Jeremiah 17: 5-8
5 This is what the Lord says:
“Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
6 He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives.
7 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
8 He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
You know... sometimes when Pastor Steve is preaching I feel like he wrote his sermon just for me. Well... I think God must have His hand in www.YouVersion.com because Jeremiah 17 was for me today! This was a passage on the list for my daily reading plan today.
Has anyone ever told you to have faith in yourself when you are up against some tough odds? I know I have said it plenty of times.
So... things are trucking along at a pretty good pace. Things are going well, kids are behaving, bills are being paid and then it happens... You know what it is. LIFE. I know. What was life circumstances thinking when it had to go put its ugly head in the middle of your beautifully orchestrated plans? Now you have struggle, fights, pain, and hurt. Hmmm... What to do? What to do? I know! You can fix it. You have a plan. You have faith in your own abilities. Right?
Well... Think again! Jeremiah 17:5 says cursed is the one who depends on flesh for his strength! What? I shouldn't depend on my own abilities? Didn't God give me these abilities and talents? Yes, however... your abilities and talents are useless if you are not fully depending on God as your complete strength. Trying to use your abilities without the guidance and strength from God will have you running on a treadmill. Yeah, you are running and you are sweating, but you really aren't getting anywhere.
I personally want to be like the tree planted by the water. I want to have no fears when life's troubles come my way. I want to always "bear fruit" for the Lord even when my life is in turmoil. The only way I can do that is to trust in the Lord... not by having faith in myself!
Monday, July 27, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
NO!
Tonight I struggled with my teenage children really feeling like they could just tell my husband and I what they will and won't do. Clayton needs to get a hat for his job he has coming up. He is going to be working outside in a corn field all day for about 3 - 4 weeks. He needs to get a hat to protect his face and neck. We were at a sporting goods store tonight and he kept telling us he wasn't going to wear a hat. At some point in the store he had to have a reality check and learned that he would wear a hat even if he didn't want to.
It got me thinking on the way home. How many times have we had God tell us what we were going to do and we threw a temper tantrum and said no. Ha... I know... Imagine telling God no... I'm not going to do that! But we do it all the time and have done it for a long time.
Adam and Eve said no in their actions... Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
The Iseralites did it a lot... Judges 10:6 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD...
Jonah said no... big time! Jonah 1:2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.
Of course saying no to what God wanted really never works out in your favor... Although God can always make the choices we humans make work out in His favor. Wouldn't it be easier to just do what He wants in the first place? Now if I could just make my teenagers understand that!
It got me thinking on the way home. How many times have we had God tell us what we were going to do and we threw a temper tantrum and said no. Ha... I know... Imagine telling God no... I'm not going to do that! But we do it all the time and have done it for a long time.
Adam and Eve said no in their actions... Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
The Iseralites did it a lot... Judges 10:6 Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD...
Jonah said no... big time! Jonah 1:2 “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”
3 But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord.
Of course saying no to what God wanted really never works out in your favor... Although God can always make the choices we humans make work out in His favor. Wouldn't it be easier to just do what He wants in the first place? Now if I could just make my teenagers understand that!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Grace
2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
This scripture came to mind this morning. I'm not sure why, but it was just something that was bouncing around in my mind as I was getting ready to head out for the day. "My grace is sufficient..." I didn't think much about it and honestly I still am not sure why the Lord laid it on my mind. I do know this... He put it there for a reason and He knows why. I'm good with that. In fact, I'm blessed by it.
If we are listening, God is there... giving us the words that will carry us through those rough bumps in the road called life. Little whispers or perhaps that song that you can't seem to get out of your mind. How often have you woke up with a tune in your head and you aren't sure why. Maybe it was a hymn that you haven't sung in years or worship song you sung in church weeks ago.
I do know this... when I hit that bump in the road that is surely headed my way. I bet I remember 2 Corinthians 12:9 and press on towards the glory God has for me!
This scripture came to mind this morning. I'm not sure why, but it was just something that was bouncing around in my mind as I was getting ready to head out for the day. "My grace is sufficient..." I didn't think much about it and honestly I still am not sure why the Lord laid it on my mind. I do know this... He put it there for a reason and He knows why. I'm good with that. In fact, I'm blessed by it.
If we are listening, God is there... giving us the words that will carry us through those rough bumps in the road called life. Little whispers or perhaps that song that you can't seem to get out of your mind. How often have you woke up with a tune in your head and you aren't sure why. Maybe it was a hymn that you haven't sung in years or worship song you sung in church weeks ago.
I do know this... when I hit that bump in the road that is surely headed my way. I bet I remember 2 Corinthians 12:9 and press on towards the glory God has for me!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Failure
What is it about failure that scares us so much?
Does experiencing failure cripple you?
I know that when I try something and fail at it, I can't stop thinking about how I let people down... How disappointed I am in myself. I think that maybe I shouldn't even be in my chosen profession. A "What was I thinking" kind of thing! It takes me quite a while to be able to look back on the failure and see the lessons that I have learned. What a shame that I waste so much time dwelling on what I did wrong instead of focusing on what I learned.
This past weekend Pastor Steve preached a message called Water Walkers (you can watch it here beginning July 14). The sermon covered Matthew 14:22-32. You know it... when Peter walked on water. The one statement Pastor Steve made that is still ringing around in my head... "I would rather fail trying to do something great for God then to succeed doing nothing for God." Wow! That was a lesson I needed to learn. What am I so afraid of? Getting in trouble with the boss? Letting my friends & family down? Disappointing myself? How much more of a letdown, disappointment and failure would I be if I never tried anything? What purpose would I hold?
So I wonder... Are you willing to get out of the boat like Peter did? Are you ready to walk on water? Stop identifying the phrase "walk on water" with someone who is perfect and let's start identifying "walk on water" with someone who is willing to step out of the boat on faith!
Does experiencing failure cripple you?
I know that when I try something and fail at it, I can't stop thinking about how I let people down... How disappointed I am in myself. I think that maybe I shouldn't even be in my chosen profession. A "What was I thinking" kind of thing! It takes me quite a while to be able to look back on the failure and see the lessons that I have learned. What a shame that I waste so much time dwelling on what I did wrong instead of focusing on what I learned.
This past weekend Pastor Steve preached a message called Water Walkers (you can watch it here beginning July 14). The sermon covered Matthew 14:22-32. You know it... when Peter walked on water. The one statement Pastor Steve made that is still ringing around in my head... "I would rather fail trying to do something great for God then to succeed doing nothing for God." Wow! That was a lesson I needed to learn. What am I so afraid of? Getting in trouble with the boss? Letting my friends & family down? Disappointing myself? How much more of a letdown, disappointment and failure would I be if I never tried anything? What purpose would I hold?
So I wonder... Are you willing to get out of the boat like Peter did? Are you ready to walk on water? Stop identifying the phrase "walk on water" with someone who is perfect and let's start identifying "walk on water" with someone who is willing to step out of the boat on faith!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Joy
I have been on and off the Internet all day on YouVersion looking up what the Bible says about joy. I'm not sure why I had to keep reading and looking it up, but when you feel like the Lord is pressing you to read something... YOU DO IT!
Psalm 43:4 Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
My joy and delight is in God. I love that I can go to Him even in my sorrow, pain, hurt, anger and find joy.
Psalm 100:2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
The Lord wants us to come to Him in joy. How could we not? What great joy it brings my heart to know I can come to Him in my brokenness and He readily accepts me, loves me and heals me!
1 Chronicles 16:27 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place.
Where do you seek the joy in your life? Have you been searching yet not finding it? Seek the Lord and you will find "strength and joy in his dwelling place."
Psalm 43:4 Then will I go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
My joy and delight is in God. I love that I can go to Him even in my sorrow, pain, hurt, anger and find joy.
Psalm 100:2 Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
The Lord wants us to come to Him in joy. How could we not? What great joy it brings my heart to know I can come to Him in my brokenness and He readily accepts me, loves me and heals me!
1 Chronicles 16:27 Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy in his dwelling place.
Where do you seek the joy in your life? Have you been searching yet not finding it? Seek the Lord and you will find "strength and joy in his dwelling place."
Monday, July 6, 2009
Rough Roads
I really hate to drive on most of I25 in Colorado. It is a very rough ride. Most of the time, I would rather take one of the side county roads. Basically, I am willing to go miles out of my way to avoid the bumpy ride.
So... What do you do when your own choices or actions have led you to the bumpy part of the road called life? Sometimes there are no nice smooth county roads to escape to. Your only escape is sorrow and repentance.
2 Corinthians 7: 8-10
8Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
In Paul's letter to the Corinthians he is explaining that even if his letter caused them sorrow he doesn't regret it because it has led the Corinthians to repentance.
If you are on a bumpy road because of a choice you have made, know that "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret..." How wonderful is our Lord!
So... What do you do when your own choices or actions have led you to the bumpy part of the road called life? Sometimes there are no nice smooth county roads to escape to. Your only escape is sorrow and repentance.
2 Corinthians 7: 8-10
8Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
In Paul's letter to the Corinthians he is explaining that even if his letter caused them sorrow he doesn't regret it because it has led the Corinthians to repentance.
If you are on a bumpy road because of a choice you have made, know that "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret..." How wonderful is our Lord!
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