Lord, I will praise You in the STORM…
In the Sadness of disappointment, I will praise You
In the Trials that bring fear and tribulation, I will praise You
In the Oppressiveness of the enemy that surrounds me, I will praise You
In the Reign of unrighteousness that is about me, I will praise You
In the Mournful times of distress and anxiousness and loss, I will praise You
Lord, I will praise You…in all things.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Friday, July 23, 2010
One Street at a Time
Are we ready to stand in the gap and take back the ground that the enemy has stolen?
Stolen piece by piece just as dripping water slowly erodes away the ground where it falls – that slow and gradual erosion of what was once a firm foundation. The enemy’s incessant dripping can only be stopped by waging battle in the heavenlies, interceding for the casualties of this war, by humbling ourselves and praying for God’s restoration of the people of our land.
Restore and revive us Lord that we might be a people who honor Your Name,
A people who glory in Your presence,
A people who are dispensers of Your grace,
A people who stand steadfast in Your truth.
My challenge to you today, as a believer in Christ Jesus our Lord, is to take a stand for His kingdom by taking one small step of faith in the battle that rages. And what might this one small step be?
One street at a time.
Earnest, steadfast and continuing prayer for each person of each household on the street where you live. Just as the enemy slowly eroded away the firm foundation, let us begin, through humble intercession, to honor the Lord by
seeking after Him to restore and rebuild, person by person, the people of our land. Standing in the gap, as a watchman on the wall, praying and interceding for the glory of His presence to overtake our streets.
As we persevere with fervent intercession, our hearts broken and contrite for the lost, the dying, the hopeless, the hurting and those who are in despair, may we prepare with expectancy to rejoice and see the glory of the Lord revealed!
And as we walk through this time of restoration may we be the faith-filled, Holy Spirit empowered, grace and truth dispensers that He has called us to be.
Stolen piece by piece just as dripping water slowly erodes away the ground where it falls – that slow and gradual erosion of what was once a firm foundation. The enemy’s incessant dripping can only be stopped by waging battle in the heavenlies, interceding for the casualties of this war, by humbling ourselves and praying for God’s restoration of the people of our land.
Restore and revive us Lord that we might be a people who honor Your Name,
A people who glory in Your presence,
A people who are dispensers of Your grace,
A people who stand steadfast in Your truth.
My challenge to you today, as a believer in Christ Jesus our Lord, is to take a stand for His kingdom by taking one small step of faith in the battle that rages. And what might this one small step be?
One street at a time.
Earnest, steadfast and continuing prayer for each person of each household on the street where you live. Just as the enemy slowly eroded away the firm foundation, let us begin, through humble intercession, to honor the Lord by
seeking after Him to restore and rebuild, person by person, the people of our land. Standing in the gap, as a watchman on the wall, praying and interceding for the glory of His presence to overtake our streets.
As we persevere with fervent intercession, our hearts broken and contrite for the lost, the dying, the hopeless, the hurting and those who are in despair, may we prepare with expectancy to rejoice and see the glory of the Lord revealed!
And as we walk through this time of restoration may we be the faith-filled, Holy Spirit empowered, grace and truth dispensers that He has called us to be.
Friday, July 16, 2010
a box of our own making
'Here is what I believe grieves God's heart more than all the sins of the flesh combined. Our Lord is grieved by the ever-growing lack of faith in his promises…by ever-increasing doubts that he answers prayer…and by a people who claim less and less of the power that is in Christ.
No matter how much you have asked of the likeness of Christ, it is nothing compared to the resources of spiritual wisdom still awaiting in his storehouse. Ask largely! Ask for wisdom, ask for guidance, ask for revelation. But it must be asked in faith, nothing doubting.' (David Wilkerson; July 2010)
Have we put our Lord in a box of our own making?
Do we see Him in the light of our own limited experiences and expectations or do we see who He truly is in the overwhelmingly powerful light of His word? Either we serve and place our faith and complete trust in an awe-inspiring, all powerful, omniscient, almighty God or we end up living with a limited level of faith and trust that puts more emphasis and focus on man and his own abilities – thus minimizing the redemptive work of Christ and what He accomplished and desires for those who believe.
In my walk I am currently being challenged in this light. Do I really believe that the Lord is who He says He is and that He is all powerful?
Is my faith and trust completely in Him or is it like a time share arrangement.
I yearn to walk totally by faith – that is my heart’s desire; and yet my experience and expectations cloud the way and I end up thinking that I must carry the load, I must set the pace. Releasing my stubborn will, surrendering my ways of understanding and walking the narrow path that leads to life is where I want to be. In my life I no longer want my Lord entrapped in a box of my own making – constrained to my limited understanding!
Oh Lord God Almighty release me from this fleshly encumbrance that entangles my spirit, unbind me from adherence to the controlling wisdom of men, create in me a heart overflowing with Your Spirit, ignite in me a fire that consumes me with all that You are, and fill me with the freedom to trust fully and completely in You in all things.
No matter how much you have asked of the likeness of Christ, it is nothing compared to the resources of spiritual wisdom still awaiting in his storehouse. Ask largely! Ask for wisdom, ask for guidance, ask for revelation. But it must be asked in faith, nothing doubting.' (David Wilkerson; July 2010)
Have we put our Lord in a box of our own making?
Do we see Him in the light of our own limited experiences and expectations or do we see who He truly is in the overwhelmingly powerful light of His word? Either we serve and place our faith and complete trust in an awe-inspiring, all powerful, omniscient, almighty God or we end up living with a limited level of faith and trust that puts more emphasis and focus on man and his own abilities – thus minimizing the redemptive work of Christ and what He accomplished and desires for those who believe.
In my walk I am currently being challenged in this light. Do I really believe that the Lord is who He says He is and that He is all powerful?
Is my faith and trust completely in Him or is it like a time share arrangement.
I yearn to walk totally by faith – that is my heart’s desire; and yet my experience and expectations cloud the way and I end up thinking that I must carry the load, I must set the pace. Releasing my stubborn will, surrendering my ways of understanding and walking the narrow path that leads to life is where I want to be. In my life I no longer want my Lord entrapped in a box of my own making – constrained to my limited understanding!
Oh Lord God Almighty release me from this fleshly encumbrance that entangles my spirit, unbind me from adherence to the controlling wisdom of men, create in me a heart overflowing with Your Spirit, ignite in me a fire that consumes me with all that You are, and fill me with the freedom to trust fully and completely in You in all things.
Friday, July 9, 2010
It happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD.
(1 Kings 8:10-11)
Have we stood in awe of the glory of the Lord? Have we ever been so overcome with the glory of the Lord that we fall to our knees because we are so filled with His presence?
When the veil was torn in two from top to bottom and the holy place (the place of God's presence) was made open by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, from that point on the believer's body became the abode of the holy place - the place of God's presence. And we are now the house of the Lord - we are the temple of His Holy Spirit.
The Lord has put this - the presence of His glory - on my mind lately. Over the last several years I have been so caught up with what was going on around me (mind-boggling conditions which created uncontrollable stress at my former job with the bank, economic pressures, political strife and uncertainty, my unexpected struggles with my shoulder surgery) that I have taken what should have been my complete trust in and reverence for the Lord and placed Him in the peripheral of my life instead of at the center - I was not whole heartedly seeking the presence of His glory. Yes, I continued to study His word, continued to be impressed by His Spirit, continued to be lead to write devotionals. Yet, at this point in my life, I feel as if I am being tossed about on a sea of instability. I think to sum it up in a nut shell - I no longer feel that I have control over my life, my plan that was so carefully laid is dissolving before my eyes.
And voila, there it is - my control over my life and my plan. I was measuring my trust level by how the Lord honored my efforts to control and plan my life. When things started to move away from my control and plan I worked even harder in my flesh to try and get it back - not that I didn't trust the Lord but I tried to
balance my own capabilities with my trust in Him and my flesh usually prevailed during this time. Thus the struggle that has ensued and, at times, overwhelmed me.
As I sit here today and reflect upon my life, of His hand upon me, and consider my lot - here is my prayer:
- Lord restore and strengthen my faith so that I might rest in the glory of Your presence.
- Jesus, renew and build in me the complete trust that You alone deserve.
- And may Your glory, the glory of the Lord, completely fill my house.
(1 Kings 8:10-11)
Have we stood in awe of the glory of the Lord? Have we ever been so overcome with the glory of the Lord that we fall to our knees because we are so filled with His presence?
When the veil was torn in two from top to bottom and the holy place (the place of God's presence) was made open by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus, from that point on the believer's body became the abode of the holy place - the place of God's presence. And we are now the house of the Lord - we are the temple of His Holy Spirit.
The Lord has put this - the presence of His glory - on my mind lately. Over the last several years I have been so caught up with what was going on around me (mind-boggling conditions which created uncontrollable stress at my former job with the bank, economic pressures, political strife and uncertainty, my unexpected struggles with my shoulder surgery) that I have taken what should have been my complete trust in and reverence for the Lord and placed Him in the peripheral of my life instead of at the center - I was not whole heartedly seeking the presence of His glory. Yes, I continued to study His word, continued to be impressed by His Spirit, continued to be lead to write devotionals. Yet, at this point in my life, I feel as if I am being tossed about on a sea of instability. I think to sum it up in a nut shell - I no longer feel that I have control over my life, my plan that was so carefully laid is dissolving before my eyes.
And voila, there it is - my control over my life and my plan. I was measuring my trust level by how the Lord honored my efforts to control and plan my life. When things started to move away from my control and plan I worked even harder in my flesh to try and get it back - not that I didn't trust the Lord but I tried to
balance my own capabilities with my trust in Him and my flesh usually prevailed during this time. Thus the struggle that has ensued and, at times, overwhelmed me.
As I sit here today and reflect upon my life, of His hand upon me, and consider my lot - here is my prayer:
- Lord restore and strengthen my faith so that I might rest in the glory of Your presence.
- Jesus, renew and build in me the complete trust that You alone deserve.
- And may Your glory, the glory of the Lord, completely fill my house.
Friday, July 2, 2010
God is with you in all that you do
Now it came about at that time that Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, spoke to Abraham, saying, " God is with you in all that you do…" (Genesis 21:22)
As Abimelech saw in Abraham, do people see that God is with us in all that we do? And what might that look like in this day and age of ours? Is it what we do, what we say, how we act, how we respond to people or is it what God does in, through and for us? Or are these ways comingled together somehow?
We see in Abraham a man who has told 'stories' about his wife to save his hide yet believed God so as to pick up everything and leave his land for a place that he did not know. A man who longed for an heir, as he was promised by God, and yet gave into the desire to do it his way (with Sarah's prodding) through Hagar. A man who yet believed that even in his old age (over 90) the Lord's promise of an heir through Sarah was true and would be fulfilled. A man who allowed his nephew, Lot, to pick the best of the land and yet believed that the Lord would lead him to a land of abundance. A man who believed in God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness yet sought out his own devices when he was in situations that he thought the Lord was not able to protect him. A man whoimmediately responded to God's call when the Lord established the covenant with him and the sign was circumcision. A man who immediately obeyed the Lord when asked to take his son Isaac, the son of the promise, and offer him as a sacrifice. A man whom the Lord appeared to and spoke with and even 'bargained with'. A man who prayed to God and was answered. A man for whom the Lord gave dreams to other men that resulted in Abraham's blessing.
Such contrasts of actions and responses and yet people knew that God was with him in all that he did. Abraham's faith was seen in action and yet there was doubt intertwined - belief mixed with non-belief. Trust in God and yet not trusting Him. And then there was the evidence of God's intervention in his life - the blessings, the provision, the leading, the promises fulfilled. We truly see in Abraham the heart of God working in and through an imperfect vessel. God's loving-kindness working in the heart of man to accomplish God's plan. Even when Abraham 'got in the way' the Lord's plan was not annulled - the Lord's hand was upon His servant, even when it got ugly, to fulfill His good purpose.
So, what is the answer to my question? I think that we need to start with God (I know that should be obvious but in our present day we always seem to want to start with man!) - it is His plan for mankind and the world and we are invited to join Him - to partake in His glorious mystery. He is not obligated to us 'to make things happen' based upon what we believe should be - although He has obligated Himself to honor His truth and His promises for those who seek Him. So then, it is truly what God does in, through and for us that allows people to see that God is with us in all that we do.
Before anyone gets too excited about what you just read - we, as His creation, do play a part in this glorious mystery that is God's plan. He has called us to join Him, to be an active participant in His plan, to live a life of faith and trust. And He has provided us with the directions - And He (Jesus) said to him, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." (Matthew 22:37-39) - here is the heart of who and what we are to be so that all who see us may say 'God is with us in all that we do'.
Additionally, knowing that we are just flesh and subject to falling short as we walk this life of faith, He has given us His Holy Spirit to guide us and lead us in this great and wonderful calling - may we be filled with the Holy Spirit.
''Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.' (Ephesians 5:15-21)
And the final consideration for this pondering: 'The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.' (Proverb 16:9)
As Abimelech saw in Abraham, do people see that God is with us in all that we do? And what might that look like in this day and age of ours? Is it what we do, what we say, how we act, how we respond to people or is it what God does in, through and for us? Or are these ways comingled together somehow?
We see in Abraham a man who has told 'stories' about his wife to save his hide yet believed God so as to pick up everything and leave his land for a place that he did not know. A man who longed for an heir, as he was promised by God, and yet gave into the desire to do it his way (with Sarah's prodding) through Hagar. A man who yet believed that even in his old age (over 90) the Lord's promise of an heir through Sarah was true and would be fulfilled. A man who allowed his nephew, Lot, to pick the best of the land and yet believed that the Lord would lead him to a land of abundance. A man who believed in God and it was reckoned to him as righteousness yet sought out his own devices when he was in situations that he thought the Lord was not able to protect him. A man whoimmediately responded to God's call when the Lord established the covenant with him and the sign was circumcision. A man who immediately obeyed the Lord when asked to take his son Isaac, the son of the promise, and offer him as a sacrifice. A man whom the Lord appeared to and spoke with and even 'bargained with'. A man who prayed to God and was answered. A man for whom the Lord gave dreams to other men that resulted in Abraham's blessing.
Such contrasts of actions and responses and yet people knew that God was with him in all that he did. Abraham's faith was seen in action and yet there was doubt intertwined - belief mixed with non-belief. Trust in God and yet not trusting Him. And then there was the evidence of God's intervention in his life - the blessings, the provision, the leading, the promises fulfilled. We truly see in Abraham the heart of God working in and through an imperfect vessel. God's loving-kindness working in the heart of man to accomplish God's plan. Even when Abraham 'got in the way' the Lord's plan was not annulled - the Lord's hand was upon His servant, even when it got ugly, to fulfill His good purpose.
So, what is the answer to my question? I think that we need to start with God (I know that should be obvious but in our present day we always seem to want to start with man!) - it is His plan for mankind and the world and we are invited to join Him - to partake in His glorious mystery. He is not obligated to us 'to make things happen' based upon what we believe should be - although He has obligated Himself to honor His truth and His promises for those who seek Him. So then, it is truly what God does in, through and for us that allows people to see that God is with us in all that we do.
Before anyone gets too excited about what you just read - we, as His creation, do play a part in this glorious mystery that is God's plan. He has called us to join Him, to be an active participant in His plan, to live a life of faith and trust. And He has provided us with the directions - And He (Jesus) said to him, "YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND. This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF." (Matthew 22:37-39) - here is the heart of who and what we are to be so that all who see us may say 'God is with us in all that we do'.
Additionally, knowing that we are just flesh and subject to falling short as we walk this life of faith, He has given us His Holy Spirit to guide us and lead us in this great and wonderful calling - may we be filled with the Holy Spirit.
''Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord; always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ to God, even the Father; and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.' (Ephesians 5:15-21)
And the final consideration for this pondering: 'The mind of man plans his way, But the LORD directs his steps.' (Proverb 16:9)
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