Identify

identify (verb)
1. to know and say who someone is
2. to find out who someone is
3. to show who someone is
(according to Merriam-Webster's simple definition)

This is exactly what Christ calls us to do in Luke 9.23 "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."

We are so eager to identify with a sports team or a state or country...yet we mask our identity in Christ. We become undercover spies instead of unashamed saints. But Christ calls us to do the opposite. We are to identify with Him, regardless of the culture around us.


1. DENY YOURSELF
To deny is to disown. We are to disown ourselves, giving full ownership rights to God; we represent Him "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof" (Romans 13.14) This is a complete change in lifestyle. Denying oneself is an act of humility which is complete opposite to our prideful nature. This does not mean that we should think lowly of ourselves - after all, we were created by God and in the image of God (Genesis 1.27) - but rather to transfer our thoughts to Christ, instead.

If you remember, the first definition of "identify" is listed as "to know and say who someone is." When we disown ourselves, we have the privilege to know God. When we know God, we realize that we have nothing to offer if it isn't through what He has done in and through us, causing us to speak of Him and ridding us of our self-centered nature.

2. TAKE UP YOUR CROSS DAILY
As Jesus carried the cross that should have been ours, He identified Himself with us. The holy God who was big enough to create the heavens and earth and all within it made himself small enough to associate with lowly, sinful people like us (Philippians 2.7-8).

Christ tells us to take up our cross. Our cross is not just an illness, an unsaved spouse, financial trouble, or a stressful job; it is much more than that. We were not all called to die on a cross, but we are all called to be willing. To bear our cross is to simply be willing to pay any price for Christ, even if it means going completely against culture and "the norm." No two people's cross will be the same; the length and intensity will vary, but nonetheless, we are commanded to carry our cross, and carry it DAILY.

3. FOLLOW HIM
To truly identify with Christ, we must also pattern our lives after Him. We can carry our cross, but if we don't follow Christ, the cross becomes unbearable. He is our rest "for my yoke is easy and my burden is light" (Matthew 11:28).

We cannot come to God on our own terms and in our own time. If we are to serve Him, we are called to follow Him (John 12.26). There is no "grey area" where we can mesh God and the world. We can try to justify anti-Biblical laws as "social acceptance" and claiming to show "no respect of persons." But this is not God's plan. We either give Him all or He doesn't want us: "And he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me, is not worthy of me." (Matthew 10.38).


In his book, Forward in the Face of Fear (set to release April 4, 2016), Edgar Feghaly tells of his life and ministry in Lebanon. He gives a good example of how a Christian should view his life, even in a society where identifying with Christ is far from fashionable:

"To me, carrying the cross daily had to do with my identity with Christ. Christ was not popular in His day; He reminded the disciples that He was hated by the world (John 15:18). So I determined not to worry about what the world thought but to be identified with my Saviour. And because I knew those around me were watching me and I realized my life could either be salt and light to show the glory of my Saviour or it could bring reproach to His name, I determined to have a good testimony before the world."

How well do you identify with Christ?

Noisy Blenders

We always have something to do. There is always somewhere we have to be, something to cook, something to clean, something to prepare. Paperwork, bank stuff, the house, food, family, work...the activities that make up our everyday lives.

It seems like we never have time for us. But most importantly - we don't have time for God. Well, actually: we don't MAKE time for God.

Think of the Bible story of Mary and Martha (found in Luke 10.38-42).

I consider myself a Martha. I run everywhere going crazy and don't realize that what I need and what is going to make my life more enjoyable is to sit at Jesus' feet to listen.

God has not put us on this earth to be stressed and to suffer. When he created Adam and Eve, his purpose for them was that they enjoy Him and what He had created.

How then can we enjoy if we are always busy?

We know we need to work, take care of family, do the monotonous things of life, but we allow that to take up too much time in our lives. The stress we put on ourselves of "doing and doing" should not take away the time we have to stop and enjoy the life God has given to us.

Please don't misunderstand me.

I am not saying that we should not do anything. On the contrary. The Bible tells us that if "any would not work, neither should he eat" (2 Thessalonians 3.10). When God created Adam, he told him to care for the garden and to eat and enjoy it: "And the LORD God took the man, and put him in the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it." (Genesis 2.15-16).

Working is part of life, but once it takes God's place it turns into sin.

Psalm 46.10 Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

God tells us to have a quiet heart, in peace, trusting in Him. There is so much noise in our lives that we don't hear God. He is not going to yell at us until we listen. We ask Him to help us, to give us the strength and health to do what we need to get done, but we don't get to the point where we hear Him and learn from Him.

I am not just talking about spending time with God. I am taking about spending time with ONLY God. 

Talking to my husband from the kitchen while I am cooking is different than looking at him in the eye, talking and conversing. When I am in the kitchen, I am not giving him my full attention, but when we are on the couch concentrated the one on the other - it is completely different. 

The only way to be able to spend time ONLY with God is to have a quiet heart free from distractions. Only in complete peace are we able to hear God. Even when we are going through something difficult, we can point our hearts towards God.

My husband gave me this illustration a few days ago:

He works in a coffee shop where we sell coffee (obviously) and fruit smoothies. Right now we are having trouble with the blenders. One is broken and when the other one is used it sounds like a train coming through.

The phone rings often (too much). Now that we have nicer weather, we are busier and Gerson, who works alone, doesn't have time to make all the coffees and smoothies, and restock the fruits and ice creams. Attending to the phone during these busy times has been an almost impossible task.

When we have a lot of people and lots of calls, the easiest thing to do is to ignore the phone. The solution is simple: turn on the blender to drown out the phone calls!

Go ahead and laugh, or get mad...but think:

This is exactly what we do with God many times. We have so many things to do that they turn into "noisy blenders" and make it easy to ignore God's call. Many times, the things we busy ourselves with are good, but when they take priority over God, it is sin.

How do YOU talk to God? Do you yell at Him from the kitchen? Or simply turn on your blender of sin to ignore him?

What we should do is found in Isaiah 26.3-4: "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in The Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength."

This passage is not directly written to Christians, but since the promises of God and His qualities do not change, I felt this an appropriate verse. Not much explanation is needed: God will keep us in perfect when our thoughts are on Him. When He is our priority, our hearts can be in peace and we can communicate with Him.

Lessons from a Vacuum Cleaner

I like having my house clean. The smell of fresh sheets, the dust-free furniture, the shiny bathroom, the mopped floors, the spotless kitchen...its such a feeling of accomplishment! One of my favorites is to see the lines in the carpet parallel from vacuuming (if you are slightly OCD like I am, you know how hard this is to accomplish). For the past few weeks our vacuum cleaner had been making a funny noise. I checked it for a loose connection and cleaned out the dust container. It didn't fix the noise, but since it still turned on, I continued to vacuum attempting to line up the marks in the carpet and make it look as neat as possible. I soon got used to the noise and didn't think anything else about it. Two days ago, it was time to empty the dust container again. As I did this, I found the filter and saw that it was black and filthy. I scraped at the dust and found yet another layer of filth underneath. I managed to get it clean and let it dry. I reassembled the vacuum and vacuumed the house again. What a difference it made! The noise was gone and the carpet was clean!

You may not think much about this event, other than "Priscilla, how gross! How do you not clean out the filter?" but it caused me to reflect.

Psalm 147.10
"He delighteth not in the strength of the horse, he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man."

I want to draw your attention to the phrase "he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man." This phrase speaks of how God is not impressed with our strength, abilities or attempts to live a life pleasing to Him.

My vacuum experience reflected my life. I had tried to work properly, perform effectively and keep all the lines straight in my life, but my filter was dirty. I outwardly "worked" and looked good, but the results of my attempts did not meet the quota. God was not impressed with this. My filter needed cleaning. The answer is verse 11: "The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy." Until I began to truly fear the Lord again, my attempts to please Him were futile.

Psalm 112:1
"Praise ye the LORD, Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in his commandments."

We cannot fear God if we do not delight in His Word. This is the key. The way we love our Bible determines how we love the Lord. Only through the Word of God can our filter be rid of gunk, only through His Word can we delight in his commandments and fear Him. And only then can we fulfill our true purpose and please the Lord outwardly as well as inwardly. We need to stop trying to please God our way and start learning to do it His way. Let us refuse to run on a dirty filter and let us refuse to do less than what God will enable us to do.

Tuned to God? or Tuned to Others?

When we tune an instrument, we are adjusting it to the correct pitch. But imagine that we tune it to another instrument that is off tune.  Just because they both have the same pitch and sound the same does not mean they are tuned properly. They are only tuned to each other. The instrument then becomes useless unless tuned properly and to the right pitch.

Applying this illustration to our lives as children of God: we become useless unless tuned properly and to the right Person.

In the general mindset of the world today, we must please everyone and be accepted by all. Everyone must agree on everything and this is how the world will run smoothly. Sadly, this mindset is not only in the unbeliever’s world, but it is also present between Christians, in our homes and in our churches. We like to tune ourselves to culture, to what is popular, to other people: Christians, pastors, evangelists, missionaries, choir directors, Sunday School teachers, etc. When we do this, we automatically shift the blame when we find ourselves in a predicament. We have stopped taking responsibility for our actions and we always find a way to justify.

When we live our lives with this mentality, we forget to tune our lives to Christ. Ephesians 5:1 tells us, “Be ye therefore followers of God.” We are so focused on doing good things, serving the Lord or having a spirit of unity with the brethren. Call it whatever you like, but the bottom line is that we forget the principle thing: BE what He wants us to be. God wants us to be a follower of Him and to be that follower we must know Him. Only then can we truly be tuned to Him. We are not responsible for what everyone else does. We are responsible for our actions and our personal relationship with Christ.

Please do not misunderstand. I am not saying that serving the Lord and getting along with others is wrong. I don’t think having spiritual role models or looking up to spiritual leaders is bad. I believe these are all Biblical. But I also believe that these things are wrong if we do not have Christ as our main priority. Our only concern should be to follow Him and please Him regardless of what others may say.

If we are tuned to Christ and really know Him and follow Him, we do not need anyone else’s approval or acceptance.

Colossians 3:23 –  ^“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;”

A Damaging Purpose

When we use something for a purpose other than what it was created for, we run the risk of damaging it.

I am not very good at sports, but I like them. It can get intense, so I try to stay away from that competitive streak by just playing to have fun: no rules! Just enjoy! My friend and his dad play tennis and some years ago, I decided I wanted to learn. They took me out to the tennis court and I started to swing at the ball with my “racket”…my guitar.

Now, anyone that knows me knows that there is NO WAY ON THIS EARTH I would ever use my guitar as a tennis racket! It used to be my Grandpa’s. I am not very good at guitar, but I enjoy playing. It relaxes me! I like my guitar but it cannot be used for everything. It is possible to use it as a paddle, an umbrella and even a tennis racket but the wood and strings would be damaged and it would break. It was not created for those purposes. It was created to be played, to make music.

The world seeks purpose and reason to life. It is what keeps us going and pushing forward. We have a designated purpose. Are we ignoring it?

Colossians 1.16

For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:

We are created by and for God. Our purpose is “for him.” When we use our lives for something that we were not created for, we bring damage to ourselves. We think we can put ourselves in the place of God and assign ourselves a purpose. But that purpose is ultimately damaging to our lives. God created us. How dare we tell our Creator that we know what is best? Our purpose is for God and He alone knows what is best for His creation. His perfect plan will not hurt us, only make us more like Him.

Dare we ignore our assigned purpose? Dare we take control and decided our own damaging purpose?

Lord of All Seasons

It is the fall season! I enjoy every season, but I forget how much I love fall until it gets here! Taking a walk through the fall weather is amazing: the unexplainable smell, bundling up in sweaters and scarves, the crunchy reddish brown leaves under your boots, avoiding the soggy green orangey yellow ones, mini puddles reflecting the cloudy grey sky…you know what I’m talking about!

Entering this month of November, we are reminded of Thanksgiving. Today I came across a quote by Elisabeth Elliot in her book “Keep a Quiet Heart” that took my mind to the book of Colossians (quote is at the bottom of the page for those of you who are too curious to wait). As I read the second chapter, these verses grabbed a hold of my thoughts:

Colossians 2:6-7

“As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”

Because we have received Christ, we have the responsibility to live in Him. We are to be rooted and built up in Christ and established in the faith. But I want us to draw our attention to the last phrase “abounding therein with thanksgiving.” This phrase is at the end, not to imply less importance, but to bring to light that this should be a recurring and constant action. As we are being rooted and built up in Christ we are to abound in thanksgiving. While we are being established in the faith, our thanks should never cease.

Jesus is Lord in every season of our lives, and that is cause enough for a grateful and trusting heart. Do I really believe that He is Lord of all seasons?

“If I can’t give thanks, trust, and worship the Lord in every ‘season,’ in the face of any set of facts which may touch my life, I am not really a believer.”

–Elisabeth Elliot

Step Out of Your Self-Pleasing Bubble

So many times we get caught up in our own lives: get up, go where we need to go, get done what we need to do, see the people we need to see, eat the food we need to eat, sleep and do the same thing the next day. It is a constant cycle and it is so easy to get wrapped up in ourselves. As a Bible college student, it is easy to get into a routine of classes, chapel, work, homework, hardly any sleep, classes, chapel, work, homework, hardly any sleep, classes…you get the idea.

The routine things of life are not bad, in fact, it is important to have a routine and organization in your life. But what and who is the focus?

This past Saturday was an eventful day: there was a funeral, a wedding, and several birthdays. Think about all that is involved in each.

• Funeral: a daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, church member, friend passed away. Those who knew her were reminded of her life and service to Christ. Those who did not know her were encouraged by her testimony. Several people were saved during this home going service.
• Wedding: the union of two growing Christians and faithful church members who are a testimony to those around them. Two people with great potential and desire to serve the Lord were made one and will go on to glorify Christ with their lives.
• Birthday: celebration of birth, of a life entering into the world. These people have impacted many people’s lives around them and continue to be faithful which encourages those who watch and follow.

A funeral, a wedding, and birthdays. None of these events had anything to do with me; I barely knew the people involved. As I woke up on Saturday morning, well aware of all that was going to happen that day, I was excited to be busy, stressed and pressured. But my motive began somewhat selfishly: I enjoy being busy; I find fulfillment and satisfaction in it. As the day went on and I attended and served in each event, my perspective changed.

At the funeral, I remembered how it felt to lose a grandparent and I remembered that others have the same feelings I had. As an elderly lady sat in a wheelchair and sobbed, I realized that she has pains and feelings I do not understand. This funeral was not about me being busy and helping make sure the food for the reception was ready, it was about being compassionate and understanding to the needs of others.

At the wedding, I got sentimental (as most girls do at weddings) and thought how wonderful it was that a glowing bride walked down the aisle toward her waiting groom to join in marriage. This wedding was not about me making sure the nursery workers were in their place, or about me making sure the cake was on its way or that everyone had their corsages. This wedding was about the union that was glorifying to God and two lives brought together as one to help each other be better servants of Christ.

The birthdays were not about me wishing them a happy birthday or thanking the people for the influence they have been in my life. These birthdays were about lives that were given by God to use for His glory and to continue faithfully.

So many things go on in the world around us, and they really have nothing to do with us. But why can we not see past these things and see the people involved and what it means to them? What is the eternal value? How much will it kill you to stop thinking of yourself and put others before you? Step out of your self-pleasing bubble and look to someone in need.

Matthew 16:14 – Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

To be a disciple of Jesus, we need to stop thinking of ourselves, deny our pleasures and get our focus on following Christ.

12 years, and more to come

August 10th, 2001 - This day is the day I made the most important decision of my life; the day I received hope, forgiveness and eternal life. 12 years ago today I realized my wickedness kept me from God and my weakness hindered me from ever being able to reach Him. But most importantly, I also realized the unconditional love that God extends towards me and the forgiveness He offers. Not only did I realize what He was holding out to me, but I also chose to receive it. I repented and asked for forgiveness for my sins and became a child of God.

I have not been as loving, faithful or forgiving as I should be, but I thank the Lord I am not what I used to be.

Because of Jesus:

I am a child of the King.

I am a new creature.

I am a sinner saved by grace.

I am forgiven.

I am accepted.

I am seen as spotless.

I am more than a conqueror.

I am loved.

I am still in awe at the love Christ shows to me when I am so undeserving. His unending mercy and forgiveness overwhelm me. I am thankful for my mom whom God used to bring me to the foot of the cross where I left my sins and follow Christ.

"Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear is gone. Because I know He holds the future. Life is worth the living just because He lives."

Thank you Lord for loving me and saving me. Help me to continue to grow in You and reflect your light for your glory. May I love You more and more and may my life be a living testimony of You.

I want the same prayer that was Betty Scott Stam's to be mine:

"Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes,

All my own desires and hopes, and accept Thy will for my life.

I give myself, my time, my all,

Utterly to Thee to be Thine forever.

Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit,

Use me as Thou wilt,

Work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost,

Now and forever."

Looking back on the last 12 years in Christ, what can I do to make the next 12 count for eternity?

"That all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else."
-I Kings 8.60

I Don't Know What I Am Waiting On!!!!!

Waiting...ugg!!! They (whoever "they" is) say patience is a virtue, I say it is a virtue I do not have. Very few people are experts in waiting. Just go to any place with a line, whether it be a restaurant or a store, and you will hear people complain, mumble and grumble about the wait. The majority of these people know what they are in line for, therefore, they will stay until they get their product. But what if the people did not know what they were waiting for? Most of them would undoubtedly leave. The few remaining would stay out of curiosity.

What are we waiting for? When we do not know what we are waiting for, we do not see the value in waiting. How many times have we found ourselves saying, "I'm waiting on God?" But in reality, we do not know what we are waiting for. Perhaps we wait on getting the answer we want, or for things to go our way, or we wait on our own selves, our desires...not on the Lord.

Use Your Heart, Not Your Head

As children we have all heard it before, and as adults, Mom's saying continues to ring in our minds: "Honey, use your head!" She was and continues to be right. We could have avoided so many things if we would have just used our common sense.

But sometimes God calls us to do otherwise.

Proverbs 3.5
"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

We spend so much time and effort into studying God's Word and developing our knowledge of Christ. This is not wrong, but many times we neglect our hearts. God wants us to trust Him with our hearts, not our heads.

How many times have we told ourselves, "I shouldn't eat this" or "I shouldn't do this?"
Our reason can be correct, but it does nothing for us if we do not apply it.

Our knowledge of Christ is so very important and we should never cease to further develop it. But all our knowledge and reason do nothing for us if it stays in our heads. The Lord warns against leaning on our own understanding. When the Lord asks us to do something that seems unreasonable, do we refuse because of the lack of reason in it? How does our reason reason with the Lord?

He tells us, "I know it does not make sense, but that is why you must TRUST me!"
Trust God with your HEART!
Though knowledge and reason are important, let us not neglect our hearts' fellowship with the Father!

Weakness vs. Power

“Once someone gets used to something bad, he no longer hopes for something better.”

This statement was made about the poverty in India. People were refusing to have better things because they were comfortable with what they had. Even if these things would have made their life easier, healthier and better, they did not want it. They were used to their poverty and never hoped for anything better.

We have gotten so used to our poverty. By “poverty” I refer to our lack of strength, our weakness. We forget we can be strong. We forget we can have Christ’s power and live an abundant life.

The Beautiful Sound of Silence - we have missed out on being deaf

Silence can be many things.

For a mother, the sound of silence can mean either her children are asleep or getting into trouble. For some, it can mean peace and a time to think. For others, the sound of silence is too loud and they need something else to drown it out. I suppose it depends on your preferences.

Most of the time, I like the sound of sounds: children playing and laughing, music, the water boiling in the pot, the knife chopping vegetables on the cutting board, the breeze through the trees, the ocean waves, the sound of the cars' wheels in the driveway announcing someone's presence, book pages rustling, the keyboard clicking...the list is endless.

Though I occasionally enjoy silent moments, I cannot imagine never hearing the simple sounds listed above. Many of them bring back a certain memory.

What about the deaf? They have never heard the sounds I have described and some only have their memory to remind them of the sounds heard long ago. There are 100 million deaf in Africa and only 20 missionaries reaching them. Think about that statistic for a while...

Walking Away From Your Order

"Waiter...excuse me? Waiter? Yes, is my meal almost ready?"
"Ma'am, you just ordered it. It will be out in a few minutes."

I am sitting in a restaurant sipping on my never-failing "water no ice." I had ordered my meal 30 seconds ago.  I review my meal in my mind. For starters I had ordered a fresh salad with strawberries, blueberries, apples, roasted pecans and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. Then follows a nice juicy steak (medium well) topped with grilled onions and mushrooms. Sides? Grilled asparagus with lemon pepper dipping sauce and soft fluffy mashed potatoes with cheddar cheese and sprinkled with crispy bacon bits. Never forget dessert!!! Dessert is a slice of chocolate mousse cake and vanilla bean ice cream. These are garnished with chocolate shavings, strawberries, a mint leaf and a drizzle of chocolate syrup.

I excitedly wait for my delectable meal. I cannot wait to feast! After a while, I start getting impatient. I have been here 1.38 minutes and have not yet received my salad!!! My response? I take one more sip of water, get up, grab my purse and sunglasses and strut out of the restaurant.

Faith(Affliction+Suffering)=Perfection

You know those verses that we have heard of and memorized? When people say them we can finish it for them. But then there are times when you read them prayerfully and they bring comfort. It is as if you are reading them for the first time! It makes so much sense!

I Peter 5.8-10

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

Many times we do not realize we are being attacked by the devil. He uses the most subtle ways to influence our thoughts and decisions. That is why it is so important to be vigilant and on the lookout for his traps.

The only way we will know if we are being tempted to pull away from Christ and from what is right, is to know Christ and what is right. This comes through being saturated with the Lord and His Word.

We are never guaranteed a life without affliction and suffering, but we are guaranteed that "the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."

Being in a world and an environment that constantly tempts us to fall is the devil's way of afflicting us and causing us suffering. But with faith in Christ's strength we can resist and the Lord will perfect us.

Job 23.10

"But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold."

Stillness of God

I look outside and the trees are perfectly still!!!! Having just come from Lancaster, California where the wind dominates the land, this Florida stillness is an unusual sight to see. I enjoy it! Then, I think about how God's presence stills a restless heart.

He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

Psalm 107.29

Now my mind cannot help but to go to Mark 4.37-41 where a storm arises and the disciples are frightened. Verse 39 paints the beautiful and mighty picture of Christ rebuking the wind and saying, "Peace, be still." There is peace and stillness in the presence of God! Enjoy God's peace; let it rule you.

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body: and be ye thankful.

Colossians 3.15

Thank you God for the stillness You bring!

List of Things I Want

Last night was my first night in Florida for the summer break. I flew in Thursday and was excited to catch up on some sleep! I was so tired that my eyes were closing on their own. I did my nightly reading standing up so I did not fall asleep. After putting down my books, I laid down excited to get some rest. But even in my exhaustion, I could not sleep. I tried praying, but in this, the Holy Spirit prompted me to pick up my Bible again. It was like He was saying, "Hey! I'm not done talking to you yet!" I rolled over, turned on the lamp and grabbed my Bible letting it fall open. It opened to a passage I had been reading several times in the last week: Psalm 73.25-28. I read it once again:

"Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works."

Though I had been reading it for a while and God had brought it to my mind several times, I now understood what God wanted from me. He asked me, "What do you desire beside me? You say I am all you need; I am here if you look for me. What more are you searching for?"

I instantly thought of several things I had been desiring besides God. They are not bad things, but I had put them above God on my "List of Things I Wanted." As I surrendered those things to the Lord and put Him back on the top of my list, verse 26 reminded me that God is the strength of my heart, and my heart was light. In my own strength I fail and I need God to strengthen me so that I may fulfill what He has for me. Verse 28 encourages us draw near to God; it is GOOD!!!

Draw near to God...desire Him above all!

What is on the top of your "List of Things I Want"?

God's Listening Ear

I had my phone in my hand and was scrolling through my contacts. I just wanted to talk to someone...anyone. There was nothing in particular I wanted to talk about, but I just wanted to chat. I was not sad or upset; it has just been one of those days.

Please tell me I am not the only one who gets moments like these!!!!!

Anyway, God said, "Put away your phone, and don't you dare look at facebook! Talk to me!"

Psalm 116.1-2
"I love the LORD because he hath heard my voice and my supplication. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live."

Yes, God listens when we are in trouble and need comfort and strength; but He also listens when we just need to talk. So many times we think God is only interested in the big things of life. He wants to be our friend and companion.

I am so thankful for a God that not only hears me but also longs and desires for me to talk to Him!

My Hiding Place

When a bull is charging at you, do you run towards it? Do you attack it full force? No one in their right mind is going to do that!
So when difficulties and trials come, what makes us run towards them? It is so much easier to find shelter in God. You may think that that is something weak and cowardly people do...you are right. There is no way you can face all that life brings without God. If you think you can, you are filled with pride. I cannot live life and all its difficulties in my own strength; I NEED God! I NEED His shelter! I NEED Him to be my hiding place!
Abide in Christ...hide in Him.
Psalm 32.7Thou art my hiding place: thou shalt preserve me from trouble: thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah.
My Hiding Place
In the distance I can see the storm clouds coming my wayAnd I need to find a shelter before it starts to rainSo I turn and run to You Lord, You're the only place to goWhere unfailing love surrounds me when I need it most.
You're my hiding place, safe in Your embraceI'm protected from the storm that ragesWhen the waters rise, and I run to hideLord, in You I find my hiding place
I'm not asking you to take away my troubles, Lord'Cause it's through the stormy weather I learn to trust You moreAnd I thank You for Your promise I have come to knowYour unfailing love surrounds me when I need it most
So let your people seek YouWhile You may be found'Cause You're our only refugeWhen the rain comes pouring down
-Steve Curtis Chapman

Clinging to God is not enough...

Have you ever felt that you cling to God so much but it does not seem like it is enough? You know you are weak and you know you need His strength, but it does not seem like He gives it. You pray but don’t feel like you are being heard. You seek Him and don’t seem to find Him. You know in your mind that He is taking care of you, but in your heart you don’t feel Him. You feel frustrated because He promises to hold you, to care for you, to comfort you, but since you don’t feel it, it seems like He is failing you. You feel like you are swimming in a fog and you cannot get out no matter how hard you try.

Two weeks ago, I started to study John 15 again. It is one of my favorite chapters. It speaks of abiding in Christ, having our full dependence on Him and allowing Him to abide in us. Before I got past verse 4, I asked the same question I started out this post with: “Have you ever felt that you cling to God so much but it does not seem like it is enough?” I got my answer reading the first part of verse 4 again: “Abide in me, and I in you.”

“God, I know to abide in you…and I am trying but I don’t feel like you hear me or hold me,” I told Him. I could see God shaking His head at me saying, “You just don’t get it! Do you? Abide in me.”

That night, I asked someone else the same question and here is the answer I got: “Clinging to God is great and everything, but resting takes so much less effort.”

That is when I mentally slapped myself as God said, “Finally, you understand!”

Here is an excerpt from Andrew Murray’s book “Abide in Christ:”

“Does it weary the traveler to rest in the house or on the bed where he seeks repose from his fatigue? Or is it a labor to a little child to rest in his mother’s arms? Is it not the house that keeps the traveler within its shelter? Do not the arms of the mother sustain and keep the little one? And so it is with Jesus.”

Resting really does take so much less effort than clinging.

Then I asked: “What about Matthew 11 when God tells us to take up His yoke?” I thought resting was supposed to just be easy and don’t do anything… “It is not the yoke, but resistance to the yoke, that causes the difficulty; the wholehearted surrender to Jesus, as at once our Master and our Keeper, finds and secures the rest.” (Andrew Murray)

Again…I mentally slap myself. Working for God is much easier than resting and trusting in Him. Many times working for God takes us away from abiding in Him. Verses 4 and 5 of John 15 remind me that only through abiding in Christ can we bring forth fruit. Whatever we do for Him is useless and has no value if I am not doing it in His power.

The first part of verse 7 in Psalm 37 says the following: “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him…”

When Christ calls to me: “Abide in me” …let my answer always be: “I do abide in You.”

This Generation

Psalm 71:18 - Now also when I am old and gray-headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to everyone that is to come.

This generation. What do you think of when you hear "this generation"?

I was speaking to a lady yesterday who spoke of teenagers and specifically, young ladies in "this generation." She spoke of how they were immodestly dressed, jumping from relationship to relationship, going to bars, seeming to have nothing to live for but themselves. "What an empty life!" she exclaimed. "It is all in vain!" All this comes from an unsaved woman. Knowing I am a Christian, she wistfully said, "Your lifestyle is so beautiful. It would be wonderful to have a life like yours, to have something to live for." This allowed me to share with her that only because of the grace of God I am not in the same place as those she spoke of.

Now I think...what am I doing to show God's strength to this generation? How much am I allowing Christ to shine through me? If I am not reflecting my Savior and Master, what am I here on earth for? How am I impacting this generation with the Gospel? If I am not...I have no reason to be here on earth.

"We are not saved to sit, we are saved to serve." That is something Dad always said. Are we sitting in our Christian life just watching, criticizing how others work and waiting for something to happen? or are we getting up and doing something to change the direction of this generation?

Pray the Psalm 71:18 prayer: "God, be with me! Do not forsake me until I have shown your strength and power to those around me. Help me to impact this generation with who You are!"