God has big shoulders

Isaiah 55:6 Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.

Prayer is essential for all of us.  It's the way we communication with the God of the universe. WOW... the God of the universe. Whenever I hear that term I think, “Why would the God of the universe care about my day or my circumstances?” I’m quickly reminded through His word that He does care and He wants very deeply for us to know Him the way that He knows us. 

I used to feel like I had to be all formal when I approached the Lord in prayer. Have you ever felt like that? The truth is - we can talk to God just like we talk to one of our friends or family members. My prayer life has grown so much stronger over the past few years and God has moved in miraculous ways in my life. My prayer time now is not confined to one time and one place; I talk to God throughout the day. It's just me and Him facing the day together.

He wants us to trust him and to feel like we can come to Him with ANYTHING. His shoulders are big enough to handle the toughest fight of our lives and nothing is too minor for Him listen. I know He’s with me, walking beside me every step of my day. He is waiting for me to open up and share the most intimate details of my life with Him. He wants me to talk about what bothers me and what makes me happy throughout the day. It's not like He doesn't know what's going on already…He knows and He cares. He's just waiting for me to include Him in the conversation.

Through this type of communication with God I have become more thankful for the little things He has given me. I praise Him throughout the day for the beauty I see as I walk through the day. I also pray for people I don’t even know in the cars beside me as I drive or standing in line at the grocery store.

The next time you have a decision to make or you’re having a bad day, instead of reaching for the phone to unload on a friend, spend some time in prayer. Ask God what He thinks you should do, and then give Him time to respond. That’s the tough part…the waiting.

Proverbs 3:5 - 6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

Related scripture

James 1:6, James 5:16, Philippians 4:6-7, Hebrews 4:14-16, 1 Peter 5:6-7

Lessons from a simple question

Seek Him First

Matthew 7:7 (NIV) “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

This morning my son reminded me of the fun way my Dad taught us (me and my sister) the words to Matthew 7:7. The “lesson” started when I was 6 or 7 years old and still continues to this day… 40 years later.

Today is the second snow day for my son. Two days ago much of the east coast was hit by Winter Storm Leon. My area got between 9 and 10 inches of snow…VERY uncommon for this area. Anyway, this morning he was getting in some target practice with his Nerf gun. He’d take aim at the refrigerator, the oven, the microwave, etc. and pull the trigger. When the cartridge holding the bullets was empty, he call out to me “Mom, where are my bullets?” I hadn’t even been in the kitchen where he was shooting. How should I know where his bullets are? This question triggered the memory of my childhood and my search for shoes, books, brushes, etc.

Whenever I’d say “Dad, where are my shoes?”

His response would almost always be “Matthew 7:7.”

Now, being in church nearly every Sunday and Wednesday since I was 7 days old, I recognized right away that Matthew as one of the books of the Bible and 7:7 was the book and verse location.

When the words “Mom, where are my bullets?” came out of my son’s mouth, I wanted to say “Matthew 7:7.” But I savored the memory of those moments with my Dad. Perhaps I will start saying the next time my son asks where something is.

In my quiet moments with the Lord this morning, I went back to Matthew 7:7. These words were spoken by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount. My study this morning focused on the word “seek.” The Greek word for seek is zēteō which means:

to seek or strive after, endeavor, to desire

The question I asked myself this morning was:

“Do I desire or strive after seeking God and his plan for my life on a daily basis?”

Tough question for me to answer. I’d like to say I do…but sometimes I get overwhelmed by the stuff of my day and my quiet moments with the Lord get pushed to the side. If my desire is to wholeheartedly seeking Him, He should be the ONE thing I am not allowing to slip.

This year, I’ve made a commitment to wholeheartedly SEEK first the kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). I can’t wait to see what see what God will do in my life as I earnestly seek Him in everything I do.

Will you join me on this journey of SEEKING God first? Commit to give God the first and best of your day. Read your Bible, pray throughout the day about everything, and journal what you are feeling the Lord is saying to you.

“May all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who long for your saving help always say, “The Lord is great!” (Psalm 70:4)

Related reading:

Psalm 27:8, Psalm 69:32, Psalm 105:4, Proverbs 8:17, Romans 2:7,

Created with a Warrior's heart

A woman with a righteous cause

Proverbs 24: 3 – 5 (NCV) “It takes wisdom to have a good family, and it takes understanding to make it strong. It takes knowledge to fill a home with rare and beautiful treasures. Wise people have great power, and those with knowledge have great strength.”

A few years back our Senior Pastor presented a series he title “Warrior.” His point for the series was simply "God is a Warrior (Ex. 15:3) and He created us with a warrior’s heart." Throughout series, he talked about the righteous cause each and every one of us have in our life and how we have been called to fight for that cause. As I read through Proverbs 24, I was reminded of my righteous cause. My righteous cause is my family. While reading Proverbs 24:3 – 4, I stopped and thought about the progress I’ve made, if any, towards my righteous cause.

As difficult as this battle I’m fighting is, I know I haven’t lost the war. As I grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I continue to fill our home with rare and beautiful treasures. According to verse 5, those with knowledge have great strength. “Great strength” humph some days I feel like cowering and crying out “UNCLE” at the top of my lungs. But, I am growing in grace and knowledge which gives me great strength to face the “battles” I face. Besides, I know I don’t fight alone or with my own strength.

As I read this chapter in Proverbs, I was encouraged to hang in there and continue to fight for my righteous cause. I don’t think I’ve given up the fight, just grown weary. Proverbs 24 served as a gentle reminder to get in there and re-engage. I must continue to gain wisdom and understanding (read my Bible and pray). I must search for truth and knowledge (read my Bible and pray) and I must not give up. I know there is a harvest ahead if I stand and fight! (Gal. 6:9)

What righteous cause are you fighting for? Or do you have a righteous cause you need to re-engage in? Whatever the cause, continue to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Remember that Jesus is right by your side. He will not leave you or forsake you. Lastly, ALWAYS remember to fight in His strength...not your own.

Related reading: Eph. 6:10 – 18; Psalm 37:4 – 7

Waiting...but not so patiently

This is a repost...but I think I needed to re-read it today...  I am presently waiting on God to act in a mighty way in a situation that has become "uncomfortable."  An answered prayer right now would make my comfort level a lot better...but it's not about me and my comfort level is it?  God is up to something...  so I must wait on Him.


Psalm 40: 1 – 3 (AMP) “I WAITED patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up out of a horrible pit [a pit of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay (froth and slime), and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings. And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many shall see and fear (revere and worship) and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord.”

There are several thoughts that come to mind when I think about waiting…especially waiting patiently. To some “waiting patiently” is unfathomable. We have instant access to everything. From a piping hot bowl of soup fresh from the microwave to the type of information we can access over the internet. When we “want” something, we can typically “get it” in a matter of minutes with minimal waiting involved.

But what about waiting on the Lord? You have ever prayed and prayed and prayed about something and felt like absolutely nothing was happening? I sure have. One thing I have to remember is God is always working. We may not be able to see what He is doing…but He is continuously weaving the tapestry of our lives by His design – not ours. Ouch! Did that last statement sting a little or what? I mean after all we want what we want, right?

If I am to understand why things don’t happen, I have to look at it through the lens of the Bible. Jesus taught us how to pray in Matthew 6: 9 – 13, the prayer we commonly refer to as the Lord’s Prayer. Part of that prayer was “your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” That means we have to give God our “kingdom” and our “will” so they can be replaced with His. We can’t just tell God the way we want our lives to turn out and then expect Him to deliver the blessings. We have to wait on His timing and give up our own agendas.

If you look back at Psalm 40:1 we see David waited patiently and expectantly and he received blessings from God. David waited “expectantly”. I had to look that word up in the dictionary to make sure I knew what it meant. According to Webster’s dictionary the word expectant means:

One who expects; one who waits in expectation; one held in dependence by his belief or hope of receiving some good

David was waiting in expectation of something good. He didn’t cry out to God and then doubt that God heard him. Nor did he give God the solution to His problem and wait for God to miraculously fix the situation. David knew that God heard his cry and would deliver him in HIS timing, not David’s.

Are you tired of waiting? Trust God to deliver you and set your feet upon a steady rock. While you wait worship Him, praise Him, pray and tell Him exactly how you’re feeling, love Him, serve Him, and trust Him. I know if I focus on Him and His character, I don’t doubt when I think things are taking longer than they should. I count the blessings He has already given me and believe the good that will come while I wait for His perfect timing.

Related Scripture

Isaiah 30:18; 1 Peter 5:6-7; Proverbs 3:5-6; Luke 12:35 – 40

Persistence gets us everywhere!!!

Luke 18:1-8 (MSG) Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: ‘My rights are being violated. Protect me!’ He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, ‘I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.  Then the Master said, “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?”

I love the way God chooses to reveal Himself to us when we “sit still” and truly listen for His voice. This morning in my quiet time with Him, He reminded me to "be persistent" in my prayer life. You see, I am in the first week of a 40 day prayer fast. Over the next 40 days I am committed to praying for something very specific…CHANGE…not just a change in me, but a change in my family dynamic. It’s a huge request…but I believe God hears me, is faithful, and will honor my bold and persistent prayers.

The reminder this morning came from Luke 18:1-8. In these verses, Jesus tells a parable about a persistent widow. A widow consistently comes before this judge (day after day) asking him to grant her justice because her rights had been violated. Because of her persistence, take a look at how the judge responds:

"But because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding." (MSG Luke 18:5)

This woman was not going to give up until something happened. I believe she would have gone back to this judge until her feet couldn’t carry her anymore…and the judge knew that.

Jesus goes on to explain the way His disciples (this includes us) can apply that to their everyday lives:

“So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will.”

If an unfair judge responds after constant pressure…how much more will our loving heavenly Father respond to us?

As I continue to walk out my faith, I must constantly keep my requests before God and believe that He will answer (when His timing is right...not mine). Furthermore, when I am persistent in my prayer life, I know I grow character, faith, hope and most importantly…closer to Him. 

Being "pummeled to a pulp" could actually be good for me?

Just this past Tuesday morning a friend and I began a 40 day journey through a devotional type study. It’s a study that corresponds to The Circle Maker (by Mark Batterson) titled Draw the Circle. Over the last 4 days I have been faced with challenges at home…but isn’t that just what Satan wants?  Of course it is. I am growing closer to Christ and my eyes are being opened to some pretty challenging stuff. At this point, I have a choice to make….do I allow Satan to keep me distracted or do I “dig in” and begin a process of change in my life? 

I want  change! So come on at me Satan....after what I learned today...I am STANDING FIRM...ready for CHANGE that will bring honor and glory to God.

Today, I was faced with this question:

Do I pray just to get out of my circumstances or am I praying for God to get me through them?

UGH. Tough question. I would like to think that I pray not only for deliverance from certain circumstances but, when I face trials, I also ask God to help me through. An honest look revealed, I don't do this all the time. More times than I can probably even count, I’ve prayed to get out of the circumstance I find myself in and completely ignore what God is trying to do through the process.

I am personalizing here so hang with me...in Draw the Circle, Batterson mentions that all too often I am too focused on praying for God to change my circumstances that I don’t allow him to change ME through the process.

UGH...  this hit me like a ton of bricks (sorry for the cliché). Yet, I’m thankful! If I'm being pummeled to death by circumstances that aren't changing...I need to take a closer look to see what God is trying to change in me. 

Now, my prayer will be a little different. Instead of praying "God, get me out of here!!!" I will pray "God, help me through my circumstance - and change me in the process according to your perfect plan." 

Praising God with ALL of me

Psalm 9:1-2 (NLT) “I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done. I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.”

Lifting up praises to God is one way we can show our appreciation and thanks for His blessing and forgiveness. It can also express our admiration for being a loving, faithful, forgiving, just and patient God. As Christians, we are to enter His courts with thanksgiving and praise; meaning, we are to thank him for all he has done for us and praise him for who he is. When Jesus taught the disciples to pray (Luke 11:1-4), praising the Father in heaven was part of the prayer.

So how are you doing? I know that I could stand to use some improvement. Are you praising God and sharing the things he has done in your life with others? I tend to thank and praise God for everything he has done for me and leave it at that. But if we look back at what Psalm 9:1-2 says we must tell of the marvelous things God has done in our lives.

As we lift up praises and recognize who God is, our inward attitudes will become outward expressions of the way He is working in our lives.