Posts
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Fearless
If that's the way you love
you've got to learn so much
If that's the way you say goodbye
Then this is how it ends
and I'm alright with it
You're never gonna see me cry
'cause I've cried
So go on,
go on and break my heart
I'll be okay,
there's nothing you can do to me
That's ever gonna bury me
So go on,
go on and leave, my love
Out on the street,
I'm fearless
Better believe I'm fearless,
fearless
If this is how it hurts
it couldn't get much worse
If this is how it feels to fall
Then that's the way it is,
we live with what we miss
We learn to build another wall
till it falls
So go on,
go on and break my heart
I'll be okay,
there's nothing you can do to me
That's ever gonna bury me
So go on,
go on and leave, my love
Out on the street,
I'm fearless
Better believe I'm fearless,
fearless
If it's between love and losing
And to never have known the feeling,
I'd still side with love
And if I end up lonely
at least I will be there knowing
I believe in love
Go on,
go on and break my heart
I'll be okay,
I'm fearless
Better believe I'm fearless,
fearless
Go on,
go on and break my heart
I'll be okay,
there's nothing you can do to me
That's ever gonna bury me
So go on,
go on and leave, my love
Out on the street,
I'm fearless
Better believe I'm fearless,
fearless
I'm fearless
So go on and leave, my love
Go on and leave, my love
Go on and leave, my love
Better believe I'm fearless,
fearless
Fearless,
fearless
Lyrics by Colbie Cailatt
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Promises, Promises
I recently finished reading the book 'The Shelter of God's Promises,' by Sheila Walsh. This is an excerpt from the first chapter.
"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God." - II Corinthians 1:20
Do God's promises hold true in the darkest nights?
When everything falls apart - do God's promises hold true?
What does He promise us?
Can we trust God to keep His promises?
This is the shelter of all God's promises: God not only keeps His promises but He longs to keep us in them.
God does not change nor do the glories of His person and the salvation engineered for us. God's promises are as dependable as He is, because they are Him.
Numbers 23:19 says, "God is not man, that he should lie, nor a son of man, that he should change his mind."
God cannot lie. When God makes a promise, He can never break it.
This is the primal struggle on earth before we are able to move on to receive God's promises. We have to separate promises that may never be kept from God's promises, which will never be broken.
We have a lifetime of experiencing deception, corruptions and embellishment on one side of the scale and a simple profound promise on the other: God cannot lie.
Our human experience does not sync up with this heavenly truth.
I wonder if we have such a hard time believing this, resting in God's promises, because we have been lied to so many times, because so many earthly promises are broken. Culture has driven us to think of promises as personal fulfillment, when God's promises are not about us, but about Him and being saved by Him. God's promises are an expression of His holiness.
Though we break God's heart at times, He loves us and says, "You can shatter me like My Word on the stone tablets. You can leave me in pieces, and I will still love you. I will hold onto you. I will create a place, a cleft in the rock for you, to keep you and on which you can steady yourself and stand."
God keeps us not only to give us a future, but also to reflect His glory. He keeps His promises to us because He cannot help Himself, He cannot lie, and He is full of love for His creation.
Our faithlessness does nothing to diminish God's faithfulness. Whatever God says, we can stake our lives on. Christ came to show us who our Father is. In Christ all promises of God are fulfilled, for no matter how many promises God has made they are "yes" in Him. (II Corinthians 1:20)
The Father is truly the only Promise Maker who is an earnest Promise Keeper.
A promise from God is a promise kept.
There are His promises and His unbreakable commitment to keep them.
There is Christ.
There is yes.
Psalm 119:50 - My comfort in my suffering is this: Your promises preserves my life.
Friday, March 9, 2012
The Source of Abundant Joy
In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us —Romans 8:37
Paul was speaking here of the things that might seem likely to separate a saint from the love of God. But the remarkable thing is that nothing can come between the love of God and a saint. The things Paul mentioned in this passage can and do disrupt the close fellowship of our soul with God and separate our natural life from Him. But none of them is able to come between the love of God and the soul of a saint on the spiritual level. The underlying foundation of the Christian faith is the undeserved, limitless miracle of the love of God that was exhibited on the Cross of Calvary; a love that is not earned and can never be. Paul said this is the reason that “in all these things we are more than conquerors.” We are super-victors with a joy that comes from experiencing the very things which look as if they are going to overwhelm us.
Huge waves that would frighten an ordinary swimmer produce a tremendous thrill for the surfer who has ridden them. Let’s apply that to our own circumstances. The things we try to avoid and fight against— tribulation, suffering, and persecution— are the very things that produce abundant joy in us. “We are more than conquerors through Him” “in all these things”; not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. A saint doesn’t know the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it. Paul said, “I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation” (2 Corinthians 7:4).
The undiminished radiance, which is the result of abundant joy, is not built on anything passing, but on the love of God that nothing can change. And the experiences of life, whether they are everyday events or terrifying ones, are powerless to “separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).
Huge waves that would frighten an ordinary swimmer produce a tremendous thrill for the surfer who has ridden them. Let’s apply that to our own circumstances. The things we try to avoid and fight against— tribulation, suffering, and persecution— are the very things that produce abundant joy in us. “We are more than conquerors through Him” “in all these things”; not in spite of them, but in the midst of them. A saint doesn’t know the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it. Paul said, “I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation” (2 Corinthians 7:4).
The undiminished radiance, which is the result of abundant joy, is not built on anything passing, but on the love of God that nothing can change. And the experiences of life, whether they are everyday events or terrifying ones, are powerless to “separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:39).
Excerpt from 'My Utmost for His Highest,' by Oswald Chambers
Four Friends Every Girl Needs
Excerpt from 'Lies Young Women Believe,' Written by Erin Davis
On Tuesday I fessed up to my feelings of loneliness and detachment stemming from a lack of deep,
intimate friendships. So many of you responded that you feel lonely, too, even if you have many
people who you would describe as "friends."
Should we accept our lonely state or do something about it? I vote for option B. In fact, I want to encourage you to do the hard work (and it is hard work to find new friends) to create an inner circle with each of these four types of friends.
The Intercessor
My friend, Dree, is this person for me. I know that I can call Dree any time, day or night, and ask her to pray and she will do it, and she won't stop praying until I call off the dogs. The number one thing that has sealed my friendship with Dree has been the fact that I know when Dree says, "I will pray for you," she means it. That has been like finding a pot of friendship gold in my life.
The Challenger
It doesn't always feel like fuzzy friend stuff ... but it is a good thing to have a friend in your life who is more concerned about seeing you be all that God wants you to be than she is about saying what she thinks you want to hear.
In the Christian life, accountability is not optional. James 5:16 tells us we are to confess our sins to
each other. Keep reading and you'll find that James 5:19–20 says, "My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." Friends who let you continue in your sin aren't doing you any favors, but a friend who brings you back to the truth ... now that is a friend worth having.
The Kindred Spirit
C.S. Lewis says that you know you've made a friend when you can say to the other,
"What! You, too?"
This is that friend who has shared experiences with you. This is the friend who is the most fun to spend time with because you like the same things, have conversations the same way, and have lots of shared experiences to draw from.
But the thing about this friendship is that usually it is seasonal. Girls, I think you have a tendency to only look for kindred spirit friends. I think it's great for you to have friends who are like you, but our same age friends aren't likely to hold us accountable because they are struggling with the exact same stuff.
Which is why you need the fourth type of friend ...
The Mentor
Titus 2:3–5 says, Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.These are important lessons:
How to love our families (current or in the future).
How to be self-controlled.
How to be pure.
How to be kind.
How to respond to authority.
And who should be the teachers? Other women. That means you need an older woman in your life
to help you live out your Christian faith in really practical ways.
Part of the reason so many of us feel lonely is because we have traded in deep friendships with a
few in favor of shallow friendships with many, and frankly the return on our investment stinks.
Will you join me in seeking out the kind of friends who you can do more than spend time with, but
Part of the reason so many of us feel lonely is because we have traded in deep friendships with a
few in favor of shallow friendships with many, and frankly the return on our investment stinks.
Will you join me in seeking out the kind of friends who you can do more than spend time with, but
who you can pray with, learn from, and be challenged by?
http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com
On Tuesday I fessed up to my feelings of loneliness and detachment stemming from a lack of deep,
intimate friendships. So many of you responded that you feel lonely, too, even if you have many
people who you would describe as "friends."
Should we accept our lonely state or do something about it? I vote for option B. In fact, I want to encourage you to do the hard work (and it is hard work to find new friends) to create an inner circle with each of these four types of friends.
The Intercessor
My friend, Dree, is this person for me. I know that I can call Dree any time, day or night, and ask her to pray and she will do it, and she won't stop praying until I call off the dogs. The number one thing that has sealed my friendship with Dree has been the fact that I know when Dree says, "I will pray for you," she means it. That has been like finding a pot of friendship gold in my life.
The Challenger
It doesn't always feel like fuzzy friend stuff ... but it is a good thing to have a friend in your life who is more concerned about seeing you be all that God wants you to be than she is about saying what she thinks you want to hear.
In the Christian life, accountability is not optional. James 5:16 tells us we are to confess our sins to
each other. Keep reading and you'll find that James 5:19–20 says, "My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins." Friends who let you continue in your sin aren't doing you any favors, but a friend who brings you back to the truth ... now that is a friend worth having.
The Kindred Spirit
C.S. Lewis says that you know you've made a friend when you can say to the other,
"What! You, too?"
This is that friend who has shared experiences with you. This is the friend who is the most fun to spend time with because you like the same things, have conversations the same way, and have lots of shared experiences to draw from.
But the thing about this friendship is that usually it is seasonal. Girls, I think you have a tendency to only look for kindred spirit friends. I think it's great for you to have friends who are like you, but our same age friends aren't likely to hold us accountable because they are struggling with the exact same stuff.
Which is why you need the fourth type of friend ...
The Mentor
Titus 2:3–5 says, Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.These are important lessons:
How to love our families (current or in the future).
How to be self-controlled.
How to be pure.
How to be kind.
How to respond to authority.
And who should be the teachers? Other women. That means you need an older woman in your life
to help you live out your Christian faith in really practical ways.
Part of the reason so many of us feel lonely is because we have traded in deep friendships with a
few in favor of shallow friendships with many, and frankly the return on our investment stinks.
Will you join me in seeking out the kind of friends who you can do more than spend time with, but
Part of the reason so many of us feel lonely is because we have traded in deep friendships with a
few in favor of shallow friendships with many, and frankly the return on our investment stinks.
Will you join me in seeking out the kind of friends who you can do more than spend time with, but
who you can pray with, learn from, and be challenged by?
http://www.liesyoungwomenbelieve.com
Thursday, March 8, 2012
The Surrendered Life
I have been crucified with Christ . . . —Galatians 2:20
To become one with Jesus Christ, a person must be willing not only to give up sin, but also to surrender his whole way of looking at things. Being born again by the Spirit of God means that we must first be willing to let go before we can grasp something else. The first thing we must surrender is all of our pretense or deceit. What our Lord wants us to present to Him is not our goodness, honesty, or our efforts to do better, but real solid sin. Actually, that is all He can take from us. And what He gives us in exchange for our sin is real solid righteousness. But we must surrender all pretense that we are anything, and give up all our claims of even being worthy of God’s consideration.
Once we have done that, the Spirit of God will show us what we need to surrender next. Along each step of this process, we will have to give up our claims to our rights to ourselves. Are we willing to surrender our grasp on all that we possess, our desires, and everything else in our lives? Are we ready to be identified with the death of Jesus Christ?
We will suffer a sharp painful disillusionment before we fully surrender. When people really see themselves as the Lord sees them, it is not the terribly offensive sins of the flesh that shock them, but the awful nature of the pride of their own hearts opposing Jesus Christ. When they see themselves in the light of the Lord, the shame, horror, and desperate conviction hit home for them.
If you are faced with the question of whether or not to surrender, make a determination to go on through the crisis, surrendering all that you have and all that you are to Him. And God will then equip you to do all that He requires of you.
Excerpt from My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers
Once we have done that, the Spirit of God will show us what we need to surrender next. Along each step of this process, we will have to give up our claims to our rights to ourselves. Are we willing to surrender our grasp on all that we possess, our desires, and everything else in our lives? Are we ready to be identified with the death of Jesus Christ?
We will suffer a sharp painful disillusionment before we fully surrender. When people really see themselves as the Lord sees them, it is not the terribly offensive sins of the flesh that shock them, but the awful nature of the pride of their own hearts opposing Jesus Christ. When they see themselves in the light of the Lord, the shame, horror, and desperate conviction hit home for them.
If you are faced with the question of whether or not to surrender, make a determination to go on through the crisis, surrendering all that you have and all that you are to Him. And God will then equip you to do all that He requires of you.
Excerpt from My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Unmet Longings
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
More contentment.
More fulfillment.
More satisfaction.
More peace.
We can envision ourself with this thing, this person, this opportunity. And all things are better. So, why doesn’t God give us this longing of our heart?
Because He wants us to willingly release it to Him.
Ouch.
Not the answer we want. Why would God let the aching desire linger and not make things happen? He could. He’s certainly able. But when He doesn’t it seems unfair. Not good. Confusing.
It’s easy to get down when we’re constantly let down.
We hope this thing will happen… we’ll meet this right person… we’ll get this job… we’ll finally be healed… we’ll get that chance… we’ll see that family member turn their life around. Time and again it doesn’t happen. That’s when it’s easy to slip.
We can so easily slip into feeling a little distant from God because we feel hurt by God.
That’s what happened when the man I thought I was going to marry told me he met someone else. That’s what happened when I didn’t get the job I was so certain was going to be the answer to all my financial problems. That’s what happened when my son didn’t get into the charter school we were so certain would have been perfect for him.
But, in each of these things, I eventually had to make a choice. I could either become consumed with my unmet longing or comforted by trusting God.
As an offering of trust, we must give up that which could so easily bring us down.
Not give up as in discouraged surrender. But give up as in placing this desire in the hand of God and saying, “Either way, I will see Your answer as the good answer and walk in trust.”
Remember the Scriptures promise, He rewards those who honestly seek Him: “And without faith is it impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV)
Sometimes I get so consumed with seeking my unmet longings, I don’t earnestly seek Him. But then I miss out on His reward. And His reward is the only thing that will fill the void in my heart.
Yes, I still struggle with unmet desires.
But not as much today as I did yesterday.
And that is good. Not easy. But good.
Perfect Peace
Stay close by My side
Keep your eyes on Me
Though this life is hard
I will give you perfect peace
In this time of trial
Pain that no one sees
Trust me when I say
That I will give you perfect peace
And you'll never walk alone
And you'll never be in need
Though I may not calm the storms around you
You can hide in Me
Burdens that you bear
Offer no relief
Let Me bear your load
'Cause I will give you perfect peace
Stay close by My side
And you'll never walk alone
Keep your eyes on Me
And you'll never be in need
Though this life is hard
Know that I will always give you perfect peace
I will give you perfect peace
Perfect Peace song lyrics by Laura Story
Isaiah 26: 3-4 - You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you. Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD himself, is the Rock eternal.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Abigail's Choice
“Haughtiness goes before destruction; humility precedes honor.” Proverbs 18:12 (NLT)
Marriages were often arranged in Abigail’s era, and I wonder if this was true of hers. On paper her husband Nabal seemed like a “catch.” He was wealthy, a good provider, and he liked to have fun and throw parties. But behind the scenes his self-control and integrity was seriously lacking, causing those closest to him to suffer.
Here is what we know about Abigail’s husband Nabal from the Bible in 1 Samuel chapter 25:1-41.
He is wealthy — that’s partly due to David’s protection of his land and flocks. (vv. 2, 7-8)
He’s crude, and mean in all his dealings. (vs. 3)
He sneers at guests who come in peace, and questions their character. (vv. 10-11)
He shouts insults. (vs.14)
He’s stingy, not returning favors or repaying kindnesses showed him. (vv. 16, 21)
He is so temperamental that people dread talking to him. (vs. 17)
He thinks more highly of himself than he ought. (vs. 36)
He drinks too much. (vv. 36-37)
Basically, Nabal was a self-centered, ill-mannered guy who didn’t recognize God’s provision or blessings in his life. And if you read his story, you’ll see he was foolish enough to insult the most powerful man around (King David) but more importantly, he was foolish enough to insult the one true God. God let Nabal face the ultimate consequence of his character — death (vv. 38-39).
Imagine yourself paired up in marriage to such a foolish, arrogant, sharp-tongued man as this. (I hope you have to imagine, and have not lived this.)How would you react towards him? What do you think living with him might do to your personality, or your character? Might you grow depressed? Would you become withdrawn or timid? Would you nag him to do better? Would you grow bitter, angry and become argumentative back? Or, would you perhaps just “let yourself go” and decide not to care about anything?
Let’s look at Nabal’s wife Abigail, from that same passage in the Bible:
She is smart and sensible. (vs. 3)
People look to her for wisdom and leadership in times of trouble. (vv. 14, 17)
She is decisive and wastes no time worrying, pitying her situation, or fussing at those who cause her trouble — instead she takes action to improve the situation. (vv. 18, 23)
She is generous, (vv. 18, 27) even willing to lay down her life for others. (vv. 22, 24)
She is humble (vv. 24, 41) and quick to ask forgiveness. (vs. 28)
She speaks eloquently and tactfully — with a knowledge of God — as she gives one of the longest speeches by a woman recorded in the Bible. (vv. 24-31)
She looks out for the well-being and reputation of others — even Nabal’s. (vv. 25, 31)
She trusts God, holds her tongue, and waits patiently for the right timing. (vv. 36-38)
Abigail has always been one of my favorite women in the Bible. She has it all — wisdom, character, courage, faith, eloquence, graciousness. She possesses both inner and outer beauty. But her life with this man Nabal was no picnic, and that’s really why I admire her.
How many times did Nabal get drunk and say or do something demeaning to her? Yet she chose not to let her spirit die. How many times did she wish for revenge, though not seek it? How many times did he berate her, yet she wasn’t paralyzed by his insults? How many times did his foolishness cost her greatly, or those she cared about? Yet she chose not to count the costs to herself when she put her life on the line to spare his life and the other men’s. Abigail’s praise worthy character ran deep, which tells me her reverence of God did as well.
After Nabal’s death, she married King David and they had a son. David would have seven other wives in his lifetime, but only Abigail earned his complete respect. Only she had a positive influence on him.
Abigail challenges me to choose differently — to be humble, wise and courageous. Her example teaches me that I can choose how I will allow my circumstances to shape my character. While Nabal’s life clearly shows that haughtiness goes before destruction, Abigail’s shows that choosing humility and wisdom allows God to shape my character and my circumstances. And it makes room for God to be glorified in both.
Excerpt from Proverbs 31 Ministries, Written by Rachel Olsen
www.Proverbs31.org
www.Proverbs31.org
Friday, February 24, 2012
Grow in Gloom
"I have all, and abound" (Phil. 4:18).
In one of my garden books there is a chapter with a very interesting heading, "Flowers that Grow in the Gloom." It deals with those patches in a garden which never catch the sunlight. And my guide tells me the sort of flowers which are not afraid of these dingy corners--may rather like them and flourish in them.
And there are similar things in the world of the spirit. They come out when material circumstances become stern and severe. They grow in the gloom. How can we otherwise explain some of the experiences of the Apostle Paul ?
Here he is in captivity at Rome. The supreme mission of his life appears to be broken. But it is just in this besetting dinginess that flowers begin to show their faces in bright and fascinating glory. He may have seen them before, growing in the open road, but never as they now appeared in incomparable strength and beauty. Words of promise opened out their treasures as he had never seen them before.
Among those treasures were such wonderful things as the grace of Christ, the love of Christ, the joy and peace of Christ; and it seemed as though they needed an "encircling gloom" to draw out their secret and their inner glory. At any rate the realm of gloom became the home of revelation, and Paul began to realize as never before the range and wealth of his spiritual inheritance. Who has not known men and women who, when they arrive at seasons of gloom and solitude, put on strength and hopefulness like a robe? You may imprison such folk where you please; but you shut up their treasure with them. You cannot shut it out. You may make their material lot a desert, but "the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose." - Dr. Jowett
Excerpt from 'Streams in the Desert'
In one of my garden books there is a chapter with a very interesting heading, "Flowers that Grow in the Gloom." It deals with those patches in a garden which never catch the sunlight. And my guide tells me the sort of flowers which are not afraid of these dingy corners--may rather like them and flourish in them.
And there are similar things in the world of the spirit. They come out when material circumstances become stern and severe. They grow in the gloom. How can we otherwise explain some of the experiences of the Apostle Paul ?
Here he is in captivity at Rome. The supreme mission of his life appears to be broken. But it is just in this besetting dinginess that flowers begin to show their faces in bright and fascinating glory. He may have seen them before, growing in the open road, but never as they now appeared in incomparable strength and beauty. Words of promise opened out their treasures as he had never seen them before.
Among those treasures were such wonderful things as the grace of Christ, the love of Christ, the joy and peace of Christ; and it seemed as though they needed an "encircling gloom" to draw out their secret and their inner glory. At any rate the realm of gloom became the home of revelation, and Paul began to realize as never before the range and wealth of his spiritual inheritance. Who has not known men and women who, when they arrive at seasons of gloom and solitude, put on strength and hopefulness like a robe? You may imprison such folk where you please; but you shut up their treasure with them. You cannot shut it out. You may make their material lot a desert, but "the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose." - Dr. Jowett
Excerpt from 'Streams in the Desert'
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