Tag: Bible

Possible.

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in my name, I will do it.

John 14:13&14

Jesus wants us to ask for things in His name, He wants to do what we ask so that He can glorify God. Actually, let me back up to verse 12, because I can’t stop thinking about it after having read it:

Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do, and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.

When we are in God’s will and lean on Him for help, strength, wisdom, and power, we can do just as much good as Jesus did while He was on earth. Okay, I could see that [although personally, I think I have too much doubt for even that.] But Jesus says we can do even GREATER works. What? I had never really paid attention to that before. We can do greater things than part the sea, heal the sick, raise the dead? I can’t even fathom that.

It always overwhelms me to think about the power we have through the Holy Spirit. We could be out performing miracles daily – what the heck are we doing? We let ourselves get bogged down by earthly distractions and physical limitations. We let the world tell us what is possible, rather than listen to God’s word. Basically, we agree that we believe God’s word, except this one part, because it’s hard to swallow.

I guess it all comes back to motivation. Why are we wanting God to move? Is it to show His power, His love, His majesty to others? Or is it because it’s something we want? I’m so super guilty of being selfish in my prayers. If I’m being completely honest, a lot of times I pray for someone because of how their life affects mine, not out of genuine concern for that person… and that is terrible. Learning to see others how God sees them – as souls who need Him – can drastically change my motivation, and subsequently, my prayers. In turn, what will God fulfill through me? The possibilities are endless. Isn’t that wild?!

Season.

It was pretty cool here Friday, like 70 degrees and cloudy. I’m. So. Happy. It has been so hot and dry here lately, I’m pretty sure we went three whole weeks without rain. When I went to write this blog post, I looked up the word, “pluviophile,” because I had read somewhere that it referred to someone who loves rain, and thought, “that’s me!” Much to my disappointment, that’s not a real, Webster’s recognized word. But, it still describes me. I legit start getting antsy when it hasn’t rained in a while, and almost a little depressed. So, the last little while had been adding some extra emotional stress to my days. It has finally rained and I am so much more calm than I have been. I’m certain most people are the opposite, and hate when it rains for days on end. So, either way, someone somewhere is miserable no matter what the weather is doing. That’s a happy thought.

Anyway, I was driving home from the store on Friday and got to thinking. I used the “cooler” weather as an excuse to wear my favorite shirt, which is long sleeved. Baby girl was babbling and singing in the backseat. We had just bought doughnuts. It was Friday. And the weather felt ah-mazing. I felt so full of happiness. I wondered why in the world it couldn’t feel like that all the time, I would be so much more comfortable and happy. God spoke to my heart very plainly and immediately – “you wouldn’t appreciate the cool as much without the hotter months.” Yep, true. No, I don’t necessarily ever get tired of the cooler (even cold) weather (I know, I’m weird), but there is something different about that first hint of crisp air after months and months of sweltering heat; it’s a happiness that just fills my entire soul. I can only imagine that people who love warm weather feel a similar happiness when spring makes an appearance after a cold winter.

That got me thinking – in our lives we go through different seasons as well. We have good, comfortable seasons. We have awful, miserable seasons where it feels like everything is hitting us at once. We have mundane seasons where we’re merely trudging through. We have all sorts of times in our lives that make us experience all sorts of things. Would we recognize the good without having gone through the bad? If we don’t experience hardships to some degree, would we take our good times for granted? I honestly think so. I don’t think we can truly recognize God’s light if we’ve never experienced darkness. God knows the balance, He knows exactly what we need to grow into the exact person He wants us to be. The hard part, for me anyway, is remembering to look for the blessing and/ or the lesson when I’m going through the valleys of life. It’s easy to get caught up in the “why me?!” of it all, that I miss the point. Only after, when the next blessing comes along, do I look back and say, “oh, I get it now.” Or, when times are good, I still dwell on negative, minuscule things that don’t matter, rather than enjoy what’s going on around me, and more importantly be grateful for it. The thing I need to work on is enjoying the present and being thankful for it – whatever it looks like and however miserable I may think it to be. If we’re only sitting around waiting for the good times to come along, we not only miss the present, but we also build up the thing we’re looking forward to so much, that it almost becomes disappointing when it finally happens. Does that make any sense? Maybe it’s just me.

As I was writing this, Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 came to mind, especially verse 1:

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under the sun.

It may be cliché and remind me of a Byrds song, but it’s true. The thing we have to remember is that whatever is going on in our lives, God CAN and WILL use it for our good if we allow Him to. (Romans 8:28)

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for all those who are called according to His purpose.

Do I believe that? Wholeheartedly, but I forget that I believe it sometimes. Plus, I think I’m guilty of applying this in my mind only to big things. But, even small, everyday things like the weather can be used as well. I just have to be open to see it.

Publish.

Hubby and I were talking about technology the other day and how it makes it so very easy to do bad things, say hurtful words, and make poor decisions. Everything and everyone is at our fingertips, and it’s scary sometimes. [Completely unrelated sidenote: this conversation started because of a TV show. Have you all seen the BBC Sherlock series with Benedict Cumberbatch? It’s. So. Good. I don’t know why we haven’t watched it before now. Thank goodness for that Netflix free trial that I forgot to cancel so I felt like I had to get my money’s worth this month. I love it so much!]

Anyway, I was going through my bible journal and found the following, and it made me ponder the upside to technology as well:

Declare His glory among the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples! (ESV)

Publish His glorious deeds among the nations. Tell everyone about the amazing things He does. (NLT)

1 Chronicles 16:24

[My current bible journal has verses at the bottom of each page.] The scripture at the bottom of the page caught my eye today, especially that word “publish.” Apparently, they got theirs from the New Living Translation, mine was slightly different, so I wrote them both out.

The internet makes it so easy to connect with people halfway around the world instantly. I had a lightbulb moment as I read this verse – my obedience to God in writing this blog is really obedience to this call. I know there are bible apps, and anyone, almost anywhere, can have access to the bible at any time. But, I’m making my testimony available to the world. There are so many people who I would never, ever get to meet in person. They would never get to know me, be able to relate to me, or see how God has worked in my life uniquely without me putting it out there. The modern conveniences of the world can be used for God’s purpose, if we focus on God and don’t get distracted.

So, I’m not saying by any means that technology can be a suitable replacement for human connection. That will never be the case. However, just like anything else in this world, it is a tool. We can choose to use it for selfish purposes, or to spread the gospel. We can make it all about us, or use it to show God’s love to others. I forget sometimes what I’m supposed to be doing here. I try hard to make myself seem funny or relatable. I worry when one of my posts goes without too many views or likes. I get caught up in what other people think of me and the tangible feedback I’m not getting. But, every time, I’m quickly reminded that I’m not “doing well” because my heart is not in the right place. The second I make this about me, I’m doing it in vain, and it’s nothing. I’ve been trying to remember to pray hard over these posts before they ever get published. They’re for God and His people. Not me.

Learn to do good.

Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes; cease to do evil, learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.

Isaiah 1:16&17

Jim actually had verse 18 as today’s verse, but he referenced the whole passage, verses 10-20, which I loved poring over. This is SO GOOD. Go read Jim’s devotion.

So, God is speaking to the people of Sodom and Gamorrah here, but He could very well be speaking to us today as well. The people referenced here were seemingly doing all the right things – giving offerings, praying, having celebrations and feasts – God says they are vain offerings, a burden to Him. These people were living in sin and only doing these things to keep up appearances. Jim called it “playing church” and we’ve got to be careful not to fall into the same thing. We have to constantly check our motivation.

Verses 16 & 17 really spoke to me, though. For one, God doesn’t just tell them that they are doomed; in fact, He offers them a way out; he offers them salvation. Our town, our nation, our world is a scary place to be a lot of the time. Sometimes, it can feel like everybody has gone completely mad. Our little town has been overtaken by drugs. Over the last week or so there have been FOUR mass shootings in the United States. FOUR. It’s hard for me to fathom how someone can be so hopeless that they feel that kind of thing is the answer. God tells us that it’s not hopeless, and I’m so very thankful that it’s true and that I believe it.

I don’t think anything around here is going to change, however, if we don’t listen to what God says to do about it. If we’re only focused on ourselves, we’re doing it wrong. If we play at worship just to make ourselves look better, we’re doing it wrong. If we’re so focused on rules and traditions that we don’t see or do anything about the need around us, we’re doing it wrong. We need to learn to do good.

Spirit.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear, but of power and love and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:6&7

The version Jim used said, “…kindle afresh the gift of God…” and that just really resonated with me. I let satan, time and time again, distract me and allow me to forget the progress I’ve made in my relationship with God. I’m so very glad that I write down these thoughts – so many times do I begin to fall away, to question my motivations and my faith, only to eventually remind myself (through God’s amazing planning) that I’ve struggled with the same thing before and grown from it. I feel like I go through different seasons in my relationship with the Lord: sometimes I feel so focused on God and in tune with the Holy Spirit; other times, I feel like I’m clinging to God’s word, trying hard to remember His promises and my joy. At the moment, I feel somewhere in between.

I included verse 7 (Jim only had the first part of 6), because that particular part kind of stepped on my toes. I often blame my humanity for becoming distracted, feeling inadequate, or whatever the case may be. And yes, satan does play on our humanity. BUT GOD GAVE US what we need to overcome it – power, love, and self-control. Ouch. I don’t have an excuse. The Holy Spirit is my power when I feel weak or inadequate. He is my love when I feel judgmental or haughty. He is my self-control when I face temptation. All these things are inside of me – why do I walk around acting all defeated by the world? I shouldn’t. I don’t have to. In the words of my hubby (he often says this jokingly when I do something stupid), I need to “DO BETTER.”

Lamentations.

Y’all get a threefer tonight, because I have been poring over my bible devotions trying to find a particular one, and in the process found other ones that seemed to go hand in hand with it. In going over these, I’ve noticed that Jim has some favorite verses and passages that he keeps putting in front of us, and that I keep writing about like I’ve never read them in my whole life. It’s so funny [amazing] how the same passage speaks differently to me at different times. So, the first one is from November of last year, and the other two are both from March of this year:

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.

Lamentations 3:22&23

Jim asked what our favorite verse is, if it has changed, and why? For several years now, I have absolutely loved this verse from Lamentations. Once I started realizing how much sin is in my life and how much God continues to forgive me, this verse is overwhelming and comforting at the same time.

I screw up. Every. Single. Day. I try to live as God has called me, but I ALWAYS mess it up. I am so thankful that every new morning is yet another chance, a do-over, to live for Him. I think over the last several years, I’ve become a morning person; not the roll-out-of-bed-with-a-smile-on-my-face kind of morning person, but I do appreciate the time so much more than I used to. I like the quietness of it [yeah, that changed… the sweet baby is up with me then in our current season of life], seeing the sun rise, sipping my coffee and spending time with God in His word. I feel like it’s just the calm reset I need before I take on the day. I think that’s a big reason this verse speaks to me so much now. [Like I said, we kind of roll out of bed into the day now, but I still do love mornings with my baby girl – even if she is screaming, “eat!” at me as we walk down the hallway.]

Of course, hubby gives me a hard time about my favorite verse being from from Lamentations: “of course it is,” he says. I kind of complain a lot and tend to dwell on the negative. Maybe I do like the fact that it’s from Lamentations; it’s a bit of hope in a pretty much otherwise dreary book.

I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:11

Jim challenged us to recall our favorite verse or passage, and think about how it keeps us from sinning. The awesome thing is, literally any verse could work if we really thought about it.

I’m pretty sure my very favorite verse is in Lamentations, of all books. 3:23 talks about the steadfast love of the Lord, and that His mercies are new every morning. This verse reminds me that even though I may have had a bad day yesterday, I may have been disobedient, and I definitely sinned, God still loves me, and I have another chance to do the right thing today. It gives me hope every day. As I dig further into God’s word, there are so very many verses and passages that i absolutely love. Also, the more immersed in them I am, the easier it is to recall them.

Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance, to understand a proverb and a saying, the words of the wise and their riddles.

Proverbs 1:5&6

Jim asked, how much bible can we stand? Do we read a couple of chapters and have to put it down? Do we read a verse here and there? I have a distinct memory from my teenage years where I’m sitting on my bed reading the bible. I had just heard about people who read the whole bible in a year, and thought that I would try. I started at the beginning, but remember becoming overwhelmed by the language (I had a New King James version.) Once I got to the pages and pages of “begets”, I was gone. I remember thinking at the time that I wasn’t even sure I wanted to read the bible anymore.

Flash forward to a couple of months ago when Jim used a passage about David for the daily devotion. I think I sat there for at least a good 45 minutes, totally immersed in 1 Samuel, reading all about David and Saul and trying to figure out who the heck Jonathan was – it was like a good book I couldn’t put down.

I still definitely have days where I just really don’t feel like reading God’s word, and it doesn’t speak to me (or so I think at the time.) When this happens, I usually try to write down something anyway, because on more than one occasion, my “uninspired” writing from one day will be exactly what I need to read another day. God definitely works through us even when we don’t think we feel like it.

I have made a more conscious effort to spend time in the word lately (even if it’s not my ideal time anymore. For example, right now it is 10:47 PM…) and I feel so much better because of it. The more I seek His wisdom and understanding, the more I enjoy being in the word, and the more I understand. Huh, imagine that… He gives us what we ask for.

Shew, sorry that was so long, guys. In my head, it made sense that all those went together, sorry if they seem random to everyone else. Also, I have SO MANY things I’ve written, so when I feel like I can post more than one at a time, I’ll probably do it. Aaaannnnd, stand by for my confession that I’ve not been great about going to God’s word the last couple of weeks. How ironic.

More than these.

I’m back! After I started this thing with what felt like a marathon of posts, I’ve been semi-quiet in comparison over the last few weeks. Life has been an absolute rollercoaster, and as things calm down, I’m still processing everything. I’m still looking back and seeing new blessings and lessons every time I think about it. I’m still finding the words to say about it. In the meantime, I thought I’d revisit another old journal entry. This one is from April, and it made me think again this morning.

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?

John 21:15

Oh, Peter. He had denied Jesus three times before the crucifixion, but he was the first disciple to believe that Jesus had risen. I seriously wonder how much of that faith was built on taking Jesus at His word, and how much was on pure guilt; he NEEDED to believe that Jesus was back, because he was guilty of sending Him to His death.

Jim asked how many times God asks us, “do you love me?” And how many times have we told Him, “no”? Of course I love God. But then I thought about that last part again… “more than these.” Do I love God more than the most important people to me? Do I put Him before my husband, my child, my friends and family? Not always. I’ve told Him, “no,” more often than I’d like to think. Jesus died for our sins, yet we still deny Him with our actions. We need to be more aware that every choice we make is a chance to answer “yes” or “no.”

Equipped.

Funny story – two days before the incident I spoke of in my last blog post happened, I wrote this:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Colossians 3:16

The deeper I get into God’s word and the more frequently I read it, the more I truly understand what this means. I love being so rooted in the Word that whatever I’m going through, I can recall an applicable verse or reference. I love the comfort God’s promises give me when I’m going through difficult times or having doubts. And I love how God uses it to point out my sins and teach me lessons. I am very thankful that I can rely on His word.

This also tells us to use it to help and bless others. When other people see the Word in us, they can’t help but be changed somehow. I pray that I always use and portray God’s word this way.

Huh, who knew that I’d be living this out in just a couple of days? God did. And He gave me words to remind myself to cling to Him, to not get bogged down by circumstances. He has been training and equipping me for this very season, and I’m so very thankful.

Rubbish.

Something I wrote in April that spoke to me again when I read it the other night:

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For His sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ…

Philippians 3:7&8

Jim reminded us that if anyone was on the fast track to “making it”, it was Paul. He had the right social standing, he appeared to be righteous under the law, he was going places according to the world’s standards. Jim also pointed out that Paul never names anything specific that he gave up in this passage, as if it didn’t matter anyway. [Link to devotion] Jim challenged us to think about what we hold “most dear” and where we find our identity.

When I first thought about this, I honestly got a little defensive. A lot of my identity is being a wife and a mother. But, I know God has called me to these things, so why would I have to give them up? They are important to me. I was also thinking that my birthright and social standing couldn’t compare to Paul’s, but then a thought occured to me: I was born in a country that was built on freedom, I have food on my table and a roof over my head, I have money to do and buy the things I need and want. How much of my identity is in all of these things? Much more than I care to admit. What if God called me to give it all up? Would I still praise God if I were on the street, hungry, and being persecuted for my beliefs?

I think one important thing, probably the most important, is perspective. When we truly see Jesus for who He is, literally nothing else can compare. He is so big that our titles, our money, our lives seem so small in comparison. We realize that following Him should be our whole identity. In His power and presence, the biggest problems don’t even seem like minor setbacks. In a heavenly, divine perspective, worldly things seem minute. It’s all rubbish.

So, I’m not saying that my roles as wife and mother aren’t important, but they are just that, roles that God gave me to fulfill His purpose. My identity should be found in Him.

I’ve been thrown into working on the whole perspective thing… our family has been dealing with an issue the last few days. It’s not life-threatening, but definitely potentially life-changing. I was driving yesterday, and remembered a thought I had several months ago. Life was so good and my heart was so full. I remember thinking that I needed to praise God for these good times, because there are inevitably bad times too. I was trying to hold onto that feeling of joy so that I could remember it the next time joy and praise didn’t come so easily. Well, that time is now. One of those inevitable bad times is now. And I’m trying to cling so very tightly to God’s goodness and promises.

We got some good news today, but it’s still a waiting game. I fully believe that God heard the prayers of everybody who prayed for us over the last few days – and it was a lot of people. I know He will continue to be with us as we go through the next few weeks (and forever), but I already have such peace about this situation. I already have assurance that God answered the cry of His people, and He will continue to bless us immensely through this ordeal. I KNOW that He can use this for our good. I just pray that we don’t get so distracted by our circumstances that we forget to look for the blessings and the lesson. I pray that we can use this to help someone else some day. I pray that we can continue to cling to our faith in God’s unending goodness, because it is abundantly present in our lives.

Focus.

Confession time: I have been in A FUNK the last few days. I haven’t felt good, I’ve been overly lazy even for me, I’ve had the worst self-esteem, and I’ve just felt blah. I’ve been looking for a previous bible devotion to put up here. I spent a good 30 minutes the other night poring over my own words, only to close my journal feeling discouraged and inadequate. Nothing seemed to be important enough, intelligent enough, or organized enough to present to other people. I was getting frustrated with myself, because a lot of the entries seemed to say the exact same thing. But, I realized, that was me identifying my struggle in whatever verse I happened to be reading that day; it was me clinging to God’s word for guidance through my battle. After another day to think about it, I think it’s important to share my (ongoing) struggle. I wrote this at the beginning of January:

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.”

1 Peter 5:6&7

This devotion was from New Year’s Day, and I missed doing it. But man, I needed this verse this morning. I realized the other day that I was letting satan tell me that certain things in my life were too small or petty to bring to God. I let him tell me that God was too big to be concerned with baby girl’s nap schedule or the piles of dishes and laundry that need to be done. I let him whisper to me that it was all up to me, that I have to get this done on my own, and that I’m not good enough [there’s that, again.]

When I came to this realization the other day, I prayed for forgiveness and for God to remind me to bring EVERYTHING to Him. A few days later, and what am I doing? I couldn’t sleep last night and was literally having a panic attack. Over what? Planning my one year old’s birthday party, mostly. I was also stressing over stuff I have to do today (long story for another day.) I finally got to sleep after midnight and then some little peanut woke up whining at 4:30. I was unreasonably angry, and then immediately felt so very guilty. After eating and going back to sleep for a couple of hours, she woke up on the wrong side of the bed, and I think, so did I! Between several minor inconveniences (i.e. I dropped my muffin in the floor) and a baby who has cried all morning, I’m so nervous and anxious that I’m shaking. Enter this passage from 1 Peter – just the reminder i had prayed for…

…baby girl woke up as I was writing yesterday and I didn’t finish. Looking back on yesterday, it got better. That 25 minute morning nap made a world of difference, and then the two and a half hour afternoon nap was exactly what she and I both needed. She got some much-needed rest, and I was able to get some work done, which made me feel like a more productive member of the family.

I honestly don’t know why I let satan tell me that certain things have to be done on my own, that they aren’t big enough or important enough to matter to the Creator who knows my every insecurity. But He does care, and He wants to carry my burdens. I have to stop listening to the whisper that tells me I don’t matter and my problems don’t matter. God cares about me and for me. In reality, my worries and anxieties are just there to distract me from God and the purpose He’s given me. God definitely wants to clear my mind of all that stuff. I need more room in there for Him and His will.

Living intentionally is something I’ve always struggled with – I’m so good at skating by with minimal effort. My word for this year is FOCUS. It doesn’t come easily to me anymore, and I’ve got to do better. I’ve got to live more intentionally, with a clear focus on God.

So, we’re nearly halfway through the year, and focus is still something I’m struggling with. A funny thing happened as I was reading my journal entries from earlier this year the other night, the same word kept popping up over and over again; if I didn’t use it every time, it sure was close to it. You know what that word was? Distraction. No matter what verse I was writing about, I somehow just kept relating it back to how satan distracts us, how we have to focus on God.

Life has changed so much since we’ve had baby girl, and I feel like I’m juggling so much. Before, all I had to worry about was me, and what I had going on – being a wife, doing my part of cooking, cleaning, etc.; working, doing Avon… that was about it. On top of all that now, I’m also a mom and have a child to worry about and everything that entails (worries and concerns included), plus, I’ve started this blog. I feel like I’m being pulled so many different directions every minute of every day. I have so many distractions. Besides praying, I’m not sure what else I can be doing to help myself with this struggle. I just keep praying for God to show me these things that are distracting me, and to make me able to see them for what they are. Obviously, looking at all these journal entries where I just keep using the word, “distraction,” I’m starting to see them. But noticing them after reflection is entirely different than noticing them in the moment. I’m doing better, but I’ve still got some work to do.