DAY 29: Ending the Search for Significance

Over the last few years, I've watched both afar and up close as people have searched for SIGNIFICANCE. It's so very easy to get to the place where you feel as though your life or you specifically are the essence of being "too small or unimportant to be worth consideration; meaningless". Perhaps you feel as though your contribution on your job is meaningless. Or maybe you constantly feel like the people around you see you as unimportant. But I was reading in Colossians today and was really encouraged by a single phrase. Now, I have to warn you up front that I am completely taking this out of context here, but I could not resist. Chapter 2, verse 18 begins by saying, "Let no one disqualify you..." Another translation says, "Let no man rob you of your prize..."

I thought about it for a while and realized so many of us disqualify ourselves before anyone else even has a chance. While we anticipate being rendered as insignificant in someone else's eyes, we must first ask ourselves if we are significant in our own. Just like beauty, significance is in the eye of the beholder. Though there are times functionally that you may have less work-related significance; no profession or social interaction can ever have the power to define who you are. I Peter 2:9 reminds us that in the Kingdom economy of significance, we are a part of a "chosen generation" and "royal". As children of the King of Kings, we are to find our significance in that and not in the day-to-day workings of our lives.

True, that is easier said than done. When someone is facing you with a look of disdain or when you don't feel heard or trusted or valued, it is difficult to remember that your search for significance should lead you to the cross. Your search for significance should remind you that God even made something as small as a mustard seed be a symbol for faith. If a mustard seed has relevance and significance in this life, then how much more do we? When we measure our value and our worth, are we seeing the people whose lives are affected because we prayed for them or because we smiled at them when they thought no one cared? Are we thinking of the times when God has used a person or His Word to speak directly to us in answer to prayer--making us significant enough to warrant a response? Are we considering times when we have prayed or spent time with the Lord and simply felt the amazing warmth of the Spirit of the Lord comfort of his presence make us feel special and cared for?

Maybe that's the problem. Perhaps you've never had an encounter with God that gave you that comfort or that gave you that reminder. Today, my prayer is that each of you reading these Prayer Points will have such an encounter with God. I pray that your significance will be wrapped up in His presence and delivered with a bow. I pray that in the coming days, you will experience God in new, reviving ways that end your search for significance in the right spot--Him.

Be encouraged,
Pastor Andrea

DAY 24: Emptied Out

There's this old gospel hymn that CeCe Winans did a version of on one of her CDs some years ago. She didn't actually remake the entire song, but just did a portion as an opening to the CD...

Fill my cup, Lord. I lift it up, Lord. Come and quench...this thirsting in my soul. Bread from Heaven, Fill me 'til I want no more...Fill my cup. Fill it up. And make me whole...

It's one of my favorites and I've found myself at times when I've come to my wit's end and feeling completely emptied out singing those very words as she did.  While there is a spiritual value in being "emptied out" of ourselves and emptied out of our sin and emptied out of our mess, being emptied of the good stuff too can be more than a bit overwhelming. So, in moments when I don't know what else to think or do, when I've gone a bit numb to my feelings, when I've given all that I can give, or simply can't put a word to what I feel except "fine", I remember her plea. Fill my cup, Lord. I lift it up, Lord. Truthfully, there are times when I feel like I don't even have the energy to lift up my cup. It's empty and I'm empty and the only thing I can think to do is sing.

It may seem silly to some, but I dare you to say the words or maybe even sing them if you're feeling empty. Or if you can't do it, go download the song and let her sing it to you. Listen carefully to the words of offering that she gives to the Lord. Let your faith be built by hearing the words she uses in hers. Close your eyes and imagine a you-shaped cup being filled by the overflow of the Holy Spirit. Let your imagination and your hopes give way to renewal and spiritual filling where physical filling may still be needed. Reset your mind to know that it is truly possible for God to make it so that your cup overflows (Psalm 23:5).

I'm a witness that He can do it.

Be encouraged,
Pastor Andrea

DAY 18: Taste Anything?

There are so may parts of life that are sweet, but in the midst of all the sweetness are also moments of fatigue, grief, hurt, and frustration that make another taste be at the back of our taste buds and overwhelm us--BITTERNESS. Despite the sweet, it's so easy to allow bitterness to be what governs us. There's so much that I could say about it. I could tell you about the times when I've been angry or resentful  or wronged and allowed that to dissipate into bitterness. However, in the end, if you are reading this, then you are grown and I don't have to convince you that bitterness is real. In fact, the person/people this is for today need me to get to the point. So you want to know what to do about bitterness? Ready? Are you listening? Stop.....it.

I know you're hurt and I'm sorry that you've had to experience that betrayal, sting, slap, yuckiness... But no you don't deserve what you think you deserve. Things shouldn't have gone a different way. Because, if you're anything like me, then you must take a minute and reflect on the times when you were bitter that life didn't go your way and then, later, caught a 20/20 hindsight view and could say that things were for the best. Today's point deserves no soft-shoe entry to help us stop the impact of bitterness. At some point, you just have to decide that God knows best. At some point, you just have to be ready to trust Him. At some point, you have to be willing to let it go and simply STOP reminiscing on the place of your bitterness--stop telling the story to anyone who will listen, stop writing Facebook statuses alluding to it, stop writing about it in your journal, stop spending precious brain space breath and emotional energy on the story of your woe. The moment it begins to come off the tip of your tongue replace it with "STOP IT Satan because I know that ALL things work together for the good of those who are the called according to his purpose and that means ME." (Romans 8:28) Yes, that means you. YOU are "the called". You have to stop bitterness in it's tracks and not allow it to continue to taint the sweetness that is life.

No...things aren't perfect and there is pain in life. But there is life. And when you look at the alternative, can't you find anything to be grateful for? I know I can. So today, I just want to challenge you more than encourage you to actively resist the temptation to focus on what makes things bitter over what makes things sweet and I'd love to hear what happens when you do because even if you're doubtful, I'm expecting God to do some miraculous things in your heart.

Consider yourself challenged.

Blessings,
Pastor Andrea

DAY 8: Hope MORE or less

HOPE...that glorious four-letter word that most of us look forward to seeing and experiencing. Hope is so big and yet so little. It's those moments in our hearts that we can begin to look past the current situation that we find ourselves in and see even just a glimmer of the light on the other side of the tunnel. It's those moments in our minds that have stopped trying to figure out life and started resting on what we know to be true--God is in control. It's those moments in our spirits when our trust of God far outweighs our fatigue at waiting on Him to deliver whatever He has promised. Hope sweet hope... It's a beautiful thing.

Thus, the absence thereof is treacherous. As we reflect on those negative emotions and behaviors that God wants to rid our hearts of minds of, hopeLESSness is right at the top of that list. No matter what you are going through, no matter where you find yourself in life, God needs you to know that you know that you know that there is always hope. One sign I read said "Hold On, Pain Ends" as a good way to remember what the essence of hope is. Being hopeless means that you have let go of faith and decided to believe that the pain of circumstance and the pain of not seeing God's promises come to fruition will never end. But today I wanted to encourage you with the reminder that Jeremiah 29:11 always gives us. 'God knows the plans he has for you. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a HOPE and a future.' The question is what are you going to hold on to?

Are you going to hold tight to the Creator of the universe who spoke and light came into existence, or the lies of the enemy whose goal is to keep you bathed in darkness? Are you going to hold tight to the promise of HIS plan and stop trying to create your own? Are you willing to continue to let the perfect time for your promise to come to pass be set by God's plan and not your watch? You and I both have choices.

Every day, I watch as others live out parts of the dream I have for my life--family, children, love and so on. Every day, I hear of new people walking into those very things that I desire. Every day, my situation doesn't necessarily seem to grow any closer to what God said. Yet every day, I make a decision to believe that what God has in store for me is so great and so worth the wait that I decide to air on the side of MOREhope than hopeLESS. Today, be encouraged that God has not forgotten you and He is worth believing in. Today, refuse to allow the enemy to steal the song in your heart that believes and wishes and dreams--allowing you to dance to the rhythm of what is to come in the midst of silence. As with most things, you have a choice. What are you going to choose?

Lord, today, I pray that Hope will resound and hopeLESSness will fail in the minds and hearts of your children. Keep us deciding today to believe YOU. Help us to stay focused on what YOU've promised and not the bleakness of our circumstance. Help us to block out the the 'no' of the world and rest in the anticipation of your 'maybe' and 'yes'. Let Jeremiah 29:11 reverberate through our minds and spirits as a constant reminder to Your promise; and help us to know that we know that we know that You're not a man that You should lie and You make good on Your promises. Amen.

Be encouraged.
Blessings,
Pastor Andrea

Moving Past "Didn't"

"Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. 

For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God 

you may receive what is promised....But we are not of those 

who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those 

who have faith and preserve their souls." 

Hebrews 10:36-37, 39

New Year's is one of my favorite times of the year (besides my birthday and Christmas, of course). I'm one of those people who thoroughly enjoys the pomp and circumstance of bringing in a new year (fireworks, dressing up, etc.); and I suppose that it's mostly because I like the idea of fresh starts. However, even with the promise of a fresh start around the corner, there is often a time at the end of the year when my heart starts to wane. I find myself doing self-assessments and pondering all of the things that happened throughout the year and all of the things that didn't. And it's the "didn't" things that tend to get top billing in my heart. I consider all of the things I wanted to accomplish or all of the hopes that I had for various promises of God to be fulfilled/made manifest in this year and my confidence begins to falter. "Didn't" seems to win out.

But without fail, God does what He did this week. He points me to His Word in reminder of how I can nip the downward spiral in the bud. I think we (including me) sometimes forget that God is the ultimate Father who wants to give good gifts...He's God who is actively "doing" and hasn't forgotten what's on his task list. He's not like our image of Santa Claus--He doesn't put us on a "naughty" or "nice" list and attach his promises to our works (though sometimes consequences to our actions feel that way). Keep in mind what he already DID despite whether we deserve it or not. I mean...He already gave the ultimate gift in His Son, but that wasn't the end. We (me too) need to remember that God isn't done. It's like if a parent gives a child what they asked for for one birthday...they don't resolve to never give their child another gift ever again in life. Such is how God does me (His favorite daughter). Such is how God does you.

And so, this end of year time as you begin to self-assess and wonder/worry/ponder on the things that you didn't get or do, take heart that there is still a "great reward" that awaits. God is in the did business! Do not shrink, but instead be one to have faith and endure because what God promised is still on the horizon.

Be encouraged and encourage someone else...
Pastor Andrea

This Is Not A Drill

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, 

you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, 

considering yourself lest you also be tempted.  

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

Galatians: 6:1, 2

If you've never been on a hospital ship before then let me tell you there are some very interesting things that make the whole thing work efficiently. Just like in any other mainland office building, regular fire drills must be conducted to ensure that all crew are ready and able to handle it should a blaze ignite on board. Every crew member must evacuate the ship and congregate at a designated "muster station" where their names are checked against the master list of people on board. 

As you exit and head towards your muster station (arranged by last name alphabetical groupings), you pass a group of people holding a sign and soliciting for STRETCHER BEARERS. You check in at your muster station and then, if you're feeling so inclined, you head back to said sign and exchange your ID badge for one that marks you as a stretcher bearer on a particular team. In the event of a true emergency, teams of people bearing stretchers will re-enter the ship and head to the hospital where they will be directed in helping to get hospital patients out to safety. Needless to say, like so many other roles on the front line, the role of the stretcher bearer is important and cannot be neglected.

Similarly in life, the Lord has directed us to be Stretcher Bearers to one another. It is a role in this life that is important and cannot be neglected. In today's society it is easy to get into a rhythm and focus on what pertains only to self, but God challenges us in His Word to do different, better and more. Galatians 6 tells us to "restore" and "bear burdens" for others. We are indeed directed to be our brother's/sister's keepers. You may have been asking yourself recently if you should even bother to invest in this person or that. Or perhaps you've felt a bit annoyed by a coworker or friend's constant "dumping" of their problems at your doorstep. The thing is that they see something you forgot you had--your new ID badge. The Lord sent this note your way today to remind you that when you decided to follow him, you turned in your own ID and you now bear HIS identification--making you a key player in His team of Divine Stretcher Bearers.

This is not a drill. There are people all around you that need your light to shine and need your shoulder to lean on or that simply need a lift. This week, your challenge is to take your eyes off of your problems and see where you can be that touch of a gentle spirit that someone else needs. And, though you don't do it for this reason, just know that as you pour out that gentleness of spirit on others, the Lord is faithful and just to return that same spirit unto you. Other Stretcher Bearers will be sent your way and have a mission of helping to bear your burdens and put salve on your wounds. So be encouraged...help is on the way...

Blessings,
PastorA

P.S. If this spoke to you...don't forget to "pay it forward" and pass it along to another friend in need of a "lift"...

Hidden Sunrise

"And when by His light I walked through darkness;" Job 29:3b

"And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way..." Exodus 13:21a

The other day, I arose earlier than normal. While some people make it a habit of waking up before the God-given indication that the new day has begun, I've always been a firm believer in seeing sunlight first. So, needless to say, I'm not a morning person. But that morning I thought that I would take advantage of my random alertness and attempt to see the sun rise. I made the trek to the deck on the ship and set up my chair with expectancy.

Time passed and as I sat in quiet prayer, the peace of the morning covered me like a down blanket. I knew God was with me. I have to admit that, for a moment, I began to understand how it is that those early risers must feel. And as the sky moved from dark to light, I thought for a moment that I had missed the main point of my being out there...the SUN. In all the peace, I realized that I missed the fact that I didn't get treated to a beautiful sunrise filled with oranges and purples and reds and golds. The sky went from one shade of blue-grey to a lighter shade thereof. The peace that I felt had distracted me from missing that "show" of light.

And before I could even think of being disappointed at that fact, the Lord began to minister to me about how the sun was still there and had, in fact, still put on a show that I simply could not see. Even though it was veiled by clouds, it was there. It didn't cease to rise just because clouds were in the way or because it couldn't "show off" its splendor. The sun had risen behind the clouds and pushed darkness away. Regardless of what my sight was telling me, the sun didn't change its habits just because the clouds were in the way.

And so it goes in life. There are times when we can't see God and when it seems like the He's not there, but there's evidence of His presence comes as the light (joy, peace, love, etc) pushes out the darkness (confusion, anger, bitterness, etc.) of life. If we allow light to enter and meditate on those things, there's no way for darkness to stay. It must go! No matter what you are going through, you need to remember that, like the sun, The Son is always there. As Job testified, He can serve as a light to help us push through darkness. (Job 29:3a) As He was with the children of Isreal so long ago, He will guide us in the midst of the clouds. (Exodus 13:21a) If you focus, God has a peace that surpasses all understanding (Phil 4:7) waiting to cover you like a down blanket even in the midst of your trial. At the end of the day, be encouraged and remember that the presence of God has the ability to distract you from the fact that you can't make sense of the light.Walk in faith. Don't worry about your sight.

Blessings,
PastorA

Why So Surprised? HE IS GOD!

I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.

Psalm 89:1

When I left home yesterday morning, I have to admit to being a bit blue. The previous couple of days (more than that if I'm being honest) had been particularly "heavy". There was no major event to explain why that was the case but it was more about the season I have been in weighing on my shoulders and simply trying to maintain my faith. Like so many other days before, I had had a bit of a melt down the previous day about my transportation situation--crying out to God that I was still waiting for the promise of a car that He had given me and that my fortitude in the wait was wearing thin. And so as I began my trek that morning to the bus stop, a small speck of white on the sidewalk caught my eye.

As I looked down, there was a small bead with the letter A inscribed on it. This random little speck made me stop, back track and take a picture. There was something about it that made me feel like God was whispering directly to me that morning that I was on His mind and that He hadn't forgotten me. Feeling the way I had recently, I could use every piece of encouragement I could get from God so I snapped the picture and kept on moving--this time with a little less weightiness dragging me down. As I made my way up the road, I was still a bit down but just that much more encouraged that God hadn't forgotten me. I took one bus then stood waiting on my connecting bus feeling worn out and the day had not even really begun.

The ringing of my phone would next change the trajectory of the entire day as a friend called to tell me that she and her husband wanted to bless me with their "old" (yet new to me) mini-SUV! I thought I was hearing things. Tears began to overwhelm me as she explained how I had been on her heart to do this for me the last three months and basically how God made a way for it to be possible. Her husband had blessed her with a new, bigger truck for Mother's Day and was in agreement that they should give the old one to me instead of using it as a downpayment on the new one. My prayers had availed and God's promise had been manifested just that quickly. When I shared the news with one of my friends last night, she almost made me feel stupid saying 'duh...you SAID He was gonna do it!' and I told her that my awe was not in the belief but because I was overwhelmed by His faithfulness.

As I awoke this morning, God reminded me of the scripture in II Kings 4 where the prophet told the Shunamite woman after her being barren for so long that "this time next year" she would hold a son. True to that prophetic word, by the time he returned the next year, she had had her son. Last year the weekend of Mother's Day, my old car died and God told me to get rid of it. He also told me that he would replace it (though I did not know when). So this time last year, God was telling me to trust Him and this time this year He is reminding me that that trust is never misplaced. As "crazy" as prophesy sounds at times, He was very specific in putting a small SUV in my heart and said that something I did in ministry would be result in someone blessing me. When my friend gave me the news yesterday, she expressed those same thoughts.

When we move in obedience and do what He tells us, He remains faithful to take care of us. Period. Though our obedience should never be about earthly rewards, we have to keep in mind that God uses us in life plants seeds and unlock our own blessings. And it's not about what we are going to "get" as much as it about the potential for lives to be impacted for God's glory. In the end, I'm going to nickname this car "Faith" as a constant reminder to me of how God is faithful. The car is a "little" thing in God's sight. The promises He has given me are much bigger than my transportation, but God in his infinite grace and mercy saw fit to throw me a bone and lift some weights yesterday and simply remind me that He is God. I couldn't leave my house this morning without "singing of the LORD's great love" (as it says in the Psalm above) and encouraging you in this season. We can believe Him. There's no need to be surprised when He makes good on His promises both big and small.

Be encouraged that you are on God's mind and He has not forgotten you.

Blessings,
Pastor A

P.S. Some of you remember that I even wrote about my car before. You can see that entry at http://lhmdevotional.blogspot.com/2012/06/when-is-enough-enough.html.

Plow In Hope (Day 2 - Freedom Week)

...For our sakes, no doubt,  this  is written, that he who plows should plow in hope...

1 Corinthians 9:10b NKJV

Photo credit: National Geographic

There are times when a scripture simply jumps out of the page at you and today was one of those days. I was reading in I Corinthians 9 and the tenth verse simply lept off of the page saying that we should 'plow in hope'. It didn't say we should plow through hope, but specifically in hope. And the image of being in something immediately made its way to my mind. If you were in a pile of snow, you would begin to feel the cold. Depending on how long you were in it, you would begin to even get wet. It could cause you to shiver to your core. Similarly, if you were plowing in a field of wheat in the midst of the hottest sun, being in the sun would soak into your skin. Plowing in a muddy field with minimal tools, would mean potentially getting covered by that mud but still needing to press through it. The effect of being in something is that it soaks itself into your body and becomes a part of who you are in the moment and even begins to show on the outside.

As we "plow" through the daily trials of life, remember to plow in HOPE. For it is hope that needs to permeate into your core. It is hope that needs to soak itself into your soul. It is hope that needs to become a part of you in this moment. Though you may feel like your resources are minimal and the sun may be hot in this field of life or the field muddied with problems, allow HOPE to be the thing that coats your spirit and helps you to press on through it all. Friends, be encouraged today to plow in the midst of hope. Let it overtake your soul and help you to keep looking up. This troubled time will not last always.

Blessings,
MinD

ENJOY It

"...Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it..." Joshua 1:15b

I was talking to a gentleman a few weeks ago, and he accused me of something odd. He called me a dreamer. And, with some condemnation to his tone, he said I put too much stock in daydreaming. It was enough to give me pause and wonder if I was simply living in a never-never land and needed to wake up. He came to this conclusion because several times over the course of the prior two weeks, I had sent him beautiful scenic photographs in the name of taking a "mental vacation". I suppose that I sent him one too many because that's when I received my indictment. And, as I pondered on his accusation, I considered making a change. I thought about limiting my perusal of beautiful photographs in the interest of going somewhere different (if only for a moment). But then I read two little words in my devotional one morning that kept me on the right track. The verse said "enjoy it".

Now, the context of the verse does not relate to mental vacations of fancy or daydreams. However, the mere thought that there was an element of joy and enjoyment included after the fight was encouraging to me. The children of Israel were being tasked with going into the Promised Land and fighting for what was promised to them; and then those who would be residing outside the Promised Land would get to then go back home and enjoy their promise. Fight then enjoy. That seemed to be the edict given.

There's no place that says we must live stoic lives of complete lack (physical, spiritual, and mental). Though the faces (and constant negative testimonies) of many modern-day Christians would suggest otherwise, we were not meant to live in the midst of our pain. We were meant to focus on the possibilities of our PROMISE. I'm sure that I'm not alone in saying: It's been quite a journey! The past few years have been fraught with so many moments of challenge and tribulation that it's been hard not to become jaded by the heart break. It's been difficult to maintain joy when bitterness is so much more enticing. It's been a challenge to reminisce on the positive instead of reflecting on the negative.

Parasailing in Jamaica...a joyful memory

 

But then I'm reminded that "the JOY of the Lord is my strength" (Neh 8:10) and that "weeping may endure for a night but JOY comes in the morning"(Ps 30:5). We have a choice to make. We can live in frustration or freedom...in judgement or JOY. And so, with that in mind, I have chosen to live with constant reminders of God's GOODNESS and BEAUTY. On cold and rainy days, I choose to be reminded that the rain makes the flowers bloom. On nights of frustration, I choose to think of the possibility of a moment of rest and relaxation. In moments where I feel weighted down by the world, I choose to focus on memories of a day when I was flying high in the sky without a care in the world. My "mental vacations" may be moments of fancy, but as I make the decision to cherish the moments of my life, I have to intentionally take moments to smile and remember that God is bigger than my situation and greater than my moments.

God said we don't have to bear our own yokes/burdens. So won't you join me on my mental vacation and ENJOY (Entrust Now Jesus with Our Yokes) a brief moment away from your pain and consider the possibilities of your future? Be encouraged...trouble don't last always...

Blessings,
MinD

Promises Beyond Inadequacies

But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness,  and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” 

Hebrews 8:6, 12

On the way home one day, I began thinking about the season that I've been in. It's not always been easy and has had me asking God to clearly reveal His purpose in these life tests so that I can pass and not have to revisit them. Unlike those who are more righteous than me, my desire to move out of the season is not always altruistically motivated. I am not always focused on Christ the way I would like to be in theory. And that was the center of my thinking on the way home. I began to berate myself about not doing better, thinking better, and just plain being better. I began to feel inadequately human and selfish in my thinking. That familiar motto "W.W.J.D.?" (What Would Jesus Do) played in my mind as I wondered how Christ would have handled being in my shoes. My brain began to overload as I thought of all of the "shoulds"...you know the things that you feel you "should" do like pray more, eat less, exercise more, love more, and so forth... I knew as I stepped into the house that my condemning thoughts were not of God (Romans 8:1) and that I needed to turn to The Word for answers. As I re-read Hebrews 8, I was struck by the 8th and 12th verses that reminded me that God is merciful and not as concerned with my works (a.k.a. deeds). While He does want me to pray more and love more, etc., He also knows doesn't condemn me when I don't. At the end of the day, His promises go beyond my inadequacies. His covenant is one of forgiveness and grace...not to the end of sinning more but to the end of living more. Truly it's God's desire for us to lead lives that are focused on Him. However, as God, He also fully understands that we are simply unrighteous humans. And sometimes that is all the reminder that we need to take one more step in His direction.

Be encouraged to stay focused on living for God without trying to be Him.

Blessings,
MinD

Rollin' with God's Crew

"Starburst 4" by Christine Gaut

It's easy to feel alone. Whether you are single or married, with children or without, live alone or with others, that feeling that comes when you close your eyes and your problems are your own and it's only you and God there to solve them can be a daunting one. It can be overwhelming to think about the next steps you must take when life has thrown you a curve-ball. But the thing that I found out today (the thing that God shows me each time that lonely hole begins to swallow me up) is that there's a whole crew of angels assigned to help little 'ole me. The first chapter of Hebrews talks about Jesus being exalted above the angels. The chapter ends with a small statement that stuck with me in verse 14. It says, "Are not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?"

The verse piqued my interest and caused me to research what exactly the job of these spirits/angels is. My image of angels doesn't really extend beyond a flowey white, winged being or that old television series, Highway To Heaven. (The angels on that show were walking amongst us doing good deeds.) So what I found made me look around with gratitude at the air all around me. My research came up with two verses in particular that I think you should hear:

"No evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone." (Psalm 91:10-12)

and

"Bless the Lord, you His angels, who excel in strength, who do His word, heeding the voice of His word. Bless the Lord, all you His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His pleasure. (Psalm 103:20-21)

I don't know about you, but today I was comforted by the fact that God's crew includes spirits whose earthly job is to minster to those of us trying desperately to walk this Christian journey, protect us from evil, all while being strong examples of those who please God. The angels assigned to you are more than little cherubs with wings or frail, whimsical ghosts. They are a gang whose rep is unrivaled by any other and whose power is fighting the fight on your side. You can be reassured that you are not alone and that  the crew you are rollin' with is the one to watch. 

Be encouraged today and know, you're never alone. God and his whole crew have your back!

Blessings,
MinD 

Day 30: Let Him Shield Your Heart

When we look around this world at all of the atrocities of life, it is sometimes hard to believe in God. As we experience death in our lives, financial ruin, divorce, depression, relationship traumas and so much more, it's hard to think that this good God that Christians sing about is real. How do you convince a mother who lost their child that God truly is "working everything for her good" like it says in Romans 8? This God walk that we are forging through is not an easy one. And, even if you read through the Bible, you see story after story of people's pain and trails. And the question of the day then becomes, "What is the point?' Why serve a God who allows such madness? And today the answer came to me in the form of the Proverbs. You see, in Proverbs 30:5 it says "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him." It's not that God allows bad things to happen to those who don't trust Him. That's not it. But what I think is the gift that He gives is in the word "shield".

Shield is about protection. We imagine that it means physical protection, but what I realized when I read this was that the shield that is being referred to here is not a physical one but a spiritual and emotional one. You see, the difference between Christians and the rest of the world is supposed to be the heart of the matter. Trials will come. If they killed Jesus, how much more would the world and evil forces strive to make us suffer and doubt God. But the scripture says that those who TRUST God will be protected from their sufferings and shielded from their doubts.

Today, you may be besieged with doubts--wondering what God is doing, where He is in the midst of your storm--but when you get quiet and rest in trust, he'll send you that peace that surpasses understanding to guard and shield your heart and mind. As the floodgates of trials and tribulations pour open in your world, allow God to use the purity of His Word to filter out the impurities from those experiences and build in your a new hope and a renewed joy. Trust in Him. He will do it. You just have to let Him.

Be encouraged.
Blessings,
MinD

Day 25: Choose Your Weapons Wisely

I often find when speaking to fellow adult Christians that we sound like children in some ways when it comes to how we deal with conflict. Our sense of entitlement to lash out supersedes any desire to be a good witness. Our spiritual reasoning goes out the window when we feel we've been wronged. We operate with that "he hit me first" type of mentality that says it's o.k. to gain vengeance when the recipient of said response is "deserving". Somehow it makes us feel better if the person is mean or rude or annoying or simply just so different from us, but the truth is we know better than that. Being a Christian, an ambassador for Christ, means we've made a conscious decision not to live tit for tat. Specifically, we are called to take the higher road and not even boast about it. Proverbs 25:21 tells us, "If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink;". Instead of getting someone who got you, this Christian journey is about getting them with a different tool than the one they used on you--repaying evil with kindness and stinginess with generosity. It's easier said than done in the heat of the moment. But it's possible when you have the Holy Spirit guiding your every move. When you've decided to place no other god before The God (not even self-righteous indignation) then you allow God to get the glory. It's as simple as that.

I know you know this. I'm not saying anything earth-shattering or ground-breaking. It's the A-B-C's of The Golden Rule (Do unto others...), but sometimes you need a reminder. So today, as you encounter people along your way, tests will come but be encouraged to choose to use joy and peace as your weapons of choice even when they "hit you first" with evil and disruption.

Blessings,
MinD

Day 22 (Yesterday): He's Got Your Back

In this season of economic hardships, there is a growing number if people who fall under the poverty line. Whether out of work or simply trying to make it by on minimum wage, there are so many families who have virtually fallen out of the shrinking middle class. But even for those who have physical means, there are a growing number of folks who are poor and afflicted in spirit. The enemy has stolen their peace, killed their joy, and destroyed their spirit with the slightest of effort (i.e. without even having to try hard). Perhaps that is you. You feel as though 'if it's not one thing it's another' and you spend restless nights trying to figure out how to keep your family from falling deeper and deeper into strife and stress. And, while your joy has been gone for a while now, you feel like you're facing the last straw now that your peace is wavering. Well there is is hope. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 22:23 that 'the Lord will plead their (the poor and afflicted) cause, And plunder the soul of those who plunder them.'

While I can't guarantee that your circumstances will change outwardly, I can reassure you that God has your back. When you are feeling "poor and afflicted", He has taken up for you and has already won the fight on your behalf. It's a fixed fight. When you realize that then you can hold tight to that 'peace that surpasses all understanding' that is promised by God.

Be encouraged in the understanding that God's got your back.

Blessings,
MinD

Day 19: Return Home

I admit it. I've been pouting this evening...

Oh don't look at me in that tone of voice...It's not like I'm alone. So many of us are struggling. We are in places where we are waiting until 11:59pm minute to see God produce "just in the nick of time" miracles in our lives. And sometimes when we don't see our miracles once our countdown has run out (since we put God on a timer), we assume that He isn't in the business of answering prayers. Tonight, I was about to go down that road with God. I was about to ask, in my best self-entitled voice, the age old question of "Why?" (It's amazing that I would have the gall to think that God owes me an explanation. He surely does not.) However, what I realized was that it wasn't that He wasn't going to answer, it was that I had asked amiss to begin with. How often do we get to that point? We've asked God for this or that and He doesn't deliver like Santa Claus on Christmas morning so we slip into a space of doubt in God or depression around our dreams.

What I love about God is that He meets us where we are. As I was about to slide into that pouty place I read Proverbs 19:23 which says that "The fear of the Lord leads to life, And he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil." Oh how wonderful it would be to abide in satisfaction--what a glorious thought that you live there. But, just like our earthly homes, there are times when we walk out of the doors and have been presented with the opportunity to simply go back home when we're ready. When we make the intentional decision to focus on what God wants more than what we want, we open the door. When we face new days with room for God to change our prayers and our hearts, we step over the threshold. When we praise Him despite what we do or do not get and worship Him just because He's God, we take a seat and "abide".

I don't know about you, but I think I've decided to turn my pout into praise this evening, open the door, step over the threshold and abide in the satisfaction of the Lord. Be encouraged to do the same...

Blessings,
MinD

Day 15: There Is A Point

There are times in our lives where situations and circumstances we face have us wondering "what's the point?" Despite our good deeds and sacrifices (though minimal they may be), sickness still comes, death still happens, evil still runs rampant over the earth... It's almost enough to make one throw in the towel. But it is at moments like these when the ultimate inspiration shines through in God'd Word saying:

"The way of life winds upward for the wise, That he may turn away from hell below." Proverbs 15:24

The point of our journey towards wisdom and understanding is simple and to the point: it brings us closer to God and His goodness and further from those very evils that confound us. Today/yesterday, things happened in your life to make you pause, but don't allow that pause to make you skip a beat completely. Keep pressing forward knowing that the upward move of this walk is enough to keep you going.

Be encouraged,
MinD

Day 9: Fool for Free

The image of a court jester/fool came into my mind as I was reading Proverbs 9.6:

"Forsake foolishness and live, and go in the way of understanding."

Back in medieval times, there was a job that a person could have whose whole intention was to be a fool--to make people laugh and be entertained. And the thing you could say about a jester is that at least he was paid to be a fool. As I read verse 6 of this chapter, I thought to myself how many of us serve as fools for free? How many of us engage in the same nonsense over and over again that seems to make others happy but lead to nothing but our frustration and discouragement. How many of us spend the majority of our day swimming in the part of the cup that is half empty and forgetting about the part that is half full? How many of us make a conscious decision daily to put life on hold because of foolishness? We walk through life being tricked and deceived by the enemy and his imps into believing that we are less than what God says we are. We have labeled ourselves "fool" in the Spirit instead of embracing how "fearfully and wonderfully" He made us (according to Psalm 139.14).

The proverb puts foolishness in direct contradiction to life. It says "forsake foolishness and live" almost as if it could be implied that to embrace foolishness equates to death. In Christ, we have the power to LIVE and not die. We have the power to swim in the optimistic, hopeful side of life and not in the depths of despair we create for ourselves through foolishness. Be it through the relationships you keep (because at least you know their mess) or the jobs that you trudge through (because at least it pays the bills even if it tears me down spiritually and emotionally) or the habits you maintain (because at least it makes you happy for a moment though it depresses you in the long run), you may have been holding onto foolishness and death. Today is the time to make the decision for understanding and life. Take inventory of your relationships, jobs, habits and the like and start signing some eviction papers to those things that have taken up residence that only bring you down. Don't be a fool.

Be encouraged to choose life.

Blessings,
MinD

You Must Show Up!

You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”

2 Chronicles 20:17

The other day I was following what has now become somewhat of a routine on public transportation and transferring from the train to the bus that would take me to my final destination. As I exited the train station to the awaiting bus, a woman sat on the bench and asked if I had money for her fare. Not thinking I did, I gave my apologies and entered the bus where I was joined by two other women.

Fishing in her bag, one woman summoned the waiting woman to the window and handed her a portion of what she would need to make her fare. Not to be outdone, both myself and the other lady on the bus began straining to the bottomless pits of our bags hoping to find random spare change that we didn't previously know we had. Between the three of us the woman's fare was covered plus a little. And as the woman walked away from the bus to purchase her ticket, one of the ladies said something poignant, "She just had to show up, dressed and ready for work and her way would be made."

I could've shouted Hallelujah! right there on the bus! For I knew instantly that the situation was simply a reminder of how God works with us. Blessings come your way often and by various methods. There are times when it is instantaneous. And then there are times when you have to do your part. Sometimes that part is a large starring role and at other times, God just wants you to come ready and simply show up ready to work. I was reminded that this is how He did in Bible days, reminding His people, that their job was simply to position themselves, stand still, and watch Him work!

You may feel like you are in a holding pattern. You may be wondering which direction your next victory is coming from. You may not fully understand how the financial, relational, spiritual, emotional blessing you are needing will be delivered to your doorstep. But God wants to remind you that it's not your job to understand (Remember Proverbs 3:5-6?), it is simply your job to show up ready to work...in position, with the fortitude to stand, and the vision to watch God get all the glory through your deliverance.

Trust Him. It's coming.

Be encouraged,
MinD

When Is Enough, Enough?

"Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place." 

2 Corinthians 2:14

 
I recently have had a transition in my life. Like so many other unexpected blessings, I was a bit thrown off when my car broke down. She has taken me through some times and gotten me where I needed to go. I've spent alone time in her, quietly decompressing from the wiles of the world. She came at a time that blessed me so very much. I had named her "Promise" (every good car has to have a name, of course)--stating that she was a symbol and a placeholder for the promise of better and more luxurious cars to come. During a time of gas crisis, she has been one of those cars that hasn't taxed my pocket book. At 325,000 miles, she has seen better days but has been hangin' tough. What can I say? I love my car.

So the unexpected blessing the other week when she slowly came to a stop while I was driving definitely landed me in tears. At first, I had a difficult time seeing it as a blessing. When you are stranded on the side of the road trying to figure life out and overwhelmed by emotions, the "bright side" is often difficult to see. But after getting her home and resting on the issue for some time, I found the Lord using this time to minister to me in such a specific way.

As people would inquire, "what's wrong with it?" or "when are you going to get it fixed?", my reply of "I don't know...I'm praying about if I will" would visibly register shock for them. What do you mean, you don't know? Aren't you anxious to get this car repaired? During the first hour after she broke down, that answer would have been "yes!". But The Lord asked me two simple questions that have changed my whole outlook on this situation: "Why? Have you considered this may be Me?" Those simple questions spurred others in my mind and heart. At a time when finances are tight and every penny counts, where even a "sale" or a "hookup" on repairs would mean pulling from somewhere else essential to life, how could I justify to God using the resources He does send to revive something that has had a good run in my life?

You see, there are times when God lets things die in our lives in order to bring us closer to where He ultimately wants us to be. I am beginning to realize that the sidelining of "Promise" is only to make room for "Destiny". My car is merely a tool (one of many) that God uses to accomplish His will for my life. There is someone who is reading this who is desperately trying to revive something dead in your life. You've been trying to "make it work" while God has been asking you "Why?" and to consider that it may just be Him. Be it a broken car or home or relationship or job or...well the possibilities are endless, God sent me to remind you that even in the midst of this trial and what LOOKS like failure, there is triumph coming around the corner. He is THE God who "ALWAYS" leads us in triumph, but we must decide to follow His lead. Ecclesiastes reminds that everything has its season. The promise/blessing of one season can be a hindrance/hurdle for moving into the next if you hold on too tight. Don't get tied up in the comfort of what has done well for you in the past and miss God's shift in the spirit and in the natural. Get excited about the blessing in disguise! At some point you have to stop and say "enough is enough" and allow God to show Himself strong on your behalf.

Trust Him. He'll do it.

Be encouraged.
--MinD