Add Don't Divide

“And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” Mark 3:25

What a powerful statement Jesus made to His disciples. Reading this scripture caused me to pause in order to let the truth and the weight of the scripture to sink in pass my brain and into my heart.

There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a family who is united, supports each other, forgives each other, and loves each other purposefully and intentionally for the glory of God.

However, the home is also the place where our guards are down and where family members can see each other at their worst! This is why the scripture should be taken very seriously. 

After reading this scripture in Mark 3:25 and moving forward with my day, God showed me how easily I can contribute to a divided home - something that I would NEVER consciously choose to do!  It is all too easy to be a negative contributor especially when we let our opinion and our preferences and yes, our will, take precedence over the ultimate goal of support and unity – a home undivided for His purpose and His glory.

The Bible says in Proverbs 14:1, “The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.” But how does that tearing down happen? It is a slow and subtle process; a wrong attitude, a selfish motive, or a disrespectful response. 

Unfortunately, this gradual down slide could happen to every one of us. But here is where the wise woman builds her home: The wise woman pays attention to the Holy Spirit’s leading and humbles herself if needed, before God and/or her family members. 

May I encourage you as I encourage myself to continually remember that God created the family and loves the family? If we allow Him, He will open the doors to allow our families to be used as a bright beacon of hope to a fallen world. He knows how to erase all of our many foolish mistakes in order to make our marriages and our relationships strong and fortified. With strong family relationships and strong, fortified marriages, our children and our children’s children will be greatly blessed as we model to them what it means to be a home undivided!

Families have many strengths and many weaknesses but let's always be working towards ONE MISSION: "To act justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God." Micah 6:8 

FATHER, help us to build a home that is centered on your decrees. Help us to know when we have acted foolishly so that we can turn around and begin building once again. Thank you for valuing family and giving us all of Your support.  In Jesus' Name - Amen.

The Other, Larger, Stronger, Quieter Life

This morning I had a choice. My husband rose early in the morning to attend a meeting and he left the home while the sun had not yet shined through my bedroom windows and the house was quiet. Still in bed, I turned over and nestled onto my soft pillow. My mind thought about the day that was ahead of me and all that I wanted to accomplish: People to call, cards to write and appointments that I needed to keep. Then another thought came to my mind, "When will I meet with God to hear His voice through His Word during my busy day?"

I would like to share a small portion from my book, A Stroke of Love, that expresses what it means to have it backward:

"Knowing God's will sounds pretty simple and straightforward, but we frequently have it backward. Simply put, we want more than anything to please God and to walk in His perfect will, but often the last thing we have time and energy for is that still, quiet discipline of opening God's Word each day.

C. S. Lewis said it best: "The moment you wake up each morning, all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving it all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in."

Can you understand exactly what I was feeling this morning? Have you ever felt tempted to put your agenda for the day first before seeking God? Does C. S. Lewis' words ring true for you as you wake up each morning?

By God's grace, He helped me choose that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. When I opened up God's Word early in the morning, the Son of God shined upon the pages and my heart melted as I read His Words. My will was once again submitted to His plan for my life. I began my day knowing and feeling a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction - not because everything on my list was checked off but because I spent time with my Father and He welcomed me with His warm and tender arms.

Dear friends, may I encourage you to not have it backwards? Shove all of it back and listen to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in!

The Jerk

“My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one He loves….” Hebrews 12:5b

As my husband and I were walking our dog this morning, we were talking about hearing God’s voice and how we shouldn’t always expect God to tell us what we want to hear but instead, knowing how much God loves us, we should expect God to tell us what we need to hear – for our own good. We continued to discuss how sometimes God’s exhortation to us can sound harsh.

Many times when taking our dog Aussie for a walk, she does not always go with the program as we walk along the path. We have taken Aussie to several dog training courses and the trainer recommended that we use a special training collar which tightens around her neck the further she walks away from us and loosens around her neck the closer she walks next to us. No matter how patient we are with her and no matter how many commands we give to her to keep walking close to us, there still are times when she stubbornly wants to lead us instead of us leading her. In order to complete our walks, at these stubborn times when she is distracted, the trainer recommended that we give a quick jerk to her chain to get her attention and to refocus her in the direction that we want her to go.

I hate jerking the chain around Aussie's neck. I would rather “baby talk” her, but unfortunately sometimes “baby talk” does not do the job.

Sometimes God’s correction for us to change the direction of our walk or to rethink a behavior pattern can feel like an unexpected jerk – we may think to ourselves, “Where did that come from?” God's correction can come from a dear loved one, it can come from a total stranger or it can come from God’s Word at an unexpected time.

The Bible says, “Do not make light of the Lord’s discipline and do not lose heart when He rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one He loves and he chastens everyone He accepts as His son.” Hebrews 12:5b

The reason why we initially used a training chain with our dog, was to condition her to trust us so that we could ultimately remove the training chain and replace it by voice command – therefore giving the dog more freedom so that she would in turn not harm herself or others. Nevertheless, regardless of our dog's sometimes stubborn nature, we enjoy the close relationship that is between Aussie and us.

Obviously, we are not dogs – we are humans :) - God treats us with great dignity.  One of the ways that He shows us His great love is by correcting us as it says in the Bible, “Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as His children. For what children are not disciplined by their fathers? If you are not disciplined – and everyone undergoes discipline – then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of Spirits and live? They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in His holiness” Hebrews 12:7-10

God waits patiently for us to rethink our choices. God also can use people to gently or not so gently get our attention. If however, we continue to stray, He may get our attention in a way that is drastic and sudden - all for our good. The sooner we recognize His “pull”, the softer the “jerk” :).

The next time you feel God’s “pull”, remember it is the child that He loves that He corrects and He delights when we walk close to Him not by force, but by our own free will!

Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”  Hebrews 12:7-11

Blank Space!

Have you ever felt ready to do something but then felt uneasy as if something is stopping you?  

Maybe that feeling of doubt is God's Holy Spirit directing you by not giving you inner peace.

That is what happened to me today.  And then I read today's devotional by Oswald Chambers, "My Utmost for His Highest":

"There are times when you cannot understand why you cannot do what you want to do. When God brings the blank space, see that you do not fill it in, but wait. The blank space may come in order to teach you what sanctification means, or it may come after sanctification to teach you what service means. Never run before God's guidance. If there is the slightest doubt, then He is not guiding. Whenever there is doubt - don't!"

January is a time when we make New Year's resolutions and commit to make a change in our life. 

May I encourage you to first take a little time to pray and consult our Wonderful Counselor, Jesus Christ? God sees the beginning and the end and He is able to guide us not just in the first few weeks of the new year, but He is able to guide us through the entire year. In fact, He is able to guide us throughout our entire life!  

"In the beginning you may see clearly what God's will is-the severance of a friendship,the breaking off of a business relationship, something you feel distinctly before God is His will for you to do, never do it on the impulse of that feeling. If you do, you will end in making difficulties that will take years of time to put right. Wait for God's time to bring it round and He will do it without any heartbreak or disappointment. When it is a question of the providential will of God, wait for God to move." Oswald Chambers

FATHER, thank you for your guidance through the Holy Spirit. LORD, help us to respond to the leading of your Holy Spirit - whether that be moving forward or simply waiting for your perfect timing and for Your perfect peace.  In Jesus' Name - Amen.

"You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You. Isaiah 26:3

Continually and Ongoing!

“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” 

Colossians 3:1-2

Have you ever heard the saying, “Get your head in the game?” This morning while I was praying, I prayed this, "Father, I heard it said before, ‘Get your head in the game’ - Lord, I want to put my heart in Your Kingdom.”

Coaches usually make this comment, “Get your head in the game”, when they see their athletics performing in a lukewarm fashion and not as committed to the game as they should be. Coaches know when each of their players is not playing to their fullest potential.

The Apostle Paul exhorted the Colossians with this scripture, “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3:2

“The false teachers were instructing the Colossians to concentrate on temporal observance; in contrast, Paul instructs them to concentrate on the eternal realities of heaven. The Greek verb for "set" emphasizes an ongoing decision. Christians must continually discipline themselves to focus on eternal realities instead of the temporal realities of this earth.” Commentary

There is nothing more beautiful than seeing a person whose heart is passionate about the things they do. Whether the person is a singer, a musician, an athlete, an artist, a designer, a professional worker, a student, a teacher, a pastor, a caregiver or a housewife who is passionate about raising her children and loving her husband, having your heart completely given over to the task at hand is divine! 

When you see the people mentioned above in action, they make it look so natural and soooooo easy.  But we all know that it is an ongoing decision that each of them must make continually.

Let’s set our hearts and minds with Christ this 2014 and let’s continually make an ongoing decision to seek those things that are above. Let’s make 2014 the year when we completely and passionately live to bring God glory and fame.  Let’s continually and "ongoingly" set our hearts in His Kingdom!

A Man With A Nature Like Ours!

“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again and the heaven gave rain and the earth produced its fruit.” James 5:16b-18

Elijah was the most famous and dramatic of Israel’s prophets.  It is only fitting that God would use him during Ahab’s rule. Ahab is known as the most evil king of Israel. Ahab, along with his famous wife Jezebel, established the worship of a false god called Baal. The god Baal was worshipped because they believed that Baal was the god of the dew and the rain.

Elijah Proclaims a Drought

In order to turn God’s people back to the One and Only God, who is the Creator of the Universe, the rain, the wind and the thunder, Elijah was sent by God to Ahab. Elijah walks onto the scene unafraid, unannounced and uninvited and says this to Ahab, the King of Israel, “As the LORD God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years except at my word.” 1 Kings 17:1

God’s unfailing love for His people is proven as He uses Elijah to get his people’s attention.  At that time, their eyes and hearts were on the false god Baal. Elijah challenged the worshipers of Baal to a contest. Elijah said, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” Elijah said, “Call on the name of your gods and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God. So all the people answered and said, “What you say is good.” 1 Kings 18:24

The Baal worshippers called out to their god to answer by fire from the early morning to the late evening but there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention.  The Baal worshippers were so desperate in wanting their false god to answer them that they even danced around the altar and shouted loudly and slashed themselves with swords and spears, until their own blood flowed. But there was no response, no one answered or paid attention.

Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me.” Before Elijah called out to God to answer by fire, he instructed for this to be done, “Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.” Elijah asked for the waterpots to be filled and poured out on the altar three times until the water ran all around the altar. Elijah even made sure that the trench was filled with water! 1 Kings 18:30, 33,35

Now it was time for Elijah to prove who is the only God who hears! Elijah said, “LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that You are the LORD God and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.” 1 Kings 18;36-37

“Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench. Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces, and they said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!’”1 Kings 18:38-39

The Bible says that Elijah seized all the prophets of Baal and did away with them at the Brook Kishon.

The Drought Ends

What happens next is one of the main reasons I wrote this blog – to encourage you to never stop praying! Elijah was so confident of God’s promise (1 Kings 18:1) that he immediately tells Ahab before he sees one drop of rain, “Go up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”

Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.”1 Kings 18:42

Elijah was bowing down, praying to God asking the LORD to end the drought after 3 years and six months. He was asking his servant to go up and look towards the sea for a sign that rain is coming. But his servant came back and did not see a cloud in the sky!  His servant said, “There is nothing” (1 Kings 18:43b). However, Elijah doesn’t give up! Instead Elijah sends his servant back to check the sky seven times!  Don’t miss Elijah’s tenacity! The Bible says that on the seventh time his servant went looking towards the sea, he came back saying this to Elijah, “There is a cloud, as small as a man’s hand, rising out of the sea!”  That is all the confirmation that Elijah needed to hear!  Elijah immediately said this, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot, and go down before the rain stops you’.”

I love His faith! Elijah did not give up in praying to God – even when there was not a cloud in the sky!

May I encourage you today?

What have you been praying for?

Have you been discouraged because your prayers seem to go unheard and unanswered?

Have you been waiting a long time for God to fulfill His promise to you?

Continue praying! Remember Elijah’s faith – he told his servant to go check the sky seven times before there was a sign from God in the sky!  Elijah was acting based upon God’s word spoken to him in 1 Kings 18:1 when the LORD came to Elijah and said this, “Go, present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the earth.”

I love that all it took was a cloud in the sky as small as a man’s fist, for Elijah to confirm that a great, abundant rain was coming to shower the earth!

“Now it happened in the meantime that the sky became black with clouds and wind, and there was a heavy rain.” 1 Kings 18:45

I pray that we will not give up praying for what is righteous and good in God’s sight.

If we are experiencing any form of “drought” – whether it is in our relationships, our finances, or in our spiritual growth, I pray that even though we don’t see the small cloud in the distance, we will continue to pray!

I also pray that when we do see the small cloud in the distance, we will have the same confidence and boldness and faith as Elijah did to know that the rain is coming!

Blessings to you in the New Year!  May we continue to say what the people said, “The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!”