I recently started a new job, and it has been quite a challenge spiritually. My new coworkers swear often, and one blasphemes the Lord’s name many times a day. The two of them talk right behind my desk in graphic detail about horrific things; serial killers and the evil deeds they’ve done to others, including children. The other day, during a slow time, one played that kind of content loudly on her computer as well. Although it is beyond distasteful, unprofessional, and disturbing evil, God has given me peace, as if I have a God “bubble” around me. He protects my thoughts and my sleep as I stay in His Word daily and pray lots!
This morning, a couple of verses jumped out at me from II Timothy, Psalms, Philippians, and Romans.
II Timothy 2:24-26 NKJV And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will.
The verses comforted and encouraged me. I have a job to do at my workplace alright, but not what they think it is! Maybe you find yourself in a similar situation? You have the Lord on your side, be encouraged today!
Psalm 118:6 NKJV The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?
Romans 8:31 NKJV What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Psalm 18:1&2 NKJV I will love You, O Lord, my strength.The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; My God, my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Springtime reminds me of something God/Holy Spirit told me years ago. I’ll start with a little background; one summer I was out for a walk in my neighborhood. Across the street was a double cul-de-sac which had not been developed yet, only the road and a bit of landscaping had been done thus far. To my dismay, as I rounded the corner, I saw that one of the two young trees in half of the figure eight created by the road had apparently been hit by a car and was laying on the ground. I love plants, so this was a very sad sight to me. The tree had reached about 20 feet tall at that point, but was still fairly slender, and I mistakenly thought that maybe I could lift it back up. I couldn’t even budge it at all! The root ball was completely out of the ground and I couldn’t move any part of the trunk even an inch. I was very sad, and in the next few days on my walks, I watched the leaves start to wither in the late summer heat as the tree lay there, parched and burning on the asphalt. More than once as I passed by it, I asked God to please pick the tree up.
To my astonishment and delight, after about two weeks, I rounded that corner only to find the tree upright again!!! There was no indication of human intervention, and the ground and gravel around its base was as undisturbed as if the accident had never happened. In my mind, I could vividly see God’s hand reaching down and gently lifting the tree and smoothing out the ground after placing the roots carefully back in place.As evidence of the accident, the leaves were still withered and one of the main branches was broken and dangling, held only by strips of bark and splinters of the heart of the branch. As a gardener, I knew there was no chance for that branch to make it, so I twisted and pulled on it to break it free from the main trunk and lay it on the ground next to the tree.
It soon turned to fall, then winter, and finally spring again, and I had forgotten all about what had happened until I was out for a walk again and came upon the tree. I remembered what had happened and was both surprised and thrilled to see the leaves unfolding from their buds. As I expressed my surprise to myself, the Holy Spirit/God said, “I don’t pick things up to let them die.”
That statement has stuck with me all these years, and every time I pass that tree on my walks, I am amazed by God. No one will ever convince me that it was anything less than the hand of God that lifted that tree and took such care to erase almost all traces of the accident. A large, sturdy branch grew in place of the broken off branch, but if you look closely, you can see the scar on the trunk where the first branch had once grown.
I feel such deep application of this truth to my own life, and maybe you will too. Many of us have deep scars and have fallen and felt like we were going to wither and die.When God sent Jesus to reach out and lift us up from our despair and apparent death, His intention when we believe in Him is that we flourish and grow. He even uses our scars to bring new life, and to be a testimony to others who feel like they are withering under the heat of life, or from the damage they have received in this fallen world. I believe that the Word of God, the Bible, supports the sentence He spoke to me back then:
John 10:10
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
II Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Romans 6:4
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
John 10:28
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.
John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
John 15:16
You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.
Psalm 113:6-8
Who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth? He raises the poor out of the dust, and lifts the needy out of the ash heap, that He may seat him with princes, with the princes of His people.
Be encouraged by the Word; He has new life for you, and for those you share your journey with!
v.8 So Moses made haste and bowed his head toward the Earth, and worshiped.
v.9. Then he said, ” If now I have found grace in Your sight, oh Lord, let my Lord, I pray, go among us, even though we are a stiff necked people, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as your inheritance.”.
I love that Moses says “we” are a stiff necked people. He includes himself. I am also a stiff necked person and ask for God’s forgiveness for my iniquities and sins. Please take me, our families, our friends, and our churches as Your inheritance!! All the world’s people, God, have mercy on all who are stiff necked. It is Your will that none should perish. (II Peter 3:9)
Holy Spirit, please convict the hearts and consciences of all those who are deceived. Break through the deception!
Lord, let us be people who raise our voices to You and ask that You remember all your people that we might change history by our prayers and petitions to You! That we turn from our wicked ways so that You will heal all of our lands. (II Chronicles 7:14)
Jesus spoke these things; and raising His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, so that the Son may glorify You, just as You gave Him authority over all mankind, so that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I glorified You on the earth by accomplishing the work which You have given Me to do. And now You, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world existed.
“I have revealed Your name to the men whom You gave Me out of the world; they were Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have followed Your word. Now they have come to know that everything which You have given Me is from You; for the words which You gave Me I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that I came forth from You, and they believed that You sent Me. I ask on their behalf; I do not ask on behalf of the world, but on the behalf of those whom You have given Me, because they are Yours; and all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them. I am no longer going to be in the world; and yet they themselves are in the world, and I am coming to You. Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name which You have given Me, so that they may be one just as We are. While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name, which You have given Me; and I guarded them, and not one of them perished except the son of destruction, so that the Scripture would be fulfilled.
But now I am coming to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves. I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. I am not asking You to take them out of the world, but to keep them away from the evil one. They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. Just as You sent Me into the world, I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, so that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth.
“I am not asking on behalf of these alone, but also for those who believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one; just as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.
Disciples’ Future Glory
The glory which You have given Me I also have given to them, so that they may be one, just as We are one; I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and You loved them, just as You loved Me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
“Righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Isaiah 61:3 The Spirit gave me the picture of God the Father dressing me/us as we dress our little children. He says to lift our arms so that He can take off this garment of heaviness and put on us His garment/cloak of praise.(So that we will be called oaks of righteousness planted by Adonai, in which He takes pride.)
I posted this some time ago, but I decided that it was worth repeating. Please share the posts as you see fit.
A few years ago, between worship songs at church, I shared this word that the Holy Spirit gave me: “Church, God wants a healthy bride. That means some things will have to be stripped away.”
Later that week, He gave me the image of a wound that had been bandaged, but the bandage had been left on too long. The bleeding had stopped, and some healing had taken place, but for true healing, the old dead things must come off.
I see Him doing this in the body of believers. We should not expect that this will be a painless process, right!? He is preparing His bride, making us healthier, beginning to complete the work that He has begun in us.
(Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus.)
I have experienced this difficult transition myself and watched those near me travel through it as well. Keep trusting Him, rest in Him, wait on Him.
(Isaiah 40:31 But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.)
It’s not pretty, but it’s beautiful! Lean on Him and on each other, resist the temptation to isolate, choose to trust even when it feels hopeless. He is bringing us out of this cleansing and has new things for us to do. He tells me, “Walk as one who is forgiven, and sin no more.” Be open to His voice to direct you and use His Word to pray and to encourage yourself in the Lord.
(1 Samuel 3:9 And Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down, and it shall be if He calls you, that you shall say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’”.
1 Samuel 30:6 ….but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.)
Lord, help us participate in this process while trusting and resting in You, to do the work that we simply cannot accomplish without You. Your Word tells us that we are new creations in You. Help us walk that out and live in the freedom the Son has given us.
Amen
II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
John 8:36
If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.
A few days back I had my annual appointment with my eye doctor. Two years ago I had cataract surgery so I was glad to get the report that my eyes are healthy.
This morning though, I was awakened to the conviction of several ongoing sinful patterns in my life and the potential long term effects of them. As I wept over these things that continue to mark my life with heartache, I thought, wow, I can’t believe that my eye doctor couldn’t see those planks in my eyes!!!
I thought back to another situation in the past when the Spirit told me that my sins were going to cost me dearly, and eventually they had. I realized that like last time, these sins are quite possibly robbing me of the future God has for me.
While I looked at the things that I felt were impeding other people’s spiritual progress, was I even trying to fight the temptations in my own life and not give in to overeating or overspending? There, I named the planks! “Is there any more Grace for me?” I wondered behind my tears. I know there is but I also felt like I have taken advantage of the grace for so long, I certainly don’t deserve any more chances.
Then I thought of the horrible state of affairs in our country and our world, and this verse came to mind: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14
My wicked ways might not appear to someone else as wicked, but I know from the Bible and from the Holy Spirit’s conviction that they are. They are every bit as wicked as the sin I so easily spot in other people’s lives, the specks in their eyes.
If I ask you to think of the one area of your life where you struggle the most, what would immediately come to mind? Quite possibly, like me, you’d think of several, those repetitive sins which point to our rebellion towards God. In what areas are you fighting what feels like a losing battle for self control? In what areas are you in rebellion against God’s best plan for your life?
It’s not about us deserving or earning good things, because Jesus died so that the Father’s promise of hope and a future will be ours even though we don’t deserve it.
What if the reason I repay God’s goodness with sin is because I don’t believe I deserve anything good? What if, like a naughty child, I misbehave to test the limits of my Father’s love because it is impossible for me to comprehend that kind of love? What if I start believing that no matter what I feel, as the song says, “The Lord has promised good to me, His Word my hope secures.”?
My challenge to myself and to you today is to fall on His power to transform us, for us to be willing to be changed and free of the sins which so easily entangle us. Lord, please help us live as new creations, which You tell us we are. Help us remember to use the weapons you have given us so that we will stand, not in rebellion any longer, but in Your strength.
A few months ago between worship songs at church, I shared this word that the Holy Spirit gave me: “Church, God wants a healthy bride. That means some things will have to be stripped away.”
Later that week, He gave me the image of a wound that has been bandaged, but the bandage had been left on too long. The bleeding had stopped and some healing had taken place, but for true healing, the old, dead things must come off.
I see Him doing this in the body of believers. We should not expect that this will be a painless process, right!? He is preparing His bride, making us healthy, completing the work that He has begun in us.
(Philippians 1:6 For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus.)
I am experiencing this difficult transition myself, and watching those near me travel through it as well. Keep trusting Him, rest in Him, wait on Him.
(Isaiah 40:31 But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.)
It’s not pretty, but it’s beautiful! Lean on Him and on each other, resist the temptation to isolate, choose to trust even when it feels hopeless.
Lord, help us participate in this process while trusting and resting in You to do the work that we simply cannot accomplish without You. Your Word tells us that we are new creations in You. Help us walk that out and live in the freedom the Son has given us.
Amen
II Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.
John 8:36 If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.
God woke me with a funny thought this morning. I work around big machinery and log trucks, and everyone has to wear hardhats, safety glasses, and hi visibility vests. This is called PPE; personal protective equipment. During covid, we’ve heard this term too, referring to masks and face shields. The thought the Holy Spirit gave me was that God has told us in the Bible that He has given us the PPE we need for this battle, He’s even given us the instructions on how to properly use it in Ephesians 6:10-18. So, every day, let’s work at being mindful about putting on our “hi vis” and the battle gear before we face the “perilous times” inside and outside of our homes!
Armor of God
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist on the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having belted your waist with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having strapped on your feet the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. 18 With every prayer and request, pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be alert with all perseverance and every request for all the saints,
It is easy to join millions in collective disappointment and even depression right now. There may be some fear accompanying that, too. The Bible commands us to fear not, though, for the Lord is with us. (Isaiah 41:10) Not only is He with us, but He will strengthen us. I don’t know about you, but I know I will need that to finish my race well!
Consider this, that just because there has been an administration change, that doesn’t change the fact that we are one nation under God! We are still called to be a nation whose God is the Lord. (Psalm 33:12) whom He will bless. We are still called to bless the nation of Israel (Numbers 24:9) and we will be blessed. Israel will not stop being Israel if their administration changes hands.
We are still His people, those of us who choose Him as our Lord, therefore the admonition in II Chronicles 7:14 still applies. It is good to look at the preceding verse as well: “(13) If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send a plague among My people, (14) and My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” The Bible doesn’t specify how He will do this, only that He will.
In I Timothy 2:1&2 we are also told to pray for our leaders. “2 First of all, then, I urge that requests, prayers, intercession, and thanksgiving be made in behalf of all people, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness.” This is a tough request when we don’t support their agenda. We can pray that they get revelation of God, that they be held accountable for their decisions, etc.
In the meantime, I refer back to my last blog, What Can We Trust? We claim that we trust God with our lives. That is easier to do when it doesn’t require sacrifice, it is comfortable, and optional. Now is the time to test our beliefs, are we willing to take Him at His Word and let that be the input we choose to receive? Believe me, this is not an easy thing for me to challenge myself with either. I am concerned about our future in this country and the world as it appears that we really are very near dangerous times for believers in this country. Don’t be convinced that who we are has changed, though. That is a tactic of the enemy, to (as I heard somewhere recently) try to perform identity theft on millions of people. We have to go back to the One who is trustworthy and His Word and recognize this lie. It’s important not to isolate or stop gathering. Hebrews 10:25 says “not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
Faith isn’t worth much if it isn’t tested. (James 1:2-4) “2 Consider it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
Hebrews 12:2 and Acts 3:16 indicate that even our faith is a gift from God. Jesus is the originator and perfector of our faith and it comes through Him. I desperately need Him to do the work, and He will! Jesus died for us knowing that we can’t do it. So, Lord, use us and perfect us in the way You see fit. Please strengthen our faith and trust in You as we remain, one nation under God.
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