This sweet memory popped up for me today out of my Facebook photos, and I can do nothing else but think of all the ways the Lord has been faithful to us these last five years. 🙏 I had no idea what the path ahead would be – but HE did.
Me changing my sweet son just before he turned a year old
“God’s grace to sustain us through painful circumstances is stronger and is mightier and is much better than any deliverance out of those circumstances.” -Joni Eareckson Tada
🙌 Amen!
God’s grace these last 5 years as I have learned more deeply what it means to be a wife, a mother, and most importantly a disciple of Christ – has been life giving!
God’s grace is greater than any diagnosis, financial difficulty, broken expectation, or hurt. Insert your own hard into this fill in the blank:
God’s grace is greater then my ——————-!
God has great compassion for His children 👇
“but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men.” Lamentations 3:32-33 ESV
God allows for us to suffer for a little while so that we will be strengthened and so that our HOPE will rest in Him 👇
“My suffering was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees.” Psalms 119:71 NLT
God answers prayer 👇
“Your promise revives me; it comforts me in all my troubles.” Psalms 119:50 NLT
Share His hope and testify of His goodness 👇
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people.” Genesis 50:20 NLT
Experience the Joy that is ONLY found in God’s presence 👇
“You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever.” Psalms 16:11 NLT
While everything else will fail you and waste away – Jesus can be trusted 🙌
REST in HIM!
👉 “The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.❤️ My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” John 10:10 NLT
Over the last few weeks I have been recognizing some of the limitations that I have allowed fear to place on my life. Specifically as it relates to my parenting. If you follow my postings then you know I have a wonderful 5 year old son who was diagnosed with Autism when he was around the age of 2. Like parenting all children, we experience a lot of hard! Maybe more intensely, for longer periods and in different ways but similarly still to anyone parenting little image bearers and all that it entails.
The last few months we have been implementing social stories and stretching Jackson with new experiences, turns out the stretching is just as much if not more so for his Dad and I, than it is for Jackson. Social stories have been a great tool for getting Jackson back to being able to go inside the grocery store, maintain and enjoy Sunday School at church, and a few other things. Next up on the list has been visiting a restaurant. The last time we attempted to sit down with Jackson inside a restaurant ended with dishes overturned, Mommy and Daddy intensely “talking”, and Jackson going from full meltdown to pure exhaustion for days after…. hence where my fear began to take root.
Over the years as I recognize I am in need of a perspective shift, I know to look to Jesus, there I can clearly see that FEAR IS A LIAR! Our own good Father parents us in such a way that He does not “protect us” from the hard or messy, nor does He prevent all of our sufferings. God loves us so much and is such a good parent – He allows for us to suffer through circumstances while encouraging us to obey, stay strong, and wait…
Last week as I pulled into the Dairy Queen, social story in hand, and a very excited Jackson squealing as we parked – I realized I was gripped with a small sort of panic. I repeated every scripture in my head and heart as I could bring to mind. The Lord was steady, reminding me of His patience and love and acceptance, ABOUNDING in LOVINGKINDNESS and TRUTH. Therefore, I could offer no other response to Jackson. It was then when the van full of people (about 15) pulled in and hopped out before us that I realized that I was still filled with dread! I quickly prayed, “Oh Lord, WHY? Why now of all times that this place is usually empty did this group of people have to come here!” “Why Lord, I am struggling so hard! Please help me and meet me here in this NOW!”
Hand in hand, Jackson and I both head into the Dairy Queen, truthfully we both were a little nervous but trusting in the Lord. When Jackson seen the crowd he scrambled up my legs and I carried him the rest of the way – much like the Lord was carrying me. Isn’t HE just good like that!?
Fast forward, we order food, find the just right table, things are going pretty OK! Jackson loves to watch traffic so this was perfect!
And then, Jackson stands up, arms wide and begins to announce, “Good morning everyone!” Jackson’s form of speech processing will usually keep him repeating until someone responds, and well it wasn’t me he wanted to respond…
I cautiously glance around and it was then that I could see so clearly just how good God is! That big group of people I was grumbling about… well they were ALL intellectually delayed! I seen little heads and people begin to stand up and look at Jackson making his announcements. And then, we heard two replies, “Good morning.” Jackson smiled and went back to playing vehicles and I teared up, feeling full and empty and humble and in awe… isn’t it just like us to sometimes miss the blessing for the grumbling!? As I continued to look around I saw adults with their support workers, young adults trying to figure out to behave in a restaurant just like Jackson! And even a local school district was in the corner doing 504/IEP planning with parents of elementary and middle schoolers.
The entire place was full of these incredibly special people!
God did more than see me – HE met me, filled me and HE reminded me of how HE parents us.
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. – James 1:12
In a brief summary this season the Lord is continuously, in His patience reminding me over and over Trust and Obey.
Sometimes when we are called to obey, the fear does not subside and we are expected to move against the fear. One must choose to do it afraid.
Elisabeth Elliot
As Jackson held the attention of this crowd of what I believe were “placed there by God” people, I prayed, I prayed so hard that Jackson would one day share his faith as boldly as he was proclaiming good morning. I prayed that the Lord would continue to bring the crowd (friends) HE would have, to Jackson. And I prayed that HE would never allow for us to be content in our comfort zones… (I know this is like praying for patience) but nevertheless it is what I desire.
SO for the first time Jackson: stayed the entire time in the restaurant, ate actual food (French fries), talked to people he did not know, and ate his VERY FIRST ice cream cone, with sprinkles naturally.
And so as I close, I want to share a quote from Abbie Halberstadt, from her book, Hard is Not the Same Thing as Bad:
You might be driven beyond your human capacity for patience and resourcefulness right into the arms of a God who loves you enough to refuse to allow you to stay in your comfort zone, unchanged and unchallenged--- who adores you enough to give you the kind of hard that transforms you from someone who wishes she could live for Him into someone who's doing it right now, even while she doubts her capacity to do to again tomorrow.
Such a comfort this morning! I am doing a chronological study through the Bible and this last week I read about Hannah who dedicated her child to the Lord and David who followed the Lord at a great cost. And – examples not to follow like Saul who willfully disobeyed God’s word. (1 Samuel 1-24; Psalm 59; Psalm 91).
One of the things I find really interesting contrasting David and Saul, is that although both of them used religious language to discuss their surrounding circumstances – David’s conscience was sensitive to the Lord and doing what was right in various circumstances. On the other hand Saul was spiritually insensitive, and even allowing him to order the execution of the Priests of the Lord.
A great example of how “saying” the right things is meaningless – if the Lord does not have your whole heart. “He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and most important command.“ Matthew 22:37-38 CSB
Reading Psalm 91 in light of scripture as a whole – brings me to Thanksgiving! Thanking the Lord for His protection in many ways at different times in my life. I can trust Him to bring great things in times of suffering because HE is faithful. He continues to shape and develop His great plan for His people!
A note in my Bible points out that it was Psalm 91 that Satan used to tempt Jesus in the wilderness (Lk. 4:9-12), “God won’t let you get hurt will he?”… Evaluate this idea in light of the cross…
So today when the world is looking to “signs and wonders” of the eclipse or the chaos of what seems like everything…
Look up ⬆️
The Lord God is a God of order. From the vastness of the universe to the simplicity of a flower there is evidence of a divine organization. Haphazardness and chaos are not part of His government. Symmetry and harmony are His ways. Randomness and disorder are never His modes of administration.
From creation to the end of time, God has had a plan and has worked that plan. He is timely, precise, and true to His Word.
These are His characteristics and they are to be ours. We are not to come and go whenever we want to, but whenever we are to.
Spontaneity may be exciting and have an appearance of freedom, but in reality, it more than often proves to be the cause of harm and misfortune. Our God is a God of order; therefore, we are to be a people of order.
“God doesn’t want me to play with religion. He doesn’t want me to dabble in church. He wants me—body and soul.”
Some months back I was blessed in sharing a short devotional on prayer for a very special Momma and her sweet baby girl. The Lord impressed on me the importance of women being devoted to prayer. This message has been coming up for me and the women in my life again recently so I thought I would share some of what the Lord showed me then and what He is showing me now.
Whether you’re welcoming a new baby, serving in your community or walking with a loved one through sickness this season I pray this message be an encouragement to you. I pray God will give you a deeper understanding of the importance of prayer and that you will be filled afresh with a desire to be in prayer. The holidays have a way of magnifying the things around us. Christmas has a way of magnifying the greatest joys of our lives or the deepest losses. Let us choose then to magnify Christ this Christmas season, let us choose to celebrate the greatest gift ever given to us, our Savior. Being in prayer is like putting a magnifying glass on your relationship with Jesus.
Why is prayer in motherhood important?
As women and Mother’s in our community we are uniquely positioned to pray for our children, our leaders, our husbands, friends and for the church. Women interact on average with far more people groups than the men in our communities. Women who are faithful in the mundane everyday moments are more likely to have homes where prayer and worship are modeled on an everyday basis. In my own life I have seen this, our home visibly begins to fall apart when our/my prayer life begins to fall apart. This last year I have been praying diligently for my son, Jackson. Jackson has a diagnosis of Autism, this particular diagnosis comes with a certain reality that we have to learn to wisely manage and maneuver with during these formative and foundational years of his life, Jackson will be turning 5 this month. In my own strength I could not handle the sleepless nights, the isolation, the rigid routines and structure he needs or the series of doctors and therapists who want to tell me the best way to raise my son.
OH, BUT THE GOODNESS OF GOD!
In His strength I have found all of these and so much more.
Matthew 21:22, “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing you will receive.” John 14:13-14, “And whatever you ask in my name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name I will do it.”
The Lord has answered many specific prayers for Jackson this year, that he would:
Have a desire for relationships and be able to tolerate being close to others. Jackson greets everyone from the coffee shop in our Church every Sunday morning. Jackson is the first to notice if someone is upset and will guide me by the hand to go pray for them. And although it is a little scary at this age, he will graciously give out hugs to any and all!
That Jackson would begin to have functional language and words. A year and a half ago Jackson could only sign three words and would communicate by names of sea animals and vegetable categories. A year ago he said, “I love you” for the first time. And in these last 6 months he has began to use phrases and can express when he feels hungry or thirsty, if he wants to do an activity, and he can make some choices without becoming overwhelmed to the point of a meltdown.
These are all things I have real fears over that I continue to choose to take to the Lord in prayer. And this is only a tiny amount of all the things I am weak in that I NEED GOD’S STRENGTH to survive and thrive in.
Another praying mother…
Most of us remember Hannah of the Bible, Samuel’s mother. Hannah poured her out soul to the Lord for year’s pleading for a son and eventually God granted her prayer requests with her son Samuel, who Hannah dedicated to the Lord. Samuel grew in wisdom, became a great prophet and judge, and led the Israelites to victory over the mighty Philistines.
Throughout scripture we are told that God desires, invites, and hears our prayers. What a gift He has given us! The psalmist writes, “As for me, I call to God and the Lord saves me. Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice.” (Psalm 55:16-17)
Despite knowing that God invites our prayers, we often struggle with how to pray, what to pray, and what to expect from our prayer lives. In the west, we are especially a results driven culture and we tend to have a utilitarian outlook on prayer. We pray to God to ask for HIS help with our problems. Of course asking for God’s help and provision is one important part of prayer, but mostly a pragmatic, problem solving approach to prayer misses the deeper and beautiful truth about prayer:
We are meant to have a relational outlook on prayer. Not a practical one, as we pray we can and should view God as a loving Father who cares deeply for us. He wants to hear about our deepest pains AND our grandest hopes. He wants to know the ways we need HIS help.
He also wants you to LISTEN for HIS voice. Prayer is not mainly about solving problems; it is about experiencing our relationship with God. Though prayer is relational and thus not formative, we do need to know something about how prayer works.
In Matthew 6 we find the famous Lord’s Prayer and some introductory comments Jesus made about it. In this text we discover a basic guide for how to pray, as well as encouragement and warning about our attitude towards prayer.
Matthew 6:1; 5-8 – HOW WE SHOULD THINK ABOUT PRAYER
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.” “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep babbling on like the pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
This tells us and the audience of the danger in making our prayers a performance.
Matthew 6:9 -13- A GUIDE FOR PRAYER
“This, then, is how you should pray:
“This then is how you should pray”. These are the introductory words to the Lord’s Prayer and before we get into the prayer itself, it is important to notice a key word in this opening phrase, “HOW”.
Jesus says that what he is about to tell us is an example for us. It is a guide to the manner in which we ought to pray. It is a script. He did not say, “this then is WHAT you should pray”. We should think of the Lord’s Prayer as a rough outline or template that we can go through when we pray. It helps us to make sure our priorities are in order and that our heart is in the right place.
Let us continue now with the prayer itself and not the order of thoughts.
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name (recognizes who HE is – the person / Adore Him because of who He is and give Him praise)
your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (seek to do His will, His word is the path to finding His will and your purpose)
Give us today our daily bread. (ask God to meet you even in the mundane tasks, what you need to accomplish your spiritual duties, this is an example of PETITION)
And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. (ask God to forgive your debts or failures in obedience due Him, this is an example of PARDON)
And lead us not into temptation, bur deliver us from the evil one.” (seek a way to escape the evil of temptation, an example of PROTECTION, this is not asking for a removal of trials but of judgment when you are overcome by trials)
A number of Biblical commentators and theologians over the centuries have recommended praying the Lord’s Prayer line by line. And then elaborating on the specifics from your own life. For example you could pray something like this, “Give us today our daily bread. Lord Jesus you know what I need. Please help me to trust in your provision and be thankful for all the things you have already given me.”
WHAT ABOUT PRAYER LIFE OVER THE LONG HAUL
What about our prayer life over the long haul, over time? We can once again find clues about this in something else Jesus said in the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:1-6).
Luke 18;1, “Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”
The final phrase of verse 1 “always pray and do not give up”, doesn’t mean to “always pray and keep on praying” which would be one basic idea stated two ways. The phrase conveys two separate, related ideas. The “not give up” part is a translation of a greek word that has to do with being discouraged or loosing heart. So we might translate that last phrase as “always pray and do no loose heart or become discouraged”. Jesus is telling that persistence in prayer and avoiding discouragement are linked. Then Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow.
Luke 18:2-5, “
2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Jesus was saying that even if an unjust judge hears the pleas of the widow and responds, how much more will God, who is a just judge and loves His people, respond to the cries of His church?
Jesus finished with a rhetorical question: When the Son of Man (Jesus) returns will He find faith on earth? This question relates directly to prayer; which is what the parable of the persistent widow is about. Will Jesus find people who are still believing in Him, praying and trusting in Him despite life’s challenges?
The point is this: Our endurance in prayer – or lack thereof – tells us something about whether we really trust in God. When we continue praying over and over it is a testament to the fact that we keep believing God is real, that He is there, that He is listening and that He cares. It is not about that perfect words, even if our prayers are clumsy and intermittent, the very fact that we keep praying is an expression of our trust in God. Our prayers are real conversations with our Heavenly Father.
We should always pray and not loose heart, “I love the Lord for he hear my voice; He heard my cry for mercy. Because He turned His ear to me, I will call on Him as long as I live.” (Psalm 116:1-2)
In closing, if you are still with me, I would like to offer a few encouraging examples of faithful women who changes history through having a faithful prayer life:
Susanna Wesley raised her sons (John one of the greatest evangelists of the 1700s speaking to crowds of more than 20,000) and (Charles who wrote 9,000 hymns still sung today) in a home dedicated to the word of God and prayer. In the midst of raising 10 children, she would spend two hours a day in personal prayer. On the days she could not find a place of solitude she would lift her apron over her head to be alone with God.
George Washington was inwon for his humility, perseverance, and dignity. His mother Mary raised him and his siblings as a single mother after her husband died when George was 10. It is recorded that she went to a nearby rock outside of her house to pray continually. George wrote letters to his mother while on the battlefield of the Revolutionary War, that he escaped death when bullets went through his coat and horses were shot out from under him. Miracle after miracle happened to George and he honored his praying mother with these words, “all that I am I owe to my mother”.
Billy Graham has led nearly 3 million people to freedom in Christ and has preached the gospel to more than 80 million people during his lifetime. He has said of all the people he has ever known, his mother, Morrow, had the greatest influence on his life. She would gather the family together to listen to the Bible and to pray together. She and his dad would pray for Billy at 10 each morning.
Every christian mother contending, interceding and praying for her children had the potential to change the course of history for God’s glory. Let us rise up and be strong in the Lord and in the power of His Might as we pray to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever think or imagine.
So how should we pray?
Honestly
Consistently
With the main goal being a deeper relationship with God – to experience the joy of unhindered access to God and a relationship with Him.
When the Son of Man returns, will you be found in Faith?
In today’s world I have unfortunately found that in my desire to make things orderly, I often have my “self” at the center of that need. Not desiring to make things orderly for the glory of God but to minimize my ordinary workload. I will admit much of this is not original to me, but it has blessed me and continues to sanctify me…
Looking back in Genesis – Adam and his helper, Eve, brought order to God’s earth with goodness, thoughtfulness, and authority. They imaged God and brought Him glory. There was dignity in their everyday lives because their work found its origins in God’s command.
As mothers, we continue to reflect God’s character in each moment as we conform to to His likeness. Ordinary moments existed before the fall and they were not demeaned or dismissed by God. Instead they were good and valuable for the flourishing of life.
Unfortunately, Eve wasn’t satisfied with the fullness of God’s provision in Eden or the knowledge and responsibilities He had given her. Instead she listened to the serpent, who tempted her to seek the extraordinary… becoming like God himself. 🍎
She was the first human who wanted to step outside of the ordinary, human, limited bounds of God’s command into something greater, godlike and unlimited.
This spills over into our lives today when we want to skip over todays mundane – wiping counters, cleaning messes, sweeping, diaper changes, emails, bills, and so on…
When we do this we stop finding our identity in who we are (image bearers of God) and start trying to find it in what we do. But when we start to rank the value of our lives in external circumstances, we will NEVER be content with our day-to-day lives.
As long as we pride ourselves in being able to speed through normalcy so we can get on to the better parts of life, we’re walking in the faithless footsteps of Eve. 🦶 🚶♀️
God works in both ugly, and the mundane to bring new life, redemption, and his sovereign plan to fruition, and such is the same for those indwelled with the Holy Spirit. All the moments of our lives – ordinary and extraordinary- will give us reason to fall before the Lamb on the throne, worshipping HIS worthiness in ALL things.
Being thoughtful with our time is a good thing but my/our deepest longing for glory and purpose is found in Christ.
👉🏻It might be mundane to fold laundry, but its extraordinary to do it patiently with joy and a heart of love. 👉🏻It might be mundane to sit on the couch and read another book to a whiny four-year-old, but it’s extraordinary to show kindness and mercy to an undeserving sinner. 👉🏻It might be mundane to fill the fridge with groceries, but it’s extraordinary to praise God for his provision. 🙌Our everyday moments might be ordinary, but when we accomplish them while displaying the fruit of the Spirit, they reflect our extraordinary Savior.
Social media has impacted our lives in so many ways – the lie of comparison dramatically impacts us (especially women) in the areas of how we keep/style our homes, how we dress, and how we parent. But it also impacts how we view and treat our spouses. The expectations that we have for our spouses.
The great news for Christian women – we acknowledge a higher calling placed on us as wives AND the Gospel gives us a better way!
Creation: Imaging God in unique ways, Adam and Eve were created differently from one another but those differences were not divisive – they were assets. They needed one another to complete the tasks given to them by God. In Eden they were unified, two becoming one, as they selflessly worked together. Living out a beautiful picture of love and harmony through worship of God alone.
Fall: When Eve doubted God had a good design for her life and union with Adam, sin and division entered the world, forever changing the marriage relationship. Now instead of being unified as husband and wife, we can act like two individuals sitting opposite of each other. Instead of out-loving one another, we look to our marriage to fulfill our own selfish desires. And if we’re Mothers – we can have the tendency to hide behind our children who we grant unconditional love to while holding our Husbands to an unattainable standard. We often live as an “I” instead of an “We” because being in a union requires us to die to self.
Redemption: Jesus loved us more than any earthly Husband ever could. Living a perfect life and purchasing our union with HIS Life. Through this sacrifice, Jesus displayed only what marriage can shadow – the Covenant love between God and His people. This love paved a way so that we could die to our selves and this happened when we were justified before the Throne. This is then played out over and over again as we are refined and sanctified for our future glory. Through Jesus’ death we are made right with God and we are one in Christ.
This is great news for believers! The same love that was in Christ to motivate Him to be patient with needy people. Kind to those who hurt Him. And long suffering for those who didn’t follow His instructions – this love is in us!
His love took Him all the way to death on the cross for us.
In Christ – this is the same love a wife can have for her Husband!!
No matter how your relationship may be with your Husband today – Let him see the work of Christ in YOU! Let Christ’s love in you be greater than your own prideful heart.
What are some things you can prayerfully work on in the way you view and interact with your Husband?
This Father’s Day, now yesterday, I found myself thinking about how good God is. This Father’s Day, I loved on my husband, and our precious son. We went to Sunday morning service and were blessed by an incredible teaching through Romans chapter 2. It was as we came to this verse, “4 Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?”
I remembered God’s faithfulness in my own life, a time that I did not know who He was, as in I did not know His attributes or characteristics. A time that this day caused a deep pain and suffering, a day that almost rendered me incapable of anything. Verse 4 highlights some of the characteristics of God that at that time I did not see: God’s kindness, God’s forbearance, and God’s patience.
You see, I grew up in a home where I was so aware of the brokenness of sin that I knew there had to be a good God… but I did not exactly know how to reconcile those two things.
In my home my earthly father did not love me as a father should. The hands that should have protected and nurtured instead hurt, hit, and in the darkest parts of the days and nights did even worse.
This went on for several years. As I grew up, I was able to confront the abuse and recognize the dysfunction that was present in my own life, sin is never a one and done, the ramification’s are far fetching. However, I did not have other believers in my life. The church I had been attending did not do well in teaching or leading those who had experienced deep trauma or hurt, this resulted in me being outcasted. Naturally, the secular world was ready and waiting. It was as I embarked on this therapeutic journey that I came dangerously close to redefining God and the Gospel to be what I felt safe with.
If you have experienced deep hurt or abandonement from your Father, I am so very sorry. If you have experienced this, chances are you too have wrestled with the idea of God being a man, you have probably wrestled with the idea of the Trinity, and maybe friend you still are and that is ok. Thankfully, God is so patient with us and He knows our hearts AND our hurts. It was during this phase of therapy that my therapist, who had a theology degree and identified as a christian, said ” Maybe you should view god as a spirit form, or as ANYTHING you want. God doesn’t have to be male…”
At first this prickled my ears! I mean this sounded good! It sounded EASY! But… God gently called out to me, a quiet whisper in my heart, “You know this is not true” “You were made for more, you were made for ME”.
What my therapist was suggesting… Well this was the very thing, the very tactic, that satan used in the garden with Eve… But did God really say? This tactic was effective then and remains effective today. Our current culture will have us read all the self help books and take all the personality tests, we are eager to do this even! But what if… the best measure of knowing who we are is to know WHO God is? You see I had a big problem with trying to make God more like me, when in reality I need to be more like Him. The enemy is so tricky because this same snare is what allowed for me to view my good and perfect God, through the relationship I experienced with my sinful, evil, and broken earthly father.
The enemy told me God was the same as my earthy father.
God’s word told me: Jeremiah 9:24, “but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
We were made in the image of God. We are made to know Him, and we are made to reflect His image to the world around us. Knowing God is critically essential to having a foundation in our relationship with Him. It is essential to grow in our knowledge of Him in order to live the Christian life. It is of significant importance because the way we view God (or do not view Him) impacts every other area of our lives; relationships, sin, worship, and healing. So it is no wonder that the very first thing the enemy wants us to call into question is who God is. If satan can distort this one area than the entirety of our belief system is on sandy ground, our faith will be shaky. If satan can cause us to question who God is then we will call into question God’s word.
God’s word is the very thing by which we come to believe and to know who He is and who we are, and of equal importance who we are not. The gospel is the very best Good News ever!
I want to share with you some of the things that helped me the most during my crisis of faith, the TRUTH’s that God used to draw me back to Him, to stay.
First thing, recognizing that the Bible is compromised of 66 books, with many stories, that make up ONE big story. The story of God’s love for us. When I discovered the metanarrative of the Bible it gave me an outline for development of my theology. As I studied individually and collectively the acts of creation, the fall, redemption, and restoration, I began to clearly see God’s mercy. In the stories that before seemed horrible and sad, say the entire first five books of the Old Testament, now were overflowing with God’s patience and mercy for His people. Instead of feeling confused about God sending Adam and Eve out of the garden, I could see the truth of His love for them and His protecting them from eating of the tree of life and thereby permanently separating mankind from Himself. When I read about how God clothed Adam and Eve, I now seen that the Lord Himself committed the first blood sacrifice for us, He loved us that much! When the Lord cursed the serpent, He also gave His best promise of a future redeemer who would put all things right again. I began to see Jesus throughout the whole Bible. OK, I recognize I am straying off my main point but I get so excited thinking about those early days of discovering God’s word being alive and active in my life and everyday moments.
The next area of study that was integral to my growing in the Lord and being submissive in what He was showing and saying to me was studying HIM. Studying His characteristiscs and attributes, clearly defining terms per His standard, as He is the creator of all things. Here is where I realized just how misled I had previously been. I began to realize the way I used terms like goodness and justice were really subjective because I hadn’t fully identified an objective standard for them. When pressed my faith was called into question because my foundation had significant damage… Below are just a few of the attributes that made an immediate difference in my ability to recognize a good God, a good FATHER, despite the suffering I endured by my earthly father. Now, I do want to be clear, knowing these things did take time to live out. It was painful. I spent equal amounts of time crying out to the Lord. This time though, I was humbled and submissive, I wasn’t asking for any “thing”. I was asking for more of HIM – for Him to show me how to take all the pain I had experienced in my life and turn it into an offering of praise. And that my friends, while it is so difficult for us is only a small thing for our lord, He is faithful to do so much more than we ask for…
God looks down from heaven on the children of man to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. (Psalm 53:2)
FAITHFUL – God is incapable of anything but fidelity. He is loyally devoted to His plan and purpose. Scripture References: 2 Tim 2:13 / Deut. 7:9 / Heb. 10:23
OMNIPOTENT – God is all powerful. His strength is unlimited. Scripture References: Mat. 19:26 / Job 42:1-2 / Jer. 32:27
OMNIPRESENT – God is everywhere. His presence is near and permeating. Scripture References: Prov. 15:3; Psalm 139:7-10 / Jer. 23:23-24
HOLY – God is undefiled and unable to be in the presence of defilement. He is sacred and set-apart. Scripture References: Rev. 4:8 / Lev. 19:2 / Hab. 1:13
INCOMPREHENSIBLE & TRANSCENDENT – God is high above and beyond human understanding. He is unable to be fully known. Scripture References: Ps. 145:3 / IS. 55:8-9 / Rom. 11:33-36
IMMUTABLE – GOD DOES NOT CHANGE. He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Scripture References: 1 Sam. 15:29 / Rom. 11:29 / James 1:17
SOVEREIGN – God governs over all things. He is in complete control. Scripture References: Col. 1:17 / Ps. 24:1-2 / 1 Chron. 29:11-12
JUST – God governs in perfect justice. He acts in accordance with justice. In Him, there is no wrongdoing or dishonesty. Scripture References: Is. 61:8 / Deut. 32:4 / Ps. 146:7-9
LOVING – God is eternally, enduringly, steadfastly loving and affectionate. He does not forsake or betray His covenant love. Scripture References: Jn. 3:16 / Eph. 2:4-5 / 1 Jn. 4:16
This is just a short list that in itself could be hours and hours of study. I hope this is helpful to you and I pray that wherever you are in you journey that the TRUTH of God’s word comforts you and leads you to your good shepherd, to our good Father. As God’s creation, we were made for worship. We will worship, whether it is for His glory or our destruction, we get to decide. I pray that today you will find Him in the quiet moments, the loud moments, the hurting moments, and that you too will ask Him to turn your sufferings into offerings of praise. I pray that you will use the low place you may be experiencing as a new viewpoint for looking up at the cross.
God is and will be faithful to do far more that you can ask.
This time of the year it is really easy to take our eyes off of the Reason for the Season: Jesus.
It is easy to start looking around at what others have, maybe it is their gifts or finances. Or maybe it’s something larger like their marriages, family or children. Things that are not inherently wrong to long for or desire.
But friends, let me encourage you to remember, seek the vertical first and foremost – then the horizontal may come. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33).
We mustn’t forget that we should be pursing holiness, holiness anchored of course in the grace of God. “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” (1 Peter 1:15-16). Salvation is by grace and sanctification is by grace.
Holiness in finances. Holiness in relationships. Holiness in sexuality.
“For you know God paid a ransom for you to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which loose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom, long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake.” (1 Peter 18-20).
The Holy Spirit enables us in this pursuit but we are 100% responsible for this pursuit; as we are 100% dependent upon the Holy Spirit to enable us.
“The pursuit of holiness is a joint venture between God and the Christian. No one can attain any degree of holiness without God working in his life, but just as surely no one will attain it without effort on his own part.” – Jerry Bridges
Stop seeking satisfaction.
Seek God.
Experience true satisfaction that is only found in God.
Sometimes in the quiet hours of early morning the Lord blesses me in the most unexpected ways.
Every morning of late Jackson, my three-year-old son, has been getting up incredibly early and I find myself grumbling from the struggles of the day before or worse even dreading the struggles of the day to come.
But not Jackson. The very FIRST thing he does each morning is find the light. Sometimes the light gets in through the expected places and sometimes it gets in through the unexpected places.
Regardless, he goes to it, he squats down and he basks in it. After he rests in this light, he then goes and get his “friends for the day” and he holds them up in the light too. He share this light with those closest to him.
What a beautiful picture of the grace God gives us each day. Grace that enables us to give grace to others. A picture of how His mercies are new each morning. This morning I stopped and rested in the light with Jackson. We prayed and I paused, humbly accepting that I once again have began to rely on myself more than Jesus to get through the hard. I grabbed my Bible and spent some time in the light. I found rest at the feet of Jesus, I found rest soaking in HIS word.
Children are a blessing from God in profound ways.
Jackson has a way of reminding me what is important when I forget. For a season I found myself sitting with him (still do) for long hours through the night – often beside the bathtub trying to soothe him. During that season the Lord impressed on my heart, “If you cannot even be still for your son, how than can you be still for me?”.
This season the Lord is using Jackson to remind me that life is found in the light of the world. In the life and grace of Jesus.
Lord forgive me, and help me to not resent these moments and days and months of intense pressure. Help me to recognize the gifts of these moments to help me to strive to enter the rest that is coming. Help me to do all things in the strength that YOU Lord provide.
“Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me.” Matthew 18:2-5 NLT
The Meek Momma 