God's Standard of Holiness Has Not Changed

"You shall keep My statutes and practice them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you." — Leviticus 20:8

God's standard of holiness has not changed. That was the thought that stayed with me as I recently read Leviticus 19–24.

These chapters are filled with commands. "You shall." "You shall not." They can feel heavy, even overwhelming. But underneath every command is one unchanging truth: God is holy, and He calls His people to be holy because they belong to Him.

He warned Israel not to live like the nations around them. They were to be different. Set apart. Their lives were to reflect the character of the God they served.

The consequences of sin were severe because sin is serious. Sin meant death. It still does.

Reading Leviticus reminds us that no one can keep God's law perfectly. That's why these words caught my attention:

"You shall keep My statutes and practice them; I am the LORD who sanctifies you."

What hope! God commanded obedience, yet He knew His people could never achieve holiness on their own. Their hope wasn't in flawless obedience but in the God who sanctifies.

Every sacrifice pointed to Jesus, the perfect sacrifice for sin. Through Him we are forgiven, declared righteous, and being made holy.

But here's the part we often forget.

Grace did not lower God's standard of holiness.

Jesus didn't die so we could become comfortable with sin. He died to free us from its power. The same God who told Israel, "Be holy," tells His church, "Be holy, because I am holy." Holiness is not an Old Testament idea. It is the calling of every believer.

No, we are not saved by our obedience. We are saved by grace through faith. But those who have been sanctified by Christ are called to pursue the very holiness He is producing in them.

I wonder if we've become so accustomed to talking about grace that we've stopped talking about holiness. We excuse what God calls sin. We blend into the culture instead of being set apart from it. We pursue comfort more than Christlikeness.

God has not changed.

His holiness has not changed.

His hatred of sin has not changed.

Neither has His grace.

The God who calls us to be holy is the same God who sanctifies us through the blood of Jesus Christ. That is our hope—and that is our motivation to pursue a life that reflects the One who saved us.

 

The Smallest Seed of Faith

Every person on this planet carries a story. And if we take the time to truly listen, we realize how much there is to learn from one another.

There are stories of triumph and tragedy, and everything in between. Stories marked by beauty, by loss, by endurance. Every single one matters. Every single one is worth telling.

I believe that. I really do.

And yet, when it comes to my own story, I struggle to see it the same way. It makes me wonder if others feel this too. If they look at their own lives and see something less meaningful, less compelling, less worthy of being told.

Because I have lived through a lot.
Moments I walked through well, and moments I didn’t.
Seasons of deep darkness and long, dry deserts.
And also, seasons so full of light, I felt like I could almost catch a glimpse of God.

And then there were the other times.
The ones that felt like walking through hell.

Looking back, I think what marked most of those seasons wasn’t clarity or confidence. It was simply this: I held on to hope. I didn’t always know God. I didn’t always understand Him. And if I’m honest, I didn’t always trust Him.

But I held on to the smallest hope that He was there.

Because to trust God is to believe that He is good, that He sees you, and that He is working for your good. And there were many years when I wasn’t sure I believed that at all. There were times I was convinced He didn’t care about me.

And maybe that’s where the beauty of a story really begins.

Not in having it all figured out.
Not in unwavering faith.
But in the quiet, stubborn refusal to let go completely.

In the smallest, almost imperceptible seed of faith.

The kind that barely whispers, what if He is good?

The kind that survives.

Because that’s what our stories hold—
Not perfection, but perseverance.
Not certainty, but endurance.

We made it through.
We didn’t give up.

And somehow, even when our grip was weak, we were still being held—not because we held on tightly, but because God never let go.

I See You Through Grace

 

It's been two years. 

I don’t know if this is normal, but in the two years since you’ve been gone, I’ve come to understand you more.

Maybe it’s because I’ve changed. I see things differently now.

I look at your life, and I see the little girl who grew into a woman, a wife, a mother, a young widow, a grieving parent, a grandmother, and a child of God.

I see the trauma you walked through. The hardships. The suffering. The uncertainty. And I realize that in each season, you did what you believed was best.

You did the best you could with the knowledge you had at the time. Isn’t that all any of us can do?

It wasn’t always perfect. Mistakes were made. But you kept showing up. 

I know I said this, in part, at the end of your life, and I hope you fully understood. I am grateful God has given me the ability to forgive and give grace in those spaces that hurt, or I just didn’t understand. 

I’m still learning from your life. Still growing, still softening, still understanding. And so in that way, you are still with me.

And now, with time and distance, I can say what I couldn’t before: I see you with grace. I carry less blame, less hurt, and more understanding. I hope you knew, even when I didn’t know how to show it, that I loved you.

He Speaks in our Sorrow

"As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, And at the last He will take His stand on the earth, “Even after my skin is destroyed, Yet from my flesh I shall see God; Whom I myself shall behold, And whom my eyes will see and not another. My heart faints within me!" Job 19: 25-27

Recently, I found myself reflecting on a verse that made me wonder: How did Job know? Although I don't fully understand how the concept of the Redeemer was revealed to him, I am certain that Job had hope in what he believed about Jesus. Even amid immense sorrow and suffering, Job found hope in the knowledge that his Redeemer lives and that one day he would see God. His hope was anchored in Jesus, who had yet to come. Job had a relationship with God, and the Spirit of God had revealed the truth about a Redeemer to his spirit. 

In the face of great loss, pain, and sorrow, Job found comfort in the belief that although his skin would decay, his flesh would one day see God. We, too, share that same hope. No matter what challenges we encounter today or how deep our pain may feel, we can find solace in the knowledge that our Redeemer lives. Jesus came to Earth, died for us, and now He lives; one day, He will return for His bride.

Just as God gave Job hope in his sorrow, He also provides us with hope. We have hope that our Redeemer lives, hope that He will return, and hope that even though pain and sorrow may accompany us, one day we will see God. On that day, there will be no more pain or sorrow.

How did Job maintain hope in the face of overwhelming sorrow? He looked to the promises of God. He chose to believe and to praise the promise of his Redeemer. I pray that as we face our own losses and pain, we too will focus on what has been promised. I pray we will choose to give praise because we KNOW our Redeemer lives!

Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though our outer man is decaying, our inner man is being renewed day by day. For our momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we focus not on what is seen, but on what is not seen; for the things that are seen are temporary, while the things that are not seen are eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16-17)

 

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Watering the Soul

I have a few plants in my house that will either look lush and thriving or withered and dying. It seems that in order to keep them looking healthy and alive I need to water them. Seriously though, I understand their desperate need for water. But too often I get distracted and forget or I just don’t see them when their leaves are turning brown, withering up and about to die. It’s sad really. I should probably just give up and not try. I am sure artificial plants could look really nice too. To be honest the only reason I have had these particular plants is because my husband is better at seeing them than I am and he will remind me that they are dying. Sometimes he will just water them without saying a word. I am sure they love my husband more than me.

Today I was reading Psalm 1 and my heart was pricked by verse 3 which says, “He will be like a tree firmly planted by stream of water, which yields its fruit in its season and it leaf does not wither…” In the quietness before the Lord He reminded me of something I had forgotten. Jeremiah 17:8 says, “For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by the stream and will not fear when the heat come; But its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit.”

Sometimes we can be like my poor plants. Our leaves begin to wither and die and for various reasons no one sees us. They don’t see that we are dying spiritually. They don’t see that we are struggling. They walk by and we die a little more. Our edges begin to curl up and we no longer produce our fruit. The ground around us begins to dry and discouragement sets in. We wonder will anyone see? Does anyone know we are struggling?

But unlike my plants we can do something about our withering leaves. My plants are dependent on me. Their only hope is that I see that they are dying. Their only hope is that I will remember to water them. We, however, have a greater hope. We have the hope of Jesus and His written word. We only need to open up His word and allow it to refreshing and renew us.

So if you feel like your life is falling apart. If you feel dried out and about to wither up then go to the One who does see you. Go to the One who is never so distracted he forgets about you. In fact He never forgets you and always sees you. Go to Him and spend time in His word and let Him refresh you.

To be honest I have forgotten this lately. Thinking other things, books, and people would be able to refresh that which I felt dying inside me. But it’s when I am meditating on the truth of His word that my soul and heart grows and is refreshed. It’s His word alone that waters my soul. I;m so grateful He sees me and reminds me that He is the answer to my thirsty soul.

What about you? How long has it been since you have sat before the Lord with your Bible? Not a bible study or devotional, but His Word, the Bible? Not that those things are wrong, but if we are only getting what others have already studied and chewed up then we are missing the richness of watering our soul through the words of Jesus. Why not start today and open up your Bible and see how God might speak to you?

Press On Toward Christ

In this world we are told there will be suffering, trials, heartache and tribulations.

It can feel overwhelming. So overwhelming that people are often tempted to stop, give up and they lose hope. 

But God reminds us to press on to maturity. (Heb 6:1) We can choose to allow the trials of this life to mature us and make us more like Christ.

We are reminded to press on to know the LORD" (Hos 6:3)

And...

We are told to press on so that we may lay hold of that for which also  was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. We press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Phil 3:12,14)

My dear friends no matter what you are facing today, no matter how you feel, I pray that you will choose to press in to Christ so that you are able to grow in maturity and be more like Christ Jesus.

Calm my Heart, Lord

Father, my heart has been so anxious. Thousands of thoughts run across my mind. The questions and concerns. The what if’s. You hear them all. 

I speak truth. You are there. But I long for healing. I long for answers but none seem to come. At least not the ones I was hoping for. I don’t want to be here, in this place, at this moment. I wonder how long, Oh God, will you wait to return? 

As I cry out to You and voice my troubles, my pain, concerns, and doubts, I know you hear me. I know You are good and have a plan for my life. You are trustworthy. You have it all in your sovereign control. 

Father, thank you calming my anxious thoughts. Thank you for Your peace, comfort and grace. Thank you for restoring my joy in You! 

The Hope in Suffering

I was reading in 1 Peter today and was struck again by the hope we have in our suffering. The context of 1 Peter is our suffering for the Lord, especially during the last days. But as I read it today I was reminded that the truths Peter shares and how they also apply to our everday suffering.

1 Peter 1:6 and 7 says "In this you greatly rejoice, even thought now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by faire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;"

In what are we to rejoice? We have a living hope through Jesus Christ. We will obtain an inheritance which is imperishable. We are protected by the power of God through faith. (1:3-5) And because we have a living Christ who has secured our place in heaven we can rejoice today, even though we face suffering. Suffering is temporary, our salvation, our inheritance is eternal.

Therefore, by focusing on the eternal in the day to day trials I can persevere knowing that one day, even if not here on earth, Christ will restore, confirm, strengthen and establish, not only His kingdom but also His child.

Today I hold on to my eternal reward. I hold on knowing that one day the suffering and trials of this life will fade away. I will no longer feel pain, sorrow or heartbreak. One day in heaven I will see Jesus face to face and all of this world will mean nothing.

Hope For The Dry Soul

I love it when God begins to speak a message into your heart. A message of truth. A needed reminder. A message that begins to seep into the dried, cracked places of your soul and begins to awaken seeds that have been laying dormant ready to flourish.

 The interesting thing about this particular message, and possibly every message we hear, is that it's not anything profoundly new. It is simply a message of truth that comes together and awakens us to be reminded of what has been forgotten. (Because we are a forgetful people and need the constant reminders.)

So this message from God began as I sat in worship services this past weekend and scribbled this note, "we can read and pray all we want but, unless we believe, it will not help in those times of dryness, isolation, and feelings of hopelessness. We need to cry out, "Lord, help me believe!""

Then in my reading time I read John 6:44 which reminded me that no one can come to Jesus unless the Father draws him. In other words there is nothing I can do to make me want or believe Jesus. I just can't muster up anything to make myself  grow, change, pray, read my Bible etc. If it is dependent upon my will and want to it's just not going to happen and I am going to stay right where I am. I will forever wander in a dry, isolated, hopeless place. 

Even as I read Psalms 107 this week I was reminded that it is He that satisfies my soul. He will fill me with what is good. He leads and delivers me. He is the one that brings me our of darkness and it is His word that heals me. (verses 6,9,14,20)

My only hope is to cry out to the Father and pray, "Lord, draw me closer to You that I might know You! Fill my soul with a desire to follow You! Lead me! Heal me! Change me! Help me believe!" 

As I reflected on these truths this morning I was reminded that those times when reading and praying seem dry and unhelpful perhaps even hopeless I need to cry out to my Father and ask Him to draw me into His word so that I might know Him. Sometimes, okay maybe a lot of times, I come to God in my quite time expecting to "get" something instead of just coming in order that I might know Him.

 I don't always know what I am looking to get out of my time with God but maybe it's not about me anyway and it's simply about drawing closer to My Father. 

Father draw me closer to You. Help me in those areas of unbelief and allow the truth of who You are flow deep down into my heart in order that I might live it out. Satisfy my soul with all of who You are and fill it good so that I might know you in a greater way. Amen.

It's a Lie - I Really am a Mess

Can I  be honest and transparent for a moment? Lately I have been thinking a lot about how people see me and it hurts. It hurts because even though I think I am being honest evidently I am not. Here are some of the things I so often hear about myself. I have heard that I am a student of

God’s word, a woman of prayer, having wisdom, I even had someone say to me that my life seemed perfect. Perfect marriage, great family, lots of friends and this awesome relationship with God. I am strong in my faith and confident in God. Recently a woman said to me, I just can’t be a submissive wife like you!

Sigh. I don’t know the woman in the above description. I don't see what others see in me. Oh I might see moments of her, but more often than not I see a woman who struggles with way too many messes in life. I am so far from having life all figured out. But too often I am content with just letting people in general think what they want. Those who are closest to me know the truth. Just ask my husband how submissive I really am!

Here is what I want you to know, what I need you to know. I struggle just like you. I am just trying my best to be the woman God wants me to be. But most of the time I fail because my trying is in my own strength. And when I try in my own strength I walk in my flesh instead of  the Spirit and that creates all kinds of issues. Instead of being others focused I am often self focused. Instead meeting your need I will probably whine about no one meeting mine. When I walk in the flesh I am needy and life is all about me.

I don’t have the perfect life or perfect marriage. I am blessed, very blessed in my marriage, family and friendship but it’s not because of anything I have done or because of who I am. I am blessed because of God’s abundant grace. And to be honest I don’t get why He would give me grace at all, other than once again it has nothing to do with me.

He gives me grace because of who He is not because of who I am or what I have done. I sit here looking at the state of my heart and the pieces of my life that are a mess and I just don’t get it, but am grateful that still He pours His grace on me.

So could I ask a favor? Could we stop comparing ourselves to what we think we see in others? Could we stop assuming that anyone has it all together? Because trust me, after walking over 50 years on this earth, I have not found anyone who really has it all figured out. Did you hear that?  No one has it totally together. We all have parts of our lives that are a mess or in pieces. We all struggle to get through certain days or seasons of life.

And yet, what you might see in the more seasoned or mature (okay…older) woman (or man) is a contentment of knowing they don’t have it all together. They have lived long enough to realize that they will never have it all together, they will never understand it all, and they will never arrive at perfection. They have come to the place where they can just rest in knowing and trusting in the One who is perfect. They rest in the knowledge that they are a work in progress and the Spirit will continue to work in them until they day they see Jesus.

At least that is what I hope…because I haven’t arrived here yet either….

So perhaps instead of assuming anyone has it all together and being totally shocked when they fail, say something ugly, or behave in a way we think is uncharacteristic of them we should just give them grace.

Perhaps we should just assume that’s not who they want to be, give them grace and love them through it.


“I am not what I ought to be, I am not what I want to be, I am not what I hope to be in another world; but still I am not what I once used to be, and by the grace of God I am what I am”― John Newton


Joining this great ladies!

Have You Lost Hope?

Have you lost hope? Are you growing weary of fighting to find hope in your circumstances? Too often we are looking to the wrong things or people. As I was reading Lamentations 3 this morning I was reminded that regardless of how I feel, regardless of my current circumstances, or how people treat me, I can still have hope. I can still walk with joy through my circumstances because I hope in what the Lord has promised.

In Lamentations 3 we see one who has lost hope. He is a man who has seen affliction(1) and feels as if his prayers are not heard.(8) He has no peace and has forgotten happiness. His strength has failed and he has lost hope. (17-18) Can you identify? Have you been so overwhelmed by your circumstances that you have lost hope?

If you find yourself in a place of lost hope then may I encourage you to remember that the Lord’s faithfulness will never cease toward those who seek Him. Lamentations continue with a reminder that we would also do well to remember. “This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope.” (21)

In the midst of feeling forgotten and losing hope we need to remember that “ The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail.They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. (22-23) God promises to remain faithful to His children. He will never fail or disappoint. We can have hope because God, and God alone, will never fail us.

God is our portion and because He is we can hope in Him. What this means is that even if we have lost all we have in this world, finances, family, friendships, comfort, or even my health, we can have hope that God is with us. We can be satisfied with nothing and rest knowing we have God.

 This attitude is hard and I am still working on it. To be content with God alone even if my family and friends forsake me? I’d rather be destitute, live in great physical pain and poor health than be forsaken by those I love. My greatest fear has always been to be abandoned by those I love. To come to the end of my life and realize I have no friends or family who care about me. Yet I am continually reminded that all the Lord has in mine and He is enough. I am reminded that the things (and people) of this world will disappoint but God never will. I am reminded that unless I put my hope in the Lord I will always live in a place of disappointment.

When our hope is in the Lord we are never disappointed.

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. (Lam 3:24-25)

Why not spend time today reading Lamentations 3. Circle the word hope and write down all you see about hope. Who do we hope in? Why should we hope? What is the result of hope? I would love to have you come back and share what God has showed you.

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His Goodness in Times of Trouble

There is much heartache and trouble in this world. It comes to us in so many forms and for many reasons. The bottom line is that we have troubles because sin entered the world long ago. Adam and Eve disobeyed God and since that time there has been all kinds of suffering. All of creation suffers and groans because of sin.

It is because of the sinfulness of man that wars are started. It is because of sin that spouses are not content and commit adultery. It is because of the sinful desires in our hearts that we hate, envy, murder, lie, steal, are unkind, lack compassion and are selfish. A sinful heart causes a man to hit his wife, a child to rebel against his parents and woman to abort her child. Because of sin we break our covenant and divorce our spouse. Because of sin there is all kinds of suffering in this world.

We have troubles because we do not obey God. We do not obey God because our heart is deceitfully wicked all the time. Our hearts desire what is wants, when it wants it regardless of what God has said is good.

So is there any hope? Is there hope for the believer of Christ? Of course there is hope! David, in Psalm 27, reminds us that we do not need to fear, we can be confident in the One who will rescue us. Yes we will be rescued from the  troubles on this earth one day when Christ returns, but I also believe that David is telling us that we can also see the goodness of the Lord today. We can have hope in the midst of troubles. We do not need to fear.

To have hope, to see God’s goodness in times of trouble we need to…

…seek Him. We need to worship God, meditate on His word and sing praises to Him. (Ps 27:4-6)
…pray. Cry out to the One who does not abandon you, to the One who promises to help you. (27:7-10)
…walk in humility. Be teachable through the Spirit of God. Submit to His word, to His will. (27:11)
…wait. If we seek Him, pray and are willing to submit to His will then we must wait for the Lord to show us what to do next. It is the strong heart, who seeks the face of God, that can humbly wait. (27:14)

Just to be clear though, we can seek God, pray, walk in humility, wait upon Him and still have troubles. We will still experience suffering, pain and evil in this land. The difference is that the one who seeks God will not be consumed by it. They will remain confident in the Lord, knowing that it is He who will lift us up out of the pit of suffering so that we see His goodness. (Psalms 31:19-24)

Are you in the midst of suffering right now? Does it seem that your whole world is falling apart? Why not spend some time reading Psalm 27 and Psalm 130. Cry out to God. Pour out your heart to Him. Worship Him today through His word in spite of your circumstances, regardless of the pain you are experiencing. He promises to answer the one who truly seeks His face. (Matt 7:7; Deut 4:29; Jer 24:7)

'Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 'I will be found by you,' … (Jer 29:12-14a)

Living in Peace with the World in Unrest

The world is a crazy place theses days. Truthfully it has always been a place of confusion, hate, war and fighting the enemies of God. Somehow we think our time is unique, we think it’s worse than it’s ever been and yet I believe every generation has felt the same way.

It would be so easy to give in to the hysteria of the news and social media when it comes to what is happening or could happen in our world. As I read blog posts, twitter and Facebook statuses of friends I am reminded of just how easy it is to become overwhelmed. We begin to focus on how it all might affect us, our children and our families. We want to lash out against our enemies, build walls of protection and cry out to the authorities to protect us.

It’s true we live in a world today that is hard to know who our enemy is. Are we truly safe in our homes, in the grocery store, at work, at school or even on the playground. When will the next bomb rip apart our security? When will the next terrorist walk into a public place and just start shooting randomly? How can we live in such a time as this without becoming fearful?

This morning I was reminded of truth. I was reminded of the One who is my shield and my refuge. Psalm 2 tells of people, kings and rulers who counsel together against God. They are enemies of God, therefore they are an enemy of God’s people. But God’s response is to laugh and scoff at them. He will deal with them with His righteous anger. He reminds us that He has a plan and that plan began with sending His Son Jesus who is The King. He is King over the earth. (Psalm 2:4-5) Chapters 3 and 4 continue to remind us that God will deal with our enemies. He will “smite them on the cheek” (3:7).
He has a plan for the wicked and He has a plan for the righteous. His plan is Jesus (2:6-9). Jesus will judge His enemies. He will judge those who do not trust in Him. So we need to rest in His sovereign plan no matter how bad it seems in our eyes. We can not see what God sees. We do not know His plans and purposes in allowing evil to continue on this earth. But we can rest assured knowing and trusting that He does have a plan for each of us for all of eternity.

We are not to live in worry or fear but to live in joy and safety. But how are we to live a life of joy and peace in a world gone mad? We are to cry out to God, pray to Him. He will answer the righteous. Know that He is your refuge. He is your shelter. He will protect you. Spend time in His word, meditate on it. Do not trust in the words of man but trust God. Praise Him. Worship Him. These are the things we are to do in place of worry and fear.

This world can be a very scary and uncertain place, but for those who trust in the Lord we can walk in peace instead of fear. In those times when this world begins to overwhelm you and fear begins to rise up why not come and sit before God, read Psalms 2-5 and list all that God promises to do for those who fear His name. Then you can list all that God will do to those who mock His name. Look over your list and ask God for help in those areas that you find it difficult to walk in peace. End your time with Him by praising Him for His purposes and promises of protection for His righteous ones.
From my distress I called upon the LORD; The LORD answered me and set me in a large place. The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me? Psalm 118:5-6

The above verse came to mind as I was reading these passages today. We do not need to fear this world or what man may do to us. We need to fear the Lord. To be honest, even if I would be killed tomorrow by some random bullet somewhere I have peace knowing that I will spend eternity in the presence of God. It is the one who does not know God or trust in Him that should fear what man might do.

I know it’s not always an easy place to live, especially when I think of those I love who may not know God but still I need to trust that He is not willing for any to perish and He will not lose even one of those promised to Him.

Hope

I am weary of the sin I see in my heart.

Sin in the world.

I am weary of a world where evil is seen as good.

A evil that destroys.

I am weary of the constant battle to do what is right.

My heart groans. It breaks.

It longs for the return of Jesus.

Jesus, my hope of glory in heaven.

So I look to Jesus, the One who keeps His promises.

Promises of Hope. Peace. Rest. Eternal Life.

I look to the Promise of His return and a glory that awaits.

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience. (Romans 8:18-25)

What Name Has God Given You?

The angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, "The LORD is with you, O valiant warrior." Judges 6:12

This morning I was reminded of a time when God spoke to me in order to remind me that He was with me. It wasn’t an audible voice. It wasn’t like the angel of the Lord appeared and spoke to me the way He did Gideon in Judges. But still, the words He spoke into my heart were truth none the less.

I was fairly new in our church and knew very few people. I had signed up for a bible study that was a pilot¹ study written by one of the women attending the church. Each week I would do my homework, come to the study and sit alone. I sat there heart broken, crying tears no one could see. My life had been ripped apart by current life circumstances. As my heart laid there, ripped open as God began to work. He began to expose long ago hurts and sorrow that I had tried hard to forget and push deep down in darkness. I didn’t know at the time just how much I needed this study. I needed to hear from God.

At the time I couldn’t have told you what I needed to hear but, like Gideon in Judges 6:13 I had often wondered where God was. It was a time in my life that I wasn’t sure God was with me. I had deep doubts that He was good or that He loved me. I knew He was a good God filled with love, but I wasn’t so sure that it included me.

It was in this state of mind that God spoke the words, “I am with you. You are Beloved of God.” They barely registered in my heart as my eyes read the words in Romans 9:25 "I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, 'MY PEOPLE,' AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, 'BELOVED.'"  Did God mean me? Was I beloved? Was I truly loved? Did He really see me as His beloved even when I was not beloved? These truths were new to my heart and as they began to settle into the depths of my doubt a small flicker of hope began to spring forth.

It would take a few more years and faithful people of God to walk beside me but I would embrace the truth of who I am.  I would see that my circumstances, past or present, do not have anything to do with God’s view of me. I would see that what I believe and feel are often not based on the truth of God’s word. But most of all I would see that before the foundations of the world ever came into being He knew me. I was fearfully and wonderfully created in His image.² I was created for Him. He knew all about my life before it ever came into existence and He called me beloved.

When the truth of all that began to grab hold of me my life changed. God whispered, “You are my Beloved daughter” on that day and all the days since. There are days I forget. Days I don’t feel so beloved, but those words do define who I am regardless of whether or not I remember them in any given moment. I can still walk in the truth regardless of how I feel or what is going on around me.

I can walk in truth because in the midst of deep, sorrow God spoke the truth of who I am. Not only did He speak it once, but He continued to speak it through His word and through others as they began to pour His love into my heart and life.

Has God spoken to you during a time of darkness or sorrow? What name did He give you during that time? Did you find it hard to believe? Was it a name that propelled healing or some other God divine purpose? God called Gideon a valiant warrior during a time when he was hiding from the enemy. God called me beloved at at time that I believed I was unlovable. What does He call you?

But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And he who formed you, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are mine. Isaiah 43:1-2

 

¹ Beloved of God by Sally Hall

² Psalm 139

 

Today I am joining these lovely ladies. Check them out!

God Heals Us

 

God is our healer, our Jehovah-rapha which means the one who is your healer. In the Hebrew the word we translate as rapha means “to mend, to cure.” It is translated “to heal, repair, repair thoroughly, make whole.”

It does not matter whether you come to God seeking spiritual, physical or emotional healing for in Christ we are made whole. We are healed.

Whatever hurt you may be facing today run to your Father in Heaven who promises to heal you. He will make you whole again.

The LORD will strike Egypt, striking but healing; so they will return to the LORD, and He will respond to them and will heal them. Isaiah19:22;

"I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will lead him and restore comfort to him and to his mourners” Isaiah 57:18;

He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3;

 

God Sees Tomorrow Today

As we read through Exodus 25-31 we see that God gives intricate details on how to build the ark of the covenant. Every step is laid out before Moses as it should be built.  He gives him the plans for what the priest should wear down to the color of every thread. God goes on to give specifics on how His people should worship, and offer their sin offerings. He lays out plans for the temple where God will dwell. He tells them how they can purify themselves and be holy through the blood offering. God even tells Moses who He has gifted to do all the work.

As I read these chapters I am reminded that God clearly has a plan. Nothing is left to chance or guessing. He knows what is needed and even who will do it. As I read through these chapters I couldn’t help but think if God had all this planned out to the smallest detail then surely He has my life planned. Surely He has a plan for the lives of my children, and my grand children.

But, unlike the plans God gave Moses God has not told me every single detail of His plan for my life. He has not told me all the details of what life will look like for my children or grandchildren. The thing is I don’t need to know all the details. I think I do. I want to know how the story ends, but I am not the author of the story. For those of us who battle control issues this is hard.

Yet I am reminded of what I know to be truth. God is sovereign and before the foundations of the earth He knew me, He knew my children and all our days have been planned. (Psalm 139) God sees today what will be tomorrow and I need to rest in the knowledge that His plans and purposes are always good. Psalms 119:68 says that the Lord is good and does good. I need to rest in that instead of worrying about tomorrow.

This is what I know for sure deep down in my gut, God loves me, my children and the generations that come after me. I know He is not will that any should perish. (John 3:16) I know He rewards the faithful through out the generations. (Duet 7:9) I know that even in the midst of what may seem like impossibilities God has a plan filled with hope. (Jeremiah 29:11) I know He will continue to work out for good what He has begun in the hearts of His children. (Phil 1:6) I know the Bible is filled with promises of God. Filled with promises that I can rest in even when I don’t see tomorrow.

I know God is sovereign. If I know He is sovereign, that He is in control and has a plan and a purpose then I can rest. I can rest and not worry or be anxious about the future generations of those I love. So much easier said than done but I am praying that God would continue to work in me to completely surrender to whatever His plans are. Today I may not be able to see whether or not my children or grandchildren will serve the Lord with their whole life but I can pray and trust in a God who will work out all the details and loves them more than I.

As I reflect on God’s detailed plans of the Ark of the Covenant, the Temple and the Priest robes I am encouraged that if He has a plan for these then He most definitely has a plan for His children. He will not leave anything undone. He will complete that which He started in me, in my children and my children’s children.

How about you? Are you trusting God with what you can not see or understand in the life of your future generations?

 

This blog is part of my 2015 journey through the word. Please click to find more in this series.

6 Things to Remember When Battling Soul Sadness

The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. –Psalm 34:18
As I sit here trying to decide if I should try to write today I realize that there may be those that need to hear the words that lay heavy on my heart. I’ve been in a place lately of deep sadness, spiritual depression, darkness of the soul or whatever term you want to use.

It’s not a new place, it’s been a life struggle. Today I find myself here again. The dog of depression has been hunting me down for several months now. For the first time in quite some time he has over taken me. I began to recognize it as I realized that my discouragement had gone to depression. Looking back I see that I didn’t fight. I didn’t run. I just sat here, alone, with my thoughts. I didn’t cry out for help. I didn’t pray. I didn’t call a friend for prayer. In fact I just put on my happy face and faked it through the day.
These my friends are deadly to one who is prone to discouragement and depression. We must be brave enough to allow others to walk with us during these times. Even now as I write this I know I should just pick up the phone and let my sister/friends know where I am. Let them know to pray for me.  I know these few friends understand, they know my heart so there is no judgment, only love and grace. But still I hesitate and I don’t even know why. Why is it so hard to pick up a phone and say, “hey I need you, my weakness is showing”?
Why? Because we want to be strong. We have bought into the lie that we have to have it together and we certainly can’t show our weaknesses. It’s just not true. It’s a bald face lie of the worse kind. I hate that I have fallen prey to the lie again. I hate that I have forgotten what I have learned. So as a reminder to myself and to those who might need it today here are a few things I have learned long the way.

Ask Questions. I love to read the Psalms when I am feeling depressed. David understood and he wasn’t afraid to ask questions of God and himself. These were not questions that questioned who God was or what He was doing, but David sought understanding. They were questions that always pointed to the One who would help him.

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart all the day? Psalm 13:1-2a
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. Psalm 42:5; 43:5-6

Sing Songs. When we are sad or depressed singing is not something we feel like doing but do it anyway. Put worship music on. Songs that remind you of truth. Songs that point you to His character. A word of cautions here, there are songs that will only make you sadder so be discerning. I always use worship songs, not just any Christian music or artist.

But let all who take refuge in You be glad, Let them ever sing for joy; And may You shelter them, That those who love Your name may exult in You Psalm 5:11
And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me, And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the LORD . Psalm 27:6
You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance. Psalm 32:7
By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.” Psalms 42:8

Speak truth to yourself. Read through the Psalms. Read over them and then pray them back to God. Remind yourself of who God is and the promises that are yours. I find that when I am in the midst of depression my thoughts are very dark. They tend to go toward hopelessness, fear and anxiousness so I must be filling my mind with truth. If I can’t then I MUST ask for help and let others speak truth to me. Also, sometimes the truth is that we need medical help. Don’t be afraid to seek the help of a doctor. But I know from experience that medicine is not a cure all, we still must speak truth to ourselves.

Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever . Psalms 23:6
I will rejoice and be glad in Your lovingkindness, Because You have seen my affliction; You have known the troubles of my soul… Be strong and let your heart take courage, All you who hope in the LORD Psalm 31:7,24
For I hope in You, O LORD; You will answer, O Lord my God. Psalm 38:15

Remember you are not alone. God is with us. He will never leave or forsake us. It is in Him we find our strength, He will be our help. We must also remember that God places His children in our lives to help us too. When we are in darkness we feel alone. We feel isolated from God and our friends, but it’s a lie. I have a friend who has said to me in the past, “if you don’t tell me how will I know? I can’t read your mind”. We must be willing to share our burden with those who love us.

Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. Psalm 34:8
Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Psalm 68:19
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26
For the LORD will not abandon His people, Nor will He forsake His inheritance. Psalm 94:14
My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; He who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me. Psalms 101:6

Continue to seek Him. The tendency when we are depressed is to withdraw from God but we must fight it. We must press in hard, go to His word, study it. Keep reading, praying and seeking even if you feel like it’s for naught. God will revive you. He will meet you.

O God, You are my God; I shall seek You earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry and weary land where there is no water. Psalm 63:1
The humble have seen it and are glad; You who seek God, let your heart revive. Psalm 69:2
Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; And let those who love Your salvation say continually, "Let God be magnified. Psalm 70:4

Preach the Gospel. This final thought is probably the single most important. We must recognize that there is nothing in us that can help. No matter how hard I try I can not move myself out from under the cloud of darkness. I can put on a happy face but it will not help the state of my soul.
Only God’s grace can move me from sadness to joy again. We are reminded in Psalm 44:6-7 that our “bow” or “sword” can not save us only God can. I am weak and unable to save myself. But God can and will save me. He came down from heaven to save me! He will deliver me! My hope and joy rest in Him alone!
This is preaching the gospel to yourself every day; knowing you can not do it, but Christ can and will. I am weak but He is strong and will strengthen me. His grace is sufficient in our weakness.My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. "Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.” 2 Cor 12:9

He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches him who tramples upon me. Selah. God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth. Psalm 57:3

Disclaimer: Depression can be a serious condition and you may need to seek medical help. Please know that it’s okay. It does not show a lack of faith or trust in God. Depression is not sin, although it can be caused by it.  Depression can also be caused by a chemical imbalance or side effects of other medicines. So if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts, feel like you want to harm yourself or can’t seem to even get out of bed please seek medical attention.

Fill My Empty Cup

She walked alone down the street unsure of where she was going. She was a pitiful looking little thing with her dress hanging just below the knees, threads hanging down from the hem which was coming loose. It was barely a dress; it looked more like a potato sack that had been made into a makeshift covering. She had no shoes on. Her straggly hair, hung down to her lower back and looked like it hadn’t been combed in weeks. Her tear streaked face was dirty. Her eyes spoke of heartache and loneliness. If you looked long enough into the depths of her eyes you could see the longing of her soul.

He watched her as she approached a young boy. She pulled from her pocket an old dirty cup. She held it out to him and asked if he could please fill it for her. As he filled it with parts of himself, her eyes began to shine and she smiled.

"Thank you very much sir," she said as she skipped away.

It wasn’t but a short distance until she became that same sullen, lonely little girl as before. Time and time again He watched the girl walk up and down the street asking to be filled by anyone who might pass her way but the joy she received never lasted very long.

He waited until He knew she was becoming weary.  He approached her and ask, "What is it that you need child?" She looked at Him with big sad eyes and said, "My cup won't stay full! Every time someone fills it with love and happiness it just flows out."

"Oh, my child," He said with love and tenderness, "you are filling it up with all the wrong things. Do you not know that if you would allow Me to fill it up with all that I am that it would never be empty again?"

Holding tightly to the cup she eagerly held it out to Him to be filled. "No child, you must let go of the cup. You must surrender it to me. Once surrender then I can fill it to overflowing and you will never feel empty again."

Quickly she pulled the cup back and held it tightly to her chest. How could she trust this man with her cherished cup? What if He took it and she still felt empty inside? At least with the cup there were moments of happiness, even if they were fleeting.

She looked up into His eyes. They were kind eyes, soft, and filled with such love. She looked down at her cup. It was empty, again. The ache in her heart was painful and she was growing weary of trying to keep it filled. Maybe she could trust Him. Maybe she would try.

Hesitantly she lifted the cup up to Him with her hands open. He took the cup from her and as He did she felt a joy deep inside that felt so wonderful that she thought she just might explode.

His eyes danced with joy as He watched her transform into a child that flowed with love, beauty and a joy that quickly become contagious to those around her.

The girl instantly became clean and filled with laughter. She rushed toward Him and held Him tightly, tears of joy streaming down her face. She was no longer empty. She no longer felt alone or unloved. She was filled to overflowing with His love. She was filled with Him.

 

“but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:14

You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.' Acts 2:28

Grace Changes Us

 

Too often I can get caught up in works. I think I must change and do so that God will love me. Much of it is the result of growing up with a lot of rules. Lists of dos and don’t that show I am a believer. Most of the time it only produced failure and shame. I can not change. I can not follow all the rules or the law.

Over the past five years or so God has been teaching me that the Gospel is not a bunch of rules I need to follow. No the gospel is about grace. The grace of a God who sent His Son because He loves me. I do not need to work for His love, I only need to accept it.

It’s not me, it’s God who changes me. It’s the gospel that changes my heart and life. What Jesus did on the cross freed me from law. I am no longer bound to it. Does it mean I can do whatever I want and no longer follow the law No! It means that Jesus is changing me, He changes my heart.

Because He loves me and desires me to be holy He changes me through the work of the gospel because He knows I can not do it. 

But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10

 

Join me for 31 Days of Seeking Grace