Outgrown your Shell?

Everyone loves to be on a “spiritual high.” You know what I’m talking about—those times when being in God’s presence is a sheer joy and you take delight in spending precious moments with Him as He illumines your mind to new truths. These mountain-top experiences lift you to a heightened awareness of His presence and goodness. I have been experiencing these lately and quite honestly, I do not want to descend the mountain. By the grace of God, I recently completed writing my memoir—On Eagle’s Wings: A mother’s story of hope and healing amidst suffering and loss. The last year and a half has been filled with tears as I recalled the experience of losing my 9 year old son to death. In order to accurately document my story, I needed to return to a difficult time in my past and relive the pain again. I welcomed God’s presence as I painstakingly wrote chapter after chapter. I felt His fresh wounds alongside mine. I know that I was not journeying alone—Jesus was with me all along. Since completing my book, I have been on that mountain-top experiencing so much love from not only God Himself but also from others who have read my story. I sense His approval as I feel His favor resting on me. What a wonderful place to be!

What do you do, however, when you find yourself in that valley and your spiritual energy is zapped and the former communion you shared with God has become rote, dull, and even stagnant? Maybe you are feeling bored with reading the Scriptures and distracted in your prayers. Ironically, we’ve all been there too. I think sometimes God allows us to go back down to the valley, not to punish or discipline, but to allow a fresh hunger to rise up inside of us. While it is wonderful to savor pleasant God-experiences, they are not meant to sustain us in the long haul. I believe that God desires for us to seek Him in new and fresh ways, continually growing deeper in our knowledge and awareness of Him. It is inevitable that old practices and rituals will only become stale after awhile, and could even cause us to feel as if we have hit a “dead end” in our relationship with the Lord. Maybe it is time to put those formerly comfortable disciplines aside to try something new.

As a hermit crab eventually outgrows the shell on its back and has to go in search of a new one that is roomier, we too may feel a need to move in a new and different structure in order to accommodate the growth spurt God intends for us. As Christians I don’t believe we are supposed to settle for spiritual mediocrity. However, we need to do our part in helping to effectuate the change and growth that God desires for us. We can’t sit idly by and do nothing. Even the hermit crab will leave its formerly comfortable shell in search of a new one. We also must leave behind old, unproductive practices in search of new ones.

There are many spiritual disciplines we can use to draw closer to God. You need not look any further than within yourself. Maybe you can establish a new habit of spending the first five minutes when you awake in conscious awareness of God. Before even getting out of bed, think of Him, talk to Him, and let Him order your day. Or maybe throughout the day you can offer up “breath prayers,” which are simply phrases you say to God within a breath. “Give me a heart for you,” or “Help me to abide in you.” It doesn’t matter what you do, simply seek to draw closer to Jesus as you become aware of His presence within you. Don’t settle for spiritual dryness. And above all, don’t wait too long. Sometimes the hermit crab waits too long to venture out of its comfortable shell to find its new home. When it can’t find one fast enough, it dies, unable to protect itself from the weather and other oceanic species. Move forcefully beyond the stagnation and expand your horizons. There may just be another mountain-top experience awaiting you.

"Call to me and I will tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3

The Lord says, "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men." Isaiah 29:13

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:13

I'm Waiting!

One of the most difficult things for me to do is to wait. Waiting involves patience, and they say patience is a virtue. It is a virtue that I have difficulty obtaining! I just hate waiting in long grocery lines, I get impatient when traffic keeps me from moving forward, and I loathe waiting and waiting and waiting in doctor’s offices. Don’t they know that I, too, have plans later on that day and cannot sit needlessly in an office just waiting? Can you identify with any of these irritations? Before I say that I am a lost cause, I must admit that God has been diligently working with me on this very matter, and ever so slowly I am getting better!

Have you ever wondered what God is up to you in your life and why on earth He seems to take so long in answering your prayers? Or maybe you are waiting on God to reveal a new path or direction for your life. Why does He seem to tarry so? We easily grow impatient waiting for God’s apparent delays. The ironic thing is that when we take matters into our own hands because we are not willing to wait, oftentimes trouble comes into our lives due to our sometimes reckless haste. You know what I’m talking about—taking that job you really shouldn’t have and now you are miserable. Making hasty plans without waiting for confirmation and now all your plans are falling apart. The list goes on an on. Then we wonder why God allowed this dissatisfaction or disaster to come upon us. While it is true that oftentimes God does take His time in answering us, usually it is because the things we ask for may require a long time in their preparation for us. In reality, it is not because He is slow. Sometimes it is simply because WE are the slow learners and He knows He needs to walk slowly with us to teach us a thing or two.

These are the times when God is actually waiting on us. He has so many blessings to give us, but we fail to receive them because we are the ones who do not go forward with Him. It is almost as if we expect Him to do it all. We lift up a quick prayer and then expect Him to move in our behalf. Because of His loving-nature, he often does just that. Other times, it is as if our requests have fallen on deaf ears. We implore Him over and over but He still does not answer us. Could it be that He is the one waiting for some action from us? Over-waiting is not the best course of action either. While it is true that at times we need to just be still, other times we need to put feet to our faith and move forward. Yes, get off that cozy couch and move! Christianity is not passive, but rather proactive. Many divine promises are conditioned upon the beginning of some action on our part. Notice I say the beginning. God isn’t expecting us to do it all—He just wants to see us prayerfully and trustingly moving forward. If we take the wrong step, He is sure to redirect us.

Take Abraham for instance. Great things were promised to him but first he was required to leave his home in Chaldea and go out into unknown territory. Then there were the 10 lepers who were told by Jesus to go show themselves to the priests for healing. Were they healed instantly? No. Were they healed when they finally arrived and saw the priests? No. They were healed “on the way”. They had to do something and it required faith to do it. They obeyed Jesus and began moving forward. It was then that they were cleansed. What about the Israelites who crossed the Red Sea to evade their enemies? God waited to part the Red Sea until their feet touched the water.

God is looking for prayerful men and women of unwavering faith. His desire is for us to come to Him for everything, but also to press forward because our trust and faith is in Him. We will fight battles here on earth, but victory comes through Christ who fights by our side and it is in Him that we are conquerors. If we wait on the sidelines with fear and trembling for our Helper to come before we join in the battle, we will have waited in vain. This is actually called the over-waiting of unbelief. God does want to pour forth His richest blessings on us, but I think in order to do so, He requires us to press forward with bold confidence and rightfully take what is ours.

So next time you start to question God and why he is so slow in answering your prayers, take a long hard look at yourself and boldly ask Him if there may, in fact, be something that you should be doing instead. Maybe it is really God waiting on You!

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. 2 Peter 3:8-9

Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths. Isaiah 2:3

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, “This is the way; walk in it.” Isaiah 30:21

Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice, Blessed are all who wait for him! Isaiah 30:18

The Wake-Up Call

Yesterday my 17 year old son’s life flashed in front of him. He was in an accident which could have taken his life. While changing lanes on the highway he encountered a roadblock. He swerved to keep from hitting this unknown object at 65 mph when he lost control of his car. He crossed 3 lanes of traffic and drove into a deep ravine when his air bags deployed. He stopped only feet from the other side of the highway into oncoming traffic. The object he avoided hitting was cushions for a sofa that must have fallen off of a truck. Needless to say our entire family was shook up and only after we were safe at home did we release all of our emotions.

My son realized that he had his very own “wake-up” call. We can gratefully praise God that he was not hurt, nor were any other vehicles involved. He was truly protected from a potential hazardous accident. Yes, his vehicle was totaled, but it was a small price to pay for his life. He forgot to fasten his seatbelt and only moments before the accident did he hear a voice whisper to his heart to fasten his seatbelt. That voice was the sweet Holy Spirit who guides and comforts us.

This morning I stopped to think of how many times God diverts danger on our behalf. We cannot even comprehend how much He loves us and what He does to protect and woo us to Himself. Unfortunately far too often we are guilty of becoming so consumed with our own lives and our own agendas that we give little thought or attention to our mighty God. Until tragedy or disaster strikes, that is. Then our eyes momentarily look upward. May we regard them as serious “wake-up” calls. May we wake up to what is really important in life. May we wake up to loving our families and those He places in our paths. May we wake up to the importance of having a vibrant relationship with the God who created us and loves us more than we can ever imagine. May we wake up and stop giving him the scraps of our day. May we wake up to stop the complaining, arguing, and materialism that we are so wrapped up in. Life is so precious. Jesus tells us that we are but a mist that is here for a short while and then we are gone. Why do we squander our life away pursuing useless things that we think will make us happy? Haven’t we realized yet that these “things” are only temporary? Only a relationship with Jesus can bring us true fulfillment and a joy that surpasses all understanding. We must stop our busyness to make time for God. That is the only way will grow in knowledge and love.

This morning I was led to Isaiah 55, an Invitation to the Thirsty. How very appropriate! Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.

God is saying that food and other things cost money, last only a short while and meet only our physical needs. But He offers free nourishment that feeds our souls. To nourish our souls we must come to Him and eagerly receive it. We will starve spiritually without this food just as we would starve physically without daily bread.

The time is here. The time is now. Hear the call. The Father of creation is beckoning you. If you seek Him you will find Him. Don’t wait for a wake-up call. Turn to Him now. Don’t wait for tragedy, sickness, or financial ruin before you come. I urge you to not wait. Today may be all you have. God loves you too much to leave you where you are and if necessary He will allow these little “wake-up” calls to remind you to turn to Him while He may be found. Don’t put it off one more second.

Remember, every decision becomes a destination. Today you face a choice. Your eternal life depends on it.

Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. Deut 30:19

Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve. Joshua 24:15

Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Isaiah 55:6

Let your Light Shine!

I once heard a story about a man who was a source of encouragement and inspiration to others. His face radiated with love and it was obvious he spent much time with Jesus. One day a bold friend approached him to inform him that he missed seeing the light shine in him as he was always greatly encouraged by his strong faith. Deeply troubled the man contacted an elder in the church to ask how he can get his “light to shine again.” Unable to give him a good answer, the elder went to the library to do some research and thereafter was able to give him a good response.

In order for a light to shine and work properly it needs 3 things:

• First, it needs to be connected to a power source. Without the power source, it will not shine or produce any light whatsoever.


• The light itself needs to be in working order. In other words, no filaments within the light can be broken. It can be connected to a power source, but if the light itself is broken, then the light will not shine.


• The light can be connected to a power source, and the light itself can be in good working order, but if it is covered by a blanket or covering of some kind, then the light will be substantially dimmed and not shine brightly.
  
  The analogy of this light is as follows:


• We can be morally upright persons, do acts of service throughout our church and community, and sin infrequently, yet our light will not shine because we are not connected to God, the ultimate power source. We may be a Christian yet are not “walking” with Him. We may feel rushed, busy, preoccupied, and have made no time for him. When we try to skip the relationship to start “doing” things for God or we live our lives as Sunday Christians, we are not connected to the power source. We rob God of the glory he deserves and our lives cannot shine as brightly as if God were living intimately in us.


• We can be connected to God and love Him with all of our hearts, yet if we have “broken parts” or unconfessed sin in our lives, our light will not shine. Unconfessed sin stands between us and a holy God and breaks close fellowship with Him. Only a humble and repentant heart will shine brightly.


• We can be Christians walking faithfully with God, have no “broken parts” or unconfessed sin in our lives, yet our light still doesn’t shine brightly because we are walking around with a heavy covering. We may be plugged in to the power source, yet this covering is keeping our light from shining the way it is intended to. It is as if we are walking around in darkness. This heavy covering could be a burden that we are unnecessarily carrying around because we have not released it to God. It could be a broken relationship or a problem or some other issue we have not handed over to God. So, we are trying to “shine” in our own strength. God wants to be intimately involved in every aspect of our lives and doesn’t want us to walk around with heavy burdens.
  
  Take some time today to evaluate how brightly you are shining for the Lord. Has your light dimmed? Do you feel disconnected to God? Remember, in order for a light to shine brightly, it needs these three things. Without any one of them, a light will not shine brightly, and may only be a dim flicker.
  
  I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness. John 12:44
  
  I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth. Acts 13:47
  
  For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness, made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Cor 4:6
  
  Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord. Isaiah 2:5
  
  Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. Psalm 119:105

Sweet Solitude

When I was younger, I hated being alone. I wanted people and noise all around me at all times. When things became quiet and I was left to myself, I literally did not know what to do. Sometimes I would waste my time by watching some senseless TV show. Or I would try to busy myself with some task to avoid feeling isolated. Even so, a deep sense of loneliness would creep over me and before long my emotions would get the best of me. I would mistake being alone with being unloved and undesired. I did not take advantage of the opportunity to enjoy being by myself. I did not know God intimately and so speaking to Him or reading from His Word never even occurred to me. Thankfully now that I am older and know the Lord, I can honestly say that I savor the time when I am completely alone. No noise, no people, just me and my God. I have also learned over the years that I really am not alone at all. Jesus is with me every minute of every day.

I find it interesting that even Jesus took time to be alone by Himself and His Father. At times He literally sent people away so that He could be alone and pray. "After He dismissed them, He went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Matthew 14:23" Usually He would awaken early to go off by Himself to pray. "At daybreak, Jesus went out to a solitary place. Luke 4:42" Being alone and seeking this solitude was an important priority for Jesus and even in His very busy schedule, He made the time to be alone with his Father. He knew that He could not do His work or maintain His fellowship in full power without His quiet time.

It is during these “alone” times that I have learned the most about God. Of course there is a place for “corporate” worship, prayer, and bible study groups, etc., but the times when I have felt the closest to God are the times when I have been completely alone with Him. The times He has revealed the deepest revelations to me are the times when I have been alone. The times I have found peace sweeping over my anxious thoughts are not the times when I have been busy talking things over with friends, but the times when I have been on my knees alone. I have come to realize that spending time ALONE with God is absolutely necessary if I desire to grow spiritually. Solitude with God has nurtured my relationship with Him in a way nothing else has. Spending this quality time with the Lord daily equips me to meet life’s many challenges and struggles. He gives me His power, His grace, and above all His perspective, which is so much better than mine.

My questions is “If Jesus had to get up very early just to get some “alone” time with God, how much more is this true for us today?” We must not get so busy that life turns into a flurry of activity leaving no room for quiet fellowship alone with God. The acronym for BUSY is "Being Under Satan’s Yoke". I am quite sure that Satan loves it when we are distracted and too busy to spend time alone with God. We may being doing all the right things with all the right people in all the right motives; however, if we make no room for God we will be acting in our own strength and it is only a matter of time before we “burn out”. Strength comes from God, and we can only be strengthened by spending time with Him. There is power of a life hidden in Christ.

Andrew Bonar once said, “In order to grow in grace, we must be much alone. It is not in society that the soul grows most vigorously. In one single quiet hour of prayer it will often make more progress than in days of company with others.” How true this statement is! No large growth in holiness will ever be gained by someone who does not take the time to be often and long, alone with God.

Remember there will always be plenty of things clamoring for our attention, many of them good things. My challenge to you is to seek first the kingdom of God. Enter into His presence by spending time with God first, and our very great reward will be that He will give us His power, His strength, and His wisdom. We will walk away from this time with him not feeling lonely or unloved, but refreshed, energized, and ready to conquer anything that comes our way. How? Because we have fed our Spirits with the living God who empowers and equips us for every good work that He has prepared for us to do. Best of all, we won’t tire out, and we won’t ever feel lonely.

But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16

Come to me all you who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed. Luke 5:16

Be still and know that I am God. Isaiah 46:10

Unceasing Prayer

As Christians we know that Christ lives within us. That means he is in the very center of our physical being. He is in the midst of our brain, and in the midst of our nerve centers. He dwells within us physically and spiritually and the more mindful we are of His presence, the more prayerful we will be. Prayer is nothing more than keeping company with God. Far too long I have limited my prayer time with God to routine morning devotions. It always felt wonderful starting my morning with God and I felt energized and empowered to live a life worthy of Him. However, more often than not, by the time late afternoon arrived, I would find myself becoming impatient, annoyed and quickly falling into that slippery slope of sinfulness. It always bothered me that I could spend such wonderful communion with the Lord and yet by the end of the day all visible traces of any godliness were totally absent. It is becoming apparent to me that not only is setting aside time each day for solitude with God imperative, I must learn to walk “moment by moment” with Him. Only then will I be able to truly live out the Christian life God desires for me. How do you keep company with God like that?

The Bible gives us the answer… pray unceasingly (1 Thes 5:17). But how on earth can we pray unceasingly? We have jobs to do, places to go, people to meet. I believe I found the answer this morning in my quiet time with the Lord. Unceasing prayer means keeping company with God all the time. It is conversing with Him frequently throughout the day because we realize that He is with us all the time. There is never a time we are apart. We become so conscious of God that we begin to include Him in every detail of our lives. And yes, it means we inquire of Him before we make decisions…both big and small. It means knowing He cares so much about us that He desires to help us in making our choices. Lord, is this the right time for our family to own a pet? Lord, what type of washing machine should I purchase? Lord, I need help in managing my finances. Lord, should I apply for this job? God wants to be in every facet of our lives. Not just our morning devotions! Yet, how often do we just leave Him there, forgetting to invite Him into the rest of our day? I have been guilty of doing that over and over and then I wonder why things just didn’t turn out quite right. I prayed to you this morning Lord. Wasn’t that enough?

Corrie ten Boom, a wonderful and dedicated Christian, once said, “Is prayer your steering wheel or is it your spare tire?” Wow! That is powerful. That is a challenge for all of us. I know there is more of God to discover. Deeper conversations to be had. More secrets from His Word to be revealed. We have to remember though that prayer is not some “magical formula” that will grant us all our wishes. Prayer is an integral part of our relationship with God. Prayer is simply talking with God. It is pouring out our soul to Him, telling Him our deepest desires, our hurts, and our concerns. One of the primary ways God speaks loudly is through the pages of the Bible. It is our job to listen, to meditate and ponder on what He says. He will comfort us, encourage us, challenge us, convict us, and show us a larger view of Himself if we but take the time to immerse ourselves in His Word. But when He speaks, He also requires a response from us. We communicate that response in prayer. It may be silent reverence, it may be thanksgiving, it may be repentance, it may be commitment, or it may be a yielding of our own will to His. The Bible will change our prayer life and lift it to new heights.

I have a challenge for you (and me)--next time you find yourself worrying, immediately begin to pray. Tell God what you are worried about and let His peace flow through you. You must always remember that He is in control. Worrying does not help us one bit. When you find yourself not knowing what to say to a friend in need, quickly ask God to whisper to your heart and give you the right words. When you need to make a quick decision about something, step away for a moment, and ask the Lord for guidance in making the right choice.

As we begin to live a life of prayer in fellowship with our Lord, we will begin to experience a peace that is independent of feelings or circumstances. This is one of the many blessings God gives to His children. And always remember, we are never alone. God is with us always, beckoning and wooing us to come to Him.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thes 5:16-18

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God; And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Joshua 1:5

God's Point of View

I just finished reading a true-story of a man who lost his entire family in a flash flood in Kansas during the summer of 2003. His wife and four young children all died as the floodwaters engulfed them. In a split second his entire life changed. He was the sole survivor left to carry on without his precious family. It was a gut-wrenching story to read but it spoke volumes about his character and his eternal perspective. Although grief-stricken beyond belief, he was able to carry on because he knew God and His promise of eternal life with Him one day. I could relate to his story because, I too, have experienced extreme sorrow when my own 9 year old son died in a freak accident many years ago. Although I did not have a personal relationship with God at the time, the intense grief and sorrow paved the way to a relationship with my Lord. I quickly discovered that no one nor anything could give me the hope I so desperately needed. I found that hope in Jesus alone. I began reading the Bible and took Him at His word. Over time, He gave me an eternal perspective and I realized that He used my suffering, tears and pain to give me a new vision and purpose for my life. It was to know, love, obey and serve Him. I did not have all the answers to why these horrible tragedies occur, but I didn’t need to know why. I just needed to trust Him and know that He would use them for my good and for His glory.

As I immersed myself in His Word I began to get God’s point of view. His promises filled me with hope and increased my faith exponentially. Since we live in a fallen world, it is inevitable that we are going to experience pain, disappointments, and sorrow. When earthly dreams disappoint and our future seems to be on hold, what will enable us to carry on? When people fail or hurt us, what will we turn to? When sorrow comes knocking on our door, what will bring us hope? Every single day of our lives we need God’s perspective or we will surely fall apart.

We’ve got a choice. We can look at life two ways. Either we can look at what is seen, what is temporal. This consists of man’s view of his feelings and circumstances and is seen and experienced with the physical eye. Or we can look at life at what is not seen, yet is eternal. This is God’s eternal perspective. We may not be able to see with physical eyes since it is invisible, but nevertheless it is true and real. This perspective gives us hope and anchors our soul and is totally independent of any outside events or circumstances.

There is only one place where we can find God’s point of view and that is in the Bible. It is there that we will gain God’s perspective on any given situation. But in order to do so, there are a few things we need to do.

• We must be a Christian. (You must first be a Christian to understand spiritual things. 1 Cor 2:6-26)
• We must acknowledge our present situation in life. (You can’t gain a proper perspective if you deny your circumstances. The truth will set you free.)
• We must discover God’s point of view in His Word. (Find God’s promises related to your situation in life. Forego telling all the friends and neighbors your situation. Go to God instead.)
• We must take God at His Word. (Act according to the eternal perspective you see in God’s Word. Walk by faith, not be sight.)

Remember that faith is a choice, a decision, not a feeling. It is important to act on God’s Word and not just read it. Inotherwords, be a doer. What good is it if we fill our mind with God’s truth but don’t live it out? As we gain an eternal perspective, we will experience the power of God’s Word at work in our lives. We will be walking by faith and not by sight!

Life on earth is but a brief moment compared to eternity. So let us make it a priority to see God in everything and live the brief life He gave us on earth in light of our eternal life with Christ.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Cor 4:18

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Heb 11:1

Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Heb 11:6