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Monthly Archives: October 2013

My God is…Drawing me up from a desolate pit Psalm 40:1-3

21 Oct
Left December 2010 - Right October 2013

Left December 2010 – Right October 2013

Psalm 40:1-3 – I waited patiently for the Lord;

he inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up from the desolate pit,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the Lord.

I waited patiently for the Lord

Three years ago I was talking to my friend and reflexologist, Lynn, and told her that I thought 2013 was going to be a good year for me. I just had a feeling that something was going to change in 2013. I didn’t know what it was going to be, but I really felt it was going to be good and a big change. I think I thought it was going to have something to do with my blog. Would I be discovered? Would I actually work toward my goal of being an author/speaker? That wasn’t it (although there are a few months left!). I waited patiently to find out what kind of change would be coming my way.

He inclined to me and heard my cry

For most of my life I have been insecure. I have thought that I don’t quite measure up. I struggled with self-worth and still have a tendency to talk poorly about myself. I am the butt of my own jokes. I minimize my accomplishments and maximize my failures. I have always had a strong relationship with the Lord, but things have been changing for me. When we made our move to Oregon, I packed on the pounds. This was no surprise. It was a sort of cycle I had. Whenever we moved I would lose weight before the move and put it on as the stress of moving, meeting new people and such would become overwhelming. This move was different. It was the first time we were moving someplace with no end date. We didn’t know when or if we would ever move again. I think I felt settled for the first time in a long time. It didn’t happen right away, but as I gained friends and became comfortable in my surroundings, I was finally in a position to work on getting past some things I’d been holding on to for too long.

He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, 

Even now, thinking about the pain and sadness I felt almost everyday brings tears to my eyes. There were a lot of things that had to change. God led me to a counselor. She was amazing, and just what I needed. I confessed more of my life to her than I had revealed to anyone. God shed the baggage from me. God taught me to forgive fully and allow those who love me to love me without me doubting their truthfulness. God also supplied me with a doctor and we worked on balancing my hormones and getting me healthy. God gave me the opportunity to reduce my hours for work. God allowed me to connect more with my family, friends and those who needed my support.

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.

For years (37 or so) I was not enjoying all the Lord had given me. I probably still don’t have it down totally, but God is still working me towards righteousness. So what was so big about 2013? What changed? So many things changed that led up to 2013, but in 2013. Starting in January I began the quest with my friend Carol to take care of ourselves and lose weight. I have lost almost 50 lbs (49.7 to be accurate). People ask me how, and sadly my response is a lot of exercise and Weight Watchers, but the truth is without God I could not have done it. It is all those things He changed in my heart that led up to this place. I didn’t think I could ever weigh this weight again. I don’t think I’ve been this weight since my sophomore year in college.

Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the Lord.

Full confession. When I was writing this blog post, most of it was full of “I” did this or “I” did that, and suddenly I realized I was not praising God. I was praising myself. The truth is I don’t believe it was me alone. I believe the Lord has been with me each and every step from counselor to weight loss. God is the source of all that is good in my life. I pray that my life does bring glory to God. That people will see the work the Lord is doing in my life. They will see the transformation and know that God is the reason and maybe, by the grace of God they will put their trust in Him. Oh that I should be so blessed as to know the Lord had used me in that way. That really does make me cry (in a good way).

 
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Posted by on October 21, 2013 in My God is drawing me up from a desolate pit, Psalm

 

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My God is…Served 1 Samuel 12:20-24

16 Oct

I Samuel 12:20-24 – And Samuel said to the people, “Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart; and do not turn aside after useless things that cannot profit or save, for they are useless. For the Lord will not cast away his people, for his great name’s sake, because it has pleased the Lord to make you a people for himself. Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray for you; and I will instruct you in the good and the right way. Only fear the Lord, and serve him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you.

Do not be afraid; you have done all this evil

“Forget this; I’ve already messed up so badly, why bother?” Have you ever felt that way? You’ve sinned, you feel bad about it, but you don’t turn away from the sin. Sometimes our shame from our sin is exactly what helps to keep us in our sin. Maybe this hasn’t happened to you, and I hope it hasn’t, but it has happened to me. I have sinned and then said, well I crossed that line, now what’s the difference. What does it matter if I change my ways, people will always know me for that sin. These are lies by the way. The devil wants us to hold on to our sin. Satan will use whatever he can to keep us from standing in the grace of God. When we act like this, whether it is a brush with the law, drinking, sex, drugs or using profanity, we do not have to remain in the sin. You and I have not gone beyond God’s grace. We can’t. We can never go so far that God cannot redeem us. His mercy and grace are waiting for us. We don’t have to fear the wrath of God or the judgement of people, because when we repent and turn from our sin, God is faithful with His mercy and grace.

Do not turn aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart

heart-love

We need to keep our focus on the Lord. When we’re tempted to say we’re a hopeless case, our focus is on ourselves. We’re saying we’re too far gone, we’ve made too big of mistakes, but as Christians, we don’t need to fear how far gone we are or how big our mistakes are, because God, who is capable of all things is bigger than our mistakes. He can forgive us and give us mercy beyond any of our failures. So what are we to do when we realize we are in the midst of sin? We need to serve the Lord with all our heart. We need to refocus. We need to keep our eyes on God. It’s important that we surround ourselves with people who feel the same way about God. We need to have Christian friends and acquaintances who will hold us accountable and point us back towards God when we go astray. The Lord can use our friends to redirect us back to Him when the sins and pleasures of this world distract us from God.

Do not turn aside after useless things that cannot profit or save, for they are useless

Our world is very focused on ourselves. We talk about what we have achieved for ourselves. What we want. What we deserve. But outside of God, everything else is useless. With God, all things have more meaning. It isn’t wrong to be successful, but if it distracts us from our Lord and His saving grace it is. It isn’t wrong to be in love with someone, but if it distracts us from God, it is wrong. The good in this world is only good as long as we are focused on God. It is only good because of what God has done for us. Without the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, all our works are like dirty rags. Our accomplishments, our money, our legacies are nothing without them being centered on Jesus Christ. Only with God at the center of our actions can anything be “good”. God is the source of all goodness.

Only fear the Lord, and serve him faithfully with all your heart; for consider what great things he has done for you.

God has done so much for us. We need to put God at the top of our list and serve Him. Put Him at the center of your life and things will change. You can be sure of that. Some people won’t like it. Some people will disown you. Some people will ridicule you, but we can stand strong, because the Lord is good and will bring us through all trouble and we will be able to enjoy eternal life with Him in heaven. God has made sure, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, that we will be blessed for all eternity. He is not going to get rid of those who love Him, who put Him first in their lives. He loves us, and because He loves us, we are free to serve Him in everything we do. Because of His love, we are free to turn from our sin, not become a hopeless case. He can turn our lives around. When we put Him first, changes will be made in our lives. By His strength and mercy, we no longer have to give in to things that are destructive. We can live free of the burden of our sin, and stand strong in the grace and forgiveness provided by our Lord Jesus Christ. Stand free. Stand Strong. Turn from Sin. Cling to Him.

 
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Posted by on October 16, 2013 in 1 Samuel, My God is Served

 

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My God is…Forgotten Isaiah 51:12-13

04 Oct

Isaiah 51:12-13 – I, I am he who comforts you;bow
why then are you afraid of a mere mortal who must die,
a human being who fades like grass?
You have forgotten the Lord, your Maker,
who stretched out the heavens
and laid the foundations of the earth.
You fear continually all day long
because of the fury of the oppressor,
who is bent on destruction.
But where is the fury of the oppressor?

 

You have forgotten the Lord, your Maker

I know that there are times that I have forgotten the Lord. Not that I had fully turned my back on Him, but that I forgot Him as demonstrated in these verses. In this passage, the Lord is speaking to the people of the day, but I believe He is also talking to us. There are circumstances in our lives when we forget about God. Maybe we’re distracted, busy climbing the social or professional ladder. Maybe we’re control freaks and try to control everything. We forget Him.

I, I am he who comforts you

Sometimes I wish that I could hear God’s tone of voice. I’m guessing He doesn’t sound as sarcastic or perturbed as I hear Him in my head. In my mind this part of the verse sounds a little more like this: “Helllllloooooo! Seriously! It’s me. I’m the one who comforts you.” The next part that follows also has a tone, “how can you be afraid of your coworker? your sibling? your neighbor? They’re only people. I’m God, I got your back.”

You have forgotten the Lord, your Maker,
who stretched out the heavens
and laid the foundations of the earth

When we’re going through our life, we can forget all that the Lord has done. God is reminding us in these verses that He has authority over all the earth. He made the heavens, the earth and everything in it. I guess that’s why I feel the tone in the verses above, because that’s how I feel about the fact that I forget God. Hellloooo Jill! Seriously you’re going to try to be in control when you have had so many examples of how the Lord has had your back. I look at my life, and no matter how bad it gets, I have a longer list of blessings. Lately my friend and I have been working hard at reminding each other to trust God. We trust Him in the little things (making it on time in bad traffic or making it not a problem if we’re late) or the big things (our health, marriages and friendships). We have not been disappointed. God has shown up every time. I have so much evidence of the Lord being an active participant in my life, it’s crazy to me that I actually try to do some things on my own. When will I learn! I pray today is the day I learn. I pray with practice I will surrender myself to the Lord on a moment to moment basis. I pray I do not forget the Lord.

This whole chapter in Isaiah is amazing. I’m going to post it here for you to ponder.

Isaiah 51

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Blessings in Store for God’s People

51 Listen to me, you that pursue righteousness,
you that seek the Lord.
Look to the rock from which you were hewn,
and to the quarry from which you were dug.
2 Look to Abraham your father
and to Sarah who bore you;
for he was but one when I called him,
but I blessed him and made him many.
3 For the Lord will comfort Zion;
he will comfort all her waste places,
and will make her wilderness like Eden,
her desert like the garden of the Lord;
joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the voice of song.

4 Listen to me, my people,
and give heed to me, my nation;
for a teaching will go out from me,
and my justice for a light to the peoples.
5 I will bring near my deliverance swiftly,
my salvation has gone out
and my arms will rule the peoples;
the coastlands wait for me,
and for my arm they hope.
6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
and look at the earth beneath;
for the heavens will vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment,
and those who live on it will die like gnats;[a]
but my salvation will be forever,
and my deliverance will never be ended.

7 Listen to me, you who know righteousness,
you people who have my teaching in your hearts;
do not fear the reproach of others,
and do not be dismayed when they revile you.
8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment,
and the worm will eat them like wool;
but my deliverance will be forever,
and my salvation to all generations.

9 Awake, awake, put on strength,
O arm of the Lord!
Awake, as in days of old,
the generations of long ago!
Was it not you who cut Rahab in pieces,
who pierced the dragon?
10 Was it not you who dried up the sea,
the waters of the great deep;
who made the depths of the sea a way
for the redeemed to cross over?
11 So the ransomed of the Lord shall return,
and come to Zion with singing;
everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;
they shall obtain joy and gladness,
and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

12 I, I am he who comforts you;
why then are you afraid of a mere mortal who must die,
a human being who fades like grass?
13 You have forgotten the Lord, your Maker,
who stretched out the heavens
and laid the foundations of the earth.
You fear continually all day long
because of the fury of the oppressor,
who is bent on destruction.
But where is the fury of the oppressor?
14 The oppressed shall speedily be released;
they shall not die and go down to the Pit,
nor shall they lack bread.
15 For I am the Lord your God,
who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—
the Lord of hosts is his name.
16 I have put my words in your mouth,
and hidden you in the shadow of my hand,
stretching out[b] the heavens
and laying the foundations of the earth,
and saying to Zion, “You are my people.”

17 Rouse yourself, rouse yourself!
Stand up, O Jerusalem,
you who have drunk at the hand of the Lord
the cup of his wrath,
who have drunk to the dregs
the bowl of staggering.
18 There is no one to guide her
among all the children she has borne;
there is no one to take her by the hand
among all the children she has brought up.
19 These two things have befallen you
—who will grieve with you?—
devastation and destruction, famine and sword—
who will comfort you?[c]
20 Your children have fainted,
they lie at the head of every street
like an antelope in a net;
they are full of the wrath of the Lord,
the rebuke of your God.

21 Therefore hear this, you who are wounded,[d]
who are drunk, but not with wine:
22 Thus says your Sovereign, the Lord,
your God who pleads the cause of his people:
See, I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering;
you shall drink no more
from the bowl of my wrath.
23 And I will put it into the hand of your tormentors,
who have said to you,
“Bow down, that we may walk on you”;
and you have made your back like the ground
and like the street for them to walk on.

 
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Posted by on October 4, 2013 in Isaiah, My God is forgotten

 

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