Day 33
I’m continuing to study the book of Nehemiah. It’s one of my favorite books and has such depth of wisdom for anyone that wants to know more about being a good leader and manager. In Chapter 5, Nehemiah talks about how the people, after having been treated so poorly by their captors in the past, are now being taken advantage of by their own people. They were being charged high rates of interest for money they borrowed to pay the governor’s taxes, their crops were being taken and their children were being used as slaves to repay the debt. When Nehemiah saw what was being done. It says in Nehemiah 5:6-7 – ‘When I heard their outcry and these charges, I was very angry. I pondered them in my mind and then accused the nobles and officials’.
Have you ever stood up for someone that couldn’t or wouldn’t stand up for themselves? Have you ever stood up for a cause you believed in, even if you were outnumbered or people thought you were nuts? Or, has anyone ever stood by you when you thought you must stand alone? Perhaps you’ve been accused of something that wasn’t true. These are painful situations but they are also growing times. I’m thinking of the people that have believed in me when no one else did. My husband Lanny has always stood by me and we have grown more in our marriage because of it. I get a lot of hair brained ideas and he always encourages me in them but he also is my anchor to keep me from going too far out of bounds. I think I must keep his life interesting but he also keeps mine more secure and stable. I recall when I decided to sell my accounting firm and go into the mortgage business. Everyone told me I was crazy and that I was making a bad choice. Everyone except Lanny. I remember him saying, “If you have prayed about it and that’s where the Lord is leading you then let’s do it.” What a relief that was and I’ve never regretted or second guessed that decision. I knew he was on my side. But more importantly, we both knew we were on the Lord’s side. That was 11 years ago and it’s been interesting. We’ve had a lot of challenges but we’ve also had some of the best years of our life so far together. I may not have made the right choice if I had not had him to stand by me when no one else did. Does someone need you to stand by him today?
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
100 Days with Jesus -- A Church Family Is a Source of Strength and Community - a Refuge When the World Seems Cruel
Day 32
We have a new pastor that is young and we are his first church, so last night we had the privilege of participating in his ordination service. It was a special time for him and his family and for us too as his church family. It was quite interesting to see several churches come together in one place to celebrate the life and future service of a young man starting in the ministry. You don’t see churches come together that often and the strength of combining us under one roof was very powerful.
I browsed through the hosting church Sunday bulletin and picked up some new ideas of different ministries that they are doing and I also observed the facility and noticed lots of nice attention to detail that is welcoming to visitors. OK, I admit, I’m nosey. But more importantly I noticed how they opened their church ‘home’ to us as guests and made us feel very much a part of the family. But you know, we are all part of one family. We are brothers and sisters, adopted into the family of Christ and I really had a great time with my extended family. As I think of people that don’t go to church and all the excuses that I have heard for not being there, it makes me sad to think about what they are missing. A church family is a source of strength and community and it’s also a refuge when the world around you seems cruel. Paul said in Ephesians 2:22 that ‘in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.’ I’m thankful for my salvation through Christ but I’m also thankful that He didn’t leave me to take this journey alone. He gave me a church family to help me and for me to join with them to serve Him in more powerful ways than I could ever do alone.
We have a new pastor that is young and we are his first church, so last night we had the privilege of participating in his ordination service. It was a special time for him and his family and for us too as his church family. It was quite interesting to see several churches come together in one place to celebrate the life and future service of a young man starting in the ministry. You don’t see churches come together that often and the strength of combining us under one roof was very powerful.
I browsed through the hosting church Sunday bulletin and picked up some new ideas of different ministries that they are doing and I also observed the facility and noticed lots of nice attention to detail that is welcoming to visitors. OK, I admit, I’m nosey. But more importantly I noticed how they opened their church ‘home’ to us as guests and made us feel very much a part of the family. But you know, we are all part of one family. We are brothers and sisters, adopted into the family of Christ and I really had a great time with my extended family. As I think of people that don’t go to church and all the excuses that I have heard for not being there, it makes me sad to think about what they are missing. A church family is a source of strength and community and it’s also a refuge when the world around you seems cruel. Paul said in Ephesians 2:22 that ‘in Him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.’ I’m thankful for my salvation through Christ but I’m also thankful that He didn’t leave me to take this journey alone. He gave me a church family to help me and for me to join with them to serve Him in more powerful ways than I could ever do alone.
Friday, October 23, 2009
100 Days with Jesus: Slow Down Enough to Recognize the Special Gifts from God All Around
Day 31
I woke up this morning remembering the best dream. Most of the time when I dream, I only have a vague recollection of it, but this morning it was crystal clear. I dreamed that my dad was handing me candy. I could see the smile on his face and the twinkle in his eye when he laughed. He always called me Sissy and as the only daughter, his face lit up any time I walked into the room. He loved to surprise me with little treats. We didn’t have a lot of money when I was growing up but my dad always found something to give me. Sometimes it was candy or it may be some handmade item that someone at his plant was selling. My favorite treat was when he came home, opened his jacket and there was a little Chihuahua puppy in his shirt pocket. Her name was Candy and she was adorable. Candy lived to a ripe old age. My dad and I had a special bond and I miss him. He passed away over 11 years ago and time tends to erase some of the little details of our memories. But this dream brought all those little details of my dad back to the front of my mind. So when I woke up smiling and remembering with such clarity the details of his face and some of the things he did that were forgotten, I was very thankful.
Yesterday I was thinking about all the many blessings from the Lord and how we could spend a life time giving thanks for all of them. Today was a different kind of blessing. The Lord clearly brought to my memory things that were lost in my mind, cluttered over with all the stress and detail of the world today. I suppose I had to be in a sleep state for this memory to surface. Maybe this is another reminder to slow down physically and to slow my mind down enough recognize the special gifts from God that are all around. He is a loving God and He desires to bless us and reach out to us. As much as my dad loved me, my heavenly Father loves me even more. He also desires that we love one another. John 15:12 says ‘This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.’ This morning I have a special gift to be thankful for and will strive to be more loving to others.
I woke up this morning remembering the best dream. Most of the time when I dream, I only have a vague recollection of it, but this morning it was crystal clear. I dreamed that my dad was handing me candy. I could see the smile on his face and the twinkle in his eye when he laughed. He always called me Sissy and as the only daughter, his face lit up any time I walked into the room. He loved to surprise me with little treats. We didn’t have a lot of money when I was growing up but my dad always found something to give me. Sometimes it was candy or it may be some handmade item that someone at his plant was selling. My favorite treat was when he came home, opened his jacket and there was a little Chihuahua puppy in his shirt pocket. Her name was Candy and she was adorable. Candy lived to a ripe old age. My dad and I had a special bond and I miss him. He passed away over 11 years ago and time tends to erase some of the little details of our memories. But this dream brought all those little details of my dad back to the front of my mind. So when I woke up smiling and remembering with such clarity the details of his face and some of the things he did that were forgotten, I was very thankful.
Yesterday I was thinking about all the many blessings from the Lord and how we could spend a life time giving thanks for all of them. Today was a different kind of blessing. The Lord clearly brought to my memory things that were lost in my mind, cluttered over with all the stress and detail of the world today. I suppose I had to be in a sleep state for this memory to surface. Maybe this is another reminder to slow down physically and to slow my mind down enough recognize the special gifts from God that are all around. He is a loving God and He desires to bless us and reach out to us. As much as my dad loved me, my heavenly Father loves me even more. He also desires that we love one another. John 15:12 says ‘This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.’ This morning I have a special gift to be thankful for and will strive to be more loving to others.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
100 Days with Jesus -- Work with One Hand and Carry a Stick in the Other
Day 30
I was a little late getting up this morning which I’m more likely to do toward the end of the week. I guess I was tired because it’s been such a busy and hectic week. I was a little frustrated with myself because I really wanted to get my day started earlier and not feel rushed or distracted during my Bible study. So as I sat down in my office to read this morning, it occurred to me, what if I worked somewhere that I wasn’t allowed to read scripture or spend the first part of my day in prayer. What if I didn’t have these privileges? What if I lived in a country where the Bible was prohibited and I was forced to worship a false god or some insane dictator? I have so many privileges as an American that I tend to take them for granted. So, I spent a few minutes this morning thinking of all the things that our freedom provides and realized that I could spend the whole day giving thanks for all these things, starting with the freedom to worship.
There’s a verse of scripture in Nehemiah 4:9 that I enjoy. It says ‘But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.’ They were being harassed and persecuted by the foreigners that didn’t want to see Jerusalem rebuilt. I so appreciate the example in this verse of how they trusted God and prayed for His protection but they also used their resources to take action. It tells us in this chapter that they worked with one hand and carried a shield in the other, ready to work or fight whatever the day called for. This is what our Lord calls upon us to do now. I see our country being heavily influenced by non-believers. So I’ll continue to give more thought today for all the many things our freedom provides and will consider myself challenged to work with one hand and carry my shield in the other.
I was a little late getting up this morning which I’m more likely to do toward the end of the week. I guess I was tired because it’s been such a busy and hectic week. I was a little frustrated with myself because I really wanted to get my day started earlier and not feel rushed or distracted during my Bible study. So as I sat down in my office to read this morning, it occurred to me, what if I worked somewhere that I wasn’t allowed to read scripture or spend the first part of my day in prayer. What if I didn’t have these privileges? What if I lived in a country where the Bible was prohibited and I was forced to worship a false god or some insane dictator? I have so many privileges as an American that I tend to take them for granted. So, I spent a few minutes this morning thinking of all the things that our freedom provides and realized that I could spend the whole day giving thanks for all these things, starting with the freedom to worship.
There’s a verse of scripture in Nehemiah 4:9 that I enjoy. It says ‘But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.’ They were being harassed and persecuted by the foreigners that didn’t want to see Jerusalem rebuilt. I so appreciate the example in this verse of how they trusted God and prayed for His protection but they also used their resources to take action. It tells us in this chapter that they worked with one hand and carried a shield in the other, ready to work or fight whatever the day called for. This is what our Lord calls upon us to do now. I see our country being heavily influenced by non-believers. So I’ll continue to give more thought today for all the many things our freedom provides and will consider myself challenged to work with one hand and carry my shield in the other.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
100 Days With Jesus -- Will You Be Part of the Rebuilding or of Defeat?
Day 29
I’m reading this morning in Chapter 3 of Nehemiah which gives a detailed list of all the people that helped to rebuild the wall around their beloved city of Jerusalem. It’s interesting to me that the wall remained damaged and in disrepair for years and nothing was done about it. I suppose it seemed impossible because the small band of people left behind had little resources and were spiritually defeated. That is until someone came along with a vision and that someone was Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a strong leader, planner and visionary but more importantly he helped his people to see the vision that God had shown him and to feel the sense of responsibility that he felt. He gave them hope and helped them to believe in something that just the day before was considered impossible.
I was in a meeting yesterday and as I listened to the words and noticed the body language of those in attendance, I could see this same attitude of defeat. And I wonder, are things really that bad? Have we given everything that we have and have we fought to rebuild our families, our financial situations, our spiritual lives and this country or did we wimp out at the first sign of trouble? I think we’ve wimped out. Our government has used the term ‘too big to fail’ to describe some major industries that have received billions of dollars. Did we buy into the concept that our country was too big or too powerful to fail? Or that we, as individuals were too blessed and too important to fail? The Lord has blessed us for many years, just like He blessed the children of Israel. And now that we are facing a recession, high unemployment and a meltdown of the financial system that’s served us well for so long, I see so many signs of giving up. Our faith has been in ourselves and not in the Lord. The Lord wants our attention and He will have it. So I’m asking myself now, am I going to be like Nehemiah and be the visionary that encourages others to do the things that seemed impossible or will I take on an attitude of defeat? As a child of God, I will not be defeated because I’m in His army and I commit to being a part of His team that will rebuild. When Nehemiah shared his vision, the wall was rebuilt in a miraculous way. I too want to be a part of God’s miraculous rebuilding! God’s army is voluntary. Have you signed up yet?
I’m reading this morning in Chapter 3 of Nehemiah which gives a detailed list of all the people that helped to rebuild the wall around their beloved city of Jerusalem. It’s interesting to me that the wall remained damaged and in disrepair for years and nothing was done about it. I suppose it seemed impossible because the small band of people left behind had little resources and were spiritually defeated. That is until someone came along with a vision and that someone was Nehemiah. Nehemiah was a strong leader, planner and visionary but more importantly he helped his people to see the vision that God had shown him and to feel the sense of responsibility that he felt. He gave them hope and helped them to believe in something that just the day before was considered impossible.
I was in a meeting yesterday and as I listened to the words and noticed the body language of those in attendance, I could see this same attitude of defeat. And I wonder, are things really that bad? Have we given everything that we have and have we fought to rebuild our families, our financial situations, our spiritual lives and this country or did we wimp out at the first sign of trouble? I think we’ve wimped out. Our government has used the term ‘too big to fail’ to describe some major industries that have received billions of dollars. Did we buy into the concept that our country was too big or too powerful to fail? Or that we, as individuals were too blessed and too important to fail? The Lord has blessed us for many years, just like He blessed the children of Israel. And now that we are facing a recession, high unemployment and a meltdown of the financial system that’s served us well for so long, I see so many signs of giving up. Our faith has been in ourselves and not in the Lord. The Lord wants our attention and He will have it. So I’m asking myself now, am I going to be like Nehemiah and be the visionary that encourages others to do the things that seemed impossible or will I take on an attitude of defeat? As a child of God, I will not be defeated because I’m in His army and I commit to being a part of His team that will rebuild. When Nehemiah shared his vision, the wall was rebuilt in a miraculous way. I too want to be a part of God’s miraculous rebuilding! God’s army is voluntary. Have you signed up yet?
Monday, October 19, 2009
100 Days with Jesus: The God of Heaven Will Give Us Success - His concept of sucess
Day 28
It is cold and flu season and this past week I had my share, or what I hope will be my only share. No flu thankfully, but a nasty cold that lasted a few days. So for the better part of last week, I had the fever and cold medicine induced brain fog! You know the feeling I’m talking about. You know what you need to be doing but nothing makes sense. Even the simplest tasks you’ve done a hundred times are painfully difficult. Nothing seems like a good idea except sleep. I did not write in my devotional journal. I thought of God each morning at my devotional time and throughout the day and had an overwhelming sense of sadness because I couldn’t get my head into studying and comprehending anything, much less write about it. So I prayed and muddled through the days until my head began to clear up and my fever went away.
I guess the thing I was most aware of is that I desperately missed my routine of Bible study, prayer and thinking through the things that God was teaching me each morning. Once the habit begins to develop, it embraces you and you long for it, you look forward to it. It becomes as vital to you as food and water. As much as I regret that I did not develop this habit at a much younger age, I’m thankful that I am doing it now. God is such an awesome God. He can bring me up to speed, teach me, train me, mold me and use me according to His will no matter my age or how long I’ve delayed committing fully to Him. In Nehemiah 2:20, Nehemiah said ‘The God of Heaven will give us success.” I know it will be success according to His terms and His concept of success. I find the world’s idea of success to be oppressive and heavy on my shoulders. You know, for the first time in my life, I’m happy to be striving to reach His goals for my life and not my own. It’s the most liberating and energizing feeling in the world because it’s not of this world. God can give insight, even in the midst of a nasty head cold!
It is cold and flu season and this past week I had my share, or what I hope will be my only share. No flu thankfully, but a nasty cold that lasted a few days. So for the better part of last week, I had the fever and cold medicine induced brain fog! You know the feeling I’m talking about. You know what you need to be doing but nothing makes sense. Even the simplest tasks you’ve done a hundred times are painfully difficult. Nothing seems like a good idea except sleep. I did not write in my devotional journal. I thought of God each morning at my devotional time and throughout the day and had an overwhelming sense of sadness because I couldn’t get my head into studying and comprehending anything, much less write about it. So I prayed and muddled through the days until my head began to clear up and my fever went away.
I guess the thing I was most aware of is that I desperately missed my routine of Bible study, prayer and thinking through the things that God was teaching me each morning. Once the habit begins to develop, it embraces you and you long for it, you look forward to it. It becomes as vital to you as food and water. As much as I regret that I did not develop this habit at a much younger age, I’m thankful that I am doing it now. God is such an awesome God. He can bring me up to speed, teach me, train me, mold me and use me according to His will no matter my age or how long I’ve delayed committing fully to Him. In Nehemiah 2:20, Nehemiah said ‘The God of Heaven will give us success.” I know it will be success according to His terms and His concept of success. I find the world’s idea of success to be oppressive and heavy on my shoulders. You know, for the first time in my life, I’m happy to be striving to reach His goals for my life and not my own. It’s the most liberating and energizing feeling in the world because it’s not of this world. God can give insight, even in the midst of a nasty head cold!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
100 Days with Jesus -- Do You Have God with You Because You Were With God First?
Day 27
I’m continuing today in the book of Nehemiah. It’s such an exciting book and certainly one of the best management tools I’ve ever read. Nehemiah was organized, an excellent planner, very detail oriented and thought through things before he did or SAID anything. But more importantly, he prayed with all his heart to God for guidance at every step of the way - unlike me. I’m pretty bad to spend some time in prayer, throw a plan together and strike out with guns blazing! It doesn’t always work out the way I had hoped!
As Nehemiah was fasting and praying for his beloved city, knowing that he would go before the king for help, he was also very carefully planning his strategy. The scripture doesn’t really say so but I imagine that he was praying and writing down a plan and then praying some more and adding to the plan. Why do I think so? Well, when he had the opportunity to go before the king and ask for help for his home town, when the king granted his assistance and asked what he needed, he immediately laid out a detailed plan as to what he would do, how long he would be gone, what he would need to take with him – the whole plan! He knew exactly from start to finish how he would progress and he was prepared when asked the question. It says in Nehemiah 2:8……’and because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.’ Nehemiah had God with him because he was with God first. He went to the Lord in prayer first instead of creating a plan and then asking God to bless it. I find it interesting that he also prayed before he opened his mouth. Nehemiah 2:5 says ‘Then I prayed to the God of heaven and I answered the king.’ This may be the most powerful lesson in the whole book! This will be my prayer for today too!
I’m continuing today in the book of Nehemiah. It’s such an exciting book and certainly one of the best management tools I’ve ever read. Nehemiah was organized, an excellent planner, very detail oriented and thought through things before he did or SAID anything. But more importantly, he prayed with all his heart to God for guidance at every step of the way - unlike me. I’m pretty bad to spend some time in prayer, throw a plan together and strike out with guns blazing! It doesn’t always work out the way I had hoped!
As Nehemiah was fasting and praying for his beloved city, knowing that he would go before the king for help, he was also very carefully planning his strategy. The scripture doesn’t really say so but I imagine that he was praying and writing down a plan and then praying some more and adding to the plan. Why do I think so? Well, when he had the opportunity to go before the king and ask for help for his home town, when the king granted his assistance and asked what he needed, he immediately laid out a detailed plan as to what he would do, how long he would be gone, what he would need to take with him – the whole plan! He knew exactly from start to finish how he would progress and he was prepared when asked the question. It says in Nehemiah 2:8……’and because the gracious hand of my God was upon me, the king granted my requests.’ Nehemiah had God with him because he was with God first. He went to the Lord in prayer first instead of creating a plan and then asking God to bless it. I find it interesting that he also prayed before he opened his mouth. Nehemiah 2:5 says ‘Then I prayed to the God of heaven and I answered the king.’ This may be the most powerful lesson in the whole book! This will be my prayer for today too!
Monday, October 12, 2009
100 Days with Jesus: Instruction on How to Balance Spirituality with Action
Day 26
As a business owner and manager, I have found the book of Nehemiah to be one of the most powerful and awesome books of instruction for handling many situations in business and in life. Nehemiah had an awesome love of God and he also loved his remnant of people that were left back in Jerusalem and wanted to help them rebuild the city. It’s a wonderful book of instruction on how to balance spirituality with action. After 20 years of business, I still find this to be one of my biggest challenges.
As I am in the midst of a transition in my business, I feel led to this book for help and guidance. Life changes things constantly. You can’t remain static. You are either consciously moving forward or you’re going backward. It reminds me of my treadmill. If I don’t keep walking, I will slide right back to the end and off the track. You’ve got to keep moving and working. I have found this to be the case whether I’m referring to business or my personal life. Businesses must continually be evolving and relationships continually need attention. When Nehemiah was told about the sad condition of the people and his beloved city, he wept and prayed for days. But when he prayed, he prayed for God to give him guidance on how he could help his people. He didn’t just pray that God would fix it all for him. He knew he had to take action. But he didn’t want to take just any action, going off on some misguided rant. This isn’t the way God works. Nehemiah positioned himself to do something, like a runner at the starting line, waiting on the shot into the air to begin the race. His prayer in Nehemiah 1:11 ‘……Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” Nehemiah knew where his success would come from and it wasn’t from his own independent action, it was from God. So many times I make quick decisions and later wish I had first turned to the Lord for instruction. His plans are always perfect until I get into them with my own ideas and make a mess. I believe I will follow the Lord’s instruction through Nehemiah for a while and see where it takes me.
As a business owner and manager, I have found the book of Nehemiah to be one of the most powerful and awesome books of instruction for handling many situations in business and in life. Nehemiah had an awesome love of God and he also loved his remnant of people that were left back in Jerusalem and wanted to help them rebuild the city. It’s a wonderful book of instruction on how to balance spirituality with action. After 20 years of business, I still find this to be one of my biggest challenges.
As I am in the midst of a transition in my business, I feel led to this book for help and guidance. Life changes things constantly. You can’t remain static. You are either consciously moving forward or you’re going backward. It reminds me of my treadmill. If I don’t keep walking, I will slide right back to the end and off the track. You’ve got to keep moving and working. I have found this to be the case whether I’m referring to business or my personal life. Businesses must continually be evolving and relationships continually need attention. When Nehemiah was told about the sad condition of the people and his beloved city, he wept and prayed for days. But when he prayed, he prayed for God to give him guidance on how he could help his people. He didn’t just pray that God would fix it all for him. He knew he had to take action. But he didn’t want to take just any action, going off on some misguided rant. This isn’t the way God works. Nehemiah positioned himself to do something, like a runner at the starting line, waiting on the shot into the air to begin the race. His prayer in Nehemiah 1:11 ‘……Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.” Nehemiah knew where his success would come from and it wasn’t from his own independent action, it was from God. So many times I make quick decisions and later wish I had first turned to the Lord for instruction. His plans are always perfect until I get into them with my own ideas and make a mess. I believe I will follow the Lord’s instruction through Nehemiah for a while and see where it takes me.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
100 Days with Jesus -- Forgiveness - That's a Tough One!
Day 25
Forgiveness - that’s a tough one. I had a dear friend to tell me that she has a hard time forgiving on occasion. Sometimes I do too. It really hurts when someone mistreats me or makes false statements or takes advantage of me. My normal reaction is once I get past the hurt feelings, then I become angry and that’s not pretty! Before I began to grow in my relationship with Christ, I had a really short fuse. But once I began to know Him more that was one of the very first things He dealt with in me. He took away a lot of the anger and my hot temper sort of melted away. Of course if you ask my husband, he would probably disagree!
The next step was to replace revenge with forgiveness. We’re still working on that. Like my friend, sometimes the forgiveness comes a little slower. But when I struggle with it, this thought now comes to my mind. Was I beaten beyond recognition? Did I have nails driven into my hands and feet and hung on a cross to die an excruciating and painful death for having done no wrong other than healing the sick and giving sight to the blind? Was I spat upon for telling others about the glory of God? Obviously the answer is no. Matthew 6:14-15 says ‘For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.’ It’s pretty tough to remain angry or have a pity party over unfair treatment when you put it into this perspective. I’m thankful that the Lord convicts me of my attitudes and continues to mold me daily so I can become what He would have me to be. I still have a long way to go. I believe that’s why it’s called a life long journey!
Forgiveness - that’s a tough one. I had a dear friend to tell me that she has a hard time forgiving on occasion. Sometimes I do too. It really hurts when someone mistreats me or makes false statements or takes advantage of me. My normal reaction is once I get past the hurt feelings, then I become angry and that’s not pretty! Before I began to grow in my relationship with Christ, I had a really short fuse. But once I began to know Him more that was one of the very first things He dealt with in me. He took away a lot of the anger and my hot temper sort of melted away. Of course if you ask my husband, he would probably disagree!
The next step was to replace revenge with forgiveness. We’re still working on that. Like my friend, sometimes the forgiveness comes a little slower. But when I struggle with it, this thought now comes to my mind. Was I beaten beyond recognition? Did I have nails driven into my hands and feet and hung on a cross to die an excruciating and painful death for having done no wrong other than healing the sick and giving sight to the blind? Was I spat upon for telling others about the glory of God? Obviously the answer is no. Matthew 6:14-15 says ‘For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.’ It’s pretty tough to remain angry or have a pity party over unfair treatment when you put it into this perspective. I’m thankful that the Lord convicts me of my attitudes and continues to mold me daily so I can become what He would have me to be. I still have a long way to go. I believe that’s why it’s called a life long journey!
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
100 Days with Jesus: Trust in the Lord with All Your Heart
Day 24
Proverbs 3:5 is one of my favorite verses. It says to me ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.’ But my thinking, my understanding makes sense to me. I don’t always understand God’s thinking. I can’t begin to comprehend the greatness of God’s mind and how my very limited life span and my tiny abilities play into His huge master plan for mankind. I can’t see sometimes how my disappointments or sufferings make any difference to anyone other than me. And I don’t always see how my successes may profit anyone other than me and my family. But it’s all so much bigger than that.
That’s why when I go to the Lord in prayer, sometimes I forget that I am not going to God in prayer to bring Him into my plans. I must go to Him in prayer and see where do I need to fit in today in His plan. What do I need to learn from Him today so that this day will be spent obeying Him and growing spiritually with Him? With so many concerns on my mind, I find that hard to do some days. I naturally want to start putting it all out there for Him to sort out for me. Prayer is designed to change me, one day at a time as I grow in obedience to God. I’m glad I don’t have to lean on my own understandings because that’s a weak, unstable place to rest.
Proverbs 3:5 is one of my favorite verses. It says to me ‘Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.’ But my thinking, my understanding makes sense to me. I don’t always understand God’s thinking. I can’t begin to comprehend the greatness of God’s mind and how my very limited life span and my tiny abilities play into His huge master plan for mankind. I can’t see sometimes how my disappointments or sufferings make any difference to anyone other than me. And I don’t always see how my successes may profit anyone other than me and my family. But it’s all so much bigger than that.
That’s why when I go to the Lord in prayer, sometimes I forget that I am not going to God in prayer to bring Him into my plans. I must go to Him in prayer and see where do I need to fit in today in His plan. What do I need to learn from Him today so that this day will be spent obeying Him and growing spiritually with Him? With so many concerns on my mind, I find that hard to do some days. I naturally want to start putting it all out there for Him to sort out for me. Prayer is designed to change me, one day at a time as I grow in obedience to God. I’m glad I don’t have to lean on my own understandings because that’s a weak, unstable place to rest.
Monday, October 5, 2009
100 Days with Jesus: Our Churches Are a Rock, a Source of Stability, Ordained by the Lord.
Day 23
I went to church yesterday morning and last night for our Sunday worship services. There are Sundays when it seems like it’s another work day. I have to get up, shower and dress, do my hair, and cook breakfast and all the normal things. Then spend about 2.5 hours at church for Sunday school and worship service, then hurry home to prepare lunch. Then back to church in the evening for the Sunday night service. It’s a busy day sometimes I get grumpy about it because I really wanted just a little extra rest.
But then I remember that there are people in other parts of the world that have no church to go to and they have no Bibles to read. There are people that have to hide in order to worship and they share one Bible among the entire community. They suffer persecution in the form of rejection, torture or even death. They would give everything, which for some is very little, to have the freedom to attend church. The idea of attending a church as beautiful as ours is beyond their comprehension. If they had the freedoms that I have and the facilities that I have, they would probably spend every free moment they had at the altar, praising God and worshipping him. Some people refuse to go to church because they say it’s full of hypocrites. They’re probably right, but so is Wal Mart and everyone goes there! Christians are still sinners; they’re just saved by God’s grace. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 …and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Our churches are a rock, a source of stability, ordained by the Lord. And it’s my family. I’m so thankful to be a part of His church. I hope you have one that you’re a part of too.
I went to church yesterday morning and last night for our Sunday worship services. There are Sundays when it seems like it’s another work day. I have to get up, shower and dress, do my hair, and cook breakfast and all the normal things. Then spend about 2.5 hours at church for Sunday school and worship service, then hurry home to prepare lunch. Then back to church in the evening for the Sunday night service. It’s a busy day sometimes I get grumpy about it because I really wanted just a little extra rest.
But then I remember that there are people in other parts of the world that have no church to go to and they have no Bibles to read. There are people that have to hide in order to worship and they share one Bible among the entire community. They suffer persecution in the form of rejection, torture or even death. They would give everything, which for some is very little, to have the freedom to attend church. The idea of attending a church as beautiful as ours is beyond their comprehension. If they had the freedoms that I have and the facilities that I have, they would probably spend every free moment they had at the altar, praising God and worshipping him. Some people refuse to go to church because they say it’s full of hypocrites. They’re probably right, but so is Wal Mart and everyone goes there! Christians are still sinners; they’re just saved by God’s grace. Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 …and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Our churches are a rock, a source of stability, ordained by the Lord. And it’s my family. I’m so thankful to be a part of His church. I hope you have one that you’re a part of too.
Friday, October 2, 2009
100 Days with Jesus: God Made Me and He Doesn't Make Junk!
Day 22
When the alarm went off this morning I was so sleepy. I even felt dizzy because I was sleeping so sound. I really didn’t want to get up. I’ve been working a lot of hours for the past few weeks and I guess it finally caught up with me. So I decided that the world wouldn’t come to an end if I wasn’t in the office before 8:00 so I dozed off and grabbed an extra hour of sleep. When I woke up again, I felt refreshed and ready to go. It caused me to stop and think about the miracle of the human body. My body talks to me and tells me what it doesn’t want or what it needs. Sometimes that voice is in my outward appearance when I look in the mirror and see a few extra pounds or the sleepiness I feel when it’s tired or the hunger when it doesn’t get the proper nourishment. As I grow older, I’ve become more attentive to my body’s voice. Maybe I think more about the shortness of life or perhaps the voice is much louder than when I was younger. The little aches and pains are certainly difficult to ignore.
But it still amazes me how God created this human body that no man can replicate or even fully understand. In Ephesians 3:9 Paul said, And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ. God created everything, including me. I was no accident. I didn’t come from the evolvement of a monkey and all the miraculous workings of the body most definitely were not caused by some explosion. Because I know that God created me, I also know that He has a purpose for me, a reason for me to exist. For that reason, even when life is difficult, I have the comfort of knowing I’m not alone. God didn’t create me to abandon me. He created me to be a light that will point others to Him. I’m reminded of a child’s t-shirt that I saw once that said, ‘God made me and He doesn’t make junk.’ I’m not junk and neither are you! So let’s shine!
When the alarm went off this morning I was so sleepy. I even felt dizzy because I was sleeping so sound. I really didn’t want to get up. I’ve been working a lot of hours for the past few weeks and I guess it finally caught up with me. So I decided that the world wouldn’t come to an end if I wasn’t in the office before 8:00 so I dozed off and grabbed an extra hour of sleep. When I woke up again, I felt refreshed and ready to go. It caused me to stop and think about the miracle of the human body. My body talks to me and tells me what it doesn’t want or what it needs. Sometimes that voice is in my outward appearance when I look in the mirror and see a few extra pounds or the sleepiness I feel when it’s tired or the hunger when it doesn’t get the proper nourishment. As I grow older, I’ve become more attentive to my body’s voice. Maybe I think more about the shortness of life or perhaps the voice is much louder than when I was younger. The little aches and pains are certainly difficult to ignore.
But it still amazes me how God created this human body that no man can replicate or even fully understand. In Ephesians 3:9 Paul said, And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ. God created everything, including me. I was no accident. I didn’t come from the evolvement of a monkey and all the miraculous workings of the body most definitely were not caused by some explosion. Because I know that God created me, I also know that He has a purpose for me, a reason for me to exist. For that reason, even when life is difficult, I have the comfort of knowing I’m not alone. God didn’t create me to abandon me. He created me to be a light that will point others to Him. I’m reminded of a child’s t-shirt that I saw once that said, ‘God made me and He doesn’t make junk.’ I’m not junk and neither are you! So let’s shine!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
100 Days with Jesus: Jesus Must Be the Center of Our Life Each and Every Day -- A Comforting Thought to Take Us Through This Life Long Journey
Day 21
They say that to do something 21 times consistently will create a new habit. Wouldn’t you know I get to day 21 and drop the ball! Yesterday I failed to post the devotional because I didn’t do it. I have a world of excuses, very good ones too. I started my day with an early morning eye doctor appointment. Then I had to hurry back to the office where we have lots of loan files to work on, new ones coming in, people calling expecting return phone calls, a new loan officer that needs my help and on it goes. So guess what fell by the wayside? My time with the Lord and oh how I missed it. I considered all the rest of the day, as everything was going on, how I had an appointment with the Lord and that He was waiting on me to show up, and I didn’t. What wonderful nuggets of wisdom did He have for me yesterday? What did He need to tell me that would have made the day easier or that would have given me a clearer understanding of Him and His desire for my life? How sad He must have been that I was too busy for Him. How sad I was that I failed to keep my priorities in check. And I had another interesting observation. He still continued to bless me despite my slip in commitment. My eye doctor said that my eye sight had actually improved. The business continues to grow as more and more people desire to finance homes with us. Martha, the new loan officer, is doing a wonderful job despite the fact that she’s never been in the business before. There’s a breath of fresh air in the office and a new level of energy that’s been missing for a long time. These are God’s blessings!
So Day 21, which should have been yesterday, was still a day of enlightenment. I realized that I truly had developed a habit during these days that can carry me through a lifetime if I’m obedient to it. I realized that as much as the Lord wants to share with me, so much more so do I need the time with Him. Ephesians 6:18 says, ‘Pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.’ My day is incomplete, more hectic and less controlled when I think that I can put God to the side for ‘just this one time’. Nope, can’t do it! He must be the center of my life, each and every day and that is a comforting thought that will carry me through this life long journey.
They say that to do something 21 times consistently will create a new habit. Wouldn’t you know I get to day 21 and drop the ball! Yesterday I failed to post the devotional because I didn’t do it. I have a world of excuses, very good ones too. I started my day with an early morning eye doctor appointment. Then I had to hurry back to the office where we have lots of loan files to work on, new ones coming in, people calling expecting return phone calls, a new loan officer that needs my help and on it goes. So guess what fell by the wayside? My time with the Lord and oh how I missed it. I considered all the rest of the day, as everything was going on, how I had an appointment with the Lord and that He was waiting on me to show up, and I didn’t. What wonderful nuggets of wisdom did He have for me yesterday? What did He need to tell me that would have made the day easier or that would have given me a clearer understanding of Him and His desire for my life? How sad He must have been that I was too busy for Him. How sad I was that I failed to keep my priorities in check. And I had another interesting observation. He still continued to bless me despite my slip in commitment. My eye doctor said that my eye sight had actually improved. The business continues to grow as more and more people desire to finance homes with us. Martha, the new loan officer, is doing a wonderful job despite the fact that she’s never been in the business before. There’s a breath of fresh air in the office and a new level of energy that’s been missing for a long time. These are God’s blessings!
So Day 21, which should have been yesterday, was still a day of enlightenment. I realized that I truly had developed a habit during these days that can carry me through a lifetime if I’m obedient to it. I realized that as much as the Lord wants to share with me, so much more so do I need the time with Him. Ephesians 6:18 says, ‘Pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.’ My day is incomplete, more hectic and less controlled when I think that I can put God to the side for ‘just this one time’. Nope, can’t do it! He must be the center of my life, each and every day and that is a comforting thought that will carry me through this life long journey.
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