Category Archives: God

Are you living in the little house or the Big House?

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But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. Ephesians 2:4-7


The little house is the house you grew up in, but it didn’t seem little until you began to grow up. Your earthly father and mother were there, and they had the opportunity of seeing who God created you to be. It is in this little house that you were groomed and prepared for the day you would walk out the door and begin to walk in your destiny. Your father had the awesome responsibility of affirming and calling you forth into maturity before you left his house. What a wonderful day for him when he releases and blesses you! Hopefully he can hear God say, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” But if you were not blessed and affirmed, you may still be waiting for affirmation.

Your heavenly Father’s house is the Big House, and He invites you to come, enter in, and dwell with Him forever. But, first you must leave your earthly father’s house. Forgiveness is the key that releases you from the past and prepares you for your future. You may still be dwelling in a little house with a very limited perspective: all you see is the past. It is hard to even hear or see God’s great love and abundant blessings, much less believe they are for you. If you are still living in the little house, all you listen to are the same old tapes of mistakes and defeats. In the little house, you sit in the same little chair, and eat the same old stale bread. In the little house, you are bound by what others think and what they say. There are only two rooms in the little house; they are called “Fear” and “Doubt.” When you go into these two rooms, all you hear is, “I probably can’t do it,” and, “I doubt I ever will.” The choice is yours: you can move into the Big House, or be content to just stay where you are in the little house.

Embrace your full inheritance! You belong in the Big House, surrounded with all spiritual blessings. Broaden your perspective and expectations. You should be enjoying all the benefits of being an heir—a joint-heir—with Jesus Christ. Begin now carrying out your Father’s business as an heir. God is in the blessing business, and He wants His children to carry on the family business and bless others.

Many people are sixty years old and still stuck in the little house. What keeps you stuck there? If you did not hear your father say, “I love you, and I am so proud of you,” you may be stuck in the little house. The words your father said or did not say can keep you trapped in the past. When you are trapped in the past, you cannot move forward. Many people are stuck, still waiting for the words of affirmation that they never heard. They are unable to move forward by receiving His love and embracing the blessings He has prepared for them.

Even in a loving family, many times there is a void of affirmation. Instead of words that build up, words are spoken that tear down a child’s spirit. Words that tear down can have a harmful effect until they are released. Words can bind you up and shut you down and keep you from believing that God loves you and wants to bless you. When you release the words meant to tear you down and receive God’s Word, He gives you life, hope, and blessing. Then you can take your rightful place in the Big House which is your Heavenly Father’s House.

The Signs of His Presence

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“…The sign of your presence; You make the places where morning and evening have birth shout for joy” (Psalm 65:8).

Have you ever traveled down an unfamiliar road, earnestly looking for a sign that says you are on the right track?  I have.   It was such a relief to finally see the sign and to know that I was going in the right direction.

I would like to share with you a wonderful discovery that I saw in God’s Word this morning.  In Psalm 65, David said that we can see with our own eyes a sign of the presence of God.  It is obvious from many other Psalms, such as the Twenty Third Psalm, that David liked the beauty of God’s creation.  He gained revelation of God from observing all He had created. I like to follow David’s journeys and gain insight from his Psalms.

We all enjoy reading books and magazines that capture the beauty of rolling hills and beautiful gardens, as well as colorful birds and grazing flocks on the hill side.  But, David saw something different; what he saw as he looked at the beauty of creation was the sign of God’s Presence.  In Psalm 65:6-13, he says: “God’s Presence is in this place.”

In Psalms 65:8, David describes a special place he has discovered where the morning and evening give birth.   In this special place, he could see the beautiful sun rise and enjoy the beginning and the ending of each new day.

In verse 9 he says he sees God’s presence in the well watered ground that has been enriched with rain from heaven.  He goes on to describe how the well watered furrows and ridges are covered with soft green grass and abundant vegetation.

Then in verse 12 he says he watches and listens as the rolling hills actually come alive as they sing for joy.   In the last verse he says, “The meadows are clothed with flocks and the valleys are covered with grain; they shout for joy and sing together.”

Look all around and you can see, hear, and feel His presence in the beauty of His creation

Who Are You?

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Who are youYou may look to your place of birth and the family you grew up in to find out who you are.  Whether you were born into a rich home, or born into poverty, it doesn’t really matter. Your family background does not define who you are. Your family background is simply the ground in which you were planted. This is why we are referred to as “Oaks of Righteousness” in Isaiah 61. Now, who are you?

As a little girl, I would go to visit my grandfather every summer.  He lived in a big beautiful home in the mountains, a stately mansion with two boxwood trees as an archway you passed through at the entrance. As our car traveled up the winding road I felt my excitement rising.  I felt like I was going to see the most important man, a statesman, a King.  My grandfather was that impressive to me.  He was very wise, kind, and I admired him and loved to visit with him.  He enjoyed having company, and if he knew we were coming, he would stand on the porch watching for us to arrive.  A visit with him in his big, white, stately house made me feel like I was somebody special.  If he was important, then I must be somebody important too.

A number of years ago I traveled up the same winding road, but this time everything was different.  My grandfather was gone and the excitement of seeing him standing on the porch was no longer felt.  It had been almost ten years since I had seen the old home and walked up the steps of the big house where he lived.  The same road that, as a child seemed to go on forever, was actually just a little “one lane” gravel road.  As the house came into view, I realized it was also different than what I remembered.  What a shock!  The big mansion on the mountain was so little; just a farm house sitting on the side of a hill.

This experience began a journey for me that I now titled: “The Journey From the Little House to the Big House”.  It is a teaching on how we travel from our family of origin to find who we really are.  I began this journey that day, searching for my true identity, worth, and purpose in life.  If my grandfather wasn’t really a statesman living in a mansion, then who was I?  If he was just a farmer in a little farmhouse, as his granddaughter, who am I?

Even within the same family, each person must discover their true identity apart from their family.  Our true identity is not earthly it is heavenly.  We were God’s plan in the first place.  God created each of us differently, as a unique expression of his handiwork.  Our life is a beautiful, hand woven tapestry with thousands of stitches all carefully placed in a design.

Early in life, our tapestry is a lot of different colored threads.  However, as time goes on and we lay our life into the Father’s hands, He gently weaves the threads of our life together and a beautiful tapestry is revealed.  Each tapestry God weaves is a “one of a kind” and He has a different purpose in mind for each unique design.  When you finally find out who God says you are, you are a tapestry to be used in His house. God’s house, His kingdom on earth; is the “Big House.” It is a dwel ling place of peace, as you embrace and live in who He says you are. He loves what He creates; He has a plan and purpose for each unique creation.

For me, those wonderful days at my grandfather’s house planted a desire in me to find the “Big House”. I have found it, and it is grand. Now I know I am somebody special, because I know who He says I am.

This Is The Way, Walk Ye In It

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Unto you do I cry, O Lord my rock, be not deaf and silent to me… Psalm 28:1

Wait on the LordThe Lord is not silent; He breaks the silence by saying, “this is the way; walk ye in it.”

Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk ye in it” Isaiah 30:21

When we have decisions to make and doubts are flooding our soul, and others suggest courses of action that are conflicting; when caution dictates one approach but faith the other, it is the time to stop and be still.

The scripture says, “Be still and know I am God” (Psalm 46:10).  This gives us the permission that it is “ok” to quiet the intruding opinion of others around us, and then calm ourselves into the stillness of God’s presence and wait to hear His gentle voice.

It takes courage to wait in silence, trusting that He will not be silent.  It takes courage to bypass all the words of well meaning friends.  It takes courage not to be pulled by those who are insisting on an immediate decision or action. It takes courage to wait on, trust in, and rely on the Lord to direct you in those difficult decisions.  God is ever present in times of trouble; when important decisions need to be made, you will hear His voice behind you saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it.”  Once you hear clearly and the decision is made, a friend may then be used by the Lord to give support and confirmation.  So be still and wait on the Lord, He is not silent.   ;

Lord, as I still myself before You, help me to block out all intruding thoughts and opinions. I pray as David did that You will not be silent.  I ask You to speak to me and give me direction in each decision I am making today.  I desire to hear You say: “this is the way, walk in it.”

Where are You Planted?

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“Blessed is the man who walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly… He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth fruit in his season.”  Psalm 1:1-3

living waterIn this passage, as well as many other passages in the Bible, we are compared to a tree. It is a funny comparison.  Some people are tall trees with long branches, and others are shorter trees with short bush-like branches.  When we think about people being like trees, there are many ways we can apply this comparison.  We know that in order to grow and produce fruit we must be planted near a good water source.  It is usually pretty obvious to tell if a person/tree is planted by a good water source by examining the fruit that is produced.  In Psalm 1:3, David says that a man is like a tree, and when he is planted near the river (God’s Word) he will produce good fruit in his season.

I have known many people in the most fruitful and productive season of their life who receive a blow, and fall to the ground.  The blow is so great that it causes them to want to lie down and just give up.  I have been in that place myself, and when I was, this verse was like a river of Living Water that poured into my spirit and filled me with strength to rise up again.

“For there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.”  Job 14:7-9

Don’t Flinch in the Face of Adversity

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Have you ever been in a stressful situation when you didn’t know what to do or which way to go?  It is in these stressful times that the enemy plays his sly tricks.  Remember your enemy is a thief, and he comes to kill, steal and destroy and his primary target is your faith.  He knows you are dangerous to him as long as you have faith.  So, his goal to steal, kill or destroy your faith by tricking you.

In the stress of the moment he will try to trick you into believing his lies.  When times are hard, he tricks you into thinking all is lost.  All is not lost! That is a lie straight from the enemy.  God’s word says, “all things are possible to those who believe”.  The feeling of hopelessness is also a trick.  The feeling that you are all alone and that “no one cares” be aware this is another one of his tricks.  Don’t fall for it even for a second.  He is so tricky that he throws these thoughts and feelings at you when you are preoccupied with the stressful moment.  His plan is to catch you off guard.

So, determine ahead of time, don’t be tricked.  Be aware of his seams and tricks.   He has different ones for different people.  I have found that what one person falls for another person doesn’t even flinch at. 

Take Moses for instance; it was a stressful time when the king of Egypt was raging at him for taking the Children of Israel out of Egypt.  In the Amplified, Hebrews 11:27 says, “Motivated by faith he left Egypt behind him, being unawed and undismayed by the wrath of the king; for he never flinched but held staunchly to his purpose and endured steadfastly…”

With your faith in God move on, your enemy is defeated.

Hear His Voice

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“Unto you do I cry, O Lord my rock, be not deaf and silent to me…”  Psalm 28:1

Whether you turn to the right or the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way; walk ye in it” Isaiah 30:21

When we have decisions to make and doubts are flooding our soul, and others suggest courses of action that are conflicting, when caution dictates one approach but faith the other, it is the time to stop and be still.

The scripture says, “Be still and know, I am God (Psalm 46:10).”  This gives us the permission that it is “ok” to quiet the intruding opinion of others around us, and then calm ourselves into the stillness of God’s presence and wait to hear His gentle voice.  It takes courage to wait in silence trusting that He will not be silent.  It takes courage to bypass all the words of well meaning friends.  It takes courage to not be pulled by those who are insisting on an immediate decision or action. It takes courage to wait on, trust in, and rely on the Lord to direct you in those difficult decisions.

God is ever present in times of trouble when important decisions need to be made you will hear His voice behind you saying, “This is the way, walk ye in it.”  Once you hear clearly and the decision is made, a friend may then be used by the Lord to give support and confirmation. So be still and wait on the Lord, He is not silent.

The Right Path: Lord, as I still myself before You, help me to block out all intruding thoughts and opinions. I pray as David did that You will not be silent, I ask You to speak to me and give me direction in each decision I am making today. I desire to hear You say: “this is the way, walk in it.”

The Fullness of Time

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“To everything there is a season, and a time for every matter or purpose under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

 
As I awoke this morning, the Lord gave me a word: “In the fullness of time.”  As I stumbled to the coffee pot, I asked the Lord to bring me revelation of that Word.  When I opened my devotional, Streams in the Desert, one of the Scripture verses for the day was in Galatians 4:4, “when the time had fully come.”  So, I knew the Lord was bringing this to my attention for a reason, for my life as well as someone who is reading this.
 
When gardening, we can watch the fullness of time come.  I know from experience that we reap a harvest of what we have sown in our garden.  In the fullness of time, or in an appointed amount of time, the seeds that have been sown will spring forth.  The fullness of time is the time of harvest.  There is an appointed amount of time according to the seed that has been sown. Ecclesiastes 3:2 says there is a time to plant and a time to harvest what was planted.
 
Think for a minute of the spiritual seeds you have planted.  I like to think of my children as my flower garden.  I love to watch them grow and bloom.  The harvest in a flower garden is the flowers.  You too may have a garden either natural or spiritual, and the only thing that is between you and your harvest, is time.  A certain amount of time has been appointed for the seeds you have planted to produce a harvest.  Harvest time is “the fullness of time.”
 
Just recently I experienced how you can know it is the fullness of time.  My husband and I have a vegetable garden.  We have enjoyed watching every stage of its growth and we are patiently waiting for the time of harvest.  The squash has produced more than enough for our family; it has been an abundant harvest.  However, the harvest of corn has been different even though they are planted side by side.  My husband saw the brown silks on the corn and knew that the fullness of time had come.  I was so excited when I saw him walking across the yard with an ear of corn in his hand. But, it was not full enough to eat.  “Can we just leave the corn on the stalk and let it grow longer until it fills out?”  I asked.  No, he explained to me that once the silk turns brown, you know it has stopped growing and it is time for harvest.
 
When we planted the seeds, it was very dry.  Someone told us if we soaked the ground every other day that it would be sufficient water.   But we have found it wasn’t enough for the corn.  If we had watered the seeds every day after they were first planted, the harvest would have been better.
 
Wow, we learned a valuable lesson about gardening and our spiritual life as well.  Freshly planted seeds require daily water; some more than others. Think about the seeds you have recently planted.  I’m not talking about corn; I am talking about spiritual seeds.  Parents, if you have recently planted seeds in your children (no matter how old they are), you may want to heed a gardener’s advice and water those seeds every day.  Pour out your love every day to water the seeds. Watch and water daily, and in the fullness of time, you will reap an abundant harvest!  If you have just harvested a blessing, send us a note; we would love to hear about your harvest.

Finding Your Purpose in Life

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 “I will cry to God Most High …who brings to pass His purposes for me and surely completes them.” Psalm 57:2 Amp
 

If you are like many people, you may be seeking and desiring to know what your purpose is.  You may be wondering, “Why am I here?” and “What am I supposed to do with my life?”  So many times we run here and there pursuing this idea or that idea trying to discover God’s purpose for our life.
 
The verse above makes it real clear that God has established His purpose for each of us and He will bring it to pass.  All we do is continue pursuing Him.  We must stop imagining castles in the sky and pursuing our own foolish, lofty ideas so our soul can find rest and peace in the Lord.  Our purpose is to pursue God, to love Him, to worship Him and enjoy fellowship with Him.  Then our purpose will be an overflow of our relationship with Him..

How to Deal With Offenses

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“Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.” Genesis 37:3-4

dealing with offensesJust like Joseph, we have all experienced relationship problems.  It is in how we process these problems that determines our peace with God. Joseph released his brothers and found forgiveness. (Gen.50:15-20)

Learning how to deal with problems and conflict in a relationship is learned in your family when you’re growing up.  A healthy family deals with problems as they arrive instead of sweeping them under the rug. When there is a problem in a healthy family, the hurtful things that are said are addressed quickly.  These hurtful things are not just overlooked, but addressed so forgiveness can occur.

When hurtful words or actions are not dealt with, the pain gets buried. Usually buried pain does not surface for many years.  A person who can face a situation and deal with it quickly will be much healthier than a person who does not know how to deal with problems properly.  Life is full of relationship problems, and relationship problems are full of pain; it’s all in how you deal with it that determines your quality of life.  It is possible for a person who has had a life of hardship and suffering to still enjoy a life of peace and joy if they deal with the pain as they go.

If you had a hurtful situation that was never dealt with, the pain may still be affecting your life today. You may be in much need of healing and not even realize it.  The sad thing is everyone around you knows it when they see you in an emotional roller-coaster with sudden outbursts of anger.  Anger is an outward indicator of a serious lingering heart pain.  Anger will usually surround a hidden pocket of pain that needs to be healed.

The Psalmist David knew that when he sinned, it was his heart that needed healing. He said,

Lord be merciful to me, heal my inner self (heart), for I have sinned against you.” Psalm 41:4 Amp

We don’t hesitate to see a doctor when we have chest pain, but never give it a thought when we explode at the least little thing, like when a Dad yells at the kids when they leave their skateboard in the driveway, or when Mom screams when someone leaves clothes on the floor.

“God knows the secrets of the heart” (Psalms 44:21)

He knows what we have released and forgiven, and what we are still holding on to.  It is those things we are still holding on to that causes the anger.