Wait?

On July 17, 2023   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 25: 4 – 5          God’s Word

Make your ways known to me, O Lord, and teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me because you are God, my savior. I wait all day long for you.

For many years now, this has been my prayer, that the Lord would teach me and show me his ways. Like many lovers, Yahweh and I have “our” song and its lyrics are these very words. Father has been faithful to lead me by His wisdom. None the less, I don’t know His ways and His thoughts as much as I would like. Today, I have found the reason. I have quoted the fourth verse for many years but for those with eyes to see and ears to year, there is a kicker at the end of the fifth verse; “I wait all day long for you.”

I remember the year I joked with my pastor that I was going to give God a watch for Christmas. Father God does not live on the same time standard which I do, and yet, His time is always perfect. I live on USA time. What is that? It is hurry, hurry, rush, rush, rush. It is impatient and NOW. What is this “wait all day long” business about? Are you kidding me? We want our answers now.

I will confess that this has been one of the biggest challenges of my spiritual life. I experience so much revelation when I take a week away from my “real” life because I take the time to sit outside, decompress and listen to the voice of my Father. It’s not truly that He is late, it’s that I must slow down enough to hear.

Do you know that everything has its own vibrational frequency? Your internal organs each have a specific frequency. I wonder if the frequency of my Father’s voice, frequency being the rate of the sound waves, is slower than the rate at which I run. Perhaps we need to slow down and match His vibration so that we can hear His voice. It’s like my life runs at a speed of 50 but His voice is 25. Does that make sense? Can we see that our pace of life can outrun the leading of the Lord? On the one hand we pray, Father, show us how we should proceed, show us your path, but then we start running so fast that the answer to that very prayer gets swept up in our wake; never heard, never attended.

I am not trying to fool anyone. I don’t like waiting any more than anyone else, but when I want to complain that Father has not answered my prayer or hasn’t given me direction, I realize that He has been speaking, but I did not hear.

My life is probably not that different from yours. It is a cacophonous barrage of things to do, calls to make, responsibilities, etc. The noise of my life is deafening at times. You are busy too! I have learned one thing though, busy is a four-letter word!

God is faithful. He is answering us right now. Maybe we both need to learn to wait a few minutes to get divine direction before we get lost in the tall weeds again this week. Maybe if we pause, even for a moment, we will hear our beloved’s guiding words. Will you join me in halting briefly this Monday morning as we begin yet another week, to wait and hear the voice of our God and Father? Can we show enough honor to our own lives, and for our personal value, to wait upon the Lord? Isn’t He worth it? Aren’t we?

I pray, in the name of Jesus, that you hear His voice today, that you hear the words of guidance and instruction as you begin a new week, and that in waiting you are blessed, encouraged and profited. In His name, Amen.

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Confidence

On July 10, 2023   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 27: 13 – 14          (NIV)

I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

You know, life isn’t always easy. We know that we have the victory of the Lord, but sometimes living in the fulness of that victory is a challenge. I want to encourage you today. Don’t give up. Don’t despair. If we persist, we shall see the goodness of the Lord and I have no doubt.

This passage was written by David. He had a most interesting relationship with Yahweh, our God and Father. In fact, I think it is a good exercise to read David’s psalms solely with an eye on relationship language, looking at how he interacted with God.

David went through some trials, to say the least. One of the most informative examples of his life was how he faithfully served Saul only to find himself persecuted by the very same Saul to whom showed such honor and servitude. There is a life lesson there alone. Young David found himself pursued by Saul’s troops for no reason. He had no peace or rest, in the natural, but learned to find his solace and peace in the love and protection of the Father.

David urges us to stay strong and take heart as we await the goodness of the Lord. It is what he did. Although Saul persecuted and harassed him, God established the throne of Israel in David. In fact, Jesus is of the house of David. So, although David may have, at times, been down, he was never out, and he knew it because he knew who his father was. He knew that God would not fail him and that he would see the goodness of the Lord on this side of heaven.

My hope is that David’s experience and his words offer encouragement today. God is alive and He is attentive. He loves you and sends this word to lift your spirits and give you hope. Be blessed.

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Freedom

On July 3, 2023   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Galatians 5: 1

It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

As we celebrate our day of Independence, perhaps we can also say a “Thank You” to Jesus for the liberty he bought us. In fact, it is this very idea of liberty which Jesus provided that is at the heart of the Independence Day story.

The founders believed that God made us to enjoy freedom and that no government had to right to take away from us that which Jesus won for us. Paul recognized, though, that freedom is a fragile thing. It is not sealed in concrete. That is why Paul counseled that we must continue to stand firm. However, it wasn’t governmental entities that Paul was concerned about. In fact, Jesus’ disciples thought he came to bring political freedom. There is a much more devastating bondage, and it is from this slavery that Jesus set us free. It is about this kind of slavery that Paul warned us. It is spiritual slavery.

On this Independence Day, take some time to talk with the Heavenly Father. Ask Him, “What is it that binds me? Is there anything which keeps me from living in the fullness of liberty that you had in mind for me?” People understand bondage to a chemical dependency like drugs or alcohol, but there are more insidious chains which, though sometimes almost invisible, have the power to undermine our lives, our happiness and even our destinies. Let Jesus be your liberator this Independence Day!

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Harvest

On June 26, 2023   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Galatians 6: 7 & 9

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. And let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.

Some of you have sown good seed into the Kingdom of God but you have not seen a harvest. Do not give up. God said you will reap if you don’t give up.

When Daniel prayed to the Lord he was heard by God. And God sent an angel to Daniel, but it took the angel of God twenty-one days to reach Daniel. The Bible tells us that the forces of Satan hindered the angel of the Lord so that God actually sent Michael, one of his archangels to help (Daniel 10).

The devil is trying to hinder your blessing in just the same way, but God has told us that as long as we don’t give up, we win. The forces of God will always overcome the forces of Satan. Additionally, we have something important that Daniel didn’t have. We have Jesus, the overcomer. Jesus has already defeated Satan and all of the forces of this world.

Satan does not have any real power anymore. He must trick you into defeating yourself. If he can get you to give up, he wins even though the answer had already been sent from heaven. Another trick he has is that he will try to get you to speak something negative out of your mouth. By the words of your mouth, you can pull your own seed out of the ground and stomp on it. Or you can speak good words and water that seed. It is your choice, but the devil will try to trick you into defeating your own crop. If you will hang in there and keep confessing God’s blessing in your life, you are going to have whatsoever you pray for. Don’t give up! Don’t give in! You win.

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It’s For You!

On June 19, 2023   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment


Psalm 27: 7 – 9

Hear me as I pray, O Lord.
Be merciful and answer me!
8 My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.”
And my heart responds, “Lord, I am coming.”
9 Do not turn your back on me.
Do not reject your servant in anger.
You have always been my helper.
Don’t leave me now; don’t abandon me,
O God of my salvation!

I take such comfort from David’s writings because he wrote what I feel. His experiences, though so different in many ways, caused within him the same responses, dilemmas and hopes that we have. Look within your own heart. Can you feel his cry for God to hear him as he prayed and to be responsive? As you cry for help, you want to know that God hears you, that He is sympathetic to your plight and that He will help.

Likewise, David revealed that Father is calling out to us. Is that not a comfort of its own? Think about that for a moment. The God of the universe, the Almighty, the creator of the heavens the earth and us, has nothing better to do but to call out to you inviting you to go and talk with Him. That is really amazing if you think about it. Yahweh God wants you to sit and chat with Him. David touches my heart in his response, “Lord, I am coming,” because it sounds young and eager. God called and David turned to Him. Sometimes God calls to us too, truly every day He is calling out to us, but I don’t always answer. Why not? Why don’t we run to His call? It sounds a little insane, doesn’t it? In reality, do we actually hear His call? How come David heard God invite him to conversation and we do not? Does this trouble you as it does me?

David said that God had always been his helper. Don’t you want to have the same testimony? Above all, though, I think it is the familiarity in David’s tone that ministers to me most. He entreats the Lord not to abandon him, but between the lines you understand that David is confident that the Father will, again, answer his call.

David seems to have had a personal relationship with the Lord, even a friendship. The good news is that he didn’t have anything we cannot have, especially since we are on this side of calvary. I think that is why I like reading David. He gives me hope of the kind of relationship I can have with the Lord, and don’t we all need that? Isn’t that what draws us?

I am encouraged and hope you are as well. The Father God is calling out to you right now; calling you to come and have a chat? The Almighty wants to spend His time just speaking with you and hearing what is on your mind. The Lord is calling! Answer the phone!

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The One Thing

On June 12, 2023   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

 

 

Luke 10: 41 – 42

But answering her, the Lord said, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and bothered about many things; but only one thing is necessary.

I have been talking about the “one thing” for a while now. The reason is because this is the lesson I am learning. The Lord, our Father continues to peel back layers of the onion so that I can see more clearly what He means by “BE” with me. Just BE, rather than “Do” with me. What a simple yet challenging concept.

When Moses asked the Lord who he should say sent Him, God responded with, “This is what you shall say to the sons of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Exodus 3: 14). There is something both simple and profound about Yahweh’s answer and so many different meanings you can unpack. The newly revealed layer of the onion that I am now seeing for the first time is that God didn’t define Himself by what He did or was doing. His solid, enduring power is in the straightforwardness of just being. He is the God of many events and actions, without doubt, but the bedrock of our relationship with Him and of who He is can be found most clearly in the verb “to be.”

The picture above is of my lunch spot on a recent bike ride. You can see my bike there on the edge of the table. I also stopped at this site on my way back to my car. As I sat there with my legs stretched out, looking at the trees and the river just beyond, I thought I could at least pray while I sat there taking a break. Immediately, though, I felt the Holy Spirit stir within me and Father say, “Or you could just do nothing, just be with Me.”

Wow! There was that simple “being” with God again. It’s what Jesus tried to convey to Martha and what he suggested to the rich, young ruler. “Come be with me.” Some of us, me in particular, try to do everything. We do so much, in fact, that there is little quiet time within us. Our spirits and minds are whirring so fast and so constantly that it can be quite challenging to hear God or to fellowship in His presence.

This spot along the river was tranquil. Taking God’s words to heart, I calmed my mind and just enjoyed the beauty. All of a sudden, I became aware of lots of birds around me, the sound of the river, the rustle of leaves and the wind caressed them and the buzzing of insect wings. It was peaceful and beautiful.

I found myself relaxing and enjoying just taking in the sights and sounds. In that moment, I knew God. He was there with me. We didn’t have to chat, pray, plan or do anything. It was all about just enjoying time in His presence, just being with Him.

I believe we need these moments. We lead such busy lives these days that we create chaos and unrest within our souls. We need time when we can bask in God’s presence without doing anything; just resting in Him. It is restorative and healing.

Some of you can hear this, some of you can’t. I know, because it has taken me all these years to learn to slow down and just “be” with Yahweh. Father God didn’t save us so that He would have more employees. He saved us so He would have more kids to spend time with, to enjoy life with. Apparently, life wasn’t meant to be go, go, go. The idiom, stop and smell the roses comes to mind. We say it, but some of us still don’t do it. Well, maybe we can all take a couple of minutes today to stop for a moment and just “Be” in Father’s presence, just enjoy being without having to do anything.

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Deliver Me

On June 5, 2023   /   Word of the Day   /   2 Comments

Psalm 22: 24

For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither has He hidden His face from him; but when he cried to Him for help, He heard.

This is really good news. God has not hidden his face from you nor from anyone else. Regardless of how nasty and ugly your mess is, God has not and will not hide His face from you. And believe it or not, He has seen worse. Remember this is the same God that watched His son be tortured and crucified. So, your disaster is not going to shock Him. Moreover, no matter how big your mess, when you cry out to the Lord, He hears you and listens to you.

Now I know there is someone right now saying, “Hey, He didn’t hear me when I called.” Oh yes, He did. My evidence is the Word of God. What is yours? Are you saying God’s Word is not good? Did He lie? Of course, that is not true so something is wrong with your evidence.

Here is a problem that I have noticed and it may well answer the question of why you think God wasn’t listening to you. I have been praying for a number of people to be blessed (and don’t forget I pray for each of you every day as well). So, I’m praying for blessings for these folks and two things have happened that I have noticed. The first dynamic is that a blessing comes to them and they turn it down or turn it away. They have trouble receiving for whatever reason. Now they want to be blessed, but they don’t know how to receive a blessing. The other thing I have noticed is that sometimes when the blessing does make its way through, they don’t recognize it. They never stop and appreciate the miracle that just occurred in their lives. They let these things slip by almost unnoticed. In fact, they kind of hold their breath waiting for it to blow up because they really don’t believe God is going to bless them. Sometimes I have had the opportunity to point out the move of God for them and it makes quite an impression then.

You see, many times we really don’t expect God to bless us, so we actually block the blessings. We pray for answers to our problems, but we actually close off our hearts to the move of God, usually out of fear and doubt. Then even when He is actually able to sneak a blessing in, we are so fearful that it is not going to really work or that something is going to happen to take it away that we discount it instead of embracing it.

What we need to do is pray and then expect God to answer that prayer. Believe He is going to hear you and show up on the scene. He does it all of the time. We just have to let Him in. Give Him room to express His love in your life, and then move out of His way. Don’t try to fix your own problems. You make it worse and interfere with God’s deliverance. Pray and get out of the way. Put that problem in His “inbox” and leave it there. He is capable, more capable than we are. Then you can send me the testimony of what a great God we have. I am looking forward to hearing the story.

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