I remember one of the worship pastors I had recently just engaged us with this Psalm every chance he got. It was his heart and his soul.
I love how the Message puts it. And I think the change in language makes it even more difficult to do – therefore needing all the more grace to do it!
Do you ever ask a question of God and then get the answer the very next day? Yesterday, I was journaling through a Piper article at a local coffee shop (thanks to the Mister having a day off and graciously keeping the boys), and I wrote down a question that I wanted to talk to the Mister about – as he is very good about seeking the enjoyment of God in my life – as he should (Ephesians 5).
The question was this: how do I do blogging and social media for good – and not have it cause ungodly characteristics to take root in my life and heart? In social media and really in all things – I struggle with envy, contentment, craving to be better and known. These thoughts grip my heart instead of lettering the wonderment of God grip my heart and let that be enough.
I don’t want to give up blogging and photography and social media – and I don’t think the need is there – I just think that care and concern for my soul (and also yours) needs to be always at the forefront of my mind.
So, here’s the answer – or at least more of the equation that I will bring to the Mister as we talk about it on our anniversary trip this coming weekend.
So clean house! Make a clean sweep of malice and pretense, envy and hurtful talk. Now, like infants at the breast, drink deep of God’s pure kindness. Then you’ll grow up mature and whole in God. You’ve had a taste of God. Welcome to the living Stone, the source of life. The workmen took one look and threw it out; God set it in the place of honor. Present yourselves as building stones for the construction of a sanctuary vibrant with life, in which you’ll serve as holy priests offering Christ-approved lives up to God.
1 Peter 2:1-5 The Message
I went through especially the first couple verses from my She Reads Truth reading for today:
Here’s the KCV (Kimberly Campbell Version):
Since you have been called to the amazingness of the Living Hope of Christ saving you and the Spirit living in you: don’t have anything to do with causing distress or pain on anyone else, don’t have anything to do with concealing or misrepresenting truth, don’t have anything to do with claiming and not being, don’t have anything to do with discontentment or wanting what other’s have, don’t have anything to do with communication that causes harm to another.
What of the above areas do you struggle with in blogging/social media? For me – its envy. Why do I write and photograph and cook – others do that and they have more followers, likes, giveaways, etc.
Do you struggle with putting down others in your blog? Maybe its the cute sarcasm of something that will be funny but you well know that it is really a slam against someone else?
Do you only put the good on IG and not real-life – that would be the claiming and not being part. Does it only show your home when it is show-worthy or your kids when they are all clean from a bath? Why not put the real life of them screaming their little heads off when you take away their milk cup?
God wants us to crave Him, crave the Word, work as unto the Lord (not so we gain more likes on facebook).
Who is set in the place of honor in your blogging and social media? Is your life on the computer or your iphone a sanctuary or dwelling place for God?
I yell out to my God, I yell with all my might,
I yell at the top of my lungs.
He listens.
Psalm 77:1 – the Message
Do you know and understand and realize and stake claim to the fact that the GOD OF THE UNIVERSE, the One who was before anything else ever came on the scene, the One who just spoke and everything came into existence – that God is the one who hears your prayers?
Shouldn’t that cause us to pray all the time – to seek him when we are troubled and scared and nervous and wondering what to do? He delights in us and desires us – and hears us!
And he would listen to us even if all we could muster up was a quiet whisper in the middle of the night.
There are some phrases that stand out to me in the Bible: therefore, but God, since, remember…and this one
HOLD FAST.
What grips your heart? Is it fear? It is loneliness? Is it pride? Is it desire? Why not let it be the things of God and His Word and His promises and His character.
“Let your heart hold fa
st my words; keep my commandments, and live!”
Proverbs 4:4
There is great hope when we cling to God and His Word. A friend, and former pastor, wrote recently on his blog that there is great LIFE in reading your Bible. He didn’t make it up. He got it from an Old Testament book. Read the Bible. Find hope. Find wisdom. Find the God who wrote it. And live. Hold Fast to it!
I’m humming an oldie Christian song in my head that is the base of Philippians 1:6. This is one of those verses that are claimed and sometimes used out of context.
Philippians 1:6 NLT
And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
Philippians is truly a book about pursuing forward: running hard after Jesus: looking more like Him. This “work” that God the Father began in you (if you are a believer in His Son Jesus Christ as your Savior) – HE, and HE alone will be faithful to bring it to completion. Your life, at the end of it, will look like what God wants it to. He is the author and perfecter of your faith. He will make you to look like his Son.
And I heard a pastor say one time that Jesus was the “most gladder” person in the world. Don’t you want to be glad? Soak in the sanctifying process that God has you on. Its a hard journey, a fun journey, and an ever-changing journey.
So be it.
I have been so encouraged lately from my pastor, from blogs, from fellow IGers, and from sweet friends – that being in the Word daily is a NEEDED discipline (or grace). I thought I would post some of my readings here, throw it back to when I first started this blog (9 years ago) and set some Bible readings in place. I hope they are an encouragement to you – and I know they will be to me.
Psalm 1:2-3, 6 – The Message
“Instead you thrill to God’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night.
You’re a tree replanted in Eden, bearing fresh fruit every month,
Never dropping a leaf, always in blossom.
God charts the road you take.”
Even in seasons when we don’t feel like we are getting anything done, or that what we are doing doesn’t matter, or that we are just sitting waiting for something great to happen or a set goal to take place – if we are in the Word, obeying the Word, loving and walking with Christ, than His faithful word says that we will always be in blossom.
And isn’t it grand to know that when we don’t know the way, when our way seems dark and dreary, when our days seem unknowing – God, the God who made everything, the God who sees everything, and the God who has been the only one who has ever been alone in all of eternity, He is the one who charts our course.
So be it.
Failure. Usually a bad word in our family. My husband has often told me to remove it from my vocabulary. But, I think even my husband would agree with this.
I often find myself reading “mommy” blogs or parenting blogs or asking friends how to discipline or instruct their toddlers. I know families that have all boys in them (or mostly boys) and I would love to go on vacation with them just to see their family in action for a week or so. I know every family is different and every parents parents differently.
But, there is one area that I am a complete failure in – and I thought I’d be open and honest and share it with you.
I can’t turn my child’s heart toward God. There. I said it.
And you know what…neither can you.
Now, please hear me out.
I can teach my boys Bible verses, read them Bible stories, tell them about the gospel and how Jesus wants us to obey him and make wise decisions. I can hug on my boys and give them lots of kisses and show them affection: before, during, and after they need to be disciplined. I can love my husband and help them to have see a marriage that is striving to have the Gospel at the center.
I can put people in their lives that will help influence them to be more like God. I can tell them how to share and be kind and not push and shove and don’t through your cereal on the floor and don’t kick your brother and don’t bite. I can tell them not to run in the parking lot and hold my hand and all of it.
But, what I can’t do is change their heart. I can’t make them love Jesus.
Only the Holy Spirit at the will of the Father through the sacrifice of Jesus can do that.
The Bible is clear that God is the Master of Salvation. The Bible is clear that Jesus died on the cross to save sinners. It is clear that the Holy Spirit works in the lives of believers. It is clear that everyone is a sinner (even cute little blond hair boys).
Ephesians 1:3-14:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth. In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.
It is also clear that we as parents have responsibilities to lead them to Jesus. To show them the gospel (by word and deed). To pray for them. To discipline them. To be Jesus with skin on to them.
Proverbs 22:6 – Train up a child. It doesn’t say change their hearts for them. It says POINT THEM TO JESUS
And oh, how I need the help of the Holy Spirit to pour life into me, to help it flow out of me – so that my children will be pointed to God. And we will pray that God has saved them by His wonderful, amazing grace.
This post is to encourage you. You can’t change your child’s heart – but you can pray and show them a God who loves!
Most of us, if we are Christians, know that we are to read the Bible – the Word of God. But, so many of us feel intimidated to open the book up so often times it sits on a shelf – even decorated pretty with flowers or other books – and collects dust. Or maybe we just let others study the Bible for us and we are tempted to stay only with a book study with questions already done for us.
There is so much you can get out of studies already written, but I challenge you to dig deeper and study the Bible for yourself. The good thing of being a Christian (among others) is the the Spirit lives inside of us and gives us His guidance when coming to the Bible to read it and gain wisdom, joy, and abundant life.
This blog post isn’t exhaustive, but I hope it is a start to your journey in studying the Bible or yourself. And believe me, when you do this – it will help with your parenting and your marriage relationship and your relationship with friends and neighbors. The Word of God is impactful for every area of life.
Start:
1. I would start with a Bible (I use the ESV Journaling Bible – there are wide margins for you to take notes and there aren’t any notes from other authors – only the Word of God).
2. Other things that would prove helpful to you are pens, pencils, and a notebook.
3. If you are curious to what “experts” say – go to them later. At least first sit down with just a Bible and the Holy Spirit and bathe in the Word for yourself. It is living and active and you can understand it!
4. First things first, take time to read through the Word. Just read it. Most of the smaller books of the Bible can be read in one sitting. Do that. While you are studying a given book of the Bible, I would encourage you to read it often. Get an app on your phone and read it while waiting in line or sitting in the carpool line for your children. You would be amazed at how much you remember when you read it often.
5. Then I would challenge you to write it out. Thats what the journal is first for. Write it – even though you have read it writing it will bring new findings to your mind. Make note of those!
6. Then ask yourself these three questions: (and there are other methods, but these are mine) – which I think are maximized for what you need for growth in The Lord and in the Gospel. What does God say about himself in these verses? What therefore do you learn about yourself in these verses? How do these verses point you to the Gospel.
7. For further study: look at commentaries, read or listen to sermons on that particular book of the Bible, ask questions, look at the rest of Scripture to see what the Word has to say about that passage. But, first – let the Word of God speak for itself! The Holy Spirit will be your Guide
You may be in a book of the Bible for a long period of time – but in time you will learn much about God, yourself, and the Gospel. Let it soak in. He is worth your time!
I’m still reading through the OT and making lists of the God the people of the OT encountered, served, feared, and loved. I am loving seeing how God interacts with his people. I know that He is the same God today as he was 8000 years ago.
Currently, I’m in Leviticus, and its not very exciting reading – but still I see that God talks to his people and tells us how we can please him. I see him showing mercy. Here are seven things that I learned this past week.
1. God has a purpose for color. I saw this as I attended the Bloggers in Bloom event last week and as I await the Arkansas Flower and Garden Show. The reports in Exodus about color is that God intended certain aspects of the temple and of the worshiper’s attire to be a certain color. He is an exact and detailed God. But, how he uses color now for our benefits are different. He uses color to express warmth and invitation. He uses color to express that winter is over and spring is finally here. He uses color to brighten moods and take away frowns. All of these are great reasons to use color in your home, kitchen (in what you cook), and in your wardrobe.
2. God is a free-ing God. The If:Gathering was this weekend, and although I wasn’t able to attend in Texas, I was grateful for one of my friends, Sharon Miller, who posted some of her favorite quotes. I particularly loved this one by Christine Caine: “You came out of Egypt, but Egypt is still in you. But God wants to get Egypt out of you so we can walk into the Promised Land free.” This basically means that we desire so often to return to what God has freed us from. But, how much better life would be if we never turned back and desired the old ball-and-chain!
3. The Lord shows mercy to stiff-necked people. I’m not talking about chiropractic care (though I love mine in Raleigh), but I’m talking about the mercy that he shows us when we refuse to give up our sinful ways, when we balk at his correction, when we settle for every day ho hum when he has called us to live the extraordinary!
4. God gives gifts to people to use for his glory! Let’s take a look at the oil maker in Exodus 37. God gave him the talents and abilities to make oil so that a particular type of oil might be used in the worship of God! That is so cool to me. That God might give me a particular gift that I can use to bring God glory in our home, in the local church, and in the church around the country and world. That gets me excited!
5. The Lord requires sacrifice for sin. I often thought in reading all of the lists for sacrifices that I’m glad that Jesus paid my sacrifice once for all so that I don’t have to sacrifice daily or weekly or yearly or anything to recompense for my sin. The perfect Christ already did that! Oh what a blessing. And this is how we can use the Old Testament, even in Leviticus, to teach others about the beauty of the Gospel and that the whole Bible points us to Jesus!
6. The Lord tells us what is pleasing to Him. He has given us His Word. That Word, the Bible, is sufficient in us knowing what it means to please Him. In one way, we stand before God because the Son has pleased the Father in his death and resurrection. But, we still try to please God in our actions. Not for acceptance. No, but for his pleasure.
7. God shows his glory to his people. He did this many times for Moses, and He dwelt in the Tabernacle with his people. How we might long for that. Do you long for Heaven? Do you long to be worshiping and singing where God and Jesus and the Spirit are front and center? I was reading a Donald Miller article about why he doesn’t feel the need for church and the first paragraph – singing really isn’t my thing – I just don’t like it. It made me sad for him because Heaven will have singing in it. We will get to sing to the Lamb! Moses’ song will be sung there!
How are your devotions going? Do you find them dead and lifeless? Or do you long to meet with God every day? I’m not quite to the last one – but I am finding the more time I am in the Word the more I want to be in the Word.
I’m a little behind, but I am still loving this study of the OT. When I come across the written accounts throughout history of what God did – and who He was – I know that He is the same very God today and we can believe Him!
These are some of the ones that stood out to me in my readings:
1. God cares for his children.
2. God’s Word is true.
3. God speaks to His people.
4. The Word of the Lord is to be feared.
5. The Lord brought His people out of slavery.
6. The Lord will fight for you.
7. The Lord triumphs gloriously.
8. The Lord is my banner in my war.
9. The Lord is greater than all Gods.
10. The Lord is compassionate.
May these truths remind of who God is for you today!