"...God does not show favortism, but accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right." Acts 10:34b-35
In our humanness, it is sometimes hard to wrap our minds around the fact that God has no favorites. He, with no impartiality, accepts everyone who fears His name and lives according to His Word.
I must admit, sometimes I struggle with insecurity in this area. I may look at others and see how they are growing in their faith or what they are accomplishing for the Lord, and think in the back of my mind, "They must be one of God's favorites!" The next day my thoughts might be turned the other way around. I might strive to do things without checking the motives in my heart and realize, I am secretly trying to earn a spot on "God's Favorites" list. In reality, these are foolish lies I am buying in to; deception from the enemy himself.
Truth is, according to God's Word (the standard by which I am to live my life by), God does not play "favorites". Hard as it is to comprehend some days, we are looked upon with favor, but not in such a way that one person is elevated above another. God's Word says in Psalm 5:12, "For surely You, O LORD, You bless the righteous; You surround them with Your favor."
To be surrounded with favor means to be guarded on every side as with a shield. "...the favor of God is to the saints a defense on every side." (Matthew Henry) It is meant to be a place of divine protection. A place I can feel safe and satisfied. As God's child I am favored...and so are you!
Lord Jesus, Help me to understand that Your favor is a form of protection in my life. A place of security and satisfaction. Help me to be satisfied in being favored by You! In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Saturday, September 3, 2011
A Few of My Favorite Things...
A quiet morning at the beach...
Alone time with God and His Word...
Mid-morning sun and the sound of the crashing waves under my umbrella...
...joined by my husband and a good book!
"If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me, and Your strength will support me."
even there your hand will guide me, and Your strength will support me."
Psalm 139:9-10
Thank You Lord, for meeting me at the ocean's edge.
Time alone with You at the beach is like therapy for my soul.
* * *
Just for fun!
Favorite beach memories...
Beach parties with the boys...
Beach parties with our girl (and sand bucket cake!)...
Beach weekends with family...
...and my favorite beach picture of all time.
(Miss you Billy Mattox!)
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Heart Matters
"I am He who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds." Revelation 2:23b
My God sees my heart and knows the motive behind every thought in my mind. What is in my heart and on my mind matters to Him. His Word says that "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7b). It also says that after He searches the heart and examines the mind, He will reward man "according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve" (Jeremiah 17:10). I am reminded as well that I am called to acknowledge the Lord, serve Him with wholehearted devotion, and a willing mind (1 Chronicles 28:9). Jeremiah said on more than one occasion, "for to You I have committed my cause".
If I surrender my will, my own fleshly dreams and desires, to God's will; if I make His cause, my cause...then prayerfully my hearts desire and my dreams will line up with His plans for me, and I will live a fruitful life for the kingdom.
Lord Jesus, Please forgive me for the times I have run ahead of You, making plans in vain without first consulting You, or waiting on Your will. I know full well that I may plan my way but it is You Lord, that orders my steps. Test my heart and know my thoughts. Reveal any offensive ways in me. Correct any motives that do not please or glorify You. Align my will with Yours O Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
My God sees my heart and knows the motive behind every thought in my mind. What is in my heart and on my mind matters to Him. His Word says that "Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7b). It also says that after He searches the heart and examines the mind, He will reward man "according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve" (Jeremiah 17:10). I am reminded as well that I am called to acknowledge the Lord, serve Him with wholehearted devotion, and a willing mind (1 Chronicles 28:9). Jeremiah said on more than one occasion, "for to You I have committed my cause".
If I surrender my will, my own fleshly dreams and desires, to God's will; if I make His cause, my cause...then prayerfully my hearts desire and my dreams will line up with His plans for me, and I will live a fruitful life for the kingdom.
Lord Jesus, Please forgive me for the times I have run ahead of You, making plans in vain without first consulting You, or waiting on Your will. I know full well that I may plan my way but it is You Lord, that orders my steps. Test my heart and know my thoughts. Reveal any offensive ways in me. Correct any motives that do not please or glorify You. Align my will with Yours O Lord. In Jesus' name I pray, amen.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Seasons of Drought
"Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8
It's been a season of drought. Self-inflicted famine, if you will. It wasn't intentional...it just happened. One day out of the Word, led to two or three in a row at times. Then back to the Word, but for less time and getting seemingly less out of it. That led to fewer journal entries written, and even fewer I was willing to share. I have been feeling more and more depleted. My roots have not been getting nearly enough water, and any remaining moisture in them is drying up. It's time for a lengthy retreat with the Lord! I take full responsibility. I could use the excuses of unexpected circumstances, changes in life, and just being flat worn out...but they would be just that, excuses.
During a devotional time this week my pastor spoke on Matthew 5:6 which says,"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." He explained that the less we are in the Word, the easier it is to stop being in the Word. But the more we get into the Word, the less satisfied we will be, and the more we will want to be in the Word. That's what it means to "hunger and thirst" for righteousness. To hunger and thirst for more of God. To get a satisfying filling from His Word, and then get hunger pains that make you want to go back for more. I want to be a woman like that. I want to get back to that place...
Father God, I am in desperate need of a retreat alone with You. Time to dwell in Your Word and get filled up on You. To talk to You about the things in my heart, and wait for You to speak to them. I thank You for speaking to the drought in my life before the roots dried up, and for giving me a constant desire to be in Your presence - and for the grace shown when I am not. I want to be a tree whose roots linger by the stream. A well watered tree bearing much fruit for You. Will You help me to re-organize my schedule to include regular, daily time with You again, and have the obedience to be there? Thank You in advance for what You have been doing to make this happen, and for what You surely will do... In Jesus' name, amen.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Speak, Lord...
"He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." John 8:47
God's children hear His voice. He speaks in accordance with His Word. The parable of the seed and the sower says in Luke 8:15 that seed (or words of the Lord) that fall on good soil, fall on those with a noble and good heart, who hear the Word, retain it and persevere by producing a crop. Those who hear God's voice and walk in obedience, bring the Father glory. Such believers approach the throne with the attitude of Samuel who said, "Speak, Lord, for your servant in listening."
Father God, As I walk and talk with You today, I pray Your Words fall on the fertile soil of my heart, and that my words and actions reflect a heart of obedience and bring You glory. Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening... I ask this in Jesus' name, amen.
God's children hear His voice. He speaks in accordance with His Word. The parable of the seed and the sower says in Luke 8:15 that seed (or words of the Lord) that fall on good soil, fall on those with a noble and good heart, who hear the Word, retain it and persevere by producing a crop. Those who hear God's voice and walk in obedience, bring the Father glory. Such believers approach the throne with the attitude of Samuel who said, "Speak, Lord, for your servant in listening."
Father God, As I walk and talk with You today, I pray Your Words fall on the fertile soil of my heart, and that my words and actions reflect a heart of obedience and bring You glory. Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening... I ask this in Jesus' name, amen.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Fruitful Lips
"Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise - the fruit of lips that confess His name." Hebrews 13:15
When life is good, God is worthy of my praise. When life is frustrating, confusing or lacking direction, He is worthy of my praise. And when life is hard or painful, more than anything, I think He wants me to sacrifice the feelings of my flesh and praise His name. Sacrificial praise is costly - it costs me something and it may be inconvenient. On hard days praising Him can be difficult, but out of obedience to God to "continually" offer a sacrifice of praise, I must praise God anyway, especially when nothing in me feels like it. My words - spoken words, not just thoughts - should acknowledge Him, reflecting adoration and gratitude. Lips that praise His name are fruitful.
Father God, When life is good, praise comes easy. When life is hard, it can be a struggle. I have had many a hard day in the past - and will surely have more in the future - when my words of praise were barely more than a monotone act of obedience; a sacrifice of praise. In good times and in bad, I praise You Lord, because You are worthy. You are my God, and You are faithful. Each day, whatever comes my way, is a day You have said I should rejoice and be glad in. May my lips confess Your name through words of praise and bear fruit always. Today I choose to praise Your holy name. Amen.
When life is good, God is worthy of my praise. When life is frustrating, confusing or lacking direction, He is worthy of my praise. And when life is hard or painful, more than anything, I think He wants me to sacrifice the feelings of my flesh and praise His name. Sacrificial praise is costly - it costs me something and it may be inconvenient. On hard days praising Him can be difficult, but out of obedience to God to "continually" offer a sacrifice of praise, I must praise God anyway, especially when nothing in me feels like it. My words - spoken words, not just thoughts - should acknowledge Him, reflecting adoration and gratitude. Lips that praise His name are fruitful.
Father God, When life is good, praise comes easy. When life is hard, it can be a struggle. I have had many a hard day in the past - and will surely have more in the future - when my words of praise were barely more than a monotone act of obedience; a sacrifice of praise. In good times and in bad, I praise You Lord, because You are worthy. You are my God, and You are faithful. Each day, whatever comes my way, is a day You have said I should rejoice and be glad in. May my lips confess Your name through words of praise and bear fruit always. Today I choose to praise Your holy name. Amen.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
"I Saw the Lord..."
Isaiah's Vision
"In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"' Isaiah 6:1-3
This is a passage full of so much depth and symbolism. Ironically, after hearing a powerful mini-sermon on it this weekend at a Celebration of Life service, I came across it again in my Bible reading plan this weekend. My eyes kept wandering back to these three verses and the words, "Holy, holy, holy." I am certainly not a theologian and I feel I have only grasped a treetop portion of its truths in my own study of it, but will share what God has revealed to me...
For starters, we begin with a date stamp to give a time frame of reference. The vision given to Isaiah took place "in the year that King Uzziah died". Matthew Henry's commentary says that visions were given by God to "quicken and fix" His chosen ones to His service. In order to teach others about the knowledge of God, they needed to be well acquainted with God themselves.
In Isaiah's vision he "saw the Lord seated upon a throne, high and lifted up". He was exalted. The Lord was still enthroned in heaven and still in charge of all creation. He was seated on a throne higher and lifted far above all other thrones (the thrones of earthly kings). After His resurrection, God's Word says that He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and John 17:5 mentions it to be the same place He sat before the world came to be: "And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began." It appears here too that the Lord is seated on His throne in the heavenlies at the right hand of God the Father, "and the train of His robe filled the temple."
According to David Guzik's commentary, kings of that time wore robes with long trains because they were hard to get around and work in. Wearing a long train meant the person was of great importance and should be shown honor and dignity and be served, much like a bride on her wedding day.
Above the Lord were seraphs, or angels, described here as having six wings. Two each covered their faces and their feet, and the two remaining were used for flying. Covering themselves with their wings speaks to their reverence and humility in the presence of the Lord. Their faces could not bear the lustre of God's glory. Even the angels are ashamed to show their faces before holy God because they too make error in the Lord's sight according to Job 4:18, "If God places no trust in His servants, if He charges His angels with error...". Even the angels are not perfect. Only Christ Himself is perfect.
The wings that were not used as a covering were used to fly, and when needed, to make haste and tend to the Lord's work. Psalm 89:7 indicates that God is greatly feared in the assembly of the saints. It says, "In the counsel of the holy ones, God is greatly feared; He is more awesome than all who surround Him." He is supreme.
All the while the seraphs were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty, the earth is full of His glory." As Pastor Jesse Washington spoke on this part the other night, he pointed out that the Bible did not declare the Lord as "Good, good, good", or any other word three times in a row for that matter. No...because He is holy.
And because He is holy, the angel declared it with ever increasing intensity each time they spoke it: Holy, holy, holy. In the Hebrew language it was repetition that communicated intensity. He noted that this is the only word spoken in the Bible three times in a row. When the Lord called some of His servants names twice, He meant business. He was trying to get their undivided attention. So why would "holy" need to be repeated three times? Commentaries say that it was repeated once for each member of the Trinity; three times because there are Three Persons in the One God. Guzik says, "To say the Lord is holy says something. To say He is holy, holy says far more. To say holy, holy, holy is the Lord is to declare His holiness in the highest possible degree."
To be holy indicates apartness; to be set apart for a purpose. So what is the Lord in His holiness set apart from? "He is set apart from all creation and He exists outside of all creation. If all creation were to dissolve, the LORD God would remain." (Guzik) He is God and we are not. He is Divine, and we are mere man. He is Perfect. We are sinful. Our best is as filthy, dirty, pungent, repulsive rags compared to His holiness.
Because God's standard is holiness, and our best is as filthy rags, we are presented with a problem. We cannot be present in the presence of holy God in our shameful, sinful state. We need a covering. And we are offered such a covering through the blood of Jesus, the One who wrapped Himself in the sins of all humanity on a cross in order to make a love sacrifice and payment for you, and for me. Placing trust and faith in the One who died for us, to cover our sins with His blood, is the only way one can be covered and made presentable in His sight. It is the only guarantee for being acceptable at heaven's gate, and being able to spend eternity with Jesus. Have you placed your faith in the only One that can cover you and make you presentable in God's sight? The One who longs to show you how much He loves you, and desires to have a personal relationship with you?
(Message me if you want to know more. I would be honored to introduce you to my Saviour, Jesus!)
"In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"' Isaiah 6:1-3
This is a passage full of so much depth and symbolism. Ironically, after hearing a powerful mini-sermon on it this weekend at a Celebration of Life service, I came across it again in my Bible reading plan this weekend. My eyes kept wandering back to these three verses and the words, "Holy, holy, holy." I am certainly not a theologian and I feel I have only grasped a treetop portion of its truths in my own study of it, but will share what God has revealed to me...
For starters, we begin with a date stamp to give a time frame of reference. The vision given to Isaiah took place "in the year that King Uzziah died". Matthew Henry's commentary says that visions were given by God to "quicken and fix" His chosen ones to His service. In order to teach others about the knowledge of God, they needed to be well acquainted with God themselves.
In Isaiah's vision he "saw the Lord seated upon a throne, high and lifted up". He was exalted. The Lord was still enthroned in heaven and still in charge of all creation. He was seated on a throne higher and lifted far above all other thrones (the thrones of earthly kings). After His resurrection, God's Word says that He is seated at the right hand of the Father, and John 17:5 mentions it to be the same place He sat before the world came to be: "And now, Father, glorify Me in Your presence with the glory I had with You before the world began." It appears here too that the Lord is seated on His throne in the heavenlies at the right hand of God the Father, "and the train of His robe filled the temple."
According to David Guzik's commentary, kings of that time wore robes with long trains because they were hard to get around and work in. Wearing a long train meant the person was of great importance and should be shown honor and dignity and be served, much like a bride on her wedding day.
Above the Lord were seraphs, or angels, described here as having six wings. Two each covered their faces and their feet, and the two remaining were used for flying. Covering themselves with their wings speaks to their reverence and humility in the presence of the Lord. Their faces could not bear the lustre of God's glory. Even the angels are ashamed to show their faces before holy God because they too make error in the Lord's sight according to Job 4:18, "If God places no trust in His servants, if He charges His angels with error...". Even the angels are not perfect. Only Christ Himself is perfect.
The wings that were not used as a covering were used to fly, and when needed, to make haste and tend to the Lord's work. Psalm 89:7 indicates that God is greatly feared in the assembly of the saints. It says, "In the counsel of the holy ones, God is greatly feared; He is more awesome than all who surround Him." He is supreme.
All the while the seraphs were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty, the earth is full of His glory." As Pastor Jesse Washington spoke on this part the other night, he pointed out that the Bible did not declare the Lord as "Good, good, good", or any other word three times in a row for that matter. No...because He is holy.
And because He is holy, the angel declared it with ever increasing intensity each time they spoke it: Holy, holy, holy. In the Hebrew language it was repetition that communicated intensity. He noted that this is the only word spoken in the Bible three times in a row. When the Lord called some of His servants names twice, He meant business. He was trying to get their undivided attention. So why would "holy" need to be repeated three times? Commentaries say that it was repeated once for each member of the Trinity; three times because there are Three Persons in the One God. Guzik says, "To say the Lord is holy says something. To say He is holy, holy says far more. To say holy, holy, holy is the Lord is to declare His holiness in the highest possible degree."
To be holy indicates apartness; to be set apart for a purpose. So what is the Lord in His holiness set apart from? "He is set apart from all creation and He exists outside of all creation. If all creation were to dissolve, the LORD God would remain." (Guzik) He is God and we are not. He is Divine, and we are mere man. He is Perfect. We are sinful. Our best is as filthy, dirty, pungent, repulsive rags compared to His holiness.
Because God's standard is holiness, and our best is as filthy rags, we are presented with a problem. We cannot be present in the presence of holy God in our shameful, sinful state. We need a covering. And we are offered such a covering through the blood of Jesus, the One who wrapped Himself in the sins of all humanity on a cross in order to make a love sacrifice and payment for you, and for me. Placing trust and faith in the One who died for us, to cover our sins with His blood, is the only way one can be covered and made presentable in His sight. It is the only guarantee for being acceptable at heaven's gate, and being able to spend eternity with Jesus. Have you placed your faith in the only One that can cover you and make you presentable in God's sight? The One who longs to show you how much He loves you, and desires to have a personal relationship with you?
(Message me if you want to know more. I would be honored to introduce you to my Saviour, Jesus!)
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