Tag Archives: thoughts for the day

From Weeping…

  By Rachel | April 1, 2012 - 6:36 pm | Thoughts for the Day
1 Comment

Sadness
I have been crying.  Sobs that shake my body, wails, moans and groans.  Have you ever cried so hard it hurt?  I have been sore, feeling like my whole body has fought a battle.

Grief and sadness fell like a veil around me, everything was altered looking through its lense.  My heart was heavy.

During one of these intense times of crying, I was sitting in my car.  I felt that still, small voice just say simply- “I am here.”

It brought so much comfort.  Not just knowing that God is present with me, but that He understands.  He knows me- He sees me- all of me- and still loves me.  Even in my lowest and most vile moments.

I want to talk to someone- to explain to them how I feel- but I don’t know that I really could.  Some of it is beyond words- just this season- what God has laid on my heart- and my own personal struggles.

My heart is breaking for the innocent- but many of the tears I have cried are for the guilty and lost- those who can’t see how much they need Jesus.  Those who have bought the lies of this world- and are suffering.

I am a passionate person.  I cry easily-  I laugh easily-  I am touched by little, seemingly insignificant things.  A look from my child, a verse of a song, a note from a friend, a clever joke from my husband- and I can be in the depths of despair at the beginning of the day and rejoicing and dancing in jubilation at the end.

Sometimes I lament for my lack of consistency- the way my moods wax and wane- how I feel some burdens for people so deeply it feels like my heart is splitting open.

God has made us all differently- I like to hope that as there are weaknesses and problems that come with being so tender and passionate- there are also ways that God can use it for His glory.

And that no matter where we are- on the mountain top- in the valley-or anywhere in between- we can know that God is there with us always.

The following are some verses from Ecclesiastes that have brought comfort to me this week.  I encourage you to take the time to read the whole book and to let God speak to you.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-14

A Time for Everything

1 There is a time for everything,
   and a season for every activity under the heavens:

 2 a time to be born and a time to die,
   a time to plant and a time to uproot,
 3 a time to kill and a time to heal,
   a time to tear down and a time to build,
 4 a time to weep and a time to laugh,
   a time to mourn and a time to dance,
 5 a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
   a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
 6 a time to search and a time to give up,
   a time to keep and a time to throw away,
 7 a time to tear and a time to mend,
   a time to be silent and a time to speak,
 8 a time to love and a time to hate,
   a time for war and a time for peace.

 9 What do workers gain from their toil? 10 I have seen the burden God has laid on the human race. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. 12 I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live. 13 That each of them may eat and drink, and find satisfaction in all their toil—this is the gift of God. 14 I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that people will fear him.

Ecclesiastes 12:9-14  The Conclusion of the Matter

9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but he also imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. 10The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.

 11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd. 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.

   Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.

 13 Now all has been heard;
   here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
   for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
   including every hidden thing,
   whether it is good or evil.

There is nothing new under the sun- God, our creator, our Savior- He is the answer to all that we seek- our place of rest and peace.

morning walk series

Promoting Unity

  By Rachel | March 22, 2012 - 6:38 pm | Thoughts for the Day
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holding hands

Have you ever told someone that you would do something for them, only to forget, or find circumstances crowding in- making it difficult to fulfill your commitment?

I had that happen this week.  I told another Mom that we would get our kids together, and I completely forgot.  I didn’t call until almost 24 hours later.  I felt so bad, and I called as soon as I remembered and apologized- but that doesn’t erase the fact that I failed to be faithful to a commitment that I made to call her and get together.

Things happen, unexpected things- and sometimes we have a good reason for being unable to follow through with a commitment- but other times I think (and speaking mostly of myself here) selfish reasons keep us from making that extra effort to reach out to others.

Then why do we say we will do things in the first place?  Is it simply that it feels good to say that we will be there, but when the rubber meets the road- we just don’t want to make the effort?

I have felt convicted about this in my own life- and am trying to no longer say- I will be there, or I can do that- unless I mean it.

Sharing life with others isn’t easy- we all have people in our life we don’t get along with- people who rub us the wrong way.  But esp. within the body of Christ, unity suffers because we are holding onto negative perceptions of people.

For example, when we are not able to fulfill a commitment, we make excuses in our mind and find those valid.  But what about the person who we are not there to help or do not call back?

Do they know why we didn’t follow through?

Do we hold a grudge when people fail to be there when they say they will?  Are you holding onto anger because of something someone said?

These things cause rifts in the church- soon some people won’t talk to other people, and the injuries pile up only because we fail to seek unity- to make it a priority- to foster it- to protect and guard it- knowing that when we stand together we are indeed stronger.

Ephesians 4:1-6, 14-16, 25-32

1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.

25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold. 28Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

 29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

We are members of one body- I encourage you to read all of Ephesians 4- it is a wonderful passage about the church and the different gifts God has given and His desire for us to be unified in love and purpose so that our ministry will be effective.

At BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) we talked about the seven most essential things that we must hold to- There is one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all (see verses 4-5 above).

I pray that we as the church will pursue peace and unity with each other.  Take the initiative to bind up wounded relationships- seek forgiveness and reconciliation.  Be a peacemaker.

Forgive people when they make insensitive remarks or fail to follow through on commitments- that doesn’t mean not addressing the wrong- which in some cases you may need to do- but however they receive it- let us let go of it- to preserve unity and seek peace.

How are you using your gifts to strengthen the church?

How can you seek unity this week?

trust

Seeking to Savor Life

  By Rachel | March 19, 2012 - 8:23 pm | Thoughts for the Day
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Solitude
I can remember days when I wished the day were over- I can remember days that I wished would never end.

I can remember seasons of rushing through my days- every moment accounted for- church, work, school, sports, exercising, eating, sleeping, studying- and volunteering with youth group, a small group, or coaching a youth soccer team.

There are sweet memories from that season of life- but I would say that my favorite time is now.

God knows best- yes, I believe it.  Because things could have turned out differently for me.  I could have been a workaholic- I am a perfectionist and love to have affirmation from people.

Yet, God drew me away- into my home- with my children.  I am more lonely now than I have ever been in my life.

I have days where I hardly leave the house- my social life has dwindled to a slow trickle.

Some days I feel invisible…

But, there has been no season of my life when I have felt nearer to God.  Separated from the busyness of my former life- I hear God’s voice more clearly.

In times of silence, times of quiet stillness.  I feel peace like I have never known before.

I have time to savor life- I don’t always choose to do it, but I have seen the blessing of it- more now than ever.

I know my children play a part in my new appreciation for the blessing of life.  For the flowers, for the birds singing, watching planes fly across the sky, picking out shapes in clouds, giving life to inanimate objects, pretending.

Most days I stop and thank God for my children- for my husband, for all the blessings He has given us.  I am so aware of how rich we are.

I am thankful for that awareness, it is so easy to spend this life wishing each day away- urging the hours to tick on, instead of stopping, and savoring- finding joy in seemingly mundane things.
Saying nothing...sometimes says the most!

And in my loneliness, I have found tremendous comfort in Christ.  He continues to remind me of the blessings before me, through His people and His Word- continually urging me to see with His eyes- not focusing on what I lack- but rather what I have in abundance.

I see clearly what Satan longs to do- to take our circumstances and magnify the deficiencies and minimize the blessings- till all we see is what we do not have- and we spend our days pining after those things.

We can spend our entire lives living like the grass is always greener- never really loving where we are right now- always looking back or urging time forward.

So I pray that instead, we will live in the moment- we will look for God’s hand in the every day. I pray that we will savor the simple blessings.

I pray that we will honor Him with our Praise today- and that in our praising we will remember all that He has done- all that He has sacrificed- and take heart in the midst of our own struggles.

Psalm 103

1 Praise the LORD, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

6 The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.

7 He made known his ways to Moses,
his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
15 The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children—
18 with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.

20 Praise the LORD, you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his bidding,
who obey his word.
21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts,
you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the LORD, all his works
everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the LORD, my soul.
Sunrise Serenity

All In A Hard Day’s Work

  By Rachel | March 16, 2012 - 4:24 pm | Thoughts for the Day
1 Comment

dictionary definition: work

Work is rewarding.  I learned this at a young age.  I still remember doing chores each Saturday, painting our whole house one summer, helping wash the car (at home with hose and soap bucket).

Cleaning the house is still a very satisfying thing for me- seeing the floor shine after I scrub it on my hands and knees- looking at the piles of laundry I have washed and folded before I take them to be put away.

Our youth group volunteered to help people (elderly people mostly) in our church who needed help raking their yards, moving or cleaning things in their house, painting a room or area, or any other handy projects that they were not able to physically do anymore.

It was so rewarding.  It feels good to help others.  To do something that serves someone else- to take the time to care.

One of the most disturbing things that I have seen in our country is a generation of people who do not value hard work.

They want to do as little as possible and get as much money as possible for doing it.  If they can get the money without working-even better.

And working at something without earning money?  Forget it.

But what about all that we learn through work?  Through the sweat dripping down our backs, in the doing- we gain experience, competence, but also other unmeasurable (eternal) rewards.

Working the Garden

I spent about an hour today just looking at all the passages in the Bible with the word “work” in them.  Below are just a few.

Colossians 3:23-25

23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for their wrongs, and there is no favoritism.

Proverbs 12:11,13-14,24,27 (if you have time, read the whole passage here)

11 Those who work their land will have abundant food,
but those who chase fantasies have no sense.

13 Evildoers are trapped by their sinful talk,
and so the innocent escape trouble.

14 From the fruit of their lips people are filled with good things,
and the work of their hands brings them reward.

24 Diligent hands will rule,
but laziness ends in forced labor.

27 The lazy do not roast any game,
but the diligent feed on the riches of the hunt.

Proverbs 18:9

9 One who is slack in his work
is brother to one who destroys.

Proverbs 21:25-26

25 The craving of a sluggard will be the death of him,
because his hands refuse to work.
26 All day long he craves for more,
but the righteous give without sparing.

Proverbs 31:17     Wife of Noble Character

17 She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.

Matthew 9:35-38

35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Acts 20:32-36

32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33 I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35 In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ”  36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed.

Jesus refers to His ministry as the work the Father has given Him. Consider- not all “work” is necessarily manual labor, but it still requires a conscious effort on our part to reach out to others around us, to meet others needs whether they be physical, emotional, or spiritual.

Paul calls those who work with him his co-workers in Christ (NIV).

1 Corinthians 4:9-13

9 For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like those condemned to die in the arena. We have been made a spectacle to the whole universe, to angels as well as to human beings. 10 We are fools for Christ, but you are so wise in Christ! We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored! 11 To this very hour we go hungry and thirsty, we are in rags, we are brutally treated, we are homeless. 12 We work hard with our own hands. When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted, we endure it; 13 when we are slandered, we answer kindly. We have become the scum of the earth, the garbage of the world—right up to this moment.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6

4 There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

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.

No matter our age, our earthly experience, our own sins and weaknesses- there is work for all of us to do.  That work may change as life progresses- maybe some seasons will require more physical work while others will call on you to teach what you have learned to the younger generation.

But we must not be idle, and consider carefully who we are working for.  What eternal purpose/value is there in our work?  Are we doing what God has called us to or just what is comfortable?

Warning Against Idleness (2 Thessalonians 3)

6 In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers and sisters, to keep away from every believer who is idle and disruptive and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. 9 We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you to imitate. 10For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.”

 11 We hear that some among you are idle and disruptive. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 12 Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the food they eat. 13 And as for you, brothers and sisters, never tire of doing what is good.

 14 Take special note of anyone who does not obey our instruction in this letter. Do not associate with them, in order that they may feel ashamed. 15 Yet do not regard them as an enemy, but warn them as you would a fellow believer.

I pray that today we would consider the work that God has for us to do-whether you work outside the home or not, whether you see hundreds of people each day or two- what would God have you do?  What work has He prepared in advance for you to do? (Eph. 2:9-10)

Works of Mercy

Coming Home

  By Rachel | March 13, 2012 - 4:50 pm | Thoughts for the Day
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Heaven

What a blessing to spend the past few days surrounded by family.  As the day approached to travel for my Grandmother’s funeral, I felt a sense of apprehension.  It had been so long since I had been with my family, would it be the same?  Would time make for awkward interactions and disjointed conversations?

I felt the doubts starting to weigh on me a little, and the guilt that I didn’t try harder to be with them, to find time to travel- we are all busy with our children, jobs, and commitments in our home states.

Yet, as I met each one of my family members- I felt the time melt away to insignificance as we came together to celebrate the life of a woman of God we all knew- and were blessed to have shared this life with her.

We laughed, we cried, we told stories, we remembered.  I love the remembering- treasuring the times of the past- we are a forgetful people.  We need to remember.

We need to remember all that God has done.  How many times He has answered prayers.  His Faithfulness, His Love.  How easily we forget and can be filled with doubt.

Remembering can also heal us- or simply remind us that God has healed us so many times before.  He has shared our sorrow, held us in our grief, and given us the courage to embrace life once again- to not run away from pain or seek escape.

Today sorrow and grief are pressing me- I feel the weight in my chest, making it hard to breathe.  Emotions are just below the surface, churning, threatening to spill over at any moment.

But I am not running from the pain or sadness.  I feel the depth of loss, what I will miss, letting memories wash over me.  I know that all this will pass- and what will remain is a confident hope and peace.  My Grandmother suffers no longer, she is at peace with her Savior.  I will see her again.

Someday there will be another homecoming.  A friend of the family sang this song at Grandma’s Funeral- it is a favorite of mine- here are the words.

Finally Home

When engulfed by the terror of the tempestuous sea,
Unknown waves before you roll;
At the end of doubt and peril is eternity,
Though fear and conflict seize your soul.

But just think of stepping on shore-And finding it Heaven!
Of touching a hand-And finding it God’s!
Of breathing new air-And finding it celestial!
Of waking up in glory-And finding it home!

When surrounded by the blackness of the darkest night,
O how lonely death can be;
At the end of this long tunnel is a shining light,
For death is swallowed up in victory!

But just think of stepping on shore-And finding it Heaven!
Of touching a hand-And finding it God’s!
Of breathing new air-And finding it celestial!
Of waking up in glory-And finding it home!

 

 

 

Confession is Good for the Soul

  By Rachel | March 5, 2012 - 12:24 am | Thoughts for the Day
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embrace

In our Sunday school class, we were talking about the Lord’s Prayer.  We are doing a study where we use the model of how Jesus taught His disciples to pray, to help guide us in our own personal prayer time.

Today, I was thinking about prayers of confession.  Besides communion Sundays, sometimes I don’t really take the time to confess my sins before the Lord.  Honestly, I may consciously think that something is wrong or a bad decision, but sometimes I don’t actually take the time to pray and ask God for forgiveness and if I have wronged someone else, to ask forgiveness from them too.

The most frequent people that I ask for forgiveness are my children and my husband.  The people I love the most unfortunately at times also see the worst that I have to offer.  Very humbling and at times frustrating.

I just wanted to encourage you (as I have been encouraged by this study today) to take time to confess to God.  I know that these prayers have at many times in my life been very therapeutic. Taking time to confess my short-comings also has a tendency of reminding me how very big our God is- and there is comfort in His Power and Strength- in His Lordship in my life.  Being under His Discipline as His child.

There is safety and peace in that- I know He will not lead me astray.

Praying today that we will seek to break the power of sin by openly confessing those things that keep us from greater intimacy with God, and that we would seek to be reconciled with those whom we have hurt- whether by word or deed.

James 5:13-20

13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

19 My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

 

 

 

 

Neither Hot nor Cold

  By Rachel | March 3, 2012 - 3:43 pm | Thoughts for the Day
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Revelation 3:14-20

14“To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:

These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.

19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
The open church door (explored)This passage has been on my mind a lot lately.  One of the most troubling things I see now in our country is apathy.

What is apathy?

  1. Lack of interest or concern, especially regarding matters of general importance or appeal; indifference.
  2. Lack of emotion or feeling; impassiveness.

Synonyms: coldness, detachment, disinterest, dispassion, disregard, passiveness, unconcern, stoicism

We just don’t care.  That’s a simple way of saying it.  We are concentrating on our own family, and our own concerns, our comforts, our life, our children.

The only problem with this is that as the church God calls us to love our neighbor.  He calls us to defend the defenseless- to take up their cause.  To help the poor, orphan, and widow.

We pay our taxes and decide to let the govt do it- but that’s not what God called us to do.  We are not only supposed to fill people’s pocketbooks.

What does the Bible say about money?  Love of money is the root of all evil (1 Tim. 6:10).  Money can potentially be a dangerous threat to intimacy with God.  We need to be sharing Christ with people AND meeting their needs.

Does the govt tell people about Jesus when they pay for their food stamps or Social Security?  Do they share about how God can heal us when they go in for their doctor appointments with Medicare and Medicaid?

It is a lazy answer.  We don’t want to get our hands dirty- to deal with interacting with people who haven’t bathed, may not have all their teeth, may not speak English well, maybe they don’t know how to read, or maybe they have been addicted to drugs or alcohol. They might not be like us.

But who did Jesus spend his time with?  That’s what disturbs me when I read Scripture.  I see myself (and the church in the US) more and more as the Pharisees and Sadducees- those who Jesus called white washed tombs.  We appear on the outside to be holy and do the things we are supposed to do- but inside our hearts- in our spirits- we are far from the things of God.

Matthew 23:25-39  Jesus is teaching here- the beginning of Matthew 23 is also very applicable to this discussion.

25 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Go ahead, then, and complete what your ancestors started!

33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

It gets messy when you open yourself up to love people.  Especially when you don’t know how they will respond.  To give in relationships where you do not expect to get anything in return.  We are used to equitable relationships- people who can do things for us if we do things for them.

The truth is- I am discovering this- the getting messy part- all over again.  It is easy to forget how hard it is to put yourself out there- to loan money to someone and they don’t pay you back.  And then they stop calling you.  Suddenly you are no longer their friend- and you are wondering if they ever were your friend or were just waiting to take money from you.

Sometimes we look foolish to others- they make judgments about whether or not we should have helped someone.  But what is more important?

It’s hard.  But no matter how many times we help, or what the outcome is, God calls us to continue.  To learn to give, not expecting anything in return and to share the gospel.

So I pray that this week we will be open to opportunities to reach out to the “least of these.” (Mat. 25:40,45) And that we would step out in faith and serve- trusting God with the outcome.

Impatiens sodenii 'Madonna' #2

Trust God to bring our bud to glorious flower.

 

Lessons at Walmart

  By Rachel | February 28, 2012 - 6:19 pm | Thoughts for the Day
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Walmart Clareview - Entrance

Before I went to Walmart yesterday with the kiddos, I was praying for some opportunities to chat with people in the store, or just smile and make eye contact with people, inviting conversation.

I was walking through the store and had almost wrapped up my shopping, when I saw a lady just coming in the store.  When I made eye contact with her and smiled, she immediately started talking to me.

She quickly starting sharing things about her family. We had a nice chat for about ten minutes, and then we said goodbye and she went to shop and I got bought my things and went home.

After I got home and was working outside in the garden, I started to feel some regret from how I handled the situation.

I wished I would have prayed with her, or at least asked her if she wanted to pray.  And then I wished that I had asked if she went to church somewhere and invited her to come to church with me.

Sometimes I miss my college days, when I was so bold in my witness- I remember saying- and writing in my journal- “They just need Jesus.”

But as I have gotten older, and I have seen more pain and hurt, and have dealt with questions I can’t answer- I think I have lost some of my boldness.  Why?  My faith in God is stronger today than it ever has been.  I have witnessed answers to prayer, have seen God’s provision in our lives- I feel the freedom of His forgiveness and have felt the Holy Spirit working in my life.

So why do I hesitate to share?  Though I may not be certain of the why- I know that I want to always be willing and paying attention- so that I do not miss another opportunity to share about Jesus.

He has transformed my life- and having children has fanned the flame of my desire to know Him more into a roaring blaze at times- I feel so desperate for God’s help.  I want to raise our children to know God and love Him, to serve Him every day of their life.  I want to protect them from the evil in this world.

But I know that I can’t always be with them.  What a comfort it is to know that God is always there for them!  That He loves them even more dearly than I.

So, my prayer today is one for boldness.  That I may be faithful to share God’s good news with everyone I meet.

He calls us to share with others- and how they respond isn’t our responsibility- but we must always be ready to share- no matter where we are- even in Walmart.

1 Peter 3:13-18

13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. “Do not fear their threats; do not be frightened.” 15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 For it is better, if it is God’s will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.

If God has truly changed us, if we are living in peace and freedom- with an eternal hope- then shouldn’t we want to share that?

I pray that we will be bold to share our testimony with others, and to live out our faith daily- to willingly submit to being changed into Christ’s image (2 Cor. 3:18).

Reaching Out

Prayer Tree

 

Living to Please…?

  By Rachel | February 27, 2012 - 4:36 pm | Thoughts for the Day
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Bath In The Light

Who are we living to please?  This was the thought running through my head all day yesterday- because people-pleasing has always been a struggle- and the dreaded “comparing myself to others.”

1 Thessalonians 2:1-6  (working for the Lord- not to please man)

1 You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. 2 We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. 3 For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. 4 On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. 5 You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. 6 We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority.

I want to become more like Paul.  But how do we stop?  Tell me if you also have found yourself doing some of these things.

Being proud of what I have accomplished, and that I am not like others doing those “really bad things.”

Or commending ourselves for those things that we feel convicted about- for how much we are sacrificing- and seeing others who we don’t think are giving enough.

Comparing ourselves to others, looking to others to affirm us, taking too seriously others rejection and censure, seeking to please man before God.

I was reading 2 Cor. 10 as part of my “homework” for BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) this week- and I came across this verse-(v12)- We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves.  But when they measure themselves by one another, and compare themselves with one another, they do not show good sense.

Now I am a big fan of reading things in context- esp. with Scripture- to avoid the tendency to make it say what we want it to say- but I love what Paul says here.  And in context he is speaking to his own limitations and that his conscience is clear, he has done what he believes was required of him and does not concern himself with others expectations, nor does he boast in anything but the Lord alone (vs. 17).

It is so easy though to compare ourselves to others.  I find myself doing it far too often.

Apples & Oranges - They Don't Compare

Making sweeping judgments about people that I don’t even really know.  Or at least, not intimately enough to account for how they spend every moment of their day.

The comparison game drives people apart in churches all the time-we make assumptions about people – thinking we give more time than they do and why don’t they give more- or how can they not be passionate about this ministry or am I the only person who cares about ____ (fill in the blank)?

But so often we give ourselves the benefit of the doubt while assuming the worst of others.

People have a tendency to exhibit a self-serving attribution bias, that is to attribute positive thoughts and motives to our own actions but negative thoughts and motives to factors beyond one’s control e.g. others, chance or circumstance.

This is a known and studied psychological principle.  Watch for it, and you will be amazed how often we see it in action.

Example: Have you ever been driving somewhere and realized you weren’t paying attention and were doing 10 miles below the speed limit- then you look in your rear view mirror and see someone riding your bumper?  You may think to yourself- “geez, no need to be so impatient”- or feel offended that this person is riding your bumper.

We immediately may assume this person is a reckless driver and rude for riding so close behind us.  But what if they have a family emergency?  We don’t know what is causing them to drive fast, yet, I believe we have a tendency to get defensive- to protect and defend our own motives while assuming others have the worst.

Here are the two points to take away with you:

  1. Let’s work to please God first and foremost- and even at the exclusion of man at times.
  2. Recognize our tendency as humans to compare ourselves with others and to rule more favorably for ourselves- and pray that God will help you to cultivate humility and compassion for others.

All these things serve only to distract us from seeking to please God first and last.  We are not to seek to please people- and if we do or we don’t- that should not influence our desire to serve in the capacity the Lord has called us to.

We are only to obey Him- for He holds us accountable and knows our hearts like no man ever could.

Paul’s confidence and ability to suffer many trials for Christ was directly related to His right thinking about this very thing.  He did not concern himself with pleasing man, but only with what was pleasing to God.

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 (This section of 1 Thess.  is called Living to Please God (in the NIV))

1 As for other matters, brothers and sisters, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more. 2For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.

 3 It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, 5 not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; 6 and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. 7 For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. 8 Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.

 9 Now about your love for one another we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. 10 And in fact, you do love all of God’s family throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, 11 and to make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, 12 so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.

I pray that today we may seek to be obedient to God’s call on our lives, to repent for the sin in our own lives, and with humility consider others above ourselves (Phil 2:3).

 

Intentional Living

  By Rachel | February 19, 2012 - 6:24 pm | Thoughts for the Day
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Reach Out!

Being a parent has made me even more aware of how important it is for being to make conscious effort in thinking about my priorities.  What do I spend my day doing?  What is most important to me?  And how do my actions either confirm or raise suspicion concerning what my priorities really are?

I am a planner, so usually first thing as the day begins, I have started a mental list of all the things that I want to get accomplished.

I like productivity- to be able to see something tangible that shows how productive my day has been-an immaculately clean house, a new crochet project completed, 3 chapters written in my book, a delicious meal prepared.

Life changed for me forever with the entrance of our two little miracles (our children).  They have thrown a wonderfully inconvenient wrench in all my plans and guided me towards what is really important.

Sometimes I forget to look for the eternal significance of things.  How am I spending my time furthering God’s kingdom here on earth?  Am I making a conscious effort to reach out to those around me with God’s love?  Am I in tune with the Holy Spirit?

Am I even listening to where God is guiding me today?

Through my children, and the love I have for them, God has been calling to me, to hear His voice- to be obedient to His call- and that has taken me places- and into situations that I never imagined.  It is not always easy, but it is so good-so good.

And I find myself trying for the first time in my life- to order my days according to someone else’s will and not my own.  Letting my own selfish wishes and wants be pushed aside as I listen to God’s call- my children have guided me out of a selfish existence.  I don’t think I even realized how consumed I was with self at times.

I think our society places so much emphasis on self and pleasure for the self, instant gratification, treat yourself- that sometimes we don’t wonder- or even ask, what God wants from us- what He is trying to teach us- how He is trying to use us.

Colossians 3:1-17

1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is yourlife, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

I pray that we will have the mind of Christ- that we seek opportunities to serve- to open ourselves up to God’s leading- to listen.