In December 2020 I will graduate with my Associates Degree in Business Administration. When I committed to school three years ago, it was stepping out of my comfort zone. There have been a lot of tearful nights sitting at my computer, asking my children for help, or phoning my cousin. I recently compared school with running, it is a love/hate relationship. There is always that fear of failure or asking myself, can I finish what I started? Then I remember the verse Josh 1:9; “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
I have recently committed to running my first marathon by January of 2022. This decision has made me aware of where my comfort zone starts and stops. In November of 2019 I ran my first half marathon. At that time, I was stepping out of my comfort zone. Are you aware of your comfort zone? Just like our faith, God is always stretching us to move outside our comfort zones. Just like Gideon, God will use you and I in unconventional ways if we allow Him to work in our lives for His glory (Judges 7).
Just like school the result will not happen overnight. This will be a Journey that I hope to find a little joy along the way. Just like Nehemiah I have learned that the Joy of the Lord is my strength (Neh 8:10). Just like Joshua and Moses I know God will be with me through the process (Jos 1:5)
Listen to this song “Warrior” by Hannah Kerr. Some of the lyrics sing; “I will keep the hope alive, I will find the strength inside”.
This week I have shared with you pictures of ornaments on my Christmas tree. My tree is in front of me each morning as I write, so I wanted to share with you a little bit of my view. Today’s ornament is one from Walt Disney World. If you know me personally you probably know how much I enjoy anything to do with Disney World. When I look at this particular ornament it conjures up such emotion. I received this ornament from Clark, Preston, and Briley one year when just the 4 of us were at Disney World and my birthday happened to fall on the days we were there. On my birthday, Clark and the children found an excuse to walk over to the main building of the hotel while I was busy getting ready. They went to the gift shop and picked out this ornament and surprised me with it when they returned to the room. I was totally surprised and thrilled at this ornament, as it represents all four parks. That was years ago, yet just the sight of the ornament causes me to travel back in time to that special moment.
Likewise, I have a chicken pox scar on my leg that carries me through time to the when I received it. Most of the time the scar goes unnoticed, but occasionally it will catch my eye and I am transported to laying at home on the couch feeling miserable but also the special love, care and attention I was given by my Mama. I imagine you also have a scar or two that reminds you of something.
I love the Christian song, “Scars” by I Am They. Below are some of the words of the song.
“So I’m thankful for the scars
‘Cause without them I wouldn’t know Your heart
And I know they’ll always tell of who You are
So forever I am thankful for the scars.
I can see, I can see
How you delivered me
In Your hands, In your feet
I found my victory.”
Ephesians 1:7 tells us, “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment-to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. “
The death of Jesus Christ redeeming you and I is not new news to us. However, I want you and I to not lose the connection of His nail scarred hands and our everyday lives. A couple weeks ago Julie wrote about guilt. On her live that week she shared with us a message from Rick Warren’s devotional email. “How long should a follower of Jesus feel guilty? About one second. That’s how long it takes to confess a sin. If you’re carrying around guilt, it means you can’t forgive yourself because you don’t believe God has forgiven you.” Today I want you to be reminded of the scars on the hands and feet of Jesus. Visualize them. Feel them. Imagine the pain and suffering that caused those scars. Allow the sight of the scars to transport you in time. Sit with those scars a few minutes. Then think of the connection of those scars to you today. How do the scars on Jesus affect you? Do you see those scars and remember what Jesus did for you? As a result, do you live your life telling others about Jesus or showing others about Jesus? Do you allow others to see your scars and how Jesus has redeemed you through those scars? Do you let go of guilt, forgiving yourself and others? The definition of a scar is “a mark left on the skin or within body tissue where a wound, burn, or sore has not healed completely and fibrous connective tissue has developed.”
A scar is a connection. Today, connect with the scars on Jesus’ hands and feet. Let those scars be a reminder of your connection to God and remind you of the sacrifices made for you to live a life of freedom. Jesus is the fibrous connective tissue between us and God. Let’s live our lives in a way that reflects our redemption. Let’s tell others in words and actions. Let’s forgive ourselves and others. Let’s allow the scars of Jesus to connect us with God.
Listen to the song “Scars” by I Am They and allow the words to shape and change your perspective of scars.
Look in the comments below for a picture of the ornament in the above story.
Unity is so important in any relationship. As parents we need to have a united front with our children. As school administration and teachers, we need to have unity for our students. When picking a presidential candidate although we may vote for differently, we are united in that we want one president to lead our country in one nation under God. More importantly the church needs a united body of believers. Unity means the state of being united or joined as a whole. We read in Psa 133:1NIV “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity”. As we have all been through the trenches of COVID-19 over the last several months I believe unity in every relationship has been tested in a battle of unseen forces. We read in Eph 6:12NIV “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms”. It is never too late to heal and restore these broken relationships. I encourage you to listen to Kari Jobe’s song called “Heal our Land”. No matter the denomination, each church shares in the goal that Kari sings about; “We pray in every nation, Christ be known”. I encourage us all to write this declaration down and meditate on it. Let us ask God to search our hearts; “Search me God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there be any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting” Psa 139: 23-24NIV. As we go to our places of worship may we see the church with a fresh perspective. May we worship our Lord and savior with true and proper worship.
Father, I Declare to always enter the Lord’s gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise Psalm 100:4. You created us to fellowship, how good and pleasant it is when your church lives together in unity Psalm 133:1. May we be mature in faith, not easily persuaded by this world and its schemes. As we speak in truth and love, putting you Lord on the throne we will grow as one body, each of us equipped to do your good works Eph 4:14-16. Just as you accepted us, help us to accept one another so that we may lift our praises to you oh Lord Rom 15:7. As we strive to do nothing out of selfish ambition or in vain conceit rather in humility valuing others above ourselves help us to see the needs of others before we tend to our own Phil 2:3-4. In seeking unity there should be no division in the church body. Lord press upon our hearts to have the same love for one another 1 Cor 12:25. In the name of Jesus
My phone made a noise alerting me of a text. I opened the text and read; “I have an appointment with my doctor at 2:00 to get my test results. Please pray!” I quickly typed out my response of “I will be praying.” Then I immediately lifted my friend’s name in prayer as I set the alarm on my phone for 2:00 so I could specifically pray for my friend during her appointment.
I must admit, I have not always been so intentional with praying for others. In fact sadly in the past I often forgot to pray for others when they asked. Sure I would tell by friends that I would pray for them, but often I would fail to actually lift their names and intercede on their behalf. In fact, I was burdened with the many requests to pray. How could I possibly remember to pray for all my friends who requested I pray for them or their situations? Our lives are so busy and full of activities and we are often bombarded with prayer requests. Just saying we will pray for others has no value if it isn’t backed up by actual prayer.
Through much prayer for clarity and Godly guidance I have since become more intentional. Now I immediately lift a “breath prayer” in relation to the requests and then set an alarm to pray at specific times if applicable. Other times I write the names in my journal and lift the requests each morning. My prayers are not lengthy or elaborate, but specific to the request. Through this process I have discovered what a privilege it is to be asked to pray for others. God places others in our path so that we can be His representative of love. The Old Testament explains how Job was blessed through praying for his friends. “After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his fortunes and gave him twice as much as he had before.” Job 42:10
Praying for others is a privilege. I am so honored when others trust me to prayer for them and share their journey with me. Who has God placed in your path to lift in prayer? What can you do to be intentional about praying for others? How can you represent Christ to others through prayer?
You may be feeling guilty for a failed obligation. You may be afraid to take the next step because guilt is holding you back. The Disciple Peter is a great example of how God can turn guilty around for His glory and His good.
Peter a fishermen was one of the first disciples called by Jesus to follow Him in Matt 4:19 “Come, follow me, “Jesus said, “I will send you out to fish for people”. That Christ follower, Peter once walked on water in Matt 14:29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat and walked on water and came toward Jesus.” That Water Walker, Peter later denies Jesus in Luke 22:34 “Jesus answered, “I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me”. That very same Peter who was guilty for denying Jesus was the first to perform a miracle after Jesus’s death in Acts 3:6 “Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I don t have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
Let your guilt be your catalyst to what God has planned for you and what Satan is working overtime to keep you from obtaining. Jesus still wants to walk on water with the guilty. Jesus knew when he called a fisherman named Peter, that the same Peter would later deny him. Last week Deborah talked about being chosen. In this song, “Praise Before My Breakthrough” some of the lyrics sing, “Lord all I need to know is you choose me” & “When I’m living out my faith, when I’m stepping on the sea, I know you take my hand and walk with me”.
How will you turn your guilt to growth? It is never too late. God will work it out for His glory in Rom 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according for his purpose”.
Chosen: having been selected as the best or most appropriate. There are many places in our lives that we may be chosen and our view of what it means to be chosen may change depending on our age and the situation. Sometimes being chosen is positive and sometimes it is negative. Whatever the situation, you and I must learn to respond to being chosen in a Christ-like manner.
When I was a child and playing with my peers I wanted to be chosen. Being chosen signified acceptance. Sometimes I desired to be chosen to be on a certain person’s kick ball team. Other times the goal was to be chosen to attend a birthday party for someone that was a part of the “in” crowd. However as I have grown older God has taught me that my worth does not come from earthly opinions but from the opinion of the One True King.
As an adult I find that sometimes being chosen can lead me in a negative direction. I may be chosen to do a difficult or uncomfortable task. Being chosen to complete something hard may cause me to want to hide or revert to my childhood practice of not making eye contact with the teacher to avoid being called on to answer a question. Do you have a difficult task lurching in the dark corners of your life? Is there a task that you know needs to be done but you are avoiding making eye contact with the Master because you don’t want to be the one chosen?
I am sure you are familiar with Esther in the Bible. However if you are not, I encourage you to read the book of Esther to learn about the events that led her to became Queen. Some may call her circumstances coincidental but as a Christian I believe differently and her Uncle Mordecai did too. Esther found herself in the position to make a difference but she had to choose whether she should speak up or remain quiet. Mordecai sent word to her, “If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jew will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die. Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?” Esther 4:14
So now I ask again, is there a task that you know you have been called to but you are avoiding making eye contact with the Master because you don’t want to be the one chosen? Is there something you have been chosen to speak up and say? Has God laid on your heart a difficult path that you are needed to walk through? Has God chosen you to tackle a problem “for such a time as this?” I encourage you to listen to the words of the song below. My prayer is that we listen to our individual call from above and that we say yes! The chorus of the song says:
Just a moment for a lifetime. For such a time as this, I say yes! I’ve been chosen to arise. For such a time as this, I say yes!
Take some time to sit still and listen. Examine the current climate around you. Is God calling you to speak up and act? Have you been chosen to make a difference in your home, your workplace, your church, your community? How will you respond? Will you avert your eyes in hopes that you don’t make eye contact with God? Will you remain still and silent? Or will you respond as Christ would? Let’s say yes! Let’s arise! For such a time of this, let’s say yes!
Everyday we have the gift of the Holy Spirit in us and around us so that God is always there. My word for 2020 has been “Gifts”. For many of us 2020 has been everything but a gift. As I have suffered the loss of my Dad, many of you have suffered a loss or hardships as well. In the old testament, temples had to be built for God to be there. The book of Ezekiel gives us a clear picture of the new temple. In Ez 48: 8 NIV we read how the temple is to be presented as a “special gift”.
“Bordering the territory of Judah from east to west will be the portion you are to present as a special gift. It will be 25,000 cubits wide, and its length from east to west will equal one of the tribal portions; the sanctuary will be in the center of it”.
If an old biblical temple is a special gift, housing God, then our bodies as temples are a special gift as well. In Cor 6:19 NIV, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you whom you have received from God? You are not your own”. One of the many blessings of this gift is that God is with us always. In Ez 48:35 NIV we learn what the name, Jehovah-Shammah means.
“The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits. “And the name of the city from that time on will be: The Lord is There”.
If God is there, then he is always near. In the song God is near by Rend collective, we sing “Hallelujah God is Near”. A few of the lyrics sing, “Closer than a whisper, close enough to hear my heartbeat, closer than a kiss, close enough to raise my heartbeat”.
Last week Deborah talked about brokenness. Often in the brokenness we feel like God has left us. The Bible tells us in Psalm 34: 18 NIV the exact opposite; “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit”. October is Mental Health awareness month. Some people are so broken, they do not see themselves as a gift or worthy to house that special gift. In fact, we are all worthy of that special git, even sinners like you and me.
Let us all remember to pray for those that are crushed in spirit. May they feel God’s presence and know that He is there with them always.
