Category Archives: My Story. My Faith.

The Blessings of Weakness

14 Friday Sep 2012

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Scripture – Ezekiel 34:16 (KJV) I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick…

(The Message) I’ll go after the lost, I’ll collect the strays, I’ll doctor the injured, I’ll build up the weak ones and oversee the strong ones so they are not exploited…

Observation – This verse is such a praise for every man, woman and child. God doesn’t just pick and cultivate those who are without hurts or pains. Instead, He embraces those who are hurting, showing them His grace and love.

Application – This verse is very personal to me. It is the basis for First Step Ministry, which God placed on my shoulders to carry. I love that He so specifically says He will seek the lost and bind up the broken. I have been broken so many times in my life. Each time, I have wondered if I would be restored. Kind of like the cat with nine lives, I have wondered just how many “lives” I am going to get before God says enough is enough. And yet, when you read this verse, it is clear that there is no end to His love. We are able to be most effective to God when we are at our weakest point. For it is at that moment that we turn over control to Him and allow Him to mold us into the disciple we should be. I would never have pegged myself for ministry. There are some even today who think I am not cut out for ministry because of the hardships my life has endured. They feel that if I would just “give up this ministry thing” and focus on being a mother and wife, I would be much better off. That’s not what God wants for me. “I’ll build up the weak ones…” Being weak is not a bad thing. Weakness and vulnerability are attributes to be used by God. My clients are lost and injured. They are broken and sick. So were the chosen 12. Jesus chose them because of their weaknesses. It’s our imperfections that make us so perfect for God.

Prayer – Lord God, thank you for using my weaknesses as an asset to further your kingdom. Help us all to remember that the lost and broken are as much your children as the strong and seemingly perfect. Help us to love equally. Amen

Am I Important, God?

27 Monday Aug 2012

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Scripture -Psalms 144:3 (New English Translation)

“O Lord, of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them? Of what importance is mankind, that you should be concerned about them?”

Observation – David is asking the Lord the question that most of us probably have wondered from time to time – why would God be interested in us? The two questions within this verse may sound simple but they are the essence of so much of our faith.

Application – Have you ever stood at the edge of the ocean or on top of a mountain? Have you ever just watched the sun set and listened to the sounds of nature? Any of these moments can be so awe-inspiring that a simple human thought would be to ask why we would be important to a God who can do all these things – create all of these creations. Of course there are also the moments when we seem so insignificant to God because we choose to be distant and small. Instead of looking at these moments and these creations as so big we can’t wrap our minds around our significance, we should seize the moment to thank God for making such creations for each of us. But more than any of that, we must remember the one thing that God did. It’s the one thing that sealed his love for us for eternity. It’s the thing that shows each human being why we are important to God. He sacrificed His son for me. For you. If that doesn’t answer the question, nothing will!

Prayer – Lord, thank you for the beauty you have created here on Earth. Please forgive me for not taking the time to notice each moment for what it is – the beauty of your creations. I am sorry for not believing my significance to you. You have continued to show your love for me from the moment I was born. Thank you for never leaving me. Amen

As sure as the sun rises….

24 Friday Aug 2012

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Scripture – Jeremiah 33:25-26 (The Message)

“Well, here’s GOD’s response: ‘If my covenant with day and night wasn’t in working order, if sky and earth weren’t functioning the way I set them going, then, but only then, you might think I had disowned the descendants of Jacob and of my servant David, and that I wouldn’t set up any of David’s descendants over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But as it is, I will give them back everything they’ve lost. The last word is, I will have mercy on them.'”

Observation – The people are convinced that God has abandoned them. They have lost all faith in God and are relying on their own understanding of what is going on. It’s unfortunate because God has continued to assure them of His promise. He has asked for such simple things in return for their faith and trust.

Application – Even though these two verses took place long before Jesus Christ was born, I see this very same doubt in people today. How often do we ask God why He has allowed bad things to happen to us? There have been times in my life when I most certainly inquired of God if He had disowned me. But these two verses really put that thought into perspective. Think about it. He said, “if my covenant with day and night wasn’t in working order, if sky and earth weren’t functioning the way I set them going…” Has there ever been a time when the day and night didn’t occur just as they were supposed to? Of course not. He has assured us that He will never again wipe out the human race (the rainbow covenant). Instead, He consistently provides for our needs when we reach out to Him and follow His lead. In essence, He gives us mercy just as He did then. Knowing that I can continuously count on the “sky and earth functioning the way he set them going” is enough for me to believe that He will have mercy on me when I seek Him. He may not “bail me out of a jam” but He will always stand in that “jam” with me. That is mercy.

Prayer – Lord, why is it that in times of turmoil we lash out at you instead of clinging to you? Please forgive me for any doubts I have had about your love and mercy for me. Help me to feel your presence in all I do, and be blessed with all you give. Thank you for the mercy you show and the promise of never abandoning me. Amen.

Bold and Free

23 Thursday Aug 2012

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Scripture – 1 John 3:20-22

It’s also the way to shut down debilitating self-criticism, even when there is something to it. For God is greater than our worried hearts and knows more about us than we do ourselves. And friends, once that’s taken care of and we’re no longer accusing or condemning ourselves, we’re bold and free before God! We’re able to stretch our hands out and receive what we asked for because we’re doing what he said, doing what pleases him.

Observation – We are often our greatest critics. But what are we really criticizing? God’s work? Probably. God made us perfectly in His eyes and we are all too ready to find wrongs in all we are. If we would learn to love the way God loves, we would not find fault in all we are. God waits on us to see and accept our weaknesses. When we do, we are no longer bound to the chains we have self-imposed. It’s impossible to be “bold and free before God” when we are bound by shame and human pride.

Application – I am definitely my greatest critic. I have been that way my entire life. I can name off external and internal “faults” I have without even taking a breath. But after studying this scripture, I am ashamed of this thought process. What am I so worried about all of the time? Who am I trying to please? Other imperfect humans?! There is only one whose opinion matters and I’ve put His on the back-burner. God already knows everything about me – including the mistakes I make and will make in the future. He knows the choices I have followed. Despite my best efforts to prove otherwise, I am quite acceptable to God. It’s at the time that I finally give up trying to be perfect and just turn it over to God that He comforts me. I am just amazed that God never gives up on me. Instead, He loves me even more at my weakest moments. Wow!

Prayer – Lord, I want to be bold and free before you. I want the world to see you in everything I do. I want to serve you in the way you made me to serve. But all of this impossible if I spend my time criticizing and shaming myself. Please forgive me for my human pride. I know now that weakness is a blessing to embrace not a trait to hide. Thank you, Lord, for making me perfectly acceptable to you, just as I am. Amen.

Standing On The Edge

22 Wednesday Aug 2012

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Scripture – Psalms 118:13 (The Message)
“I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall, when GOD grabbed and held me.”

Observation – We make choices daily, some guide us toward the path God has laid while others lead us toward despair. But God is always there, ready to help us when we need Him most.

Application – I can think of so many times in my life when I have been on the “cliff-edge, ready to fall.” Each time, I was brought back from that edge to see things were not as bad as I once thought. But even more compelling is the thought that it’s when we are finally on our “cliff-edge” that we reach out to God finally. He never fails us. He wants us to cling to Him in times of joy and pain. Everyone has experienced a time when they are at the end of their rope. It’s how we deal with that moment that changes things. If we continue to try to do things on our own, falling off the cliff is going to happen and we plunge deeper to our “bottom”. But, if we rely on God, He will hold on to us even when we are not sure how to hold on to Him. It’s a leap worth taking when it’s a leap of faith.

Prayer – Lord, I am amazed by your love and strength. I have found myself so often on the cliff’-edge, ready to fall into a bottomless pit. In my past, I refused to reach for you, but you still held on to me. Thank you, Lord, for such perfect love. I pray for your presence to always be apparent both during times of joy and pain. Amen.

You Are The Clay

16 Thursday Aug 2012

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Scripture – Jeremiah 18:6-8 (The Message)

“Watch this potter. In the same way that this potter works his clay, I work on you, people of Israel. At any moment I may decide to pull up a people or a country by the roots and get rid of them. But if they repent of their wicked lives, I will think twice and start over with them.”

Observation – God has all the power to do what He wants but He knows we are moldable, just like the clay the potter uses. He wants to give us ever opportunity to get rid of the wrong in our lives.

Application – I believe that God is always ready to mold us. The problem comes when we refuse to allow ourselves to be His mold. We close ourselves off to the possibility that He can make us into anything more than what we already are. At any one time, we make choices – either to follow His lead or follow our own lead. The beauty is that God has always been willing to “start over” with us whenever we are willing to look to Him. He loves us and doesn’t want to see us crushed like the pottery that is not perfect. He sees all of us as perfect pieces of pottery, ready to be used for the exact reason He created us. And, just like pottery, we are each unique and one of kind.

Prayer – Lord, I want to see myself as pottery created by you for a specific purpose. Forgive me for the times I have thought I knew better for my life then you. Guide me, Lord, in the direction you want me to go and walk beside me, molding me along the way. Amen

Remove the Mask

14 Tuesday Aug 2012

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Scripture – Jeremiah 17:10 (The Message)

“But I, GOD, search the heart and examine the mind.I get to the heart of the human.I get to the root of things.I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be.”

Observation – God sees through the mask we often present to the earthly world. He knows the depths of our hearts and what we are really feeling and thinking. He isn’t fooled by our attempts to cover and masquerade.

Application – I have often said that I wore a mask for many years. I remember tearing off that mask and the feeling of vulnerability was almost suffocating at first. Yet, it didn’t have to be. God already knew what I was hiding. He loved me in spite of my attempts to conceal the core of my being. Looking at it now, it’s a very freeing thing — to know that my friend, my father, my lord — knows me better then anyone and still loves me completely and unconditionally. If He, who is without sin, can love this sinner, then why do I worry about the approval and opinions of others so much?

Prayer – Lord, thank you for seeing beyond the mask. You have always been there, even when I tried to hide from you. You have waited patiently for me and wooed me until I finally came to your arms. Please forgive my resistance to be my authentic self. Amen

Delivered

13 Monday Aug 2012

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Scripture – Jeremiah 15:21 (The Message)

“I’ll deliver you from the grip of the wicked. I’ll get you out of the clutch of the ruthless.”

Observation – God is all-powerful but He is also all-loving. In the verses leading up to this one, God was showing His anger to Jeremiah. But then His love showed up. He wants nothing more then for His people to love Him and worship Him.

Application – I believe there are times that we, as humans, feel we have gone too far into our sins to recover. I know that I have thought that in the past. I can remember times thinking, “there’s simply no way God can ever forgive me for this.” But that was just the Evil One trying to win out. God forgives all who truly seek forgiveness. There are not degrees of sins. One sin isn’t worse then another. They are all equally wicked. And, as He said, He will “deliver you from the grip of the wicked.” The thing we must remember is that we have to ask Him to deliver us. He is always there waiting. We just get too prideful to ask for His help. I am amazed by the length He will go to love me when I ask Him too. I have seen so many people delivered from ruthless behavior. I know it was because the Lord intervened in their lives when they surrendered to His will. It’s when we lack faith that He can help us that we find ourselves hopeless.

Prayer – Lord, thank you for ever constant love. I know I have disappointed you in my life many times, and yet, like any good father, you are always there. You are always ready to lift me up and kiss the hurt away. I praise you, Lord, for the forgiveness you constantly show me. Please continue to lead me down the right path and always convict my heart when I stray. Amen

Reckless Love

13 Monday Aug 2012

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Scripture – John 12:25

In the same way, anyone who holds on to life just as it is destroys that life. But if you let it go, reckless in your love, you’ll have it forever, real and eternal.

Observation – Jesus is saying to go out and spread His message. He doesn’t just want people to believe; He wants people to witness and multiply God’s kingdom. He knows that the only way others will learn of the love of God, those who believe must abolish all fear and serve Him openly.

Application – Today’s world is so “politically correct” that we tend to forget this important aspect of being a follower of Christ. It seems that we are too concerned with stepping on someone’s toes or offending someone that we just hold onto God’s word instead of sharing it. I think about all of the opportunities I have missed sharing His word because I was unsure if it would be acceptable. Thankfully, I have grown so deeply in my faith that I am not concerned with such things anymore. But I can definitely look back and see how “destroyed” my life was because I didn’t “recklessly” love God and share the life I knew to be true. Who missed out on having a Jesus moment because I “held on to life”?

Prayer – Dear Lord, I am so grateful for your Word and the guidance you show me daily — hourly, even. Please forgive me for not always sharing that gratitude with others. It is my hope to be a walking witness of your love through my life. I ask you, Lord, to guide me as I meet people. I pray that each day I make you proud. Amen.

Going Deeper

11 Saturday Aug 2012

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Scripture – John 10:24-25

The Jews, circling him, said, “How long are you going to keep us guessing? If you’re the Messiah, tell us straight out.” Jesus answered, “I told you, but you don’t believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words.

Observation – Jesus keeps telling and showing the Jewish people who he is and that He was sent by God for them. They just couldn’t get past their own faithlessness to see what was right in front of them.

Application – How many times has God shown me His presence only to hear me say, “how long are you going to keep me guessing?” I am like so many who choose not to see Him in everything, everywhere. I have to begin to really see, with not only my eyes, but with my heart. Only then can I see Him in front of me and hear Him all around me.

Prayer – Dear Lord, you have given me such blessings and still I sometimes forget that your grace is forever. In times of trouble, I doubt you, even asking you where you are. Please forgive me. I am humbled by my lack of faith at times and your constant love. Help me to open my heart to receive your Word in all I do. Amen.