How to Love Your Neighbor - Part 2

Love.

It's a word we hear often. It gets floated around constantly.

We love food, outfits, family, TV shows, friends, ideas, places.... The list could go on and on. In some languages there are different words to reveal different meanings of love, but in good ole' English, we just have one. Therefore, our love of fictional characters, apple pie, a sports team, our husband, children, and God get the same word. This seems wrong to me. Even though I've used the word love in each of these cases, plus many more. (Maybe we should start using those different words again, or make up our own.)

The word love also gets misused regularly. People use this word to lie and get what they want. To get ahead. To misuse someone. As an excuse to enable someone in sin. Or put blanket approval on things that are abhorant to a holy God.

"God is love and He loves everyone," is a prominent saying. While this is true, God's love is a perfect and holy love that's always for our good, even if that means disciplining us. I think, perhaps, we don't read enough of the Old Testament, of the Prophets, or maybe just not enough of Romans, to understand the full definition of God's love.

God's love is a perfect and holy love that is always for our good, even if that means disciplining us. Click to tweet

Only through continual abiding in God's Word and presence can we understand what He means when He commands us to love.

I feel like I've been going down a rabbit trail before actually getting to today's focus, but before we can talk about how to love our neighbor, it's important to understand who God says is our neighbor and what God means by love.

In the verse where God commands us to love our neighbor as ourselves (which is also found in the Old Testament), the word used is "agapao." Agapao is a social or moral love. A love not prompted by gooey feelings or mutual benefit, but a love of another person created in God's image simply because God created that person in His image. Just like He did me. Just like He did you.

God calls us to love others because He loves each one of us the same and we each have the same value to Him. Click to tweet

So how do we love others?


Our spouse...our children...our parents...our siblings...our in-laws...our church family...our geographical neighbors...our friends...strangers...homeless children on the other side of the world...homeless alcoholics in our cities...the difficult co-worker...

How do we love others - no matter whether they're in our lives for 5 minutes or 50 years - no matter whether they're easy to love or difficult?

1 Corinthians 13 is known as the love chapter, and I think has more answers on how to love than we realize. Okay, maybe it's just me. Or maybe not. As I look around me, observation tells me many others have just as many problems putting biblical love into action as I do. Thus, this series.

As much as I hoped to get to the first "way" of loving a neighbor today, I think we've covered enough. I pray that you will pray for me and with me, as I will for you, as we dive into God's Word and truly open ourselves to what He has to say about love. And surrendering our flesh and it's desires to put those words into action.

So join me again on Monday, for the next post on the first "way" God calls us to love.

(Hint: "Love is patient...")

How do we love others - no matter whether they're in our lives for 5 minutes or 50 years? Click to tweet

How do we love others - no matter whether they're easy to love or difficult? Click to tweet

God brings us to His Safety

But the centurion, wishing to save Paul, kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and make for the land, and the rest on planks or on pieces of the ship. And so it was that all were brought safely to land.
Acts 27:43-44

I've been reading through Acts the last several months, slowly, taking only a chapter or section at a time. It's been truly amazing! What God reveals of Himself in the faithful telling of the early Jesus followers. The miracles He performed. The power He gave. The love, justice, and callings. It's been such a blessing!

I may go back and look over my notes (I've been reading with some friends and we share our thoughts and lessons God's teaching us) and share some from previous chapters, but as I sat down today to write, the last couple of verses from chapter 27 came forward.

In chapter 27, Paul is being transported to Italy as a prisoner. He's spent somewhere between 2-3 years in prison already, and now he's making a treacherous trip via ship. We can only imagine the discomforts of traveling on a cargo ship with almost 300 people 2000 years ago. For weeks. In a storm for days.

I'm sure the passengers and crew were weary. Tired. Scared. And ready to give up.

We don't have to experience those exact conditions to feel the same way. There are a variety of life circumstances that bring us to the end of our rope. During these times, it's hard to remember that God is still sovereign and He is still with us.

Like Paul did.

During the whole retelling of this journey by Luke (which seems to be a firsthand account, since much of it is written using "we") it never seems that Paul loses his cool. He doesn't seem frightened at all. Actually, he seems full of confidence. There is only one place this kind of confidence comes from - from a most intimate relationship with the Lord.

By truly living in a way in which every single detail of your life is surrendered to the Lord, as I believe Paul did.

We can too. Because living surrendered means we trust that God will bring us safely to shore. That He'll sustain us through the storm. That our life is really His, not ours.

Paul had this calmness even though he faced possible death once he reached his destination. This is because he knew He belonged to God and owed God his very life. God provided temporary safety for the boat passengers and crew after the ship ran aground, and He will do the same for us.

But the most important safety God brings us to is eternal safety. If we can keep our eyes fixed on that, we will experience the same peace Paul did despite any storm that comes our way.

Religion or Relationship?

Jesus never called us to be good people. When we attempt to live a life good enough to be worthy of the calling of Jesus (or, more detrimental, when we attempt to be good enough to earn our salvation) we are like the rich young man who was so close, but missed eternal life because he thought it depended on his actions.

We are also telling Jesus that He is not enough. His living a perfect life is not enough. His sacrificial death on the cross taking the full punishment for our sins is not enough. His resurrection revealing the power and glory of God is not enough. His free offering of grace, mercy, and forgiveness is not enough. His fulfilled promise of indwelling us with the very Spirit of the Lord, Creator, and Sustainer of the universe is not enough.

It sounds good to say that we are good. That we follow the rules. However, this causes some major problems (other than the main problem of essentially slapping Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection in the face).

One of those problems is rebellion. Remember, some people embrace rules. Others fight them with every ounce of energy they have. They rebel, run, and live reckless lives because rules are not enough. The church trying to be perceived as good and reigning down judgment on those perceived as bad have kept many, many people away from the kingdom.

Another problem that’s created is an atmosphere of “how much can I get away with.” When rules are clear and people believe they just have to follow the rules, there are going to be many who want to know how far they can go and still stay within the technicalities of the rule. They will push boundaries and limits just far enough to still be “good.” This mentality is dangerous because if something isn’t found on the list of rules, it must be okay. Or it’ll be okay until someone decides otherwise and I’ll still be “good” because I didn’t break a “rule.”

I’m reminded of when a certain artificial sweetener was released. This is the mentality I had. It was a great replacement for those other artificial sweeteners that studies had shown could have adverse effects. I’d use it until they found something wrong with it. And they eventually did. I’ll never know how much damage I did to my body by ingesting that substance for a period of years in ignorance.

A rules oriented way of thinking lead to the same problem. We will still be looking out for our own interests and changing our actions only, not our hearts.

So, if God’s desire isn’t for us to be good, as we’ve seen in scripture and other examples, then what does He want from us?

The answer is much, much more difficult than a black and white list of do’s and don’t.

What God wants is for us to be totally and completely surrender our very life and every aspect of it.

#transformed

The Lord is Trustworthy - A Prayer

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord, and turn away from evil.
Proverbs 3:5-7

Lord,
Thank You for being trustworthy. I praise You and lift up Your holy name to be honored and glorified throughout the earth. Thank You for being a loving guide. Your love, wisdom, grace, and mercy go beyond my comprehension. Your faithfulness abounds. Your shelter and protection never fail. Let me never forget who You are. Continue to teach me more about You. Forgive me when I allow other things to pull my gaze off of You and distract me from the details of Your plan for my life. Help me to not trust in or act based on my own understanding. Forgive me when I don't acknowledge You. You alone are worthy of all praise! Give me the strength to turn away from all evil. Let it not get as much as a toe-hold in my life. Let me not compromise or be complacent. Help me to be committed to the things You've called me to do and love well those You place in my life. Let every day of my life be filled with service and love.
Amen.

A Closer Walk

Do you ever feel like there's something holding you back from a closer walk with the Lord? I think everyone I know on the journey of faith has felt a barrier at some point. I most certainly have.

As I've moved along my journey, I've seen a variety of things inhibit digging deeper in my faith, growing more mature, and becoming more intimate with Jesus. One of those things is our very own sin. Another can be life challenges. Ignorance of Biblical truth is yet another. And one that I've noticed more and more is deceptions:

* About what the Bible actually says
* About who God really is
* About our standing without faith
* About what faith adds to our lives
* About how our relationship with God is to impact our lives

When we're talking about eternity, these things are essential. Yet, even those of us who have entered into a relationship with God through faith in Jesus can also be deceived and robbed of an authentic, vibrant, abundant life here on earth. We can also miss the great blessing of sharing the gospel with and seeing others come to faith.

This particular adventure and endeavor is to tackle many of the myths that Christians have integrated into our thinking. These myths negatively affect our faith walk and by busting them, we will also bust down barriers to drawing deeper in our relationship with the Lord.

A bit scary, but better than the best roller coaster or vacation in the world, it will lead to peace, joy, and transformation that will outshine the sun.

God and Your Journey

One thing that I absolutely love about social media is the opportunities to access encouragement throughout the day. I know it depends on who your friends are, but I have very strategically placed almost all positive people in my social media sphere. And it benefits me greatly!

However, once in a while I come across a saying or platitude that's meant to encourage but in reality drives me crazy. This is usually because it's not grounded in biblical truth. It may sound good, make us feel good, but if it isn't based on scripture (accurately), it's worthless and may even be damaging.

I came across one of these sayings today. Someone posted something to the effect of: "Don't forget, God is with you on your journey."

This sounds so encouraging! But it fosters a wedge between us and God. It is based on the premise that the journey is ours and God's just hanging out, along for the ride. Yet that's not His greatest desire for us. Or what's best for us.

His best for us is for us to be completely and totally surrendered to His will. He wants to be the guide on our journey, not the passenger. And wouldn't we want the all-knowing, perfectly-loving, ever-faithful Lord to lay out our steps for us? 

So, yes, God is with you! But not for your journey. He is with you to lead you into a life beyond what you could imagine or steer yourself into on your own.

Is God Enough?

Have you ever asked the question: "Is God enough?"
My first reaction to this question is: "Of course He is!"
However, every time I choose my own way instead of surrendering to His way, my actions show that I'm not really sure God's enough.

     * Is He really enough to carry my pain?
     * Is He really enough to change my loved ones?
     * Is He really enough to be in charge of how I spend every minute of every day?
     * Is He really enough to lead me right every time, all the time?
     * Does He love enough?
     * Is He good enough?

The resounding answer is YES! Of course He is!!
So why is it so hard to surrender to Him?

Oh, if only I had an easy answer. But after focusing on surrendering to God for years now, I have found out that it is much more complex than I ever thought. I've also discovered that the more I desire to surrender, the more my selfish, self-centered, self-gratification-seeking flesh fights it. I have fed my flesh too regularly and that's why it rears its ugly head.
I'm reminded of Paul's lament about his struggle with the war between the flesh and the Spirit:

And I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. I want to do what is right, but I can’t. I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway. But if I do what I don’t want to do, I am not really the one doing wrong; it is sin living in me that does it.I have discovered this principle of life—that when I want to do what is right, I inevitably do what is wrong. ~Romans 7:19-21

I'm relieved that I am not alone. The struggle (the most intense, impactful) is real. God knows. And He has provided a way out. The way is to know Him, rely on Him, trust Him, and obey Him.

I know I'll never do any of these perfectly, but God has provided a way to release me from the trap of sin through His Son Jesus (Romans 7:24).

I am free to surrender to Him. Or I can stay trapped in the slavery of sin, even though He's given me the key to let myself out.

So today my prayer is that I will get it from my head to my spirit that God is enough. 

For everything.

The Perfect Day

Several years ago I read the book The Cure for the "Perfect" Life. There's a huge amount of information in it! I found it so very relevant to me and my life. Some lessons I already had learned and put into practice. Some lessons I'd learned previously and needed a reminder of. Some new lessons that are a nudge to deeper greater growth. 

Here's a reposting of how God used it in my life:

It's rich beyond many books I've read. And practical. It doesn't give you a bunch of information and leave you wondering what to do with it. It gives you lots of ideas to implement and steps to take to both bless your journey and grow deeper in your relationship with the Lord.

I highly recommend it.

I'd also like to share just a sampling of how God's used it with me this morning. My book has been sitting on the shelf for a week or more, unfinished. I had a few things to take care of (writing deadlines, laundry, procrastination...). Last night I decided to finish those last three chapters. And I did. (Yay!) In one of them, Cheri or Kathi included a quote from a devotion in Sarah Young's Jesus Calling. This morning I got up and as part of my quiet time read today's devotion (something I do regularly, but not every day). Imagine my surprise when I read the exact devotion quoted in the chapter I read just last night! And with that, God reminded me that: 
His timing is always perfect and He is in all the details. 

Once again, He reinforced what I already know: my job is to trust in, rely on, cling to, and obey Him. If I simply seek His face and follow His guidance, He will lead me perfectly. I don't have to be perfect. There's a lot going on in my world at the moment that's up in the air (waiting for a lot of answers that will come in the next week and month that could change SO much in my life!), but today, all I have to do is rest in His love and let that overflow in my obedience. 

Praising Him that today I don't have to stress about a single thing. I do have work to do, but He will strengthen me for everything He's called me to do. What a great way to start the day. Now to start every day from here on out like this...

Looking Ahead

One morning I got up early, trying to get back into a routine. I passed by the exercise videos to take a walk in the brisk but refreshing 45 degree morning. And what a treat it was! The sky still pitch black, but clear as could be and dotted with hundreds of stars visible to the eye. It was truly wondrous. A sight to behold.

Eventually, though, I drew my eyes away from the early morning sky and focused on getting down to business: making it around the about two mile loop as quickly as possible. Now, one thing was different about this morning. I'd brought a flashlight with me. Not a necessary item in the summer months, but as the days draw shorter and night still has it's hold on my piece of the world I thought it'd be a good idea to help navigate and be seen in the areas without lights.

What I noticed as I walked along, is that I tended to focus on the ground right in front of me, the illuminated ground. Usually, I maintained my gaze up ahead, searching, watching, judging what would come next. And this is what I came up with:

When we rely on ourselves, we spend a lot more effort trying to predict what's ahead. We plan, we conjecture, we strain to see. Now, not that planning's a bad thing - it's necessary for many things. But, God doesn't want us to live in all that hard work of our self-guidance. Instead, He desires we rely completely on Him, only glancing at the path immediately in front of us, which He promises to illuminate.

That's surrender, trusting that God has our best interest at heart and will not lead us astray. Even when times are tough, He will guide and lead us, offering comfort and peace beyond human comprehension. Not having to know the future, not straining to see what He'll have in store for us, but letting go and resting in the confidence that God is our Guide, even to the end. {Psalm 48:14}

Surrender Takes Time

"Surrender takes time."

I read these three precious words a couple years ago in the Bible study Brave, by Angela Thomas.

And boy, have I found that's true. As a matter of fact, I've discovered that since I've proclaimed to surrender everything to God, Satan has launched a full on attack and my flesh has weakly submitted to itself. While my mind says one thing (this is the better thing, the best thing, this is the path that glorifies God, who is holy), my body does the complete opposite.

I've lost count of wasted hours. I've given into unhealthy food, not-so-bad, but not-so good tv shows, playing, resting, wasting. I have not lived surrendered.

There are moments, by the grace of God, there are times I make the right choice. I sit down with His Word, I call out to Him in my need, I get up early and take that walk. But it's not every minute. Or every hour. Or even every day. Even today, I've done both - surrendered to God and surrendered to the flesh.

How comforting and encouraging it is to know that for others, too, surrender to God takes time. It's the next choice I need to focus on. Not the one tomorrow or next week. Not even the one five minutes ago. God is gracious and knows my heart.

Paul said it so well: I don't understand. What I want to do I don't do. What I hate, I do.

Amen, Paul!

In my heart and soul I know the benefits of living for the glory of God, but too long I have fed my flesh in living for it. Did I really think in a day all that would change?

Well, yes. The optimist in me did. But if that were so, I could take credit for it, and in doing so would move away from God, now draw closer to Him.

So, God, please continue to humble me and show me how I truly can do nothing good without You. Fill me with Your Spirit, give me the power to resist sin, and love through me. Help me to surrender to Your will. I love You. Help me to love you more.

Amen.

Struggling through Surrender

I'm not sure why when I began to take my journey to live a surrendered life public I thought it'd automatically be easy. That my flesh wouldn't fight so hard against what I know I should do. Why did I imagine my body suddenly cooperating with surrendering every aspect of my life to God's will?

It didn't.

My flesh still calls out to do what is easy, comfortable, and momentarily pleasurable. And I often still give in.

That's not to say I've gorged myself on food, sat in front of the TV hours and hours a day, completely ignored reading my Bible and neglected praying. But, certainly, I give in enough to know that I often choose the good instead of the best.

So, how does change come?

First, it comes slowly. As I practice making the best choice in one situation, it will be easier the next time. Easier, not easy-breezy-dance-in-a-circle while making the right choice. But not as great as a struggle as it was last time.

I find that keeping myself in the Word and studying the Word most helpful. And I notice that I'm not in the habit as deeply right now as I have been in times of the past.

I'm not consistent.

This is a fact I've known about myself for a long time.

But God is.

And that's why I need to lean on Him and trust He has the best in store for me in everything.

Absolutely everything.

For a recovering control freak, though, that's not easy.
For a mom facing the challenges of parenting and homeschooling every day, that's not easy.
For a woman dealing with other imperfect people, that's not easy.

I snap at my husband. I lose my temper with my children. I make judgments on other peoples' decisions. I wear out. In my flesh I am human and I fail.

But in God's strength, I will be lifted up ~ something he's graciously reminded me lately.

And I say, "Thank you! I love you, help me love you more."

And God says, "My grace is sufficient. My strength made perfect in your weakness."

Boy, is His strength made perfect in my life!

What is Surrendered Living?

Since I've started this journey of attempting a surrendered life publicly, I've had lots of time to mull over the question: What is surrendered living?

In my head, I think I know the answer, even though I've never been able to live it out day to day. Even in the three days since I began this journey.

This weekend, I did some of my Bible reading in the Amplified version, and God used these words to speak to me about surrender:

"But to as many as did receive and welcome Him, He gave the authority (power, privilege, right) to become the children of God, that is, to those who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) His name--" John 1:13

This gives me the picture of an infant, who is completely dependent on mom to be taken care of. As we grow, we separate from our parents and become more and more independent, which is the way it should be. However, as we become the person we are, if we children of God, we should then learn to depend on Him. This is how the Amplified Bible translates 'believe.' It's not just a head knowledge or a heart feeling, it's a lifestyle.

I can say I believe in God, yet make decisions every day that go against His character.

I can say I adhere to God, yet never slow down to spend real, quality time with Him.

I can say I trust in God, yet question the things that happen in my life that I don't like or understand.

I can say I rely on God, yet never stop to seek His guidance before making choices.

And these are the practices of surrendered living that I'm committing to. To live out a complete belief. To submit EVERYTHING in prayer. To be willing to give up things that are good (chocolate cake, fun TV shows, being a part of a dozen activities) for things that are better (fruit, time with God, focused work) -- if He calls me to. He may not lead me to give up some things I'm not wanting to give up, or He may. Living a surrendered life means I am willing to give those things up - even my birthday strawberry pie.

It is a constant battle - my want to and my want to - they are often at great odds. This morning, I started the day with prayer, but not with my Bible. I will commit to getting to it later, with a promise not to watch TV til I do. I've been eating better, but still compulsively. I have been exercising again, despite body aches and creaks.

I am the type of person who's willing to put a lot of effort in, but I know me: I won't maintain it. To maintain a surrendered life, I know I will have to rely on the Lord, trust in Him, adhere to Him, and give up all desires other than to love and live obediently to Him.

This is my prayer today.

Repost - Beginning the Journey - Still on the Journey

Today is not really the first day I've attempted at surrendered living, but it is the day I've dedicated to starting the journey publicly.

Today is my 36th birthday, the first day of the 37th year of my life. Looking back, I wonder how much of those years I've wasted. I don't think on it too long, because I know at least the better part of the first twenty were wasted. And seven of those were after I met Christ, but long before I truly began living for Him. Who didn't squander away the first two decades of their life, you might ask. I don't know. A lot of that era was me becoming who I am now. But a lot of that time also created a person in desperate need of God, His forgiveness, and His guidance.

For the last decade and a half, I've steadily drawn closer to God, and increased my desire for Him, to do His will and live for His glory. But submission and surrender don't come naturally to me. Not even close. My flesh fights it every day, and many days I give in. It's so much easier to live a comfortable, complacent life. To turn on the TV instead of open the Bible. To roll over and go back to sleep instead of spend time in prayer. To try harder instead of lean more. And messages we're assaulted with every day tell us we can do it: we can do it all, have it all and be it all, if we simply try harder or get the right tools. But God wants more.

He wants more for me.

He wants more for you.

I read biographies of men and women of great faith and am awed at what God does in their lives. They're blessed beyond measure, but often not in financial or other worldly ways. They're blessed in many other ways, more eternal way. The most important blessing, however, is the presence, guidance, and fulfillment of the Holy Spirit. That's what I want. That's what I want to want.

Now, I simply have to get myself to cooperate.

So today I began. I didn't completely succeed, but gratefully, God has taught me this is a journey. I only have to take a few more steps each day. My goal is to completely surrender every aspect of my life to Him. Everything. What I watch on TV. What I listen to on my ipod. What books I read. How much time I spend doing these things. The words that come out of my mouth. The thoughts I let stick around in my head. The things I write, cook, eat, play. Am I really willing to surrender these minute details to God's direction?

I want to be.

And that's what this journey's about. I invite you to join me, share with me, and (I'm always open to) encourage me.

I step through this door knowing that things won't suddenly be easy. My flesh will not suddenly give way and let my desires win out. But I also know that what God has in store for me is greater than I could ever work towards or even imagine myself.

Here I go.

Update: And I'm still going! I wish I could say the journey's been a delight and I've stayed focused on it. However, as anything in this life is, the road has been bumpy. One thing I'm even more sure of today than before is that God is always with me and He is always faithful. He has led me to tough places, but places I've needed to go to surrender more fully to Him. Place where I can recognize who He is and experience His great love.

Battling the Flesh

Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. 
The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
Matthew 26:41

At times, it seems like these words written over 2000 years ago were written just for me. Why is it that I so desire to live in God's will and be obedient to Him  I let my flesh rule so often? The answer is found right here: the flesh is weak.

I know I'm not the only one struggling with a weak flesh, evidenced by the conversation I had with a good friend this morning. She shared her own struggles of the flesh.

While it seems like this verse was written just for me, the truth is we all struggle against a weak flesh. What the exact item that trips us up doesn't really matter. 

I've been on a journey to living surrendered for a while now, and I've experienced times of victory and times of defeat. Sometimes those fluctuations are a result of changing circumstances, but more often than not it's when I'm not faithful in my time with the Lord.

There's a reason Jesus told His disciples to engage in the battle of the flesh with prayer. It is the strongest weapon we have against giving into our desires. Prayer engages the Holy Spirit and wells His power within us. Prayer refocuses us on the eternal instead of the temporal. And prayer reminds us to praise God for the things He has given us already instead of the things we want.

Battling the flesh is a day by day, sometimes moment by moment fight. We will never win it on our own, but already have victory in our Savior. To live in that victory we have to be willing to fight. To ignore the flesh. To redirect it. To beat it into submission.

Paul talks about this in 1 Corinthians 9:27 - But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

We've been convinced that depriving ourselves of something is bad. That hard work is bad. That discipline is a negative thing. But biblically, these are all to our benefit.

Yet, even though I know this, my flesh tells me the opposite. For for this decision, this day, I will double down in prayer and seek God for His strength to build up self-control in me to I can resist the flesh. It won't be easy. There may even be tears. But, when I have victory, oh how sweet it will be! Won't you join me?

Lord,

I praise You for who You are! You are good, holy, perfect, sovereign, love, gracious, patient, faithful, marvelous, wonderful, priceless, awesome, and amazing. I can't even begin to comprehend Your

Complete Goodness.

There is nothing evil, selfish, prideful, or harmful in You. Not even a drop. My fleshly, sinful heart and mind can scarce imagine it. No wonder everyone falls at a mere glimpse of You.

My heart wonders; let it stray no more. Do not turn from me. Make me faithful. Mold me to be more like you. I do not ask for forgiveness in this moment because I know your mercy and grace has flowed over all my sin already. It is washed away completely by Your blood. Thank You, Lord!

Thank you!!

Response: 
You're welcome, My daughter. My love for you is infinite. Draw close to Me and I will draw close to you. Soak in my love. Bask in My love. Receive my glory. I love you, My precious child. I love you.

Remind Me, A Prayer

Lord,

Remind me every moment of every day that You are still in control. Thank You for Your love, faithfulness, mercy, and grace. Help me to be the woman You created me to be. Let everything in my life bring glory to You!


I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God hwo loved me and gave himself for me.
Galatians 2:20

Be Still - A Response to Prayer from God

My daughter,

Be still.

Be held by Me. Do not settle for less. Do not turn to the things of this world, even the benign things, for comfort and restoration. You are Mine and I cherish you and love you with an everlasting love. I have called you for something greater. Do not settle for good.

Do not fear or draw back from the work or the difficult. Do not rely on yourself or your own strength. You are right that you cannot do it all - in yourself. But nothing is impossible for Me and in Me you can do every single thing I call you to do. It may not look like you expect it to, but it will always look the way I intended it to.

Be still, draw near to Me, and I will fill you.

Learning in Prayer

Prayer is something that I have done for decades. Even before I became a believer, my sister and I would say the Lord's Prayer together at night, each being in our own beds on opposite sides of a wall. From those early, innocent prayers, God has taught me much about conversing with Him. It seems like I fall asleep and wake up most days talking to Him.

However, I have known for a while that my prayer life has lots of room to grow. There always seems to be someone or something important or in need that I leave out with my fairly quick, if frequent, prayers. I also often fail to stop and listen. To really engage the Holy Spirit interactively. He is there. He has invited me. But I tend to move on too fast to the next thing.

The Lord graciously reminded me this past weekend of His invitation to sit with Him, dwell with Him, and rest in Him. My desire is to be faithful in accepting that invitation. I know the blessing in doing so is unimaginable and I commit to no longer be "too busy" or too distracted to spend that sweet time with the Lord - not just quantity, but quality.

In giving myself some accountability, and hopefully to be a blessing, I'm going to start regularly sharing my prayers here. Not all of them, some of them are just too private and personal. But when I

sense it could draw someone other than me closer to the Lord.

I will also sometimes include or post the Lord's response back to me. It may be weird for some to consider the Holy, Mighty, Sovereign God of the Universe would talk to us, but it is scriptural and truth. He loves us enough to lead, guide, direct, and pour into us to make us more like Him.

I hope that you are blessed by my sharing of what God's teaching me about and in prayer. I also invite you to share your prayers and God's responses to you.

God uses Steadfast Obedience

Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

Today's post is a blessing from our guest blogger, Angie Seal.

What an amazing God we serve. All throughout the bible God used obedience.

We forget these days that God cares more about obedience than perfection and think "I'm a good person" or "I''m a good church goer," but we aren't committed to being obedient. 

I learned about being committed to obedience about 4 years ago and it has changed my life forever. 

My mom and my mother in law both passed away within a 4 month span. I was devastated to say the least. My sister became very angry at everyone including God. Despite my own pain, or maybe because of it, God put it on my heart to start sending her encouraging text messages. So every night I sent her a text with a scripture, a thought on how to apply it in today's world, and a prayer. 

4 years later the nightly text to her has grown to 65 people, 1 email list, and 3 Facebook pages, EVERY NIGHT. It has also led to a daily devotional book. By the grace of God, I haven't missed one night. 

Through those text God has revealed to me soo many things, but one of the most important things I needed to learn was to be committed to obedience. I stand firm knowing that "today is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2) and my "Hope is in His word." (Psalm 130:5) 

I choose to seek Him on purpose in my daily life and I desire to live a life that glorifies God's holy name and I invite you to do the same. You'll be blessed more than you could ever imagine.

Angie Seal

https://www.facebook.com/Seekinggodonpurpose/

https://twitter.com/seeking_god_

https://www.instagram.com/patnangieseal/

The Lord is Always Working

Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded.
For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told.
Habakkuk 1:5

I have been living in a holding pattern for almost two yeasr now. The details are unimportant, because they change from month to month, year to year, and person to person. What doesn't change is God.

The Lord continues to use the situation I'm in to lean into my faith in Him, His goodness, and His plans.

One morning when I woke up, I heard the Lord direct me to the book of Habakkuk. As I lay in bed starting to wake up I listened to the words of this prophet and the Lord's response. And He spoke to me.

My situation is not one of violence, iniquity, and destruction, but it is one of things not getting done as they should (or as I'd like them). The similarity is others are not doing what they should and I'm being affected.

As Habakkuk did, I have cried out to the Lord. I have begged, pleaded, and quite frankly, whined. 

In His great graciousness He has not chastised me. Neither, however, has He given me what I want when I want it. What He has done is say almost the same thing He said to Habakkuk:

"Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded.

For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told."

It is a reminder that the Lord is always working. Even when things don't go our way. Even when they don't seem just or fair. Even when we can't see Him working. He is. Always.

And I am so grateful. Because He knows so much more than me. And is so much more good and righteous than me.


I may get frustrated and impatient at times, but then I will choose to trust in the Lord and His plan. That is true surrendered living.