Be Still......Know God's Peace

Guest post by Kathy Dork

His Word: Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:5-7

Observation and Obedience:  Who doesn’t want God’s peace, which transcends all understanding? But how do you find it, especially if you struggle with anxiety like I do.

My current battle with anxiety began with a health problem in the fall of 2013, and it quickly spread to other areas of my life. One of my anxieties is the result of anticipating my sons’ passage from adolescence into adulthood. My oldest son is fifteen, and his brother is twelve. You’re probably thinking, “Relax! You’ve still got time. Enjoy them while you can.” I’m trying, but it is easier said than done.

In the spring of 2014 The Lord began instructing me to “Be still”.

He says, “Be still and know that I am God…. Psalm 46:10

I wrote the verse on a notecard, memorized it, and spent time thinking about it (meditating on it). Making time for God every day has been critical to battling my anxiety. It is so important that I literally practice being still, reading and meditating on scripture, and thinking about who God is. If I don’t spend time with God each day anxiety creeps in and threatens to get a foothold. 

Be still… Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

Clinging to the desire to be in control, even mild anxiety can overflow with fits of anger at the slightest hint of disobedience or disrespect. Logically I recognize my sons are struggling to become independent young men. They are cutting the apron strings if you will, and I am fighting back. Often my responses are not fair and gentle.  It is crucial to remember that the Lord is near, and rely on the Holy Spirit’s ability to give me the control necessary to respond in gentleness that helps guide my sons along this inevitable path to adulthood. 

Be still… Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 

When I’m spending time with God, and remembering that the Holy Spirit is available to help me; anxiety about my sons’ futures becomes a signal that I NEED to pray. If I don’t pray the anxiety begins to well up in me, and I will chase the anxiety rabbit down its hole. There is no light down that hole, but there are many fears. Taking these fears to God, asking for His help, and trusting Him with the outcome keeps me in the light. Thanking God for all He has created my sons to be, the wonderful things He has planned for them, and for how close we are as a family keeps me calm. 

Be still… And the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus.

A month or so after God began teaching me how to “Be Still” I attended a day retreat. Seven hours of intentional stillness. A few hours into the retreat I asked God, “What is your will for me?” 

God’s still, small voice said, “Do not worry!” 

Then I remembered my son’s new Lacrosse jersey numbers: 46 and 10. These were not the numbers they had requested, and to say they were disappointed is an understatement.

What about their jersey numbers, I wondered. Immediately I recalled the scripture card I was still carrying around, “He says, ‘Be still and know that I am God…’” 

I pulled out the card to double check the bible citation- Psalm 46:10, 46 and 10, my sons’ jersey numbers.

God is sovereign! God loves my sons’ so much, and is so intimately involved in their lives that He chose their jersey numbers. That gives me God’s peace.

Remembering and trusting in God’s sovereignty enables us to receive God’s peace which transcends all understanding, and His peace will guard our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. 

Prayer:  “ Dear Heavenly Father, continue to teach me how to “Be still.” Increase my faith, so that I will trust You with the future. Remind me to seek Your strength to live moment by moment. Calm my spirit, so that I may perceive Your still, small voice. Give me eyes to see Your hand working in my life and the lives of my family. May I know that You are sovereign; so that I may receive Your peace that will guard my heart and my mind in Christ Jesus, Amen.”

Encouragement: Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34

Thank You Kathy Dork

Coming Soon: Peace And Quiet

Guest Post by Emily Gehman

His Word: And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever. Isaiah 32:17

Observation and Obedience: A little known fact about me in the blogiverse is the number of people that live at my house. I’ll spare you the details, but long story short, there are nine people that live in my house including me. Four of them are under the age of 16. Let’s just say our house doesn’t specialize in “quiet.”

Now, I will be the first to say they are really great kids. I mean, really. They’re respectful and kindhearted and relatively non-destructive. But they’re still kids…learning to be adults.

And I love them dearly.

But.

Sometimes, all I want is some peace and quiet. Sometimes I just want the whole house to myself. Where nobody is dumping out the Legos or watching Phineas and Ferb at 87% volume at 7:30am or fighting like the brothers and sisters they are. These are all perfectly acceptable things to do when you’re between the ages of 8 and 16 and I don’t want them to stop doing those things. But sometimes, I love an empty house. Peace and quietness.

Beyond The House Walls 

That’s what we all long for, isn’t it? Peace and quietness and trust forever—just like Isaiah 32:17 says? But not just in your house filled with people everywhere all the time. We long for peace and quietness in every part of our lives. We want to live peacefully, with no conflicts from within or without. We want an illness-free, accident-less, grief-clear, undisturbed, no-anxiety, peace-and-quiet life. Right? Right.

But.

Life isn’t peaceful or quiet. Nope. Not even a little. Illnesses takeover, accidents happen, grief strikes, worries dominate, and there is little peace and quiet. There may be some peaceful periods and quiet moments, but then something hits, and it’s gone. And we want it back.

But I don’t understand! God promises peace and quiet, does He not? He promised no more world-floods after Noah spent 120 years building a giant boat. Didn’t He? He promised His people endurance and eagle’s strength. Didn’t He? He even promised peace and quietness to the righteous. Didn’t He? Doesn’t He? Isn’t that what it says right there in Isaiah 32?

“The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness quietness and trust forever.” 

Yep, there it is. So why don’t I have it? Why did life just dump the box of legos on top of me to step on with my bare feet? Why isn’t there peace and quiet in my life? Why is there conflict everywhere I turn? Why is my friend sick? Why did my friend’s mom die at 46 from brain cancer? Are we—am I—not righteous? Do I not love God enough? Do I deserve these sorrows life has brought me?

Ah, yes, the questions flood my mind, my soul, and I grow weary.

But.

We are counting on the wrong righteousness.

And we are short sighted.

Not My Righteousness, But Jesus’

The effect of our righteousness is nothing. In fact, Isaiah goes on to say in chapter 64 that our righteousness is as good as filthy rags; unable to clean and unable to be cleaned by us. It is, in fact, not our righteousness that brings peace and quietness, but that of Jesus Christ.

Driven by His enormous, mind-blowing love, Jesus died in our place for the punishment of our sin. He died, experiencing the separation from God we were bound for on our own—so we could benefit from His righteousness, since our righteousness won’t get us anywhere.

Belief in this Gospel—good news—secures for us the righteousness and its benefits Isaiah talks about. Jesus’ righteousness truly offers peace, quietness, and trust forever. But not yet.

Not Here, Not Now

We are promised not peace, but trouble here on earth. The peace and quietness Jesus offers is not promised for this life, but the next. I’m not talking about reincarnation or coming back to earth as a cow or something. No, I’m talking about Heaven. It’s a real place, and it’s the only place we can experience peace, and quietness, and trust forever.

For now, we might be caught up in a swirl of everything unpeaceful: the white stench of hospitals, the grief of broken relationships, the sorrow of a funeral dirge.

But.

This life, with all its pain and grief is only temporary. The effect of Jesus’ righteousness is coming. The peace and the quietness and the trust forever is in our future. We are here only for a while, and then the results of righteousness will be ours forever. And ever.

So for now, I’ll enjoy the peace and quiet of an empty house, but I know they will be home soon, and the quiet will be over. And I’ll want the peace and quiet back in the rest of my life, too.

But.

The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.

Thank You Emily Gehman

Find Your Place Of Rest

Guest Post by Deb Potts

His Word:  Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.   Psalm 62:5

Observation & Obedience: Rest. How do you find rest? Some would say rest happens when we’re reading, taking a walk, watching TV, knitting, or even sleeping. True rest is none of these things. 

“Rest is the absence of striving, working, accomplishing, thinking, worrying, or planning. It’s not sleep. It’s not taking a walk. It’s a waking sleep, but you are alert and aware.” Rubin Naiman, PhD, is a sleep specialist and clinical assistant professor of medicine at the University of Arizona’s Center for Integrated Medicine. He says, “We don’t “go to” sleep or “go to” rest. We achieve rest when we make space for it and allow it to happen.”

Meditation is one way to find rest. It has been found to lower heart rates, blood pressure, and oxygen consumption, alleviate hypertension, arthritis, insomnia, depression, infertility, cancer and anxiety.  But meditation for Christians has so many more benefits.

Rest can be found for Christians in meditation of the Scriptures. If we can discipline our minds to meditate effectively we can truly “find rest in God.”

Meditation is a Christian tradition going back to the 3rd century. Origen wrote about the process of Scriptural reflection and interpretation, St. Ambrose taught his methods to St. Augustine, and the practice was later adopted by monks. Today this ancient tradition is still in use, called Lectio Divina, which means “divine reading.”

Lectio Divina consists of scriptural reading, meditation and prayer intended to promote communion with God and increase our knowledge of God’s word. It doesn’t treat Scripture as texts to be studied but as the Living Word, intended to bring us into a more intimate relationship with Jesus.

There are four steps in Lectio Divina: reading, meditation, prayer and contemplation. 

• Reading (lectio). Read the passage attentively, reverently, slowly. Lectio is a listening kind of reading, allowing the words to resonate with you. You may read the passage several times or just linger on one particular phrase as the Spirit leads you. Don’t rush it, take your time.

• Meditation (meditatio). This is the human response to God’s word. Ponder, ruminate, and savor the words you read. Be expectant for God to reveal Himself to you through these words. Consciously open yourself to God, allow Him to touch your heart and speak to you. Ask yourself, “what do these words mean in my life?” Be honest with yourself when you feel a nudge from God.

• Prayer (oratio). Pray from your heart. This is your response to Him as a result of the first two steps. Words may escape you; a sigh may be all that’s necessary. Remember Mary’s words, “Thy will be done.”

• Contemplation (contemplatio). This is God’s turn to respond. This is a spiritual gaze; God’s gaze into our souls, and our gaze in faith back to Him. It’s being fully known and fully loved. It’s looking God right in the eye without reservation. Your whole self becomes focused on the Lord. It can become deep, personal, intimate, and tearful. It’s child-like, it’s surrender. His gaze will purify our hearts, minds, souls and bodies. It’s only at this final stage where we enter into true rest. 

The practice of Lectio Divina won’t come naturally to most of us. It takes time to discipline our minds to be so still and contemplative. But with practice, we can enter into that “soul rest” that we hunger for. Choose a short passage of Scripture, perhaps in Isaiah or the Psalms, or in your favorite book of the Bible. Keep a journal of your experiences so you can record what God has taught you. 

Prayer: “ Abba, I so desperately need You close to my heart. I long to feel Your breath on my cheek, Your arm around my shoulders. I would give anything to see the love in Your eyes as they gaze on me. Teach me to be quiet and still and willing to wait for Your gentle nudge. Then help me to be obedient to Your good and holy will. Amen. “

Encouragement:  It’s true that the voice of God, having once fully penetrated the heart, becomes strong as the tempest and loud as the thunder, but before reaching the heart it is as weak as a light breath which scarcely agitates the air. It shrinks from noise, and is silent amid agitation. St. Ignatius of Loyola 

Thank You Deb Potts

Who's Fight Is It.......REALLY?

His Word: Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.”   Exodus 14:13-14

Observation & Obedience: In Exodus 14, we find Moses just beginning his role as leader of the Israelites after their miraculous escape from Egypt, and already he is faced with a teaching moment! Pharaoh has changed his mind and the Egyptians are hot on their tail. As the Israelites witness the Egyptian army closing in on them for the kill, Moses and God give them an important lesson.

In verses 11-12, we hear what will become a familiar question and complaint from the Israelites:   What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt?  Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” 

Can you believe that after watching God’s powerful hand deliver them from Egypt, their only response was fear and whining. They had forgotten how miserable their lives were as slaves and recalled only what was familiar to them.  Now they were faced with a choice.  Trust that God was able to protect and provide for them or give up and die at the hands of the Egyptians. 

This is the first instance of grumbling and complaining by the Israelites, but it certainly wouldn’t be the last. In fact, this response would become a major problem for them. Their lack of faith in God is startling. Yet how often do we find ourselves doing the same thing? Questioning God’s actions; complaining over inconveniences and grumbling over discomforts. 

I would like to imagine that the conversation may have gone something like this: 

Moses: “Look, have you forgotten all that God has done for you up until this point? Do you really think he would bring us this far to leave us to die at the hands of the Egyptians? They had plenty of opportunities to destroy you while you were in slavery. Today, you are going to see God do something huge; something only he can do. You just need to stop looking back at your old life, and turn your focus on the Lord because he is the one fighting for you.”

People: “Ok Moses, you’re right. How foolish of us to think that God would abandon us here in the desert. We’re sorry for grumbling and complaining (until next time). We will be still and know that our great God will save us.”

God: “I love how you are all bonding, but in order for me to do another miracle you people need to stop talking and get moving!! (Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.           v 15). Prayer is vital to our relationship but there is also a place for action; and now is the time!”

Are you unhappy with a situation you find yourself in? Are you trying to “fight” your way out on your own?

Are you stuck in “what used to be?”  Do you want to stay where things are familiar, even if they are miserable?

Are you praying for more guidance as an excuse to postpone doing what you know you need to do? 

Prayer:  “Dear God, why do I constantly feel the need to try to fix and control everything in my life? You are the one fighting all my wars; I just need to stop and recognize this. How many times have I missed you do something big in my life because I’m too busy grumbling and complaining, wishing my life was like it “used to be?”  Help me to know the difference between the times when I need to stand still and the times when I need to get moving! Amen.”

Encouragement:  God is always reliable but seldom predictable. He has plans and procedures in place that we’ve never considered.  Clayton King

The Word Of Our God

Guest Post by Marion Smith

His Word: The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word of our God stands forever.  Isaiah 40:8 (NLT)

Observation & Obedience: Have you ever prayed for something so hard that you wondered if God even hears?  Perhaps your life feels like withered grass in a desert or a faded flower that has lost its luster because of Autumn’s chill.  I think everyone at one time or another has had feelings of doubt or despair.  Yet, God, in His infinite goodness, provides us with a window of hope.  He says His Word stands forever, regardless of our circumstances, regardless of how we feel, regardless of what our future holds.

This particular verse has special meaning for me because of a gift I once received from my son.  He was in Macau, China and had been hired as a professional musician for a well-known resort.  During the time he was there, he became a Buddhist and was inspired by the Buddhist shrines and Eastern religions.  As a Christian, it was very hard for me to accept his newfound faith.  Even though I prayed for him day and night to recommit his life to Christ, it didn’t happen and I felt like God had not heard my prayers.  I was in a desert, parched and dry in my own faith, and I kept longing for a sign, some window of hope that would show me God was at work.

The time came when my son finished his assignment and soon came to visit us for the Christmas holidays.  It was so good to have him home, to spend time with him, and be together as a family for those few days.  Christmas day arrived, we sat around opening presents and he handed me one more gift.  A gift he had specially picked out just for me.  I carefully unwrapped it and saw that it was a little resin cross that had a resin rose winding down across the front of the figurine.  Also engraved on the cross was an inscription in Chinese with the numbers 40:8 printed at the bottom.

Thanking my son for the gift and giving him a hug, we sat on the sofa together looking at the cross.  I said, “Where did you find this?  It’s beautiful.”  My son, excitedly replied, “Mom, I knew I wanted to get you something Christian, so I had to shop all over Hong Kong to find a Christian bookstore.  I found only one and when I saw this little cross, I thought of you.”  Now, imagine the feeling I had at that moment.  Not only was I incredibly awed at the gift my son had so thoughtfully purchased, but I also felt the prick on my heart that God indeed had heard my prayers.

As we sat side by side on the sofa looking at the cross, I asked my son, “So, do you know what it says?”  “No,” he replied.   So I gently said, “Why don’t we look in the Bible?  Do you think it might be Psalms?”  We looked up Psalms 40:8.  It wasn’t the right verse.  “It can’t be Proverbs, because that book only has 31 chapters.  I wonder if it’s Isaiah?”  We opened up my Bible to Isaiah 40:8 and read the verse together.  “The grass withers and flowers fade, but the Word of God stands forever.”

It was as if God had made time stand still.  Even though I had almost given up hope, God reminded me that regardless of my feelings, regardless of my circumstances, regardless of the future, God says His Word stands forever.  It was a valuable lesson for me to never give up hope, no matter how dry my desert becomes or how colorless my flowers of seed planting appear.  God is my Deliverer.  My son eventually gave up Buddhism and, like all of us, is on a faith journey towards the One who goes before us, is with us and leads us to everlasting truth.

Prayer: “Precious Holy Father, We praise you and thank you for being our solid Rock.  Thank you for being the kind of God that we can come to with our doubts and fears, with our highs and lows.  Thank you for accepting us as we are and for giving us Your promise…that regardless of our feelings, circumstances or future…Your Word stands forever.  Help us to trust you completely in the desert of our lives and look to the Rose of Sharon, the true flower that never fades.”

Encouragement: If you have children, you know you’re responsible for somebody. You realize you are being imitated; your belief systems and priorities have a direct influence on these children, who are like flowers in a garden.     Madonna Cicicone

Thank You, Marion Smith

Arm Yourselves For The FIGHT

His Word: Ephesians 6:13-18 MSG

13-18 “Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life.”

Observation and Obedience: So what is required to stand in Victory for eternity? Isn’t that what we all want and are hoping for? Who doesn’t like to be on a winning team? Who likes a pop quiz when you haven’t taken the time to study? Who wants to be running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off, helter-skelter because you were caught unprepared? Who wants to lose the promise of eternal life because you didn’t recognize the thief who wants to steal it from you?

Preparation is key! It’s the key to sports, cooking, teaching, parenting, quilting, crafting, LIFE! Anything that you do, with a bit of preparation,  will be easier to accomplish. Preparation also helps you to think fast, respond and possibly even dodge the unexpected. Preparation is what builds teams, win championships and helps you to land on your feet.

Today we’ll take the analogy of football players. (After all, it is football season and I’m reminded each Sunday that I come from a football family.) The preparation begins with knowledge of the game. It’s not soccer……. it’s American Football! It’s not make believe, it’s Eternal Life we’re playing for. 

So, you’ve watched some people play, you’re intrigued, you make the decision to join the team. You’ve even read up on some of the history, some of the great battles of the gridiron and you are ready to give it your all. You know some plays, you know the rules, you even have a football!!!! So get out there and be a CHAMPION! Because, baby, you’ve got what it takes!!!

 How long do you think you’d last without wearing the equipment that is issued; the armor? I’m thinking………. the first hit, the first tackle, the first madman who lines up against you and screams “I’m gonna kill you Curtis” will have you running, crawling or being carried off to a safe seat in the stands. And that was only the first practice with your own teammates. 

Catch a clue!!! Heed Paul’s warning. You don’t go out there to play, fight, WIN without the right equipment strapped on! You’ll get more than your bell rung if you do. This isn’t flag football, this is the real thing! So take it serious and protect yourself. Luke 21:36 (NIV) “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

Helmet of Salvation: Jesus, JESUS, JESUS! Get to know him on a personal, intimate level. He’s not about a religion, He wants a relationship!  

Psalm 140:7 (MEV)7 O God my Lord, the strength of my salvation, You have covered my head in the day of battle.

Belt of Truth: Tell the truth, live the truth and be a demonstration of TRUTH.

2 Thessalonians 2:10 (NIV) …They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

Breast Plate of Righteousness: Do what’s right, even when no one is looking! There’s still a difference between right and wrong, no matter what the world says.  

Proverbs 2:7-8 (NIV) He holds victory in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair–every good path.

The Sandals of Peace: Be kind, be loving, be peaceful. PLAY NICE

Isaiah 52:6-7 (NIV) “Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I. How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation [Yeshua, Jesus!] who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!'”

The Shield of Faith: You’d better believe and live like your life depends on   God’s Promises being Personal; His Presence being Permanent and His Peace and Plan, they are Perfect for you.

1 John 5:4-5 (MEV) 4 for whoever is born of God overcomes the world, and the victory that overcomes the world is our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world, but the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

The Sword of the Spirit: Know HIS WORD! This is our only OFFENSIVE Weapon!!

Hebrews 4:12 (MEV)12 For the word of God is alive, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intents of the heart.

NOW YOU ARE READY!!! 

Prayer: Thank You Father for not sending me out to do battle without the  protection and armor of your Love. You’ve provided the very best and I will commit to making every piece of battle gear issued, combat ready! Keep me focused and ready to do your will, in your way and in your time. You will lead us to Victory in Jesus name. Amen.

Encouragement: PREPARE FOR COMBAT!!! It’s not the will to win, but the will to PREPARE to win that makes the difference. ~ Bear Bryant

Thank You to my brother and nephew for giving me the visuals for this post. Love ya

Have You Got What It Takes?

His Word: Epesians 6:10-18 MSG

10-12 “And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong.So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we’ll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.”

13-18 “Be prepared. You’re up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it’s all over but the shouting you’ll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You’ll need them throughout your life.”

Observation and Obedience: This is a call to arms. Paul is letting it be known that this life of following Christ and seeking after Him is not for sissies. It’s going to take all He’s given us to walk it out in grace, love and VICTORY. ALL HE’S FREELY GIVEN!

He didn’t leave us clues to a scavenger hunt. We don’t have to perform well to earn it. All we have to do is receive it, be thankful and USE what Jesus left us after sacrificing His all for us. 

Paul has been through the ringer for his beliefs. His letter to the Ephesians was not only written to warn them, but to instruct them so that they would be strong, be fruitful and be purposeful in their lives with the gifts AND responsibilities they’ve been given. 

Imagine being given all the best equipment, tools, instructions for oh……… let’s just say photography. It’s all there, GIVEN to you. Top of the line camera, lenses, flash, backdrops, filters, software, EVERYTHING and more GIVEN TO YOU……….EVEN the instructions and lessons from the BEST of THE BEST! You are so excited! You have a yearning and a desire to capture the beauty, priceless expressions and memories……….but you never open the manual, you never take the time to understand the language or learn the relationship between iso, shutter speed and aperture. In fact, you put the camera in Auto mode and just start shooting and shooting and shooting. You never change the lens, you never try the flash or software. You don’t make the commitment of time, and energy or risk blowing a shot or 200. Why do that when you can just leave it in auto mode?  Auto mode requires very little from you. Who would do this with such a gift?

Sadly and all too often, we do just that in our relationship with God. We go to church, we bless our food, we listen to Christian radio, we “like” or type “praying” to FB posts, we may even join a bible study. There. Done. We are doing our part. We are in Auto MODE!!!

Now let’s look at the giver of this generous gift. Can you even imagine how disappointed the giver would be? Can you imagine how you would feel if you had given that kind of a gift and never saw it used to it’s potential? 

That’s the message and the lesson here in part 1. God sent us the way, the truth and the life; JESUS. His birth, His life, His ministry, miracles and messages all recorded for us by the ones who lived it out with Him. His arrest, trial, torture and death, all witnessed and journaled. His victorious resurrection power displayed and documented. It’s all there for us in the instruction manual, THE BIBLE. The Teacher is even supplied through the Holy Spirit. We have the opportunity to be an intimate part of the relationship between God the Father, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. We can experience the beauty of relationship between the Three in One. But we’re stuck in AUTO MODE. 

We need to turn the dial, we need to open the manual, put on a new lens, listen to the lessons, heck…… TAKE NOTES! Get with others that know and will share their knowledge and experiences of God’s Wonder Working Power. Put in the time, effort and commit to learning all you can!! IT’S WORTH IT!!! Your LIFE depends on it!

Paul’s warning us, that we had better arm ourselves and be ready!  “So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devil throws your way.” “This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.”

In our next post, we’ll take a look at the “well-made weapons of the best materials” and how to apply them so as not to be defeated by the one who is Hell bent on destroying us.

Prayer: Father God, I come before you today with a new, fresh, inspired commitment to know You, follow You, heed Your warnings and receive Your protection and grace. You are Lord and I am yours. Thank You for your patience and love. Forgive me for my lackadaisical ways. I am battle weary and ready to be armed with Your BEST because of Jesus. Amen. 

Encouragement: USE IT OR LOSE IT!