Tag Archives: Christianity

Waiting on God, Day 20

  By Rachel | February 21, 2012 - 9:03 pm | Thoughts for the Day
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Cielos y campos de la pampa Argentina 12 / Skies and fields from Argentina's pampa 12

Today has been a challenging day- I knew I needed to spend some time in prayer and meditation on God’s Word to bring peace to my troubled heart, and to encourage me.

Waiting…yes, I have been learning about waiting for over a year now.  And still I wait- for answers- and some answers are coming- but slowly- and I am not good at being patient.

This devotional from Andrew Murray was so encouraging to me today.  This quote especially:

“And if you ask: How is it, if He(God) waits to be gracious, that even after I come and wait upon Him, He does not give the help I seek, but waits on longer and longer? There is a double answer.  The one is this, God is a wise husbandman, who “waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it” (James 5:7). He cannot gather the fruit until it is ripe.  He knows when we are spiritually ready to receive the blessing to our profit and His glory.”

He goes on to talk about the great blessing of waiting through trails and storms, our sense of time is different than God’s.  We must trust Him with the pace of events, and anticipate His faithfulness, even when it seems a long time coming.

This has calmed me today- for sometimes I become discouraged or weary in my waiting- longing for an answer or a sign- and yet even as I write this God continues to encourage me.  Even in the midst of waiting, I feel His Presence.

Sometimes I must believe as an act of will and trust that my emotions will follow.

I pray that you may find courage and strength in the Lord- as you wait, or as you endure trials.  He is faithful.

 

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Tossed by the Wind

  By Rachel | February 20, 2012 - 2:38 pm | Random
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Detail of Shipping in Stormy Seas by Julius Porcellis 1610-1654 Oil on Canvas (1)
I have always been a passionate person.  Those things that I feel strongly about- I have a hard time discussing them without becoming animated in my whole person- gesticulating and voice rising in a torrent of zealous words.

One of the disadvantages to this tendency, however, is that my emotions sometimes have far too much say in my life. 

They ruin days when I cannot shake them, or drag me down by whispering repeated helplessness in my ear.

Feeling emotions deeply means that you get those high highs, but sometimes- and to the detriment of all those around me- I get some very low lows.

James 1:2-8 comes to mind often when I am feeling inconsistent in my emotional state- when I am allowing them to dictate too much in my life- and not persevering in faith and trust in God- letting His Words bring peace to the storm in my brain.

2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7 That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8 Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do.

I don’t want to be double-minded and unstable.  I am thankful for the passion God has given me for life and the calling He has placed on my life.  But sometimes, I need to choose another course to follow than the one my emotions are dictating to me.

I give them too much power and control- and they end up taking me places where I do and say things that I regret.

So, if you struggle with out-of-control emotions at times, know you are not alone- and I pray that today we will call out to God for help and use His Word to fight when those emotions try to push us around.

Stand firm- these verses came to me as I wrapped up this post- I pray that they encourage you.

1 Corinthians 15:57-58

57But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 58 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Why God?

  By Rachel | February 18, 2012 - 7:15 pm | Thoughts for the Day
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Into That Good Night

There are times when things happen to people, tragedy strikes, a young person dies, a parent with young children dies- and I wonder why God?  Why did this happen?  Why didn’t you heal them?

I know that you can, and sometimes you do, but why not this time?

Have you ever felt that way?  I have been angry at God sometimes for this very thing- wondering why some children grow up in homes where their parents abuse and neglect them, while others are showered with love and attention in abundance.  How can God stand it?

I can’t see a pattern. Tragedy seems to strike randomly, without rhyme or reason.

In Sacred Parenting, Gary L. Thomas says that he feels God chooses to heal- not based on faith or obedience necessarily- but perhaps this is “God’s providential choice, offered without explanation or apology.”

He continues, “here is where the Lord seems to beckon us to what the ancients called the spiritual discipline of surrender.  Paganism seeks to manipulate divine forces to serve human will: Do the right thing, and you obligate God to respond in a certain way.  Authentic Christianity seeks to surrender the human will in order to serve and give glory to the divine God.”

I remember reading this and thinking, I don’t know how I feel about this portrayal of God.  Then he goes on to talk about how mysterious God is, there are so many things that we can’t explain or understand.

So when people mourn, we mourn with them, for the desperate sense of sadness and injustice.  That this was not how it was meant to be, sadness and death, tragedy.

There are no easy answers to the questions that arise, and to try to provide them is more for ourselves than for those who are grieving- we want to have a reason- or good answers.

The Bible teaches us how to respond to tragedy and grief in our own lives and those around us- but it does not explain the why.  Why tragedy strikes certain families and not others.  We don’t know.

Trust enters the picture- we have to choose to trust God with all the things we can’t know, and believe that He loves our children even more than we do.

He loves us more than anyone else- so when we can’t see the reason and we can’t understand- that gives us all the more reason to cling to God because we know that He understands- not only the depth of our grief and sense of injustice, but He also sees the whole picture and we can trust Him with all that is outside what we can know in this life.

I don’t know.  Even after writing all of this, I feel as though it all seems inadequate?  How can I truly know or comprehend how I might respond to grief until I go through a horrible tragedy?

Can we understand the depth of sorrow nor how one navigates it without ever entering into it ourselves?  So I wonder, what has brought comfort to those who have gone through the most awful tragic situations?  How have they responded?

A professor from the one of the schools I attended recently lost his daughter to a pulmonary embolism- completely unexpected, without warning- she died at 32.  Here are some of his thoughts (these are links to articles on his blog)

I hope that you find comfort in the words of someone who is presently working his way through grief- and understands the depth of pain that can come from unexpected loss.

If you have links or thoughts to share that would help those who may be grieving, please leave a comment.

 

 

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Expectant Hope

  By Rachel | February 17, 2012 - 1:54 pm | Thoughts for the Day
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I get so excited over new plants blooming.  When I wake up in the morning, one of the first things I look for- Is it blooming yet?  I love watching the tiny buds get bigger and bigger and lift up above the leaves, and then watch them start to open- a little color peeks at you, and then a little more each day.

It struck me this morning- it is so hard for me to hope for heaven like that.  To anticipate with joy being with God forever. I spent some time this morning looking at verses that talk about hope or mention hope.  This verse really struck me.

Romans 15:4-6: Paul is talking in chapter 14 about being sensitive to the convictions of others and not causing a brother or sister in Christ to stumble.  We should please others first before ourselves- and then this verse appears.

4For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.

 5 May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

That really speaks to me today.  In my determination to spend time in God’s Word each day- knowing I need it- and the time I am investing to help my children memorize Scripture- I memorize with them- knowing that we need to hide God’s Word in our hearts-hope in the Lord.

It is also teaching us endurance- as we see those who have suffered before us and have claimed the hope of Christ- who have been persecuted and tortured, even killed for their faith in Christ-hope in the Lord.

I found myself praying today, Lord give me that hope- I want to learn from your Word through the Holy Spirit- I want to run with endurance- and be encouraged today- that I might press on to hope.

I came across this verse today as well- an old favorite.  Some verses feel like the blanket I used to snuggle as a baby and young child.  We are inseparable- and these words, like that blanket (although definitely surpassing it in years)- have been a source of comfort.

Isaiah 40:31
31 but those who hope in the LORD
   will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
   they will run and not grow weary,
   they will walk and not be faint.

I want to hope expectantly- and keep the promise of heaven close.  How?  I don’t know, I am still learning- but I think a great place to start is to think about it.

Each day, just take some time to think about heaven.  To remember that this life is not the end.

Maybe read some books about heaven.  I love using Bible Gateway  to look up a word or passage to meditate on.  Look up hope and read some of the verses or passages.

I pray that the hope of heaven would touch you today, and give you strength in your current struggles.

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You- Again???

  By Rachel | February 11, 2012 - 5:34 pm | Thoughts for the Day
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The beast that rears its ugly head.  You beat it down, but it seems to be always there- waiting for that weak moment when it can creep in and attack.

Talking in the evening. Porto Covo, Portugal

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I was talking with a friend months ago, but I still remember this conversation and appropriately cringe when I remember how I acted.  We were talking about a mutual friend and how disciplined she is about running.  She was being very complimentary and sweet- but I was feeling frustrated.  For years I have been a consistent runner and stayed in good shape, but lately I have been carrying some extra weight and can’t seem to get motivated to get it off.

So before I knew what I was doing, I had hijacked the conversation and was talking about myself and how I really am a disciplined runner- I am just going through a “dry spell” – I started talking about all my major life changes because in my mind I was thinking- if this other Mom had gone through all I have gone through there is no way she would still be consistently running.

I look back on this conversation now and think only one thing- that was pride.  My pride took a big hit because someone else was getting praise I was used to hearing.  So many people praised me in the past for my discipline and consistency with working out- and it bothered me that someone else was being praised (and rightly so) for doing the same thing- but I wasn’t receiving that praise.

I look back on this conversation with embarrassment because it is so obvious to me that my motivations were selfish- I took over that conversation and guided it down a road that was not beneficial to me or this other Mom that I was just getting to know.

Proverbs 11:2-3

2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with humility comes wisdom.

3 The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

Proverbs 16:4-6

4 The LORD works out everything to its proper end—
   even the wicked for a day of disaster.

 5 The LORD detests all the proud of heart.
   Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.

 6 Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for;
   through the fear of the LORD evil is avoided.

When I am with a group of Moms and we are all talking, I often reflect back on what I said and why I said it- I think it is the recovering perfectionist in me- I tend to examine whole conversations after the fact.

Does anyone else do this?  I hope I am not the only one….anyway, so I got to thinking one day.

Why do we talk- what guides us in what we bring up in conversation, what prompts us to speak?

I started thinking about my motivations- not just what I was saying, but the heart behind it.  And honestly, a lot of what I observed about myself I didn’t like so much.  When I had a clever or interesting thought- I liked to share.  Yes, at times I was also thinking about bringing something new to light about the conversation- but there was a critical thing that was absent.

I was not usually thinking about what someone else was sharing- and reflecting on that with them- or maybe considering asking them a question to encourage them to elaborate.

Am I just spending every conversation waiting for my turn to talk- to turn the attention toward me?

Being a good listener takes work.  I know this, from my education background and experience.  And don’t we all love talking to someone who lets us know by the questions they ask and their nonverbal ques that they are actively paying attention to and interested in what we have to say?

I think it is a subtle form of pride that derails conversations and ends up leaving both persons disappointed.  Though you were together- you both leave feeling like you were not truly heard and understood- there was no point of deep connection.

I believe we are all longing for that- looking for it- praying for it.  To be heard and seen and accepted as we are. God is faithfully doing that every day- and we need Him first and foremost- but we also need the support of the body of believers- friends who can hold us accountable and encourage us.

James 4:6, 1 Peter 5:5 both reference a quote “God opposes the proud but gives favor to the humble.” This is from Proverbs 3:34- which says- He mocks proud mockers but shows favor to the humble and oppressed.

If you have some time today- it will only take 5 minutes- read Proverbs 3 slowly and think about it.  It is rich with wisdom about living a Godly life- and was very convicting to me today.

I pray that God will teach us humility- that we may work each day to boast only in the Lord (Jer. 9:24).

And also that sometime this week, I will make a conscious effort to be a good listener- to ask questions- to take time to empty myself of pride and concern myself with someone else first. One step at a time….

 

 

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Keep on Keepin’ On

  By Rachel | February 10, 2012 - 1:45 pm | Thoughts for the Day
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English: Mass Start of the Hochgrat Mountain R...

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In our culture of instant gratification, one of things we tend to lack is staying power.

Holding on- keep fighting the good fight.  When we don’t see the fruits of our labor, it’s easy to give up.

Running with endurance- do we have staying power?

Do we strive against sin?  See Hebrews below- in all of our comforts- I can’t imagine striving against sin to the point of bloodshed.  Yet, that’s what Paul talks about.  I want to run with endurance- I want to keep the faith- I want to fight the good fight.

Hebrews 12:1-4

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

3 For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4 You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.

Yes, I do long to hear those words from God someday- well done, good and faithful servant.  What are we doing now to fulfill God’s calling in our lives?

Galatians 6:7-10

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

How are we using our gifts to serve Him?

Are we paying attention to where He is leading us?

2 Timothy 4:1-8

1 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: 2 Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction. 3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths. 5But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

 

I pray that the verses will inspire and challenge you- as they have me- to keep on keepin’ on- to press on through struggles- and even when we can’t see the fruits of our labor- to have faith in God and continue to work diligently in service to Him- until He calls us home.


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Hiding God’s Word in Our Heart

  By Rachel | February 8, 2012 - 6:33 pm | Random
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How do we know God’s will?  How do we protect ourselves from the trappings of sin and evil?  I believe with all my heart that there is no greater weapon at our disposal than God’s Word.  The Bible.

If I want to protect my children in this world, if I want to teach them about how to live, what better way than to hide God’s Word in their hearts?

Psalm 119:11

Your Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

This is one of the first verses my daughter and I memorized- I try to work on one verse a week with her.  We started around her 2nd birthday, and I amazed by how many verses she has already memorized.

This has been such a blessing for me as well, intentionally memorizing verses with her has reminded me once again what a potent force Scripture can be in our lives- like a weapon that is kept sharpened- it can protect us from things b/c we are ready- we know the truth and are therefore more aware when lies try to creep in.

Every time I open my Bible I am amazed by how God’s Word applies so readily to our lives today.  There is so much we can learn- so much to inspire us, to convict us- to show us overwhelming evidence of God’s Love for us.

Some of the verses we have memorized are as follows:

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Romans 3:23  For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

Ephesians 6:1 Children obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.

Luke 1:37 For with God nothing shall be impossible.

1 Timothy 4:12  Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity.

We are starting to go through the Roman Road with her, a group of verses that explain about salvation and will give us some opportunities to be intentional about talking to her about what it means to ask Jesus into her heart and be a follower of God.

This has been such a rich blessing for our family, and I pray that you will be blessed as well- in taking time to learn Scripture with your children.

It is a way of showing them, I think, that God’s Word teaches us how to live and is important to learn, to memorize, and to use to help us make decisions in life.

 

Praying over my Children

  By Rachel | February 8, 2012 - 1:23 am | Random
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One of the things my parents encouraged me to do that I have embraced wholeheartedly is praying over my children each day.  When I am holding them or hugging them, before bed when I am tucking them in- before I go to bed some nights I get out a book called Praying God’s Will for My Daughter and I spend time using Scripture as the basis for the prayers I lift on their behalf.

Sometimes it may just be a short- thank you God for this sweet child.  Or thank you for their laugh.

Other times it may be, give me wisdom to know how to handle this situation and help me stay calm.

Give me the right words to say to help them understand.

Even as I write this post, I am overwhelmed with emotion- amazed at how precious these two children are to me- how they have transformed my life and brought me joy like I had never dreamed.  Despite how hard parenting can be sometimes, wow, there are moments when it is so sweet and tender- so touching.

I am humbled and thankful for the honor of being a parent.  That God entrusted me with these two precious lives, and I pray that with His help they will come to know Him and serve Him with all their hearts.

Right now, I will keep praying-seeking God for guidance and trusting in Him for all that I need to care for these precious little ones.

Denying Self

  By Rachel | February 8, 2012 - 1:10 am | Thoughts for the Day
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Over the Christmas holiday, I had a conversation with a friend that I keep replaying in my mind.  What we were talking about is very simple- in theory- and perhaps one of the hardest battles that we fight as Christians.  I think that in the United States, surrounding by so many tempting distractions, it is even harder- denying self.

Jesus is teaching the disciples and talking about his suffering and death.  Then he says the following words in Luke 9:23-26

23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? 26 Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Corinthians, Philippians, James- all of these books of the Bibles warn Christians about the trappings of selfish ambition- and how it can take us down a path that does not honor God and can lead others astray.

James 3 in particular- see these verses (13-16):

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

The battle against self is fought every moment of every day.  That desire to indulge in food beyond what I need, the tendency to spend my day looking forward to time that I can spend doing what I want, not consumed with caring for other people’s needs (my children and my family in particular) and then people from church and friends.

Do you ever avoid answering the phone b/c you really don’t feel like talking to someone- though you know they may need to talk to you?

Maybe instead of reaching out to someone, you stay home and read a book or watch TV shows instead of being a listening ear for someone who needs a friend?

Do you find yourself annoyed by interruptions in your day rather than prayerfully being watchful about who God might want to use you to minister to today?

I was feeling convicted about this today- and thinking again about how I need to use Scripture to combat these feelings of selfishness- I deserve it-type feelings that raise to the surface at times.

If we look at Jesus as our example-He spent His life prayerfully seeking God and taking some time to rest- but a great deal of His time was spent teaching, and serving those around Him.

Just to have a bit of His passion and sense of purpose- to eagerly approach opportunities to serve God and be a witness to those around me.  That is my prayer today.


What Kind of Seed Are You?

  By Rachel | February 6, 2012 - 2:42 am | Thoughts for the Day
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English: An etching by Jan Luyken illustrating...

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What kind of seed are you? It still echoes in my mind, the imprint of this night forever preserved  in my memory.   I had heard the parable of the sower before- and I remember thinking up what I thought was a really deep answer to the question.  I said something like, “Well, I think that sometimes I get choked by the weeds, but I have made it to the fertile soil where I am able to be fruitful and understand God’s Word and do what it says.”

First, if you are unfamiliar with this passage- the parable of the sower actually appears in several of the Gospels- Matthew, Mark, and Luke.

I am posting the passage from Matthew 13.

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake. 2 Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore. 3 Then he told them many things in parables, saying: “A farmer went out to sow his seed. 4 As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. 5 Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. 6 But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. 9 Whoever has ears, let them hear.”

Later in the chapter, Jesus explains the meaning of the parable:

18 “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. 20 The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. 21 But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. 22 The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. 23 But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.”

Now, my youth pastors zinger that has made me think about this passage in a different light- and still remember 10+ years after high school.  Our youth pastor said, “I don’t want you to think of yourself as one of the seeds, but as the one who scatters seed.  Instead of focusing your thoughts and energy on your own journey with God- be looking for opportunities to share about Jesus with those around you- and allow God to use you to plant seeds of His Word in the hearts and minds of your peers at school.”

As a high schooler, this was such a transformational thought for me.  I think partially because in high school- and at that stage of life- we tend to be more me-focused.  And I had never really thought of myself as someone God could use like that in someone else’s life.  It was so exciting!  I remember being humbled by this revelation he shared, because this thought had never crossed my mind.  I talked about Jesus with others, but wow, I could spread seeds- and maybe those seeds would find good soil and grow- by the Grace of God.

And remembering this story makes me thankful for my youth pastor.  A man who lives with passion his love for Jesus and his commitment to his family. And who planted a seed in my life that I have never forgotten.

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