I Do It Me Self

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. 

Proverbs 3:5-6

My daughter has always been strong and very independent.  I believe her first sentence was, "I do it me self." There were many times that I tried very hard to teach her something or show her a better way to do something but she did not want you to show her. She just wanted to do it herself.  One particular occasion not long after we have hardwood floors installed in our large family room her older brother was trying to teach her how you run, dive on a pillow and slide across the slick floors.  She had watched him do it a couple of time so when he was explaining to her that she had to be sure to keep the pillow in front of her she didn't listen.  Instead she takes the pillow from him and yells. "I do it ME SELF."  Then She took off full speed down the hallway.  She held the pillow close to stomach and dove.  She didn't slide near as far as he did.  It wasn't because she was smaller.  It wasn't because she didn't run fast enough.  The reason she stopped so suddenly was because her face, chin first, was planted hard into the floor.  She hit so hard it busted her chin open to the point that required stitches.  See the instructions Anthony was trying to share with her was to be sure that she held the pillow high enough on her chest to protect her face.  Because she thought she knew best.  Because she would not listen to instructions she suffered and still carries the scars today. (Now lest you think I am picking on Samantha I can assure you that I have stories for the future on Anthony too.) 

Really Samantha is no different than we all are.  There are so many times God tries to give us instructions.  He tries to warn us.  What do we do ?  If we even bother to acknowledge Him then we simple repeat Samantha's mantra "I do it me self." We try in figure out the solution to the problem, the way out of a situation or we simple hope it all goes way.  In our key verse we are reminded that if we trust, lean and submit to Him then He will direct us in the way we should go.  He will lead us down a straight path without all the twist and turns we take on our own. 

Dear Lord,
Today I pray that each one reading this post will make time to be still before, hear you speak and follow your instructions.  May they find peace in the fact that they can turn it all over you and do not have to do it all me self. 
In Jesus Name
Amen

Time to reflect :  In what area of your life do you continue to tell God that you can handle without Him?  Are you willing today to let Him teach you a new way ?

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Wednesdays in the Word 1/2/13

In 2010 my best friend, Tricia and I attended P31 Ministries Annual She Speaks Conference.  It was our first conference of that type for us to attend and we had no idea what to expect.  It was a whirlwind weekend of meeting new people, learning new things to assist in our ministry, and life changing meeting with God.  To be honest I am not sure when during the weekend or even how we learned about the One-Year Chronological bible but we were intrigued with it.  During the 5+ hour drive home we discussed many thing but the main focus of our conversation was just how little we really knew about the bible.  It was then that we decided that we wanted to plan to begin reading through the bible.  It took a little while and some planning but in Jan 2011 we (along with our church leadership) provided each lady in our Sunday night  bible study class with a copy of the One-Year Chronological bible.

Now fast forward to the end of 2012 and we as a group have completed read through this amazing book twice.  We have learned so much not just in facts but also in the character of who God is.  The only problem we have found is the God is showing us so much through His words that there is no way for us to cover a weeks worth of reading in the just 45 minutes on a Sunday night.  So we have decided that in 2013 we are still going to read through chronological but we will not adhere to the daily schedule.  Therefore on Wednesday I will be posting notes from the prior Sunday night to note what we discussed and just where we ended the night.  It will allow those who may have to miss a class to still be able to keep in rhythm.  We will begin reading Genesis 1:1 on Jan 7,2013 and will have the first discussion on the following Sunday.  (We have to finish our review of the churches in Revelations in class on Jan 6, 2013)

Please join us either in person on class of even here on the web as we continue to seek after Him and His will for us all.

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My Search for Precious

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,

and all these things shall be added to you. Matt 6:33

 

I had looked everywhere but Precious was not to be found.  When I say I looked everywhere I mean EVERYWHERE.

 

I looked all in the house; on my nightstand, under my bed, between the nightstand and bed, in drawers, in closets and even in the trash.  However,  Precious was nowhere to be found.  So then I look in the car; under the seats (front and back), between the seats in the console and then in the glove box.  Still my little precious did not appear.  Finally, I sat on the couch and cried out, “What am I going to do?  My life is in that phone.”  Yes Precious is my cell phone.  It is the nickname my husband joking give my phone when I first got it.  I did eventually find the phone.  It was exactly where I had left it… in my coat pocket.  Let’s just say I am glad that no one has a video of the ‘happy’ dance I did when I found it.

 

I even laughed a little at myself for being so silly until a few days later when the focus verse on my calendar was Matt 6:33.   It is an old familiar verse but that morning, as I thought back to my search for Precious, it pierced my heart in a new way.  I had been so frantic and consumed by my hunt for my phone that everything else was put on hold.  My only thoughts were only about it. Where was it? When would I get it back? What if I didn’t find it?  There is a lot of information and data in the little hand held device but it is not my life.  At least it shouldn’t be.  My life is in Christ.  Him and Him alone is who I should be seeking.  I should earnestly look for time to spend with Him. 

 

        Fifteen minutes in the morning before work to read

        Praying on the hour-long drive to the office.

      Turning off the TV, Computer and even Precious in the evening to talk with my family what  God did for us during the day.

 

Luckily, I really do not have to go on a major scavenger hunt to found Jesus when I what to spend time with Him.  No, I just have to call out His name and He is there. 

 

 

Dear Lord,

As the New Year approaches may we seek you with all our heart.  You are always there just waiting on us to and for that I want to thank you.  May we have the desire to slow down from hurried and crowded live to sit at your feet and rest. 

In Jesus Name,

Amen

Time to reflect : What in your life are you seeking more than God?  How can you rearrange your life in 2013 to make time for Him?

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Public Prayer part 2

Hopefully you have read my post from Monday to see how God began dealing with my heart about my fear of praying aloud even within my bible study group.  At the same time He was showing me that I needed to over come this fear I found a book that had been given to me a few years ago but hi had never read it.  The book was Sun Stand Still by pastor Steven Furtick.  As I begin reading that book, reading the bibical story in Joshua God taught the following 3 things about my public prayer life.

The length of the prayer does not matter.

Joshua prayed just 15 simple words, "Let the Sun stand still over Gibeon and the moon over the valley of Ajalon." He knew God was with him and would provide so he just asked God for what he needed. Joshua knew that if they were still fighting when darkness fell that more of his men would be killed and some of the Amorites would get away. Because he had sworn and oath to defend the Gibeonites he and his army needed to finish the battle that day. They did not want to have to fight again. Yes we are to praise God with our prayers, offer thanksgiving for the things He has already done for us but then there are time that we just ask Him to provide for our needs. Again the lesson God wanted me to learn this week from studying this scripture is the fact that if I use a few words, lots of words or even no words He hears me and He answers.

The preciseness of the words does not matter.

Not only did Joshua say few words but the way he said it was all wrong. Now I am not scientist but if I remember back to elementary science class correctly, the earth rotate around the sun not the sun around the earth. So if God were one to require that our words be precise the prayer that Joshua would have had pray would have been that the earth stand still instead of that the sun stand still.

The only ears that matter are God's.

When Joshua voiced his prayer the Israelites were in the middle of a battle. I am sure there was yelling, screaming and a lot going on all around them. So I am not really sure anyone else even heard Joshua. It isn't that they purposely chose not to listen but they were fighting a battle. This was not a "long distance" type battle like our armies fight today. No this was one on one hand to hand combat. Basically each warrior was fighting is own individual battle. The same is true for us as we pray in our groups. It isn't that those around you do not want to eavesdrop on your conversation with God but the truth is they are fighting their own battle. A spiritual battle. One that they are calling out to God for.

What it comes down to is my duty as a leader praying aloud for those with me is not to impress them with Thee's and Thou's but rather to invite God to come into their battles and fight for them.

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Public Prayer

The other night I made a confession to the ladies in my bible study group. I confessed that I am very uncomfortable praying aloud in class.

In a class that I teach and lead.

When I am alone my words, stammers and all just seem to flow out effortlessly. I'll spend time thanking Him for blessings, acknowledging Him for whom He is, asking forgiveness for sins and requesting care and protection for all. I just talk to Him. I speak as if I were speaking to a close friend or family member. I am not concerned that I might jumble up my words or run off track. I just talk.

So why it becomes so nerve wrecking for me to pray when others are present?

Since I do spend a good deal of time teaching and speaking to groups this fear is something that I have to face and overcome. As I began to try to figure out the why part of my fear I realized that my concern was not with how God would receive my prayer but instead how the others in the room would view me and my words. The stammers do not matter when it is just me and God. He knows my heart, what it is I want to say even before the word come out of my mouth. He knows what I am asking for even when there are no words, only tears. But in a group words are needed. They are needed and I thought (worried) that the words I said mattered. I had become so concerned with trying to make sure my words were pleasing to the human ears that I forgot the pleasure my voice was to His heavenly ears. This fear has held me so tight that I would just avoid public prayer at all cost.

In the Old Testament there was a man who not only prayed a very public prayer he also prayed a very audacious prayer. Joshua chapter 10 tells us that in the middle of battle Joshua cries out to the Lord. He doesn't get down on his knees, bow his head and fold his hands. He doesn't whisper quietly within his heart. He didn't have anything written down to read to God that would ensure he stay on track. No, He simple prays, "Let the Sun stand still over Gibeon and the moon over the valley of Ajalon." And guess what happened..... THE SUN ACTUALLY STOOD STILL! His prayer was answered and the battle was finished.

I have heard this story for years, read it a few times and even heard a couple of sermons on it but reading it through the last few days I have learned a couple of new things that has given me comfort to pray in a group.

Come back here Wednesday and I share with you a few more details of how the Sun standing still has taught me to pray. 

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Bring On The Rain

June 11,2012. 17 days. 2 weeks 3 day. That is how long it has been since we have had any measureable rainfall. And according to the weather forecast we don't expect to see even a sprinkle for at least another week.  My husband is not happy about this at all. He is not a farmer but he is a country boy that loves the outdoors

Each year in the spring he jumps on his tractor, tills up the ground and plants 3 fields of corn mainly for the wildlife.  As it grows he takes pictures of its development to show other farmers and hunters.  He is like a proud papa with a newborn baby to show off.  Sunday we got home from church he said that he wanted to go out to the fields to see how much the lack of rain had hurt them.  After inspecting the first field he came back to the house and told me that most of those stalks were burnt up from the heat.  He was discouraged that all his effort was seemingly going to waste.  He wasn't sure he even wanted to ride over to the other fields.  He didn't want to know how bad they were.  Later that afternoon when I was leaving to head back to church he decided that there was no use putting it off any longer.  So he went off into the woods on his 4 wheeler. 

That night at church my dear friend Kim Dunn was leading the worship service and one of the songs she sang made I think back to mine and Mike's discussion about how the corn fields need the rain in order to grow and produce.

"Lord send the rain, Pour out your Spirit. 

Let the fire fall, heal us one and all.  Fall fresh on me"

God used these words to show me how much I am just like Mike's corn stalks.  Without water, the living water, to quinch my thirsty soul I, too, will not grow.  The heat and the pressure of life will cause me to burn out and wither away. 

When I return from church Mike's mood was lifted because when he went to check on field # 2 and 3 he found that the corn there was thriving and most stalks already had several ears of corn on them.  What was the difference between the first field and the other two?  The field with the withered plants is in an opened area.  It has no shade and the only source of water is natually from the rain. However, the other fields are actually back in the forest where an area had been cleared specifically for the corn.  Both area in low areas that will get any water run off from the hills around whenever it does finally rain.  But the biggest difference is that the natual spring creek that runs close to both. 

In John 7:38 Jesus tells us, "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."  So again I am like a stalk of corn.  In order for my faith to grow and flurish I must remain close to "the flow rivers of living water."  Jesus is the living water (John 4).

What do you do that keeps you by the river?  Are you spending time sitting and allowing the "rain" pour freash on you everyday ?

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Forget About it

"But forget all that --

it is nothing compared to what I am going to do.

For I am about to do something new.

See, I have already begun! Do you not see it?

I will make a pathway through the wilderness,

I will create rivers in the dry wasteland.

Isaiah 43:18-19

There are a lot of things in all of our past, some good and some bad.  But God says to forget those things.  The mistakes we made have been wiped clean and are not to be the object of our focus anymore. The good in us is also nothing because He has so much more planned.  We are to lock our eyes forward, looking only to Him.  The wilderness we perceive to be in is all a part of His plan.  He is working even when do not see it or feel it but we have to trust His promise that He is making that pathway for us and as an added bonus He is going to give us a river to quench our dry mouth. 

Are you so busy twisting your neck around to try to get one last glimpse of past victories or hanging you head low in sorrow of past falls that you can't see the "something new" He is doing in your life?  Is God carving out a new pathway in your wilderness?  Tell us about it.  



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