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About Jill Richard

My name is Jill Richard. I'm a life long Christian. Trying to live my life for my Lord everyday. I've been working in internet marketing since 2003. I want people to look at me and think - What an amazing God she believes in! I want all of my actions to point back to my Lord. They don't always, and for that I am grateful for the Grace of my Lord Jesus Christ.

My God is … The Good Shepherd John 10:14

21 Mar

John 10:14 – I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me

John 10:14 - I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me

John 10:14 - I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me

He knows me

So being called a sheep may not be the most flattering thing in the world. They’re not the brightest animal on the farm, and I’m not super in love with their smells either. I am grateful for the wool, and there’s almost nothing as sweet as seeing little lamb-i-kins bouncing across the British Countryside (Right Rachel?). But when being a sheep means that Jesus is your Shepherd  Good Shepherd, everything changes.

Not the brightest animal on the farm

We may not always make great decisions, say the right thing, or do the right thing, but like a Shepherd, God is watching over us, herding us back to safer ground. Ground filled with blessings and closeness to Him. When I’m in the midst of bad behavior (insert sin of choice here), I find myself lost, confused and unsure of myself. It’s in  weakness and insecurity that I’m no longer stubborn and going my own direction. I start looking around for a way out, a safe place to go, and I realize my Shepherd has been near by at all times, ready to lead me home.

Going my own direction

Have you ever made a wrong turn? You were sure you knew your way, but still ended up someplace other than where you wanted to be? In the song “The Good Shepherd” By Dave Horn (find it here #23 on the list), Dave sings about the Good Shepherd from the devil’s perspective. The devil says everything the Good Shepherd does; knowing their name and carrying their blame, shows how he, the devil, has lost this game. That’s a comforting thought.

God knows my name and carries me and my blame

The Good Shepherd lays down his life for His sheep. We are not in a relationship with a God who sets things in motion and then leaves us there floundering. He is there to help guide us out of trouble. He’s come to keep me from being separated from Him for eternity because of my sin. He’s laid down his life so that I can be free from blame. When we are weak, we find Him when no one else cares about us anymore. When we have burned all our bridges, Jesus became the Bridge to God the Father, allowing us a way to salvation, when all we deserve is utter destruction. Not only does he keep us from harm, keeping away the devil, but he also leads us towards His Father, while drawing us closer to Him. He seeks us out when we’re straying away from Him.

Embracing my Sheepishness

I said it earlier, I don’t think the description of us as sheep is very flattering, but it is accurate. I do make mistakes and end up taking the wrong path. Sometimes I don’t listen to my God and I end up in deep do-do. I find myself floundering, having separated myself from my support system, and ignoring the warnings of friends and family. I hear the devil trying to lie to me, telling me I’m not worthy of being used by the God I love, but like the Good Shepherd that He is, Jesus is right there to guide me back to safety in His arms, His word and His church.

Are you Sheepish?

 
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Posted by on March 21, 2012 in God is my Shepherd, John

 

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My God is … God Psalm 46:10

16 Mar

Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

Be Still

How often are you still? Do you stop? Ever? Many of my friends hardly ever stop. Even when they do stop physically, their minds are still racing, and they don’t truly get any rest from their hectic lives. Being still takes focus. It’s not easy at all. You can start to feel guilty, wiggling around thinking about all of the things not getting done while you’re “being still”.

What do we miss in our hectic lives

In Psalm 46:10, God says to “Be still and know that I am God”. What a blessing of being still! For many years I had worked a 40 hour a week job. I actually worked a lot more hours than that, because I had a virtual commute. It always sounds so wonderful. I got to work from home! But that has its pluses and minuses. Yes I could run and get my boys when I needed to, and if something came up I could take care of it. The truth is, usually those things didn’t come up, but instead I would be more likely to allow my work to impede on my family time. I would be doing fine, playing a game or watching a movie with the boys when I would think of one more thing that I could get done before tomorrow (so that day would be “easier”). I would work on that while I was “with” my boys. I would not be fully present in either, not accomplishing anything of value in the end. The next day was not easier, as I had plenty more to worry about that day.

Each day my minds raced. I wanted to be sure that my work was visible even though I wasn’t in the office. I wanted to make my work successful for the business, my bosses and myself. I wanted to do well, so I could feel good about my work. What really happened, because I never took down time for my brain is I was not my best. When I would over work myself, in the name of dedication, I would push myself beyond what was useful for any of us.

Clearing your mind

I don’t know about the other women out there, but clearing my mind is a foreign concept to me. Even when I am sitting still in a quiet room, my mind is not clear. I may be having 25 different thoughts in less than a minute. My mind is all over the place. Do you remember the scene in Ghostbusters when they’re told to pick what will destroy them by what they think, and their plan is to clear their minds so that nothing will destroy them? That was always such a ridiculous scene to me, because I couldn’t even conceptualize emptying my brain. Is that a man/woman thing, or just a problem I have? I’m not sure, but if it had been me out there, we would have had 20 or more things to fight off with our proton streams.

 

And Know that I am God

Being still, clearing our minds takes practice. One of the great benefits of having the hours you spend for work reduced is you have time to practice being still. Since I reduced my hours (and recently had them reduced again for me), I have been given the opportunity to work towards being still and knowing He is God. I have started to use the prayers I learned at the prayer retreat I went to (the Jesus Prayer and Lectio Divina) to get me closer to being still. Then I will sit after those prayers and just try to “be” in God’s presence. I’m not saying I’ve perfected it, but the promise to know God better is one worth doing.

Do you know how to be still?

 
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Posted by on March 16, 2012 in My God is God, Psalm

 

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My God is … My Supplier 2 Corinthians 9:6-11

13 Mar

2 Corinthians 9:6-11 – Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
their righteousness endures forever.”

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Now he who supplies seed to the sower & bread for food will also supply & increase your store of seed 

Have you ever lost a job? Have you ever wondered where your next meal will come from? Where your concerns valid? The past year has been a year of change for my husband and I. His job is quite secure, but I have gone from having the highest paid job in my life to basically no job at all. At first the reduction of hours was a decision I made to spend more time with my boys. It’s been blessed to say the least. We’ve been having great conversations, more time together and enjoying who the Lord made each of us to be.

Losing your income sucks

Yep, I said it, losing your income sucks. Yesterday my main client told me she couldn’t afford me anymore and would have to put our work on hold. She’s happy with my work, but because of the way some things are working out on her end, she won’t be able to keep me employed for a while. I feel like I should be worried, and to be honest, part of me is, but then I keep hearing “The Lord will Provide”.

Is this an opportunity

My sister said that she felt that this time might be an opportunity to even further explore my wish to be a writer and a speaker. To be honest that scares me, and to make it a profitable venture also seems daunting. But I will pray that the Lord will reveal to me what He wants me to do.

You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion

So I got my last paycheck for a while, and part of me is struggling with the idea of putting some of that money in the offering plate. 10% sure looks like a huge amount today. But in the verse above I’m reminded that the Lord is the supplier of my lively hood and my food. I need to trust Him today, tomorrow and always. I need to be reminded that my Lord can be trusted. To keep my focus on Him, and allow Him to direct my paths. Stay tuned as we see what the Lord has in store for me now. How will He turn this challenge into a blessing for this girl who loves Him so much.

Have you ever lost a job?

 
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Posted by on March 13, 2012 in 2 Corinthians, My God is My Supplier

 

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My God is…Wise Romans 11:33

01 Mar

Romans 11:33: “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways!”

Hindsight is 20/20

Hindsight is 20/20

This wasn’t how things were supposed to turn out.
When I was young, I wanted to be a teacher. I think it was mainly because my Dad was a teacher, and a really good one. I had my eye on the prize. And I did become a teacher. I had great students, parents and the other teachers were wonderful. But after a year and a half, my husband and I were sent to England with his job in the military. In England I would have had to take a year of classes to even teach there, and we were only staying for three, so I didn’t pursue it any further. It didn’t really work out the way I expected. I actually thought about teaching more years than I taught.

But in retrospect

Hindsight is 20/20 they say, and while I wouldn’t say we always get the reasons clearly revealed to us, I would say that the Lord has certainly used my short stint as a teacher for my best. You see as a trained church teacher, I was sent to Idaho. Now this girl was not even thinking about going to Idaho. But if that’s where God wanted me, I was willing to go. While I was there (for that whole year and a half). I met my husband. He’s 8 years older than me, and if I had met him before this time, I wouldn’t have been old enough to really be considered as someone he would want to date. But now I was a young woman. I had a career, and loved my job. These are things he found attractive about me (maybe not the only things).

Again God did things differently than I expected

My husband had been stationed in Idaho for 8 years when I met him. He thought they had forgotten about him. Our plan was to stay and have me teach there for as long as we could. As soon as we got engaged (a mere nine months after meeting) he got orders to England. Amazing. I had always hoped to go overseas, but until meeting my husband, I didn’t have any reason to think I would get there. Now I was going to live there. Amazing.  But that also meant leaving a place I had grown to love in a very short time. But it did feel like God was moving us along, not really our own will.

Some things we may never understand (until we get to heaven)

Shortly after we were married, we found out that we were pregnant. It was quick. I was so worn out, and feeling sick. I didn’t know what was going on with me. I could hardly stay awake at staff devotions (this is when the pastor and his wife knew I was pregnant). A week or so later, I took the test. We were shocked. We really hadn’t expected to start a family so quickly, but if that was God’s will we were going to go with it. Unfortunately a few weeks later I suffered a miscarriage. I was only seven weeks along, and some would say it’s not even a baby yet, but we were in love with our little one already. I don’t know if I’ll ever know why we didn’t get to meet that little one, but God knows, and though I don’t understand, I know He is wiser and more understanding than I ever could be and I can trust He can use it to work for my good.

What have you understood more looking back?

Is there anything that became clearer for you with the 20/20 hindsight view? Have you seen the Lord’s work after the fact? Maybe you’re going through something now. Hopefully the verse above will bring you some comfort knowing that the Lord is wise and that it’s natural for us not to understand his ways sometimes. That doesn’t mean we don’t necessarily have to stop believing when His ways don’t make sense to us.

 
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Posted by on March 1, 2012 in God is Wise

 

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My God is…Compassionate Nehemiah 9:16-21

29 Feb

Wandering around in the desertNehemiah 9:16-21 – “But they, our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and they did not obey your commands. They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery. But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them, even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ or when they committed awful blasphemies.

“Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud did not fail to guide them on their path, nor the pillar of fire by night to shine on the way they were to take. You gave your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst. For forty years you sustained them in the wilderness; they lacked nothing, their clothes did not wear out nor did their feet become swollen.

Because of your great compassion you did not abandon them in the wilderness.

Have you ever felt abandoned? Was it true? I know that for me there was a time when I felt abandoned. It was around October and November of 2001. Just after the tragedy of September 11. My husband was overseas, and I was home in Tucson (thousands of miles away from my parents and sister), with my twin 2 1/2-year-old boys. The boys wouldn’t sleep. I was worn out. The events in September had drained the country, and I was no different. I was sure the country would go to war quickly, meaning my husband wouldn’t be coming home on time, and I would be stuck with these boys who never sleep. Then it happened. I began to have the symptoms I would later find out were from Multiple Sclerosis. I felt like I was abandoned in the desert. I felt like my husband wasn’t there when I needed him, and my family too was far away. I felt like I was going it alone. Those who should be there for me weren’t. But during that time, the Lord revealed himself to me, and helped me to see I needed to rely on Him, not my husband or family. He sent me great friends who helped me through that time (Kara and Sharon). I believe now, the time in the desert was a truly transforming time for me. Drawing me closer not further away from God.

But they, our ancestors, became arrogant and stiff-necked, and they did not obey your commands.

When you are a Stiff Necked person, you are said to be arrogant or stubborn. I also see it as not being able to change your ways or be flexible. I can think of a lot of times in my life where I was being stubborn or arrogant. I may have thought I didn’t have as many sins as someone else, or that the Lord blessed me more, because of something I did, or didn’t do, but the truth is we’re all stiff-necked at times. Denying the Lord and what he has done for us. We think we know better than God and ask like the Israelites to go back into captivity. We romanticized the past and think that if only we could go back to high school or college. Those were the days. But the truth is all of our problems would follow us through space and time, because they are part of who we are. But God doesn’t hold our stiff-necked ways against us. He is compassionate and slow to anger.

Last night in our Bible Study, we were looking at Nehemiah 8-10, and discussed this portion for quite some time. One of the things we heard from a commentary was that we can not escape God’s discipline, but we also can not exhaust God’s Patience. I found that to be a truly comforting statement. That yes sometimes I get myself into a mess of trouble. That sometimes I find myself wandering around in the desert, seemingly going around in circles. But God is still there. He’s still ready to help me, console me and save me from my sins.

You gave your good Spirit to instruct them.

Lord, You have given me so much. I have been blessed even when I didn’t recognize it at the time. It is true that you have our best interest at heart, and that you will bring us through whatever desert we’re crossing. You’ll provide what we need. Lord send your Spirit to guide me and instruct me as I go forward in life trying to serve you.

Are you stiff-necked?

 
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Posted by on February 29, 2012 in My God is Compassionate

 

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My God is … A Revealer Daniel 2:19-23

23 Feb

Daniel 2:19-23 During the night the mystery was revealed to Daniel in a vision. Then Daniel praised the God of heaven and said:

Nick Vujicic

Nick Vujicic

“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
He changes times and seasons;
he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him.
I thank and praise you, God of my ancestors:
You have given me wisdom and power,
you have made known to me what we asked of you,
you have made known to us the dream of the king.”

Praying for my boys

This morning, I attended my weekly moms prayer group. We get together and pray for our children and their school. Today’s topic of praise to God and prayer for the Children was God as a Revealer. My boys are in middle school, and they’re amazing. They’re super smart, kind and good-looking (I know it hardly counts, cause I’m their mamma!). But I don’t know if they understand the amazing gifts God has given them.

We can’t be perfect

I have often tried to be perfect. Actually that’s probably not totally accurate. I think I actually avoided being imperfect. What’s the difference? The difference is that if you’re going to make a mistake, or there’s even a chance, you don’t take that chance. When I was in high school and college, I got decent grades. I had mostly B’s with a couple of C’s and a few A’s thrown in. Not bad. Exactly not bad, but I could have done really well. I could have…studied. But I was afraid that if I did more than the minimum, the secret that I wasn’t perfect would get out. Other people might realize that I didn’t know everything before I came in the class. Sadly I believe I have passed down that trait to my boys.

I didn’t feel like doing it

Last week my son and I were going over his assignments online, and I noticed he had an F – in our house an F stands for mom FREAKING out! My son explained that he had forgotten to turn in some of the work. Then I noticed 3 Warm up exercises that had zeros as well. I asked him what happened there (knowing they do these in class). He simply said, “I didn’t feel like doing it.” WHAT!!! I don’t know where he got the idea school work was optional, but we’re working hard to nip that one in the bud. I’m afraid that it may stem from that perfectionist attitude. Afraid to fail? Don’t Try.

Attitude is Altitude

So as part of the consequences of having this bad grade, my son and I spent some time together reading a book I love called “Pivot“. I may have mentioned it before. We read the first chapter together, and started talking about how a small change in our attitude can really help us do better in life. As we were pondering the idea that successful people have a positive attitude as a character trait, my son pontificates that even if he had his legs amputated below the knee, he thought he would be able to go on and make something of himself. I immediately thought of Nick Vujicic. If you’ve never heard of Nick, please take a minute to watch this video. You’ll be amazed, possible motivated and I’m sure moved.

 

We are not limited by our circumstances

Though we are not limited by our circumstances, I think it is important that we pray to God – the Great Revealer to help us to see our way through the hard times, so that we might persevere. Push through and use the gifts the Lord has given us for His good. I watched that video of Nick with my boys, and they were inspired. My son with the bad grade has been working hard, and encouraged our family to see if we could find people on tv and in the news who had positive attitudes. We can also look to our Bibles. Jesus, kept his eyes firmly fixed on His Father in heaven, and though frustrated, tired, and beaten was able to see things through to the end. When He made it so we don’t have to be perfectionists, because He was. He makes us look perfect in the eyes of our Heavenly Father. So now we’re free to have a positive attitude, move beyond mistakes, using them as learning opportunities. I pray that the Lord will Reveal to you this day what you’re called to do, and that you will have a positive attitude toward it and keep your eyes on our Lord and Savior. Then jump in and see where the one with all the wisdom and knowledge of the world will take you.

This is the prayer I prayed for my son today. Who will you pray it for?

May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, give (Insert name here) the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that he/she may know You better. From Ephesians 1:17

 

 
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Posted by on February 23, 2012 in God is a Revealer

 

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My God is… a Servant – Matthew 20:25-28

16 Feb

Matthew 20:25-28 – Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mom, when I grow up, I want to be a servant

Ok, that’s not quite what I said to my parents, but my plan as a child was to become a Lutheran School Teacher (like my dad and mom). I wanted to be like my father who seemed to always be willing to help anyone in need (as long as my mom told him about it – he wasn’t so good at picking up on some of the clues that people needed help). If my father had any thought that someone needed help moving, a ride, painting a room, delivering something or almost anything else, my father would almost always be quick to volunteer.

Called to be a servant

My dad is gifted with a servant’s heart, but we’re all called to be servants. In the verse above from Matthew, Jesus himself tells us that whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave. That’s some pretty powerful words. The funny thing is my father, when he does nice things for others, serving them with love, he doesn’t look for a thank you or pat on the back, but they come. People admire my father’s kindness. They are drawn to him, respect him and trust him. That’s an amazing thing to be able to say about your father.

Follow the example

I have been truly blessed to have a father (and a mother) who have lived their lives as servants. They want to help, and try to help as much as they can. But even without their example, we can all live by the example of Jesus Christ. Here he is the son of God, washing the feet of his disciples. He stopped, healed and talked with those no one else cared about. Ultimately he not only gave of His time, but He gave of His life. He was a Servant who was willing to give up His life that all of the stuff I had done that wasn’t so good would be washed away and forgotten. That I might have eternal life with Him in heaven. I understand that some might die for a great man, but my God died for me. Even though I continually make mistakes and treat those I love with unkindness, and those I don’t love even worse. I pray that I too may become more of a servant. That I might serve others and my Lord, not to get me into heaven, but so I might reflect the awesomeness of my Lord to all those I know. If they ask me why, I will be blessed to say it is because of the example Jesus set for me, and my earthly father who also followed Jesus example.

Whose servant are you?

 
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Posted by on February 16, 2012 in Matthew, My God is a servant

 

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My God is…Holy 1 Peter 1:15-16

08 Feb

 1 Peter 1:15-16 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”

If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you’ll know I’m a fan of the dictionary. I like to look words up. Today let’s take a look at the word Holy.

Definition of HOLY

1: exalted or worthy of complete devotion as one perfect in goodness and righteousness
2: divine <for the Lord our God is holy — Psalms 99:9(Authorized Version)>
3: devoted entirely to the deity or the work of the deity <aholy temple> <holy prophets>
4a : having a divine quality <holy love>
 b : venerated as or as if sacred <holy scripture> <a holyrelic>
5—used as an intensive <this is a holy mess> <he was a holyterror when he drank — Thomas Wolfe> ; often used in combination as a mild oath <holy smoke>
God is Holy
God is Holy. He is Holy with a capital “H”. That means that He is the completion of Holiness. It doesn’t get more Holy than God. He is perfect and without blemish. He is perfect in goodness and righteousness.
How are we supposed to be holy?
I don’t know about you, but this verse seems a bit daunting to me. I read it and think, “Um, Impossible”. But we know that all things are possible with God. I decided I needed to look at this verse more closely in its context.
Be Holy 1 Peter 1:13-23

Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance.But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.

We are called to be holy

We are called to be holy, not as a way to get to heaven, but as a part of our sanctification. Moving closer to being like our Lord. I won’t get it right this side of heaven, but because of the grace given to me by my Lord Jesus Christ, I am freed to try. I am freed to be sober-minded putting my hope in the grace I will receive at the second coming of Christ. When he comes again I will be assured of my place in heaven, because as it says in the reading above, I have been redeemed.

Through him you believe in God
Because God sent his son Jesus, and God rose Jesus from the dead, I can now believe that I too will be raised from the dead to spend eternal life with him and my fellow believers in Heaven. My faith and my hope are in God.
Freedom is…freeing
Because I am no longer damned because of my sins (falling short or not measuring up), I am free to try to measure up. I’m free to know that even though I will never measure up on this side of heaven, I can work towards sanctification (being made holy). I can keep putting my hope and faith in God. I can be sober-minded, and not get distracted by my addictions, vices and bad habits. I can keep my focus on God more, reaping the benefits of having a relationship with a God who is all-powerful. God is in my corner, and that makes me able to be confident in all things. Knowing my God is with me and I am with Him.
Who’s in your corner?
 
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Posted by on February 8, 2012 in 1 Peter, My God is Holy

 

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My God is…my deliverer Psalm 140:6-8

03 Feb

Psalm 140:6-8 I say to the LORD, “You are my God.” Hear, LORD, my cry for mercy. Sovereign LORD, my strong deliverer, you shield my head in the day of battle. Do not grant the wicked their desires, LORD; do not let their plans succeed.

You are my God, Have mercy on me

Definition of MERCY

1 a : compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one’s power; also : lenient or compassionate treatment <begged for mercy>
b : imprisonment rather than death imposed as penalty for first-degree murder
2a : a blessing that is an act of divine favor or compassion
b : a fortunate circumstance <it was a mercy they found her before she froze>
3: compassionate treatment of those in distress <works of mercy among the poor>
At the beginning of this week, my husband and I had the pleasure of going to a Prayer and Renewal Retreat. My husband had attended before, so he was in a different phase, but in Phase one, I was taught about two types of praying I hadn’t experience before: Lectio Divina and the “Jesus Prayer“. In the Jesus prayer, a phrase similar to the one in our text is used: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”
We all need mercy
Because of sin, I need of mercy. The Psalmist wants God to be a deliverer. This is no call for a UPS man. This is a call for someone to help you escape the inevitable. Think about when people ask for mercy. Picture it. I’m picturing the six-fingered man from the “Princess Bride” about to get killed by Inigo Montoya.
When I’m in a pinch, I’m always a bit more willing to make amends. I might say things like, “Lord, get me out of this and I’ll never do it again.” I want to bargain with God. I want him to deliver me from the pain I’m afraid is coming our way. I often forget to acknowledge the way He has already had mercy on me.
My God is my Deliverer
On the cross, Jesus took away all of my sins. Paid for all of my short comings, failings and mistakes. He did it because He loves me. He had mercy on me. I was in a pinch. I couldn’t have survived without Him, but because of His mercy, I’m not getting what I deserve, Hell. I’m getting the best of the best, a life with the one who loves me more than anyone else does. My Lord Jesus Christ.
What deliverer do you count on?
 
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Posted by on February 3, 2012 in My God is My Deliverer, Psalm

 

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My God is a Miracle Worker – John 21:25

25 Jan

John 21:25 – Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

The whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

Isn’t that the truth. I think about my own life and the amazing things the Lord has done for me, and I’m pretty sure my book of God’s Miracles would be pretty long too – even if all I did was list them. Sometimes when I’m going through something I feel like the Lord isn’t there, and it becomes hard for me to believe that Jesus would perform a miracle for little old me. Sometimes I’m too busy controlling the situation to hand it over to God and let His will be done. But when I have, amazing things have happened.

My son was born with Tetralogy of Fallot

When my son was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot, we had never heard of it. The Doctor explained to us that our newborn would have to have open heart bi-pass surgery within the first year of his life. We were shocked. In the office we took the news calmly, but when we got home I broke down. I was really freaking out. Around 9 months old he had the surgery. The thing I remember most is handing him over to the surgical team. They stood there with a mask to administer something to put him to sleep. Five of them looking at me, one with his arms outstretched to take my baby from me. They were going to cut his heart open. I had been calm the whole day leading up to the surgery, but in that moment, I new I had to surrender his care to the doctors and to God, because I truly couldn’t fix this problem for him.

Years later, during a choir rehearsal at church, a man stood up to give a devotion. He began telling the story of how his son had Tetralogy of Fallot. But his story was different. His son had to have multiple surgeries. He was twelve at the time and had over 5 surgeries already. I started to cry. I was overwhelmed knowing how the Lord had given our son a full recovery. The doctors had said he would never have to have heart surgery for Tetralogy again. That was when I knew the fullness of the miracle that had occurred. My son was healthy and amazed all the heart doctors he has seen since.

God has healed my heart

Another miraculous event in my life has happened more recently. I have an amazing husband. He has always been kind and considerate, but sometimes I still felt I wanted more love from him. I felt needy, and I could tell he felt I was needy too. We didn’t fight often, but when we did – watch out! I felt like he thought, I told you I love you, and that’s the truth until further notice, and that he didn’t really need to tell me again, unless something changed. Well, I’m a girl, and this was hard for me. I didn’t know how to make it better. There really wasn’t much to complain about, and when I did, I couldn’t put my finger on the real problem.

I had heard about a book called, “Love and Respect” on the radio. It talked about how women need love and men need respect. It was surprising to me, and I was pretty sure wrong. I thought, my husband needs love more than respect. I decided to find out. When my husband came downstairs, I asked him which was more important to him, love or respect, and without another breath he said, “Respect!”. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind. I could see I hadn’t been approaching him with that in mind, and I ordered the book (actually I accidentally ordered the second one, but that works too). I read through about half of it and got distracted. Then a few months ago, my counselor recommended it to me. I said I had already read most of it.

When I got home, I talked to my husband and he agreed to read it with me. This is when the miracle happened. By reading Ephesians 5:33 : “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.” and the book, he realized that God made me to need love. It’s not that I’m needy because of some personal deficiency, but that God intended it that way. He got it.

How has life changed because of this miracle?

We’re not finished reading the book, but already things are so much better. Remember, I said I had a good marriage before, but this is truly wonderful. Now my husband, of his own doing is showing me love in all the ways I had hoped he would. When we’re at a function, he crosses the room to talk to me. He’ll compliment me in front of others. He tells me its a joy to see my smile. These things are not that different from what he did before, but it’s also the attitude behind it. He assumes I want to bless him with respect, and I assume the things that used to annoy me are not things he’s doing to irritate me. We have more patience with each other, and are really enjoying a new lease on life. My counselor said she thought it was a very powerful book, and I have to agree. It get’s its power by being focused on the truths in God’s word.

Do you need love, or respect?

 
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Posted by on January 25, 2012 in God is a Miracle Worker, John

 

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