Change Your Perspective and Look to the Son

As I was driving to work yesterday morning I noticed the beautiful clouds, dark and light, that covered the horizon. The sun was obscured but I could see the white light of it behind one of the clouds. As I drove along I saw bits of blue sky here and there among the clouds. And as I got closer to work I saw a line of blue as though it was a window in the wall of clouds, having both dark and light clouds beneath and above it. It was beautiful. To think that we can see the shining sun and the breathtaking blue of the sky just beyond the clouds makes for a masterpiece of wonder.

God spoke to my heart: Life has many opportunities that look like storm clouds. They threaten, they obscure, they try to define you. The swirling of the winds within the clouds and the ominous potential will hold you captive if you allow them. Yes, storms come into everyone’s life. Cloudy days are part of living;  but as your focus changes your perspective changes as well.  Instead of looking intently at the storm you are in, look beyond the cloudiness and see Me. The blue sky and sun rays are a herald of My Spirit giving you hope for today and purpose for the future. No matter who put the clouds in your sky, precious one, I AM preparing for you sunny days and plenty of blue skies. If you will hold onto My truth, in spite of the weather, you will see it all work out.  I AM the Lord who heals you, gives you new purpose, fresh insight and new dreams and hopes. Today may be cloudy but My forecast for you is abundance of the Son.  You cannot see it now, but your day is clearing and your life is gaining strength to live in the Light of My Word.  I AM speaking My Word over your life and heart and mind right now. Run to My Word and see what I AM saying about you, about the situation and about your future. That is your truth – not the storms, not the clouds, not the obscurity  – but the sun and the blue sky of your outcome for My glory.

Oh beloved, I know things can be oh so hard. The feelings you have about the situation you are presently in are understandable. I’ve been there. I can say that there were times I knew the sun would never shine again and yet it has! I know because I experienced it and God’s Word says it. God wants you to know that not only will your days ahead clear up, you will be absolutely amazed at how good and precious those new days will be. He loves you. Not buddy love or goose bumps love, but real love – the kind that sent Christ to the Cross. Abiding, genuine, enduring and faithful love. God is also for you – this means that no matter what you are going through, no matter whose fault it is, no matter the tangled turmoil of clouds swirling above your head – He will see you through it all. He will carry you beyond it as well. Better days full of joy and love and peace are coming, beloved, they are just beyond the clouds. Don’t give up now. Don’t give in to despair. Don’t languish in the depths of sorrow. Let God’s Word lift you up, build you up and carry you over to the other side.

Rest in His faithfulness. Focus on His promises. Pray for His Truth to become your reality. Watch as He does what only He can do. Your stormy days are about to end and your cloudy view is being overcome by the Son.  Break forth into joy and write and record for yourself how you feel today, how it looks tomorrow and how He honors His Word in your life for the days to come. Yes, your life has changed. It is changing for the better because you are learning to abide in Truth and rest in God and live for Jesus and that’s all that really matters.

II Peter 1:5a In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises…

Psalm 36:5 Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds.

Psalm 143:11 For the glory of Your name, O Lord, preserve my life. Because of Your faithfulness, bring me out of this distress.

2 Corinthians 4:17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever!

Psalm 34:5 They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces will never be ashamed. NAS

Are You Learning Your Lines from the Right Script?

You may think I’m an early bird, but I’ve been watching some of the Hallmark Christmas movies already. I love everything about Christmas - the tinsel, the glitter, the scents and the sounds. I also love all the various Christmas cantatas and musicals that are presented for the public to enjoy. My home is host to several nativity scenes reminding us whose birthday it really is.

Everyone who part...icipates in any kind of show has to rehearse. Can you imagine going to theater and watching unrehearsed performance? How would anyone know how to perform? What would they say? Where would their lines go? How could they time their dances and the entrances and exits? At best everyone would be confused. At worst it would be utter chaos. The orchestra would be doing their own thing, the singers would be making their own music and the actors would be jumping over one another’s lines. Center stage would become the platform for anger, animosity, jealousy, humiliation, confrontation, revenge and more. Someone might get hurt.

Rehearsal is absolutely invaluable for the believer as well. We are playing for an audience of One. We’re not performing for accolades, achievements or applause. We don’t necessarily care if we’re given a good review by man or if we’re considered worthless. We must rehearse daily. If we don’t rehearse daily we’ll fall victim to humiliation, animosity, rejection, humiliation, revenge and more. Chaos will run rampant in our hearts.

Oh beloved, open up God’s Script and learn your lines well. See what God says. Watch Him direct you. Hear His heart and learn it well. Unlike actors who eventually have to put away their script and perform without it, we never have to let go of the Word of God. It is more essential to us than our daily bread. If you do not learn His lines well, then you will find yourself spouting your hurts and your anguish and making it all up as you go. When you lean on Jesus and speak His truth over every situation, He will be glorified through you.

And you’ve got an audience of One, and He is in the wings and He is ever before you and He is applauding your every step. And He is coming to get you at the end of your run. And He is with you all the way, cheering you on to greater heights, higher ways and blessings untold. The Creator and the Director of your entire story loves you and He’s for you and that’s all that really matters…ever.

Psalm 40:5 O Lord my God, You have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all Your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them.

2 Samuel 7:28 For you are God, O Sovereign Lord. Your words are truth, and You have promised these good things to Your servant.

Psalm 119:147 I rise early, before the sun is up; I cry out for help and put my hope in Your words.

Psalm 9:1 I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will show forth (recount and tell aloud) all Your marvelous works and wonderful deeds! (AMP)

Psalm 89:1 I will sing of the Lord’s unfailing love forever! Young and old will hear of your faithfulness.

Hebrews 10:23 Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep His promise.

Check the Mailbox of God's Love

Where I work I deal with loads of mail generated from our office. From soil samples to manure samples to water samples. There are fact sheets and information brochures along with flyers and newsletters and reports. Lots of mail. We even have our own postage meter to deal with the large volume of mail.

The fact that we generate lots of mail means that eventually and occasionally something we send out gets lost in the mail. It happened recently. A water sample mailed at the end of last month never showed up at the appropriate lab.  Thankfully the check that was mailed with it wasn’t cashed, but still no sample and therefore no results available.

Work gets stressful when people don't understand that these things happen.  I checked and double checked the address (it was new) and the information I had made copies of and called the lab.  After reassuring myself that I had done everything right, I went on to reassure others that it was simply lost in the system.  You want to blame someone, to get to the root of it – so it doesn’t happen again, but it’s impossible to ensure this because the system itself is fragile and while no one at my end, at the postal service end or the laboratory end wants something lost, it’s going to happen sometimes.

Life gets stressful and we don’t always understand why things happen. Things get lost. People get lost. Lives are lost. Hopes are lost.  It’s bound to happen – the loss of friends, spouses, children, jobs, money, treasures, and more. Admittedly, some things are more treasured than others, but a loss is a loss. Try as we might to get something we considered quite valuable back, it’s out of our hands.  We often wring our hands and cry out that we just want it back. If we’re not careful we’ll spend the rest of our days in mourning for the loss of something we can do nothing about.

People can get stressed, angry, unforgiving and suspicious when they don’t get their wants- but life in Christ never causes stress for His promises are never lost!  

Are you mourning the loss of someone or something you know you’ll never get back in this lifetime?  Are you wringing your hands and worrying about what you’re going to do without that treasured object or a treasured loved one? It’s hard to go it alone, it’s hard to move on, it’s difficult to smile and not let stress overtake you. But life in Christ will never leave you stressing for His promises are never lost! Even when things look bleak, when you’re awake in the wee hours of the morning or you’re in the middle of the day and you remember, God’s promises are right on time. They are ready for you every time you need them! Unlike the mail system, that might lose something in the mail, you never lose God’s promises for they are right with you always!

Oh beloved, run to the mailbox of God’s love - the Word-this morning and let Him show you the treasures of your life from His Word. Everything you need to live is written by the hand of the Lord just for you! Before the foundation of the world God Himself set up His richest storehouse of treasures to give liberally to His beloved ones! You don’t have to travel, you don’t need postage and you don’t have to wait until you are good enough to enjoy it all. Lean on the Lord! He knows your heart is broken, He knows you may be angry or agitated that things got lost, but your relationship with Him is solid. He is for you and His Word is hope for your heart in a day when all may look lost – look into the treasures God gave to you and rejoice. His love and care are yours no matter what.

2 Samuel 22:31 God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection.

Numbers 23:19 God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change His mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through?

Psalm 12:6 The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.

Psalm 119:140 Your promises have been thoroughly tested; that is why I love them so much.

Psalm 138:2 I bow before your holy Temple as I worship. I praise Your name for Your unfailing love and faithfulness; for Your promises are backed by all the honor of Your name.

Psalm 119:89 Your eternal word, O LORD, stands firm in heaven.

Isaiah 40:8 The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.

God is Faithful and That's Enough to Go to Him

When I was a little girl, my dad sent a check with me each Monday morning to school. The check paid for lunch and milk. Faithfully I deposited the check with the teacher and went through the lunch line daily.  For some reason, I don’t even remember why now, I got the idea that cool kids (not what we called them then lol) didn’t drink milk with their lunch.  I may have been made fun of. Who knows? Anyway, I decided to fix that. I changed the check to reflect only enough money for lunch sans milk. Now keep in mind I might have been 8 years old at the most! Looking back on this, I know it didn’t look like my daddy had done the check. I still have the scene in my mind: My daddy coming to school and asking me what happened to the check.  I was terrified but I told him the truth. The rest is history.

Oftentimes when we’re faced with a situation or a predicament or a decision, we resort to fixing things our way.  I know there are times I certainly do, how about you?  We fix and we redo and we finagle and wonder. We try to get ourselves out of a tight spot, make ourselves feel better, make it easier on ourselves and more.   We are not expecting a day of reckoning, when the things we try to muddle out in the flesh come to a dead end. 

Oh beloved, God wants you to know this day that you are His! And because you are His, He has written everything out in detail for you – His Word is your financial, spiritual, physical and life planning guide! He wants you to know that when you get off His mark, He will help you get things back in order. He won’t treat you bad when you come to Him. He won’t turn you away on the brink of disaster and tell you to handle it yourself!  He won’t say No to you ever! He welcomes you with open arms and an open heart. No matter what you’ve done, no matter what situation you are in, no matter how big a predicament you find yourself in, He is there!

Run to your Father God this morning! If you need to confess a wrong, do it! He will never turn you away, refuse to forgive or make you pay.  His Essence is forgiveness. If you need help in troubles, ask Him for it. His Essence is Help. If you just want to rest in His loving arms and feel like His favorite child, go for it! He will always love you and He is always for you and that’s all that really matters!

2 Samuel 22:7 But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I cried to my God for help. He heard me from His sanctuary; my cry reached His ears.

Psalm 145:13 For your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout all generations. The Lord always keeps His promises; He is gracious in all He does.

Psalm 31:22 In panic I cried out, “I am cut off from the Lord!” But You heard my cry for mercy and answered my call for help.

Psalm 145:19 He grants the desires of those who fear Him; He hears their cries for help and rescues them.

(Oh Beloved! Live in the Light of His Word!  Rebekah Beene c January 30, 2013)

Worn Out Getting Ready for the Day? Rest in Him!

Wow, just a few more days till Christmas!  If you’re like me, there are still quite a few things to do to get ready for the day.  I keep thinking I need to add an arrangement to a table, an ornament to the tree, a package underneath or another string of lights outside.  Most of us, if truth be told, have lots more Christmas ideas than days left to accomplish them!  I find that right about now, I begin to lose ground between my ideas and plans and daylight hours. I also find that I am getting tired.  It’s a hustle bustle world out there and if we’re not careful, we can get too busy to remember what Christmas is really about.    

Mary and Joseph spent the night in the stable because there was no room in the inn. Because it was one of those hustle bustle times around Jerusalem, the big tax season, there were a lot of people in town. Everyone was busy, some were worrying about paying their taxes, others were worried about seeing the right people and having the right connections. Joseph was worried about Mary and Mary was thinking about her unborn child.

For us, we can scarcely imagine giving birth, delivering our baby, in a barn! The germs, the animals, the hay, the unsanitary conditions! We would be fretting to say the least. We’d be demanding something better. Yet Mary wasn’t fretting or worrying about the situation.  Why? How could she stand it?

Because Mary had already spent time with God, she knew He could be trusted. She knew that even if things looked dreary, dim and dark, that He would be there for her.  Not only had an Angel of the Lord, spoken with her, she had listened! The Word said, “she pondered all these things”. 

Oh beloved! This morning as you wipe the sleep from your eyes and your recount all the things yet to be done, won’t you stop a moment and listen? Listen closely, for amid the sounds of so much rushing and doing and planning there is Someone trying to speak songs of love and truth to your heart! He is the way and as you put your trust in Him, you will find favor! The Lord Himself says to you this morning, Rest in My promises, for each one of them are for your good and My glory! Rest in My care for I AM the one who brought you this far and will care for you all the way to heaven. You cannot trust circumstances, but you can trust Me. You cannot trust yourself, but you can believe that I AM all you need for this holiday, for the holy occasion. As you celebrate so busily, don’t forget to celebrate Me! For I AM the fount of living water, the Redeemer of your heart, the Restorer of your soul and the One Who loves you beyond your wildest hopes and dreams! And if I love you, I will surely be for you always.

Luke 1:30 “Don’t be afraid, Mary,” the angel told her, “for you have found favor with God!

Matthew 1:23 “Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel, which means ‘God is with us.’”

Psalm 27:8  My heart has heard you say, “Come and talk with me.” And my heart responds, “LORD, I am coming.”

Psalm 31:16  Let your favor shine on your servant. In your unfailing love, rescue me.

Psalm 139:17-18 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered!  I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, You are still with me!

Isaiah 25:1 O LORD, I will honor and praise your name, for you are my God. You do such wonderful things! You planned them long ago, and now you have accomplished them.

Frustrations? Run to the Lord Who Can Handle it For You.

Not long ago I found myself fuming about something. I can honestly say I don’t remember what it was, but I remember the outcome. It was a week that had been unusually tiring. By Friday, that tiredness was turning into frustration. I really didn’t think I could “get it all done”. I went out to the garage to move something.  And it didn’t want to move. So I moved some other things around. All the time I was talking to myself about my frustration. There was one more small object to move out of the way before I could move the bigger object and get to what I was after. I picked it up and tossed it out of the way. I didn’t become the Hulk, really! But everyone in my family knows that it’s quite dangerous when I throw!  My aim and my pitch never go in the same direction. So this small object hit a box and bounced back. Onto Danny’s motorcycle.  At this point I realized I was being ridiculous and I picked the small object up to move it, not throw it.

That is when I spied it. The tiny nick of paint on the fender of Danny’s motorcycle.

And then I heard the voice of my Lord say,

“Anger always causes damage”.

I know what you’re saying. “What, we’re never supposed to be angry?”  The problem with anger is not that we get angry, but what we do with that anger.  I talked to myself about it instead of the Lord.  I found an object to vent my anger on instead of asking God to remove it from me.  It was my focus that got me into trouble. Rather than focusing on God’s redeeming abilities, I focused on my frustrated weariness. But God in His beautiful loving ways, spoke oh so gently to me. God did not return anger, righteous indignation or punishment on me.  He just walked around the day with me watching over me, hoping to get a moment with me and then at just the right time, He taught me. In love.

Oh beloved! I know for some of you there are things going on in your life that seem insurmountable. You’ve hoped they would go away, but they’re still staring you square in the eye. You’re getting tired and you’re ready to do something about it – in your own strength. But there is One Who has promised to follow you all of your days. He wants to speak the loving truth into your life so that whatever comes you can lean on Him for His strength, His wisdom and His courage to do the right thing no matter what. He says to you, I love you. I’ve got this. I know you can’t handle anymore, so just give it to me. Let me take your frustrations and your fears and turn them into jewels of the faith for you. My exchange system will never cause damage and never bring regrets. But you’ll have to Trust Me. You can, you know, for My Name is Faithful and True. Lean on Me for your support and together we’ll go into the situation and I’ll make things beautiful in their time.

Hallelujah! What a Savior! Who takes our infirmities and heals our wounds and renews our spirits. All in love, because He promises to love us forever and be with us always. And that’s all that really matters.

Hebrews 10:35-36 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you!  Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that He has promised.

Philippians 4:6-7 Don’t worry (fret or fume) about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

Proverbs 3:5  Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.

Psalm 86:11  Teach me your ways, O LORD, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.

All of God's Promises Are True for You!

There was such a huge crowd in Fayetteville this past week-end. Walking together was a big deal too. There were so many people walking up and down the streets that you had to hang on tightly to stay together. Once our hands loosened and I found myself walking across the street alone. I felt a presence behind me and a real chill as I began to worry. Finally, I decided I’d just have to turn around and look. Thankfully Danny was catching up with me and grabbed my hand.  If someone else was following me, they were gone and I was thankful.

There is an enemy of our soul who wants to follow us everywhere we go. He’s called a “roaring lion” and is described as “seeking whom he may devour”. His character is described as crafty, shrewd and devious. He’s also good at being deceitful, falsehearted and lying. While this is not a full description it is sufficient to say he’s up to no good. He’s like the wolf in Red Riding Hood – dressed as grandmother but inside he’s still a wolf. He promises one thing but does another.

There is a Lover of our soul who promises to follow us everywhere we go. His character is Faithful and True.  What He promises He will do. And, all of His promises are exceedingly abundantly above all we could ask or think. We never have to look over our shoulder because goodness and mercy are following us. He is always seeking our good and His glory. He is like no other – He is the King of Glory!

Oh beloved, run to the Word this morning and read: all of God’s promises were written just for you! Learn all His promises, study all His precepts. Know that He is always with you, always for you and always watching out for you. He’ll never lead you wrong and He’ll always make things right for you. Even when the enemy tries to trick, deceive or lie, God is never going to leave you alone. I know it can feel like you are walking alone, it can feel like our soul is in danger and that problems will never cease. But the Lord says to you today Trust Me as I guide you into All Truth. Honor Me as I show you how to walk regardless of the circumstances. Love Me as I have loved you. All of My Kingdom is yours as you are my child – my heir.  Honor Me and I will honor you.

God knows your situation. He’s leading you through each one, He’s following you with blessings and He’s carrying you all the way to heaven! Hallelujah what a Savior, who loves you and is on your side and that’s truly all that matters!

Proverbs 29:25 “Fearing people is a dangerous trap, but trusting the LORD means safety.”

Psalm 95:7  for He is our God. We are the people He watches over, the flock under His care. If only you would listen to His voice today!

Psalm 139:5  You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.

2 Thessalonians 3:3  But the Lord is faithful; He will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.

Are You Asking? God's Answer Will Come!

My parents used to write notes on the mirror in the bathroom with a bar of soap. Usually it was "I Love You". Sometimes it was a reminder to pack something or the like. I too leave notes on the mirror. They're easy to wipe off by a little water and a cloth. Yesterday as I was in the bathroom cleaning up after one of the grandkids took a shower, I noticed an old note on the mirror. One I had long wiped away. But because of the steam, there it was plain as the day I had written it! Although I had forgotten about it, it was still there waiting to be revealed again. 

Oh beloved, our prayers are like writing on the mirror.  We give it to God. We talk with Him often about the need, the want, the heart’s cry. We ponder and we wait.  We go about our daily lives and carry on. We might even forget about it. But the Lord never forgets.  One day, just like the message in the steam covered mirror, God’s answer will come. He will reveal His character, His will and His way. It’s not for us to know why delays happen, why promises seem distant or when He needs to answer. We know, by the Word He has spoken that He is always with us, always hearing us, always taking unconditional care of all that matters to us. Go ahead and talk to Him about your life and don’t leave anything out. You do not know when His answer of love will be revealed, but you can always trust that He loves you and has your absolute best in mind.  He’s no ordinary confidant, He’s our beloved Savior!

I John 5:15 And since we know He hears us when we make our requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for.

 

Psalm 65:5  You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas.

He is the God Who will Meet all of Your Needs!

My mother was quite an overcomer. One of the times that things looked bleak she had peritonitis. She knew things were bad because she could see herself in a mirror in the hospital room. She recounted that her arms and legs were black. She remembers a doctor coming into her room and announcing to the nurse and whoever else was there, "She'll not make it."  She prayed often. She was mostly worried about her children and knew that she needed to get better for them.  During her time in the hospital, only one pastor ever visited her.  She didn't know him, but he was a faithful man who visited the sick. 

God answered my mother’s prayer and healed her body completely.  After she went home she went to the church of that pastor who visited and joined his church, because he had been there for her. 

Oh beloved, this is why I go to the Lord for all my needs. Because He is the One Who hears me when I call. He has visited me in my distress, He has taken me to new heights and He has restored my soul!  He is the only True and Faithful God. His promises are more numerous than the stars in the sky. And, He is always with me. He was with my ancestors and He will be with my descendants.  I know Him, so I go to Him. He has proven Himself to me over and over, so I Trust Him.  Today you can trust Him for everything. For your past, He promises forgiveness. For your present, He promises relief. For your future, He promises Heaven.  Won’t you try Him today?  He’s worthy of your praise, He’s mindful of your prayers and He loves you just the way you are! Not only that, His plans for you are fantastic. He won’t leave you in your present state! He is the Lord God Almighty and He is worthy of your Trust! He loves you and He’s for you and that’s all that really matters.

Psalm 50:15  “Then call on Me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give Me glory.”

Psalm 116:1 I love the LORD because He hears my voice and my prayer for mercy.

 Psalm 31:7  I will be glad and rejoice in Your unfailing love, for You have seen my troubles, and You care about the anguish of my soul.

Psalm 23:1  The LORD is my shepherd; I have all that I need.

Psalm 116:2  Because He bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!