Recently I have been reading through Joshua and seeing how God helped His people conquer the land He had promised them centuries before. There are many victories in this book and many miracles but there are also glimpses of fear and disobedience. Near the end of the book when much of the battling is over the remaining tribes of Israel cast lots and divide the land.
Joshua 17 speaks of the people of Joseph complaining to the Joshua that they are a large people and need more land. He points out to them that there are hill lands with great forests that can be conquered and cleared that will more than enough for all their number. The people continue to complain and say that the forest is great, the people are strong and powerful and too difficult to conquer. Joshua once again challenges them and says,
“You are a numerous people and have great power. You shall not have one allotment only, 18 but the hill country shall be yours, for though it is a forest, you shall clear it and possess it to its farthest borders. For you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have chariots of iron, and though they are strong.”
Here are the children of God who have witnessed His incredible faithfulness and provision through the desert and during the many battles in the land of Canaan as they conquered much of the promised land, yet they are doubting and choosing fear instead of taking what God is offering them. There are obstacles in front of them but no more than what they have faced before.
Do you find yourself in a similar situation? You know from past experience that God has been faithful to you or maybe you just have the examples in the Bible and are now faced with your own challenges. You know or hope that there is a blessing on the other side of your forest and terribly strong enemies but fear is great. Will you let fear and obstacles keep you from taking hold of the blessings and promises God has for you? Will you remember He is faithful and will never leave and will give you the strength that is required to get to the promised land? Friend, don't give up before you have started. "We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength." Philippians 4:13.
As I sit here wondering whether this is done and ready for posting, I am thinking that it is not yet done or credible if I don't give you a personal example. But it seems that I have used my story over and over again and do you want to hear it again? Will it really be helpful? There have been many challenges that I have faced over the years, some big and some small, each scary in their own way. In the end I have chosen to face my fears and trust Jesus to get me through because He promised me abundant life and I don't want to miss any of it no matter how great my fear or problem at the time. Most recently, I was faced with going back into the work force after being a stay at home mom for quite some time. In my profession this proved to be even more of a challenge than in others. I had applied in years past and was turned down and honestly wasn't all that sad. I enjoyed being a stay at home mom. But an opportunity was quite literally dropped into my lap as I was applying for another position. This job had been a long dream of mine that was so old I forgot about it - apparently, Christ hadn't. Because I hadn't worked for so long I was terrified! But I wasn't completely without experience, another job I had been doing gave me some experience for this position but I was stil afraid. Also, this job was full time and not the "pick your day" job I wanted and was available (contingent). But after many tears and prayers, I realized that this was exactly the blessing I had been praying for and I needed to trust God and move forward. I have now been working for two and half years and am now part time. I love my job and the people I work with. God has been faithful to me and given me the ability to help people in amazing ways and be a blessing to them. I am very glad I didn't give into fear and miss out on the many blessings Jesus has given me for this choice.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
a new year's gift
My posts have been a bit scarce lately. I’m not sure why exactly, but I do know that in part it is because slipping in a blog that I have prepared ahead of time just didn’t seem the right thing to do. And, writing this one was going to take more thought and prayer than I have either chosen to take or make time for in the last two weeks. You see, something has been noodling around in my brain and heart since about February and it’s not quite done yet. I am assuming that it won’t be “done” for quite some time. I’ve wanted to share it with you for awhile, but the timing wasn’t quite right. Hopefully this won’t be too vague, but rather thought provoking for your own life, and maybe even intriguing.
I must start many years ago when I was attending a weekly Bible study. We always started our Bible study season in September and this particular time it was either late December or early January. Our table of ladies was eclectic as far as “season of life”. There was a dear sister at our table that was, shall we say, further along on the journey of life than the rest of us. We all enjoyed and respected her input and prayers at our table, as many of us were very early in our journey.
One morning during our prayer request time this dear lady seemed concerned for her request. I remember wondering what was wrong. She told us she hadn’t gotten her “word” for the year. Apparently she typically had it by now and she was concerned she might be missing what God was trying to convey to her. She asked us to pray that she would discover what the correct word would be for this new year. I couldn’t quite grasp what she was talking about because she spoke as if we all had been looking for this elusive “word of the year” and had already discovered ours, and she was behind, possibly the last to received this precious new years gift.
At that time in my life I was just learning how to temper my tongue and not just blurt out the thoughts and questions that plagued my mind and demanded immediate answers. Therefore, since I was specifically requested to pray for this lady and indeed wanted to help her in this area, I pressed for clarification. So I asked, “Word of the year? What are you talking about?”
She looked as perplexed with my question, as I am sure I was with her request. Then the lights came on as she glanced around the table and realized that I wasn’t the only one confused by her request! She went on to explain that each year she perceived a “word” that she would focus on through prayer and reading of her Bible, that would lead to a refining of her character or spiritual transformation; a project of discovery for her and Jesus together.
This practice was baffling to me. Why hadn’t I heard this before? Does everyone do this? Did God have a word for me that I have been missing? It was a very curious concept for me, but also one that opened the door to a new means of my own spiritual transformation. I don’t remember if I got a word that first year, but I am fairly certain that over the next year or so I did, and I have gotten my own word from God each year since.
I can’t list each word, but I must confess that I can be a VERY slow learner and have had multiple years on the same word. Guess I can be pretty thick headed! I also attribute this multi-year emphasis on the same word as a product of God’s unending grace, mercy and gentleness where I am (and you are) concerned. I often tell God, “let’s just get this over with and rip out the root of this thing”, however, I believe that in His wisdom and love for me He knows that slow digging is better than diving in with a backhoe and ripping out the root. Thank goodness His wisdom prevails over my impulsive nature.
All of this to say, this year I had forgotten about my “word” until about mid-January. At that time I began to pray and ask God if I had a word for the year. I started to pay more attention and wait for its appearance into my mind. You see, with me there is no writing on the wall by a big finger as with a king in the Old Testament. It’s more like a word that kind of sticks out, like bold print when I hear it.
One afternoon I was having lunch with a friend when she began to talk of her word for the year. She was very excited that she had gotten it, like we were talking about a prized present. It must seem weird to some but it really is like a present. It becomes a focus for the year, and, when you don’t get it, it’s like something is missing. So she tells me what her word is for the year (intentionality, or being intentional) and what her thoughts of it have been since the moment she realized it. I pondered her “word”, rolling it around in my head. It was a good word. Was this my word as well? Could we actually have the same word for the year? That would be cool to do the same word together. I’ve never done that. Yes, sorry friends, my thoughts go off on many tangents like this while you’re talking to me, all within a matter of seconds! Well I stopped my mind wandering and began completely focusing on the conversation again, never quite forgetting the great word.
I am not sure how much time had elapsed after that lunch before I really felt God impress on me that, although her word was a good word and may come up another year, the word for me this year is “devotion”. Let me give you the definition of devotion according to dictionary.com.
Devotion: 1.Profound dedication; consecration. 2. Earnest attachment to a cause, person, etc.
Quite the word! Could I say that my devotion to Jesus matches this definition? What would it look like to have it match this definition? Well the answer to the first question is “no”, and to the second, “I don’t know but we’ll see.”
I am assuming that there will be more posts on the word “devotion” in the year to come. It seems that this particular word could potentially be a lifetime word as opposed to just one year.
My question for you is…have you ever wondered if Jesus had a word for you, something to really focus on that would deepen your relationship and knowledge of Him? I know it’s April but it’s never too late. This particular way of discovering Him and His love for me has been amazing, and I am glad my friend inadvertently started many of us on this journey of discovery. Thank you big sis!
I must start many years ago when I was attending a weekly Bible study. We always started our Bible study season in September and this particular time it was either late December or early January. Our table of ladies was eclectic as far as “season of life”. There was a dear sister at our table that was, shall we say, further along on the journey of life than the rest of us. We all enjoyed and respected her input and prayers at our table, as many of us were very early in our journey.
One morning during our prayer request time this dear lady seemed concerned for her request. I remember wondering what was wrong. She told us she hadn’t gotten her “word” for the year. Apparently she typically had it by now and she was concerned she might be missing what God was trying to convey to her. She asked us to pray that she would discover what the correct word would be for this new year. I couldn’t quite grasp what she was talking about because she spoke as if we all had been looking for this elusive “word of the year” and had already discovered ours, and she was behind, possibly the last to received this precious new years gift.
At that time in my life I was just learning how to temper my tongue and not just blurt out the thoughts and questions that plagued my mind and demanded immediate answers. Therefore, since I was specifically requested to pray for this lady and indeed wanted to help her in this area, I pressed for clarification. So I asked, “Word of the year? What are you talking about?”
She looked as perplexed with my question, as I am sure I was with her request. Then the lights came on as she glanced around the table and realized that I wasn’t the only one confused by her request! She went on to explain that each year she perceived a “word” that she would focus on through prayer and reading of her Bible, that would lead to a refining of her character or spiritual transformation; a project of discovery for her and Jesus together.
This practice was baffling to me. Why hadn’t I heard this before? Does everyone do this? Did God have a word for me that I have been missing? It was a very curious concept for me, but also one that opened the door to a new means of my own spiritual transformation. I don’t remember if I got a word that first year, but I am fairly certain that over the next year or so I did, and I have gotten my own word from God each year since.
I can’t list each word, but I must confess that I can be a VERY slow learner and have had multiple years on the same word. Guess I can be pretty thick headed! I also attribute this multi-year emphasis on the same word as a product of God’s unending grace, mercy and gentleness where I am (and you are) concerned. I often tell God, “let’s just get this over with and rip out the root of this thing”, however, I believe that in His wisdom and love for me He knows that slow digging is better than diving in with a backhoe and ripping out the root. Thank goodness His wisdom prevails over my impulsive nature.
All of this to say, this year I had forgotten about my “word” until about mid-January. At that time I began to pray and ask God if I had a word for the year. I started to pay more attention and wait for its appearance into my mind. You see, with me there is no writing on the wall by a big finger as with a king in the Old Testament. It’s more like a word that kind of sticks out, like bold print when I hear it.
One afternoon I was having lunch with a friend when she began to talk of her word for the year. She was very excited that she had gotten it, like we were talking about a prized present. It must seem weird to some but it really is like a present. It becomes a focus for the year, and, when you don’t get it, it’s like something is missing. So she tells me what her word is for the year (intentionality, or being intentional) and what her thoughts of it have been since the moment she realized it. I pondered her “word”, rolling it around in my head. It was a good word. Was this my word as well? Could we actually have the same word for the year? That would be cool to do the same word together. I’ve never done that. Yes, sorry friends, my thoughts go off on many tangents like this while you’re talking to me, all within a matter of seconds! Well I stopped my mind wandering and began completely focusing on the conversation again, never quite forgetting the great word.
I am not sure how much time had elapsed after that lunch before I really felt God impress on me that, although her word was a good word and may come up another year, the word for me this year is “devotion”. Let me give you the definition of devotion according to dictionary.com.
Devotion: 1.Profound dedication; consecration. 2. Earnest attachment to a cause, person, etc.
Quite the word! Could I say that my devotion to Jesus matches this definition? What would it look like to have it match this definition? Well the answer to the first question is “no”, and to the second, “I don’t know but we’ll see.”
I am assuming that there will be more posts on the word “devotion” in the year to come. It seems that this particular word could potentially be a lifetime word as opposed to just one year.
My question for you is…have you ever wondered if Jesus had a word for you, something to really focus on that would deepen your relationship and knowledge of Him? I know it’s April but it’s never too late. This particular way of discovering Him and His love for me has been amazing, and I am glad my friend inadvertently started many of us on this journey of discovery. Thank you big sis!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
What happened with lent?
I'm not sure how many of you decided to take a Lenten fast. I've spoken to a few friends that have but we never seem to talk about how it affects our relationship with Christ. We talk about what we're fasting and how the fast is going but not always the "why" that particular fast or how that fast impacted our relationship with Jesus once the fast is over.
Well, my fast of TV wasn't as successful as I hoped. It really is hard for me to fast TV when TV is one way we spend time together as a family. But it caused me to make more time for doing the things I knew Jesus wanted me to do for Him and for my family. I spent more time writing, blogging, reading the Bible, cleaning the house, shopping for groceries, and other chores that needed attention. Some of you I spoke with admitted that watching TV evaporates time. You sit down for one "deserved" program or moment and before you know it, hours have passed and things are left undone. Even though I wasn't turning off the TV or keeping it off as much as I hoped, it was frequent and it was frequent enough to enjoy the benefit of feeling good about what I had accomplished while it was turned off.
The other benefit was not caring so much that I missed a particular program. You know how many of us have our shows we follow. Well, I missed some and got caught up after Easter (love DVR) but other shows I just didn't care about. I erased the DVR programs and I may or may not watch them again, unless it's with one of the kids. Some of this was just habit; I wanted to keep up with the story line. But it was really no big deal when I missed it over lent so why start again?! One friend quoted some amount of time it takes to break a habit. Most days I’m still choosing to NOT watch TV even though Lent is over. I think it’s a better way to live for me.
Bottom line
• I completed commitments
• Was on time for appointments
• Spent more time reading the Bible and praying
• Wrote and blogged
• Felt better about myself; less guilt/shame
How about you? Did you reflect on your Lenten fast? Did you notice any difference in your life or your relationship with Jesus? Let us know. We’d all like to hear about it.
Well, my fast of TV wasn't as successful as I hoped. It really is hard for me to fast TV when TV is one way we spend time together as a family. But it caused me to make more time for doing the things I knew Jesus wanted me to do for Him and for my family. I spent more time writing, blogging, reading the Bible, cleaning the house, shopping for groceries, and other chores that needed attention. Some of you I spoke with admitted that watching TV evaporates time. You sit down for one "deserved" program or moment and before you know it, hours have passed and things are left undone. Even though I wasn't turning off the TV or keeping it off as much as I hoped, it was frequent and it was frequent enough to enjoy the benefit of feeling good about what I had accomplished while it was turned off.
The other benefit was not caring so much that I missed a particular program. You know how many of us have our shows we follow. Well, I missed some and got caught up after Easter (love DVR) but other shows I just didn't care about. I erased the DVR programs and I may or may not watch them again, unless it's with one of the kids. Some of this was just habit; I wanted to keep up with the story line. But it was really no big deal when I missed it over lent so why start again?! One friend quoted some amount of time it takes to break a habit. Most days I’m still choosing to NOT watch TV even though Lent is over. I think it’s a better way to live for me.
Bottom line
• I completed commitments
• Was on time for appointments
• Spent more time reading the Bible and praying
• Wrote and blogged
• Felt better about myself; less guilt/shame
How about you? Did you reflect on your Lenten fast? Did you notice any difference in your life or your relationship with Jesus? Let us know. We’d all like to hear about it.
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