Isaiah 14-29 People with their minds set on You, You keep completely whole, steady on their feet, because they keep at it, and don’t quit. Depend on God & keep at it, because in the Lord God you have a sure thing.
Isaiah 30-41 ...I’ve been behind this all along. This is a long-standing plan of mine, and I’m just now making it happen.
Hezekiah was one of the good kings, and when he became sick, God heard his prayer for healing & added 15 years to his life. But, sometime later, he became prideful & tried to impress other rulers, not giving God the glory. Note to self: ALWAYS give God the glory!
God doesn’t come and go. God LASTS! I’ll give you strength and I‘ll help you. I’ll hold you steady and keep a firm grip on you…I’m telling you, “Don’t panic I’m right here to help you.”
Isaiah 42-54 (God’s servant) won’t tire out and quit. He won’t be stopped until he’s finished his work—-to set things right on earth.
God says He’ll take the hand of those who don’t know the way, who can’t see where they’re going. He’ll be a personal guide to (me), directing (me) in unknown country. He’ll show me what roads to take, always being right with me, making sure I don’t fall into a ditch. He’s sticking with me, not leaving me for a minute! When I’m in rough waters, I won’t go down. When I’m between a rock and a hard place, it won’t be a dead end! God paid a huge price for me. So I should never be afraid, God is with me!
Remember, God can build a road right through an ocean & carve a path through pounding waves. So…
…forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out, don’t you see it? God backs up the word of His servant & confirms the counsel of His messengers. No one who hopes in God ever regrets it.
Isaiah 55-55 If you…quit gossiping about other peoples’ sins, if you are generous with the hungry & start giving yourselves to the down and out, I will always show you where to go. I’ll give you a full life in the emptiest of places. You’ll use the old rubble of past lives to build anew.
Look ahead with joy! Anticipate what I’m creating. –Before they call out, I will answer. Before they’ve finished speaking, I’ll have heard.
Here is something God is looking for: a person simple and plain, and reverently responsive to what He says.
Jeremiah 1-10 Before you saw the light of day, I had holy plans for you. I’ve put my words in your mouth. I’ve given you a job to do….to pull up & tear down, take apart and demolish, and then start over, building and planting.
Circumcise your lives for God’s sake. What do I need to cut away from my life, Lord? This takes me to Hebrews 12:1-3 where it tells me to get on with it. Strip down, start running--& never quit! No extra spiritual fat; no parasitic sins. I need to always remember to keep the main thing the main thing.
“If you brag, brag of this and this alone: That you understand and know Me. I’m God & I act in loyal love. I do what’s right & set things right and fair, and delight in those who do the same things. These are my trademarks.” God’s Decree.
I know, God, that mere mortals can’t run their own lives. That men and women don’t have what it takes to take charge of life. So, correct us, Lord, as You see best.
Jeremiah 11-23 To Jeremiah, from God: Obey what I tell you. Do exactly what I command you. Your obedience will close the deal. You’ll be mine and I’ll be yours. I, God, search the heart & examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be.
Jeremiah 24-33 While in exile, God told His people to thrive where they were & not waste away. That has been my goal as I have waited these three years for the house to sell. Most of the time, it worked, but there were times when I longed forhome. God has the plans to give me the future I hope for. I have watched Him change the plan I hoped for over this time. And I know that has happened only because I “got serious about finding (Him) & wanted that more than anything else.” His Word says He’ll make sure I won’t be disappointed! PTL!
Jeremiah bought land even though he was in exile. I am packing, even thought we have a contingency. And God says, “Call to me & I will answer you. I’ll tell you marvelous & wondrous things you could never figure out on your own.” I’m calling out, Lord….
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
"Couples Who Pray" SQuire Rushnell, Louise DuArt
“Couples Who Pray” includes a 40-day challenge that promises to infuse your marriage with a deeper intimacy. It uses episodes from the lives of celebrity couples as examples of how prayer has enriched their relationships. The book includes a survey for each spouse to take before the “Challenge”, and then again at completion to gauge their success.
Although the book was very readable and gave biblical advice on principles to improve marital relationships, I was somewhat disappointed. Prayer is communication with God, and its purpose is to come to know Him better, not have a better marriage. I almost felt like this was a kind of gimmick for having a better marriage, not learning more about the Lord and how He wants to communicate with us.
Prayer is the subject of many books, and lots of us want to know what the “secret” to a good prayer life is. I have read many of them, and they have enriched my understanding of this most important communication. One important truth I have gleaned from all this reading is that prayer is not about a form, or a pattern, or a “right” way to pray. One author said that you can hardly do it wrong, and that has opened up my dialogue with God more than any book I have read about prayer, outside of the Bible.
I was able to read this book at no cost, thanks to BookSneeze, and I like that. However, I will not recommend it to anyone who is looking for study on prayer.
Although the book was very readable and gave biblical advice on principles to improve marital relationships, I was somewhat disappointed. Prayer is communication with God, and its purpose is to come to know Him better, not have a better marriage. I almost felt like this was a kind of gimmick for having a better marriage, not learning more about the Lord and how He wants to communicate with us.
Prayer is the subject of many books, and lots of us want to know what the “secret” to a good prayer life is. I have read many of them, and they have enriched my understanding of this most important communication. One important truth I have gleaned from all this reading is that prayer is not about a form, or a pattern, or a “right” way to pray. One author said that you can hardly do it wrong, and that has opened up my dialogue with God more than any book I have read about prayer, outside of the Bible.
I was able to read this book at no cost, thanks to BookSneeze, and I like that. However, I will not recommend it to anyone who is looking for study on prayer.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Seven
Psalms 91-108 All of you, set free by God, tell the world! Tell how He freed you from oppression. He led you out of your dark, dark cell, broke open the jail and led you out. So, thank God for His marvelous love!
Psalms 109-135 O God, here I am; Your servant, Your faithful servant: set me free for Your service! …..I’ll complete what I promised God I’d do.
Psalm 119 You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow His directions, doing your best to find Him. That’s right, you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road He set.---I’m single-minded in pursuit of You; don’t let me miss the road signs You’ve posted. I’ll run the course You lay out for me if You’ll just show me how!—God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course. Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets, invigorate me on the pilgrim way! You’re my place of quiet retreat; I wait for Your Word to renew me. I’m Your servant—help me understand what that means, the inner meaning of Your instructions.
I’ve kept my feet on the ground, I’ve cultivated a quiet heart. He does as He pleases----however, wherever, whenever.
Psalms 136 – Proverbs 6 Thank the miracle-working God, His love never changes. Finish what You started in me, God. Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now! The days of my life are all prepared before I’d ever lived one day.
Teach me how to live to please You, because You’re my God. Lead me by Your blessed Spirit into the cleared & level pastureland. Lord, I believe You are leading us to “cleared and level pastureland” as You go before us to PA & prepare the people and site for Your ministry.From the Proverbs Intro: Wisdom is the art of living skillfully in whatever actual conditions we find ourselves.
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen to God’s voice in EVERYTHING you do, EVERYWHERE you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track.
Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all the sideshow distractions. Watch your step & the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Proverbs 7-20 Mark a life of discipline & live wisely; don’t squander your precious life! Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on? Leave your impoverished confusion and live!
…..love pulls a quilt over bickering.
The world of the generous gets larger and larger, the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.
….the prudent quietly shrug off insults.
A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life.
Put God in charge of your work, then what you’ve planned will take place. This is another way of saying that if I daily surrender everything to the Lord, His plan will be advanced.
Proverbs 21- Ecclesiastes 2 Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.
Simpletons only learn the hard way, but the wise learn by listening.—While experience (both mine and others) is a teacher, if I am wise, I don’t have to make all the mistakes of others.
Give yourselves to disciplined instruction; open your ears to tested knowledge. If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn’t much to you in the first place.
God has no use for the prayers of the people who won’t listen to Him.
A good woman…always faces tomorrow (& today) with a smile. When she speaks, she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly.
Ecclesiastes 3- Song of Songs 8 Wisdom energizes its owner. A person who fears God deals responsibly with all of reality, not just a piece of it.
God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.
Remember: The duller the ax, the harder the work. (When I rush and begin my day without quality time with the Lord, I am a dull ax, and make my own life harder than God intends.)
The Final Word: Fear God. Do what He tells you.
Isaiah 1-13 From the Intro: Everyone more or less believes in God. But most of us do our best to keep God on the margins of our lives, or we refashion Him to suit our convenience. Prophets insist that God is the sovereign center, not off in the wings, awaiting our beck and call. And prophets insist that we deal with God as He reveals Himself, not as we imagine Him to be.
This reminds me of JI Packer teaching about our immutable God, whom we should come to know not as we ‘like to think of Him as_____(fill in the blank)' but as He truly is, as revealed in the Bible.
If you don’t take your stand in faith, you won’t have a leg to stand on. Without a growing, vibrant faith in God, I won’t have the foundation required of me to do what God has called me to do.
Psalms 109-135 O God, here I am; Your servant, Your faithful servant: set me free for Your service! …..I’ll complete what I promised God I’d do.
Psalm 119 You’re blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by God. You’re blessed when you follow His directions, doing your best to find Him. That’s right, you don’t go off on your own; you walk straight along the road He set.---I’m single-minded in pursuit of You; don’t let me miss the road signs You’ve posted. I’ll run the course You lay out for me if You’ll just show me how!—God, teach me lessons for living so I can stay the course. Divert my eyes from toys and trinkets, invigorate me on the pilgrim way! You’re my place of quiet retreat; I wait for Your Word to renew me. I’m Your servant—help me understand what that means, the inner meaning of Your instructions.
I’ve kept my feet on the ground, I’ve cultivated a quiet heart. He does as He pleases----however, wherever, whenever.
Psalms 136 – Proverbs 6 Thank the miracle-working God, His love never changes. Finish what You started in me, God. Your love is eternal—don’t quit on me now! The days of my life are all prepared before I’d ever lived one day.
Teach me how to live to please You, because You’re my God. Lead me by Your blessed Spirit into the cleared & level pastureland. Lord, I believe You are leading us to “cleared and level pastureland” as You go before us to PA & prepare the people and site for Your ministry.From the Proverbs Intro: Wisdom is the art of living skillfully in whatever actual conditions we find ourselves.
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen to God’s voice in EVERYTHING you do, EVERYWHERE you go; He’s the one who will keep you on track.
Keep your eyes straight ahead; ignore all the sideshow distractions. Watch your step & the road will stretch out smooth before you.
Proverbs 7-20 Mark a life of discipline & live wisely; don’t squander your precious life! Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on? Leave your impoverished confusion and live!
…..love pulls a quilt over bickering.
The world of the generous gets larger and larger, the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller.
….the prudent quietly shrug off insults.
A pretentious, showy life is an empty life; a plain and simple life is a full life.
Put God in charge of your work, then what you’ve planned will take place. This is another way of saying that if I daily surrender everything to the Lord, His plan will be advanced.
Proverbs 21- Ecclesiastes 2 Careful planning puts you ahead in the long run; hurry and scurry puts you further behind.
Simpletons only learn the hard way, but the wise learn by listening.—While experience (both mine and others) is a teacher, if I am wise, I don’t have to make all the mistakes of others.
Give yourselves to disciplined instruction; open your ears to tested knowledge. If you fall to pieces in a crisis, there wasn’t much to you in the first place.
God has no use for the prayers of the people who won’t listen to Him.
A good woman…always faces tomorrow (& today) with a smile. When she speaks, she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly.
Ecclesiastes 3- Song of Songs 8 Wisdom energizes its owner. A person who fears God deals responsibly with all of reality, not just a piece of it.
God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated.
Remember: The duller the ax, the harder the work. (When I rush and begin my day without quality time with the Lord, I am a dull ax, and make my own life harder than God intends.)
The Final Word: Fear God. Do what He tells you.
Isaiah 1-13 From the Intro: Everyone more or less believes in God. But most of us do our best to keep God on the margins of our lives, or we refashion Him to suit our convenience. Prophets insist that God is the sovereign center, not off in the wings, awaiting our beck and call. And prophets insist that we deal with God as He reveals Himself, not as we imagine Him to be.
This reminds me of JI Packer teaching about our immutable God, whom we should come to know not as we ‘like to think of Him as_____(fill in the blank)' but as He truly is, as revealed in the Bible.
If you don’t take your stand in faith, you won’t have a leg to stand on. Without a growing, vibrant faith in God, I won’t have the foundation required of me to do what God has called me to do.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Halfway Home...
Esther-Job 7 Esther lived a life so much different than she could have ever planned or dreamed, yet she took courage in unthinkable circumstances & lived in a manner that brought glory and honor to God.
Job said, “God gives. God takes. God’s name be ever blessed. We take the good days from God-why not also the bad days? He raises up the down and out, He gives firm footing to those sinking in grief.” Then, amid all his pain & suffering, Job says, “What future do I have to keep me going?”
My days come and go swifter than the click of knitting needles & then the yarn runs out—an unfinished life! This ties in with Jan Silvious’ new book, Same Life, New Story, about remembering every day is a page on the story of my life, & I don’t want to have any blank pages. So, what’s the answer when I feel overwhelmed by life? I think it’s found in what JI Packer says.
What am I made for? To know God.
What aim should I set meyself in life? To know God.
What is the eternal life Jesus gives? Knowledge of God.
What is the best thing in life? To know God.
What in man gives God most pleasure? Knowledge of Himself.
So, while I might have lofty God-Dreams, & I do, the most important thing I can do in any and every day is to know God.
Job 8-25 God, unlike us, You’re not working against a deadline; You have all eternity to work things out. God is not concerned about my circumstances, He’s concerned about my character.
Job 26-42 I’m holding fast to my integrity, and not loosening my grip---& believe me, I’ll never regret it! God alone knows the way to Wisdom, He knows the exact place to find it. This is it-—Fear-Of-The-Lord—-that’s wisdom, and insight means shunning evil.
God’s answer to Job---Why do you talk without knowing what you’re talking about? God answered Job when he was in the eye of a violent storm. (Even in the storms of life, we must be still and listen for God’s voice.)
Job’s Answer—I’m convinced You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset Your plans. (Even tho Job never knew why all this happened.) I admit, I once lived by rumors of You; now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears!
After all this, God called Job His friend, and had Job pray & intercede for the 3 that gave him bad advice. When Job did this (prayed for his tormentors), God restored and doubled his fortune!
Psalms 1-24 …thrill to God’s Word, chew on Scripture day and night. This is the secret to being blessed. And not with nice things and a well ordered life, but with a deep and intimate friendship with the King of Kings!
Worship God in adoring embrace. If you make a run for God, you won’t regret it! You, God, have put my life back together.
Early in the morning, I lay out the pieces of my life on Your altar & watch for fire to descend. Here I am, waiting for directions to get me safely through enemy lines.
God’s business is putting things right; He loves getting the lines straight, setting us straight! God takes the side of victims.
Psalm 15 Walk straight, act right, tell the truth. Don’t hurt your friend, don’t blame your neighbor; despise the despicable. Keep your word even when it costs you, make an honest living, never take a bribe. You’ll never get black listed if you live like this. My choice is You, God! First and only.
Psalm 18 God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before Him. When I got my act together, He gave me a fresh start. Now I’m alert to God’s ways; I don’t take God for granted. Every day I review the way He works; I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back together & I’m watching my step. God re-wrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to His eyes.
What a God! His road stretches straight and smooth. Every God-direction is road-tested. Everyone who runs toward Him makes it! Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work.
Psalms 25-45 I’m looking to You, God; show me how You work. School me in Your ways. If I keep my eyes on You, God, I won’t trip over my own feet!
I’m asking God for one thing, only one thing: to live with Him in His house my whole life long. I’ll contemplate His beauty; I’ll study at His feet. That’s the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world. The perfect getaway far from the buzz of traffic.
Yesterday, we signed a contract on the sale of our house—contingent on the sale of the buyers’ home. After almost 3 years, it seems we are taking another step back to PA. More uncertainly & mixed feelings, but as I read Psalms today, I am again reminded of God’s grace & love, and my daily determination to put my faith & trust in Him. Not in the outcome of this contract, but in Him. My reading today concluded in Psalm 45, which has 2 verses the Lord used in my journey greatly three years ago when this whole walk started. “Listen to Me, O royal daughter, and take to heart what I say—forget your people and your family far away, for your Royal Husband delights in you. Honor Him, for He is your King.” What a comforting, confirming reminder of how to keep the first thing—my personal relationship with Jesus—first.
Psalms 46-70 Spread for Me a banner of praise. Serve High God a feast of kept promises (obedience). And call fro help when you’re in trouble. I’ll help you and you’ll honor Me. (Again, radical, extravagant, praise & thanksgiving in all that is going on.)
It’s the praising life that honors Me. As soon as you set your foot on the Way, I’ll show you My salvation.
Give me a job teaching rebels Your ways so the lost can find their way home. (WATW of Western PA)
I’ve worked up such a hunger and thirst for God, traveling across dry and weary deserts. It’s the dry times & the hard times that have made me truly understand that God, and God alone, is my everything.
Psalms 71-90 Still, when I tried to figure it out, all I got was a splitting headache….Until I entered the Sanctuary of God. Then I saw the whole picture. Lord, always remind me that trying to figure You out gives me a splitting headache. When the questsions & obstacles come, remind me to enter Your sanctuary with praise & thanksgiving, no matter what I may see around me.
The beginning of a journey 3 years ago started with this—“What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.” (Ps. 84:5 NLT) Today, when the journey is pecking up momentum , this—“And how blessed all those in whom You live, whose lives become roads You travel” Ps. 84:5 MSG. Lord, I want my life to always be a road You travel.
Train me God, to walk straight…put me together, one heart, one mind. Lord, thank you for letting my heart and mind come together in the pursuit of this plan of Yours that You have given me.
Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well! …And the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us, confirming the work that we do. Oh yes, affirm the work that we do! Hallelujah! Praise Your Name, Lord!
Job said, “God gives. God takes. God’s name be ever blessed. We take the good days from God-why not also the bad days? He raises up the down and out, He gives firm footing to those sinking in grief.” Then, amid all his pain & suffering, Job says, “What future do I have to keep me going?”
My days come and go swifter than the click of knitting needles & then the yarn runs out—an unfinished life! This ties in with Jan Silvious’ new book, Same Life, New Story, about remembering every day is a page on the story of my life, & I don’t want to have any blank pages. So, what’s the answer when I feel overwhelmed by life? I think it’s found in what JI Packer says.
What am I made for? To know God.
What aim should I set meyself in life? To know God.
What is the eternal life Jesus gives? Knowledge of God.
What is the best thing in life? To know God.
What in man gives God most pleasure? Knowledge of Himself.
So, while I might have lofty God-Dreams, & I do, the most important thing I can do in any and every day is to know God.
Job 8-25 God, unlike us, You’re not working against a deadline; You have all eternity to work things out. God is not concerned about my circumstances, He’s concerned about my character.
Job 26-42 I’m holding fast to my integrity, and not loosening my grip---& believe me, I’ll never regret it! God alone knows the way to Wisdom, He knows the exact place to find it. This is it-—Fear-Of-The-Lord—-that’s wisdom, and insight means shunning evil.
God’s answer to Job---Why do you talk without knowing what you’re talking about? God answered Job when he was in the eye of a violent storm. (Even in the storms of life, we must be still and listen for God’s voice.)
Job’s Answer—I’m convinced You can do anything and everything. Nothing and no one can upset Your plans. (Even tho Job never knew why all this happened.) I admit, I once lived by rumors of You; now I have it all firsthand—from my own eyes and ears!
After all this, God called Job His friend, and had Job pray & intercede for the 3 that gave him bad advice. When Job did this (prayed for his tormentors), God restored and doubled his fortune!
Psalms 1-24 …thrill to God’s Word, chew on Scripture day and night. This is the secret to being blessed. And not with nice things and a well ordered life, but with a deep and intimate friendship with the King of Kings!
Worship God in adoring embrace. If you make a run for God, you won’t regret it! You, God, have put my life back together.
Early in the morning, I lay out the pieces of my life on Your altar & watch for fire to descend. Here I am, waiting for directions to get me safely through enemy lines.
God’s business is putting things right; He loves getting the lines straight, setting us straight! God takes the side of victims.
Psalm 15 Walk straight, act right, tell the truth. Don’t hurt your friend, don’t blame your neighbor; despise the despicable. Keep your word even when it costs you, make an honest living, never take a bribe. You’ll never get black listed if you live like this. My choice is You, God! First and only.
Psalm 18 God made my life complete when I placed all the pieces before Him. When I got my act together, He gave me a fresh start. Now I’m alert to God’s ways; I don’t take God for granted. Every day I review the way He works; I try not to miss a trick. I feel put back together & I’m watching my step. God re-wrote the text of my life when I opened the book of my heart to His eyes.
What a God! His road stretches straight and smooth. Every God-direction is road-tested. Everyone who runs toward Him makes it! Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over your work.
Psalms 25-45 I’m looking to You, God; show me how You work. School me in Your ways. If I keep my eyes on You, God, I won’t trip over my own feet!
I’m asking God for one thing, only one thing: to live with Him in His house my whole life long. I’ll contemplate His beauty; I’ll study at His feet. That’s the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world. The perfect getaway far from the buzz of traffic.
Yesterday, we signed a contract on the sale of our house—contingent on the sale of the buyers’ home. After almost 3 years, it seems we are taking another step back to PA. More uncertainly & mixed feelings, but as I read Psalms today, I am again reminded of God’s grace & love, and my daily determination to put my faith & trust in Him. Not in the outcome of this contract, but in Him. My reading today concluded in Psalm 45, which has 2 verses the Lord used in my journey greatly three years ago when this whole walk started. “Listen to Me, O royal daughter, and take to heart what I say—forget your people and your family far away, for your Royal Husband delights in you. Honor Him, for He is your King.” What a comforting, confirming reminder of how to keep the first thing—my personal relationship with Jesus—first.
Psalms 46-70 Spread for Me a banner of praise. Serve High God a feast of kept promises (obedience). And call fro help when you’re in trouble. I’ll help you and you’ll honor Me. (Again, radical, extravagant, praise & thanksgiving in all that is going on.)
It’s the praising life that honors Me. As soon as you set your foot on the Way, I’ll show you My salvation.
Give me a job teaching rebels Your ways so the lost can find their way home. (WATW of Western PA)
I’ve worked up such a hunger and thirst for God, traveling across dry and weary deserts. It’s the dry times & the hard times that have made me truly understand that God, and God alone, is my everything.
Psalms 71-90 Still, when I tried to figure it out, all I got was a splitting headache….Until I entered the Sanctuary of God. Then I saw the whole picture. Lord, always remind me that trying to figure You out gives me a splitting headache. When the questsions & obstacles come, remind me to enter Your sanctuary with praise & thanksgiving, no matter what I may see around me.
The beginning of a journey 3 years ago started with this—“What joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.” (Ps. 84:5 NLT) Today, when the journey is pecking up momentum , this—“And how blessed all those in whom You live, whose lives become roads You travel” Ps. 84:5 MSG. Lord, I want my life to always be a road You travel.
Train me God, to walk straight…put me together, one heart, one mind. Lord, thank you for letting my heart and mind come together in the pursuit of this plan of Yours that You have given me.
Teach us to live well! Teach us to live wisely and well! …And the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us, confirming the work that we do. Oh yes, affirm the work that we do! Hallelujah! Praise Your Name, Lord!
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Same Life, New Story
My days come and go swifter than the click of knitting needles, and then the yarn runs out—an unfinished life! For me, this verse from Job this morning capsulizes the theme of Same Life, New Story. The book grabbed me in the intro with this—“stop and think for a moment: today you lived a page in your story. Was it a good day, a bad day, or a ho-hum day?” and didn’t let me go until the last page, when I was reminded that God’s plans for me are GOOD.
With her gift of storytelling, Jan Silvious uses the lives of 10 women in the Bible to give us a way to break out of the attitudes, bondages and mindsets that seem to keep us paralyzed.
She offered ways to break free of living in our backstory, and tools for us to use as we forge ahead with our new story. She challenged us to know and believe the truth, and then use that as a catalyst for writing our new story.
Sometimes I quickly read, and don’t let things settle into my heart. Because of this, I greatly appreciate the Journal Entry section at the end of each chapter. It gave me a practical and useful way to integrate the concept I just read about into my New Story. I would recommend this to anyone who is determined to break out of her mold, and finish strong in her walk with the Lord.
With her gift of storytelling, Jan Silvious uses the lives of 10 women in the Bible to give us a way to break out of the attitudes, bondages and mindsets that seem to keep us paralyzed.
She offered ways to break free of living in our backstory, and tools for us to use as we forge ahead with our new story. She challenged us to know and believe the truth, and then use that as a catalyst for writing our new story.
Sometimes I quickly read, and don’t let things settle into my heart. Because of this, I greatly appreciate the Journal Entry section at the end of each chapter. It gave me a practical and useful way to integrate the concept I just read about into my New Story. I would recommend this to anyone who is determined to break out of her mold, and finish strong in her walk with the Lord.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Finished with the History!
I Chronicles 1-10 The lineage of Israel was so long, & yet it was said of very few that they obeyed God. Only in one group of “begets” was the note that they carried out their work and followed the instructions given to them. Obedience is so important, yet so very rare.
I Chronicles 11-23 Study God and His strength, seek His presence day and night. God is serious business, take Him seriously. We can’t dabble in being a disciple; we must be 100% sold out!
I Chronicles 24-II Chronicles 7 Serve God with my whole heart and eager mind, for God examines every heart & sees through every motive. If you seek Him, He’ll make sure you find Him. But if you abandon Him, He’ll leave you for good. Look sharp now! God has chosen you to build His holy house. Be brave, determined! And do it! -- The Lord pulled me up short here, as I had decided to not go to work and face an issue that had been given to me. Instead, I was sitting home, “being spiritual”, reading my Bible! So I closed my Bible, and went to work, praying all the way for the right heart, mind and motive to do whatever was ahead. He “made sure” I found Him, and although it was not a pleasant afternoon, it was a godly one & He taught me some more leadership skills. When I go up North and start a WATW, I’ll need the experience He provides in these current issues. I praise You, Lord, for teaching & growing me through it all.
II Chronicles 8-24 Solomon built a house especially for his wife who was Pharaoh’s daughter, because the house where King David lived was sacred. So, it sounds like all the time he was involved in doing “God’s Work” he knew his private life didn’t please God. He kept a “regular schedule” of worship, but must have been living a double life.
II Chronicles 25-36 There is one thing that God desires—requires—of us, and that is to love Him and put Him first in our lives. The history of the kings of Israel & Judah seems to always say 2 things about their reign. 1) Whether they were good or evil in God’s sight, and 2) whether or not the got rid of all the idol worship. There is a lesson for me in all this—is God #1 in my life, and am I ruthless in continually weeding out any idols that try to set themselves up in my life?
Ezra Even thought the returning Jews were afraid of what their neighbors might think, they did what God had called them to do anyway. Sometimes it’s a fearful thing to follow the Lord.
They praised God while they were laying the foundation to the temple. Foundation work is hard and not showy, but without it, what is built upon it doesn’t have stability and security.
Found my life goal in there—again. Ezra had committed himself to studying the Revelation of God, to living it, and to teaching Israel to live its truth and ways. Can’t have a better goal than that. Don’t cultivate the good opinion of others—please God, not onlookers.
Nehemiah Nehemiah knew what he wanted when the king asked. He had prayed & had a plan from the Lord. He also knew that his strength was found in the joy of the Lord. Radical, exuberant praise is what God deserves—always!
I Chronicles 11-23 Study God and His strength, seek His presence day and night. God is serious business, take Him seriously. We can’t dabble in being a disciple; we must be 100% sold out!
I Chronicles 24-II Chronicles 7 Serve God with my whole heart and eager mind, for God examines every heart & sees through every motive. If you seek Him, He’ll make sure you find Him. But if you abandon Him, He’ll leave you for good. Look sharp now! God has chosen you to build His holy house. Be brave, determined! And do it! -- The Lord pulled me up short here, as I had decided to not go to work and face an issue that had been given to me. Instead, I was sitting home, “being spiritual”, reading my Bible! So I closed my Bible, and went to work, praying all the way for the right heart, mind and motive to do whatever was ahead. He “made sure” I found Him, and although it was not a pleasant afternoon, it was a godly one & He taught me some more leadership skills. When I go up North and start a WATW, I’ll need the experience He provides in these current issues. I praise You, Lord, for teaching & growing me through it all.
II Chronicles 8-24 Solomon built a house especially for his wife who was Pharaoh’s daughter, because the house where King David lived was sacred. So, it sounds like all the time he was involved in doing “God’s Work” he knew his private life didn’t please God. He kept a “regular schedule” of worship, but must have been living a double life.
II Chronicles 25-36 There is one thing that God desires—requires—of us, and that is to love Him and put Him first in our lives. The history of the kings of Israel & Judah seems to always say 2 things about their reign. 1) Whether they were good or evil in God’s sight, and 2) whether or not the got rid of all the idol worship. There is a lesson for me in all this—is God #1 in my life, and am I ruthless in continually weeding out any idols that try to set themselves up in my life?
Ezra Even thought the returning Jews were afraid of what their neighbors might think, they did what God had called them to do anyway. Sometimes it’s a fearful thing to follow the Lord.
They praised God while they were laying the foundation to the temple. Foundation work is hard and not showy, but without it, what is built upon it doesn’t have stability and security.
Found my life goal in there—again. Ezra had committed himself to studying the Revelation of God, to living it, and to teaching Israel to live its truth and ways. Can’t have a better goal than that. Don’t cultivate the good opinion of others—please God, not onlookers.
Nehemiah Nehemiah knew what he wanted when the king asked. He had prayed & had a plan from the Lord. He also knew that his strength was found in the joy of the Lord. Radical, exuberant praise is what God deserves—always!
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