trust

Be still, still, battle, Oh Lord Help Us, ministry, Christian, women

Still: God Will Fight For Us and Prepare the Way Forward

Devotionals, Stay SaneMay 16, 2018June 27, 2019

We do not need to be afraid. We are to be still and see the Lord at work, trusting that He will will fight for us and prepare the way forward.

Those who know me best would characterize me as an action person. Although in recent years health issues have slowed down aerobic activities, when a plan is adopted I want to attack it. Mulling over it, tweaking it ad nauseam, re-thinking the plan from multiple angles, or just plain procrastination can cause me intense internal combustion. In other words, my husband can sometimes make my head explode!…because don’t we usually marry our opposite?

Standing still is not my forte; never has been. A decision is made to be executed, so let’s not delay – make a list, mark items off as you go, MOVE!

So, in Exodus 14, let’s just say I totally GET why the children of Israel freaked out when they realized the Egyptians, now angry and vengeful, had pursued and caught up to them at – of all places – the Red Sea! They were shaking in their sandals. After they had left Egypt on such an ‘in-your-face’ emotional high, having plundered them of much of their wealth, (at God’s insistence), God had lead them the long way around the wilderness rather than through the land of the Philistines (Exodus 13:17-18). So rather than getting into a war with the mighty Philistines, Israel ends up with their backs against a wall of water and the fierce Egyptians bearing down on them! Ouch.

After considerable complaining (Exodus 14:11-12), Moses reveals to Israel the incredible battle plan… Are you ready?

Don’t be afraid
Stand still
See
Know The Lord Will Fight For You
Be quiet
Go forward

WHAAAT??!! That’s IT?! No spears? No forward group to distract them and rear guard to defeat them? Not even a trumpet sound???

Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.

Exodus 14:13-14, NKJV

Don’t be Afraid…

Often, as we all probably know, fear can be paralyzing, but when a vast army of enemies is marching toward you, the last natural inclination one usually has is to stand still. Simultaneously, Moses instructed the Israelites to have more trust than fear and to stand still in the face of their enemy.

We don’t know the exact timeline, but let’s say just days before, God had released the people of Israel after many years of oppression in Egypt. Using jaw-dropping miracles, God made sure they were loaded down with Egypt’s wealth as He ushered them out of captivity. After the flush of victory had passed and they faced a test, did God’s people remember the miracles of God on their behalf in Egypt? Sadly, no…but then, do we?

In essence, I call God a liar when I grip my fear tighter than my faith in God’s character and intentions toward me. I’m confessing He is not who He says He is and doesn’t do what He says He will do. It has taken me a lifetime of struggle and stumbling to reach this understanding rather than to simply beat myself up with guilt each time I am convicted about my lack of trust in a given situation. We are a fearful people. God already knows that about us, but we don’t have to live there. Our mighty God is greater than our most entrenched fears.

Don’t be afraid. Fear not. Remember when He has rescued you before; He will do it, again.

In essence, I call God a liar when I grip my fear tighter than my faith in God's character and intentions toward me. Click To Tweet

Stand Still…

I liken standing still to waiting. These are areas where I learn from my husband’s more patient nature. He doesn’t rush headlong into things; therefore, he sees potential problems that I might miss on my initial fly-by. He has an eye for details; I like the big picture. Standing still can take in the small things. Being still is necessary for knowing God more intimately (Psalm 46:10).

Moses instructed the people to stand still, to wait, in order to see the salvation of the LORD, (or the deliverance). If they remained fearful or panicky, running into action that God had not ordained, I am convinced Israel would have missed the deliverance God had planned for them that day. They would have been too preoccupied with what they were doing to see what God was doing! Or they might have been crushed.

I question how often I miss the wonder of what He is doing because I’m busy ‘helping God’ do His ministry or whatever I think He needs to be doing…

See…

The more I see what God is doing and join Him there, the more convinced I become that He is, indeed, fighting for me, and not just me, but for His people. God told His people in Deuteronomy, Joshua, 2 Chronicles, Nehemiah and Isaiah that He would fight for them or their victories had been due to Him fighting for them.

Know the Lord Will Fight for You…

I love the picture of God slaying the enemies for Israel, but at the same time, I am aware that I often fight against doing nothing while trusting the Lord to do all the fighting in a battle that is raging around me. I don’t like to admit it, but I believe that it’s a mixture of pride and some skewed notion I learned a long time ago concerning works. Not a good combination!

If the Lord God Almighty says He will fight for you, then sister, you and I can put our absolute trust in Him because He is faithful!

Be Quiet…

“Oh,” Moses said, “By the way, while God is fighting for you, you shall be quiet,” (this is the Dodie version).

Not that any of us are like this, but the children of Israel were the biggest whiners and grumblers you’ve ever seen! So, I have an idea that God just wanted them to button it up for just a few minutes and watch Him deliver them in a miraculous way. Like when God doesn’t answer that prayer how I wanted or when I wanted or where I wanted…you get my drift, don’t you? I don’t want to be quiet. I think He needs to be reminded because surely He didn’t hear me correctly, or maybe He forgot!

Be quiet. In fact, in verse 15, God wants to know why they are still TALKING and CRYING OUT to Him! Uh oh.

Go forward…

Now, God says GO FORWARD.

Um…Lord, have you noticed this large body of water we are standing in front of? We don’t have boats, and uh, what about the children? And we don’t swim!

Be quiet…Go forward…oh, what glory you will see.

And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward…”

Exodus 14:15

What is your obstacle? Does it feel like the Red Sea is before you and the vicious Egyptians are behind you?

Don’t be afraid. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.

Erda Estremera

Remembered, God cares, Oh Lord Help Us, Christian, women, ministry, encouragement

Remembered: Being Comforted and Held by the God Who Sees

Devotionals, Stay SaneApril 29, 2018September 8, 2019

We are told to take care of our heart, because that is where the enemy will attack. In these attacks, we may not be able to trust our feelings, but we can trust the God who sees. We are remembered and cared for.

Soon, my son, Evan, and I will get on a plane and fly to Philadelphia. There we will meet with a transplant team that will discuss the possibility of a bone marrow transplant. To say I am beside myself does not seem to give justice to the feelings I have. This is not our first difficult decision where Evan is concerned. He has had something health related going on since birth and we have been faced with tough choices all along the way, but this feels different.

When I share this possibility with people – friends and strangers – they all look at me in wonder. Concerned. Worried. They, just like me, know the gravity of this. It’s not a broken arm. Evan has a broken immune system and its over activity is working havoc all over his body. His joints, his muscles, his pancreas, his colon, and my heart.

The attack of the heart …

Do you ever wonder why we are told over and over to take care with our heart. To know that our heart is deceitful. To take our thoughts captive. And to guard our heart. Because that is where the enemy strikes. He strikes at my heart and that is, at its very essence, my thoughts.

And where does the enemy want my thoughts to linger? Oh that’s easy. God, but not the good stuff. It’s not thoughts like: God will supply and God will show up. It’s thoughts like: how dare God and why would he, and where is he? Just like Hagar. Do you remember her?

So [Hagar] called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, “You are a God of seeing,” for she said, “Truly here I have seen him who looks after me.

Genesis 16:13, ESV

Scripture tells us that Sarai gave Hagar to Abraham as a means to bear an heir. But it all went horribly wrong. Sarai became jealous of Hagar. The scripture says dealt harshly with her and Hagar ran off. And in the midst of all this mess, the angel of the Lord came and gave Hagar a command and a promise. And Hagar knew she was remembered. She knew she had dealt with the God who sees.

The feelings that lie…

Often, I tell my children that my feelings lie. I tell them that to remind them and to remind me. I have choices with what I do with my fear and how I view my feelings. As a believer, I have a hope. It is founded in the cross and resurrection of Jesus and in the very character and nature of God. He never changes and he is always the same yesterday today and forever. Satan’s objective is to cause me to doubt that good character and to doubt that God sees and that He remembers. He also wants me to feel that I am being harshly dealt with, that what I am enduring is not a good Father but one I cannot trust and who does not care.

The God who sees…

So what do I do when my feelings feel like the only truth I can see or my thoughts keep finding their way to despair or doubt? This is actually one of the few things I can control. I cannot control what comes into my thoughts, but I can control what I allow my heart to meditate on. That can be as simple as carrying an index card in my purse with a verse on God’s faithfulness or as complicated as memorizing several passages that remind me of what my heart is prone to forget. There have been times when every wall in my home had a scripture verse attached to it. And not beautiful framed verses but copy paper written with markers.

I am in control of so little. But this I know, I can bounce my thoughts to his word and allow his word to develop in me a heart that flees to him for comfort and truth. I too, like Hagar, may find myself fleeing from harsh situations in dry and desert-like conditions. But, I am not abandoned. God hears me and He sees. I can believe that, trust him, and meditate on his good promises.

I am not abandoned. God hears me and He sees. Click To Tweet

turmoil, safety, Oh Lord Help Us, ministry, women, Christian, encouragement

Unavoidable: Making Peace with the Impact of Turmoil

Devotionals, Stay SaneMarch 29, 2018September 8, 2019

Brace for impact! Turmoil in life is unavoidable, and there is no sense of control. Do we trust God with our lives? What about the lives of our children?

Last week, I had a lengthy conversation with my sister-in-law. She told me, “You have a whole heckuva lot going on in your life right now. I’m not gonna sugar coat it for ya.” Laughing, I asked her if I could quote her on that. I tend to downplay stressors in my life. Someone always has it worse. Searing loss has not ripped through our family. Yet things simmering beneath the surface are draining. They bring me to my knees, but I’m not going back often enough.

A Dream…

My husband, Sean, awakened me from a nightmare a few mornings back…

In the pre-dawn hours, I was driving in the hills of West Virginia en route to Louisville. My kids were with me; two in the back and one riding shotgun. Charging up a steep grade, we passed several cars pulled onto the shoulder that were having mechanical difficulties.

I asked my daughter to check the weather to see what we were going to be running into. As I neared a large, dark colored truck in front of me I saw my passenger side headlight was out in the reflection. I felt frustrated because I had just been through the safety inspection. In the distance a siren was blaring, getting steadily louder as we closed in on its position. The sound was coming from a white Honda Civic which was driving in reverse on the side of the road. It was alerting oncoming traffic of a wreck. Just past the Civic there were multiple cars moved off the main road that had clearly been in a major pile up.

My daughter mentioned something about possible icy conditions ahead. The sun had begun to illuminate the mountains’ dark shadows. I was behind the wheel but I could also see what was happening from the outside. An invisible force stretched across the interstate catching the front of my car. It slowed the car, extending like a sling shot. The tail end began to lift off the ground. My breaks were no longer of any use as we went airborne across the median. We made contact with the ascending terrain only once, spinning us like a fast ball toward the stone wall of a mountain. I groaned in terror as we hurled over the oncoming traffic, suspended in air and closing fast to impact. Bracing myself I thought O God; I don’t want my kids to go like this.

I could hear my muffled moan like someone had wired my mouth shut. Reality gripped as Sean shook me awake. All was quiet.

A Promise…

Unable to fall back to sleep, I went downstairs to write. Sitting down, I smiled. I knew what my dream meant. I was Louisville bound. It’s my hometown. That’s where my mom and dad are. They represent comfort, rest, security. The cars and wrecks are the heartache and hardships in the people around me. My busted headlight stands for unrest in my own life. The invisible force could signify not being able to ignore my own turmoil any longer. Propelling through the air denotes I am 100% out of control. Bracing for impact is feeling that what is happening is unavoidable. I can make peace with that; my future is secure.

Crying out to God for my children was telling. I want to shield them from the kind of agony that could end them. I feel responsible for not protecting them from hurt. Yet I know from experience, “there is no growth without pain, no integrity without self-denial,” (Brennan Manning). I don’t want to rob my children of learning to trust God’s character for themselves. Do I trust God with the lives of those I love most? My answer must be yes. Alternatively, if it is no, I have resigned to simply existing. God loves and cares for my family more than I can conceive.

Homera Homer-Dixon said “freedom from suffering leads to uselessness.” There are some days when the onslaught of pruning feels unbearable. But God will never leave us or forsake us.

I cry to God Most High, to God who accomplishes all things for me.

Psalm 57:2, NASB

There are some days when the onslaught of pruning feels unbearable. But God will never leave us or forsake us. Click To Tweet

Fun: Accepting God’s Invitation to Life’s Adventure

Devotionals, Stay SaneMarch 1, 2018June 28, 2019

God carries us through times of sorrow, teaching us to live and love with abandon. We can trust God’s invitation to have fun and enjoy life’s adventure.

People have fun in lots of different ways. Go out to dinner, watch a movie, dance, play sports, hang-out with friends. Immersing yourself in hobbies is a great way to relax and unwind. I have been giving this a lot of thought recently.

Confessions…

I have a few confessions to make.

Here is the first: I am too serious. It’s not like I don’t laugh or smile, I do, but I take my life very seriously. I make lists, plans, prepare, and predict. When I was a young girl I would literally plan out conversations. I plan out each step of my day. As a student I would write out my plan for studying before I could begin to study. When we go on vacation I plan out itineraries weeks before we leave.

Confession number two: The thing I pride myself on, isn’t exactly true. Being intelligent has always been an important descriptor to how I see myself. My husband lovingly says I’m the smartest one in the room and it secretly fills me with bubbling joy quickly followed by a deep shame. Because it’s not true. I have a learning disability that makes organization and logical thinking difficult. To combat this I have pushed myself to the opposite extreme.

Finally, my most secret confession: I stopped believing in fun. I have focused my life on striving to find the best. Sometime around the age of twenty or so this seems to have taken a decidedly down hill turn. I decided on being a teacher and gave up my childish dream of being an actress on Broadway. Being a grown up took precedence in my life. When I became a mother I felt the weight of responsibility. A few years later I had my first brush with death, and mortality became a very real entity. Later in my early thirties the greatest tragedy in my life occurred – the death of my son. I lost joy.

By the time I was thirty-five, there was no fun left in my life.

Abandon

But God has a way of changing the story. He surely changed mine. We moved to a town where I knew no one. Our families lived hundreds of miles away. I had no job. What I did have was my husband and my daughter. We spent all of our time together that first year. I did eventually find a job, we met friends through my daughters soccer team, and we all learned to laugh more and have fun when our son was born.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Romans 12:12, NIV

God quite clearly reminded us to laugh and love with abandon. I remember one day when our baby was about 14 months old, the weather turned warm, the trees were in bloom and we spent a whole day out in the backyard. It was beautiful. We had a picnic that included his first popsicle. He drove his tractor, ran around naked, laughed like a loon, and took the sweetest nap curled up next to me while I read. It was the first thing I hadn’t “planned” in a long time.

Control

I wish this was such an awe inspiring moment that I realized my control issues were getting in the way of God living in my life…it wasn’t.

Over the next few years I kept asking God to help me put “fun” back into my life. There were more of these moments, but I never seemed to be able to catch hold of the string, and it kept flying out of my hand just as I would get my fingers around it.

During this time I started listening to a lot more Christian music and found Newsboys. Their song “Live with Abandon” has become an anthem in my life. Let go of the plans and live the life God has made for you. He wants you to have fun, live life to its fullest, and trust in Him. He has the plan.

“I wanna live with abandon
Give you all that I am
Every part of my heart Jesus
I place in your hands
I wanna live with abandon”

Over the last year I have found myself more trusting in this plan and more willing to give up control to God. I can’t really tell you why this has happened. We moved again, but this time to a town where we had some friends and family closer. My daughter is now grown up and off at college. I had to find a new job – one that was very difficult to begin with. My son has had a hard time adjusting, but finally seems to be settling in.

All this is to say that my life is ordinary…nothing that many other people haven’t dealt with. The one thing that has changed in the past year has been prayer. I am a much more faithful friend to my God. I talk to him everyday. Usually I write those prayers down, but not always. I also try to listen to Him. “What do you want me to do?,” and then I feel a pull, encounter a situation, or hear His words through someone else. His answers are there. I still plan my day, I know what is happening tomorrow and next week, but I have made some room for revision. I have made some room for an old relationship that needed some tending to.

Fun

Now, I am having fun for the first time…maybe in forever. I laugh more with my family, my students, my friends. I see the world brighter and clearer than I ever have before. My sense of optimism and redemption has opened up. Fear and anxiety have lessened. Life is calling me and I am excited to accept its invitation because I know it comes from my Father in heaven. Join me in the fun adventures God has planned for us.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Dear God,

Thank you for being my Creator. You have brought joy and purpose in my life. Help me live with abandon for You. Keep my feet on the path that follows Your plan. I know wonderful adventures await me if I will allow myself to trust in You completely. Thank you for guiding me. Continue to show me Your way forward through this life’s twists and turns. My greatest desire is to join You in the next life.

Love,

How has God changed your story?

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Luca Upper

Friendship: A Practice in Sacrificial Love

Devotionals, Stay SaneDecember 3, 2017September 8, 2019

Worldly standards on friendship can hinder our ability to be a Godly friend. In our quest to become the “truest” friend, we often stretch our personal boundaries and limits to the point of breaking. The Bible offers a multitude of advice on friendship and why sacrificial love is key.

I have the worst habit of telling new, potential friends that I am a “bad” friend. I began believing this idea when I started comparing what my friendships looked like with other friendships.

Surely a good friend should be able to drop anything at a moment’s notice. Isn’t a true friend able to carry the other through any darkness with strength and perseverance? Aren’t you “supposed to” go shopping, do lunch dates, talk on the phone?

I figured, since I wasn’t able to follow through on these standards 100% of the time, it meant I was not a “good” friend.

Well, that’s a load of junk.

Friendship: The Honest Truth

In my experience, stereotypical norms discourage Godly friendships from thriving. The world standards of “girl-friends” doesn’t always align with my personality type. I am not one for getting excited about shopping dates. I sometimes cringe at the thought of play dates. Socializing leaves me feeling exhausted. Typically, I get heavy after long conversations. Not by the subject matter, but by over analyzing my words and interactions.

Most people cannot commit to answering the phone WHENEVER the call comes; work, sleep, and alone time are extremely important. Many of us can say that we will not ALWAYS make that coffee date; life happens and money is sometimes tight. We cannot ALWAYS keep it together while the other is going through a valley; pretending to have it all together is tiring, and quite frankly, insincere.

So, are these the reasons friendships go awry? Does lack of perfection cause us to feel guilt and give up?

Friendship: Where We Go Wrong

When thinking back on fizzled out friendships, I was surprised to find they were completely within my control. Instead of enriching relationships inside my own God-given strengths, I shook them off. I compared and belittled what I brought to the table.

Having a successful relationship, doesn’t usually fit into obvious standards. Feeding into the lie that we have to be like all the other friendships, is where we go wrong. God created us to be exactly who we are: unique. Thus, our friendships will be unique.

You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another.

Proverbs 27:17, MSG

God ordains friendships knowing that each person has what the other needs. When we try to operate outside of this knowledge, we mess it all up. When we refuse to allow God’s love to fill in the empty spaces, our friendships die.

Friendship: What the Bible Says

The Bible emphasizes love as the greatest way to be a friend. When we come together IN love, TO love, we are committing our hearts to serving the Lord.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

1 Peter 4:8-9, NIV

Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Romans 12:10-12, NIV

Jesus spoke the most significant advice on friendship…

This is my command: Love one another the way I loved you. This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends. You are my friends when you do the things I command you.

John 15:13-14, MSG

Friendship: The Promise

Jesus’ sacrifice gives us the greatest example of how to truly be a friend. Laying down our lives doesn’t necessarily mean our hearts stop. Sacrificing our lives looks like prayer. It looks like following through, being trustworthy, showing respect. Sacrificing ourselves resembles grace in the midst of pain; love in spite of selfishness. Love looks like 1 Corinthians 13.

I have come to terms with the fact that I will always be in a state of progress. I will never, ever be a “perfect” friend because I am not Jesus. Understanding and accepting these truths, has made me realize, I’m not a “bad” friend just because I’m not a “perfect” friend. I may not commit to every coffee date, phone call, or outing. But, I can promise, from the depths of my being, that I will love fiercely.

If we can become comfortable with who we are and what we have to offer, I believe we would see less broken relationships/friendships. Striving to love in friendship, honors God more than striving to do and be all the things.

If you have found this inspiring, share the encouragement…

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Don Ross III

Integrity: Doing the Right Thing (and What to Do When We Mess Up)

Devotionals, Stay SaneSeptember 20, 2017January 13, 2019

Integrity is doing the right thing even if no one is looking. This sounds great, but not always achieved. What are we suppose to do when we mess up?

He lied to me. Out right, to my face, he lied. A wave of anger washed over me, only to leave me feeling completely heartbroken. My nine year old son lied to me.

It’s never good when an adult knocks on your door and asks if you are the mother of your child. Uh-oh. She was standing there with her daughter, with two complaints. The second complaint she shared was that my son was shooting her with a Nerf gun while she was on her bike. Apparently this made the daughter feel nervous that she would lose her balance and fall. I’m thinking, what’s the big deal, maybe you need to toughen up a bit. This is not what I said though. I said I would talk to him about it, and I did, saying that if someone doesn’t want to play that way, then he needs to be respectful of that and stop. Problem officially dealt with. Pretty much, stop playing with prissy girls. (#boymom)

It was the first complaint that made my sirens start to go off. Apparently he was “throwing around the F-word” and I don’t mean four fluffy feathers on a fiffer-feffer-feff. I didn’t doubt her since the week prior my son was asking my husband what that word meant. It was explained to him that words have meaning, and there are bad words, and that is the baddest of the bad. He was told, under no circumstance, was he to ever use that word. This of course, just confirmed that he would most definitely use that word.

The neighbor was very sorry to have to tell me this. I assured her that I appreciated being told, and that it would be addressed. My son was sent to his room while my husband and I conferred on how to handle the situation. I would give my son an opportunity to confess. He knows that if he is honest then the consequences are less. I also knew I needed to hear his side of the story, since I don’t trust a neighbor kid more than my own son. Some kids just like to be know-it-alls and cause trouble.

In his opportunity to confess, he chose to share the bit about shooting the girls with the Nerf gun. He claimed it was due to being provoked. They apparently were teasing him for playing with girls. Umm, he was playing with girls. Like I said, he needs to stop playing with prissy girls. So annoying. But I digress…

I gave him another opportunity to confess. He missed it. I point blank asked him if he was using the F-word. He told me that he and another boy were sharing bad words that they knew when my younger son walked over. My younger son asked what they were talking about, and my son just went and said the word out loud.

At this point, I didn’t feel like it was that big of a deal. My husband and I were upset, however, that he would teach this word to his younger brother. Thankfully my younger son thought the whole thing was just silly and didn’t seem intrigued by some random word. My older son, however, craves approval from others. Around adults he is charming and polite, because he gets complimented on this. Around his peers, he acts very silly and tries to impress them with bad words, apparently.

After this confession, I asked my younger son for his version of events. Whaddaya know? Turns out my son lied. Now. It. Was. On.

What actually happened was my son was trying to impress the girls, and when they told him he shouldn’t say that word, he said the word didn’t actually mean anything, and that he could say it if he wanted. Apparently he wanted, because he said it repeatedly. This was not at all what was talked about with my husband. He knew it was wrong, and chose to do it anyway.

Doing the right thing…

We all have these moments. We know we should, or should not, do something, but do the wrong thing instead. We try to explain our way out of it, making excuses instead of confessing and repenting.

So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

James 4:17, ESV

When we mess up…

Trust. God longs for us to trust Him, and it grieves Him when we hide from Him. All the way back to the very beginning, God has desired to care for us. He has provided for all our needs, but we still try to take matters into our own hands. We can be honest and trust Him with the outcome.

Accept the consequences. None of us like consequences. We want to be forgiven and then get off scot free. But just like children, we will only learn if it requires something of us. As parents, we know we give consequences out of love. And this is true with God. He didn’t kick Adam and Eve out of the garden because He was angry. He kicked them out for their own protection.

Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—”

Genesis 3:22, ESV

Once Adam and Even ate the fruit, they knew sin. The Lord is holy and cannot be in relationship with sinful man. If they then ate from the tree of life, resulting in eternal life, they would then be eternally separated from Him. By denying them earthly eternal life, they were doomed to death, but with the opportunity to be re-united with Him because of the sacrifice of Jesus.

Consequences are a blessing designed to bring us back to the One who loves us. Click To Tweet

Death is a gift, but it is not one we were designed for. We were created to live eternally. Consequences to our actions are uncomfortable, but they are a blessing designed to bring us back to the One who loves us.

Your turn…

Was there a time you knew something was wrong, but did it anyway?

Do you trust that God wants good things for you?

Has there been a consequence in your life that you have been thankful for?

Jez Timms

Present: Responding to God’s Call

Devotionals, Stay SaneAugust 6, 2017January 13, 2019

Throughout the Bible the Lord calls His people to action. The same is still true today, so how are we to respond to that calling?

There are many things that my kiddos do that drive me nuts. One of them is when I call them, and they say, “what” or “yeah”. My older son now knows how to respond, but my younger son is still learning. This is usually how it goes:

Me: Gage?
Gage: What?
Me: Gage?
Gage: What?
Me: Gage?
Gage: What?
Me: Gage?
Gage: Yes ma’am?

This is the point that I say the command. This is the point that I know he is really listening.

(Please note!! This is not a parenting blog, I am by no means telling anybody how their children should respond or how to train your children. You gotta do parenting the best way that works for you and your family.)

So what about us? How do we respond when we are being called?

Present

I am currently going through the bible study Seamless, by Angie Smith (which is an amazing way to see how the whole bible is woven together). Early in the study I saw a theme emerging of God calling people, and the way they responded. The first example, and the one I’m going to focus on, is Abraham.

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him… Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together… Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” Genesis 22:1-3, 8, 10-12

This is how I picture this happening in today’s setting

God: Hey Abraham!
Abraham: Yes, I’m here.
God: You know your son?
Abraham: Who?
God: You know, your only son. The one you waited decades for and didn’t have until you were a hundred?
Abraham: Oh yeah, him. What about him?
God: I want you sacrifice him.

Craaaaaaa-zeeeeee!

Responding to God’s call…

Respond immediately
There is no hesitation in Abraham’s response. He doesn’t even know the exact location of where he is to go. He just knows he needs to go. God only gives us the information we need at the moment we need it, not before.

God only gives us the information we need at the moment we need it, not before. Click To Tweet

Trust God’s timing
Isaac was actually not his only son. There was also Ishmael. But Isaac was the one promised to him to be the inheritance of a great nation. Ishmael was born as a result of Sarai trying to make God’s promise happen in her timing, and not God’s. God’s promises will come in God’s timing.

God's promises will come in God's timing. Click To Tweet

Trust God for provisions
When his son, Isaac, asks where the sacrificial lamb is, Abraham immediately responds with “God will provide.” At his ripe old age, Abraham has learned to trust God’s calling. Whatever the situation calls for, he knows that God will provide whatever is needed in order to accomplish the calling.

God will provide whatever is needed in order to accomplish the calling. Click To Tweet

Other examples of responding to God’s calling (just in case you are curious)…

Jacob: And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.”Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. Genesis 46:2-3

Moses: And Moses said, “I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.”When the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Exodus 3:3-4

Samuel: Then the Lord called Samuel, and he said, “Here I am!” 1 Samuel 3:4

Isaiah: And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” Isaiah 6:8

Ananias: Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” Acts 9:10

Your turn…

What are you being asked to do?
Are you trusting God’s timing, or yours?
Looking back on your own life, how have you seen the Lord provide?

How Do You Feel About Prayer?

Stay SaneSeptember 11, 2016

I wanted to title this post, “How to Have All Your Prayers Answered in 3 Easy Steps” and it was going to go like this:

Step 1: Be thankful for everything.

Step 2: Only ask for intangible things.

Step 3: Follow everything up with “if.”

And even though my alternate title sounds like I’m being facetious, I don’t necessarily disagree with those three steps. But let me back up and tell you a bit more of what I struggle with and why.

Nearly 2 decades ago, when I was in college, I was fervent in prayer. I prayed with passion and I prayed specifically and I prayed for everything. I even considered myself a “prayer warrior.” I guess this was opposed to a “prayer pacifist.” Not really sure, but that may better describe me currently. It was after college that difficult life struggles hit. And my faith was shaken. And things that were once simple were not any longer.

After that, whenever I heard people talk about prayer, and that their prayers were answered, I felt jaded. Why weren’t mine? Did I not pray fervently enough? Did I not sacrifice enough? Were not enough people praying? And I found myself beginning to change the way I viewed prayer.

I accepted that the Lord has a plan, and even though I play a role in it, it is not about me. His plan is to bring all people into a deeper relationship with Him. And if His plan involves hardship in order to accomplish that, who am I to complain? Who am I to say He messed up or is wrong? But in accepting this, I no longer felt the need to pray for anything specific. No longer could I bring myself to ask for healing, or for a job, or for my house to sell.

My prayers began to become more conversational. That’s more of what it should be, don’t you think? Not a checklist of things that the Lord needs to take care of, or a wish list for a holy genie. I began to pray for things like peace, comfort, endurance, and wisdom. Or for sin to be removed from my heart. These are things that I know the Lord desires for all of us. I don’t know if He wants to solve [whatever it is that I am struggling with at the moment], but I know that He wants me to know a deeper dependence on Him. These are prayers that I can pray confidently.

I also don’t want to feel like I can manipulate the Lord with my prayers, otherwise I might take credit. I don’t want to pray for a life with no troubles, because that was never promised. I want a life where I am fully His. But…I also don’t want to go through troubles!! I’m not a crazy masochist! And so alas, this is difficult for me to resolve within myself.

This past week, as I’ve been fighting off the feeling of discouragement, I became overwhelmed with all that needs to be done in the next 2 weeks. I wanted to pray that God would send someone to buy our house and have this stress taken from me, but I just couldn’t seem to ask for it. So I reached out to an amazing group of ladies that I meet with regularly to pray on my behalf. And then I had a long talk with the Lord that went something like this:

“Lord, You know what I’m struggling with. You know that we need someone to buy our house. You know that I’m stressed, so give me peace Lord. But what if You don’t want someone to buy our house yet. What if the person You want to live here isn’t ready? And maybe it’s not even about me, maybe it’s about them. Or maybe we were wrong to buy this house, and we are paying the consequences. What if there is something I need to learn? I don’t want to rush through learning what You have for me. I know that You are going to take care of us. So why am I even perplexed? Why am I wanting this so badly and feeling discouraged? [Here I went quiet, listening…] Ahh! I just don’t want to be bothered! To be honest, I’m just tired of keeping my house clean, and I’m mentally drained with trying to figure out how to pack when we need to leave things behind.”

Then the Lord brought to mind all the ways that He has provided. He has provided for us to purchase a small home that we can afford without having to sell our current home. Our family won’t have to be apart as we wait for the house to sell. He has given us a school for my son going into K4 that is not requiring us to pay until he starts in October. On the day I was discouraged, a friend texts me out of the blue to check on me. Through our church Facebook page I met a lady who moved to where we are going last year, and has offered for her and her husband to help us unload the truck. I’ve been blessed by friends that are willing to hang out and play with my kids so that I can pack. Oh friend! He is taking care of me!! And I can absolutely trust Him!

Before any of this began, I could hear Him saying, “Your time of rest is coming to an end, do you trust me?” And I responded with a “yes,” but I was fearful of what exactly that would entail. Now He is telling me, “Don’t be fearful, I will take care of you.”

Now, back to the steps to have your prayers answered.

Step 1: Be thankful for everything. Trusting that all things are for His pursuit of our hearts.

Step 2: Only ask for intangible things. Of course the Lord wants for us to feel peace and for us to know Him better.

Step 3: Follow everything up with “if…it’s Your will.” When praying for specifics, it is done with open hands, knowing that His ways are higher than mine and that I don’t have all the information.

Yes, I still struggle with praying for specific things, but I’m learning. I’m learning that when I pray for things that are out of my control, it is emphasizing how much I am dependent on the Lord. I know many of you are passionate about prayer, and I would love to hear your heart on this. How do you feel about prayer?

xoxo

Do You Trust Me?

Stay SaneAugust 28, 2016

This past winter my boys were thrilled that we had a significant snowfall here in South Carolina. Especially my oldest. He loves the snow and misses living in Chicago where snow was a guarantee each winter. And to make things even better, my parents were in town for it. In addition to snow, my oldest loves breakfast. It has now become an expected thing that he gets to have “second breakfast” with his grandparents when they get up and going.

The morning of the snow he was completely torn. He wanted to play in the snow, and he wanted to have second breakfast, but in his mind it didn’t look like he could do both. I encouraged him to go outside and play, knowing that he would still be able to sit and eat with them when he came back in. He, however, was in a panic trying to figure out how he could have both things. What I said to him was, “Do you trust me?” He responded with some protest and “buts” so I said again, “Do you trust me? Do you trust that I have good things for you?” And in that moment, I heard the Lord speaking to me, “Do you trust ME?”

I am no different than my son. I want to have it all, and will stress myself out trying to manipulate the situation so that I get my way. I think that I want to control things, but in reality I am unable to do so. And honestly, I cannot handle the pressure of being in control. I have to trust the Lord. If I truly believe that He has good things for me, then I can trust Him to take care of me.

My Past and Current Season

A few months ago I was sharing my heart with a new friend, and she was asking at what point God became real to me. It was a great question that really got me thinking. All relationships go through different stages, and a relationship with Christ is no different. The years we lived in Chicago were tough. To be honest, I was angry with Him. But I truly believe that that was alright. I may have been yelling, but at least we were talking. Maybe you have heard the quote, “The opposite of love is not hate. The opposite of love is indifference.” That kind of sums up my relationship with Christ for that season.

Then when we moved to Greenville, I felt like all my prayers were answered. My anxiety melted away, I liked people again, and my soul was able to rest. My relationship with Christ became loving once again. When I came to that thought, I gasped. I realized that I am a spoiled brat. It was not until I got my way, that I was happy with the Lord. And in that moment I could hear Him whisper, “Your time of rest is coming to an end. Do you trust me?”

Since it was finalized that we will be moving, I have been struggling with trying to understand. There have been so many wonderful connections and open doors recently, and it has left me confused. My life has been seeming to unfold the way I had envisioned it. I have felt like I am doing what I am suppose to be doing and am where I am suppose to be. Through tears, I have submitted that I am simply just not required to understand. I am required to be obedient. And obedience requires trust.

The weeks leading up to getting our house on the market to sell were extremely stressful because I had a long to-do list and little time. It was on me to get the stuff done. Sometimes stress is reality in certain seasons of life. Once the house went on the market, I was able to breathe a sigh of relief. I had done all that I could do, and now it is out of my control. All I can do now is pray for a buyer. Now I have to trust.

I’m no longer feeling overwhelmed, but I am having to fight feeling discouraged. See, we haven’t had a single showing. Not one. And I can hear Him saying, “Do you trust me?” And several times a day I have to say out loud, “I trust you, Lord.”

Final Thought

Trust is not an emotion. It’s a choice that does not require me to understand. And it is one that I am very aware of at this moment. My family is entering a new season, and we must trust. Things may not go as planned, but I will trust. I will trust that it is not about me, or my comfort. I will trust that He wants good things for me, but that may mean being uncomfortable. I will trust Him.

What are you trusting for?

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. Isaiah 12:2 ESV

xoxo

Trust, part two: Patience

Stay SaneJanuary 30, 2015

For awhile it seemed like my life was moving backwards. At 21 I bought my first place. It was this cute 2 bedroom townhouse with an attached garage. Then we moved to Atlanta where we lived in a 500 square foot studio in a high rise. We gained a sweet view of downtown, but we no longer had a washer and dryer. Had to go to the basement for that. There was a parking garage with one assigned spot. Poor hubby had to fight for an open place. Then we moved to the suburbs of Chicago. Here we lost the air conditioning and the dishwasher. Laundry in the cellar, had to go outside to get to it. But at least we could park in the driveway. Then we moved into the city. We got the ac back, but lost parking. Had to find it on the street and dig out our spot when it snowed. Still no washer and dryer, no dishwasher. Also, there was no sunshine. First floor apartments with builings 3 feet away don’t allow for much sun to penetrate. At the next place we got the sunshine back (third floor), but lost the ac again. No ac, no dishwasher, no washer/dryer, no parking. Three flights of stairs and a newborn. Whew!

After a year and a half there we finally were able to buy a house. An actual house! With a yard! It was smaller than the garden we had when I was growing up, but I was thrilled to have it. We got back the ac, the garage, the washer/dryer, and four years after we moved in we put in a dishwasher. We did so much to that house. Complete gut rehab of the second floor. While I was pregnant. We have a picture of me five months pregnant swinging a sledge hammer busting out plaster. We finished it two weeks before my second son was born. This was a rough time physically, financially, and mentally. At one point a rat got in our house because there was a hole in the concrete of the basement. A RAT!! IN OUR HOUSE!!! Then we got busted and fined by city for doing work without a permit. There I was, eight months pregnant, standing before a judge, begging for mercy. See, where I grew up, if you wanted to do work on your house, then you did work on your house.

Our 8 years in Chicago were hard. Of course there are the basic Chicago things that all Chicagoans deal with. Harsh winters that just won’t end (seriously, nothing blooms until the end of April). Traffic that moves so slow you might as well walk (once, it took me over an hour to drive 4 miles). People that speak harshly and are unfriendly (people would look at me funny if I smiled and said hello). The permits, tickets, and fees that make you paranoid to drive your car anywhere (we just considered it donations to the city). But we also dealt with my hubby losing his job, opening and running a money devouring business, living in crappy apartments, living through a rehab, and a rat.

I wanted to leave so badly. I cried so many tears, begging God to get us out of there. The worst it got happened in the middle day coming home from running errands. I was turning left at an awkward intersection and almost hit a pedestrian. He started yelling at me that he had a green light (I did not have a turn arrow). Here’s the thing though, he was not at a crosswalk. The crosswalk was on the other side of this intersection (and for good reason). So I yelled back that the green lights are for cars and that he didn’t have a crosswalk-IDIOT!!! By the way, my kids were in the back seat. My older son was 4 at the time and he started crying. I asked why he was crying, and his response was, “You scared me.” At this point I started crying and called my hubby (all husbands just love getting this kind of call while at work). I told him that he had to get me out of this city. I hated the city, and I hated who I was becoming while living in it.

We tried so many times to get out. Once, we were seriously considering a job opportunity for my hubby in Seattle. He made it through three rounds of interviews until that door was closed. Praise The Lord that it was. I would have been even more miserable there. There was an opportunity to move back home to Louisville at one point that I was truly disappointed that it didn’t work out. When we were actually at the point that we could move, we thought we would move back to Atlanta. That seemed to make the most sense. It’s a big city with lots of job opportunities, great weather (in my opinion), and we still have friends there. But alas, this was not to be either.

The Lord had something even greater in mind. He gave us even more than what we asked for. Atlanta would not have solved all the problem that we were dealing with in Chicago. It still has a high cost of living, it still has bad crime, it still has bad schools, and of course it still has bad traffic. I didn’t know a thing about Greenville, SC before my husband had his phone interview phone for the position here. The first time either of us ever step foot in Greenville was when we came with the moving van. We have not been disappointed.

Not everybody is miserable is Chicago. I have dear friends that live there and they love it. It’s home for them, and I am thrilled that they feel that way. There is such peace in feeling “home”. But not once in 8 years did we feel “home”. And we had many moments of joy there, including friendships that will age with me. But we knew that we were not meant to stay there. Even though we struggled, we knew that we were where we needed to be for that long season in our lives. We knew it wasn’t time to leave yet, no matter how desperately we wanted to. Waiting is difficult.

Wait for The Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for The Lord. Psalm 27:14

We learned that we had to be patient. And we had to wait for The Lord’s perfect timing. I’m relieved that when doors were closed we didn’t try to force them open, although I was standing there with a crowbar feeling tempted to do so. I would pray, “Lord help me feel at home!” I wanted to want to be there. Then I prayed, “help me feel at peace.” And I would for a period of time. Sometimes we are called to stand and fight (like David and Goliath), and sometimes we are told to run away (like Joseph and Mary fleeing to Egypt). I believe we never felt at home because we were never meant to stay.

It takes trust to learn patience. So if you find yourself in a situation that you feel desperate to escape, be encouraged! Trust that The Lord knows, and cares. Know that His timing is perfect. And there is nothing wrong with crying while you wait.

This is the third post in a series on Faith, Trust, Surrender.