No Excuses!

 

“For since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities -- his eternal power and divine nature -- have been clearly seen, being understood  from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." (Romans 1:20)

After reading one of my morning devotionals, I captured this thought-provoking statement in my journal:

“To know God and to make Him known is our highest calling.”

I began to ask myself some questions: “How am I doing with this? How well do I know God? How much time have I devoted to prayer and intimacy with Him? What haven’t I done that I should have been doing about this?

I was then reminded of the passage in Romans, and some new questions came to mind: “If  God’s invisible qualities are so evident to humanity, what blinds people from seeing them? Does God need us to open their eyes?

It seems clear from Scripture that God does not need us. We NEED Him! But He does have a mission for us – to make Him known to others. And if we don’t respond to the task, His plan will still prevail. Why? Because He is God Almighty. Each of us is a tiny speck of sand on the beach we call life. There are plenty of others who will answer the call if we don’t. But we have no excuse, do we?

So now I ask myself:

Why Not Me?

Tight Spots and Miracles

                      “When I was desperate, I called out, and God got me out of a tight spot.”                                                                                                  Psalm 34:6 (MSG)

While writing an Operations Manual for a small company a few years ago, my computer suddenly crashed. After several agonizing hours on the telephone with a technical representative from the manufacturer, she delivered the bad news – my only hope of using that machine again was to have it reformatted and re-install the operating system. That was when sheer panic set in – I hadn’t saved a word of the file to my external drive, and the project was 90% complete.

For days after the crash, I was still frantically using every trick the technician tried to get my machine to start up in “safe mode,” my only hope of retrieving the file. Time after time, I got the same result – a blank screen. My anxiety level soared as I thought of how I would tell my client. Finally, I decided to sleep on it, but truth be known, I wanted to run away to a deserted island.

The following day, I went into my office and made several more feeble attempts at retrieving the file. Finally, I turned off my machine, went into my bedroom, and got down on my knees. “O God, if this is your will, I will give up and stop trying.” I knew I would need to accept the consequences that awaited me.

I dried my tears, went back to my office, and sat down. Then, for some unknown reason, I pressed the on-button of my computer. With that one touch of my finger, my computer turned on in “safe mode.” I could not believe what my eyes were seeing. But I lifted those eyes to heaven, pointed upward, and declared, “I know you did that.”

When we cry out to God, He meets us in the lowest and most desperate places of our lives. And though He may not always rescue us from our tight spots, He does hear our every prayer and responds in accordance with His will. I will forever be thankful that in the case of my self-created problem, His will was to “get me out of a tight spot.”

Amazing things happen when we wave the white flag. But don’t wait until you’re desperate. If you surrender every day to His will, you may be able to avoid a tight spot altogether.

Faith Lift

 Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.”

Matthew 21:20-22 (NIV)

 

For most of my life, I have been terrified of thunderstorms. In the summer of 2000, we had frequent late afternoon storms, most of which occurred during my drive home from work. If I arrived home during a bad storm, I would cringe in my car until I felt safe to bolt for the back door.

On one afternoon, the skies were ominous, and I could see the flashes of lightning as I headed home. When I reached my street, I begged God to make that storm disappear. It was not until I was around the corner from my house that I realized the rain had not begun, the skies were getting brighter, and I no longer saw any lightning. 

On arriving, I cautiously opened my car door to listen for rumbles of thunder – nothing. I met my husband in the backyard as he came around the corner of the house on his tractor. He said to me, “A bad storm was coming, and I figured I’d better quit and get inside. But the storm just moved away, so I am going to finish cutting the lawn.”

Do you believe every word that Jesus spoke? I do.

Do you believe he can calm every storm that comes our way? I do.

Do you fear the storms of life? I no longer do. 

Believe, and you will receive.

 

 

 

Only One Gift is Needed

 

You are the gift, O God, 
the only one I need for all eternity.
Nothing else matters but you and me,
gliding to the music that not all souls hear.
But if we dance and sing,
perhaps our symphony of love will draw them near.

Under Renovation

 

^“ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!”

2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV)

The word renovation has many synonyms, including restoration, revamping, makeover, reconditioning, overhauling, and repair. When a building is “under renovation,” things can get pretty messy. But it only lasts a while, and then everything turns back to “normal.” Not so with those of us undergoing a Holy Spirit renovation. 

Spiritual makeovers are a lifelong process. When God is working on us to be all that he planned, he keeps “upping the ante.” I know this to be true. I have been on a journey to total surrender for a very long time. But whenever I think I have nothing more to release to him, he shows me one more. 

I have learned to be joyful and sometimes amused at how he gets his message across to me when he wants to show me something new for my “list.” He is always working on me, and he is always working on you. He longs for us to continue to become more and more like Jesus. 

But we must be acutely aware when he is nudging us about something he wants us to do. If not, that nudge may turn into a more powerful demonstration to get our attention. 

Successful spiritual makeovers require us to be of a willing state of mind to allow him to sanctify us. We can have that state of mind when we keep in step and tune with the Holy Spirit Guide and set aside time each day for Bible study and intimate communication with the Father in prayer. 

Does he have a list for you to work on?

Whose Dream Is It Anyway?

 

“Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

James 4:8 (NIV)

You have most likely experienced times in your life when you don’t know where God is or why you haven’t heard his voice. That dream you believe God gave you is not coming to fruition, and you begin to wonder if it was wishful thinking on your part and not his plan at all. But if that dream continuously refuses to die, no matter how many times you doubted, it may be time to look at your life and discern the actual level of your intimacy with God.

I had a wake-up call recently, and it startled me into facing up to the fact that I had been running away from God. I was wasting precious time day after day, losing myself in computer games. I knew it wasn’t pleasing to him, but I couldn’t stop. After seeking him out and confessing my remorse, my reason for running became clear – I was running away from him and my dream.

I ran because of a lack of confidence in my calling to write. I felt inadequate, lacking in talent, and intimidated by the idea of publishing. I felt like I had a mountain to climb. My running made things even more difficult because God’s promises in the Bible were fading in my memory as I moved further and further away from him.

“For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” Philippians 2:13 (NIV)

God works in us.

When we look to our own power, especially as we strive to achieve our God-given calling, we are putting roadblocks in our path. I was my own worst enemy. How long had I strayed from this truth?

The same power that lifted Jesus from the grave is available to you and me when we admit that we are powerless. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

If you’re stuck, maybe it’s because you’re drawing from the wrong well. Please don’t give up on your dream; give up the roadblocks to it. Face them, confess them, and then surrender your control to the Father’s power that is already at work in you.

A Love Letter From God

   

            My child, you are my creation. I love you and want only the best for you. You are holding onto what you perceive as your freedom, but you are being held captive by self-inflicted limitations and addictions. I offer you true freedom, but you only see it as self-limiting.

            The freedom I offer is a gift that I gave to you on the cross.  All you need to do to receive that gift is to reach out and take my hand. Let me lead you back to the wood and the nails; to the place where freedom begins. This gift of grace to you is free but there is a catch: you must choose it.

            I can break the chains of your captivity and free you from bondage. Behold, I stand at the door of your hardened heart -- pleading, longing to bring you into a circle of love that is beyond any earthly love you could possibly imagine. The time you have on earth is today -- tomorrow is not guaranteed. That is why I am calling you to surrender and be free.

            Why would you choose any other path?  Surely you know by now that the path you have been on is not giving you the blessings of peace and tranquility in your life. But when you are connected to the True Vine, these things and more will be yours. I long to show you the way to the abundant life; rich, full and overflowing with joy. Joy that you then can give away to others, which will multiply it in you tenfold. Time is of the essence. You are either with me or against me. When you choose to be with me, I give you this promise: accept me for life and it will be life everlasting.

            My dear child, I long to give you this gift. But you are still doubtful as to its power.  Perhaps you think you already possess power within yourself to do all that you want or desire. Oh, my sons and daughters, this is not so.  I have given you gifts, but the power to use them remains with me because you have not asked for it. It is I who created you -- I know the plans I have for you to use those gifts that I imparted into your being. 

            You have heard my voice, my call; but you don't yet recognize it as such. Oh how I want you to be clear of hearing, of understanding. Take hold of my power today and experience the amazing love I have for you and the joy that has eluded you until now. Open up your heart -- I am there, my child. You don't understand how very close I am, but you will. My glory is all-encompassing. You are surrounded by it. Take a look outside, there are miracles everywhere. Yes, even the weeds that grow and thrive have a special beauty all their own. There is beauty on the horizon, beckoning you to soak in the warmth of the morning sun. Close your eyes and listen. What do you hear? The distant drum of a woodpecker claiming his territory, honking geese sailing on the air to a distant destination, a bluebird coaxing its nestlings to their first flight. I created all this and so much more.

            You are my heart's desire. I have spoken to you in so many ways, but you haven't heard me. What's your frequency? I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.  Call me, call on me, come now to your knees. I am waiting, beckoning you to come.

Come quickly.