Don't Let Your Heart Be Hardened

Scripture  Acts 28:27  For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears and they have closed their eyes.  

Observation  Disbelief and arrogance kept the Jews from hearing and seeing the truths the Apostle Paul was proclaiming the gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ.  They refused to listen and submit themselves to the love of God, His righteousness, and the gift of His beloved Son Jesus.  Some believed but some did not.  The word of God presented to some who were sincere and seeking God while others closed their minds and hearts to God.  They had heard about this 'sect' that Paul was a part of - and they came, but their minds were already made up and their hearts hardened and closed to the the truth that would set them free!  

Application  Guard my heart!  Keep my heart before Jesus and be thankful - keep my heart from sin, prejudice, and self righteous attitudes.  Open myself to God's instruction, correction, and healing.  Allow the Holy Spirit to open up areas of my heart that have become hardened and calloused.  

Prayer  Father God, help me to guard my heart and open myself to your correction.  Where there is anything in me that keeps me from loving You and loving others, purge me and make me clean.  Forgive me for attitudes of prejudice, arrogance, self righteous thinking.  Restore to me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me.  May I hear Your voice, may I see Your face, and know the depth of Your love and grace, In Jesus Name, A-men.

"I Am With You"

Scripture
Acts 18:9 One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision:  "Do not be afraid, keep on speaking, do not be silent.  For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city."  
2 Kings 6:16 "Don't be afraid," the prophet answered.  "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them."

Observation
The Lord speaks to Paul and reassures him not to be afraid of the opposition he is facing.  The Lord is with him - and not only the Lord, but there are many of His people in the city.  God knows those who are His and that together,  in one accord and purpose, we can face the enemy with boldness and confidence and know that God is with His people! Paul is encouraged to keep speaking the 'good news', teaching, and not to keep quiet.  
I'm also reminded of the story in 2 Kings about Elisha asking God to open the eyes of his servant so that he could see - "that those who are with us are more than those who are with them."  His eyes were open to the spiritual realm and he indeed saw the armies and chariots of heaven surrounding the enemy!

Application
What comforting words in times of fear, threats, and opposition!  "I am with you."  Who else calms my heart and quiets my fears?  Only God can.  When I know He is with me and He has others who will watch my back, I can trust in Him.  Trust that He is with me - and I am not alone!

Prayer
Father, thank You.  Thank You for the power of Your word and the promise of Your Presence in times of difficulty, stress, trials, and opposition.  I will draw near to You with assurance and peace knowing You are with me. I will keep proclaiming Your good news to all who have ears to hear.   In Jesus Name, A-men.

A New Name - Israel

The nations will see your righteousness.
World leaders will be blinded by your glory.
And you will be given a new name by the Lord’s own mouth.
The Lord will hold you in his hand for all to see—
a splendid crown in the hand of God.
Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City”
or “The Desolate Land.”
Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight”
and “The Bride of God,”
for the Lord delights in you
and will claim you as his bride. 
- Isaiah 62:2-4

Scripture 
Genesis 32:24-28
. . . This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until the dawn began to break. When the man saw that he would not win the match, he touched Jacob’s hip and wrenched it out of its socket. Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!”
But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”
“What is your name?” the man asked.
He replied, “Jacob.”
“Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.”

Observation
Jacob, alone, filled with fears and distress prays to God.  He wrestles all through the night.  Jacob did not give up.  He wept and sought God's favor - a blessing.  He contended with God and prevailed.  Hosea 12:4,5  "Your name will no longer be Jacob - supplanter, deceiver, over-reacher, but from now on you will be called Israel" - a prince of God, one who strives with God, and God blessed Israel.

Application
Continue to persevere in prayer until the Lord answers.  Don't give up and don't quit - no matter how difficult the situation, no matter the pain.

Prayer
May I continue to press on and persevere in my prayers!  May hope in You Father God, ignite in me a renewed vitality that only You can give.  As I stand my ground and contend for all you have for our family - the precious promises of new life and blessings, give me grace for the day, and baptize me freshly with Your Holy Spirit.

Hesitation or Hope for the Future?

January 7, 2017
Scripture
Genesis 19:16-17 
When he (Lot) hesitated, the men grasped his hands and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters, and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them.
As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, "Flee for your lives!  Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain!  Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!"

(But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.)

Observation
I'm mindful of Lot's hesitation to leave behind the past and move to a new place - to flee!  With a warning, "Don't look back!"
He didn't seem to pick up on the urgency to leave.  His sons in law thought he was joking.
Obedience to God is necessary for life.  When we hesitate to obey the Lord, it reveals what is in our heart; such as, doubt, indecision, non-commitment, and fear.  Spending too much time thinking about what the angels were saying almost cost Lot his life.
Hesitation is not an option in responding to God.  Looking back can kill!

Application
When God is talking to me about change - don't hesitate.  Obey God immediately when I hear Him and do what He says.  Don't dwell on the past or the way things were.  Looking back can 'sweep me away' . . . there is no future when I dwell in the past.  

Prayer
Father, what vivid stories in the Bible!  Yes, they really happened that I might learn!  As I journey through Your Word this year, speak to me, that I might take to heart all You want to teach me.  Give me hope for the future!  No turning back!  I press on to the goal - to win the prize of God's high calling, in Jesus Christ my Lord!

Romans 15:4 Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide, we might have hope!  

For Those Who Grieve

November 7, 2016

Days of difficulty and distress, in life’s darkest times, when God is silent – how do we navigate our life and emotions when we are grieving the loss of loved one, friend, or suffering from a family fracture?  What about a move that displaces us from family and friends?  How do we deal with all the stuff that steals our joy?  What can we do to get through the times of depression, despair, and sadness that sometimes clouds over our whole being? 

There is no timeline for grief.  After the untimely death of our 17 year old son, Johnny, from lymphoblastic lymphoma cancer in 1990, we became all too familiar with grief.  Only later did we discover that grief is a miraculous gift that is given to us by God to help us to heal the pain . . . if we allow it.  Grief always works. Grief always heals.   It had been over a year after Johnny’s home-going, that a dear friend said, ‘You can’t hurry the healing.  You are right where you are supposed to be.’  It was a relief to know that we weren’t stuck in grief but that we were in process of being healed.  We still are.  We are a lot further along now, but we won’t be completely free of grief until we see our beloved son again in heaven. 

What we can do:

* Honor your own loss.  Take the time to remember, reflect, and miss them.  Our youngest son Ben at the time of his brother’s passing was 8 years old.  He was worried we would forget Johnny.   We made a collage of photos and put pictures in albums that we had long neglected.  We hung them up in the hallway where we see them everyday.

* Don’t Judge.  Other people’s feelings are not your business.  Everyone grieves differently; there’s no right or wrong way to grieve.  It does not always play out in orderly, predictable stages.  Try not to take outbursts personally or try to force someone to open up.   We grieve because we love.

*  Strengthen yourself in Lord.  We can strengthen ourselves in the Lord by fixing our thoughts on Jesus, being anchored in God’s Word and promises; knowing that as we hope in God, we can experience His joy on the other side of suffering. 

  

Lamentations 3:20-25 I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”

Unshackled

Scripture  
Romans 8:26-27 In the same way the Spirit helps our weaknesses; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groaning too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.  

Observation
When we are feeling weak or tired in waiting for God - His Holy Spirit is right there helping us.  If we don't know how to pray about something, it doesn't matter.  He prays for us!  He makes prayer out of the depths of our being in groans and sighs.  He knows us much better than we know ourselves.  He knows our hearts and prays for us and keeps us in God's presence and will, as we commit ourselves to love and obey Him.

Application
I am unshackled!  Free from sin!  Free from the law!  Free in Jesus!  No longer am I shackled to sin!  No longer am I trying in my own strength to live under the fine print of the law!  No longer am I bound to generational curses and sins!  I am free to live a new life!  I have freedom in Christ!  The Holy Spirit helps me and prays for me as I set myself to follow after God.  I will pray in the Spirit and groan and sigh when I have no words - knowing my prayers are heard.

Prayer
O Father!  Thank You for freedom in Christ!  You will never give up on me!  In Jesus Name, A-men.

Obey God & Be Happy!

Scripture

Jeremiah 42:1-7, 43:1-2

1 Then all the commanders of the forces, Johanan the son of Kareah, Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people both small and great approached 2 and said to Jeremiah the prophet, “Please let our petition come before you, and pray for us to the LORD your God, that is for all this remnant; because we are left but a few out of many, as your own eyes now see us, 3 that the LORD your God may tell us the way in which we should walk and the thing that we should do.” 4 Then Jeremiah the prophet said to them, “I have heard you. Behold, I am going to pray to the LORD your God in accordance with your words; and I will tell you the whole message which the LORD will answer you. I will not keep back a word from you.” 5 Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we do not act in accordance with the whole message with which the LORD your God will send you to us. 6 “Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the LORD our God.” 7 Now at the end of ten days the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah.  43:1  But as soon as Jeremiah, whom the LORD their God had sent, had finished telling all the people all the words of the LORD their God--that is, all these words—2 Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the arrogant men said to Jeremiah, “You are telling a lie! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, ‘You are not to enter Egypt to reside there.’

Observation

The commanders asked Jeremiah for a ‘word’ from the Lord.  They said they would listen and obey to whatever God said to Jeremiah.  They preferred, however, to do what they had already made up their minds to do - and even called Jeremiah a liar when he told them what God said.  They were set on going to Egypt.  They decided for themselves what the word of the Lord was for them.  They were seeking God’s approval and affirmation but wanted their way, not God’s.  They would not listen to Jeremiah.  They asked for counsel, but never intended to follow it if it was contrary to what they wanted.  They were determined!  Ten days later, the word came.  Why the delay?  Perhaps to give them time to decide that they really would obey God or go their own way.  God gives us free will to decide – to choose to obey Him or not.

Application

Choose to obey God always. Wait for God and His timing.  Allow God to sort out in my heart what my motives are and what might be best for me. His way leads to life and blessing,  I will obey God and be happy.

Prayer

I see stubbornness and pride getting in the way of obedience.  Lord I pray that You deal with areas of my heart that should not have any reign or hold on me in regards to doing what You want me to do.  May my heart completely yield to Your will, Your way, always.  In Jesus Name, A-men.