Category Archives: God

Time Alone With God

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“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor;  he has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God;  to comfort all who mourn,  to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”  Isaiah 61:1-3

Time alone with God has a divine purpose.  We set time aside for hair appointments, doctor and dentist appointments and they seem so important that we schedule them even months in advance.   However, time alone with God is where the real change takes place in our lives.

During our time alone with God, we are forgiven, released, refreshed, and renewed.   In the presence of God, we are healed, encouraged, restored and transformed.

A divine exchange takes place: beauty is given for ashes, strength for weakness and joy for mourning.  This divine exchange can only happen as you commit to spend time alone with God.

It’s Time For Truth

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One morning, I overslept.  The sun was already out, shining brightly through the window.  I ran to the garden, and as I ran down the sidewalk I saw that the dew was gone.  I had missed meeting with God.   I immediately had an old thought, a lie I had believed for years.  The lie was: “If I mess up, God will not speak to me.”  To my surprise, when I set down in the swing, I saw one drop of dew on the tip of a leaf.  I reached my hand out and the last pearl of the morning dropped into my hand as the Lord lovingly said, “I have been waiting for you.”

The enemy could not use this lie anymore. God did love me, and He wanted to bless me. The truth I received had finally replaced the lie that if I messed up He would not be the re for me. God’s presence was there.  The lie was exposed and the enemy was defeated.

The enemy plants many lies in our minds. One lie is connected to another like a chain; that’s why one thought leads to another, and then another. If you did not receive affirmation from your father as a child, you may have believed the lie of rejection. “There is something wrong with me” is just one example. If you have this lie, it is hidden away from sight, but is silently working to convince you that you are not good enough. If you struggle with this lie, it must been seen as a lie and not the truth. You must recognize the voice of your enemy and stop listening to him.

Fully receive the truth, deep in your innermost being, that you are deeply loved and fully accepted by God. God is for you, and He accepts you because of who you are, not because of your accomplishments. With this truth deep in your spirit, the motivation for everything you do will change. From this point on, you will serve God because you are accepted and not in order to be accepted.

Each lie has a structure of set behaviors and responses. We are transformed daily by the renewing of our mind. We tear down the old house and replace it with a brand new house full of the promises of God. Every thought that comes from a lie must be replaced with truth if you want to live in peace. Taking one lie at a time and replacing it daily with truth is key. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 4:16 that if we renew our mind daily, we will not faint when adversity comes.  Today, you can begin to tear down the lies that the enemy has planted in your mind.

Time to Choose the Right Path

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“That we may do those good works which God predestined for us…” Eph 2: 10

Predestined means something is preordained and appointed by God.  He has preordained and planned before hand what your purpose is on the earth.  And He has used the situations in your life up to this very moment to teach you and prepare you for His purposes.

We can’t see clearly what God sees.  It is only after we pass through a situation that we see it clearly, can look down from a higher perspective and see what good came out of it, what we learned and how God will use it.  I know how it is to be in the middle of a bad situation, wondering what could possibly be the good thing that will come out of it.  At that point we can not see what God sees.  That is why all along the way and in every situation we must learn to listen to His voice.  His ways are so much higher than our ways.  He has a plan that we can’t see so we must we listen to His voice and choose the right way; the high way.

I believe God sets up situations just for learning purposes. He wants us to learn from our past mistakes, so we will make different choices and take the right path the next time.  Paul said that if we take the path which He planned ahead of time that we will live the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live.  That does not mean we will not encounter difficult situations anymore once we learn to walk on the high way.  But it does mean we will always have a clear path to walk on during those difficult times.  That’s why we go through hard times so we learn how to identify God ways and God’s path that leads us though the valleys and hardships of life.

Worship is the Key

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Surely or only goodness, and mercy, and unfailing love shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days the house of the Lord (and His presence) shall be my dwelling place. Psalm 23:6

The Psalmist David devoted his life searching for the presence of God.  And he found what he was in search of.  Once he found God’s presence he never wanted to leave.  He wrote many times of his desire to dwell in the presence of the Lord all the days of his life.  He said that being in the presence of God was a dwelling place, a house that you know when you enter into His presence.

David loved to be in the presence of God, in the house where the glory dwells. David was a worshiper and he discovered that as he worshiped God, he would experience His presence.  He found the key that unlocks the door to the house of God.  The key is worship.

God inhabits praise and worship.  Worship builds the house, and God comes down and fills the house.  Where there is praise and worship He is present. As a worshiper David built a house for the presence of God. He discovered he could be in God’s presence all the days of his life as he worshiped Him. Worship therefore is the key to dwelling continually in His presence.

Lord I love the habitation of your house the place where your glory dwells. Psalm 26:8

One thing I have asked of the Lord, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord (in his presence) all the days of my life…Psalm 27:4

The Right Path:  If you are in search of His presence and desire to dwell in His house then worship and sing praises in your heart to the Lord. Put on a CD in your heart first thing in the morning and sing and worship the Lord all day. You will discover as David did that you can dwell in the house of the Lord (in His presence) all the days of your life.

Turn Your Eyes

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Come to me, all you that are weary
and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.
–Matthew 11:28

“Yeah, right.”

That’s surely the response some people have when they hear those words of Jesus. Sure, just show up in front of God and your burdens—your financial problems, your difficult coworkers, your longest-held prejudices—will be lifted away.

“Turn your eyes upon Jesus,” the old Protestant hymn says, and— as I remember it—the “things of earth will grow strangle dim”.

But a lot of people have known about God all their lives and have always chosen Jesus as their path to God, but they somehow still seem heavily burdened.  How can that be?

You see, many people seem to look at God as somewhat of a “Cosmic Santa Claus” to be called upon whenever you want something.  They like the idea of having a supernatural hero to sweep in and save the day when things are a bit frustrating.

Here’s what I think people don’t always understand:  God doesn’t promise to take away our problems.  I mean, take a look at Job and you will realize that he wasn’t immune to problems.

God doesn’t promise to take us to such a high spiritual place that the things of this planet are no longer important.  The early disciples walked close with Jesus, but they weren’t exactly given a free pass void of difficulties.

God doesn’t even promise to protect us from pain or an empty feeling of hopelessness.  Many of the early hero’s of the Faith were persecuted, stoned, and even killed.  David shares often in the Psalms about feeling abandoned and hopeless.

God has reasons for allowing us to sometimes endure some difficulties.  I suspect we occasionally need an “adjustment” in our character, or perhaps a nudge for us to seek God.  Whatever the reason at the moment, God is always Faithful.

Giving us rest and peace — as well as hope, joy and a sense of Who He is – is perhaps more in line with what God does for us during difficulties.  And I believe, God is doing a pretty good job :).

You know, I wish I had more money.  And I wish I had a little more energy so I could cram even more into each day.  But when I pray, I’ve stopped asking God for money, time and abilities.  I ask God to quiet my sometimes-troubled soul.  I ask for God’s spirit of gentleness to blow through the wilderness of life and make it calmer and more sane. I n other words, I ask God for some much-needed rest from my heavy burdens.

Visit our training on Burden Bearing at:   www.burdenbearing.com

Sink into God

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As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you.
—  Isaiah 66:13

Some people and churches shy away from talking about God as a mother or a father—even though both are perfectly Biblical, if that matters to you—because so many people don’t have very good relationships with their parents.  Some people were so happy to escape the clutches of an abusive mother or abrasive father that they can’t face the God so many people think of as a father.  Others simply can’t relate to these parental images because they never had a parent.

For some reason, I’ve never really thought of God as a father. I’ve actually never thought of God as a mother either.  Amazingly, I was taught from an early age that the Bible refers to God in a variety of ways—and that God is much larger and grander than any one term onto which some people have latched in reference to the One who created this universe.

But I like this scripture from Isaiah.  To me, it simply says that God comforts us.

If your mother isn’t or wasn’t a comforting influence on your life, this scripture offers you the joy of knowing that like a mother should comfort you, God does.

If you were fortunate enough to have a mother to comfort you in times when little else could, this verse, I believe, asks you to recall that unrestricted love and remember that God offers it, too.  Or if your mother is no longer around, God offers it instead.

It is also important to me what this simple scripture doesn’t say.  It doesn’t say that God will keep us from hurting. When we are hurt, though, God comforts us.

Do you need comfort today? Maybe your mother caused the pain in your life that now needs comforting.  Whatever is hurting you today, God is offering you comfort.

All you have to do is spend some time doing whatever it is you do to bring yourself more into the presence of God—perhaps praying. Or if your pain is keeping you from feeling God today, remember that God is trying to break through.  If you try, too, maybe God can meet you halfway.

Just like a mother should, God is trying to comfort you.  Sink today into the calm, soothing, reconciling arms of the God who has been waiting for you.

Burdens Will Roll Away

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“Commit your ways to the Lord (roll and repose each care of your load on Him); trust (lean on, rely on and be confident) also in Him and He will bring it to pass.”  Psalm 37:5 Amp.

You have probably found, as I have, that every problem has a weight to it, and some are heavier than others.  If you have committed your ways unto the Lord and are trusting in Him to work things out, then you must release the heavy weight and not take it back again.  As you trust the Lord, you can have peace in knowing your burdens will roll away.

Do not worry about it.   Trust Him.  This does not mean you are not involved or concerned about the situation.   It simply means you are not anxious or worried about it anymore.  And most of all, it is not up to you to fix it.

You are now trusting in the Lord and waiting on Him to work everything out for good.  Waiting is hard, but you can trust God to be faithful to His Word.  Grab hold of His promise and then wait.  It is hard to wait at first, but the more you resist taking things back into your own hands and working them out yourself, the easier waiting becomes.

So today, if your problem feels heavy, just pray and release it to the Lord.  Roll it over and reposition the weight on Him, and He will carry it for you.  All you need to do now is stand back and watch as He works everything out according to His plan and purpose.

Be aware that if you have never lived life without a weight on your back, it may feel funny at first.  If so, resist taking the weight back again.  Psalm 37:3 says, “Trust in (lean on, rely on and be confident) in the Lord and do good, so shall you dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness, and surely be fed.”   This tells me we are not to worry, because He will provide for all our needs.  We are to feed on His faithfulness, and He has a banquet table prepared for us.

Another important teaching on burden bearing.

 

You Can Begin Again

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I’ve been thinking a lot recently about a dear pastor of a Church I visited several times.  He made an impression on me.

His story is filled with up, downs, crashes and triumphs.  He built a small church of a few dozen members into one of the nation’s mega-churches.  He’s always found himself at odds with his Baptist denomination.  He left Austin’s most liberal Baptist church and formed a church that mostly stays out of politics and social issues and focuses on serving singles, divorced people and other people who have often been bruised and battered by churches.

But it’s not really the Pastor that I want to talk about.  I’ve never even met him, although I’ve heard him preach and speak in person and on tape many times.  It’s his core message that’s at the core of today’s devotion: “No matter who you are, no matter what you’ve done, with God’s help, you can begin again.”

You can begin again.  It’s a really simple statement.  You can’t come through the womb again (at least not physically – although those who teach some brands of psychology and spirituality believe you can come close!), and you can’t quickly undo the financial and legal issues you’ve created or been caught in, but with God’s help, your life—your essence—can begin again.

My Pastor friend spent much of the last few decades explaining the Biblical basis for his message and trying to convince thousands of congregants that it’s really possible to start over.

His life is his example.  When his high-stakes financial deals crashed, he started over.  When his church couldn’t afford to build on the valuable land they’d essentially been given, he sold it for a profit, moved up the hill and built a campus that now includes a sanctuary called the Home for Hope.  When his wife of decades upon decades died, he took a break from church and from life.  Then he found a new love.

Now, Parkinson’s disease has weakened his voice and slowed his body, but his work lives on in his archive of recordings and his books, both new and old.  In a situation where some people would end their ministry, this Pastor has begun again.

Would you like to begin again—again?  Do you need to start over?  You see, when the things of life come tumbling down, you can start over.  And if they crumble and tumble again, you can start over again.

God wants what’s best for you.  If you’re not getting the very best that life has to offer from this day and everyday, begin again.  You can either start from scratch or just scratch today’s plans in favor of something that brings you closer to God. No matter when you start or whether you start over, it’s the destination that matters.

Today, either start over in a new direction or stay on the course you’ve carved out for yourself, but be sure your path is wide enough to include God’s presence, too.

Joy Comes in the Morning

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“Weeping may last for the night, but joy comes in the morning.” Psalm 30:5

awaken my faithIn Psalm 6:6-8 the psalmist says, “I am weary with my groaning.” Some people weep outwardly, but most weep silently, choosing to walk through dark valleys all alone. Silent weeping will cause a night of sorrow to turn into months or even years of sadness, like a dark, sleepless night that you think will never end.  But just as the morning sun comes up to announce that the night is over, and a new day has begun.  When the first feeling of joy returns to your soul, you know the night of sorrow has come to an end.  Joy comes every morning; be careful not to miss it.

A major part of healing is grieving the losses. When we have experienced losses, they must be properly grieved in order to be released.  This is why we don’t have peace; we are trying to cope with buried pain from the losses in our life.

For years of my life, instead of releasing a person, or relationships that ended, I was holding on to the sadness trying to figure out a way to cope with the painful emptiness.  I had so much pain and I was running hard, trying to keep it from catching up with me.

In Jeremiah 6:14, the prophet gives us understanding of why many people are inwardly weeping.  They have been hurt by the actions of others and have not received complete healing.  They are saying “peace, peace” when there is no peace.  Look at every area of your life where you are not experiencing peace.  The amount of peace in your life is directly related to the amount of healing you have received.  The painful events like separation and divorce create many losses that must be grieved.

Ask the Lord to walk with you through the pain and give you the ability to release all you have lost.

Trust In The Lord and Rejoice

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“But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.” Psalm 5:11-12

When you completely trust in the Lord your spirit will rejoice at all times. He is working everything out, so you can be at peace and rest.  He is working both the good and the bad things together for your good.

“The joy of the Lord is my strength.” Neh. 8:10

You can ever shout for joy, because your eyes have not yet seen, and your ears have not yet heard all He has prepared for you. What God has planned for you is so glorious that you can shout for joy. No matter what you experience each day you can rest in the fact that tomorrow is a new day and joy will come in the morning.   The Lord is your source for joy.

“… weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Psalm 30:5

It is a personal choice that you make each day; so choose this day who you will trust.

Choose today to enter into the joy of the Lord, and you will receive strength to face whatever comes your way.