I'm a Little Tea Cup

My favorite restaurant is The English Tea Room. It feels fancy, but comfortable. Every reservation is for two hours, and it’s delightful to sit and enjoy the experience without feeling rushed. They have over 260 varieties of teas (varieTEAS?) and, though I’ve been many times, I’ve only sampled a portion of their menu.

At your table you will find a tea cup and teaspoon at each seat and a bowl of white and brown sugar cubes in the center of the table with a tiny, delicate pair of tongs. Your server will ask which tea you want and offer suggestions (which is a relief, because 260 teas is a lot to choose from). Once you’ve decided, they will make your tea and bring it to you piping hot in a small teapot that holds about three tea cups-worth of your selection of tea, along with your choice of milk or cream (I always choose cream).

Every time, it’s a beautiful moment when you pour your tea from your own little teapot into your dainty tea cup, add a sugar cube (or two… or three… I won’t judge) and a spot of cream, then take your first sip. Ah. This is what tea is supposed to be like.

Now I’ll be the first to admit, I can be a bit clumsy. But, oh, when I’m holding that tea cup I try to use gentle, yet strong hands so I won’t spill. I’m holding precious contents, after all. I do love my tea, and I sure don’t want to break the beautiful tea cup. I want to make sure it’s well taken care of and safe.

I, too, am a tea cup. I’m beautifully made. I’m fragile and can be broken. I need to be washed clean, especially on the inside when I get nasty. (nasTEA? Okay, I'll stop now.)

Thankfully, I’m in very capable hands. The Lord’s hands are far more sturdy and stable and dependable than my own. He loves me and He cares for me and He holds me in gentle, loving hands. It is for this reason I can trust Him. Should I fall (away from him) and be broken (by sin), my Maker picks me back up and glues me back together. Sure, you can still see the spots where I was broken, but that is just proof of my testimony. I once was in pieces, but my Savior came to my rescue and restored me.

And now I rest, in His sure hands, a dainty little teacup, with quite a few cracks He’s repaired, overflowing with His joy and Spirit.

Taking the Scenic Route

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Whenever you’re going from one place to another, do you grab your phone and search for directions for the fastest way? See if there’s a shortcut? I do now, but I haven’t always done that. There was a time in my life when I searched for directions that kept me off the interstate--even if it took a longer time. The interstate scared me. All those lanes of traffic, so many cars and 18-wheelers. Instead of driving in fear and anxiousness, I preferred to take the longer route so I could drive in peace. Knowing I wouldn’t have to face my fear made it easier to get in my car, put it in drive, and go to my destination.

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. (Exodus 13: 17-18)

In the verses above, we see that God used this same tactic with the Israelites when he freed them from slavery in Egypt. God didn’t let them take the shortcut out of slavery. He made them go the long route.

When we were dating, Casey sent me this text and it was so special that I still have a screenshot of it. “We live in a time where we want to take the ‘fastest route’ but God likes to take the scenic route. Sometimes it feels like the long way and life gets pretty bumpy going God’s way, but we would miss out on so many beautiful things in the end if we go our own way.”

Why did God make the Israelites take the scenic route? Because He knew that if they went through the land of the Philistines, they would encounter war. And if they encountered war, they would be so disappointed that they would be driven back to Egypt and back to slavery before ever getting a taste of freedom. He didn’t let them take the shortcut out of slavery because it wouldn’t work. Only the long route would keep them out of bondage.

An old friend of mine suffered from pornography since he was a young teenager. Many times, he tried to give it up. But he wasn’t strong enough on his own to quit. He went back to it every time. He begged God to take the desire away from him. God didn’t do it. And so, eventually, he gave up trying. He instead made excuses for his behavior. If God didn’t want to take away his desire for porn, then maybe God didn’t care enough.

It absolutely broke my heart as I watched over time as he gave up completely on God. He was angry at God because God didn’t take away his desire to consume pornography. But, just like the Israelites, sometimes God won’t let us take the shortcut out of our own slavery. Instead of taking away our sinful desires, God wants us to instead learn to depend on His strength to deliver us from temptation. 

But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

God didn’t promise to take away temptation--instead He promised a way out. He may not take away your sinful desires, but He will help you overcome them if you allow Him to. Every single time you turn to God instead of giving in to that fleshly desire, you take a step in the right direction. Even if you mess up occasionally and find yourself going backwards, every time you give it to God, you are in the process of creating a new habit. Many steps make a mile, and one day, you will look behind you to see how many miles are between you now and where you came from. 

If you are a slave to sin (and we all are in different ways), don’t be disappointed in God when He leads you on the scenic route instead of the shortcut. He wants you to make a lasting change that will lead you out of slavery. Many times, the shortcut won’t work. It will lead you to disappointment, and you will run right back to your chains. Though God’s way oftentimes feels “inconvenient,” the scenic route is much more beautiful and satisfying than going your own way. Because of the scenic route, you’ll find eternal freedom.

When You're Stuck on the Ark

In case you were wondering, it’s really hard to type when a huge cat is trying to sit on your keyboard and reach your hands because he needs pets. That has nothing to do with this, but Sushi is making things a little difficult right now by doing just that. 

Okay, moving on. (Slowly and with much difficulty, because of said fat cat.)

I’m personally pretty amazed by Noah. Noah was a man who trusted God wholeheartedly. When God said that rain was gonna fall and Noah needed to build a boat, Noah didn’t question God, even though this idea sounded crazy. He just obeyed God. Even when people made fun of him. I mean, I found it hard enough in high school when I looked different from everyone else for wearing skirts every day. I wasn’t doing anything THAT weird. And yet here’s a guy building a BOAT and animals start appearing out of nowhere. Yeah, I’d think he’s weird.

But Noah held on to God’s Word, trusting Him, even though he didn’t know what the outcome was going to be.

Today I was thinking what life on the ark must have been like. When I was in high school, I went on a cruise with my best friend. I got sea sick a few times, which wasn’t fun. Thankfully they had medicine for that.

One evening, we were all dressed up in our fancy wear walking around the boat taking photos on my little pink camera when the boat tipped. Not a little. But A LOT. I was afraid the boat was going to flip, it tilted that much. But the party didn’t stop in the casino we had snuck into (because the bar in there had smoothies) and the crew wasn’t freaking out, so when the boat righted, we tried to act calm. (Funny aside, Juju’s mom came running into the lobby wearing a life jacket, urging us to put one on too. “If y’all want to die, that’s fine, but I refuse to.”) Later we learned that there had been a fire in the engine room or something. I don’t know boat terms, but there was a fire where a fire should not have been.

All that to say that I can only imagine it was much worse on the ark. I mean, maybe not, since God designed the boat and all that. But still, it was probably a very bumpy ride, and it was not just a week cruise.

See, on my cruise we got to relax. We ate food prepared by talented chefs, enjoyed the spa services, were waited on hand and foot by the amazing crew. Not so much for Noah and fam--they WERE the crew.

And man, their jobs were TOUGH. Who even knows how many animals were on that ship?

Casey and I have a dog and two cats and we deal with enough craziness. Both cats got baths yesterday and we both have battle scars. Between the inside animals and the neighborhood cats we feed (and the racoons and opposums that come for midnight snack), we go through A LOT of food. Keeping all the animals on the boat fed was probably a full time job. On top of that, Noah was the caretaker for them. The vet. Any sick animals? Here comes Dr. Noah! And what if the rain scared the animals? Oxford gets so scared when there is lightning and thunder. Can you imagine if the horses started freaking out because of the weather outside?

Oh, and the smell. Ew. When one of our cats uses the litter box I immediately start lighting every candle in the house. I don’t even want to imagine what it must have smelled like on the boat.

I just heard some strange noises coming from the dining room and had to go see what Tigger was getting into. Thankfully he’s just playing with some seashells he found in a bowl. The other day I heard something and walked into the kitchen to find Sushi walking out with a bag of treats in his mouth. The bag of treats that had been on top of the refrigerator. Poor Noah and co. They had hundreds of animals to tend to and then there were these two CATS being little stinkers and getting into EVERYTHING.

So yeah. I can imagine that being on the ark wasn’t a very pleasant experience. You’re dealing with nausea because sea sickness. Spending all day feeding animals and all night yelling at them to SHUT UP, IT’S SLEEP TIME NOT PLAY TIME! (Can you tell we’ve said this to the cats once or twice--or every night--at midnight?) There are fleas and flies EVERYWHERE. (Seriously God, why couldn’t we have left them off the ark?) It smells so bad you’re wondering if maybe it would be okay to open a window. You started out with two rabbits and now there are 57. You’re trying to feed the camels and the boat hits a wave and tilts and an elephant comes flying at you, nearly squishing you to death. The giraffe starts freaking out and you look over to see that the cat thought its neck was a tree trunk and--as cute as that little orange fluffball is--he needs a spanking but is making you chase him all over the ark because he knows what’s coming.

I’d be so ready to GET OFF THAT BOAT ALREADY! And, according to the Biblical timeline, Noah and fam were on the boat for around a year. I’d be sick of the animals, sick of my family, sick of the smelly air. I’d be so done. As soon as that boat stopped moving, I’d be opening up the door and saying, “Everybody, OUT!”

But Noah didn’t do that. Because Noah is a much better person than I am. (Thankfully.) In fact, he didn’t even open a window for a while! (Gen 8:6)

If I’m understanding correctly, it was at least 200 days before Noah even opened the door. He used wisdom and patience, knowing that it was not a good idea to step out of that ark yet. The earth wasn’t ready, as confirmed by the dove. Noah waited on the Lord to tell him to move on.

I’m drinking hot tea right now (well, okay, it’s gone cold because I’m too wordy) and the mug says “Bloom where you are planted.” Sometimes I need this reminder because I’m ready to move to the next stage God has for me. The next stage in my ministry. The next stage in my family. The next house. The next missions trip. I really want God to speed up.

But God has my best interest in mind. Isaiah 55:8-9 says:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.

If Noah had left the boat too early, the earth would not be ready to receive him. Maybe it would have still been muddy. Can you imagine reaching for freedom but then an elephant gets stuck in the mud outside the ark and causes the line to back up?

When Noah left the boat, be began farming (Gen 8:20). Most likely, the ground wasn’t ready for farming yet. What if he tried anyway? I don’t know much about farming, but I’m pretty sure it wouldn’t work.

Noah knew that doing things on his own terms was a bad idea--he waited for God during the difficult time, knowing that God would not fail him.

This is something I’m working on. To wait on the Lord, be patient, use wisdom, and grow where I am right now. I don’t want to rush God. I want to let him fully prepare my future (and myself) before I step into it. Especially when I look at my past, I see the times I tried to walk into my future before I was supposed to. It ended so horribly. It caused me so much hurt and pain. But, also looking at my past, I can see how beautifully things turned out when I waited on God. When I withstood the test and the tough stuff and said, “Not my will but Yours be done.” It wasn’t easy. But it was worth it.

And here I am again in the same boat (pun accidentally intended but appropriate), saying “Not my will, but Yours.” Still wanting things to go faster and for God to step on it. Asking if maybe we can just open the window and get a glimpse outside. Worrying, even though I know I can trust Him because He gave me a promise. Even though I know He’s just getting everything together so I can experience the beauty He has in store for me. Things may stink now (both figuratively and literally--where’s those candles?), but that just makes the breath of fresh air seem even more beautiful.

I’m ready to step outside the boat and take a deep breath, but I’m waiting. I’m trying to learn patience. Trying to slow down and appreciate the here and now. Allow myself to bloom where I am planted. Let God work on me so I’m ready for what He has in store for me.

There’s a rainbow in my future. And it’s going to be beautiful.

How to Fight For Your Friends

*I'm currently doing a study of David and want to share with you what I learn along the way! Today we're in 1 Samuel 20. See the first post here!*

The reason I first fell in love with the story of David was because of his friendship with Jonathan. I think there is something so beautiful about true friendship. Surely, the friendship between Jonathan and David is true.

Let’s backtrack. Who is Jonathan? Jonathan is the prince. The son of King Saul. Yeah, that king. The one who wants to kill David.

So David’s bestie’s dad wants to kill him. And since David is married to King Saul’s daughter, that means that King Saul is also his father-in-law. Can you say family drama???

Jonathan and David became friends right after David killed Goliath. You know how there are some people you immediately click with? That’s how it was with these two. They were instantly best friends and even made a covenant to prove it, which in Bible times was a very serious thing!

And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan took off the robe he was wearing and gave it to David, along with his tunic, and even his sword, his bow and his belt. 1 Samuel 18:3-4

I find this part so interesting. The prince--the one who should be the future king--removes his princely garments and weapons and hands them to the one who will one day take the throne. Wow.

Jonathan is very unlike his father. He makes a covenant with David. He keeps it. Even when he realizes that David will be the next king instead of him. He doesn’t become jealous of David like Saul does, but rather supports David as the future King of Israel. Jonathan is a true friend and gives us an example to follow in our own friendships.

Jonathan stood up for David when the king tried to kill David. He fought David’s case against King Saul, trying to convince the king to let David be. King Saul threw his javelin at Jonathan. (1 Samuel 20:33) Jonathan believed David was worth fighting for. Worth dying for. (Don’t worry, Saul has bad aim and Jonathan was fine.)

We can learn so much about friendship from Jonathan, but one thing that stands out to me is his bravery.

Think of your friend. Maybe your best friend. I have three and I’m very protective of them. If someone hurts me, I’m like, “I’m tough. I can handle it.” But someone does my friend wrong and I’m like, “Excuse you! What are you doing to my beautiful cinnamon roll?!”

Honestly, feeling like that about your friend is a good thing. (To a point. Starting fights is no bueno.) It means that you care for your friend enough to stand up for them.

Just like Jonathan’s bestie David was attacked, your friend will be attacked too at some point. Probably not with a javelin, but very likely with words. Mean words, things that aren’t true, things that ARE true but should be left alone, things from the past, untrue lies. Sometimes these are lies that others are spreading, but sometimes (probably most times) these are thoughts inside your friend’s head.

Today I read a quote by Ney Bailey that says, “The only power that Satan has is in his lies and getting us to believe them.”

Wow. That hit me hard. Because I’ve been there. I’ve believed the lies about myself. “You’re worthless.” “God can’t use you because of your past.” “Nobody loves you.” “No one will ever love you.”

Do you know what helped me overcome those lies? My friends.

When I felt unloved, Rachel told me that I was surrounded by love.

When I felt insignificant, Julianne told me that I am more than enough.

When I felt worthless, Sis. Pam told me my worth was in Christ, not in myself.

When I felt like God couldn’t use me because of my past, Sarah told me that God was going to take me on an adventure beyond my wildest dreams.

I believed the things that my friends told me and found myself no longer believing the lies. My friends reminded me of truth.

The Bible says that truth will set us free. (John 8:32)

Truth has allowed me to overcome worthlessness. It’s taught me how to trust again. It’s shown me that I have purpose.

Speak truth over your friends. Speak truth over yourself. Watch how the lives around you change as you speak TRUTH and fight those nasty lies. You and your friends will no longer be susceptible to the devil’s only “power”.

Fight lies with truth. This is how we will overcome.

Shameless Persistence

*I'm taking a break this week from the study of 1 Samuel, but I'll be back soon with more David!*

I’m involved in an amazing program called the Student Action Leadership Team (SALT) and it is truly my heartbeat. Over the years I’ve taken on more and more responsibility, and now I’m one of the coordinators. Part of my job is handling online registration. Which is pretty easy to manage. IF people actually fill out the application.

See, what happens is that people forget to fill it out. (I can’t blame them. I’m a total procrastinator, too.) Then I have to contact the veterans, the people who SHOULD know what they’re doing because they’ve been doing SALT for YEARS, and tell them that they MUST fill out the form. (Trying not to rant here, ha!) I’ve finally learned that telling them once usually doesn’t work. I have to bug them repeatedly, text them every week, nag them at the planning meetings, for them to fill out the form.

I hate doing it. I hate nagging. I hate having to remind them. I’m not a confrontational type of person, so I just don’t like it. But I’ve learned that there are times when being persistent is necessary.

One of those times is prayer.

Sometimes I struggle with praying for the same thing over and over again. Like, God already heard me. Surely He’s getting annoyed that I keep talking to Him about the same thing over and over again. But that isn’t true.

In Luke 11:5-8, Jesus tells a parable that explains how prayer should work: be persistent until your prayer is answered.

Jesus said to them, “If one of you has a friend and goes to him in the night and says, ‘Friend, give me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine is on a trip and has stopped at my house. I have no food to give him.’ The man inside the house will say, ‘Do not trouble me. The door is shut. My children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give you bread.’ I say to you, he may not get up and give him bread because he is a friend. Yet, if he keeps on asking, he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

Luke 11:5-8

In my Bible next to this parable I wrote: shameless persistence.

See, the man in the house doesn’t get up because he’s friends with you. He gets up because you bug him enough that he gives in. Shameless persistence.

The verses after explain that as we persist in prayer, we should progress in intensity.

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
Luke 11:9-10

Ask: Verbalize your requests to God
Seek: Continue approaching God, as if you’re looking for something you’ve lost.
Knock: Persist until the door is open. Keep praying. Pray more intensely and aggressively.

Wow. This parable totally debunks the myth that we only need to pray once for something! Yes, God knows the need, but He wants us to continue approaching Him for it. He WANTS to give us things, but He also wants us to ASK him for it.

So I’m doing it. I have things I’ve been praying for years and I haven’t seen any results, so I kind of backed off on those prayers. Not anymore. I’m bringing them before God again, and I’m not feeling guilty that I keep praying the same thing again and again. I want to be shamelessly persistent, even if it doesn’t feel like it’s doing any good, so I can see those prayers answered!

The Father's Correction

*I'm currently doing a study of David and want to share with you what I learn along the way! Today we're in 1 Samuel 18. See the first post here!*

When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with timbrels and lyres. As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” Saul was very angry; this refrain displeased him greatly. “They have credited David with tens of thousands,” he thought, “but me with only thousands. What more can he get but the kingdom?” And from that time on Saul kept a close eye on David.

1 Samuel 18: 6-9

Whew, I’d hate to be David right now. He doesn’t know what’s about to happen, but it is NOT a pretty sight. David has gained the favor of the people, but now? The King of Israel has his eye on him. King Saul is just looking for a reason to strike.

How did King Saul get here? He was once an humble guy. How did he go from humble to green with envy, wanting to kill someone?

The answer comes from 1 Samuel 16:14, right after David is anointed to be king and the Spirit comes upon him. “But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul.”

Jealousy. We’ve all faced it. Especially in this day and age. Instagram and Facebook can certainly spark it!

I’ve faced jealousy through my life. Even to this day! Even yesterday to be specific! But I know I’m not supposed to be jealous, so what do I do?

When I feel jealous, I then feel the Spirit correct me. Remind me that I shouldn’t be jealous, but happy for that person. It doesn’t completely take my jealousy away, but I have a tool to help me overcome it. I just have to allow the Lord to help me.

For the LORD corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights.
Proverbs 3:12

The Lord was no longer with King Saul. It’s not that God didn’t love Saul anymore, but Saul was tuned out. He wasn’t connected with God and therefore couldn’t/wouldn’t listen to His correction.

When we aren’t connected with God and don’t allow him to correct our wrongdoings through His marvelous love and grace, we find ourselves in a downward spiral that we can’t get out of without His help.

Jealousy is human nature. If I were the king and all my people were singing songs about how this random kid David was better than me, I’d be jealous too! But the way we fight our human nature—the flesh—is with the Spirit. 

Saul could have conquered his jealousy if he had allowed the Lord to correct him. Instead, his jealousy grew and grew. Just TWO verses after “Saul eyed David,” he tries to kill David!! Twice! And then he tries to kill David more times! The green monster grew until he could no longer control it.

The Bible says that “whoever hates correction is stupid.” (Proverbs 12:1) I definitely feel like stupid is an appropriate word to describe King Saul.

When you fall and fail, allow God to help you. He’s not here to chastise you. He wants to help you up and correct you like a loving father. He has a plan for you and wants to help you accomplish it. So let him. Don’t be like Saul. Don’t be stupid.

The View From Down Here

*I'm currently doing a study of David and want to share with you what I learn along the way! Today we're in 1 Samuel 17. Again. See the first post here!*

David, who was talking to the men standing around him, asked... “Who does he think he is, anyway, this uncircumcised Philistine, taunting the armies of God-Alive?”
1 Samuel 17:26 MSG

Today, let’s back up a little bit. Let’s go back to before the fight.

David isn’t even supposed to be there. I mean, obviously God sends him there to kill Goliath, but David wasn’t already at the battleground. David is not a part of the army. He’s a shepherd who also works part time as the palace musician and Saul’s armor bearer (1 Samuel 17:15). The reason he’s even at the battleground is because his dad sent him to take some food to his brothers who were in the army.

David was just being obedient and going on an errand. He had no idea that errand would change his life.

After David gets there, Goliath comes out tormenting the Israelites (God’s people, the side David is on) and calling for someone to come fight him. Back in these days, sometimes armies would put forth two of their best warriors and let them fight each other. Whoever won got to claim victory for their side. This prevented major bloodshed and loss of life.

So Goliath is out there yelling “FIGHT ME!” and he’s been doing this for FORTY DAYS. And no one has stepped up to fight him yet. Because, oh yeah, he’s NINE FOOT NINE and his armor alone weighs 125 POUNDS. When he comes out, the Israelites are so scared they run away! (1 Samuel 17:24)

But not David. Because David has a secret weapon. It’s not his slingshot. He doesn’t have any superhero powers like invisibility or super strength. The kid doesn’t even have any armor. But what he DOES have is God on his side.

When David sees Goliath, he asks, “Who does he think he is, anyway, this uncircumcised Philistine, taunting the armies of God-Alive?” (1 Samuel 17:26)

While everyone else saw a giant, David saw a mortal man defying his God. And he knew that, with God on his side, Goliath wasn’t a threat.

If David had looked at the situation from a human point of view, it would have been intimidating. David was shorter than Goliath. He had to look UP to Goliath. When a problem seems bigger than us… that’s scary. But David looked at the situation from God’s point of view, and from God’s view, Goliath was just like anyone else. He wasn’t intimidating. Because nothing and no one can intimidate God.

When faced with a situation that seems impossible, we need to be like David instead of the Israelites. The Israelites were afraid of the giant, but David found boldness in the Lord to fight. When we view impossible situations from God’s point of view, our giant doesn’t seem so big anymore.

And that’s when we find the courage to say, “I’ll go fight!”

Height Doesn't Matter

*I'm currently doing a study of David and want to share with you what I learn along the way! Today we're in 1 Samuel 17*

David and Goliath. One is a giant. One… not so much.

Thing is, we don’t really know how tall David was. I was reading 1 Samuel 17 and wondered how much taller Goliath was than David. Goliath is said to be nine foot nine. When David is described, the Bible doesn’t bother to mention his height. I guess it wasn’t important enough to note.

David’s height didn’t matter anyway. He had God on his side.

It didn’t matter how tall he was. It didn’t matter how young he was. It didn’t matter that he wasn’t equipped with armor or a sword or a shield. God was enough.

By human standards, David wasn’t qualified to go out and face Goliath. The boy wasn’t even in the army! He was a shepherd and a musician. An animal-loving harpist does NOT seem like the best guy for the job. And actually… he wasn’t the best guy for the job. There’s someone already there on the battlefield who is very skilled, has tons of experience, and… is tall. That someone is King Saul.

When we meet King Saul in 1 Samuel he’s described as “a head taller than anyone else” (1 Samuel 9:2). In fact, the Bible mentions his height a few times. I guess Saul’s height WAS important enough to note.

So if Saul is the tallest one there, it would seem as though he would be the most capable man for the job, right? But Saul was not called to kill Goliath. God had chosen David.

When God calls us to do something for Him, He gives us what we need—not what we THINK we need. David didn’t need a sword or a shield or a few more feet of height to conquer Goliath. He used what he already had—a slingshot. He already had what he needed.

You may feel like the least capable person for the job. You might be looking at Saul and thinking, “He’s way more capable! He has experience! He has a sword! He’s tall!” Stop comparing yourself to others’ talents, abilities, and experience. If God has called you, then you can rest assured that He has already given you what you need.

You may feel unequipped for what God has called you to do. You might be looking at your slingshot and wishing you had a sword. Just like David’s height, what you don’t have isn’t worth noting. With the Lord on your side, you have everything you need. So go fight your giant.

You Aren't What You Look Like

*I'm currently doing a study of David and want to share with you what I learn along the way! Today we're in 1 Samuel 16. Again*

Last time I touched a little bit on David being anointed as the future king of Israel. Instead of moving forward, let’s hang out here a little longer.

This part of the story is one we cover a lot in kids ministry. We have a skit that we’ve done all around the world (literally—we did it in Singapore and probably Malaysia. I can’t remember) that shows the importance of this part right here.

I mean, obviously it’s important. It’s an extremely important part of Israel’s history—King David being anointed. But it doesn’t go quite how one would expect it to go.

As I mentioned last week, the prophet Samuel had to anoint David in secret so the bad King Saul wouldn’t be all, “I’m killing you for treason!” So when God told Samuel that he needed to go to Bethlehem to anoint one of Jesse’s sons, Samuel told King Saul that he was going to make a sacrifice in Bethlehem. (Which he did, so he wasn’t lying.)

Samuel told Jesse to bring out his sons. He had bunches. Seven or eight of them. (Some of the wording in the Bible is confusing. I personally understand it to be eight sons, but some people say seven. Anyhoo, that’s just a side note and beside the point.)

So Jesse brings out his boys and Samuel looks at the first one, Eliab, and says (and I’m paraphrasing), “I know this has to be the guy God picked!”

But God says, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

Then this happens six more times. Samuel is all, “It’s gotta be this guy!” “Look how handsome this one is!” “Man, this one is strong.” “This guy won the superbowl three years in a row!” “This one is supahhh rich!” Or, ya know, something along those lines anyway. Each son that was put before Samuel LOOKED kingly but God was like, “Nuh uh.”

Finally, it comes down to the point where all the sons have gone before Samuel the prophet and there aren’t any left. So Samuel asks Jesse, “Um, is this all of them? You got any more kids?” And Jesse’s like, “Well… there’s the youngest. He keeps the sheep. But, I mean... he's just the baby.” (1 Samuel 16:11)

And Samuel says, “Go get him."

Okay, let’s pause. You read that right. David wasn’t even there. He wasn't invited to the party. He was still out with the sheep. His family didn’t even bother to go get him for the family meeting. He was literally an outcast in his own family.

Tradition says that David was an illegitimate child. I’m not going into details—you can look into that on your own. But it would sure make a lot of sense, huh? Let’s ban the illegitimate kid to working with the sheep. Keep him out of the way.

But he’s the one God picked.

Then the Lord said, “Rise and anoint him; this is the one.” (1 Samuel 16:12)

Whoa, wait, what? You're picking the guy who is all stinky because he's been with the sheep all day? You're picking the illegitimate kid? It doesn't make sense!!

It all goes back to that earlier verse.

The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

God isn’t looking at your outward appearance, or how many degrees you have, or how much money is in your bank account, or how many Instagram followers you have. He looks inside. He looks at your heart. He looks at your character. He sees your potential (because He placed it inside of you). And the cool thing? He can see those good things even through the bad inside of you. In the future, David will commit adultery, yet he’s still called “a man after God’s own heart.” Thankfully, our sin doesn’t keep God away. He sees it and sees through it. He’s looking for a heart that desires him, even when that heart messes up and falls into sin.

David was the outcast. Who else knows what that feels like? (Hand lifted high. Actually I’m raising both hands.) I think everyone has felt like an outcast at some point.

God uses outcasts.

God doesn’t view us like the rest of the world does, but rather as something far greater. David will later be called a king, a warrior, a giant-killer. God saw that potential in him while he was still an outcast to the rest of the world. And God sees that potential in you, too.

What the world thinks of you doesn’t matter. God doesn’t look at you like the world does. He sees you as something far greater. He sees the giant-killer in you when everyone else just sees the keeper of the sheep.

So don’t let the world get you down. Because you aren’t what you look like.

The Waiting Game

*I'm currently doing a study of David and want to share with you what I learn along the way! Today we're in 1 Samuel 16.*

I really hate the DMV. And the social security office. Because it doesn’t matter when I go in, I’m going to have to wait. I usually take a book with me, which makes the wait more bearable, but it still stinks and I just feel like my life is slowing wasting away. Am I being a bit dramatic?

No matter what, waiting sucks. Waiting on your food (I get hangry), waiting for your Amazon package (whatever happened to that drone delivery idea?), waiting at the red light (did you know you’ll spend about 6 months of your life waiting at red lights? whyyyyyy?).

As humans, we’re programmed to be impatient (at least I think most of us are) and it especially doesn’t help in this day in age. We are the “microwave” generation. We like things to be done NOW. But God isn’t a NOW God. He’s an ON TIME God. And unfortunately for us, NOW is usually not the same as ON TIME.

Let’s look at David for an example. (David’s my favorite.)

Before David became king, Israel was ruled by King Saul. Now King Saul had started off a good ruler—God had anointed him and equipped him with the ability to be a good king and a good military leader. But Saul didn’t put God first and ultimately ended up disobeying God, and God was obviously not okay with that.

It was then time to prep the future king of Israel—David! God sent Samuel the prophet to anoint David. Since King Saul was still reigning, it had to be done in secret. Only David and his family knew. Once David was anointed as the future king, God’s spirit left King Saul and instead rested upon David.

You’d think by the next chapter David would be king, right? But NO! In fact, he was still a ways away from being king. BUT in the very same chapter, God set up an opportunity for David to start king lessons. (Kind of like those princess lessons in The Princess Diaries movies, except the king didn’t know he was teaching lessons to the future king. So I guess it’s not really like the Princess Diaries.) David was invited to King Saul’s court to become his own personal musician. King Saul loved him so much that he made David his armor bearer! So David was able to gain firsthand information about leading a nation since he was right next to Saul, who, though he no longer had God’s spirit upon him, still had those awesome leadership abilities and was still leading Israel in victories over their enemies.

David still has a lot of things to go through before he will become king. He has a lot to learn. He has situations to go through that will force him to rely on God. He will find himself in leadership positions that will allow him to grow and become the leader that Israel needs.

David has a promise from God but he still has to wait.

God has a plan and a promise for everyone. For you. Perhaps He’s given you a direct and clear promise and you’re wondering when it’s going to come. I have some of those. I literally have no clue how or when He will do it. But I know that it will come in the right time. In the meantime, I’m going to grow where I’m planted and allow the Lord to mold me into the person I need to be for his plan to take shape.

I encourage you to do the same thing. It’s easy to get weary in waiting, but use it as an opportunity to bloom where you are and let God grow you and show you some things. He may need to work on you still. He may have some things He needs to teach you first. Allow God to use this time to shape you into the person He needs you to be to experience the fullness of His promise.

Seek First

But seek first the kingdom of God… Matthew 6:33

What’s the first thing you do each day? For me, it’s making the bed. I haven’t always been a bed-maker. A few years ago, my mentor sent me some words by Admiral William McRaven. It encouraged me to start making my bed every day, and it’s been an easy and rewarding habit to incorporate into my life. It literally takes less than a minute, and then my bed (and, therefore, my bedroom) looks nice every time I walk in.

Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project (disclaimer: I haven’t read it), says, “Your bed is a symbol of you. There’s something about having your bed feel orderly that makes your life feel that way.”

About a week ago, I was having a rough morning. I was awake earlier than normal with my mind racing about things I needed to do and things I wasn’t doing that I should be. Since I was up earlier than normal, I decided to start my Jesus time earlier too.

I opened my Bible to the scripture I’d been led to the day before as I wrote "I can do it myself". Funny enough, grace had not been the topic I was going to write about that day. I’d started to write something along the lines of “Are you giving your all to God, or just a part of yourself?” But as I wrote, something else poured out, and I found myself writing about God’s grace.

So on that rough morning, I decided I would just continue reading from the verse I’d been reading (Hebrews 4:16), hoping that God would give me a word of encouragement for the day. I read the page and moved on to the next where there was a prayer written out. (I was reading this Bible, which has devotions and prayers scattered throughout.) It was for “When I don’t feel good enough.” I read the words aloud, feeling every single one, and spoke truth over my life that when I don’t feel good enough, Jesus is good enough.

I checked to see which scriptures the prayer coordinated with… it was the verse I’d written about the day before. And I realized that I had to ask God for grace to help me once again. I didn’t feel ashamed or embarrassed. I came before Him boldly, knowing He had what I needed.

After asking Him for grace, I thanked him for giving me what I needed at the right moment, and thought about how it was so amazing that He’d given me the day before a word I needed for the next day. I felt a nudge in my spirit saying, “If you come to me first, I’ll give you what you need.”

So many days I wake up, make my bed, wash my face, then find myself doing a few tasks-- laundry, dishes, picking up the living room--before I speak to God. These aren’t bad things to do, as those tasks are what keep my home nice for my family. But many times those things lead to me doing other things and before I know it I’ve gotten my day started without God.

As I reflected on the words He gave me, I realized that He will give me what I need right now. It might be an encouraging word, a particular scripture, peace, or grace. But I also believe He was saying that He will also give me what I need for later today, too. Or He might give me something today that I’ll need tomorrow. He can help me in my current need, with my current situation, thoughts, and emotions, but He will also equip me with what I need to face the rest of today, and face tomorrow and the rest of this week.

But He can’t give me what I need for the rest of today if I don’t come to him this morning.

I’m still going to make the bed as soon as I get out every morning, starting my day with an accomplishment. But I know that making my bed won’t make my life feel near as “orderly” as that morning time with Jesus.

I’m giving God my mornings. My “first thing.” So yes, first thing I’ll still make the bed and wash my face, and probably sometimes grab breakfast or start the laundry, but I’m not going to start my day without Him. Because I need Him today and tomorrow and every day for the rest of my life.

I can do it myself

“I can do it myself!” said Ego.

Last week, I worked at my church’s equivalent to Vacation Bible School called EKWIP camp, which stands for Equipping Kids With Individual Purpose. It was an amazing week, and a great way to get to know more people in my new church. Coming together with my church family to provide a fun-filled week for the kids made my new church feel like home.

One of the things I was blessed to be a part of was the drama team. Casey’s brother wrote a script that spanned the week of camp, and I was the old actor as everyone else was a teenager.

The main character’s name was Ego. The gist of the week’s story was that Ego, a mechanic who worked for the bad guy, had come to the Master Mechanic (the good guys) shop as he tried to fix his boss’s broken car. When Grace, the owner of the shop, offered to help him fix it, he refused her help. “I can do it myself,” Ego said a thousand times during the week. He would not ask for Grace to help him.

Oh, how I know that line all too well. “I can do it myself.” When I was stumbling along through some tough stuff, I would pray and ask God for help. But ultimately, I didn’t think it was stuff God would fix for me--I thought I had to fix it on my own. I was the one who had gotten myself into this mess. I had to fix it myself.

Months after trying to deal with everything by myself, I admitted to God that I was so broken. I needed Him to put the pieces of my heart and my life back together again, because I couldn’t do it by myself. It was a hard thing to admit, because it made me feel like I hadn’t been strong enough. It required humility, which just made me feel even more broken.

God had been there the whole time. His hand had been in my situation even before I realized the mess I was in. He hadn’t forsaken me, even when I didn’t want His help. But when I called on grace, He gave it to me. I sure didn’t deserve it.

It’s easy to believe we don’t deserve grace. That we are too broken. That we’ve messed up too much. But Jesus says,

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)

When we are stumbling along in life through our weakness, God’s strength is made perfect in us. Paul even said:

“So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 

2 Corinthians 12:9

At the end of the drama, Ego learned that there was nothing wrong for asking for help when he needed it. There was no shame in needing Grace’s help. All he had to do was ask.

Asking for grace may sometimes feel like a moment of weakness, but you can rest assured that through grace, your weakness is made strong. We all need grace, and it is a gift that God gives freely.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift...
Romans 3:23-24

Do you need grace? Don’t be ashamed or afraid to ask for it. God wants to give you grace. All you have to do is ask.

Fill Me Up

I found this sitting in my Google Drive. I wrote it in January, about a month after our missions trip to Singapore and Malaysia. I didn't write this to share as is--I was just pouring my heart out. It may not be eloquently written, but I've decided not to rewrite it and just leave it as is.

This week is our EKWIP camp (what we call Vacation Bible School), and I'm feeling worn out. These words that I wrote months ago spoke to me all over again, and I hope they encourage you too.

It’s great to give to others. Give your energy, time, money, prayers, etc. We’re supposed to do those things. But sometimes we give so much of ourselves that we become empty. I know I’m guilty of this. 

I fill my time with so many things. They aren’t bad things. It’s things like baking, kids ministry, hanging out with friends and fiancé (I hate that word but I liked the alliteration) [obviously Casey's my husband now], making cookies to raise funds for missions and other projects, helping out with things at my church. These aren’t bad things. Some of these things are great! Friendship and ministry and pouring into others is great!

But then I find myself empty.

I really noticed this when I was in Malaysia. It was week two in Asia and we had been nonstop. Between VBS, camp services, prepping and practicing, coffee dates and lunch dates and mall hangouts with our friends where we poured into them as much as we could about kids and youth ministry and life in general…. I was exhausted. I was tired of people. I was tired of noise. My energy was draining quickly, and I still had more services to do, more people to talk to and speak into their lives, and a 36 hour trip back home. I was tired. I wanted to stop.

This burnout doesn’t just happen in those times of hard ministry like missions trips and SALT. It happens in every day life too and I find myself feeling like I’m draining.

We must allow ourselves to be filled too. It’s important for missionaries and preachers to go to conferences and things where they can be fed and ministered to instead of ministering. To fill up.

In my Jesus time, I asked God to help me when I feel empty. To fill me back up so I can give more. And He convicted me. Why should I wait until I’m empty to fill up? Why am I not reaching for Him daily to fill me up so I never get empty?

I thought my introvertness was the reason why I was tired. I thought that’s why I got tired and overwhelmed. But I think it’s when I’m not giving myself to Him first so I can let Him fill me up.

Lord, fill me up each and every day so I’m running over and never run out. Fill me up and let me pour into others and then fill me up all over again. Don’t let me become empty.

Surround Yourself

photographer: Aaron Cox

One who isolates himself pursues selfish desires; he rebels against all sound wisdom. Proverbs 18:1

I’m an introvert. A lot of people don’t believe me when I say that (apparently I talk a lot??), but that’s because a lot of people think that introvert = shy and extrovert = not shy. But that’s not the case. Rather, an introvert gets energy from being alone (and can find it draining to be around people) and an extrovert gets energy from being around people.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE being around people! But that was not always the case. Years ago, I had some tough stuff happen and I found myself keeping completely to myself. “That’s okay,” I thought. “I’m an introvert. Being alone is good for me.” And I truly believed it. But the reality was that it wasn’t. Unfortunately I couldn’t see that at the time.

As I came out of those trying times and began to once again connect with my old friends, I realized how dark my life had been.

Today’s verse says that a person who isolates himself pursues selfish desires. I can totally see where I did that. My wanting to be alone was completely selfish! I thought MY life was better that way and I literally didn’t care about other people. I abandoned my friends. I purposely tried to avoid people in public. And I blamed it all on the fact that “I’m an introvert.”

The verse also says that a person who isolates himself “rebels against all sound wisdom.” How about this biblical sound wisdom:

For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 18:20

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

You see, the Bible is adamant that we surround ourselves with godly people!

My life truly blossomed once I surrounded myself with godly friends. There was more laughter, more love, more joy. But it wasn’t easy to break away from my old ways. It literally took years of baby steps. I started spending more time with friends. I’d force myself to say hi to every person on the elevator. I started going to the cashier instead of the self checkout.

All these small changes helped me to break out of my isolation. I first surrounded myself with my godly friends who helped get me out of my funk. They loved on me and showed me how to love. Then I took that love and began sharing it with everyone I come in contact with, which is what we are called to do!

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:11

This purpose of this post is to encourage you to not isolate yourself, but rather find ways to connect with godly people. Surround yourself with those people and allow their light to shine in your life, and you will find yourself shining a light into others!

If you feel like you have no godly friends, pray and ask God to send you someone. I promise He will. He’s done this for me before and for my friends as well. He wants you to have godly company and will make a way for you!

Taking New Territory

So Joshua said to the people of Israel, How long will you put off going in to take possession of the land, which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you? Joshua 18:3

The children of Israel, y’all. Those crazy people. You’d think after all God did for them, they’d trust Him completely, no matter what. Instead they just rebel and rebel and rebel over and over again. As soon as things get bad, they forget God exists and try to take things into their own hands.

In this verse, they’re procrastinating. Raise of hands for the procrastinators? (My hand is up really high right now.) They’re putting off going into the land that God has given them.

Why? Because they were content where there were.

Where were they exactly? They were wandering. They’d been wandering a loooooonnnng time, over 40 years. They didn’t have homes or permanent structures because they moved from place to place. But now, they had land! In fact, they’d been taking some of it already! They already conquered Jericho and many other cities and people. So why not go settle down into the new land?

If you’ve ever moved before, you know it can be scary. I just moved to a new town a few weeks ago, five hours away from where I lived before. I still can’t find my way around anywhere without Maps on my iPhone. It’s new and I feel lost a lot. Here there are supermarkets I’ve never heard of and the closest Michael’s is in another town!

It was scary to move here. To move away from home and all that I knew. Truly, I just had to trust God because I knew it was His will for me to move here.

It was God’s will for them to have and live in the land. Not to just conquer it and kill all the people and then move on. But it was theirs to have! It was great land, and God provided it just for them.

And yet… they didn’t want to go into it. Because they were content in their current situation.

How often does that happen to us? That we’re content where we are when God has something better for us? Don’t get me wrong, contentment is a good thing, but sometimes it’s so easy to be so okay with where we are that we think we don’t need anything else. But God has something greater for you.

It’s easy to become content in your walk with God. To be just fine with the amount you pray or read your Bible (or don’t). (My hand is up again because I’m totally guilty of this.) God wants to go deeper with you. He wants to know you more and wants to reveal more of Himself to you as well. Maybe he wants to take you further in your ministry, but if you are so content with where you are, you have no reason to move into what He has for you.

Maybe you’re scared of what He has for you. New territory is scary! Not knowing what to expect… scary! Even the Israelites, who had seen God’s miraculous works a million times (honestly a million is hardly an exaggeration), had trouble trusting in what He had in store for them. But thankfully, we serve a God who is completely, totally trustworthy, and who has greater plans for us than we even can think or imagine.

Application:

Are you content with where you are? In your walk with God? In your ministry? Maybe in your job or home or some other area of your life. Seek God and see if He has more for you. Be willing to step outside your comfort zone. Channel strength from the Holy Spirit and take a new step. Spend a little longer in prayer time, find a new Bible study, take on more responsibilities at church. See what God will do in your life and how He will bless you even more abundantly.

Bloom

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come!
2 Corinthians 5:17

I recently made a friend on Instagram, @dear.abby.rose. This month she is hosting the #EverydayBlessingsChallenge and I decided to join in. The basics: Post a photo every day of something that you're thankful for or makes you happy and include a Bible verse. The point is to focus more on the blessings that surround us every day. I'm sure it will be a fun challenge!

Today I took this photo of these beautiful daffodils. As I quickly typed out the jumbled thoughts in my head that went along with the verse I chose, I realized that my short Instagram caption could be a whole blog post! I'm not even sure where those words came from--they surprised me as I typed them! It's in moments like those where I truly believe God is doing His thing and using me to get the glory!

I picked up these daffodils at Trader Joe's on Sunday. I love stopping at Trader Joe's in Baton Rouge on my way back home from visiting Casey. They had a huge box of them... but they hadn't bloomed yet. They looked like asparagus. Not pretty. Not pretty at all.

I didn't buy them because I wanted to put an asparagus look-a-like on my nightstand. I bought them because I knew that in just a few days they would be beautiful.

And, oh, how beautiful they have bloomed! Every time I look at them I see spring!

Something ugly became beautiful, just as the old becomes new.

You've made mistakes. You've failed. You have a past and let's just not talk about it okay? But despite all that, God thought you were beautiful. He thought you were worth buying. So He bought you with his life and His blood.

Just like I knew the potential of the unbloomed flowers, God knows your potential. He knows it because He's the one who created it.

He wants to turn your old into new. Release your old to Him. Allow him to make you a new creation.

It's your time to BLOOM.

Be Yourself. We Need You.

For just as in one physical body we have many parts, and these parts do not all have the same function or special use, so we, who are many, are nevertheless just one body in Christ, and individually we are parts one of another [mutually dependent on each other].
Romans 12:4-5 AMP

God created you to be unique. He gave you a special calling, gifts, talents, personality, and passions for a reason. There is no one just like you. God created you to fill a very particular position in his kingdom that no one else can fulfill like you can.

Just like your body has many parts, so does the body of Christ, and every part must work together. The hands tie the shoes on your feet. The feet lead the rest of the body in the right direction. The mouth speaks for the entire body. Every part does not do the same thing, but we depend on every part to do its job.

God has given you a particular purpose. It may not be the same purpose or calling as your friend or your personal spiritual mentor, but the entire body of Christ is depending on you. Do not try to be exactly like someone else, or you will find yourself chasing after their calling instead of the one God designed YOU for.

Don’t be afraid to be yourself. God created you the way you are for a reason. The church needs you to be YOU. This entire world needs you to be YOU. Embrace who God made you to be.

The Thing God Didn't Give Me

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity or cowardice or fear, but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of sound judgment and personal discipline [abilities that result in a calm, well-balanced mind and self-control].
‭‭2 Timothy ‭1:7‬

Fear is a very real thing. A thing I have dealt with before in a manner that was almost crippling. It got ahold of my every thought, it followed me with every step I took. I didn’t know what to do to overcome it, so I started quoting scripture in my head as often as I could. This verse was a favorite of mine and I found myself quoting it a lot. Eventually, that heavy fear that took over my life left me, but that didn’t mean that fear wasn’t something I never had to battle again.

I think sometimes my fear is more based on worry. Worry that I will mess up or make a bad decision. And I’ve dealt with that particular kind of fear a lot over the last few years. It was hindering me from making life-altering decisions because I was afraid I’d make the wrong choice. One morning I woke up and was having my Jesus time and this scripture popped into my head.

“God has not given us a spirit of fear.” It’s simple. It’s written there. But in that moment I realized:

Fear doesn’t come from God. And that day I set aside the fear and started making decisions about my future, because I knew that God held my future, and He did not give me a fear of my future.

But the verse goes on. It is such a comfort to know that God doesn’t give us fear—any fear we have is coming from some other source we must try and identify. But what DOES God give us?

Power.
Love.
A sound mind.

I love the way the amplified version says “a calm, well-balanced mind and self control.” Have you ever felt like your mind was muddled? Like there was no peace? Well that means that the enemy has stolen the thing that God gave you—peace of mind—and replaced it with his own “gift” of fear.

I love presents, but they aren’t all good. And the “gift” of fear from the devil is one that we need to throw away. Buh-bye fear. You aren’t welcome here anymore.

Instead, I’m accepting the gifts the Lord has given me. POWER to overcome the devil with God on my side. LOVE to push away the darkness and know I am found and cherished in His eyes, knowing He has a purpose for me. A SOUND MIND so I can live in peace and purpose.

Celebrate today with the beautiful gifts that God has for you, and rest assured in knowing that he holds both your present and your future, and you have no need to fear.

When God Takes the Good

The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.
Job 1:21

The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. I’m so grateful for everything He’s given to me. It’s easy to bless His Name when you’re hashtag #blessed. It’s easy to bless His Name when he’s taking out poisonous people and destructive situations. But it’s a whole lot harder to give Him praise when He’s taking away your good stuff.

He took good people. He took my home. He took my money. He just LET those things be taken away from me!

He let me hurt. He let me suffer. He let me beg Him daily to take away the pain and heal my hopeless situation.

BUT GOD.

Then He gave me freedom. And He showed me my reason to live—HIM. He restored my practically nonexistent relationship with Him. He provided financially abundantly, more than I’d ever experienced before. He replaced the old and lost with new and better. He opened the doors I thought were shut to me forever. He gave me understanding of His love and power. He taught me the power of my prayers. He healed me. He restored my love and trust.

The Lord gives. The Lord takes away. He takes away not only the things that are bad, the things that keep us from Him. But He also takes the good things that He wants to replace with better things.

In the moment, and even later on, I may not understand, but I do know:

My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are my ways higher than your ways
And my thoughts than your thoughts.
Isaiah 55:8-9

He knows the why behind the goodbye. He has a plan for your future. And it’s far greater than you can ever imagine.

Thank you, Lord, for removing things in my life so You could be glorified all the more when You restore and pour out your blessings abundantly.

This song comes to mind when I think of the things I’ve lost and the things I have to gain! Better days are ahead of me!

Meditation Monday: What perfume are you wearing?

I’ve got on my belt of truth and helmet of salvation. Gospel shoes on my feet. Shield of faith is ready to go. I’m ready for war--this day to day fight to live for truth and stand up for what’s right, refusing to give in or give up. We talk a lot about the importance of wearing the armor of God, but there’s another thing we need to make sure we wear.

Our perfume.

The way we smell is (obviously) really important. No one wants to be around someone who stinks. I remember in high school there was a girl who had terrible B.O. The mean girls would put deodorant in her locker making fun of her (and honestly we all hoped she would actually use it). And I, being the nice good girl, often became her partner for assignments because no one else wanted to be around her. I would try to hold my breath around her, but that only was good for a few seconds, then I was forced to take a breath of air and hope I wouldn’t pass out from the awful smell. She stunk, and no one wanted to be around her because of it.

While proper hygiene is important and something we should definitely be striving for, that’s not what I’m talking about today. Instead, I’m talking about our spiritual scent. How do we “smell” to others? How do we “smell” to God?

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us spreads and makes evident everywhere the sweet fragrance of the knowledge of Him. For we are the sweet fragrance of Christ which ascends to God, discernible both among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing;

2 Corinthians 2:14-15 (AMP)

It is our job as Christians to spread God to everyone just like the scent of perfume fills a room. When we walk by, others should be able to smell Him on us. They should be able to smell Him win our words and actions. His scent should linger on us. They should know we spend time with the King because we smell of His scent.

When Mary washed the feet of Jesus, she poured onto his feet very expensive perfume and dried his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. (John 12:3) The scent alerted everyone in the house that she was there to worship Jesus. But even once she was no longer in his midst, the scent she had poured on him still lingered on her hair. She smelled just like Jesus. Her scent alone was proof that she had been in his presence, and the aroma followed her for others to smell as well.

That’s what we must strive for as well. To spread that sweet aroma. But how do we share that sweet smell? Through our praise and worship, spending time in His throneroom.

In the Old Testament, praise was a literal aroma, a mixture of flour and incense that was burned and offered to God. The Bible calls it a “sweet aroma to the Lord” (Leviticus 2:2 NKJV). Though our worship no longer contains actual offerings of fragrance and incense, we should still “smell” good to God. This means spending time with him. Choosing a lifestyle that is pleasing unto him. Honoring him with our words, attitude, entertainment, thoughts, relationships. Worship is our lifestyle. Does your lifestyle have a pleasing aroma to God?

My goal in life is to bring to God a sweet aroma of worship. To live my life in a way that lifts up a precious scent to Him. A scent that will linger on me, that others will smell on me, so I can make known everywhere the sweet fragrance of Him. 

Application

Pray: 

Lord, I live my life to worship You. May you find my worship and lifestyle pleasing, a sweet aroma. If my life has a foul odor to you, point out to me the stench, and help me to address it and allow You to cleanse me in that area.

Help me to walk daily in love, spreading the knowledge of You wherever I go and to everyone I meet. May they smell Your aroma on me and know I’ve been with You. Let it be a sweet odor that they want to experience more of. May it lead them to You.