Wait for it...

Wait for it.....

              Wait for it....

                                  wait for it.......

We don't like to wait for things, do we?  We have fast food that isn't fast enough for us.  We count down the days to Christmas.  Right now I'm counting down until spring break when my best friend gets to come see me for a whole week from Washington.  I have a countdown of how many days until the 90 day Bible reading challenge is done - ummm...49 days left - Wow!

I don't like waiting for things and then I find myself wishing whole weeks away so the time goes by faster.  The more I wish away, the more days I'm whittling away towards old age.  Oboy.  Time needs to go by a bit slower, not faster.  Hmmmm....  But, it seems to go by plenty fast when the long-awaited event comes along, doesn't it?  


David talks about waiting in Psalm 37:34, The Message:

"Wait passionately for God, don't leave the path..."

Passionately means 'ruled by intense feeling or strong emotion.'  David lived his life passionately.  Everything he did, good or bad, was passionate.  Do we wait like David says to wait?

"I waited and waited and waited for God.

At last He looked; finally He listened.

He lifted me out of the ditch,

pulled me from deep mud.

He stood me up on a solid rock

to make sure I wouldn't slip.

He taught me how to sing the latest God-song,

a praise-song to our God.

More and more people are seeing this:

they enter the mystery, abandoning themselves to God."  

(Psalm 39:1-4 The Message)

Wait passionately and with abandon.  Sounds like an exciting life to live, when we seek to live a life like King David.  He didn't have an easy life, either.  He was the youngest of a boatload of brothers.  He was a shepherd and did all he could to watch over those sheep.  He killed the giant, Goliath, when all of King Saul's army was too frightened.  He played his harp to soothe Saul's soul and had to play dodge ball when Saul got mad and threw things at him.  


His own son attempted to take over his kingdom.  He had an affair with another man's wife and then had that man killed in battle to try to cover his sin.  David was completely human yet through it all, he learned and he matured and was a man after God's own heart.


So, I want to try to learn to wait passionately and abandon myself to God.  I hope I learn lots from David as I peruse through the book of Psalm.   

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Radical

"If my people, who are called by my name, 

will humble themselves 

and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways,

 then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin 

and will heal their land."  

(2 Chronicles 7:14)

This verse is found in day 32 of B90X, the Word of the Lord to King Solomon at the time the King was dedicating the temple.  We know from Biblical history, that the Israelites constantly turned away from their Lord.  Then, good to His Word, God would bring them under oppression; the people would then again cry out to God; and God would bring relief to them once again.  It was a constant cycle.  

It sounds so simple.  All they had to do was seek after God.  Humble themselves.  Pray.  Seek God's face.  Turn away from wicked ways.  So simple.  Yet we can't condemn the Israelites because we do the same thing.  Sometimes we get so complacent in our lives that we let things slip.  The hard times that fall on us serve to bring us back to God so we should be thankful.  

I chose a book to review from WaterBrook Multnomah, Radical.  Several groups from my church are reading the book right now, so it was a good time to go for it.

This book by David Platt, calls for us to live radically; to live the way Jesus lived.  I have to admit, after reading just the first chapter, when I sat in church that following Sunday, I felt extreme guilt.  When so many others around the world worship the Lord in secret, on hard chairs, or no chairs at all; I still complain about it being too hot or the lights are too bright, or music too loud.  

David calls for a radical change in our lives.  He asks that we take a year and do these things:  pray for the world; read through the Bible; sacrifice money for a specific purpose; spend time in another place serving God; and commit your life to working in your community.

  

He says this, "I believe-no, I know--that if you stick to these challenges for a whole year, you will find yourself coming alive like never before. You will know the incomparable thrill of being a part of what God is up to where you live and around the world. You will be ready to shed forever the unworthy parts of the American dream and hold on to the beautiful and lasting dream that God has designed for you." (pg. 186)

If you are happy with your life; happy living in a state of complacency, then I recommend you not read this book. It is a good read, yet honestly, if all you read this year is the Bible, and you really really read it, and ask God to speak to you as you do, then you can write your own book; live your own exceptional life in Christ.

Praying we all can live a 2 Chronicles 7:14 life starting today.

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Stamp out the Lies, #5

Teenagers can't 

teach us anything.  

What a lie from the enemy!  

I met a young man, Dakota. He discovered me from my blog, actually, and I popped onto his.  He is:  a fellow blogger; a Christian who loves God with all his heart; a memorizer of God's Word; a writer of amazing blog entries far beyond his 17 years; a teen who has taught me some things since reading his blog, "A Look at Life from a Deerstand."  I asked him if I could use part of his post from January 20th then wished I had asked for the whole thing:)  Instead, I hope you hop over onto his blog from the link above.  


This is from Dakota: 


"No book in history has ever compared to the Word of God. It has been hated and loved; burned and cherished; neglected and trusted; criticized and yet never undefended. Many countries have banned Its use entirely, while others have built their very foundation upon Its words. Amazingly enough, what makes God’s Word unique is not the fact that It has proven so controversial, but that It has proven Itself accurate time and time again

• Scientists once falsely believed that air had no weight, even though God had told us otherwise thousands of years earlier 

  "He established the force of the wind and measured out the waters"  (Job 28:25).

• At a time when it was largely accepted that the Earth rested upon the back of a large animal or giant, the Bible spoke of its suspension in space. 

  "He spreads out the northern skies over empty space; He suspends the earth over nothing."(Job 26:7).

• Long before the discovery of atoms, the invisible “building blocks” of Creation, God had revealed "universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible."  (Hebrews 11:3)

• During an age when Science claimed the earth to be flat, Christopher Columbus sailed west through faith in the Scriptures: 

  "He sits enthroned above the circle of the earth..." (Isaiah 40:22)

  
  I've never once noticed any of those verses before.  It's amazing how alive the Bible is and still speaks to us today like it did when it was first written.  Thanks, Dakota!
  
  
  Another teen from the high school where I work is currently writing a post especially for me.  I can't wait to be able to share that with you.  I love throwing satan's lies back in his face, especially lies exposed by teens. 
  
  
  Let's learn from our teens.  Get in the Word.  Read it.  Let God speak to you through it, and then share it however and whenever you can.  Once you've heard the truth, it's hard to keep quiet!
  
  

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Stamp out the Lies, 2011, #4

Satan's at it again.  He doesn't even have to shout.  A whisper is all that's needed. "It's just a book.  No big deal.  It was written long ago; it doesn't pertain to now.  There's so much other good stuff out there.  Look!  You can even read books about the book."


I've gone through periods where the Bible is the last thing I pick up to read.  I don't know why.  No reason, I suppose.  Other times, I'm reading and I explode in growth and knowledge and I can't imagine not reading it.  Fickle.  I am so fickle.  Maybe that's you, too.  We are fickle people, for sure.  

There are places around the world where it's illegal to read the Bible; where it's hard to get a copy.  It's pathetic to think about the many different versions sitting on our shelves, dusty and unread.  


I'm about finished reading, Radical, by David Platt.  Soon I'll review it but for now, let me share with you what he has to say about Bible reading. 


"...we hold the matchless Word of God in our hands, and it demands a superior position in our lives... Do we realize the battle that is waging around us?  There is a true God over this world who wants all people to bow at the feet of a loving Savior, and there is a false god in this world who wants all people to burn in hell.  The battle is intense, and it cannot be fought with little thoughts in a daily devotional..."  (p. 191)

Did you notice that?  --There is a false god who wants all people to burn in hell?  ummm...that would be satan, the enemy.  


This is what God desires for the Bible to do for us:


"God has chosen by his matchless grace to give us revelation of himself in his Word.  It is the only Book that he has promised to bless by his Spirit to transform you and me into the image of Jesus Christ.  It is the only Book that he has promised to use to bring our hearts, our minds, and our lives in alignment with him."  (p. 192)


God wraps Himself around us as we read or listen, like I've been doing lately, to the Word. He reveals Himself to us.  He shows us what we need to do and He also shows us the wrong way to do things from the very human men and women that is written about in the Book.

This is Day 21 of the B90X.  69 more days to go.  Surely by that time, reading God's Word will be a habit I will not want to break.  Already, I crave my time with God. I marvel at what I read or listen to.  I can't help but share it with people around me.  My last story I wrote was about Esau.  His life captured me and I researched and I couldn't let it go until a story finally came out of it.  


It says in Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart."


Don't give in to satan's lie - that the Bible is an old thing; that it should be thrown out like last year's electronic gadgets.  That is certainly NOT the case.  So whether you take that Bible off your shelf and blow the dust off; or you read online from places like Biblegateway.com; or you go to your local library and find the Bible on tape or CD; or you find dramatized versions online; or download it onto your electronic book; or all of the above, JUST DO IT! Let God capture your heart and speak to you.  Let Him love and/or admonish you through His Words.  I promise, you will never be the same again.  

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Stamp out the Lies, 2011, #3

In a Junior English class we're studying about the slave trading all the way through their travels to America.  As the teacher was giving an overview of what we would be talking about, the African Americans religion was on the list.  She said that even though they were treated so badly, they held onto their beliefs.  

I wanted to stand up and say, "Well duh!"  I can't imagine going through hard times without God in my life.  The enemy enjoys lying to us and saying that God doesn't care what we go through.  What a lie!  God is with us every step of the way, even when we turn our backs on Him for a bit.  He's always there.  

A couple of months ago I asked a few friends to write a testimony about their life with chronic pain, whether it's physical or emotional.  A dear friend Sunny, from Texas, responded to my call and I want to share with you what she wrote. 

I Will Worship Through the Pain 

By Sunny Shell, January 2011

“I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.”

~Psalm 9:1-2

I have more specialists than there are colors in the rainbow. I’ve complained about this in the past, but as I recount all God’s goodness to me, my heart is lifted towards heavenly things and I see my situation in a new light. Having so many specialists, must just mean I’m extra special (silly grin).

There’s no name for my condition. There’s no cure for anything I have, no assurance as to whether I will get better, worse or if the current treatments will stabilize me. Presently, my darling husband gives me 1,000 mcg of B12 in my arm every 2 weeks. I take 50,000 units of Vitamin D every 2 weeks as well as 2,000 units/day (this is after discovering 50,000 wasn’t enough). I take 400 units of Vitamin E for my fatty liver and 5 mg of Crestor along with 200 mg of CO Q10 daily for my high cholesterol. Recently, I’ve been tested for a rare muscle disease and am awaiting results. It’s never ending. Most days I’m hurting and am completely wiped out by ordinary activities.

All this, and I’m only 41 years young, thin and work out regularly...as best as I can. So what’s a gal to do? Well, I could wallow in self-pity, whine and complain. Check. Check. Check. Been there, done that! Now what? 

Now, I turn my eyes, heart, mind and everything I have, towards Jesus, the Founder and Perfecter of my faith (Hebrews 12:1-2).

“The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; let him put his mouth in the dust -- there may yet be hope; let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults. For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though He cause grief, He will have compassion according to the abundance of His steadfast love; for He does not willingly afflict men.”

~Jeremiah 3:25-33 

It is good for me to sit quietly, endure this trial, and wait for His deliverance. I’m so comforted in knowing that God doesn’t rejoice in my affliction, but He rejoices that the flames of my afflictions burn away all the useless chaff in my life that doesn’t resemble my awesome Savior, Christ Jesus my Lord (John 9:3).

I am a wife, mother, friend, writer, a chronically ill person, and so many other things. While all these things play a huge role in my life, they do not define who I am. Since the day of my salvation, I am forever defined by my relationship with Jesus Christ. How I choose to live daily, demonstrates the measure of my love and gratitude towards God for the greatest Gift ever known -- Jesus Christ. Therefore I choose to worship Him while I wait. Even in my darkest and most painful moments, I choose to remember that my illness does not define me. It does not make me who I am, unless I choose to let it.

My joy is not set in the hope that one day I may be healed, but my joy instead, is firmly established in knowing Christ and being known by Him.

"Christ is our best friend and ere long will be our only friend. I pray God with all my heart that I may be weary of everything else but converse and communion with Him"

~ John Owen, 17th century Puritan and lover of Jesus Christ

Thank you for sharing, Sunny.  The enemy wants to knock us down when the going gets tough but the Bible says that when we are weak, He's all the more strong in our lives - and that is a fact.  We can praise Him through any and all storms. 


Stamp out the Lies #1  
Stamp out the Lies #2

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