Bible Talk

2 Timothy 2:15

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

My prayer for you is that you get to know God and allow Him to know you. And that you continue to seek Him as He continues to reveal Himself to you. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Simply Profound

"Our faith is only as deep as the time we spend digging" Selah

Whatever it takes Lord, I will do. Help me Holy Ghost!

He's an on time God, Yes He is...

How does God always know what i need to hear??!!! I love Him for that.  I don't even have to add anymore to this post :)

Well, let me explain where i got it from at least, right?? So I'm at the office this morning and chatting with my sister from another mother in Kenya and she sends me the link to this women's devotional site. the calls weren't coming in that often so i start reading.... then the previous one... then the previous one... and they are ALL RELEVANT!! God DID say His word shall not return unto Him void, didn't He?? Anyway, long story short this one on waiting did it for me! I REFUSE to engage in the "sit around checking my watch" type waiting, I will serve and cater to my Lord and King instead. #NuffSaid #TooBlessedToBeStressed (Link at the end).

February 22, 2013
Wait Training 101
Karen Ehman

"... but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 (ESV)

Ever feel like God signed you up for an intense "wait training" class?

You pray. You ask. You anticipate God's answer, but like an Internet page taking a long time to load, you must wait.

And wait.

And wait some more.

I had to wait years before I became pregnant. During that time I attended baby showers while choking back tears.

I had to wait nearly three years for our too-expensive-for-our-new-financial-situation home to sell. During that time, I pinched pennies and lost sleep.

And I'm still waiting on many prayer requests: for a spiritually lost loved one, a family friend in ICU, a plan for my high school son's future. Waiting, waiting, waiting ...

But just as physical weight training builds strength, so does spiritual "wait training." We are promised this in Isaiah 40:31:

 

"... but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint."

How can waiting renew our strength? After all, doesn't waiting seem to sap our strength as we worry and fret and drum our fingers impatiently? It's exhausting playing the "What if?" game in our minds:

 

What if this doesn't work out?
What if God's answer is "No"?
What if the thing I fear the most actually happens ... what then?

All of this worry-laden waiting drains rather than strengthens. How can we turn this around and actually find ourselves renewed?

I have found that to shift my perspective in the waiting times replenishes my strength. I try not to think of those times of seemingly silence from God as waiting in the sense of sitting and anxiously anticipating a response. But as in waiting like a butler, maid or restaurant server.

Those who "wait on the Lord"—as in serve Him, cater to Him, help Him accomplish His work; those who take His order and bring Him what He wants—they are the ones who renew their strength.

 They mount up with wings as eagles.

They walk and do not faint.

As we serve, we become more aware of what the One we are waiting on desires. We become alert, attentive, and in tune with His wishes. We begin to take our eyes off of our problems and fix them on the Lord instead. As we do, we get a glimpse into His heart.

Then, instead of the wait sapping our spiritual strength, it is renewed as we seek to do the Lord's will ... to make Him famous ... to give Him glory. Even in those long, hard times of waiting for an answer, we continue to serve Him.

Will you sign up with me for Wait Training 101?

You'll grow stronger spiritual muscles if you do. But we must commit to this perspective: we won't just "wait on the Lord," we'll wait on Him. Trust me, the tips He leaves are out of this world!

 

Dear Lord, teach me to shift my perspective during those times of waiting and doubt. May I stop fretting and worrying, and busy myself serving You instead. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

from:http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/encouragement/wait-training-101-encouragement-for-today-feb-22-2013.html

 

By Faith...

Excited does not begin to explain how I feel about being in my very last semester of grad school!! MY goodness, it’s here! If you would have asked me a year and a half ago whether I even thought this program would come to an end, the answer would have been “N to the O, NO!” Honestly, it felt like it would never end but… here we are, CLASS of MAY 2013 *Woop Woop*! (or June; the school is yet to post a date smh)

Nevertheless, behind all this excitement is a teenie, beanie, weenie bit of FEAR! I have to grow up! No seriously, I’m going to have to start paying real bills and thinking about rent and car payments, insurance, a husband, kids…. Ahhhhhh! And off course, the million-dollar question: how will all this come to pass without a J-O-B? *faints in horror*

*Revives* Thank God for God! I have come to know that He speaks to me through His Word. I think every single devotion and scripture I have read this year has touched on faith and/or trust. I mean, “… without faith it is impossible to please Him (God), for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Heb. 11:6). Then a friend from school sent me an encouraging text message:

Eph. 3:20 – “Faith without works is dead.” Sometimes our works should simply be letting go!! God will take care of it no matter what the ‘it’ is… and He MOST DEFINITELY doesn’t need our help! All He needs is our surrender; to His perfect will and purpose for our lives. Only then can He work in you, for you and through you. 

So! Like Nike, “Just do it!” Surrender and Trust Him… #ThatIsAll!

Fear Not...

Practice makes perfect right? If at first you don't succeed, try and try again! I have to remind myself that this applies in my spiritual walk as well. Most of the time I may not 'feel' God but I 'know' He's there because His word says so and He is not a liar! 

            Continuing with the theme of Obedience, I’m coming to realize that two things are at the root of being disobedient; fear or rebellion. That’s it. All the excuses we can come up with for not doing as we know we should falls under these two categories UNLESS you really don’t know any better and grace and mercy have got that covered.

I’d like to go even as far as saying that rebellion falls under fear too. No matter the circumstance(s), I really believe that being afraid of what it may mean for there to be a ‘Higher Power’ that is in control as opposed to you being in control of your life is scary to most people… even for some declared Christians.  

            But thanks be to God’s because in His presence is fullness of joy (Psa. 16:11), and the joy of the Lord is our strength (Neh. 8:10) because He is our refuge and fortress (Psa. 91:2). All He asks is for us to trust Him with all our hearts (Prov. 3:5) and He can AND will help us overcome our fears!

Simply meditate on His simple request and promise to:“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness” Isaiah 41:10.

Then take a stand and declare that: “I will fear NOTHING because NOTHING is greater than my God. #30WordsBook” (by Jarrid Wilson)

Vulnerabilities

                I have a hard time being vulnerable with just anyone. With my sisters, biological and not, I can pretty much lay my heart out in the open but not with/to a stranger or a mere acquaintance. How many agree with that? But see, therein lies the problem: the Word says that we overcome “by the blood of the Lamb and the word of [our] testimony” Rev. 12:11.  I got the “blood of the Lamb” part down pat (with the help of the Holy Ghost off course)! I have believed and received the Lord Jesus Christ into my life as my personal Savior but umm… do I REALLY have to share what You’ve brought me out of Lord? Are You sure???

              

                True story: so I’m doing my daily devotional just a few minutes ago using Jarrid Wilson’s book 30 Words: A Devotional for the Rest of Us (only $3.99 on Amazon.com and sooooooooooo worth it). The challenge of the day was to HONESTLY list three sins that I am currently struggling with AND… this is the clincher right here, AND share it with someone close with whom we can pray together about gaining freedom in these areas. Can we say instant PANIC ATTACK! So what you’re saying is I have to be open with someone else while I can barely be open with myself? Hmm….

                Oh, but that’s not it!!! What was my first post on? OBEDIENCE!!!!  Doing what God says WHEN He says it. Yup, I’m right there between ‘Rock Street’ and ‘Hard Place’; I had to do it come rain or high water. But then who am I really calling at this hour? No one! The Lord sent me here. Yup, to more than one person… God got jokes!

 My close circle already, to an extent, know my testimony and therefore do not need it. It is those people who do not know about Jesus; those who are going through EXACTLY what God brought me AND you out of that need to hear about the victory we have in Jesus Christ, that can also become their reality! It is also for those who know Jesus but STILL they struggle in a particular area of their Christian journey. I had to ask myself why I feel I’m too good to talk about my dirt that I wasn’t too good to do in the first place. #RealityCheck.

 Isn’t it sad that we are more ashamed of what people will think of us than what God will think? No I won’t go into the whole “He has a hell to put you in but man doesn’t” shpiel because we already know that and yet here we still stand in this predicament.

So what does this mean for you and me? Simply put, we need to start talking… being open with one another. You don’t have to force it to happen, but don’t shy away from the opportunity to share a vulnerable piece of you when it arises. You never know whom it may bless. And if we can’t be open with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ then who can we be open with? We have to put the mantra “be the change you want to see in this world” to work, especially in our churches.

“Because of the joy awaiting Him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne” Heb. 12:2. Jesus saw the bigger picture. Did it hurt Him? YES (You try wearing a crown of thorns and see how it feels - Mark 15:17). Did he want to avoid it? Yes (Luke 22:42). But the end was greater than the means; our salvation was worth His suffering and pain. And in this day and age, His lost sheep’s salvation is worth OUR brief suffering too. Since to be like Christ is to suffer like Him, let me start us off then:

1.       Impure thoughts

2.       Lying

3.       Procrastination

What are your big three? (No you don’t have to list them so breathe easy).

Automatically I wanted to justify my sins and you may too but don’t fall for that trick of the enemy! Simply acknowledge them, confess them, repent and FORGET!!! God will too… just as soon as you say amen!

For “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Count your Blessings…

Name them one by one. I really love that phrase! I’ve used it countless times in conversation, on Facebook statuses, etc. But I think I failed to grasp the significance of exactly what I was saying. Picture it. How long would it take you to LITERALLY count and name your blessings? One hour? One day? One month? One year? Five? Ten? Even longer?

It’s a new year and new years signify new beginnings! I try not to come up with resolutions per say but a theme or two that can carry me through the next twelve months. One of them is Gratitude. If you’re like me, then you can relate to being able to make petitions in prayer 24/7 for everyone and everything around you. But I can’t say the same for praise and thanksgiving.

The Bible sates: “Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thes. 5:18 (NLT).

Soooooo... in trying to practice being grateful, I started a “memory/ thank-You box.” A jar can work too, but each and every day I have to write something I am grateful for that took place or that I thought of that day and drop it in the box. Big or small, I MUST write something. By small I mean “thank you Lord for that last seat on the bus cuz I was wearing stilettos… AMEN!” I know you are laughing but imagine the agony I would’ve been in standing for 45 minutes; possibly longer in traffic, and still having the rest of the day to endure!! Nothing is too big or small for God, He did say “…ALL circumstance,” right?

Anyway, I’m only a week in and I am finding myself appreciating so many more little things and struggling over which to write down and which to skip… Yes, I still thank God in prayer for the skipped ones (just in case you were wondering). I can’t wait to see how full the box gets by the end of the year. Maybe I’ll have two boxes… or more! (Check back in December :P)

How many boxes/jars will YOU have?