DAY 255 (2015)

Fill in the blank…

Mmmm, been a while, huh? Sorry about that. Life has gotten busy, but that is not an excuse. But if there is one thing I have learned it is that when it comes to being thankful it is better late than never. So, here goes.

Since we last interacted many things have changed. For one I have relocated both state and job. The change has been good in many ways. My mom is happy, we are closer to my brother. Life on a whole has improved. My job is fun and offers a lot of opportunity for growth.

However, there still are struggles. Such as once again I still bear most of the financial burden, and the worst one, I work on Sundays (no church). Wait, no that’s not the worst the worst is that due to lack of time, and an inability to not interact with people of like minds and hearts. I have for the better part of this entire year found myself in a spiritual funk to say the least.

Not backslidden per say, but not moving forward either. I feel that for a Christian, this is the most horrible state to be. It is the place where God has said, “I will spew you from my mouth.” Let’s be honest no one ever has aspired to be spewed from anything much less God’s mouth. But that is where I found myself in the land of the lukewarm, not hot, not cold, and not just right.

Two days ago I took a hit, a bad one. My first reaction whine and complain and inevitably ask the, “Why’s it always me,” question. But then I realized the hit wasn’t meant to hurt me, it was meant to wake me up.

Yesterday was the first in a long time that I took time in my devotion. Not just skimming the words so I could say I spent time, but reading and taking to heart what was being said. Reading to see what God was teaching. I prayed that morning for a better financial situation and to not have to work on Sundays.

Almost at the end of my work day I receive an email from my supervisor it read, “you qualify for this you should apply.” I finished up what I was doing and on my break read the email. It was a job posting in the company one that would give me my Sundays back and raise my pay exponentially. What floored me is that I hadn’t mentioned this to anyone, not the need for more money nor the desire to not work on Sundays.

God heard. God answered.

What’s my point? God hears. No matter how far you stray, no matter how hard you fall– God hears. ALWAYS.

“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you”  (Isaiah 54:10).

The lesson: With God you can always go back home, it’s never too late, and our Father is waiting at the gate with open arms.

So what am I thankful for today, repentance and a God, who hears, always.

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

2 Kings 25. “And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month (which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon), Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem. He burned the house of the Lord and the king’s house; all the houses of Jerusalem, that is, all the houses of the great, he burned with fire. And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls of Jerusalem all around” (Verses 8-10). Lately God has been bringing me to scriptures that show the consequences of a life without God’s grace. Israel had taken their faith from God and placed it in “stuff”. They felt safe and protected because of the wall around their city. Invincible, if you will. Not realizing that it was not the wall that kept them safe, but the God who instructed its construction. They had forsaken Him and put their faith not in CREATOR, but in creation. So God allows the destruction of the wall. He allowed the destruction of their city, He allowed the enemy to come in and take them captive. ALLOWED. Sometimes in trials and tribulations it feels as though God has forsaken us, as stepped aside and left us to fend for ourselves. But that’s not the case. He allows opposition so that we can do what needs to be done: turn back to Him. He broke the wall, and they became captives, but captivity reminded them of their freedom in God. Many times trials are there to remind us… THERE IS A BETTER WAY. 

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

2 Kings 24. “ Then the king of Babylon made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin’s uncle, king in his place, and changed his name to Zedekiah” (Verse 17). This verse hit me today. Very simply God asked me, if I had allowed the world to change my name? Not in the literal sense, but in the sense where the title Christian could me everything, but what God intended it to mean: follower of Christ. The world has changed the meaning; nice, friendly. boring, goody two shoes, goodhearted and while none of these are bad they are also not what the word means. I have been reflecting lately on what I have allowed in and what I have put aside. Here is what I have concluded only God can change my name. Only God can give a different meaning to something. So today if you have allowed the world to change your name. Allow God to change it back.

DAY 81 (2015)

What we cultivate is what we’ll give to those around us.
(Picture by Lisa R.)

Mmmm… it’s be awhile with the DAY posts. I feel regretful about that. I have been caught up with many things. Things that many times have kept me from where I know I am suppose to be and from what I know I am suppose to be doing. Which is why today’s post is so fitting and so God-breathed. Today’s praise and worship was beautiful; I could feel God’s spirit literally breaking down that walls I have (over the past few months) been building. We came to a particular song, one that we have sung many times before. But today the song resonated in my heart and soul in a different way. Today the meaning of the lyrics came to life and it was as though I was understanding them for the first time. The lyrics:

It’s Your breath in our lungs so we pour out our praise

pour out our praise

It’s Your breath in our lungs so we pour out our praise

To You ONLY…

The question came while singing. Do we? Do I… Pour out praise to God only? Honest answer… no. My praise is not always for God alone. I give my praise to many things, things that are not really worthy of it. Things like: friends, family, work, and attaining more stuff. However, none of those things came to earth to stand in the gap for me. None of those things gave up their one and only beloved for me. None of those things blew their breath into my lungs. Therefore they don’t deserve my praise. It is reserved for HIM only.

It’s God’s breath in our lungs. So we should pour out our praise to Him ONLY.

“Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7).

So what am I thankful for today? God’s breath.

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

2 Kings 23. “Then the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people took a stand for the covenant” (Verse 3). Finally a king that does everything right. A king who not only loves and serves God, but leads his people to follow God as well. Josiah did not just get of some of the idols, he literally rid Israel of all of it. He lead the people back to real worship. This chapter is a reminder to us who call ourselves Christians of what the “call” is. We are not meant to just be nice, just be good, we are meant to lead people to God. We are meant to tear down idols and show people the truth of Christ. Today I am convicted by this king’s action… I pray you are as well.

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

2 Kings 22. “Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will bring calamity on this place and on its inhabitants—all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read— because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath shall be aroused against this place and shall not be quenched. But as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the Lord, in this manner you shall speak to him, Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Concerning the words which you have heard— because your heart was tender, and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I spoke against this place and against its inhabitants, that they would become a desolation and a curse, and you tore your clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard you, says the Lord. Surely, therefore, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the calamity which I will bring on this place. So they brought back word to the king” (Verses 16-20). So I am going to implore anyone that reads this post, to turn around and read this entire chapter. The king of Judah is perched to rebuild and repair the house of God. He sends his servant to the priest to gather the money to pay the workers. The priest gives the man the money, but he also gives him the book of the law, after reading God’s word the king tears his clothes in repentance, for sins that he did not commit. But as the leader of the people he implored God on their behalf. Above is God’s answers to the king’s query. Here’s the take away, sin has a penalty and it is inescapable… But so does obedience and repentance. It’s just a matter of which price we choose to pay. So choose wisely.  

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

2 Kings 20. “And it happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, Thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the Lord. And I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for My own sake, and for the sake of My servant David” (Verses 4-6). I use to read these verses and think, “Wow, Hezekiah changed God’s mind. But as I have gotten older and wiser in my faith, I have come to realize this is not the case. I realized that God answered Hezekiah’s prayers. God wanted the king to ask, wanted him to communicate, the God of heaven wanted relationship with His creation. For me that is way more awesome than being able to change God’s mind. Why? Because I can have a real relationship with Him, where I can talk to Him, and learn from Him. It doesn’t mean that when I pray the answer will always be yes, but it does mean that whenever I pray… He will ALWAYS hear. Yeah, I kinda love that.

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

2 Kings 17. “So they feared the Lord, and from every class they appointed for themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places. They feared the Lord, yet served their own gods—according to the rituals of the nations from among whom they were carried away” (Verses 32-33). If I could name these verses something, I would call them the ‘human condition’. Why? Because it is a picture of us, we love God and believe in Him, but give our service and devotion to others. Read the verse, “they feared the LORD, yet served other gods.” We do that everyday, and all the time. We love God, but can’t let go of a boyfriend, a job, or the money. It’s hard sometimes to let go of the tangible for the truth of a God that dwells inside our hearts. But every time we let go of Him for something else, we fall and falter and realize our choice was wrong. It’s a horrible cycle, but it has a solution: Serve God and Him only. Yup, it really is that simple.

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

2 Kings 15. “In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, became king. He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.  And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done,  except that the high places were not removed; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.  Then the Lord struck the king, so that he was a leper until the day of his death; so he dwelt in an isolated house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the royal house, judging the people of the land” (Verses 1-5). You can’t serve God half way. Jeroboam becomes king, he does what is right in the sight of God, except… There can be no exceptions. God is not asking for perfection, He understands our human condition, but as much as depends on us we must choose right. Jeroboam served God, but he didn’t lead his people to do the same. The goal of the king is to lead. The goal of the Christian is to draw others to Christ. We can’t do it halfway. Today let’s serve God with our WHOLE heart. 

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

I have hidden Thy word in my heart.
(Picture by Lisa R)

2 Kings 12. “In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash became king, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. Jehoash did what was right in the sight of the Lord all the days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him. But the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places” (Verses 1-3). Just a reminder, we can’t do it half way. Jehoash did right in the eyes, of the Lord, but the people did not follow. Doing right and obedience is not just for us to hoard. It is for us to share, it is to bring others to the truth, to the unending peace that comes from knowing and loving God. Don’t just do right by yourself, live in such a way that others want to follow in your footsteps.