Certain thoughts are prayers. There are moments when, whatever be the attitude of the body, the soul is on its knees. -Victor Hugo

I remember singing this one  song in high school for a choir event.  It was one of the rare times that a song we did in my secular environment actually meant something to me. The song was by Elvis Presley, and the lyrics go like this:

Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I’m tired, I’m weak, I’m lone
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

When my way grows drear precious Lord linger near
When my light is almost gone
Hear my cry, hear my call
Hold my hand lest I fall
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

When the darkness appears and the night draws near
And the day is past and gone
At the river I stand
Guide my feet, hold my hand
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

Precious Lord, take my hand
Lead me on, let me stand
I’m tired, I’m weak, I’m lone
Through the storm, through the night
Lead me on to the light
Take my hand precious Lord, lead me home

It’s a bit depressing I guess, but the fact is, this song ministered to me when I was young. I was lost much of the time like most teenagers feel.  I won’t go into much of that in this post but what I will say is this. I realized today that God has led me through all the places this song describes.  In my young heart, it served as a prayer.  Jesus has walked me through the darkness of who satan told me I was, and He led me through the dryness of who I told myself I was.  He healed me and led me though the desert when I believed too much of what others said about who I was.  I now walk in the Light of His Truth and who HE says I am. Thank You precious Lord for leading me and teaching me how to stand.

I  will bless the LORD who has counseled me; Indeed, my mind instructs me in the night. I have set the LORD continually before me; Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16:7-8

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How’s your heart?

I will just get right to the “heart” of this post ( sorry, LOL) but God is really speaking to me about the care and usage of our hearts. He is also confirming to me the connection between our spiritual hearts and our physical hearts. It is crucial to take good care of both.

Listen to a Father’s instruction. Proverbs 4, verses 23-24.

“Above all else, guard your heart for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity, and keep corrupt talk far from your lips.” What does this mean exactly?

Guarding anything means to keep it safe. We keep things safe so that nothing can damage it, right? In the very next verse we are warned about the things that can damage our hearts. Perversity and corrupt talk. Lying. Gossip. Slander. Coarse language. Hurtful words that wound. The list goes on and on. If we incur this type of damage we are prone to pass it on. That’s how “sin” tangles us up, it’s a cycle of damaging events and choices- and because everything we do flows from our hearts, that means that IF we have not  protected our hearts, we are not going to be protecting anything from damaging another heart. Sad.

God showed me that our hearts are His love storehouse. If it’s not taken care of, any Love He puts there can be contaminated. And if everything we do flows from a contaminated spiritual storehouse- that means it will in turn have an effect on our physical well being. (EVERYTHING we do.) I see a connection here.   A sick spirit heart could very well damage the physical heart.

We know what some of the advice is when our physical hearts are sick. Eat more healthy foods. Exercise. Find the best doctor  and follow his advice. Do what he says.

But what happens when we begin to understand that the root issue is in our spiritual hearts? What happens when we begin to understand that the real problem is not so much that we have done or said something we shouldn’t have, but that we have a heart that is bitter, unforgiving, wounded and hurting and we are too prideful to admit it?

Same course of treatment. Read God’s word and do what God says. Exercise some spiritual discipline and PRAY for God’s help. He is the Great Physician after all.

Father, please help us. Help us to admit that we aren’t using grace like we should.  We don’t come to You like we should and we are sick and spiritually anemic because of it. Forgive us, help us, heal us and make us whole in You, Jesus.

In Your precious name we pray, Amen.

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Best Post Ever from Rick Warren

Reposting this.  So simple and truthful but so hard.  However.. Huge blessings in store for those who will just remain quiet and allow the Lord to defend us.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” Psalm 23:5 (NIV)

Our civilization is losing its civility. The world is getting ruder! One of the things that’s causing that is the Internet, because it allows people to hide behind the screen and say things online that they would never have the courage to say to others face to face.

All those people are doing is revealing the smallness of their hearts. Great people make people feel great, but small people belittle people. People who belittle others have a little knot for a heart, and they make fun of others because they think it will make them feel better.

How do you handle rude people? You don’t. You let God handle them. You let God be your defender.

King David was a pro at this. He knew what it meant to be attacked emotionally, verbally, and physically. As a young man, he was anointed by Samuel to be the next king of Israel, but he spent two years running from his predecessor, who wanted to kill him. He hid in caves while being criticized constantly behind his back.

Yet David never said a bad word against the king. He never retaliated, because God was preparing him to be the king after his own heart.

David says in Psalm 23:5, “You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows” (NIV).

David was recognizing God’s goodness to him. God would anoint his head with oil, which says to the world, “This is my guy! Back off! This is going to be the next leader.” David’s cup overflowed, which meant God kept blessing him and blessing him, even when others attacked him.

Does it sound like David was stressed out? No! He didn’t have to use up all his energy defending himself because he trusted God to be his defender.

It takes a lot of faith and humility to rest and trust God when you’re under attack, when you’re misunderstood, when rumors are spreading about you and people are saying things about you online. When that happens, everything in you wants to rise up and do something about it.

But you are most like Christ when you remain silent under attack. Jesus was constantly attacked, yet he never retaliated, even on his way to the cross. He remained silent before his accusers because he had entrusted himself to the care of the Father.

“So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you” (1 Peter 4:19).

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Turning Your Heart Toward God, L1Pt.2

Hi there 🙂

Yesterday we finished up the first week of the study.  The main thing we seemed to take away from this second half is  this- God has everything we need to meet every single need we have.   In Jesus, the Lord has done everything necessary for God’s children to thrive in His kingdom.  One thing will hinder us in receiving all that He has.. and that is Pride.

“Blessed are the poor in Spirit..

( Blessed are those who humbly acknowledge and admit their deep and great need for God because they understand that they just cannot do it without Him)

…for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.”

( Humility is the key to the Kingdom- once we look at God and ask for Him to help us.. from our hearts, He is there to meet us right where we are ) .

Father, being saved is wonderful, but help us to remember that we don’t stop needing You just because we accepted Jesus into our hearts.  If anything, salvation increases our understanding that we just need more of You.   Help us to become fully dependent on You so that we “gain Christ” … more and more every day.  We pray this in His holy name- Amen.

 

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Repost from Chuck Swindoll on humility.

August 15, 2013

A Proud or Humble Heart

by Charles R. Swindoll

Psalm 131:1

In a matter-of-fact fashion, David addresses the Lord in Psalm 131. Throughout the song, he carries on a conversation with his God. While humility is the subject, the focus is himself. Eight times in the first two verses he uses “I,” “me,” and “my.” The poem is a brief glimpse into David’s personal journal.

Verse 1

O LORD, my heart is not proud, nor my eyes haughty;
Nor do I involve myself in great matters,
Or in things too difficult for me.

In the Hebrew Bible, whatever appears first in a clause or sentence is frequently placed in that position for the purpose of emphasis. This is especially true when the phrase is rearranged and written in an awkward, strange manner. This is precisely what we find in verse 1. There are three negatives set forth at the very beginning of three clauses: “not proud,” “not haughty,” and “nor do I involve myself.” David is communicating the depth of his feelings. The structure of his words reveals strong passion. The terms do too.

The term “proud” comes from gabah, meaning “to be high, exalted.” He mentions his heart first-the root source of pride down deep within. He says that as deeply as God may wish to probe, He will not find a trace of a “high, exalted” attitude within him. God may “search” and “know my heart” (Psalm 139:23) all He wishes, declares David.

The term “haughty” comes from another word having a similar meaning: “room.” This Hebrew term means “to be lifted up, raised.” The idea is that one who is proud within shows it in his eyes, which are “lifted up, raised.” That is exactly what Proverbs 30:11–13 says:

There is a kind of man who curses his father
And does not bless his mother.
There is a kind who is pure in his own eyes,
Yet is not washed from his filthiness.
There is a kind—oh how lofty are his eyes!
And his eyelids are raised in arrogance.

The “proud look” has to do with eyes that are “lifted up.” We have all seen this among the pseudo-sophisticates and on the plastic masks worn by many of the Hollywood stars and television celebrities. David declares that both his heart and his eyes will stand the test of God’s scrutiny.

There are two simple and quick ways God says the true condition of the heart is revealed. (Many of us may think we can hide it, but we cannot.) The first is through the eyes (as we have seen here) and the second is through the mouth (as Jesus says in Luke 6:45). Of course, one’s life is another proof of one’s heart condition, but that takes longer to observe. Keen counselors and wise people are careful to listen to words (what is said as well as what isn’t said) and watch the eyes of others. You soon discover that the heart is like a well and the eyes and tongue are like buckets which draw water from the same well. If true humility is not in the heart, the eyes will show it.

❝ If true humility is not in the heart, the eyes will show it. ❞ —Chuck Swindoll
– See more at: http://www.insight.org/resources/devotionals/a-proud-or-humble-heart.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A%20DailyDevo%20%28Chuck%20Swindoll%27s%20Daily%20Devotional%29#sthash.meX9yl50.dpuf

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Choosing Heat

The perfect relationship post.

Leadership Freak

Image source

Life grows cold when you feel alone.
Find someone who keeps you warm.

Relationships make or break us.

Everyone grows, develops, and succeeds in the context of relationship.

Why alone:

Feeling alone comes from choosing the cold.

1. Devaluing the centrality of relationships.
2. Refusing to help or support others. Stop expecting everyone to adapt to you. Adapt to others.
3. Pulling away and closing out. You’ve chosen safety over relationship. Walls propagate the cold.
4. Arrogantly believing everything depends on you.

Two proverbs:

“If you lie down with dogs, you will get up with fleas.”

But here’s another, opposite, proverb:

“Two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone?”

Nothing is colder than feeling alone. Find someone to lie down with, but don’t choose a dog with fleas.

Lie with those who:

1. Aren’t like you.
2. Kick people in the pants. Apathy is easy.

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I hear You, I’m just not listening.

One of my kids said this to me yesterday.  It stopped me dead in my tracks, probably because it was out of character for this particular child.. but the other glaring thing that hit me was..  it was blatantly disobedient.  On top of THAT, it was bluntly , woundingly honest. What does a parent say to that comment , anyway?  “Thanks for telling the truth, now go to your room??”  Tricky parenting ground.  I chose to remove the distraction ( an iPod touch) , and we began to discuss the merits of honesty, and the consequences from lack of obedience , and we prayed.  As I prayed with my child, I did hear my own Father speak to me.. and ask me a question.  “How many times have I spoken and you heard me just fine.. but chose not to listen?”

When I use the word “listen”, I have to define that in terms of my own walk with the Lord.  For me, “listening” means that I take heed to what I hear Him say, and act accordingly.  It’s usually something I don’t want to hear .. such as conviction ( which , by the way, is MUCH different than condemnation)  conviction means that God has revealed to me something He wants me to either do, or trust Him with, so that He can make the needed adjustments in my heart’s condition. Conviction from the Holy Spirit( if we don’t swat it away from us spiritually like some kind of irritating insect) brings positive change, even though it hurts to admit things God may show us.   There are times we are really tempted to “not listen” and excuse our faults by saying things like ” No, that’s not what God is saying.  That can’t be Him.. it makes me feel bad about myself! That can’t be GOD!” Conviction may be painful, but the transformation that happens when we obey God is worth the momentary pain of admitting God is right, and we have been wrong. Or stubborn , or unforgiving, or stiff-necked, or rebellious, or controlling, or any host of character defects that hide in the human heart. Condemnation, by contrast, just brings about a feeling of defeat that moves us far away from positive change.  Conviction brings peace and clarity, and a deeper understanding of God,  even in the pain. 
We must learn to identify when it’s God speaking to our hearts ( and then LISTEN and reflect on what He is saying) and when it’s the enemy’s voice- or our own flesh wallowing in self-pity or self- righteousness.) We will only grown as disciples of Christ by allowing Him to show us ourselves in the mirror , and allowing Him to change us from the inside out.

Then Jesus said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” Mark 4:9

Father, give us listening hearts and ears. Please give us your wisdom so we understand, and know when it’s You. We need the loving discipline and care of the Good Shepherd. We yield our wills to Yours.
In Jesus’s name- Amen.

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In a funk.

Have you ever had those days  ( weeks, months or maybe even years) when you just felt like you were in a funk and couldn’t seem to shake it?  I have been in one for the past few weeks.  We ( meaning me and my family) are in a transitional phase.   Otherwise known as “waiting on the Lord.”   This was all well and good until about a week ago when I realized that it has been a year since my husband and I were both in agreement that God was changing direction for our family.  It meant stepping away from some things and people we loved , changing our focus and letting Him redirect us in a new way.  It’s been a year.  A whole year.  For anyone who knows me at all, this is shocking. Waiting a year to re-enter ministry?  Me?  Really?

 I look at our circumstances and I am shocked ( and awed by God) all at once.  

The past year, we have done little ,in our flesh… but we have diligently sought Him, and learned to  let Him love us.  It has been a time of healing and huge spiritual growth in us, and our children.   It has been a time of reflection, focusing on God, and on each other. 

It’s been wonderful. 

And then again, it’s been a year. 

The other night I had what is known in southern circles as a “good old fashioned come-apart.” Any southern girl reading this knows exactly what I am talking about.  It began with a “situation” that caused a  growing sense of frustration, then circled into full blown anger, then climaxed in a tearful , rambling , emotional rant with my pieces falling out.   ( Thanks, honey, for picking those up and putting them back into place.  I so appreciate you!)  If you are a woman and have not ever had one of these, I highly recommend it…with someone you trust.  Some people will frown upon you and think you are weak for letting your seams show.  That is OK… not only did mine show, but I popped a couple.

(The bad thing about having a come apart is that you feel kind of crazy while it’s happening.  The good thing is… if you are seeking God before, during and after the come apart.. and refuse to blame anyone for it, and just let God ( and a good man, hopefully the one you married)  pull you close and hold you with His ( and his) heart..  He speaks. And He uses him to do it.)

“It’s really going to be OK.  I promise.”

God spoke to me directly through my husband.  Not for the first time… but there was something different about this.  Immediately after, I felt something shift in my heart and spirit.  Clouds lifted and love fell down from heaven – and everything was set right in my world again. 

I realized… we are following God.  We are waiting on GOD.   The Creator of the universe Himself has called us to pray, seek Him together, and wait for His instructions.

That alone fills my heart and my spirit with JOY.

I feel something coming, but God needs us to spend time with Him before we are ready. HE is ready… it is US who need the preparation.

From Stephen Altrogge @The Blazing Center:

God tells us it is good for us to wait for him.

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. (Lamentations 3:25-26)

Here are a few things God does for us when we wait for him:

• He humbles us

Waiting helps us realize that we are dependent creatures.  We’re not the captain of our souls or in charge of our own destiny.  We’re not self-sufficient, but we live by every mercy dispensed from God’s hand.

• He teaches us to seek him

Waiting on God is not passive.  As we wait, we seek.  We pray, we beseech God.  We cry out “How long, O Lord?”  We ask, and knock and submit our requests to God.  If we got what we wanted right away, we wouldn’t draw near to God and we’d miss out on the joy of his presence.

• He teaches us to trust him

While we’re waiting for God to save our child or meet our needs we stretch our faith to the limit.  We trust, though all our circumstances tell us to despair.  As we wait, our trust grows.

• He builds patience and perseverance into us

The only way to get patience is to have to wait for something.  Perseverance only comes through enduring trials, failures and persecution.

• He reveals what is in our hearts

What comes out of your heart when you don’t get what you want?  Grumbling?  Hard thoughts of God?  Or praise and trust?  When you can wait with a quiet heart, you know God has done a work in you.

• He helps us to treasure him above the things we are waiting for

He teaches us to find our contentment in him.  He is our portion, not anything in this world.  Only Jesus can truly satisfy us.  No person or thing that we wait for can satisfy us like Christ.

• He makes mercy sweeter when it finally arrives

We appreciate blessings more when we’ve prayed and trusted and waited for them.  We appreciate health more after sickness.  And how much more will we enjoy our eternal weight of glory after our temporary, light afflictions.

 

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Culture’s Greatest Test

http://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/cultures-greatest-test

On-time RIGHT NOW word from Pastor Chris Hodges.

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The only thing that changes character is pain.

Heard this today from pastor Larry Stockstill.  It’s a truth that I have known for several  years.. and experienced in my own walk with Jesus.  Pain of my acknowledging my own sin..  pain of realizing my faults and shortcomings… the pain of knowing that my actions and lack of understanding has ever caused others to hurt, the pain of others causing hurt to my own heart,   the pain of beginning to understand just how spiritually needy I am- all of these caused me to look into the face of a loving gracious God who redeemed me anyway, just because He did.  He loves me and He loves you enough to give us Jesus. 

The thing is, we have to allow ourselves to admit that we are spiritually needy.  We must allow God access to our hearts.. deep cleansing access is the only way to deep Holy Spirit healing and growth.  Lord Jesus, come. 

Today I surrender all, again.  I give it ALL to you Lord.  My heart, my life, my spirit, anything I am or have ever been or dreamt of being.. is Yours.  Have Your way in me, Lord.

In Jesus precious name-

Amen.  

 

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