Category Archives: Journey to Joy

Journey to Joy: Week 8 Day 5

Written on December 23, 2011 by in Journey to Joy

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13).

This is the last day of our Journey to Joy – the last day of our study of the beautiful book, Reclaiming Your Joy.  We end by taking time to dwell upon the sacrifice of Christ.  If joy is the assurance we have, because of our relationship and fellowship with God, then it is only possible because Jesus came to earth on a rescue mission. “I am the good shepherd; I know My sheep and My sheep know Me— just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father—and I lay down My life for the sheep.  I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down My life—only to take it up again.  No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from My Father.” (John 10:14-18).  Jesus lived His life with this one purpose in mind: the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10).  He saved us from eternal separation from God through His death on the cross. “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die (John 11:25-26).  He saved us from this World, by showing us the way to die to self, so that we might live for Him: He, who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to His own advantage; rather, He made Himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! (Phil 2:6-8).  And Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again (2 Cor 5:14-15).

So, in 8 weeks, we have learned that joy does not mean what most people take it to mean – unrelenting happiness, or some ecstatic feeling of inexplicable bliss.  Rather it is comfort in spite of uncomfortable circumstances; it is security amidst chaos.  Joy comes from knowing to whom you belong: Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. (1 Cor 6: 19-20a).  Joy is knowing you are deeply loved regardless of what others may say, or do, to you…You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:6-8).  Please click here to watch a video about just how much Jesus loves you…

The LORD is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 
He makes me lie down in green pastures, 
He leads me beside quiet waters, 
He refreshes my soul. 
He guides me along the right paths 
   for His name’s sake. 
Even though I walk 
   through the darkest valley, 
I will fear no evil, 
   for You are with me; 
Your rod and Your staff, 
   they comfort me.

 You prepare a table before me 
   in the presence of my enemies. 
You anoint my head with oil; 
   my cup overflows. 
Surely your goodness and love will follow me 
   all the days of my life, 
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD 
   forever.  (Psalm 23)

JustaGirl…just like you!

P.S. I’ll be back next week with our plan for the rest of the year and beyond…Until then, enjoy the birthday of our wonderful Savior and remember He came that we might have life and have it abundantly (John 10:10b).  I wish you and your family an abundant life this Christmas weekend!

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Journey to Joy: Week 8 Day 4

Written on December 22, 2011 by in Journey to Joy

When amazing things happen to us we want to remember them forever.  We are afraid that we will somehow forget and lose what we treasure – the beautiful memory.  So people video record their weddings, take lots of pictures of their children, collect pins from Disney World, keep the stubbs from Broadway shows, add a bead to their Pandora bracelet…these things are what Lorraine Hill would call memorials.  She tells us that the Israelites were instructed to make memorials to the times that God showed up big for them…She focuses on two ways that God marked important events and I will add a third:

  1. Building of altars  God instructed Joshua to build an altar of twelves stones (one from each tribe of Israel).  He said, “In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’, tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” (Jos 4:6-7).  Other memorial altars include the ruins of Jericho ( Joshua 6:26), Achan’s body ( Joshua 7:26), the King of Ai ( Joshua 8:29), and Mount Ebal ( Joshua 8:30-31).God also institutes other reminders to the Israelites—feasts, thanks offerings, altars, and even tassels (Numbers 15:37-41).  (Pg. 225, Reclaiming Your Joy).
  2. Institution of Feasts  We would recognize these as holidays or holy-days.  Here are some of those Lorraine Hill has listed: Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15-21), Passover (Exodus 12:1-14), First fruits (Leviticus 23:9-14), Sabbath (Exodus 20:8-11), Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25) Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32) Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-43) (pg. 223).
  3. Renaming a person  God renamed people to mark a change or fulfill a promise.  Abram became Abraham: No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. (Gen 17:5), Jacob became Israel: Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” (Gen 32:28). Jesus himself renames his disciple Simon,  “And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matt 16:18).  Saul who persecuted the early Christians was changed by his encounter with the spirit of Jesus on the road to Damascus.  The bible does not say when he was renamed, but some time after this, he began his ministry and also began to be called Paul (Acts 13:9).

Lorraine Hill says we mark milestones in our own spiritual life by baptism, the Lord’s Supper (communion), our trials, our victories and our failings…Memorials?  You are reading mine – this website has been a way to remember the journey that God is taking with me.  I also have a journal that I keep.  It has a prayer portion so that I can list my prayers and God’s answer to them. There is another section that I call “God Speaks”…this is where I write down scriptures that God has given me and what they mean to me in my life at that time.  I just started this journal at the end of the summer and I am so encouraged to look back even over just the past few months and see how God has ministered to me with His Word and His presence.  What about you?  How do you mark your spiritual milestones?  I have realized it is very important to mark the memory of God’s work in our lives, because He does so many things each day, that we can forget about them as new challenges arise.  

Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! 
Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wondrous works! 
Glory in His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! 
Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His presence continually! 
Remember the wondrous works that He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He uttered (Ps 105:1-5).

What about you?  How do you mark your spiritual milestones?  

JustaGirl…just like you

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Journey to Joy: Week 8 Day 3

Written on December 21, 2011 by in Journey to Joy

We are exploring the importance of gratitude to our work of cultivating a joyful heart.  So far this week we have discussed accepting all of God’s choices for us as ultimately good (Monday) and the destructive nature of complaining (Tuesday).  Today Lorraine Hill is talking specifically about being thankful for God’s blessings.  In 1994, my husband and I had a very small wedding and moved into an apartment with hand-me down furniture.  We had one good car and one bad one.  Then, while we put ourselves through professional schools, we earned our degrees and a good bit of debt at the same time.  Back then when our second-hand washer broke down, my parents bought our new one – we simply did not have the money.  Every set back was a crisis.  It took us many years to get out of debt and implement our savings plan.  All along the way, we have seen God’s Hand providing constantly for our needs.  This period of financial instability will keep me forever grateful for the roof over our heads, our full pantry, money in the bank, cars that work and so much more.  Additionally, during our marriage, we have been separated by military deployments, had five moves and two children, experienced serious health crises and had many, many “opportunities for spiritual growth”  (i. e trials and tribulations!)…more training in gratitude.  The times of being a have-not in these categories has helped me develop a real appreciation for the fulfillment of these needs.  I look at our life now and see so many things to be thankful for, that I literally cannot list them all (per yesterday’s self-disclosure…I do occasionally struggle with complaining but it only takes a moment of counting blessings to relieve me of that burden).

So I feel very grateful for God’s provision of our many needs, but I have realized that the deepest need met by God has not been physical or financial (though there are not enough words to express my appreciation for these things).  Hands down, the greatest gift God has given me is His fellowship – the opportunity to know, and love, and belong to Him.  He is the Creator of the Universe who yet has formed my inward parts; [and] knitted me together in my mother’s womb (Ps 139:13).  He is the faithful Father who has never given up on me, even when I have behaved as The Lost Son did, who, when he came to his senses, said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!  I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’  So he got up and went to his father.  But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him (Luke 15:17-20).  God sacrificed His only Son to redeem that which would otherwise be lost – me and you!  Jesus was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on Him, and by His wounds we are healed (Is 53:5).  He is the Friend that sticks closer than a brother (Prov 18:24).  The Father is a constant gardener – He is not willing to let us languish in our sin.  He cuts off every branch…that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful (John 15:1).  He has promised that we will not be alone.  The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged (Deut 31:8).  And Jesus promised, “I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matt 28:20).  Jesus has promised us peace and has told us we have no need to fear.  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid (John 14:27).  He has given our lives purpose! For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Eph 2:10).  He will always protect us  and He has said, “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.  When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation (Ps 91:14-16).  

Praise the LORD, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. 
Praise the LORD, my soul, and forget not all His benefits— 
Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 
Who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 
Who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s (Ps 103:1-5).

God created us to be grateful creatures.  It is when we give thanks, that our hearts can sing.  Ungratefulness leads us down to the pit.  So today, revel in His creation (the birds in the backyard), enjoy your relationships (hug someone special to you), and dwell on the thought that the LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with His hand (Ps 37:23-24). Thank you Lord for everything!

JustaGirl…just like you

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Journey to Joy: Week 8 Day 2

Written on December 20, 2011 by in Journey to Joy

Complaining.  Today we are to look at our grumbling and complaining hearts and repent.  I think complaining is more the American pastime than baseball.  I must confess that I can fall into the habit of complaining from time to time…it is like falling in a ditch – the slope is slippery and before you know it you are down in it.  The Lord really brought me to the realization that complaining is a serious sin not long ago.  I have always known it, I suppose; but I did a word study on it, pouring over all the passages where the Israelites were complaining and grumbling in the desert, and found just what Lorraine Hill reports: 

God views our complaining attitudes quite seriously. Grumbling is not some small sin that he casually condones. He judges it gravely because it is such an affront to his generosity. In dealing with the Israelites, God sends serpents to bite the complainers, plagues to destroy the grumblers, and fire to consume the outskirts of the camp. Take a moment to allow the magnitude of this to set in. God does not just give his people a sweet warning to stop complaining and grumbling; he kills some of them. Do we honestly view our grumbling in such a serious light? (pg. 215).

The verses she gives us to study today were the same scriptures the Lord showed me because they get right to the heart of the matter.  Here are my thoughts about complaining along with the verses from today’s reading and a few more:

  1. Complaining destroys our Christian witness.  God is very explicit in His instructions.  He doesn’t condone complaining if you are just “venting” to a friend or if someone “really gets on your nerves” or you have what you consider to be a “justifiable complaint”.  Rather He says, “do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe” (Phi 2:14-15).  Here God is pretty clear that not complaining  will distinguish us from others as belonging to Him.  When we complain, we are just like anyone else who is consumed by the way of the World.  
  2. Complaining against other people, or a situation, is really complaining against God and His plan and puts us at odds with God.  “Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker, to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground. Does the clay say to the potter, ‘What are you making?’ Does your work say, ‘he has no hands’?” (Isaiah 45:9).
  3. Complaining interferes in our fellowship with God: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, on the day of testing in the wilderness, where your fathers put me to the test and saw my works for forty years. Therefore I was provoked with that generation, and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart; they have not known my ways.’ (Hebrews 3:7-10).
  4. Complaining is sin and sinning gives the devil an opportunity, or a foothold, which prevents us from glorifying God  (Eph 4:20-30)
  5. Complaining steals our joy and peace – this is guaranteed by God Himself: For who were those who heard and yet rebelled? Was it notall those who left Egypt led by Moses? And with whom was He provoked for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned,whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who were disobedient? (Heb 3:16-18).  Jesus died on the cross to provide us access to the Promised Land in two forms: (1) when this life ends, we will enter Heaven and  (2) in this life He will give us peace and rest, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt 11:28).  Because of Jesus we are able to rest.  Complaining prevents us from entering His rest because of our disobedience, as God promised.  

Complaining is a habit and complaining is a sin.  It is the cultural norm and seems to be everywhere.  We have less offensive names for it which water it down: “venting”, “getting it off your chest”, “whining”, “bellyaching”, “kvetching”…but sin is separation from God which is no small thing.  So when we begin to complain we must see it as the thing that comes between us and God and will lead us to more sin – anger, grudges, gossip, envy, malice (by giving the devil a foothold).  How many of us would willingly invite the devil into our hearts in the same breath that we un-invite Jesus from that place?  At the first complaint, that is what we are doing.  But just as quickly, we can turn it around (isn’t God wonderful?): Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you (James 4:7).

JustaGirl…just like you

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Journey to Joy: Week 8 Day 1

Written on December 19, 2011 by in Journey to Joy

Thankfulness.  Lorraine Hill is right on target by finishing our study with this topic – we cannot have joyful hearts when we do not have grateful hearts.  The Lord’s timing is perfect!  We are focusing on thankfulness this week – the week before Christmas.  This time of year we can become overwhelmed by planning for, shopping for, wrapping up, and then unwrapping GIFTS!  In all of this busy-ness, it is easy to lose the meaning of the word “gift”.  Merriam-Webster.com defines gift as:

1. a notable capacity, talent, or endowment

2. something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation

3. the act, right, or power of giving

Whether we realize it or not, we are inundated by all sorts of gifts throughout the year from our Heavenly Father.  The bible verse that comes to my mind immediately (about gifts) is one that me and the kids have memorized this year.  Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows (James 1:17).  But what is a “good and perfect gift”?  And what does it feel like to get “the perfect gift” from someone?  Wonderful!  When I get a really good gift from a loved one or friend it is special, but not because of the actual gift…getting “the perfect” gift from someone is a sign that they really know you well enough to know what you might need, or want, without you telling them.  What a great feeling of closeness this generates!  But have you ever gotten a “really bad” gift from someone who should know you well enough to know better?  How does that feel? Awful!  Again, not because of the actual gift, but because getting “the wrong thing” from someone feels like they haven’t really determined what gift will suit you best.

We know that God gives us every good and perfect thing in our lives, but does God ever give us “the wrong thing”?  Yes and no.  Yes, sometimes He gives us with difficulties that we may not feel immediately perceive as “gifts”: illness, problematic relationships, financial troubles.  These kinds of “gifts” can leave us feeling like He has overlooked our deepest needs. Often our greatest desire is for our own comfort rather than spiritual growth.  Jesus said, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matt 26:41).  His greatest desire for us is that we might come to know Him better and be more like Him.  Whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked (1 John 1:26).  All of our difficulties are opportunities to rest in Him, learn from Him and be cared for by Him.  O LORD, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.  You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways… Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts!  And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting! (Ps 139:1-3, 23-24).  I have learned that much discontentment comes from either (1) not crediting God for “good and perfect gifts” or (2) resenting gifts He has given me as “the wrong thing”.  Often when I am feeling discouraged or overwhelmed, God brings me back to a right attitude by reminding me that all He has done for me is a gift and that He is well suited to continue to take care of me: Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.(Phil 4:4-7).

JustaGirl… just like you

 

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Journey to Joy:Week 7 Day 5

Written on December 16, 2011 by in Journey to Joy

 Lorraine Hill’s discussion today centers on the Sovereignty of God.  Coming to know this aspect of God’s character has been pivotal in my personal joy journey.  I was in the “love” camp when I was young.  For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).  But only knowing God only as “love” leaves you with two choices when hard times come.  I am sure you have heard (or said), “that is not from God” when tragedy strikes (because He is good and nothing bad could come from Him). Understand what this means?  If “that is not from God”, then was He (1) asleep on the job when it happened?  Or is He (2) somehow less powerful than the evil that has prevailed and therefore unable to protect us?  Thoughts like this began to lead me to some real disappointment…how could this be true of Almighty God?  But I eliminated these both fairly quickly by studying God’s Word: Remember this, keep it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, “My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please” (Is 46:8-10).

I began to really understand God’s power over life and death, and all that lay between, I grew troubled.  Having only a partial understanding of God’s Sovereignty is most unsettling. I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things (Is 45:6-7).  AND For God said to Moses, “I will show mercy to anyone I choose, and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.”  So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.  For the Scriptures say that God told Pharaoh, “I have appointed you for the very purpose of displaying my power in you and to spread my fame throughout the earth.” So you see, God chooses to show mercy to some, and He chooses to harden the hearts of others, so they will refuse to listen (Rom 9:14-18).  A poor understanding of God’s Sovereignty can lead us to see God as more ruthless than loving and somewhat arbitrary, rather than purposeful.  We can become fearful – afraid.  Now, this is not from God.  For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline (2 Tim 1:7).  Rather, the “fear of God” is the kind of healthy respect we must have for our Almighty God: Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from You, and You rule over all. In Your hand are power and might, and in Your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all (2 Chr 29:11-12).

God’s Sovereignty (His rightful rule over all of Creation) both displays His goodness and fulfills His purpose, because they are the same.  It is because He loves us and wants what is best for us that He would carry out His eternal plans in our lives, even if this results in our earthly pain. Paul had his “thorn in the flesh”, a constant trial; and he prayed for it be removed, yet accepted God’s answer of “No”, as for his greater good:  And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong (2 Cor 12:9-10).  God’s purpose is larger than our comfort but we can be assured that it is for our good (Rom 8:28) and, indeed, is for the good of others as well.  Think of Joseph’s response to all the injustice he had endured:  As for you, you meant evil against me,but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today (Gen 50:20).  Or Mordecai’s appeal to Esther: For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14).  God is able to see the big picture when we cannot – we must remember this about Him.

It is only in knowing God better that we can trust Him and accept His will for us.  And He has given us His Word so we can learn about who He is.  There is so much comfort there!  My biggest take home message from studying the Bible?  I know now that, whatever the circumstance, God is always seeking a deeper relationship with me than I can comprehend.  For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart (Jer 29:11-13).

JustAgirl…just like you

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Journey to Joy: Week 7 Day 4

Written on December 15, 2011 by in Journey to Joy

All week we have been dwelling on trials…and, in the interest of full disclosure, I must admit the actual day to day trials were starting to steal my joy – not the way to go if you are journeying toward Reclaiming Your Joy!  So, in this post, I want to concentrate on up-side of difficulties.  This is the reward of Christian living; it is sort of the “how” of: we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose (Rom 8:28).

Lorraine Hill writes about rejoicing during trials…

  1. We rejoice because trials prove our relationship to the Lord.
  2. We rejoice because we know that trials develop our character.
  3. We also rejoice because we know that God is always with us no matter what we endure.
  4. We rejoice because trials enable us to know God more fully.
  5. We rejoice because we know that our trials will provide an eternal harvest for us.

Yesterday was hard for me.  I overindulged – in my feelings.  As the day wore on, I began to struggle because, what started as a small thought creeping in, threatened to overwhelm me.  Thank the Lord for Paula.  I have a wonderful sister in Christ and we confide in each other and encourage one another and speak hard truths when necessary.  We live miles and miles apart, but hold each other close in our hearts. She is like a stream in the desert to me.  God provides for me so well when I am thirsty.  She is not the only one.  My mom is too.  And Dawn and Amy and Denine – your comments have come when I have been discouraged and spurred me on…and this morning, I had a wonderful email from Lorraine Hill, the author of our book – what an amazing encouragement from the LORD!  Whenever I am weary and begin to feel lost in the wilderness, God refreshes me.  I see Him with me.  I have learned most about His goodness from my difficult times and, because of that, I know He is working in my life and that everything is going according to plan (not mine, but His).  This brings me joy and reminds me to have an eternal perspective rather than a temporal one!  Yet God still provides me for me in this temporal life, because He knows when I am crushed, and will not let me stay there.

 But now, this is what the LORD says…
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; 
and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. 
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze..

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? 
I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.  (Is 43:1-3, 18-19).

Who or what are your streams in the desert?  Here is one for today… just remember who the LORD is: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness (Lam 3:22-23).

JustaGirl…just like you

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Journey to Joy: Week 7 Day 3

Written on December 14, 2011 by in Journey to Joy

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32).

In  today’s lesson Lorraine Hill explores the incident where Peter denies the Lord three times before the cock crows.  I love this story.  Isn’t God wonderful to show how the “bible heroes” make mistakes, just like we do, and yet God is able to use them to further His kingdom.  There are some important points in this lesson that we can all apply to our lives and I want to touch on them in this post:

  • Satan asks the Lord’s permission to sift Simon Peter – the same way Satan asked God for permission to test Job.  We must see that he will want to sift us too.  But we belong to God and He is good; so we can be reassured that when we are allowed us to experience difficulties, it will be for our good.  Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).
  • Jesus prays for Peter, that (1) his faith would not fail and that, in the end, (2) the brethern would benefit from his experience (Luke 22:32).  Jesus also prays for us in the same way: Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies.  Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us (Romans 8:33-34).
  • Peter’s pride sets him up for this fall.  Not only does he disagree with Jesus that he will deny Him in the first place, but Peter goes so far as to say, “Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will” (Matt 26:33).  Lorraine Hill points out that Peter is tested and fails in the area where he is the strongest – his zeal for the Lord.  We must remember that like Peter, we can fail, even in our strong areas, because of self-righteous pride.  We should not boast even in our own strengths, because we are what God has made us to be.  Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who commends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends (2 Cor 10:17).  We must not put our confidence in ourselves, but in the Lord.  God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.  Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you (James 4:6-10).
  • Peter’s “sifting” was a refining process and a preparation for greater ministry opportunities.  Much later, Peter  writes, “In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:6-7)…And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace,who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore,confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10).  As Jesus prayed, Peter learned from personal experience about trials and can now encourage others.
  • Peter’s responds to his failure with humility – he had a teachable heart.  When he was sifted, the chaff was driven out and the wheat remained; that which was not of God was removed, and that which was useful to God remained. Jesus will do that for us too.  His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire (Luke 3:17).

That is why we are told, Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths (Prov 3:5-6).  When difficulties come, we may not understand God’s plan, but we must trust in His wisdom and goodness and He will make our paths straight.

JustaGirl…just like you

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Journey to Joy: Week 7 Day 2

Written on December 13, 2011 by in Journey to Joy

Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!  He who goes out weeping,bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him. Psalm 126:5-6

What a beautiful promise!  We are so loved by God that even our sorrow is counted as precious.  I think it important to note here that this promise, of reaping joy from our sorrows, would require something important from us – the right attitude.  We must have an attitude of trusting God and we must have teachable hearts.  We must enter into trials with the same attitude of as Christ, who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, He made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! (Phil 2:6-8).  Because, if we enter into trials grudgingly or dragging our heels, we cannot benefit from the lesson God has for us and we can’t bring glory to Him.  My mother says, “Don’t waste the pain.”  

My mother has always been such an encouragement to me.  She always has a scripture to give me for any situation that troubles me.  She taught me that God’s Word is to be the structure upon which my life is built – connecting all of the disparate parts together (life events, feelings, lessons learned), connecting me to others, and connecting me to God.  She is a humble person who just wants to be used by God in His kingdom – and she is!  Today she is having the port placed for her chemo and we prayed together over the phone right before the procedure.   I shared with her some scriptures that God was using to minister to me and the kids today and realized that He had shown them to me this morning so I could share them with her – amazing!

 For you formed my inward parts;
   you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works;
   my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,when I was being made in secret,
   intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;in your book were written, every one of them,
   the days that were formed for me,
   when as yet there was none of them  (Ps 139:13-16).

This scripture reminds us that God’s plan for us is very detailed and that He is always working in our lives.

  • Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).  Mom is well-acquainted with this scripture too.  God gave this to me during my devotional time to tell me not to be dissuaded from serving Him with gladness and singleness of heart…that sometimes the devil creeps into my life with worry, fear, anger, slothfulness or gluttony and distracts me from my primary purpose: to glorify Him and enjoy Him forever.  The Lord has encouraged Mom from the beginning that He would use her journey through cancer to further His Kingdom and this is her greatest desire: that she would be able to honor Him in all of this.  I reminded her that the devil wants to steal the glory from God by overcoming her faith with worry and doubt and weariness.
  • Then I shared with her the scripture that I started with in this post: Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!  He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him (Ps 126:5-6).  This reminds us that we are able to sow seed for His kingdom even during difficult times.  God will use us and, if we are faithful, and we will reap a harvest of joy!

God is the first and best conservationist – He does not waste anything.  He uses everything to grow and enrich us and He only requires that we trust Him and have teachable hearts.  And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit (2 Cor 3:18).

JustaGirl…just like you!

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Journey to Joy: Week 7 Day 1

Written on December 12, 2011 by in Journey to Joy

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 1 Peter 4:12

This week’s chapter in Reclaiming Your Joy is called “Troubled by Trials”.  And we will be discussing the role of trials in the Christian life.  When I think of trials I always think of what Jesus said about them. “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).  

Trib·u·la·tion -  1. Great affliction, trial, or distress; suffering.  2. An experience that tests one’s endurance, patience, or faith.  (from merriam-webster.com).

Lorraine Hill shares some of Paul’s words from letters to the Philippians and Corinthians about his own trials; he had been imprisoned, whipped, beaten, stoned, shipwrecked, in danger from his own people and from Gentiles, in hunger and thirst, sleepless (2 Cor 11: 24-27).  I can’t say I can relate to those experiences, thank the Lord, but I (like you) have endured hardships.  Lorraine Hill makes a small reference to an Old Testament Story that has made a big impression on me.  The story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and the fiery furnace made an impression on me in my college years and has been a comfort ever since.  Carried away from Israel into exile in Babylon, these young men were friends of Daniel.  The four of them were part of a group of sons of the royal family and of the nobility, youths without blemish, of good appearance and skillful in all wisdom, endowed with knowledge, understanding learning, and competent to stand in the king’s palace, and [were taught] the literature and language of the Chaldeans. The king assigned them a daily portion of the food that the king ate, and of the wine that he drank. They were to be educated for three years, and at the end of that time they were to stand before the king (Dan 1:3-5).  Daniel and his three friends did not assimilate into the Chaldean culture as expected.  They could not forsake their God and their upbringing – they knew who they were.  They did not subscribe to what we would now call “situational ethics”, where the rules change depending on your circumstances.  They knew that God’s expectations of us are absolute and He does not lower the bar for us when times get tough.  

I love this story because it is a picture of the Christian life.  They are asked to violate their consciences by denying God.  ”You are commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages, that when you hear the sound of the horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, bagpipe, and every kind of music, you are to fall down and worship the golden image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up.And whoever does not fall down and worship shall immediately be cast into a burning fiery furnace.” (Dan 3: 4-6).  Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego cannot do this because they will not bend their knee to any other god than the true God.  So they are cast into the fiery furnace – it is so hot that the guards escorting them are killed by the flames.  

There are three things that bring me to tears in this story.  Here is the first.  

  1. Just before they are cast into the furnace, the young men tell the king, “If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand.  But even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Dan 3:17-18).  Their obedience to God is unconditional.  They do not obey based on expectations they have of God, they simply obey.  
  2. The second that brings me to tears is this: Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”  They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”  He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods” (Dan 3:24-25).  They entered the fire on their own but they did not endure it alone.  Here is a promise for us – when we enter our trial by fire, we will not be alone! Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”  No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 8:35-39).
  3. Finally, the third thing that brings me to tears is what happened at the end of the story.  When they came out of the furnace, everyone was amazed.  The fire had not harmed their bodies, nor was a hair of their heads singed; their robes were not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them (Dan 3:27).  In the end, if we endure our trials in the presence of the Lord, we will be victorious.  The fire will not harm us.  

In this Old Testament story, we see a picture of the Christian life.  It is just as Jesus said, “I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).  The key is that we must rest in Him to have the peace.  We must look for Him in the fire because He is there.

Justa Girl…just like you

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Journey to Joy: Week 6 Day 5

Written on December 9, 2011 by in Journey to Joy

Will not the Judge of all the earth do right? (Gen 18:25b)

In forgiving others, we do not condone the unrighteous or sinful acts of others. Instead, we allow God, as our protector and avenger, to administer perfect justice. We allow him to defend us amidst a world of wickedness and iniquity. We allow him to right our wrongs. (p. 172).

It would be hard to add anything to the lesson that Lorraine Hill has put together for today.  It is a truth that resonates with me, personally.  She reminds us that we can trust that God is El Roi, the God Who Sees, and nothing that happens to us will go unnoticed…”God sees our pains, as cruel acts are committed against us. He sees our miseries, as many of life’s events unfold. He sees our heartaches, as friends betray us. Others may never know what we suffer or endure; they may never see the pain and hardship. But our Lord, he knows, he sees, and he comforts” (p. 173).

When I was a little girl I LOVED the Disney book Cinderella (pre-VCR days!).  My poor mother had to read it to me everyday and all the while I mouthed the words along with her.  When I played in the backyard, I would sweep the patio and pretend to be the overlooked, would-be princess.  Back then, my parents were strict and I was “strong-willed”.  Not in the defiant, oppositional way, but more in the whiney way, where somehow I just never got around to doing things the way I was supposed to do…and I came after a neat, on-time, compliant older sister (with perfect handwriting!).  And so my parents did not quite know what to make of me.  My Momma was a first-born herself, who had been a high achiever in school, and who was used to working hard and accomplishing her will.  My Daddy was a Marine Corps Officer, used to strict obedience to his orders; his watch was set by the Naval Observatory Clock (super official military time).  I was what you might call a bit contrary.  I was always in trouble!  Mainly because I was a bit of a slacker, lost track of time, and had a terribly messy room.  I always tried to charm and/or whine my way out of that trouble.  It didn’t work.  Then I would pretend that I really was a princess, just misplaced at birth, and that my REAL parents would come and rescue me one day soon – and THEN they would all be sorry!  Oh, it was the 70′s girl-version of A Christmas Story (the Red Rider BB gun movie). Thus began my Cinderella complex!! ;)  Whenever I was wronged, it just validated that feeling.  When I did the wrong, I couldn’t always see my part in it. 

Funny, as an adult, I turned out more like my older sister, minus the perfect handwriting, than the younger version of myself and they (my family) always wonder what in the world happened to me.  What happened to me was that I grew up!  Now no one who knows me would call me a slacker or think my house is messy (most of the time).  OK, I still struggle with being on time, but now it is because I am adding in extra tasks, not playing with my Barbies.  Now when I do wrong, I feel just awful!  The one residual, nagging problem was that when someone else wronged me, it really hurt!!  All grown up, I finally learned to play by the rules and, if someone else did not, well…it was just not fair.  Ironically, I was inundated with people in my life who didn’t play nice…and I would hear, “Well, you know so-and-so, that is just how they are.”  Oh, that burned me up!   In the story of the Prodigal Son, I sympathized with the older brother!  But God has continued to mature me as I have journeyed along with Him.  He has shown me that “not fair” is the enemy of peace and joy.  This “not fair” business is not biblical either.  And thank goodness!  For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23) [and] the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 6:23).  The LORD is merciful! He is kind and patient, and His love never fails.  The LORD won’t always be angry and point out our sins; He doesn’t punish us as our sins deserve (Ps 103:8-10).

So now, my last bit of growing up has been to accept that God’s mercy is not just for me!  Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye (Matt 7:1-5).  If I am not the judge, and God is, that requires me to leave it to Him (and not to take it back).  I wondered how I could ever do this and God showed me it is a simple, yet very hard thing.  I am to be quiet.  Anyone who knows me, knows that this really is one of God’s miracles – for me to be quiet!  Here are some scriptures God gave me about this other way of dealing with conflicts:

  • A man’s discretion makes him slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook a transgression (Prov 19:11).
  • It is good to wait patiently for the LORD to save us (Lam 3:26).
  • “Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand how I have gone astray (Job 6:24).
  • We urge you…to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one (1 Thes 4:10-12).
  • He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so He opened not his mouth (Is 53:7).
  • It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed (Deut 31:8).

We must rest in the Lord and in His ability to guard our hearts.  We must continue to trust that His plan is for our good, and leave the other people in our lives to Him – He has a plan for them too.  He put us in each other’s lives to accomplish His purpose for all of us.  As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another (Prov 27:17).  In submitting to God, we will submit to one another.  Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Eph 5:21).  Bottom line: this Christian life is tougher than I ever knew…it is definitely not for wimps!

JustaGirl…just like you!

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Journey to Joy: Week 6 Day 4

Written on December 8, 2011 by in Journey to Joy

See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many (Hebrews 12:15).

Obviously I did not invent it, but I have used the garden metaphor with my kiddos to teach them about sin.  So they both know that our hearts are like a garden.  What we plant, will grow there.  Sometimes weeds can creep in, even if we do not want to grow them; and if we do not pull them up, eventually the weeds can choke out the flowers.  When my Sweet Girl was 6, she would tell me, “Mommy I pulled a weed out today” and I would know just what she meant.  Our verse for this was: Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it (Prov 4:23).  The important things to remember here are: (1) we are responsible for what goes on in our hearts and (2) the content of our hearts determines the content of our thoughts and actions.

God is very concerned with the state of our hearts. “I, the LORD, search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.” (Jer 17:10). And Jesus said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander,pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person (Mark 7:20-23).   We can fool other people and even fool ourselves sometimes, but we never fool the LORD. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD weighs the heart (Prov 21:2).

Thankfully, He gives us the Holy Spirit to help us to “pull weeds” and “plant good seeds”.  And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules (Ez 36:26-27).  This is what David was talking about when he said, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me (Ps 51:10).  The Holy Spirit will do the work.  But for our part, there is something we can do!

  • CHOOSE God.  “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve…But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15).
  • Plant God’s Word in your heart.  That seed will produce good fruit!  How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments!  I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.  Blessed are you, O LORD; teach me your statutes!  With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth (Ps 119:9-13).

So today, see if there is any gardening to do in your heart…pull some weeds and plant better seeds!  And let the Holy Spirit have His way with you – He is the best gardener of all.  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. (Gal 5:22-25).

JustaGirl…just like you

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Journey to Joy: Week 6 Day 3

Written on December 7, 2011 by in Journey to Joy

Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. (1 Peter 3:8-9).

All week long Lorraine Hill is calling us to forgiveness.  Today we are reading about repaying evil with good. True confession: this really gives me heartburn!  This is the place where God is wanting to grow me now, as in right now.  Here is what He has been telling me: stop expecting other people to meet your needs – look to Me instead.  And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus (Phil 4:19).  I think a lot of my problems with other people have come from expecting them to meet my needs.  Maybe I want their approval or for them to do things my way.  Maybe I want them to do for me what I would do for them (that would be a sort of Reverse Golden Rule - something man devised, not God).  But God wants me to look for ways to serve others rather than having them serve me: Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.  In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness (Phil 2:3-7).  

When we have expectations of people, they are bound to disappoint, some more frequently than others.  But God says,“In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold (Eph 4:26-27).  In order to do this find myself having to reframe the way I look at others.  If I am really interested in serving God I must do it through the people He puts in my life. This is part of accepting His will and His plan for me, over mine.  If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful. Luke 6:32-36

The act of submitting to God requires us to submit to others.  This runs in direct opposition to the Flesh.  But I am finding I am able to do this when I remember two things:

  1. Everything and everyone I encounter is part of God’s plan for me so it is for my good: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28).  So if someone doesn’t do what I want, or does what I don’t want – I try to remember that God’s plan for me cannot be thwarted by man, so He will work it out for me, even if it does not look like the plan I had for myself. The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps (Prov 16:9).  I don’t need to contend with man, just to accept that somehow God is exerting His will for me: What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)
  2. My real purpose in life is to serve God.  In serving others, I am serving Him. ’Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ Matt 25:40  When I forget this, it is because I would rather put my own agenda before God’s and that is a huge mistake.  

As I said, God is working these things out in me now.  And that means it is not always so pretty.  But the wonderful thing is how He uses everything in my life to teach me.  He is determined to have me be the person He knows I can be – even if I can’t see myself getting there now.  And in the meantime, while I am on my way to a better me: As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust (Ps 103:13).

JustaGirl…just like you

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Journey to Joy/Heartstrings: Week 6

Written on December 6, 2011 by in Journey to Joy

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. (Is 26:3).

So this week Lorraine Hill is discussing unforgiveness and Jill Briscoe is discussing worry.  On Tuesdays I try to add to our study of Reclaiming Your Joy (Lorraine Hill) by discussing a chapter from Heartstrings: Finding a Song When You’ve Lost Your Joy (Jill Briscoe).  I thought this would be the first week that I couldn’t find a way to draw the two books together but God made a way when He gave me the scripture above.  I had just been thinking of the verse and trying to remember the reference, when I opened the bible reader on my phone and it was there! Next I opened today’s chapter in Heartstrings and it was there, at the top of a page –  there are no accidents! Immediately, I saw the connection between worry and unforgiveness.  I realized that worry is holding on to fear and unforgiveness is holding onto anger (resentment and bitterness).  God wants us to hold on to Him instead.  He promises to keep us in perfect peace if we (1) keep our mind on Him and (2) trust in Him.  Keeping our minds on Him is a discipline.  Worry and unforgiveness crowd God out of our minds when they dominate our thought-life.  Fear and anger (which drive worry and unforgiveness) can consume our thoughts, whether we are fretting over all the bad things that could happen or rehashing a conflict that already has happened.   Sometimes those thoughts are uppermost in our minds and other times they are just lingering there, in the background, ready to spring up when we least expect it.  On the other hand, filling our minds with God will not leave any room for fear or anger.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things (Phil 4:6-8).  We must choose the content of our thought life.  To whom will we open the door of our heart and mind?  “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me” (Rev 3:20).

Trusting God is a discipline as well.  We all want to feel better about things…to not feel afraid or not feel angry.  I have tried waiting around for my feelings to change; it doesn’t work.  It’s like trying to watch paint dry.  The only relief I have found for my busy mind (preoccupied at times with both fearful and angry thoughts) is to acknowledge that God is in control of my life, and He is good.  The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love (Ps 103:8).  When I remember to trust in His goodness, I am reminded that He has a purpose for me in everything. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do (Eph 2:10).  I cannot get sidetracked from that purpose.  In a fearful situation, God has a job for me to do – that is why I am in it.  With a difficult person, God has given me a ministry to carry out for Him, that is why they are in my life.  Instead of thinking of my feelings, I try to think I God’s plan and how I can be a part of it.  When I do this, it really helps.  When I give in to my feelings, I am lost.  

Isaiah prophesied that our Savior would say: The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners (Is 61:1).  Jesus died to free us from the sins of worry and unforgiveness.  He came to take away our fears and to heal our wounds so we could be equipped to minister on His behalf.  We must choose Him daily in order to fulfill His purposes for us. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer (Ps 19:14).

JustaGirl…just like you

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Journey to Joy: Week 6 Day 1

Written on December 5, 2011 by in Journey to Joy

Forgiveness is not easy. It is often hard and costly. It was costly for Jesus to forgive our sins, and it will be costly for us to forgive other people’s offenses against us. But if we believe that forgiveness is costly, then unforgiveness is even costlier because unforgiveness always imprisons us. (p. 156)

Lorraine Hill broaches a difficult subject this week but she is exactly right.  Studying forgiveness highlights another way that God asks us to depart from following the world.  Listening to God’s wisdom means rejecting the voice that whispers (and sometimes shouts) that we are hurt but we can protect ourselves by remembering and holding onto offenses to prevent them happening again.  What faulty logic!  Satan tells us we are wounded people – that is our identity.  Think of all the TV shows, books, magazine articles and songs that have been written about being hurt.  Many people identify themselves by their wound: “abused”, “neglected”, “abandoned”, ”divorced”, “widowed”; the list is endless.  God tells us our identity is found in Him: therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Cor 5:17).  Our name is “Redeemed By the LORD”…They will be called The Holy People, Redeemed By the LORD.  And you will be called Sought After— A City That Is Not Abandoned (Is 62:12).  

It is also faulty logic to think that we can protect ourselves from, or prepare ourselves for, hurt by holding onto an old hurt.  Instead we are just constantly re-living the pain.  Sometimes we say, I can forgive but I will never forget.  I have found this to be just another trap.  God is to be our example in everything and how does He forgive?  He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities…as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us (Ps 103:10, 12).  The Lord says, “their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more” (Heb. 10:17).  But this is counterintuitive – how can we actually “forget”?  <<sigh>>  If I knew this, I would bottle it and sell it on Etsy!  LOL ;) Seriously, this is part of our individual journey with God.  We all hold onto hurts to varying degrees but God calls us to abandon that kind of thinking and living, for His good and ours.  We cannot serve God with our whole heart, if it is filled with resentments.  And the loving Father that He is, He knows that holding onto hurt, as though it is a precious treasure, will destroy us.  Read more about giving God our best AND our worst is this post from An Acceptable Offering. Following the way of the world leads us away from God.  But following God will lead us to places we could never have found on our own. 

JustaGirl…just like you!

 

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