God's Plans for You Are Right on Time

I wanted snow. Not 10 inches but enough to make snow ice cream. I’m just a little disappointed. But I was home this week-end and would have enjoyed it. Usually when it snows I’m looking for a can of condensed milk and find none. This year I’ve been ready all winter. There are extra cans waiting in the cabinet. But no snow to go with the milk. I’m prepared but there’s nothing happening.

Ever feel prepared for something yet nothing happens? You know in your heart it’s something you really want and you’ve done everything to be ready. Yet it does not appear. Disappointment wants to knock on the door of your heart and walk right in and take over. It could be a job, a boyfriend, a marriage, a house, a past-time, a ministry, a dream. You’ve prepared and made everything ready on your end but the answer doesn’t come through. You start to wonder. Questions come. You ask yourself if you did something wrong, if you missed the boat, if God was not aware of your dreams and plans.

Disappointment isn’t something you want to let in. The trouble with disappointment is it brings friends with it. Entertain disappointment and you’ll find yourself feeling depressed, and ultimately in despair. Satan will use disappointment that settles in your heart to convince you that you missed God. Or that God missed you. The tactic of the enemy is to use situations that are temporary and convince you they are permanent.

Snow will eventually fall here again. It’s just not going to happen right now. Do I give up? Do I throw out the canned milk? Do I curse the snow and refuse to believe? No. I refer to the truth. I defer to the truth.

With every situation we find ourselves in we must defer to God. He alone knows the why, the when and the where. But He says He has plans for us and they are good. So, we don’t answer the door when the disappointment comes. We replace disappointment with the knowledge that it is HIS appointment that counts. All our appointments are kept right on time by an On time God! We shut the mouth of the enemy by praising God. Praising God for delays that give way to His wonderful ways – right on time.

Oh beloved! This is not the time to give up. This is the time to spend time with Jesus. Praising Him. Worshipping Him. Responding to Him. Letting Him speak His truth into your heart. Reading His Word, over and over again. Finding the Scriptures that speak to your heart and living in their light. Everything else wants to let darkness take over – your mind and your senses are reeling because what you thought would happen hasn’t happened. But your spirit responds to God’s Word with His Truth to lift you out of despair and into His presence of glory and peace. Don’t spend another moment cursing what should have been, but begin to praise Him for what is going to be! You will find that your burden of disappointment can’t stay in the presence of praise. This is the time to be full of joy and peace as you wait for the Father to fulfill His plans for you in His time. 

God loves you and He’s for you and all His plans are good and right on time. Keep praying for His plans to come through and watch as He will never disappoint you ever. You can dance with joy as you wait in His presence for His plans to come to light.

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He will give you the desires and secret petitions of your heart. AMP

Psalm 52:9 I will give You thanks forever, because You have done it, And I will wait on Your name, for it is good, in the presence of Your godly ones.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

Psalm 27:14 Wait for the Lord; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the Lord.

Psalm 16:11 You will make known to me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.

Daily Filling Keeps You From Being Dry

The Christmas tree hunt was always a fun childhood memory. When Danny and I married I tended to gravitate towards trees that were, well too big! Admittedly we would argue a bit about which tree to get as the one I wanted was always too tall! Finally we started using artificial trees and did so for years. Last year we started looking at living trees. Tree hunting memories are so much fun, no matter where you go to get one.

With a live tree, you must fill the container daily. If it were a fake tree, there’d be no need for the life keeping water. But without filling the tree on a regular basis, the needles would begin to turn brown and fall. It would become brittle and unappealing. Its life is connected to the filling, otherwise it’s sure to die.

The Christian life is much like a living Christmas tree. We are alive in Christ and set apart as a display of His glory and grace. We’ve been infused with the life giving water of the Holy Spirit. But this life in Christ is a daily renewal. Unless we allow ourselves to be filled daily, we’ll be just like that Christmas tree whose branches become brittle. Our countenance and our strength will begin to fall, just like the needles on an un-watered tree. For us to live fully alive, we must drink of the fountain of living water and we can because God says that His life giving flow never runs dry. As we allow the Lord to wash us with the water of the Word, we thrive. We stay green and soft and pliable. We are beautiful because He fills us daily and keeps us fresh for His glory.
Danny filled the trees container yesterday and he was shocked that the gallon of water he put on the day before was gone. That’s why he keeps a water bottle right behind the tree, a reminder to refill it daily so it remains beautiful. We too keep the Word handy, right there on our bedside tables or our morning coffee spot, so that we can quickly pick up a refill.

Maybe you found your walk with the Lord a little dry lately. The urgency to refill has waned but you thought things were going pretty good. You may not have noticed right away, but there’s a nagging feeling that something’s not right. The excitement, the thrill, the love seems to be gone. You’re been busy preparing for Christmas, but forgotten Christ. It happens. We find the pursuit of life to be very engaging and busy. Then one day we discover we have gotten brittle and perhaps a little grumpy and short tempered. We check and see that it’s been days since we’ve taken in the Word.

True to God’s Word, as soon as we refill our reservoir with His fountain of love, we return to our supple, beautiful, Christ-filled temperament. Yet we tend to let it go dry before we refill.

Oh beloved, drink deeply of God’s Word. Let it lavish the nourishment that you must have as a believer. Watch as His life giving flow helps rid you of the brittleness of life. Yes, there can be hard times when you may be feeling quite dry, but God’s promise is that you can be like a tree that flourishes by streams of living water. You won’t have to bend under the load of care, because the more you are filled with Christ the less room there is for the cares of the world. Family and friends cannot fill your heart with what you really need. Things and pursuits of happiness won’t nourish your heart. God knows you’ve been through a lot. You may feel that you were cut down in your prime and drug through the woods of sorrow, rejection, troubles and cares. But He’s setting you up as a beautiful display of His magnificent love. Let Him replace the things that are loading you down and watch as you feel renewed under His watchful care. The fruit and the gifts of the Holy Spirit will flow as well, just as the tree is decorated with ornaments.

Don’t load yourself down with the things that don’t matter, but let yourself be filled with the only thing that really matters in your life. God loves you and He’s for you and that is worth refilling every single day of the year.

John 5:26 The Father has life in Himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to His Son.

John 7:38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’”

Jeremiah 2:13 For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned Me— the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns that can hold no water at all!

Job 23:12 I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

Jeremiah 17:8 For he will be like a tree planted by the water, That extends its roots by a stream And will not fear when the heat comes; But its leaves will be green, And it will not be anxious in a year of drought Nor cease to yield fruit.

John 15:4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.

It's Time to Come In...

It’s a great time of year for kids and adults to play outside.  It’s damp in the afternoons and the thick blanket of leaves are becoming a haven for jumping feet. The smell of smoke is beginning to work through the air. Fireplaces are revving up and final yard work is being attended to.

When kids play outside they get dirty. Grubby. Filthy. Usually their feet are the grubbiest. Who’d think that someone with shoes and socks on could have dirt between their toes and yet kids do.  They’re covered but even the spots that are covered get dirty.

When kids are playing outside they rarely ever want to come in. Even as the dark of the fall evenings creeps into the yards, they want to stay out. They want to play forever. But eventually it’s time to insist they come inside. Mothers across the world whistle and call their children. After much calling, those playing kids drag in one by one.  First thing is a nice warm bath. They resist. They’d rather keep playing.

Somewhere between shedding dirty clothes and scrubbing behind the ears kids have an epiphany. They suddenly realize the bath is good! Getting clean feels great! Supper tastes better and beds feel better when a kiddo is clean as a whistle.  They end up crying because they have to leave the very tub they fought against just a few minutes earlier.

We are a lot like those kids – we believers. We enjoy our freedom in Christ. We play and enjoy and before we notice it we’ve gotten grubby. Even though we’re covered by the Blood of the Lamb, we’ve got dirt between our heart and His. We’ve been busy and we don’t hear the Father calling us into fellowship with Him. We don’t take time to keep in the Word. Finally we hear the Father calling, “Son come home”, “Daughter return to my fellowship”.  We drag ourselves in, we see the dirt on our hearts and yet we resist.  But as we go into sweet fellowship with the Father we find that we feel lighter, cleaner and refreshed. The washing of the water with the Word begins to do what only God can do – it makes us feel renewed. We will find that our meal will taste better and our rest will be sweeter.

God speaks to my heart: God is calling you. He’s calling me. And it’s a wonderful call into sweet communion with Him. He is such a wonderful Father that He has cleaned us thoroughly from sin’s penalty. But He loves us so much that He continually cleanses us from sin’s power. And one day we will be with Him and we will be totally liberated from sin’s presence. Oh what a wonderful day that will be.

If you are one who has ignored the call for a long, long time it’s not too late. Even if it’s grown quite dark and you aren’t sure if you will ever clean up again, God is ready and waiting with open arms and an Agape heart.  Return, precious child, and watch as He renews your faith and restores your commitment to Him alone.

Maybe you’ve decided that you have to live with the soiled situation of your life. You tried to be a people pleaser, a good egg, a team player, a giver. You put others first, you worked hard, you gave it all and still you find yourself dealing with the dirt of life. You might have hung out with the wrong crowd (bad company, bad thinking, bad decisions) or loved someone who didn’t treat you with respect and honor. You may feel you have been left out in the dark to try to clean yourself up so you can go home.  You’re hurt, you feel grimy and you’re not sure if you can return home. The load you carry is getting heavier and heavier and you don’t know if you can even make it. But God is calling you. The light is on and He’s waiting at the door to let you in. He’s held the door open for you all the while you’ve been out and He’s kept His eye on you all the time.

Oh beloved, run to the Word! Step inside the Father’s heart and read! His clean-up is gentle and His restoration is perfect – for your heart and your mind and your spirit.  He is calling you in Love and His desire is to care for you all the rest of your days. Trust Him and walk with Him and watch as He renews everything for His glory in you! As you learn to seek His face every day you will find that your outlook is refreshed, your heart is renewed and your rest gets sweeter and sweeter.

God loves you and He’s for you and that’s why you’re accepted in His beloved forever.

Isaiah 44:22 I have swept away your sins like a cloud. I have scattered your offenses like the morning mist. Oh, return to Me, for I have paid the price to set you free.

Isaiah 50:4 The Sovereign Lord has given me His words of wisdom, so that I know how to comfort the weary. Morning by morning He wakens me and opens my understanding to His will.

Exodus 15:13 With Your unfailing love You lead the people You have redeemed. In Your might, You guide them to Your sacred home.

Psalm 84:4 What joy for those who can live in Your house, always singing Your praises.

 

 

 

 

God's Word is the Perfect Fit

As I go through a closet of old high school clothes and prom dresses I am reminded of the fun and not so much fun I had with daughters while trying on those dresses. Whether buying or renting the dress, they did have to fit just right. The top might be a little tight and the waist might be loose. The length might not be long enough. Each part of the dress had to fit together rightly – the top, the shoulders, the waist, the length. Without everything coming together the dress would look disheveled at the least and altogether unlovely. No girl wants to go out on the town in a dress that doesn’t fit right everywhere.

The Word of God is a perfect fit for humanity. The Gospel is perfect for anyone, no matter their background, their preferences or their past. No matter what, the Gospel will fit you for it is tailor made at the Cross to be unique and yet right for every single human being on the planet.

That same Word is a perfect fit for God’s children as well. The grace is free. The love flows. The justification and sanctification are right on target. The teachings are perfect as well. Every Word fits together for the child of God to be dressed to perfection. The belle of the ball is the one who is truly clothed in His majesty.

The only problem is us. Often we want to change the Word or dress it up so that people will respond better to it. We don’t want it to offend so we let it out a little here and there.  We don’t want people to trip over it so we shorten it. It seems constricting at times so we loosen it so people can breathe better.  If it doesn’t fit someone we try to add frills and lace so that no one notices something’s not quite coming together. Even for ourselves we try to change His Word around or explain it away so that we don’t feel so uncomfortable. We don’t want to be confined, constricted or held back.

Oh beloved, have you been shopping for your faith? Have you been going from store to store and trying to make things fit you? Maybe it’s time to stop and have a little talk with the Lord. Let Him fit you to His ideals. His Word is never constricting; in fact it’s the most comfortable thing you’ll ever put on! His Word was created just for you and He wants you to wear it with joy, every single word.  By letting Him do the fitting and giving Him the freedom to change you instead of asking Him to change His Word, you will find that your life will be so much better and you will look and feel just right as you dance through your life with Him as your guide.

His Word is faithful and true. His Word is good and beautiful and altogether lovely. And so are you beloved, as you yield yourself to Him in faith and then to His Word as He sanctifies you and makes you ready to meet Him in heaven. Just let yourself be transformed by your Maker, for He loves you and He’s for you and that’s the best fit you’ll ever find.

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

Galatians 3:27  For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Romans 13:14 Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ.…

I Corinthians 1:18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

Colossians 3:12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Romans 8:29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren

All God's Promises Are True About You!

My mother went to the beauty shop just about every week when I was a teenager.  She enjoyed getting her hair washed and curled, set and fixed by the beautician. There were always magazines laying around that showed new hairdos and hair color. My mother had very little gray hair, even when she got older, so she never did have color put on.  Both she and my aunt went to the same lady.  It was comforting to know the routine and know the beautician well. She always did a good job for mother and my aunt. 

When you go to a beauty shop, you usually have some say so in how things will go.  The hairdresser needs to know the length you want, the kind of cut you want, maybe even the color or a perm. The overall outcome you’d like to have is important to her. But other than that, she does the thing she does because she’s knowledgeable about all that goes with hairstyles. You wouldn’t say for instance, hey don’t use those curlers, use this kind. You don’t walk around the store telling her what to do, you trust your hair to the one who knows what they’re doing.

You also don’t come into the shop and just sit there wishing you could get your hair done like everyone else is doing. You come to the beauty salon for a specific purpose, to take advantage of all the knowledge and expertise that’s there.  You want to look better, which usually makes you feel better. I know, you may have had a less than stellar experience once in your life, but really you go to the beauty shop to have something done for you that you can’t do on your own.

God’s Word is our beauty shop.  Inside the pages are contained everything we need to possess loveliness of heart and mind.   We can’t perform the needed changes on our own. We can’t fix our own messes, mend our own hearts or cleanse our own minds.  Without God’s touch, we are destined to go around trying to fix things ourselves, which always turns out to be worse than we could imagine.

But with God’s touch on our lives, we find true beauty, true peace and the rich and radiant blessings that are there for our taking. Unlike the beauty shop trip, which can cost a boatload of money, God never charges us for His work in our lives. He just performs His incredible makeover and we bask in what He does. As we leave the presence of His work, we radiate His truth for others to see.

We need to go to God’s shop at least once a day to get refreshed and renewed.   We need to stay close to the One Who has given us an extreme makeover. We need to stay within the reach of His loving care and incredible talent. No one else can make us over. No one else can hide our faults, fix our errant ways and create true beauty that will last forever. No one else can make us feel the way God does. Others may say you aren’t beautiful, you are a cast off, you are unworthy. But God always speaks love to you and His Word is your key to true beauty inside and out.

Oh beloved, take time to sit in the shop of God’s Word this morning, and let Him have time with you.  With His touch, you will feel more beautiful and see yourself as you really are – beloved, cared for, redeemed, made new, and set free. Redeemed to live in the light of His love.  Made new to bask in His presence forever. Set free to show forth the praises of your Savior.  He’s calling you ever so gently to come and sit a while as He pours His truth into your mind and heart.  What He says about you is true. You don’t have to wonder if things will turn out the way you want for He promises that just one touch from Him changes everything!  He loves you and He’s for you and that’s the only makeover you’ll ever need.

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.

I Peter 3:4 You should clothe yourselves instead with the beauty that comes from within, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is so precious to God.

Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

Psalm 92:4 For You have made me glad by what You have done, O Lord. I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands.

Discouraged? Saturate Your Life with the Word

While I love to have my teeth cleaned and feel the smooth polished surfaces, I do not like more invasive effects.  But it was time to have some things taken care of. So I went to a wonderful local Christian dentist who we’ve known for quite a few years. He’s kind, generous and fun to be around! Nevertheless, needles and all that aren’t my favorite. The doc numbed my mouth and left me to get completely ready. I even had a color tv and remote control at my disposal.  After a few minutes, he came in with his assistant, another friend, and began to work. He had told me if I felt anything to speak up.  In fact I did feel something and he quickly saturated my mouth with more medication.  Before long the procedure was over and I could get out of the chair and go home. I was thankful once again for relief. I had not realized how much it was hurting until it was fixed.  I had evidently been dealing with it on an ongoing basis. I gave thanks to the Lord again for the relief.

Oh beloved, is there something giving you agony? Have you held it in so long that you have forgotten what genuine relief is like? Perhaps you have thought it was normal to be in pain, have misery or deal with the ache of a broken heart.

Run to the Lord this morning and let Him saturate you with His Word! It permeates every area of your life – from your mind to your body to your spirit – until all you feel is the joy of His presence! Let Him show you all the promises that are meant to cure broken hearts or broken spirits! He loves you extravagantly! He watches over you continually! Truly He is the Great Physician Who will touch you and make you whole again!

Psalm 34:18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; He rescues those whose spirits are crushed.

Psalm 147:3 He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.

Psalm 107:20 He sends forth His word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction. (AMP)

Psalm 42:5,6 Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise Him again— my Savior and my God.

Psalm 42:8 But each day the Lord pours His unfailing love upon me, and through each night I sing His songs, praying to God who gives me life.

Psalm 103:5 Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s [strong, overcoming, soaring]!  AMP

Looking for Sweet Fellowship? Break Open the Word with Friends!

We spent the entire week-end fellowshipping with old friends, new friends and family.  It was a very hectic week-end but a very blessed one.  A new friend from another country blessed us with his like-minded presence. Our pastor and his wife joined us and our guest for a meal and more fellowship, praise and worship and camaraderie.  Church was awesome and we topped it all off with a family birthday party for one of our grandsons. 

Yesterday, as we were wrapping up the week-end, words from the Apostle’s Creed came to mind. “The fellowship of the saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and life everlasting”.  Truly this is the essence of the Christian life.  We partake of these blessings of God and we dispense them as well.  To enjoy our walk with the Lord should be a given. Fellowship with like-minded believers, sharing the Word, speaking the Word into others’ lives and worshipping together is such a wondrous thing. To walk in forgiveness gives us new life. To look forward to heaven where our earthly bodies will be resurrected to everlasting life is our hope for the future.   Truly the Christian life contains everything we need for our spiritual and physical life.

Oh beloved, I want to encourage you this morning! Seek out like-minded believers and fellowship with them. There is no sweeter fellowship than to break open the Bread of Life together.  Watch out for those who want to speak discouragement, dissention or put you in your place. Your place is at God’s banquet table!  Always remember, that repentance is an act of the heart and it brings closer fellowship to God!  Even when things are hard or you don’t hear anything positive in your life you can hold on to the fact that this life is not our home! All who have turned from their own way and accepted Christ will be resurrected to walk in heaven with our Lord forever!  You are loved, you are provided for and you have Good News to share with others!  And that’s truly all that really matters.

1 John 1:7  But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.

Romans 4:7 Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight.

Acts 26:18  to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in Me.

1 Peter 1:3 NAS Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.