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 21. “And the Lord spoke by His servants the prophets, saying, ‘Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations (he has acted more wickedly than all the Amorites who were before him, and has also made Judah sin with his idols),  therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle.  And I will stretch over Jerusalem the measuring line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab; I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.  So I will forsake the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become victims of plunder to all their enemies'” (Verses 10-14). God punishes sin always, what we don’t release is that punishment can come in the most natural of ways. Boss tightens the reigns, financial situations come about. The goal of the trials is not for us to whine, but for us to cry out for forgiveness, and seek the Lord. Don’t run from the trial accept that they are there to bring change, and to draw us to God. 

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) Thoughts

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

2 Kings 19. “Thus you shall say to your master, Thus says the Lord: Do not be afraid of the words which you have heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me. Surely I will send a spirit upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land” (Verses 5-7). God will always take care of His name, and take care of His people. The king of Assyria was threatening the people of God, telling them that God was not on their side, that God was not strong enough to save them. But God proved the man wrong, when He defended His people, and won. It is easy to feel like we are somehow greater than God, but everyday He proves us wrong, in the most simple of ways. 

Random (hopefully inspired) Thought

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

2 Kings 18. “He removed the high places and broke the sacred pillars, cut down the wooden image and broke in pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it, and called it Nehushtan. He trusted in the Lord God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor who were before him.  For he held fast to the Lord; he did not depart from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the Lord had commanded Moses.  The Lord was with him; he prospered wherever he went. And he rebelled against the king of Assyria and did not serve him.  He subdued the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory, from watchtower to fortified city” (Verses 4-8). This Chapter sees the return of a king that not only does right in the eyes of the Lord, but obeys Him completely. It is a reminder that we are not to just to good, but we are to obey. God blesses obedience everyday and all the time.