problem can be like talking to a brick wall. But that wall can be broken down…brick by brick.
Does someone you love struggle with a life-impacting mindset or behavior? When you try to talk to him or her about it, do your words seem to bounce back at you, as though they've hit a brick wall? Try this: picture a man behind a brick wall, becoming trapped and continuing to lay brick, building the wall higher and higher. In his mind, each brick is a way to defend himself…but in reality, the wall is trapping him, not defending him. Denial has blinded this loved one to his real condition.
David Augsburger, in his book Caring Enough to Confront, uses the term "care-fronting." This is a communication technique that combines love and caring with confrontation. Caring confrontation can chip away, bit by bit, at the wall of delusion that hides reality from your loved ones…the reality of the reason they are spiraling and the reality that an answer does exist to turn the spiral in the other direction. When you are able to get rid of anger and replace it with caring, confronting your loved one with the truth can actually be the most loving thing you can do.
A dear friend, Connie, told me how she "care-fronted." Early in her marriage she was experiencing a marital situation that she knew could become volatile if she confronted her husband. She devised a technique that always worked. She would craft a loving letter, detailing the issue and its effect on her and the marriage, and leave it on the pillow. When he came home from the office it was his custom to go upstairs to change his clothes. He would see it and read it in private and take it all in. He always thanked her "for the very good letter" and then worked on solutions for the situation.
The bridges through the wall are made of care and are really derived from a growing relationship with God first. From there we can shine His love and care onto our struggling loved one. As God grows in us, His forgiveness of us will melt the hurt we feel from our loved one and allow us to see that loved one through Godly lenses so that real care and real love can flow from us.
So today, make a commitment to confront your loved ones, to speak the truth in love…not in anger or condemnation…in order to help them tear down their walls of defense, brick by brick, until they are able to see themselves as they really are…someone made in God’s image, someone God loves and sent His son to die for. God wants to use us to deliver that message, first modeling it, and then saying it. God doesn’t give up on you; don’t give up on others.
Prayer
Dear God, Lord, help me be more honest with myself and with those I care about so much. Help me look beyond their faults to their needs…and then to express the reality of the situation to them…in love. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I may speak as Christ would speak. I pray that love for You and them will make me tell the truth. I pray this in the name of the One who crushed my wall, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Ephesians 4:15
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13
The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.
Proverbs 12:16
I have two brothers with drug addictions. One is in recovery; the second brother died from an overdose. Life-impacting issues so often turn to life-taking addictions. Each day I live with the guilt of not having done more to help the brother I lost. Talking with a friend or loved one with a life-impacting problem can be like talking to a brick wall. But that wall can be broken down…brick by brick.
Does someone you love struggle with a life-impacting mindset or behavior? When you try to talk to him or her about it, do your words seem to bounce back at you, as though they've hit a brick wall? Try this: picture a man behind a brick wall, becoming trapped and continuing to lay brick, building the wall higher and higher. In his mind, each brick is a way to defend himself…but in reality, the wall is trapping him, not defending him. Denial has blinded this loved one to his real condition.
David Augsburger, in his book Caring Enough to Confront, uses the term "care-fronting." This is a communication technique that combines love and caring with confrontation. Caring confrontation can chip away, bit by bit, at the wall of delusion that hides reality from your loved ones…the reality of the reason they are spiraling and the reality that an answer does exist to turn the spiral in the other direction. When you are able to get rid of anger and replace it with caring, confronting your loved one with the truth can actually be the most loving thing you can do.
A dear friend, Connie, told me how she "care-fronted." Early in her marriage she was experiencing a marital situation that she knew could become volatile if she confronted her husband. She devised a technique that always worked. She would craft a loving letter, detailing the issue and its effect on her and the marriage, and leave it on the pillow. When he came home from the office it was his custom to go upstairs to change his clothes. He would see it and read it in private and take it all in. He always thanked her "for the very good letter" and then worked on solutions for the situation.
The bridges through the wall are made of care and are really derived from a growing relationship with God first. From there we can shine His love and care onto our struggling loved one. As God grows in us, His forgiveness of us will melt the hurt we feel from our loved one and allow us to see that loved one through Godly lenses so that real care and real love can flow from us.
So today, make a commitment to confront your loved ones, to speak the truth in love…not in anger or condemnation…in order to help them tear down their walls of defense, brick by brick, until they are able to see themselves as they really are…someone made in God’s image, someone God loves and sent His son to die for. God wants to use us to deliver that message, first modeling it, and then saying it. God doesn’t give up on you; don’t give up on others.
Prayer
Dear God, Lord, help me be more honest with myself and with those I care about so much. Help me look beyond their faults to their needs…and then to express the reality of the situation to them…in love. Fill me with Your Holy Spirit so that I may speak as Christ would speak. I pray that love for You and them will make me tell the truth. I pray this in the name of the One who crushed my wall, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.
Ephesians 4:15
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13
The vexation of a fool is known at once, but the prudent ignores an insult.
Proverbs 12:16
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Stepping Stones: Satan, The Master of Deceit
Transformational Thought
The last 2 days we looked at the first 2 desert temptations of Christ, so today we will look at the third temptation: Satan using Scripture to tempt Jesus to leap from the temple and land safely.
Again, Jesus could have done it, and it would have been the job of the angels to protect him. It was not a temptation to commit an overt sin, but it was a test of His Father's care. It was a call to have Father God prove his care for Jesus. Jesus responded by quoting other Scriptures and putting into context what Satan, the master of deceit, had quoted out of context.
We learn from Jesus' response that we should trust God and His promises, and not test His reliability for the wrong reasons. He promises to take care of us, but we shouldn't step in front of a speeding car to see what He will do. He has promised to meet our needs, but we shouldn't spend money recklessly.
In all three temptations, Jesus relied on the Scriptures for a proper understanding of what He was to do, and He quoted it in times of temptation. He did not take isolated verses out of context but balanced Scripture with an understanding of the true meaning of the verses and God’s overall plan and character. We find this to be part of the Armor of God that Paul exhorts us to use in the spiritual war we are in. Having experienced temptation, Jesus understands our condition. He is sympathetic, and He is also the perfect standard and role model.
Today, yield to the will of God. Memorize Scripture. And get a good study Bible that explains the context of these verses. Live it. Make a specific plan of how to do this more consistently as the Lord enables and pushes you. Life according to your instruction book is inaccurate and limited, so choose to use the perfect instruction book. WITHIN REACH can help you do this.
Prayer
Dear Father God, You know I am so weak. Please help me to better prepare to resist temptation by spending more time in Your Word. Teach me not just to read, but rather to live the Scripture. Please bring the right Scripture to my mind when I am facing a temptation…and also to understand the whole story of Your word. I pray this in the name of the One who would never deceive me and is the living word, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, 'If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, He will order his angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.' Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, You must not test the Lord your God.”
Luke 4:9-12
Those who obey him will not be punished. Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, for there is a time and a way for everything. . .”
Ecclesiastes 8:5, 6a
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
The last 2 days we looked at the first 2 desert temptations of Christ, so today we will look at the third temptation: Satan using Scripture to tempt Jesus to leap from the temple and land safely.
Again, Jesus could have done it, and it would have been the job of the angels to protect him. It was not a temptation to commit an overt sin, but it was a test of His Father's care. It was a call to have Father God prove his care for Jesus. Jesus responded by quoting other Scriptures and putting into context what Satan, the master of deceit, had quoted out of context.
We learn from Jesus' response that we should trust God and His promises, and not test His reliability for the wrong reasons. He promises to take care of us, but we shouldn't step in front of a speeding car to see what He will do. He has promised to meet our needs, but we shouldn't spend money recklessly.
In all three temptations, Jesus relied on the Scriptures for a proper understanding of what He was to do, and He quoted it in times of temptation. He did not take isolated verses out of context but balanced Scripture with an understanding of the true meaning of the verses and God’s overall plan and character. We find this to be part of the Armor of God that Paul exhorts us to use in the spiritual war we are in. Having experienced temptation, Jesus understands our condition. He is sympathetic, and He is also the perfect standard and role model.
Today, yield to the will of God. Memorize Scripture. And get a good study Bible that explains the context of these verses. Live it. Make a specific plan of how to do this more consistently as the Lord enables and pushes you. Life according to your instruction book is inaccurate and limited, so choose to use the perfect instruction book. WITHIN REACH can help you do this.
Prayer
Dear Father God, You know I am so weak. Please help me to better prepare to resist temptation by spending more time in Your Word. Teach me not just to read, but rather to live the Scripture. Please bring the right Scripture to my mind when I am facing a temptation…and also to understand the whole story of Your word. I pray this in the name of the One who would never deceive me and is the living word, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
Then the devil took him to Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple, and said, 'If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, He will order his angels to protect and guard you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.' Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, You must not test the Lord your God.”
Luke 4:9-12
Those who obey him will not be punished. Those who are wise will find a time and a way to do what is right, for there is a time and a way for everything. . .”
Ecclesiastes 8:5, 6a
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12
Friday, January 28, 2011
Stepping Stones: Who Do You Bow To?
Transformational Thought
How many of you have wished for just a little more power at some time in your life? To have a little more authority or control in a situation or relationship? Isn’t this what childhood, and especially teenagerdom, is all about? The “I can’t wait till I’m in charge mentality.” We all have great ideas and plans for the world in which we would have the final say. What we wouldn’t give for that gift.
Well, yesterday we looked at Jesus being tempted during His time of fasting in the desert. The second temptation He faced consisted of Satan promising Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. Just what we all wish for. To receive this kingship, Jesus would have to momentarily worship Satan.
Both Jesus and his tempter knew that Jesus would eventually gain these kingdoms anyway. So Satan was tempting Jesus to take hold of something that was rightfully His, but by the wrong means…taking it sooner…avoiding the imminent pain and suffering…avoiding the cross. And in the process, Jesus would have to bow down and worship the devil…call Satan lord of His life… b
low off God’s timeline, authority, and plan in favor of Satan’s. Do you really believe Satan would or even could have honored his part of the agreement anyway? Well, that is another devotional.
Once again, Jesus refused to give in to the temptation. And again, he quoted the truth of the Scriptures, revealing the root of the temptation by showing the right form of worship. His Father has the perfect agenda and timeline and is the only One worthy for Him and us to worship.
We live in a time of instant gratification. Our fast-paced world and never-ending flow of instant responses via cell phones, internet, texting, and QVC have molded us to want and expect instant gratification. We want it NOW, if not yesterday.
Sometimes, we may know in our hearts that God has a plan to take care of a situation, but we don't want to wait. We want the solution now. So, instead of waiting for God's plan to unfold, we manipulate and make it happen now. My will vs. Thy will. Satan tempts us with so many shortcuts. And be very clear about this: in rejecting God's plan, we are bowing down to Satan. So who do you want to bow to?
Today, let us learn from the example Jesus has set for us. Let us choose God's way, God's timing—always the best way and the best timing. Learn patience and perseverance. They come from trusting God’s love and provision for you. That’s better than what our feeble minds and plans can come up with or what Satan will flash to grab and distract you from God’s will.
Prayer
Dear God, I bow to You, Father. All glory to You, my Lord. Forgive me for the times I have not been willing to wait and do things the right way…Your way, but have taken a shortcut. Help me to be willing to wait. Teach me to trust You more and to choose Your way and Your timing, I know Your timing is the perfect timing. I pray this in the name of the One who teaches us how to worship You, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
The devil led Him up to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to Him, 'I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be Yours.' Jesus answered, “It is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”
Luke 4:5-8
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.
He said, "Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!"
Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king's command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God.
Daniel 3:17,18,25,28
How many of you have wished for just a little more power at some time in your life? To have a little more authority or control in a situation or relationship? Isn’t this what childhood, and especially teenagerdom, is all about? The “I can’t wait till I’m in charge mentality.” We all have great ideas and plans for the world in which we would have the final say. What we wouldn’t give for that gift.
Well, yesterday we looked at Jesus being tempted during His time of fasting in the desert. The second temptation He faced consisted of Satan promising Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. Just what we all wish for. To receive this kingship, Jesus would have to momentarily worship Satan.
Both Jesus and his tempter knew that Jesus would eventually gain these kingdoms anyway. So Satan was tempting Jesus to take hold of something that was rightfully His, but by the wrong means…taking it sooner…avoiding the imminent pain and suffering…avoiding the cross. And in the process, Jesus would have to bow down and worship the devil…call Satan lord of His life… b
low off God’s timeline, authority, and plan in favor of Satan’s. Do you really believe Satan would or even could have honored his part of the agreement anyway? Well, that is another devotional.
Once again, Jesus refused to give in to the temptation. And again, he quoted the truth of the Scriptures, revealing the root of the temptation by showing the right form of worship. His Father has the perfect agenda and timeline and is the only One worthy for Him and us to worship.
We live in a time of instant gratification. Our fast-paced world and never-ending flow of instant responses via cell phones, internet, texting, and QVC have molded us to want and expect instant gratification. We want it NOW, if not yesterday.
Sometimes, we may know in our hearts that God has a plan to take care of a situation, but we don't want to wait. We want the solution now. So, instead of waiting for God's plan to unfold, we manipulate and make it happen now. My will vs. Thy will. Satan tempts us with so many shortcuts. And be very clear about this: in rejecting God's plan, we are bowing down to Satan. So who do you want to bow to?
Today, let us learn from the example Jesus has set for us. Let us choose God's way, God's timing—always the best way and the best timing. Learn patience and perseverance. They come from trusting God’s love and provision for you. That’s better than what our feeble minds and plans can come up with or what Satan will flash to grab and distract you from God’s will.
Prayer
Dear God, I bow to You, Father. All glory to You, my Lord. Forgive me for the times I have not been willing to wait and do things the right way…Your way, but have taken a shortcut. Help me to be willing to wait. Teach me to trust You more and to choose Your way and Your timing, I know Your timing is the perfect timing. I pray this in the name of the One who teaches us how to worship You, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
The devil led Him up to a high place and showed Him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. And he said to Him, 'I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. So if you worship me, it will all be Yours.' Jesus answered, “It is written: Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”
Luke 4:5-8
If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.
He said, "Look! I see four men loosed and walking about in the midst of the fire without harm, and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods!"
Nebuchadnezzar responded and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who put their trust in Him, violating the king's command, and yielded up their bodies so as not to serve or worship any god except their own God.
Daniel 3:17,18,25,28
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Stepping Stones: It’s All About Priorities
Transformational Thought
The Holy Spirit led Jesus to the desert, where he fasted for 40 days. The Bible says Satan tempted Him for the duration of those 40 days. Then Jesus faced a significant temptation of hunger, a realistic physical need.
Is eating to satisfy our hunger wrong? Of course not. But Jesus had been led by the Spirit and had made a commitment to God to fast during this time period. To break the fast by putting His desire for food above His commitment to the Father, that would have been sin.
There are many desires we experience throughout each day that are normal and good. To succeed in a job. To dress nicely. To make or listen to music. To prosper financially. To enjoy shopping. To commit to a relationship. To participate in a ministry. To see someone we miss. To enjoy a skill or hobby we have. And the list goes on. These things are not wrong in themselves, but they are wrong if they take priority over our relationship with the Lord. God's plan and God's leading must always come first.
Jesus responded to the temptation by quoting Scripture. "Man shall not live and be sustained by bread alone, but by every word and expression of God." In other words, spiritual matters and faithfulness to God are life-sustaining and more important than physical resources, especially when it comes to meeting our needs.
Today, take a moment to think about your life. Is there an area that is taking priority that should not be…that takes up mind space or emotional energy and is pushing God and other important Earthly responsibilities out? Is it causing you to slide backwards in your relationship with God? Is it tempting you to make wrong choices? If so, now is the time to get back on track. As Jesus taught us, turn to God's Word. Say “no” to the temptation. That honors God and is the best thing for you anyway. Develop a concrete strategy to break that hold on your heart.
Prayer
Dear God, I confess there are areas in my life that are causing me to slide in my relationship with You. Fill me with Your Spirit so that I seek and better understand your Holy Bible and allow it to guide me as it guided Jesus. Please help me put your word into action for practical living, and not let it be just a part of my rarely visited spiritual-intellectual library. I pray this in the name of the One who always honored His ultimate priority, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
Then the devil said to Him, If You are the Son of God, order this stone to turn into a loaf of bread. And Jesus replied to him, “It is written, Man shall not live and be sustained by (on) bread alone but by every word and expression of God."
Luke 4:3-4
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
1 Corinthians 10:13,14
The Holy Spirit led Jesus to the desert, where he fasted for 40 days. The Bible says Satan tempted Him for the duration of those 40 days. Then Jesus faced a significant temptation of hunger, a realistic physical need.
Is eating to satisfy our hunger wrong? Of course not. But Jesus had been led by the Spirit and had made a commitment to God to fast during this time period. To break the fast by putting His desire for food above His commitment to the Father, that would have been sin.
There are many desires we experience throughout each day that are normal and good. To succeed in a job. To dress nicely. To make or listen to music. To prosper financially. To enjoy shopping. To commit to a relationship. To participate in a ministry. To see someone we miss. To enjoy a skill or hobby we have. And the list goes on. These things are not wrong in themselves, but they are wrong if they take priority over our relationship with the Lord. God's plan and God's leading must always come first.
Jesus responded to the temptation by quoting Scripture. "Man shall not live and be sustained by bread alone, but by every word and expression of God." In other words, spiritual matters and faithfulness to God are life-sustaining and more important than physical resources, especially when it comes to meeting our needs.
Today, take a moment to think about your life. Is there an area that is taking priority that should not be…that takes up mind space or emotional energy and is pushing God and other important Earthly responsibilities out? Is it causing you to slide backwards in your relationship with God? Is it tempting you to make wrong choices? If so, now is the time to get back on track. As Jesus taught us, turn to God's Word. Say “no” to the temptation. That honors God and is the best thing for you anyway. Develop a concrete strategy to break that hold on your heart.
Prayer
Dear God, I confess there are areas in my life that are causing me to slide in my relationship with You. Fill me with Your Spirit so that I seek and better understand your Holy Bible and allow it to guide me as it guided Jesus. Please help me put your word into action for practical living, and not let it be just a part of my rarely visited spiritual-intellectual library. I pray this in the name of the One who always honored His ultimate priority, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
Then the devil said to Him, If You are the Son of God, order this stone to turn into a loaf of bread. And Jesus replied to him, “It is written, Man shall not live and be sustained by (on) bread alone but by every word and expression of God."
Luke 4:3-4
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.
1 Corinthians 10:13,14
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Stepping Stones: Embrace Your Singleness
Transformational Thought
According to the 2000 census, more than 93 million people in the United States are single. About 20 million are divorced, another 13.5 million widowed, and 60 million have never been married.
Many singles feel that singleness equals rejection. Even if they don't feel that way themselves, society often looks on them as rejects. “You are single because nobody wants you” or “Even that person has someone, why don’t you?” are the tapes that play over and over.
If you are single, sometimes the natural tendency is to choose to make excuses or blame someone else. These choices view singleness as a problem and attempt to blame something or someone for it. A more realistic, positive, and productive approach is to accept your singleness and make choices that will point you toward the goals God has for your life right now. With this attitude, you will be able to move forward with your life by embracing God and your present circumstances of singleness.
Being single is not last place in God’s eyes. Actually, He sees it as more time and mind space available for you to pursue Him. Some people find great fulfillment in being married, but others can find the same fulfillment and sense of purpose being single. But your singleness must be managed based on God’s will and plan for moral and healthy relational conduct.
Today, if you know some singles, examine how you view them. Are you judging them or are you helping them manage some of the stressors and temptations of their singleness? If you are single, focus on the fact of how very special you are to God. You are His workmanship, and His workmanship is marvelous! God has a plan for your life, and it is best to focus on seeking His will and becoming all that He has designed you to be. Growing in Him will allow you to become more Christ-like in all areas of life, whether you are meant to be single or married.
Prayer
Dear Father God, thank You for where I am. Help me always remember that success in my life's journey does not depend on whether I am married or single. My success in life can be measured only by how well I fit into Your plan and purpose for me. I know I have made many mistakes in past relationships and dishonored You and others when I was single. Help me focus on You and accomplish Your purpose for my journey, whether You intend singleness or marriage. I pray this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
Psalm 139:13-17
But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his interests are divided.
1 Corinthians 7:32-34a
According to the 2000 census, more than 93 million people in the United States are single. About 20 million are divorced, another 13.5 million widowed, and 60 million have never been married.
Many singles feel that singleness equals rejection. Even if they don't feel that way themselves, society often looks on them as rejects. “You are single because nobody wants you” or “Even that person has someone, why don’t you?” are the tapes that play over and over.
If you are single, sometimes the natural tendency is to choose to make excuses or blame someone else. These choices view singleness as a problem and attempt to blame something or someone for it. A more realistic, positive, and productive approach is to accept your singleness and make choices that will point you toward the goals God has for your life right now. With this attitude, you will be able to move forward with your life by embracing God and your present circumstances of singleness.
Being single is not last place in God’s eyes. Actually, He sees it as more time and mind space available for you to pursue Him. Some people find great fulfillment in being married, but others can find the same fulfillment and sense of purpose being single. But your singleness must be managed based on God’s will and plan for moral and healthy relational conduct.
Today, if you know some singles, examine how you view them. Are you judging them or are you helping them manage some of the stressors and temptations of their singleness? If you are single, focus on the fact of how very special you are to God. You are His workmanship, and His workmanship is marvelous! God has a plan for your life, and it is best to focus on seeking His will and becoming all that He has designed you to be. Growing in Him will allow you to become more Christ-like in all areas of life, whether you are meant to be single or married.
Prayer
Dear Father God, thank You for where I am. Help me always remember that success in my life's journey does not depend on whether I am married or single. My success in life can be measured only by how well I fit into Your plan and purpose for me. I know I have made many mistakes in past relationships and dishonored You and others when I was single. Help me focus on You and accomplish Your purpose for my journey, whether You intend singleness or marriage. I pray this in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.
Psalm 139:13-17
But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his interests are divided.
1 Corinthians 7:32-34a
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Stepping Stones: Bad News/Good News
Transformational Thought
Do you sometimes find it difficult to manage your thoughts, attitudes, behaviors or emotions? Are you continuing in a destructive habit even though you know you are hurting yourself and those you love? Do you have patterns or defects you want to correct, but find it too difficult? On New Year’s or your birthday do you think of some areas of your life that you want to improve or remove over the next year?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you are not alone. In fact, if you answered no to all of them, you are lying or in denial, as none of us are perfect in any, let alone all areas of our life. Whether we know it or not, we have all have operated in a self-destruct mode at some time in our lives…for some of us it’s been this way most of our adult lives. Perhaps you have tried to do right…to change. For a while, things might get better and then you find yourself pretty close to where you started.
Well, what do you want first, the bad news or the good news? I like the bad news first, so…The bad news: you can't make these kinds of changes by yourself. The good news: that's OK because you don't have to do it by yourself. God is standing by to help you. He is inviting you to turn your problem over to Him. He wants you to know this is not a person-sized problem…it is a God-sized problem. He loves you, wants to save and sanctify you. He has the power to overcome anything you can imagine struggling with. And he has the strategy to make it all happen.
Satan wants to trick us into thinking we don’t need God, that the world can do it for us. My selfish me-centered nature leans toward trusting only myself and doing it all under my own power. Both of these strategies leave out God and only lead to a slow and tortuous inner death.
Today, take the beginning steps to overcoming any destructive pattern in your life: admit you have the problem; admit you cannot correct the problem by yourself; tell God you are sorry for what you have been doing and that you truly want to change. Then trust Him to help you. Seek guidance about how to incorporate Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Bible into your everyday decision-making. WITHIN REACH has accomplished this miracle for me, and it can for you too. You didn’t get this way overnight, so things may not change overnight. But you will be developing the skills and disciplines to start moving in the right direction. God will be with you throughout the process. Your decision, choose well.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father and Ultimate Healer, Sometimes I feel so alone and helpless. Please bring Your Holy Word to my mind at those times. Help me remember that You are always with me, and that with You, all things are possible. Your instruction in the Holy Bible is so powerful…it can actually renew my mind and set me free. Help me to apply Your teachings and trust Your promises, instead of trusting my understanding and self-made instruction book. I pray this in the name of the One You sent who is the Good News, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
Psalm 16:8
With Him, all things are possible
Philippians 4:13
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding
Proverbs 3:5
Do you sometimes find it difficult to manage your thoughts, attitudes, behaviors or emotions? Are you continuing in a destructive habit even though you know you are hurting yourself and those you love? Do you have patterns or defects you want to correct, but find it too difficult? On New Year’s or your birthday do you think of some areas of your life that you want to improve or remove over the next year?
If you answered "yes" to any of these questions, you are not alone. In fact, if you answered no to all of them, you are lying or in denial, as none of us are perfect in any, let alone all areas of our life. Whether we know it or not, we have all have operated in a self-destruct mode at some time in our lives…for some of us it’s been this way most of our adult lives. Perhaps you have tried to do right…to change. For a while, things might get better and then you find yourself pretty close to where you started.
Well, what do you want first, the bad news or the good news? I like the bad news first, so…The bad news: you can't make these kinds of changes by yourself. The good news: that's OK because you don't have to do it by yourself. God is standing by to help you. He is inviting you to turn your problem over to Him. He wants you to know this is not a person-sized problem…it is a God-sized problem. He loves you, wants to save and sanctify you. He has the power to overcome anything you can imagine struggling with. And he has the strategy to make it all happen.
Satan wants to trick us into thinking we don’t need God, that the world can do it for us. My selfish me-centered nature leans toward trusting only myself and doing it all under my own power. Both of these strategies leave out God and only lead to a slow and tortuous inner death.
Today, take the beginning steps to overcoming any destructive pattern in your life: admit you have the problem; admit you cannot correct the problem by yourself; tell God you are sorry for what you have been doing and that you truly want to change. Then trust Him to help you. Seek guidance about how to incorporate Christ, the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Bible into your everyday decision-making. WITHIN REACH has accomplished this miracle for me, and it can for you too. You didn’t get this way overnight, so things may not change overnight. But you will be developing the skills and disciplines to start moving in the right direction. God will be with you throughout the process. Your decision, choose well.
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father and Ultimate Healer, Sometimes I feel so alone and helpless. Please bring Your Holy Word to my mind at those times. Help me remember that You are always with me, and that with You, all things are possible. Your instruction in the Holy Bible is so powerful…it can actually renew my mind and set me free. Help me to apply Your teachings and trust Your promises, instead of trusting my understanding and self-made instruction book. I pray this in the name of the One You sent who is the Good News, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
I know the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me.
Psalm 16:8
With Him, all things are possible
Philippians 4:13
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding
Proverbs 3:5
Monday, January 24, 2011
Stepping Stones: From Cover-up to Recovery
Transformational Thought
Defenses are behaviors we use to cover up or avoid uncomfortable feelings or discomfort; hiding them from others, and worse yet…from ourselves. Common defenses include suppressing, blaming, rationalizing, or even just hiding behind a smile.
Denial is one of our most common defenses. In the case of a loved one struggling with a life controlling addiction problem, we demonstrate denial when we feel the need to protect or cover up their behavior. Or we may be struggling with our own problems but denying them even to ourselves…or we underestimate their gravity and damage to others and ourselves. A big cause is believing that our denial will keep our loved ones or ourselves “safe.” In reality, denial doesn’t allow problem recognition and the necessary solutions. It only leads to more problems. Denial is distorted thinking, leading to destruction and helplessness.
One reason we develop dysfunctional defenses is our lack of confidence in and our inability to handle discomfort. Some of the most common negative feelings you may experience include anger, anxiety, jealousy, sadness, fear, guilt, loneliness, and shame. Are you struggling with any of these feelings or similar ones? Are you smiling your way through each day while the struggle inside you rages? These negative feelings aren’t sins, but they are uncomfortable. God and Jesus even experienced many of these feelings. The Holy Bible is the book about why we are in pain and what God has provided to ease and melt away our pain.
Today, return to the place of honestly acknowledging your true feelings and dealing with them. Your first step out of the struggle is to admit the feelings to yourself, to God, and to others you know you can trust. No Pain, No Gain. God will provide and equip. Act as if these 2 statements are true…and see miraculous growth happen for you…and in your relationship with God. Only then can you begin the road out of the cover-up and into recovery. Your decision, choose well.
Prayer
Dear God, I have tried to convince myself that if I don't admit to these problems, that if I deny them, then I'll be safe from them. I realize now I've been deceiving myself. I am struggling and I need your help. Help me, Father, to move from cover-up to recovery. I know You’ll provide peace and comfort. Help me stop looking in the wrong places and show me the right places to look for your abundant peace and grace. I pray this in the name of the One You sent to remove the cover-up by covering me with His blood, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
You boast, "We have entered into a covenant with death, with the grave we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place."
Isaiah 28:15
And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6
Defenses are behaviors we use to cover up or avoid uncomfortable feelings or discomfort; hiding them from others, and worse yet…from ourselves. Common defenses include suppressing, blaming, rationalizing, or even just hiding behind a smile.
Denial is one of our most common defenses. In the case of a loved one struggling with a life controlling addiction problem, we demonstrate denial when we feel the need to protect or cover up their behavior. Or we may be struggling with our own problems but denying them even to ourselves…or we underestimate their gravity and damage to others and ourselves. A big cause is believing that our denial will keep our loved ones or ourselves “safe.” In reality, denial doesn’t allow problem recognition and the necessary solutions. It only leads to more problems. Denial is distorted thinking, leading to destruction and helplessness.
One reason we develop dysfunctional defenses is our lack of confidence in and our inability to handle discomfort. Some of the most common negative feelings you may experience include anger, anxiety, jealousy, sadness, fear, guilt, loneliness, and shame. Are you struggling with any of these feelings or similar ones? Are you smiling your way through each day while the struggle inside you rages? These negative feelings aren’t sins, but they are uncomfortable. God and Jesus even experienced many of these feelings. The Holy Bible is the book about why we are in pain and what God has provided to ease and melt away our pain.
Today, return to the place of honestly acknowledging your true feelings and dealing with them. Your first step out of the struggle is to admit the feelings to yourself, to God, and to others you know you can trust. No Pain, No Gain. God will provide and equip. Act as if these 2 statements are true…and see miraculous growth happen for you…and in your relationship with God. Only then can you begin the road out of the cover-up and into recovery. Your decision, choose well.
Prayer
Dear God, I have tried to convince myself that if I don't admit to these problems, that if I deny them, then I'll be safe from them. I realize now I've been deceiving myself. I am struggling and I need your help. Help me, Father, to move from cover-up to recovery. I know You’ll provide peace and comfort. Help me stop looking in the wrong places and show me the right places to look for your abundant peace and grace. I pray this in the name of the One You sent to remove the cover-up by covering me with His blood, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
You boast, "We have entered into a covenant with death, with the grave we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood our hiding place."
Isaiah 28:15
And I am sure of this, that He who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Stepping Stones: Does Controlling Life Really Protect Me?
Transformational Thought
The Great American Way…Capitalism…the Land of Independence...Self-Sufficiency…Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. We are raised and taught, “take care of yourself, don’t be a burden on others, it’s the weak who are dependent on something or somebody else.” I want to do life on my own terms in my own way!
If you were ever a victim of abuse of any kind, you no doubt felt you had no control in the situation…whether it was mild, like ridicule or harshness from your parents, or ranged to any other form of mistreatment like neglect in a dating relationship, or misuse of power by someone in authority. For some, unfortunately, the abuse might have been extreme or even violent…bullying, sexual coercion while dating, mugging or physical assault, sexual molestation, or even rape. No one has escaped all mistreatment.
We associate the abuse with being out of control, so we make a subliminal promise to ourselves never to be in that dependent position again. So then we try to control most situations…including every relationship in our lives...to make sure our vulnerability never answers the door when potential abuse knocks. One of the downsides of this self-protective strategy is that we now have a hard time being vulnerable to and dependent on God and His controlling hand in our lives.
So, we rebel against His instruction and control. I know. I was hardheaded about turning control of my life over to Him, letting myself be vulnerable to someone…and I still struggle with it. But in the past, I tried being independent, controlling my life…it landed me in jail, with alcohol and a fear of other’s opinions and feelings as my masters.
None of us can be free to become all we were meant to be until we recognize that God is in control…that He loves us and wants to care for us. We are fooling ourselves when we think we can make it on our own through this life. We need to lean on Him: on His wisdom, strength, love, character, promises…and His son, Jesus Christ.
Today, assess whether you are in control of your life, or whether God is. Remember, this man you read about, Jesus, loves you. He is inviting you to put your hands in His and let Him guide you and help you through all circumstances of life…regardless of what ever has happened in the past. Stop trying to figure everything out on your own. Stop trying to forge through life depending on your own strength and understanding. Let Jesus love you. Let Him help you reach your full potential and accomplish all the good things He has called you to do. He actually died for you…for no reason other than He loved His Father…AND YOU!
Prayer
Dear Father, forgive me for thinking I could make it through life on my own. I need Your help and Your guidance in everything I do. Help me to stop trying to control everything…help me to listen to Your voice…to obey You…to trust You. I have been leaning on myself and what the world offers and my hole only gets deeper. Thanks for loving me more than I love me, and for showing me how much You really love me by taking my penalty and place on the cross. I pray this in the name of the One who was sent to take my place, and teach and guide me, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
Proverbs 3:5-7
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:15-17
If you were ever a victim of abuse of any kind, you no doubt felt you had no control in the situation…whether it was mild, like ridicule or harshness from your parents, or ranged to any other form of mistreatment like neglect in a dating relationship, or misuse of power by someone in authority. For some, unfortunately, the abuse might have been extreme or even violent…bullying, sexual coercion while dating, mugging or physical assault, sexual molestation, or even rape. No one has escaped all mistreatment.
We associate the abuse with being out of control, so we make a subliminal promise to ourselves never to be in that dependent position again. So then we try to control most situations…including every relationship in our lives...to make sure our vulnerability never answers the door when potential abuse knocks. One of the downsides of this self-protective strategy is that we now have a hard time being vulnerable to and dependent on God and His controlling hand in our lives.
So, we rebel against His instruction and control. I know. I was hardheaded about turning control of my life over to Him, letting myself be vulnerable to someone…and I still struggle with it. But in the past, I tried being independent, controlling my life…it landed me in jail, with alcohol and a fear of other’s opinions and feelings as my masters.
None of us can be free to become all we were meant to be until we recognize that God is in control…that He loves us and wants to care for us. We are fooling ourselves when we think we can make it on our own through this life. We need to lean on Him: on His wisdom, strength, love, character, promises…and His son, Jesus Christ.
Today, assess whether you are in control of your life, or whether God is. Remember, this man you read about, Jesus, loves you. He is inviting you to put your hands in His and let Him guide you and help you through all circumstances of life…regardless of what ever has happened in the past. Stop trying to figure everything out on your own. Stop trying to forge through life depending on your own strength and understanding. Let Jesus love you. Let Him help you reach your full potential and accomplish all the good things He has called you to do. He actually died for you…for no reason other than He loved His Father…AND YOU!
Prayer
Dear Father, forgive me for thinking I could make it through life on my own. I need Your help and Your guidance in everything I do. Help me to stop trying to control everything…help me to listen to Your voice…to obey You…to trust You. I have been leaning on myself and what the world offers and my hole only gets deeper. Thanks for loving me more than I love me, and for showing me how much You really love me by taking my penalty and place on the cross. I pray this in the name of the One who was sent to take my place, and teach and guide me, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
Proverbs 3:5-7
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:15-17
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Stepping Stones: Let’s Talk About Real Security
Transformational Thought
I have been rich and I have been poor. I have been well-fed and I have been hungry. And I am learning the secret of being content in any situation.
Many of my friends have and continue to experience severe financial loss in the current economic climate. Stock market woes…Investment values plummeting…Retirement funds disappearing. Even without job loss, this downhill slide and the ever-growing uncertainty and instability of our society can really be frightening. Coupled with job loss, this climate can be devastating…but it doesn't have to be.
In today's scripture, the apostle Paul tells us that he has experienced both riches and poverty, but that he has reached a point where his joy and his well-being don't depend on his job security, bank account, or any of his external circumstances. No matter what he is going through, he knows that God will give him the strength to make it through. His peace comes from his internal circumstances with God.
God has and will continue to do the same for you.
As human beings, we all have a tendency to place our confidence in things we can see or control around us. Looking at a solid report on our investments…seeing kids doing well…enjoying our status at work, church or in community can give us a feeling of security. But it’s based on what is happening all around us. We are being reminded all too clearly that these things are not secure, that they can disappear in a moment.
Today, when peace seems distant, stop and assess whether your search for peace is based on your external circumstances or on your internal relationship with God, and faith in His promises, character, and instructions. No matter what your circumstances, remember that Jesus is with you and will give you the strength you need. As you lean on, trust in, and obey Him, He will make a way. Really, what other options can you turn to that have the power, character, and track record of the all powerful Creator of all things?
Prayer
Dear God, help me remember that even if all my financial situations fail, my marriage struggles, my health gives out, or my kids falter…You haven't changed. I know that Your love for me will never change, and that with You I can make it…no matter what. Thank You, Father. All glory to You, my Lord. I pray this in the name of the One You sent to secure my place in eternity, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:12-13
And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" And He awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"
Mark 4:37-41
I have been rich and I have been poor. I have been well-fed and I have been hungry. And I am learning the secret of being content in any situation.
Many of my friends have and continue to experience severe financial loss in the current economic climate. Stock market woes…Investment values plummeting…Retirement funds disappearing. Even without job loss, this downhill slide and the ever-growing uncertainty and instability of our society can really be frightening. Coupled with job loss, this climate can be devastating…but it doesn't have to be.
In today's scripture, the apostle Paul tells us that he has experienced both riches and poverty, but that he has reached a point where his joy and his well-being don't depend on his job security, bank account, or any of his external circumstances. No matter what he is going through, he knows that God will give him the strength to make it through. His peace comes from his internal circumstances with God.
God has and will continue to do the same for you.
As human beings, we all have a tendency to place our confidence in things we can see or control around us. Looking at a solid report on our investments…seeing kids doing well…enjoying our status at work, church or in community can give us a feeling of security. But it’s based on what is happening all around us. We are being reminded all too clearly that these things are not secure, that they can disappear in a moment.
Today, when peace seems distant, stop and assess whether your search for peace is based on your external circumstances or on your internal relationship with God, and faith in His promises, character, and instructions. No matter what your circumstances, remember that Jesus is with you and will give you the strength you need. As you lean on, trust in, and obey Him, He will make a way. Really, what other options can you turn to that have the power, character, and track record of the all powerful Creator of all things?
Prayer
Dear God, help me remember that even if all my financial situations fail, my marriage struggles, my health gives out, or my kids falter…You haven't changed. I know that Your love for me will never change, and that with You I can make it…no matter what. Thank You, Father. All glory to You, my Lord. I pray this in the name of the One You sent to secure my place in eternity, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:12-13
And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke Him and said to Him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" And He awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?"
Mark 4:37-41
Friday, January 21, 2011
Stepping Stones: Peace, The Great Elixir
Transformational Thought
A few years back I injured the rotator cuff in my shoulder resulting in pain that varied from chronic to acute. It really affected my daily life. Using that arm for most anything made things worse. Of course, I waited much too long before seeking medical attention. The doc told me the tendons in my shoulder were swollen and inflamed. After an injection to quiet the inflammation, and a little rest, all went back to normal.
I think it’s safe to say that most people, actually, let me say it with more strength, ALL people, are “the walking wounded” in the spiritual sense. Of course, the wounds and injuries vary in severity, but we all carry wounds around with us. And those wounds bring some degree of pain. We try to escape the pain in good and not-so-good ways, because we all are addicted to comfort and peace.
Unfortunately, our pain level often goes from bad to worse through the decisions and choices we make in our search for comfort. It’s the proverbial vicious downward cycle. Our pain, caused by new and old wounds, evokes emotions, which in turn distort our decision-making process. We then choke, and make another poor, knee jerk decision, and the cycle repeats. To go back to my shoulder injury, using my arm to engage in a pleasurable activity while the tendons were inflamed, added more pain.
The injection we need to stop this hurtful cycle is God’s peace. The promise of peace is abundant throughout The Holy Bible. An antonym for peace is uproar, a highly emotional state. And while emotions are critical to us (they act as a very effective warning system), they don’t help us to make good choices. Making decisions during times of high emotion only increases the inflammation and pain.
Today, reflect back on some decisions that you regret…what kind of emotions pushed your decision-making? How do you think your decision-making process would have gone if you had a powerful Peace in the midst of that event? In order to access His peace, you have to look in the right places. Seek and accept the peace promised by your Lord before you make any important decisions.
Prayer
Dear Father God, I am so thankful for Your power. I know, Lord, that the very same power that controls creation and raised Your Son from the dead is available to me. Infuse me, Father, with Your Holy Spirit, the Spirit that Jesus called the Great Comforter, so that I may experience peace through good weather as well as storms. I pray this in the name of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 29:11
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6,7
A few years back I injured the rotator cuff in my shoulder resulting in pain that varied from chronic to acute. It really affected my daily life. Using that arm for most anything made things worse. Of course, I waited much too long before seeking medical attention. The doc told me the tendons in my shoulder were swollen and inflamed. After an injection to quiet the inflammation, and a little rest, all went back to normal.
I think it’s safe to say that most people, actually, let me say it with more strength, ALL people, are “the walking wounded” in the spiritual sense. Of course, the wounds and injuries vary in severity, but we all carry wounds around with us. And those wounds bring some degree of pain. We try to escape the pain in good and not-so-good ways, because we all are addicted to comfort and peace.
Unfortunately, our pain level often goes from bad to worse through the decisions and choices we make in our search for comfort. It’s the proverbial vicious downward cycle. Our pain, caused by new and old wounds, evokes emotions, which in turn distort our decision-making process. We then choke, and make another poor, knee jerk decision, and the cycle repeats. To go back to my shoulder injury, using my arm to engage in a pleasurable activity while the tendons were inflamed, added more pain.
The injection we need to stop this hurtful cycle is God’s peace. The promise of peace is abundant throughout The Holy Bible. An antonym for peace is uproar, a highly emotional state. And while emotions are critical to us (they act as a very effective warning system), they don’t help us to make good choices. Making decisions during times of high emotion only increases the inflammation and pain.
Today, reflect back on some decisions that you regret…what kind of emotions pushed your decision-making? How do you think your decision-making process would have gone if you had a powerful Peace in the midst of that event? In order to access His peace, you have to look in the right places. Seek and accept the peace promised by your Lord before you make any important decisions.
Prayer
Dear Father God, I am so thankful for Your power. I know, Lord, that the very same power that controls creation and raised Your Son from the dead is available to me. Infuse me, Father, with Your Holy Spirit, the Spirit that Jesus called the Great Comforter, so that I may experience peace through good weather as well as storms. I pray this in the name of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace.
Psalm 29:11
do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6,7
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Stepping Stones: Be Exhausted For the Right Reason
Transformational Thought
You may be physically exhausted from “doing.” Going to work, cleaning the house, chauffeuring the kids, attending services, participating in small groups, volunteering on committees…doing stuff in the name of service. But a deeper and more dangerous form of exhaustion is the spiritual type. This type of exhaustion comes from giving, and not so much from doing.
Jesus said to Peter - "Feed My sheep," but He gave Peter nothing to feed them with. We are all called to go feed His sheep. The process of being made “broken bread” and “poured out wine” means that you will be the nourishment for other’s souls until they learn to feed on God. Before they learn to draw on the life of the Lord Jesus directly, they have to draw on it through you. This is how God uses us to minister to others. We are called to serve, but this process has the potential to deplete and exhaust us.
We shouldn’t be exhausted, rather we should feel emptied…we need not remain emptied, for we can always return to the Source of all energy to refuel. God’s Word promises you strength and power, and the Holy Spirit is the energy source that we can tap into directly for refueling in order to service others some more. We get exhausted when we try to do all these activities on our own or for our gain. When we leave God out, (forgetting to be in prayer, focus on His will, or go to Him first), exhaustion becomes our companion.
Today, ask yourself the question, “Am I exhausted for the right reasons?” Be emptied because you are giving, not because you are forgetting to refuel through the Holy Spirit, His Word, and His Armor. Remember, your supply comes from Him and His fuel pump is endless, while your own supply is shallow and runs dry quickly. You know that, so turn to Him for replenishment. Your decision, so choose well.
Prayer
Dear Father God, I am exhausted, but for the wrong reasons. I am spinning my wheels, turning in circles, making no headway. I want to experience a different form of exhaustion; I want to be emptied from furthering Your kingdom here on earth. Use me, Father, to save souls and to spiritually nourish the starving until they learn to feed directly from You. I pray this in the name of the One you sent to be our broken bread and poured out wine, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Isaiah 40:28-29
He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to Him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep."
John 21:17
You may be physically exhausted from “doing.” Going to work, cleaning the house, chauffeuring the kids, attending services, participating in small groups, volunteering on committees…doing stuff in the name of service. But a deeper and more dangerous form of exhaustion is the spiritual type. This type of exhaustion comes from giving, and not so much from doing.
Jesus said to Peter - "Feed My sheep," but He gave Peter nothing to feed them with. We are all called to go feed His sheep. The process of being made “broken bread” and “poured out wine” means that you will be the nourishment for other’s souls until they learn to feed on God. Before they learn to draw on the life of the Lord Jesus directly, they have to draw on it through you. This is how God uses us to minister to others. We are called to serve, but this process has the potential to deplete and exhaust us.
We shouldn’t be exhausted, rather we should feel emptied…we need not remain emptied, for we can always return to the Source of all energy to refuel. God’s Word promises you strength and power, and the Holy Spirit is the energy source that we can tap into directly for refueling in order to service others some more. We get exhausted when we try to do all these activities on our own or for our gain. When we leave God out, (forgetting to be in prayer, focus on His will, or go to Him first), exhaustion becomes our companion.
Today, ask yourself the question, “Am I exhausted for the right reasons?” Be emptied because you are giving, not because you are forgetting to refuel through the Holy Spirit, His Word, and His Armor. Remember, your supply comes from Him and His fuel pump is endless, while your own supply is shallow and runs dry quickly. You know that, so turn to Him for replenishment. Your decision, so choose well.
Prayer
Dear Father God, I am exhausted, but for the wrong reasons. I am spinning my wheels, turning in circles, making no headway. I want to experience a different form of exhaustion; I want to be emptied from furthering Your kingdom here on earth. Use me, Father, to save souls and to spiritually nourish the starving until they learn to feed directly from You. I pray this in the name of the One you sent to be our broken bread and poured out wine, Jesus Christ; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.
Isaiah 40:28-29
He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to Him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep."
John 21:17
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Stepping Stones: Without Living Water, We Crack
Transformational Thought
I am still amazed by the sheer number of TV channels available to us…you can find something playing on almost any topic. I was flipping channels the other day and stumbled on a program about vintage guitars.
The narrator was explaining that the finest acoustic guitars are made from very thin layers of tone woods…how the quality of sound is largely determined by that thinness. He went on to say how critical it is to keep a guitar at the wood’s natural moisture level, about 45% relative humidity. If not, the wood cracks and the once beautiful tone takes on a deadened sound. Of course, you can still play it, but it won’t make the beautiful sound it was built to produce.
The guitar was placed in a room at 45% humidity. Three days later the wood expanded to it original size, the cracks closed, and the guitar played and sounded like new. The narrator continued, talking about how we are made up primarily of water…how things start to go seriously wrong if we become dehydrated. It got me thinking.
We were created by God and designed in His image…finer than the finest instrument. We’re created by our Lord to make spiritual music…the fruit of our faith, to glorify His name. Just as the guitar needs moisture to keep from cracking…we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit and God’s Grace. We need it in and around us. In the absence of His flowing, living water, we crack. Like the cracked guitar, we will still make music…but ouch, the sound has deadness to it.
Today, think about how well-hydrated your spirit and soul are. Does your sound replicate that of a fine instrument…or is it muted with an unwanted deadness? Soak in the living waters that flow from Jesus Christ…truly believe in and practice His teachings and watch those cracks close up before your eyes. As you practice life according to your own rules, you will hear the deadened sounds of your life in your heart.
Prayer
Dear Father God, I come to You, Father, dry, parched, dehydrated and cracked. I know You created me to make spiritual music, but all that is coming from me lately are dead notes. Fill me, Father, with “streams of living water” so that my cracks heal and close, and that I make the beautiful music You intended for me. Thank You, Lord, for Your Son Jesus Christ, who gave us life and gave it so freely. I pray this in the name of the One who filled all my cracks and heart; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
John 4:10
On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
John 7:37
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Psalm 63:1
I am still amazed by the sheer number of TV channels available to us…you can find something playing on almost any topic. I was flipping channels the other day and stumbled on a program about vintage guitars.
The narrator was explaining that the finest acoustic guitars are made from very thin layers of tone woods…how the quality of sound is largely determined by that thinness. He went on to say how critical it is to keep a guitar at the wood’s natural moisture level, about 45% relative humidity. If not, the wood cracks and the once beautiful tone takes on a deadened sound. Of course, you can still play it, but it won’t make the beautiful sound it was built to produce.
The guitar was placed in a room at 45% humidity. Three days later the wood expanded to it original size, the cracks closed, and the guitar played and sounded like new. The narrator continued, talking about how we are made up primarily of water…how things start to go seriously wrong if we become dehydrated. It got me thinking.
We were created by God and designed in His image…finer than the finest instrument. We’re created by our Lord to make spiritual music…the fruit of our faith, to glorify His name. Just as the guitar needs moisture to keep from cracking…we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit and God’s Grace. We need it in and around us. In the absence of His flowing, living water, we crack. Like the cracked guitar, we will still make music…but ouch, the sound has deadness to it.
Today, think about how well-hydrated your spirit and soul are. Does your sound replicate that of a fine instrument…or is it muted with an unwanted deadness? Soak in the living waters that flow from Jesus Christ…truly believe in and practice His teachings and watch those cracks close up before your eyes. As you practice life according to your own rules, you will hear the deadened sounds of your life in your heart.
Prayer
Dear Father God, I come to You, Father, dry, parched, dehydrated and cracked. I know You created me to make spiritual music, but all that is coming from me lately are dead notes. Fill me, Father, with “streams of living water” so that my cracks heal and close, and that I make the beautiful music You intended for me. Thank You, Lord, for Your Son Jesus Christ, who gave us life and gave it so freely. I pray this in the name of the One who filled all my cracks and heart; and all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."
John 4:10
On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
John 7:37
A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
Psalm 63:1
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Stepping Stones: Darkness - Not Always Bad
Transformational Thought
Darkness is typically thought of as something negative, bad, or even evil. Nightfall, devoid of light, blackened, lost, secret, closed…blinded. The bible often uses darkness to mean “not in God’s light.”
As a child I was terribly frightened of the dark…I even carried that fear well into my adulthood.
But I have learned through personal experience that darkness is not all bad. And darkness does not have to be synonymous with the absence of God. Just maybe, when darkness comes, it signifies that we are under the shelter and in the shadow of our Lord. (Ps 91:1) Know that as children of God nothing happens to you that He has not allowed.
During times of darkness, there are actually treasures to be found (Isaiah 45:3), learning to be had and growth to be gained. When darkness comes most run from it, distracting themselves through their addictions…or simply sleeping through it.
When events don’t go our way and we feel emotionally uncomfortable, our natural reaction is to assume the situation is against us. We believe that nothing positive can come from it, even though we know from experience with school, sports or music that we have to practice to get good results. The same is true for spiritual growth as well.
Today, when you find yourself in the midst of physical and spiritual darkness, turn to your God for strength. Don’t run. Rather, look for the treasures in those secret places. While in the dark, turn to His Presence…His Word…His Spirit. And you will soon see His Lighthouse guiding you step by step. Look for how He wants to grow or strengthen you. Search for the positives in the storm.
Prayer
Dear Father God, I know Father that You are perfect in all Your ways…therefore it is impossible for You to be careless. Nothing happens to me that You have not allowed. When I experience times of darkness – times that You could have prevented – it sometimes feels as if You are being careless with me. I pray, Father, that You equip me to navigate in the darkness…and that You will teach me how to use that equipment. I pray this in the name of the One You sent who experienced the darkest of times while paying for my sins, Jesus Christ; And all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
Isaiah 45:3
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1
Darkness is typically thought of as something negative, bad, or even evil. Nightfall, devoid of light, blackened, lost, secret, closed…blinded. The bible often uses darkness to mean “not in God’s light.”
As a child I was terribly frightened of the dark…I even carried that fear well into my adulthood.
But I have learned through personal experience that darkness is not all bad. And darkness does not have to be synonymous with the absence of God. Just maybe, when darkness comes, it signifies that we are under the shelter and in the shadow of our Lord. (Ps 91:1) Know that as children of God nothing happens to you that He has not allowed.
During times of darkness, there are actually treasures to be found (Isaiah 45:3), learning to be had and growth to be gained. When darkness comes most run from it, distracting themselves through their addictions…or simply sleeping through it.
When events don’t go our way and we feel emotionally uncomfortable, our natural reaction is to assume the situation is against us. We believe that nothing positive can come from it, even though we know from experience with school, sports or music that we have to practice to get good results. The same is true for spiritual growth as well.
Today, when you find yourself in the midst of physical and spiritual darkness, turn to your God for strength. Don’t run. Rather, look for the treasures in those secret places. While in the dark, turn to His Presence…His Word…His Spirit. And you will soon see His Lighthouse guiding you step by step. Look for how He wants to grow or strengthen you. Search for the positives in the storm.
Prayer
Dear Father God, I know Father that You are perfect in all Your ways…therefore it is impossible for You to be careless. Nothing happens to me that You have not allowed. When I experience times of darkness – times that You could have prevented – it sometimes feels as if You are being careless with me. I pray, Father, that You equip me to navigate in the darkness…and that You will teach me how to use that equipment. I pray this in the name of the One You sent who experienced the darkest of times while paying for my sins, Jesus Christ; And all God’s children say - AMEN!
The Truth
I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.
Isaiah 45:3
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
Psalm 91:1
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