What’s Missing

“Food can fill our stomachs but never our souls.
Posessions can fill our houses but never our hearts.
Sex can fill our nights but never our hunger for love.
Children can fill our days but never our identities.
Jesus wants us to know only He can fill us and truly satisfy us.”
~ Lysa TerKeurst

While at a baseball game I watch the game and talk to the people around. At the grocery store or mall I shop.    During lunch with a friend I interact with her.  At worship I focus on my Lord.  At the movies I watch the show.  At work I focus on my job.  It seems that everyone around me has their cell phone or iPad with them constantly and their focus is on that and not on the present. 

What are they all looking for?  Is there something missing?  Is there such loneliness in the lives of those around us that there must be constant contact with someone or something? 

I use my cel phone only when traveling long distances for safety issues.  (I have Sync so I don’t have to take my hands of the steering wheel.)  I do not text unless I am texted and often don’t check my messages until I’m annoyed by the beep.  I use my lap top only for business and writing.  If I’m feeling lonely my go to person is God. 

In this lonely, rushing world the one verse that stands out to me is Psalm 46:10

                     BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD

Heavenly Father, Creator of all, Master of the Universe, You alone are worthy of my total attention.  In the hustle, bustle, and rush of this world you are my Quite Place.  You create the stillness that can be felt in the noise of life.  Grant me the privilege of knowing the ‘Peace that passes all understanding in Christ Jesus.’    Make it so

Words and Wants

That darn snake!  Too often he gets into our minds and uses what he finds there to cause us problems.  It happened to Eve and has continued through history to us.  He is like a roaring lion that travels miles to find something to devour.  (1 Peter 5:8)  In the first part of that verse we are told to be self-controlled and alert.  Alert to what?  Perhaps our lack of self-control. Read Eve’s story in Genesis 3.  She had some self-control issues that we still deal with today.  First, how about the fact that we, and Eve, let our words get us into trouble.  If she hadn’t spent so much time talking with the snake she wouldn’t have determined that she was perhaps missing something.  God didn’t create us with two ears and one mouth for no reason.  He wants us listening carefully, He wants us being careful about what we listen too, and He wants us to simply close our mouths to unnecessary conversation.

It also seems that we, and Eve, have a really big problem with coveting that which belongs to another.  There is a commandment about that.  We really aren’t supposed to get ourselves wrapped up in what others around us have.  Jesus tells us plainly that the Father provides what we need and we need to be careful that we are not wanting more than He thinks we should have.

Lastly, we eat to much.  This is both a physical and figurative statement.  We certainly need real food, in appropriate proportions to nourish the body and keep us healthy.  We also need to be ravenous for the food that is provided in a daily diet of God’s Word.  He will feed our hunger for the answers to life’s questions if we take the time to learn what he wants for us.

Awesome and mighty Heavenly Father, You alone are worthy of my praise.  Father control me.  Control my words, my wants and make me ravenous for Your Word.  Make it so!

Grab On

“Is my Master satisfied with me?” Does everything I think, do, and say reflect my El Elyon (Most High God) to the world around me?

How I wish I could say yes. Unfortunately we fall into the ‘sin pit’ to easily. However, by reading and studying His Word (to know Him), praying (keeping open the lines of communication with Him), and worshipping (putting our focus on Him) we are able to focus on Him and not on whatever we let put us in the pit in the first place. 

Psalm 60:2 tells us, “Save us and help us with Your right hand, that those You love may be delivered.”David knew God so well that he could depend Him and know without question that God would come to his rescue. We, too, can reach up and grab the hand that is always there to pull us out. Grab on!!!

My El Elyon,  Creator of all that is, was, and is to come give us the courage to grab on…not just when we should but because we can.  Open our hearts to Your Word, our souls to worship, and our thoughts to constant communication,  with You.  I lift this request in the Precious Name of Jesus      Make it so!

When We Don’t Know What to Pray

 

 
Romans 8: 26-27     Have you ever been in a situation and the only thing that would help was prayer but you didn’t know what to pray for?  I was recently placed in that position and this scripture had a profound effect on me.  It was very comforting to know that since the Spirit lives within me He knows my mind, knows what I need (to ask), and takes it to the throne with words unknown to me. Our God can do what He says He can.  He answers the prayers of the righteous (James 5:16).  He wants us to be sure of His desire to provide for us in all ways.  He loves each one of us and wants each of us to have access to Him.  He has provided this access through the Holy Spirit in us and wants us to communicate with Him.Take time to talk with Him today.  He’s waiting to hear from you…
 
Father hear this prayer in Jesus’ Precious Name.  My mind is black except for the wisdom to know I must be near You!  Take this hodgepodge of thoughts and make sense come from them.  Only You know what needs to be said and only You can hear my heart cry.  Make it so!

God Is Not Ashamed

 
Reading Hebrews 11 and discovering new truths about faith led me to these thoughts. First, because of my faith God is not ashamed to be my God. This thoughtful jewel is found within vs. 16. There are other verses in the Bible that talk about me not being ashamed of Him or the Word (Romans 1:16-17, Psalm 25:2-3)but this is the only one I could find that outright says God is not ashamed to call me His own. That’s an absolutely profound thought. All it takes is faith in Him. Nothing more, nothing less.
 
Secondly, earlier on in the chapter in vs. 6 it says ‘He rewards those who seek Him’. How do we seek Him? In the same way we experience Him, through prayer, the Word, worship, other Christians, and circumstances. What is the reward? The promise of eternal life because we have faith.
 
The whole chapter is many examples that reinforce vs. 1. My paraphrase – – “My faith gives me the conviction that what I hope for, heaven and eternal life with my Savior, even though I cannot see it, is really there.”
 
HE knows me.  HE cares about me.  HE has my name written on His hand.  HE loves me.
 
Ah, Lord, God, You are my One and Only, my Savior, the giver of Eternal Life.  What an honor to be among those You are not ashamed to call Your own.  Oh, Lord, help me never to be ashamed to call You my own.  Make it so!