Finished Project

The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. Psalm 118:24 NIV

What about this verse excites you? I like the part that states the Lord has done it today. He has done it. It is finished. Not will be. Not maybe. It is finished and we should rejoice.

Don't you love it when you finish a project that you've been working on? You can relax and celebrate your accomplishment. It's done and it's time to enjoy it.

God's promises are already fulfilled. He's already done what he said he would so. It's time to rejoice in all he's done.

Slow Cookers and Congress

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:9 NIV

A funny thing happened on capitol hill today...nothing. This is a funny but true statement. We understand slowness alright. We've watched as Congress moves at the speed of molasses to get things done. And if you've ever worked for a government agency you know slow. This is not to impune the work that Congress or governments do, it's just that we know there are many processes necessary to get approval for something.

This is not God's slow. God's slow is more like a slow cooker, patiently working to bring forth delicious flavors in the food. He is patient and not rushed, knowing we may one day turn to him. It's much like a parent patiently waiting for a child to carry out what they've been told, letting them figure out how to get it done, and not getting angry or impatient.

God loves us. He wants all of us to be with him. So he will wait. Don't make him wait too long.

Guides

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. John 14:1 NIV

When was the last time you had to intelligently and methodically talk yourself off a ledge by making one factual system after another until you reached a logical conclusion? I probably do it every day or close to it. We all do. Sometimes we do it to others to get them to calm down or to follow a thought through to its natural finish. Although this process works, it's easy to get stuck in the middle of it. Then you can't finish the thought or process the emotion and you're just, well, stuck. Panic ensues. The world collapses. Mass hysteria. At least in our minds that's how it seems.

Most of the time we don't have a road map on how to get through these conundrums. God knows this and offers us not only the map but also a guide to get us there. We don't have to worry about getting lost. And if we do, the guide comes to find us. So God says that we shouldn't be troubled. We know we believe in God, so believe also in his son. The two are one and the same.

So the next time you get lost remember that your guide knows the best way out.

Citizenship

Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— John 1:12 NIV

I was born in America to American citizens. My husband was too, as were my children. But that wasn't always the case. We are not Native Americans, so our ancestors came from another country at some point in the past. But also at some point these ancestors gained citizenship and so their heirs are entitled to all that being natural born citizenship grants to them. We now enjoy those rights so long as we don't break the law. We are children of America.

Because we have believed in God's son, it's sort of heaven's version of gaining citizenship. We are no longer strangers in a strange land. We are family, children of God. Along with this comes all the blessings bestowed upon God's own son. We enjoy the privilege of God's grace and shelter so long as we live by faith.

We are now born of God and no longer strangers.

Cupcakes and the Bible

13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 NIV

Ok so God is listening to our conversations. My hubby and I were talking about this in the car on the way to work. There was a news report about a woman arrested who had been working as a treasurer for a church and decided to help herself to some funds since no one was reviewing her work or the statements. Temptation got the best of her.

We've all been there. We've all fallen short. Hopefully at some point you were able to resist, and I'm not talking about not eating that second cupcake, but then again I am. Temptation comes from all sides. If you need to get healthy and lower your blood sugar, then even the first cupcake is a no no, and temptation will certainly strike for that second one. Don't give in. You'll be rewarded.

If you need to pay off debt, that balance in your checkbook looks pretty nice. Oh I have cash I'm not using my credit card. Yes but did you make extra payments to your debt rather than eat out? It will be worth it.

There is nothing in this world so tempting that we can't resist with the help of the spirit. God has given us some powerful tools. We just have to use them. But read the manual first, also known as the Bible. Sometimes those tools don't work the way you think they will.

Barriers

23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23‭-‬24 NIV

God is cool. I just prayed this prayer as I was driving home last night. I wanted to know if there was anything blocking me from his work in my life. I'd been struggling at work trying to connect to my employees and it wasn't going well with some. As I prayed this prayer God placed on my heart that I should ask forgiveness for the part I'd played in any misunderstanding. Me apologize? But I've only ever been nice and easy going. Why do I have to apologize? They're the ones with the issues, right? Wrong. Herein lies what's wrong with pretty much everything: I'm not to blame; it's someone else's fault.

Think about that for a minute. Then think about a moment when you took issue with something. Were you blameless in the exchange? What about your attitude? Was it all about you?

I realized my attitude was holier than though in nature. I wasn't exhibiting a servant's heart. I was making it about me. Yes, they carry some of the responsibility, but not all. So I apologized. I acknowledged the part I played in the misunderstanding. We are now able to move forward.

God will change your heart if you let him. He will help you understand what's going on and give you wisdom and clarity. But you must acknowledge your part and ask for any barriers to be removed...and mean it.

Neighbor

For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Galatians 5:14 NIV

Everything hinges on this one commandment. But how can we love each other if we don't even love ourselves. Or on the flip side, how can we love each other if we are so self indulged that we walk through this world only caring about ourselves? We must all accept our part in what gors so horribly wrong when we don't keep this commandment.

And we can't pick and choose who to love. Our strength in loving others lies within our weakness that needs God's grace. We must humble ourselves and let God move through us. It's the only way we will grow. It's the only way we can truly keep the commandments. It's the only way we can take our weaknesses and turn them into strengths that will serve his purpose.

Let God love others through you today. Be God's vessel.

Work for it

10 Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it. Malachi 3:10 NIV

I think over the years of hearing this verse it was used most often to guilt people into tithing. I'm not going into that subject here because I want to focus on another part of the verse. God says to bring in the tithe 'so there may be food in my house'. Why do you think he said it this way? I think it's because he's making sure the Israelites know they have to work for their subsistence. In order to receive the blessing they had to make sacrifices. This is confirming the new testaments declaration that faith without works is dead.

You can believe God will pay your bills,  but that doesn't mean you sit around all day waiting for a check. God's given you health and abilities to get a job.

You can pray that God feeds the homeless people in your city,  but food doesn't fall from heaven. Get out there and volunteer your time to help feed them.

The Israelites weren't just given their freedom from the Egyptians. They had to work for it, following God's instructions.

To have food in the house they needed to go get it and bring it in. Then God sees the faithfulness followed through and he blesses from there. Bring the tithe. Be faithful in all you do. God will bless the work of your hands.

Bandaids

“Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Romans 4:7 NIV

Sins are like wounds and can fester and get infected if not treated. Sin injects your heart with poison and it can bleed into every part of your life. Like any wound, in order to heal it must be properly covered and treated. Open wounds will not heal and can cause serious problems.

Sin must be covered, covered in the blood of Jesus and by the grace of God. His grace heals and protects us from further infection and damage. The blood cleanses so that we are clean and made righteous in him.

Blameless

The righteous lead blameless lives; blessed are their children after them. Proverbs 20:7 NIV

I'm doomed. Chances are you are too. The Bible says there are none righteous. None. So where do these righteous people come from? How do they lead blameless lives? I want my children to be blessed as I'm sure you do. So what gives?

Just as we know there are none righteous, the Bible also tells us we are made righteous when we accept Christ as our savior and give our hearts to God. We got that covered. So let's move to the blameless part.

Are you thinking of running for office? If you are, is there anything that would cause you problems if it was made public? What about your Facebook posts? Twitter? When my potential employers were thinking about hiring me, they knew my professional attributes, but they looked into my social media pages,  even reading this blog! Lucky for me I've nothing to hide. I'm not blameless as in I've never sinned (I woke up today didn't I?). I'm blameless in that I know my heart is an open book. There is nothing in my life that's so heinous or bad that I wouldn't want it shared. There is a peace that comes with living such that you don't apologize for living. This is living blameless.

We are made righteous. We live blameless. Our children see how we live, are brought up to live the same way, and are blessed in God's eyes because of it. It carries from generation to generation.

Don't be righteous. Be made righteous and live blameless.

The Palace

10 The name of the Lord is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe. Proverbs 18:10 NIV

I've been watching The Crown, a series on Netflix. It's fantastic. You should check it out. A lot of the action takes place at Buckingham Palace and it's breathtakingly beautiful. It's purpose is to house the royal family and serve as the official headquarters of the queen. Much like our White House. It's the official residence of our president as well as his official headquarters. The security measures are intense, specifically designed to protect the occupants and visitors. It's fortified against attack because of its importance to national security.

We see the White House and Buckingham Palace in the physical world. But God's name, just his name, is stronger than these fortresses put together. You call on him, run to him, and nothing can do you harm.

Believe on his name and eternal life is yours.

Villages

2 Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 NIV

A fellow student and myself are high rank testing in March. It's not hard intellectually but it's brutal physically. Many sparring rounds can get you winded and fatigued to the point you're too weak to break boards. But that's why we train and train hard. Today we had some practice rounds and this fellow student and I sparred each other. We didn't spar hard and had light contact but we sparred clean and helped each other out. We are going to make sure to help and support each other along with our other fellow students and instructors. We can't get there on our own. It really does take a village. Our martial arts village has some amazing people and we are fortunate to have found a place that truly builds you mind, body and spirit.

Wouldn't it be great if you had that everywhere you went, especially your church and your home? This verse commands us to do just that. It's not that the single mom can't function on her own, but why should she have to? We are to help share her burdens. It's not that the young college student can't survive college on his own, but why should he? He needs a village to help encourage him when things get tough or temptation becomes too great.

It's not that we can't. It's that we shouldn't. Let's help each other. If each of us reached out to just one, the world would transform. God's love would be seen everywhere. Who will we help today?

Testing

Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1 NIV

As soon as I read this, two things, well rather three things, came to mind: fake clinics, forgiving abusers, and Oprah (we'll leave Oprah for another time; I'll address the other two). There was a bill introduced in our state's senate to allow taxpayer funding for pregnancy crisis centers who provide alternatives to abortion. My first thought is, my taxpayer money goes towards things I don't agree with and I'm not having a conniption fit over those things. My second thought is, why are they belittling alternatives to abortion? If I was a young girl, finding myself pregnant with no resources, wouldn't I want to know about all my choices, not just one? Oh wait - I have! And I was given choices. If you're trying to decide which house to buy, wouldn't you want choices and wouldn't you want to be able to have a place that provides all the options? Isn't that what all these websites are about, like Trivago, Zimbio, and others? Giving you all the options. Testing the spirits in this case would reveal that you're not being told everything and that abortion is the only alternative. And yes, I do know there are anti-abortion clinics out there who don't do it right either.

The other article I saw this morning was about how the forgiveness culture of evangelicals has allowed abusers to get off scott free and has hurt victims, calling it 'cheap grace'. Beware - this is definitely not of God. The author of the article is under the notion that if we forgive someone of their sins and offer them support that we are excusing their behavior. Pardon me, but I think not, and if Jesus was here he'd call them on their misguided attempts to pervert Christianity. We as Christians do not get to just go on our merry way because we're forgiven, and if someone is teaching you that then that is a spirit you need to test. True forgiveness comes with us owning up to what we did, making it right, and offering restitution (which may sometimes mean going to jail or losing a job).

Fake news is everywhere, even in churches and schools. We hear a lot of things. I see a news story and I test it to be sure it's somewhat accurate (most are not - shocking, I know). But with knowledge and wisdom I process the information to get the most clear understanding and not just a one-sided world view. This is testing the spirits. Not all devotionals speak truth. I may have unknowingly misguided you. None of us are exempt from providing pseudo information at times. Being truthful and honest about what you know and what you don't is what builds integrity with your words.

Test the spirits. Open your mind and let God's word be the ultimate news source.

Angry Birds

26 “In your anger do not sin” : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. Ephesians 4:26‭-‬27 NIV

Never go to bed angry. Yeah right. Like that's easy, as in his on earth am I gonna sleep if I'm riled up about something. Or stressed or worried. Sleep doesn't come easy in those situations. Nighttime is when we are most tired. The exhaustion doesn't allow our brains to function properly and our emotions get out of whack.

Just last week after weeks of preparation we were 2 days away from hosting a party at our home
Not just ant party. Our daughters engagement party. I'd been running on fumes for a while but I was ok, until 2 days before. I hit a wall. I couldn't handle any more requests, any more things to do. I couldn't even answer simple questions. I was exhausted. Had I not realized it, a lot of damage could have been done. So I called it a night and went to bed.

In practicality I think that's what this verse is saying. Late at night is not the time to try to settle arguments or take on difficult tasks. That's when you might say or do something you regret, hence giving the devil that foothold. It would be best to leave it until the next day, allowing your mind to relax and recharge. And giving yourself time to pray about it too.

Treasure Island

2 Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart— Psalm 119:2 NIV

Everyone is seeking something. There has probably been a time in your life where you were desperately searching for something. It consumed every minute of your day and every inch of your soul. Myths and legends are born of someone seeking treasure or knowledge or lost cities. Movies pull you in with stories of the hero seeking revenge or truth such that we root for them, even if their quest is in vain. Right now, the movie Congo is on. The deep seated intentions to seek diamonds led to disaster.

So why do we find it so hard to seek God with every ounce of our being? We should be looking at every opportunity as one where we can learn, seek God's guidance and show his love and truth to others. That's the real treasure. When we obey God that's when we hear him best,  we'll keep his commandments and that leads to deeper intimacy with him.

Let God be your Atlantis or King Solomon's mine. He holds the riches of the universe. Seek him to find all you need and more.

Commitment

3 Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3 NIV

Commitment is, I fear, a thing of the past. In an age of instant everything, commitment takes too much time and effort. Even grits! They make instant grits. Done in 5 minutes. No no no. Grits are made to be cooked from natural corn. Not microwaved from a packet. But real grits take time, like an hour of time. You have to rinse them first then boil them for an hour. But they're so worth the time.

Oatmeal. Instant oatmeal is horrendous, but the real thing takes time, sometimes overnight.

Fast food. Frozen lunches and dinners microwaved in minutes. If you want quality food, you need to cook it yourself from scratch. But it takes time.

Good things take time. Good plans, good prayers, good works. It all takes time. Make the commitment and don't quit befire you realize victory. If you have a goal, commit it to God and let him take his time.

Compelled

For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians 5:14‭-‬15 NIV

I won't lie: this verse leaves me scratching my head a bit. It gets wordy, which makes it difficult to understand. So I had to break it down piece by piece. The part I like best is the first sentence. Christ's love compels us.

If you're like me, a gym holds no interest for you. And no matter how many times you tell yourself, yure not taking that walk you said you were going to do. You're not going to use those weights or bands you bought to work out at home. It's all good. You know this about yourself so you do what you need to do: you take a group fitness class. Never in your life would you do 50 jumping jacks or pushups on your own. But when 30 other people are doing it, you are compelled to not look like a slacker. Before you know it, you're leading the class because you know you will work out if you teach. It compels you to keep going...for your students of course.

This is only a fraction of the level of Christ's love that pushes us to not live for ourselves but for him. It's what gets us out of bed. It's what makes us turn the other cheeck. It's what allows us to love the unloved. It's what gives us our moral compass. It compels us.

So the next time you don't feel like praying but you pray anyway, that's God working his way in you, compelling you to push through even when you think you can't.

Obtuse

20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” Matthew 18:20 NIV

One of the devotionals I read talked about how Jesus asked questions he ready knew the answers to. He didn't ask the questions for his benefit, but for ours. He did it to find out what they really wanted. We humans can be very obtuse, stubborn and obstinate. We like to think we know what we want, what we need, but we really dont.

I think that's why this verse is so important. We all think we should surround ourselves with people who are like minded, but let's be honest...Jesus didn't. He frequented places where non believers hung out. But what did he do when he needed to pray? He brought along his disciples,  usually at least 2 of them. He knew that he may need help asking for what he needed. With several other believers around you, they can help you be honest in your prayers.

There's strength in numbers. Pull together your friends in Christ and let them help you ask for what you need. God will hear and answer.

New Year New You

See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19 NIV

Today is the first day of 2018. A day of new beginnings. A brand new year. New hopes. New dreams. Everyone gets another chanve to make it the best yet. Like you I love the feeling you get when embarking on the new year right after the peace of Christmas. And like you I'd love for that feeling to last all year long. To wake every day with the feeling of hope for a brand new day or week or month.

Well, have I got news for you. It can! The promise in this verse lets us know that when we give our hearts to God, every day is a new dat. Every day is another chance to praise him. Every day is another chance to spread the good news. Every day God will renew your spirit so that you have that brand new feeling you get during new years. You don't have to wait for a whole other year to pass. That excitement, that refreshment in your spirit is available all the time.

Let God be your new year's resolution.