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My God is…supporting you 1 Peter 5:10

27 May

1 Peter 5:10 – And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his mother-comforting-sonseternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you.

And after you have suffered for a little while

No one likes to suffer. Suffering stinks. It’s not fun, it can be frustrating, and it can even challenge our faith. When believers (and unbelievers too) go through really hard things, you’ll often hear them saying things like, “If there was a God, why would He let this happen to me?”. It’s not a bad question to ask really. Why would He? Maybe to give you pause as to what you’re doing in life. To turn you away from a destructive path you’re on. To point you in a direction you never would have taken without a major life change. Maybe so that you would come to rely on Him fully instead of trusting in your own ways. There are so many things that can change out of tragedy. Sometimes they heal families, sometimes they free us from oppression of our families. Sometimes struggles help us to see God’s hand in things so that we may trust Him more fully. Sometimes it helps us to let go of trying to be in charge of things we cannot actually control. We don’t always understand, but that doesn’t mean that the Lord won’t use it for our good. I also want to remind you that not all suffering comes from God. Some are a result of sin and the devil. The devil wants nothing more than to make you question the Lord and His love for you. That’s the devil’s goal, to separate you from the love of God.

The God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ

So the devil’s goal is to separate you from the love of God, but God’s goal is spelled out in this verse. He, the God of all grace, has called you to His eternal glory in Christ. He wants you to spend eternity with Him, and provided His only Son as the way to make that possible. That we might forever give Him the glory. We might always point back to Him in our thoughts and actions. One of the things I love about this verse is that it says “you”. He has called you, not us. You are His focus. Yes, He cares about the rest of us, but if it was only you, He would still feel the same way. You are important to Him. He has called you.

The God of all grace will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you

God isn’t going to abandon you when you’re going through those hard times of suffering. Instead the God of all grace (what a great title) is going to restore you. He’s not going to destroy you, He’s going to build you back up. He’s going to support you. Like a mother on the sidelines of a game, He’s going to be there cheering you on, providing you with snacks and encouragement to keep your spirit and your strength up. He’s going to give you the strength you need to carry on and continue to point to Him in all you do, bringing Him the glory at all turns. Showing a reflection of Jesus to all who you meet. He’s going to establish you. He’s going to set you up. Not to make you rich necessarily, but to make you a man or woman after His own heart. Establishing your place in Heaven for all eternity. He wants only good for you.

For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope. Then when you call upon me and come and pray to me, I will hear you. Jeremiah 29:11-12

Who can you count on to support you?

 

 

 
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Posted by on May 27, 2013 in 1 Peter, My God is supporting you

 

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My God is…not despising a broken and contrite heart Psalm 51:16-18

24 May

Psalm 51:16-18 – For you have no delight in sacrifice;horse-rearing
if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit

A broken spirit? Why would the Lord appreciate and deem acceptable a broken spirit. Does He want us to be miserable? I don’t believe so, or He would not give us the hope of eternal life with Him. But maybe there are some advantages for us as Christians to have a broken spirit. Lets look a little bit at the concept of a broken spirit. First let’s look at the definition of broken.

Definition of BROKEN

1: violently separated into parts : shattered
2: damaged or altered by breaking: as
   a : having undergone or been subjected to fracture <a broken leg>
   b of land surfaces : being irregular, interrupted, or full of obstacles
   c : violated by transgression <a broken promise>
   e : disrupted by change
   f of a tulip flower : having an irregular, streaked, or blotched pattern especially from virus infection
3 a : made weak or infirm

  b : subdued completely : crushed, sorrowful <a brokenheart> <a broken spirit>

  c : bankrupt
  d : reduced in rank
4 a : cut off : disconnected
   b : imperfectly spoken or written <broken English>
5: not complete or full <a broken bale of hay>
6: disunited by divorce, separation, or desertion of one parent<children from broken homes> <a broken family>
There are so many definitions of broken. In the different Bible studies I have been a part of over the years, I have met people who have gone through or experienced almost each type of brokenness listed here. Sometimes we feel we’re shattered by life and everything feels disconnected and we don’t know how we’ll ever put the pieces back together again. Or maybe you’ve been injured, and you can no longer perform on your dance team. Maybe everywhere you turn there is a new obstacle, something else making your life harder than you expected it to be. Maybe someone lied to you, cheated on your or stole from you. Maybe your life was interrupted by a storm, damage or illness. Maybe you’ve just gotten married and it’s hard to deal with all the changes happening at once. Maybe you’re feeling week, like you just can’t go on. Maybe you’ve gone bankrupt, and there’s nothing left for anything. Maybe you misspoke and now someone isn’t speaking to you. Maybe there is an emptiness that you can’t understand, but you’re trying to fill with food, alcohol or drugs. Maybe you’ve gone through a divorce. Maybe you’ve been separated from your children.
A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise
When you’re broken, you may feel like God despises you, but that’s not the case (as we see in our scripture today). Our brokenness is like that off a horse being broken. Before a horse is broken, it can be wild and out of control. It can’t be useful, because it’s not able to submit to its masters control. The horse must be broken to become useful for work and for riding. We too must be broken so that we can learn to submit to God’s plans. As humans it is unnatural to think that we shouldn’t be in control, but God’s ways are not of this world. He needs to be in control of our lives so that we might get all the blessings and benefits He has planned for us. He loves us and knows that when we have a broken and contrite heart, our ability to turn over control to Him increases. Not only does that mean we will allow Him to work in our lives, but when we stop fighting Him, our true strong relationship with Him can begin to develop. We can end up with a life that is way more fulfilling than we ever dreamed possible.
Have you been broken?
 
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Posted by on May 24, 2013 in My God is not despising a broken heart, Psalm

 

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My God is…Holding my hand Isaiah 41:13

22 May

Isaiah 41:13 – 

For I, the Lord your God,holding-hands
hold your right hand;
it is I who say to you, “Do not fear,
I will help you.”

I wanna hold your hand

Holding hands is a pretty intimate thing. Who do you hold hands with? Your spouse? Your boyfriend? Your friend? Your child? We don’t walk up to complete strangers and just start holding their hand. That would be creepy and awkward. Holding someone’s hand is something you do because those people mean something to you.

I saw you holding hands with a high school boy!

When I was teaching school in Idaho, where my husband and I first met, one of my students said to me, “I saw you holding hands with a high school boy yesterday.” I couldn’t think what she was talking about, but then realized I had been out walking with my boyfriend, now husband. He’s actually 7 1/2 years older than me, but he did look pretty young. That little girl knew that holding hands meant something was going on. I was in some sort of relationship with that young man. She was right.

I hold your right hand

In our verse for this week, God says He holds our right hand. He also says, “Do not fear, I will help you.” That is the kind of hand holding we find ourselves needing when we’re feeling insecure, frustrated or pushed to the side. God is there for us. He takes up our hand and leads us through the troubles. But He doesn’t let go. He keeps holding on in the good times as well. It’s not awkward when God holds our hand, because we know Him, and He knows us. We have a relationship with Him.

Holding your child’s hand

Many of us hold the hands of our children (my boys are pretty grown up now, so I don’t get to do this as often.). We may take their hand when they’re crossing the street. We want to make sure they are safe. God takes our hand and makes sure we’re safe as well. Safely in our relationship with Him, that saving relationship of faith in Jesus as our redeemer. We also take our child’s hand when we want to help them feel secure. And best of all we take our child’s hand to show them that we love them. It doesn’t really matter what they’ve done, we still love them. Sometimes we even take our child’s hand in discipline. We pull them back from the bad behavior in which they’re engaging. But we do this, like God does with us, because we have a relationship with our children. A close relationship. We wouldn’t want someone who doesn’t know them well taking them by the hand. It makes us uncomfortable. The better we know God, the more comfortable we are when He’s got our hand leading us through life.

Holding your boyfriend’s hand

I remember the butterflies I had when a boy I liked finally made the move to hold my hand. It assured me that he had feelings for me, more than being a friend. He wanted to get to know me better. I was special. I was His. God too holds our hand this way. He claims us as His. We’re with Him. We’re with God.

Holding hands in prayer

When I was growing up we didn’t hold hands while we prayed. As an adult Christian, many of the people I know hold hands during the blessing around a table. Some also hold hands as they pray among two or three friends. Sometimes even larger groups will join hands in prayer. Why do we do that? I think it is to create a feeling of unity. Even if we don’t know the person well that we’re standing next too, we know that they’re holding hands with the Savior too, and we’re all unified at that moment.

Holding hands in comfort

Sometimes we don’t know what to say. Sometimes holding hands may be the only way we know how to convey our care for someone. I remember visiting my grandmother in the hospital a few months before she died. She was really unwell and very old. She wasn’t 100% clear on who I was. There wasn’t a lot I could say to her that she would be able to respond to correctly. So for much of the visit I held her hand. That was so wonderful to me, because in holding my hand, I could feel her loving squeeze. Holding my hand said what she couldn’t get the words to say anymore. (Was I comforting her, or was she comforting me? Hard to tell).

God’s holding your hand

No matter how God is holding your hand, the point is, He’s holding it. We don’t have to be afraid. God’s with us. He’s got our back and is going to see us through the good times and the bad. God, I wanna hold your hand!

Whose hand are you holding?

 
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Posted by on May 22, 2013 in Isaiah, My God is holding my hand

 

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My God is…Searching the heart 1 Chronicles 29:16-18

20 May

1 Chronicles 29:16-18 – O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for HiResyour holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. I know, my God, that you search the heart, and take pleasure in uprightness; in the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you. O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our ancestors, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you.

Stewardship Sunday

At my church we just had Stewardship Sunday where we look at all the Lord has done for us and assess our own situation to see if our actions and priorities are lined up with our gratefulness to the Lord. In the service we had a guest preacher who did a wonderful job preaching on a subject many people don’t want to focus on. He pointed out that we are to give of our time, talents and treasure with a happy heart, and as a response for all the Lord has done for us (and all He has promised to do in the future).

O Lord our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own.

This scripture reading reminds me of that same sentiment. We are to remember that everything we have, EVERYTHING, is from God. He created all things and supplies all we need on a daily basis. When we talk about things we’ve purchased or been given, we almost immediately focus on ourselves. Everything becomes about me; my car, my house, my children etc. For me I think this is one of the areas of stewardship that I need to work on the most. I don’t acknowledge very often that all I have is because of the Lord. I often think that it is a result of my husband’s and my hard work. But even then, our intellect, our talents, they too are all from God. Without them, we would not have many of the things the Lord has allowed to bless us.

I know, my God, that you search the heart, and take pleasure in uprightness; in the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things

I remember reading this verse during a Bible study a few years ago, and I have to tell you it made me a bit uncomfortable. The idea that God would search my heart was scary. I knew what He would find there, and I was pretty sure it wasn’t uprightness. Webster’s dictionary defines uprightness as being “marked by strong moral rectitude”. Even just a few years ago (and a lot of times even now) I find myself not feeling very righteous. I’m afraid if I search my heart what I will find, much less if God searched it. But He does search our hearts. He knows us better than we know ourselves, but that’s not even the best part. Because of Jesus Christ, our righteousness is not dependent on our righteousness. Because Jesus died for us and saved us from our sins, when God searches the believer’s heart, He sees Jesus. Because we know Jesus and continue to grow in our relationship with Him, conforming ourselves more and more to His ways, we are freed up to do those righteous things that seemed so foreign to us.

In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things

I’m guessing for most of us, the uprightness of our heart, our response to Jesus’ righteousness for us is not always what it should be. But what joy it brings when we realize that our heart is being changed and conformed to the ways of our Lord. When by His saving grace we are able to act in an upright manner, offering freely of our time, talents and treasures.  When we start living in God’s grace and taking full advantage of all of it’s goodness, we are able to enjoy the opportunities to serve and to give. They are no longer burdens but blessings.

 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Malachi 3:10

I have been raised by good tithers, my parents always gave at least 10% to the Lord. I believe it was much more than that, but the typical tithe was what I remember as a child. We were never rich. We didn’t always have extra money, but the Lord did bless us and I can’t really say we ever truly went without anything we needed. Because of their example I have almost my whole life tithed of my treasure. in fact my mother would often say to both my grandma and I on Stewardship Sundays of the past, “This sermon was not for you, You all ready give more than you can afford.” I think I may have to disagree with my mom (sorry mom). I think that even if I gave away all of my money, the Lord would find a way to provide for me. God says test me on it. But the truth is I’m not sure I’ve really been tithing.  I’m not sure if I have tithed with my talents and my time. I’m greedy about my time. I don’t like to give too much of it away. I like to do what I want to do when I want to do it. I can also be insecure, and I let fear hold me back from using my talents as well. So if I am truly going to tithe, I need to do some soul-searching and some honest evaluation of how I spend my time. Even now that gives me pause, because I’m pretty sure watching TV is not going to make the top of the tithing list. EEK. My comfort zone is getting invaded!

O Lord keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you.

This is my prayer today. That I would keep the Lord and serving the Lord in all things at the front of my mind. I pray I would not let earthly distractions pull me off course. I don’t want to let myself get over stressed about things I do not have control of and act as if one more thing would really be too much for me, when really He supplies me with all that I need to do the tasks He has called me to do. I know that I will not always be able to say yes to every opportunity, but I pray I am more open to things that might take away from “me time” and allow myself to feel the joy expressed in these verses.

Where are you directing your heart?

 
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Posted by on May 20, 2013 in My God is searching the heart

 

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My God is…making my paths straight Proverbs 3:5-8

17 May

Proverbs 3:5-8 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart,Pug dog handout isolated on white
and do not rely on your own insight.
 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
 It will be a healing for your flesh
and a refreshment for your body.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
    and do not rely on your own insight.

Easier said than done, eh? I know that each day this is a struggle for me. I start most days planning to trust the Lord, then I get out of bed. Each thing I do, I try to do my own way. I focus on my solutions without approaching God for guidance. I know that some of my unbelieving but loving friends would question whether I’m supposed to go to God in everything. They would wonder why I shouldn’t make decisions all on my own or with my own goals in mind. The problem is, I cannot be trusted. Maybe by the world’s standards I can, but not by what God asks of us. He wants us to put Him first in all things, and to be honest, I don’t do that very well. I think about myself more than anyone else. That’s a little embarrassing to say (or write) out loud, but it’s the truth. Most things I do in a day are to make me happy. They’re done with little regard for anyone else, let alone God. It probably doesn’t seem that bad to the outside observer. I’m not hurting people on purpose, I’m not overly rude, and I’m not interfering with other peoples’ day just for fun. But I’m also not thinking about how to help others, what I can do to bring glory to God or make someone’s day a little brighter. I wonder how things would change if I truly trusted the Lord in all things, putting Him first and consulting with Him more.

 In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.

When you want to lead an animal someplace, what do you do? You use a leash or a coaxing mechanism like food to get them to follow you along the paths. When you do that (and I say you, because I try to have as little to do with animals as possible – no hate mail, please), you’re trying to get the animal to focus on you so you can get them where they need to be. You’re counting on the fact that they’re not going to be able to take their eyes off that morsel of food you’re using to tempt them. A lot of times it works too, because animals think of only themselves. Humans aren’t far behind, but if we keep our focus on Jesus, we know that He will make our paths straight. He will be leading us. Like the animals trust you, we too can follow our master and be assured that He’s got something good for us at the end of the path.

Do not be wise in your own eyes;
fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.

But we get distracted. If someone comes up while you’re trying to lead your animal a certain direction and offers them something else that they want, they can become distracted. They may not know which way to turn. Now, depending on your relationship with that animal, how well they know you and trust you, they may not turn away for long. But that doesn’t mean the untrustworthy stranger will give up. We kind of work the same way. We start out following God, but then the devil distracts us with a whole myriad of distractions. They may not even be bad things all on their own, but that’s not the devil’s point. The devil isn’t really worried about how bad the things are that you do, he’s more interested in where your focus is, or to what you’re giving your focus. He wants to keep us looking towards anything that distracts us from keeping our focus on the Lord. Big events to small problems, the devil uses them all, but each of these events is an opportunity to turn towards the one who does have our best interest at heart – Jesus Christ.

 It will be a healing for your flesh
and a refreshment for your body.

The devil doesn’t want anything good for us, but God does. His path ultimately leads us to perfect healing and refreshment. When we follow the Lord, knowing that it is only through Jesus that we escape our terrible doom, putting our faith in our savior Jesus, we will end up in heaven. There we will no longer experience the pain, sorrow and hurts of this world. We will find refreshment and healing!

Do you need refreshing?

 
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Posted by on May 17, 2013 in My God is making my paths straight, Proverbs

 

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My God is…ransoming my soul Psalm 49:13-15

15 May

Psalm 49:13-15 – Such is the fate of the foolhardy,ransom-note
the end of those who are pleased with their lot. Selah
 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol;
Death shall be their shepherd;
straight to the grave they descend, 
and their form shall waste away;
Sheol shall be their home. 
 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me.

Such is the fate of the foolhardy

What happens to those who choose not to believe in Christ as their Savior? They have the fate of the foolhardy. The act foolishly, and are bold and adventurous. They ignore what they hear about the Lord, because they do not want to live by what the Lord says. They don’t want to have to change their ways. They use every excuse to ignore the tug and pull of the Holy Spirit on their hearts. Those who are content and pleased with how life is going without God are in the worst position. Those who have much often figure out that no matter how much they get they are not satisfied. It is those who have just enough that are really doomed. They don’t think they need the Lord. They think that they’re doing fine on their own and that even if it’s true (the whole God thing), they don’t need Him. But this is foolishness.

Death shall be their shepherd; straight to the grave they descend, and their form shall waste away

Their future is bleak. They are doomed to death. There is no hope for a future for them. Sheol is their future. The place of the dead. Their bodies will decay. Some say that’s just the natural order of things. There is nothing beyond death, and because they believe that, for them there is truth in that statement. But for those of us who do believe, we have hope. We have the joy in knowing there is more to life after death.

But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol,
for he will receive me

I am not doomed for a life in the place of the dead. I am going to the land of the living where my God will be waiting to receive me. How am I getting there? How do I rate such an upgrade? Not because of anything I did, but because Jesus Christ ransomed me from my doom. He paid the ultimate sacrifice to make sure that I could one day live with Him in heaven. That I would not spend eternity apart from Him, but that He would receive me. That He would meet me at the gate and treat me like one of His own. I have a hope and a future, beyond tomorrow, but forever.

Do you have hope?

 
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Posted by on May 15, 2013 in Psalm, Uncategorized

 

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My God is…the potter Romans 9:20-21

13 May

Romans 9:20-21 –  But who indeed are you, a human being, to argue with God? Will what is molded say to thePotter's Hands one who molds it, “Why have you made me like this?” Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one object for special use and another for ordinary use?

We are the clay

To start writing this blog, I decided to research a little bit about how pottery is made on Wikipedia (the most trusted source, I’m sure). There are many stages the potters put the clay through as they create their pieces.

  • Greenware refers to unfired objects. Clay bodies at this stage are in their most plastic form. They are soft and malleable. Hence they can be easily deformed by handling.

When we first learn about Jesus, and come to know Him as our personal savior, we can be like the greenware. We’re a bit soft and malleable. The devil really works on us during that time to try to deform us and make us seem unusable. We haven’t had our faith tested much, but we don’t know a lot yet either. We need us some learnin’! It’s important in those early stages of our faith that we remain in the word of God. We don’t want to be led astray or “deformed” by not knowing the truth about our Lord. People will want to argue, distract you or led you back to a not so great lifestyle. But we’re not only pliable and malleable to people and the devil. It is also often our greatest time of growth in our faith and knowledge. It is as if someone has just turned on the lights. We can start to see our purpose and we can start to understand God’s plan for our future. Plans to include us in His heavenly kingdom.

  • Leather-hard refers to a clay body that has been dried partially. At this stage the clay object has approximately 15% moisture content. Clay bodies at this stage are very firm and only slightly pliable. Trimming and handle attachment often occurs at the leather-hard state.

This is an interesting stage of our faith, maybe we’ve been going to church for a while, we’ve started listening to some Christian music, and we don’t hate it. We like it when one preacher preaches, but not when the other one does. We want things to be routine, comfortable. We’re still a little new in our faith, so change is sometimes confusing. We’re not sure what is allowed and what isn’t, so we struggle with our self concept, and again must turn to scripture to find those answers. This is also the time you start to realize that all your gifts and talents can be used to the Lord’s Glory.

  • Bone-dry refers to clay bodies when they reach a moisture content at or near 0%. It is now ready to be bisque fired.

We’ve become comfortable in our faith. We’re sure that God loves us and that we love Him. Life seems really good during this stage of our faith. The word seems clear to us, we’re not worried about being led astray. We’re even pretty sure we’re ready to talk with our friends and relatives about what we believe. It’s a good time! But there is more coming, and you must arm yourself with the word of God once again.

  • Biscuit [6][7] refers to the clay after the object is shaped to the desired form and fired in the kiln for the first time, known as “biscuit fired”. This firing changes the clay body in several ways. Mineral components of the clay body will undergo chemical changes that will change the colour of the clay.

This stage of our faith may not be much fun. We may be strong in our faith, joined a Bible study or two and may  be growing in knowledge. We try to surround ourselves with like-minded people, and are in the word almost everyday. We remember to spend time in prayer. Then why is this time so hard? Because life is hard. Your mom gets cancer, and suddenly you’re wondering where God is in all of this. Your daughter get’s pregnant, even though you pray for her every day. Your husband has a drinking problem, and you’re feeling neglected and dejected. You still remain in the word. You cling to the Lord with all your might. Almost every moment seems like a prayer. You’re not sure you could make it without the Lord. Actually you’re sure you couldn’t. Your life is hard, but your relationship and dependency on the Lord is growing. You’re starting to see some big changes in your life. You will never be the same. People are going to be able to see the change in you.

  • Glaze fired is the final stage of some pottery making. A glaze may be applied to the bisque form and the object can be decorated in several ways. After this the object is “glazed fired”, which causes the glaze material to melt, then adhere to the object. The glaze firing will also harden the body still more as chemical processes can continue to occur in the body.

After we’ve been through some rough times and found that we can rely on God, our behavior starts to change. We start to do things with God in mind. We put Him first and try to give Him the glory at every turn. You may still go through some hard times. Your health may be failing, your spouse might have died, and your children live far away. But the relationship with you and the Lord continues to grow. He brings you a peace that surpasses all understanding. We’re still being made solid in the Lord, and we’re beginning to reflect the work of the Lord in our everyday life. You might find that more people seem to know you’re a Christian, and they’re not surprised.

I don’t know that we all go through all of these stages or that we don’t go through them a few times, but I liked the definitions of the clay and they helped me to think about God as the Potter.

God is the potter. 

God has a plan for you. Before He formed you He knew how you were going to be useful. He knew in what ways you would reflect His glory. In the very beginning he formed you. He intentionally made you with all the gifts, talents and attributes you need and want. He used the times in your life, the home you were raised in, the schools you went to and the people you met to help mold you into who He intended.

Will what is molded say to the one who molds it, “Why have you made me like this?” 

This part of our verse really gets to me. There have been so many times in my life that I have done a lot of self-loathing. I didn’t like who I was and didn’t think I had much to offer the world. But God does have a plan for us. We are to bring Him glory. Our lives should be lived out as a reflection of Christ in us. Each thing that happens to us, good or bad, is an opportunity for us to glorify God. We can point to Him as the source of all blessings, and the comforter of all pain. God molded you and me to be what He wanted us to be. We’re His workmanship. So whether you feel malleable, in the fire or adorned, remember the one who formed you. He has a plan for you. A plan to prosper you and not to harm you.

Are you malleable?

 
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Posted by on May 13, 2013 in My God is the potter

 

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My God is…not going to forsake me Hebrews 13:5

10 May

Hebrews 13:5 – Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has ford-escort-5-9-13said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

Keep your lives free from the love of money

This phrase is so counter to our culture. We are told by every commercial and ever advertisement that we want more. We see what our neighbors have, and we are tempted to go out and get something just as nice or better. We don’t want to be left out. We don’t want to miss something that might make us happy. As humans we’re always searching for something to fill a void inside. But we will never be able to fill that void, the yearning for something more on our own. We need Christ.

Each of us has our own things that make us crave for more. Mine is food. I’m sure there are others, but that’s my main one. When I feel empty in side, I’m tempted to eat. I want to fill the void. Others may use alcohol, shopping, people or sex to try to make that empty feeling go away. But there is truly only one thing that fill that void – Jesus Christ. With Jesus Christ, we can find satisfaction and peace that surpasses all human understanding. Here’s something to try, ask someone you know who has a lot of money, works all the time and always has the new gadget, what they need to be happy. They may very likely give you a thing or object that they feel will fill that need. Or maybe they’ll say the name of a person. And that’s very nice, isn’t it? But the truth is other people are going to fail you. You’ll love them, and they may not always treat you well. We can’t rely on others to be the source of our contentment.

Be content with what you have

Yesterday my husband called and told me that our old escort had bitten the dust. We had resurrected this car once before with a “new’ used engine. Now that engine had also failed. We knew we had to let go of that car. It was going nowhere. We sold it to the junk yard, they towed it away as we lamented the passing of a car that has traveled with us for 15 years. They boys were brought home from the hospital in that car. It was a sad day. Now we’re left with one car that is 19 years old. I don’t know how much longer that one will last. But it doesn’t look good.

My mom and dad are kindly bringing us a car in September, but between now and then we need another car. Here’s where I need to be content. It’s hard to go to a car lot and not wish you could have all the bells and whistles. I start to make a list of what I really want.

  • OnStar System
  • Center console with power outlet
  • Touch Screen controls
  • Good sound system (to play music from my iPhone)
  • GPS Navigation System
  • Air Conditioning
  • Power Windows etc
  • It has to be cute too!

Ok, that’s the short list, but it gives you an idea that my warped, commercial influenced mind is more interested in what the car can do for me than how it drives. The struggle will now become balancing what we need (good gas mileage, reliable, etc) with what I want (haven’t even considered what my husband wants yet).

I will never leave you or forsake you

The truth is, I don’t need to worry about all those features. I don’t need to feel I got ripped off if I don’t get exactly what I want. I know that the Lord is with me in everything I do. He will not leave me or forsake me. I can trust Him with everything that’s going on in my life. I know that the Lord will provide us with a car. It may not be my dream car, but we’ll have something that works decently and gets us through to September (or longer).

Definition of FORSAKE 

: to renounce or turn away from entirely

God will not turn away from me. Even though my problems may seem small or insignificant, and I might doubt that the Lord is interested in my car woes, the truth is He won’t turn away from me. I can trust Him with the big things as well as the small things. So as we go out and look at cars and decide which car is going to be best for us, whether it be a new car, used or no car at all, I trust that the Lord can use this all for His glory. He’s got my back and we’re going to trust Him every step of the way (I hope). May the Lord help us keep our focus on Him.

Are you content?

 
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Posted by on May 10, 2013 in Hebrews, My God is not going to forsake me

 

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My God is…setting us free Acts 13:38-39

08 May

Acts 13:38-39 – Let it be known to you therefore, my brothers, that through this man forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you; by this Jesus everyone who believes is set free from all those sins from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.

Jesus Frees Us – 

Jesus Frees Us - Concordia Seward Nebraska

Jesus Frees Us – Concordia Seward Nebraska

I attended Concordia University in Seward Nebraska, and on that campus is a sculpture named “Jesus Frees us” (In the winter it was also sometimes called “Jesus Freezes”). The sculpture shows a man (or every man) breaking free from a cross like shape. I love this sculpture, if not for its design alone, but for the message it gives to my heart.

Breaking Free

If you’re anything like me, you may have found yourself at different times in your life dealing with different sins. For different stages in my life I faced different struggles. Insecurity, identity crisis, complacency, lust, greed, gluttony and oh how this sad list could go on. Just as I think I start to have a handle on a sin, a new one was there to take its place.

I’m not that bad, I don’t have a problem with sin.

I think most of us have known someone who doesn’t believe they’re sinful. They feel like they don’t do anything ‘that bad” and they don’t need saving. For me that’s almost always a huge roadblock for further discussion, because if we don’t agree that we all do things that we shouldn’t do, that aren’t in our best interest, God’s best interest or our neighbors best interest, we’re sinners. Even those who don’t believe in God when asked if they’ve ever done anything wrong will (I think) say, “Yes” or maybe “Not very often”. When we compare ourselves to the laws of the land, it is hard for someone to say they’ve never missed the mark. Even in our self-serving society, we know that we’re expected to be kind to others, or at least not rude. But we have all at one time or another fallen short. We sin. Unfortunately for us sin leads to death.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

In our sinful world, without Christ there is only one outcome. Death. Death is the end for those who do not put their faith in Jesus Christ. That’s all they have to look forward to and they have no hope of anything better, in fact as unbelievers it can get much worse for them after death. But God gives us a free gift. He has saved us, by His own death on the cross from the sins that should condemn us. Instead of death, God has given us the gift of eternal life with Him.

By this Jesus everyone who believes is set free from all those sins

All those sins; I have been freed from all those sins. I no longer have to be contained and constrained by my short comings. I don’t have to live in the burden of guilt and the fatigue of being found out for who I really am. With the freedom God gives us, not only through eternal life, but by His conquering power here on earth, I no longer have to be a slave to my sins. As I keep my focus on Christ, I can be transformed into one who is continually improving and growing in my faith. As my faith grows, God willing I will make fewer sins and regrets.

By this Jesus we are free!

 
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Posted by on May 8, 2013 in My God is setting us free

 

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My God is…not mocked Galatians 6:7-8

06 May

Galatians 6:7-8 – Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for you reap whatever you sow. If you sow to your mockingown flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh; but if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

Do not be deceived; God is not mocked

Is God mocked? Well, yes and no. People try to mock Him, but the truth is, the mocking from those of this world have no effect on God. It’s no skin off His nose. There is nothing we could do that would make God feel bad about Himself. You cannot manipulate God. There is nothing God doesn’t know, and He is not a human who feels insecure just because those who do not know Him speak poorly of Him. God is not going to feel bad because of their bad behavior. He is above all of that.

For you reap whatever you sow

So for those who mock God, it’s not on God, but it’s on them. They are the ones who are separating themselves from the One who cares about them more than anyone else. They reap what they sow. They speak of God with no honor. They defame His name and deny His very existence. They reject Him. Then when He says those who don’t believe won’t get into heaven, they say, what an unfair religion to not let everyone in. It was they who said God did not exist, so for them heaven too must not exist. Their mocking ways have sealed their fate. Their future is bleak. They reap what they sow.

If you sow to your own flesh, you will reap corruption from the flesh

For those of us who do believe we must be cautioned as well. For we too will reap what we sow. If we’re focused on things of this world (money, prestige, looks and debauchery), we may lose focus on our Lord. The more we replace the focus we should have on the Lord and replace it with other things, the more likely we are to fall away completely from the Lord. Have you ever been in a place in your life where you weren’t making great decisions? Where you wanted to do what you wanted to do and to hell with what anyone else thought? Maybe it was your mom who cautioned you against staying out too late and getting into trouble. Maybe it was being flirtatious with a coworker and becoming numb to your spouse. Maybe it was your disdain for those who cared about the Lord. When we let these things steer us away from our Lord, we risk the full corruption of our flesh.

But if you sow to the Spirit, you will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

So what are we as Christians to do? Is it that we must do something to gain salvation? Not really, but in order to not get distracted by this world, we have to arm ourselves against it. We need to sow in the Spirit. We need to continue to give our attention to the things of the Lord. We need to take our minds off our selves and put them back on Christ and others. Not because this earns us salvation, only Jesus’ sacrifice and resurrection have done that. The reason we must do these things is so that we don’t lose our focus. so that the devil would not take a foothold in our lives. We don’t want to start to pull away from God. Every relationship takes work. Every great relationship takes an investment from both parties.

God is fully committed. Are you?

 
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Posted by on May 6, 2013 in My God is not mocked

 

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