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Get off the fence.

Have you ever had an idea rolling around in your head? One of those ideas that won't leave you unless you do something with it? This blog post is one such idea.

Well, I don't know if “idea” is the right word. In fact, “Word” is the more appropriate noun in this case. I feel like Jonah in a way – given a Word from the Lord and ran from it. I'm not calling myself a prophet. I'm just saying I think I can relate to the weight of the matter that drove Jonah to seek reprieve.

Perhaps the message was too personal for Jonah. Perhaps it brought such conviction that he couldn't bear to look at himself in the mirror, let alone acknowledge that the Lord wanted him to speak it to a nation of savages. The truth was far greater that he wished to face. In fact, he outright refused to face it and ran away as far as he thought he could get. I don't know about you, but I don't think I want to wait until I'm swallowed up and spit out by a big fish before I do what I am supposed to be doing. So, I best get to it. . .

Get off the fence.

Interesting, isn't it? The very topic of my post is centered around making a clear choice. Wouldn't Jonah have had an easier time if he had just decided Who's side he was on from the beginning? Don't get me wrong. I think his being called to be a prophet of God is pretty clear cut in and of itself, but we do see the humanity of Jonah in the struggle he faced in fulfilling his calling. Sometimes I think I know what I am supposed to be doing, and other times I haven't a clue. But, one thing is certain, if I don't make a decision about Whom I serve in this world, I am going to continue to be a mess. 

Jesus clearly tells us in Revelation 3:15-22 (NLT) (emphasis mine):

15 "I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! 16 But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked. 18 So I advise you to buy gold from me—gold that has been purified by fire. Then you will be rich. Also buy white garments from me so you will not be shamed by your nakedness, and ointment for your eyes so you will be able to see. 19 I correct and discipline everyone I love. So be diligent and turn from your indifference. 20 “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.21 Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne. 22 “Anyone with ears to hear must listen to the Spirit and understand what he is saying to the churches.”

Many of you have either read or heard this Scripture preached. It's pretty scary to think that all our time on this dusty planet we call home could be vainly spent. But, God makes it pretty clear that we cannot be complacent and numb and allow life to pass us by. He has laid out a beautiful plan for our lives and given us the free choice to follow it. Yet, so many of us, myself included, end up focusing on the wrong things and ultimately letting our fire for Jesus grow cold and dim.

Why does this happen? Do we even notice it before it's too late? Does the din of life gradually drown out the still small voice or does it suddenly take over? Either way, we have given away our authority, our victory and our peace by allowing the enemy to have his way with our lives. Distractions, addictions, good intentions and lackadaisical attitudes cause us to stumble. Half the time. I have created my own stumbling blocks. Somehow, I have allowed myself to begin to buy into the lies that I have no influence, that my voice doesn't matter, that I cannot affect change and that I am not worthy of the platform I have been given.

So what do I do? I end up sitting on the fence with one foot in the world and one foot in the Kingdom. Not being effective in either and feeling torn to shreds on the inside as the war that rages around me pulls me in both directions.

No more.

That's right, devil. You heard me. 

NO MORE.

Today, this moment, as I sit and write for the world to read, I make my choice.

I choose God. 

• I choose to live a life of worth; one that is found at the Cross, where my Savior bled and died for me, as if I was the only living soul on earth. 
• I choose to live a life of victory; victory found as Jesus rose on the third day, after conquering hell and the grave, risen with the Spirit of the Living God, which now lives in me. 
• I choose to live a life of power; power found in Living Water in which I will spread my roots and soak up the power of the Word made flesh as I declare His holy name. 
• I choose to live a life of joy; joy that is established in my relationship with my Father in Heaven and which cannot be taken from me, unless I give it away. My joy is found in the knowledge that I was made in the image of my Creator, who loves me beyond measure. 
• I choose to live a life of prayer; one that keeps me and those around me covered by the grace and mercy of my God and King and I will believe Him at His Word and for the fulfillment of His promises. 

I CHOOSE LIFE.

• No longer will I be a slave to the chains of the past.
• No longer will I bend and break under the pressure to perform as the world expects. 
• No longer will my happiness be determined by the emotional state of others. 
• No longer will I listen to the lie that I have nothing to say and nothing to offer this world. 
• No longer will I be blinded to the needs of those around me and the calling to which I have been given.

Today, I choose to serve the Lord. I am getting off that proverbial fence and standing squarely on the side of righteousness.

Things will get rough. I will face challenges and I will be tested. I will not always feel like I have succeeded and I will find myself faced with the choice to give up or go forward.

In those moments, I will recall this day, this post and remember that I have thrown off the world's view of me and embraced my true identity in Jesus.

I will not be a fence sitter any longer. 

Tell me, friend... how about you?

Do you trust Me?

Over the weekend, my family and I were visiting an indoor water park.  While we are a blended family of five, two of my children live out of state and have for the majority of their lives.  So, when my husband and I take our youngest daughter to do something, it's usually just the three of us.  Per the usual fashion, we catered most of our visit to our eight-year old's interests, however, this time, we encouraged her to overcome her fear of the larger water slides.  You may laugh at this, and it has it's humorous elements to it, but as I sit and reflect on what really happened on this visit, I see things in a different light.

First, my husband and I ventured to the top of the tall platform to ride the "water coaster," while our daughter waited for us at the bottom.   Just as it sounds, the ride is a fast-moving ride where you and one or two of your close friends and /or relatives sit back in an oblong raft and zoom down an enclosed tube.  You can hear what can be construed as both screams of terror and/or delight echoing down the tube and throughout the facility.  I,  myself, admit my screams are a combination of the two emotions, but find that I truly enjoy the thrill.  

On the other side of the platform, there is a family raft ride.  Up to five people can sit in the circular flotation device and it, too, slightly twists and turns as the water carries you down an enclosed tube.  My husband and I noticed there were many smaller children, toddlers, in fact, that were riding this particular attraction.  We talked with a lady in line, who happened to be a lifeguard and confirmed the innocuous nature of the ride, and decided since our little girl had just gone down the regular tube ride with Daddy, she would really like this raft idea.  (Key foreboding music here.)

As you can probably imagine, things did not go as we had hoped.  Not only did we fail to factor in to account that she had literally just overcome her fear of the taller slides, we did not consider the truth of her condition:  she was scared out of her mind.  We're not talking excited-scared, here, either.  We are talking full-scale meltdown scared.  Giving her the benefit of the doubt, I went down the ride without her and Daddy walked his little girl down the three flights of stairs.  We'll try again tomorrow.

Well, the day began with some adventure (albeit frustrating) as we played a game that has you running to and fro throughout the hotel.  Finally, after we had defeated the dragon and won the gold (don't ask), we found ourselves back in the water park, splashing in the wave pool, and gearing up for helping our daughter conquer her fear for once and for all.  

When she finally got up the courage, what little she had at the moment, to go up to the platform, fear griped her again as she reached the platform.  While I tried to encourage her with 2 Timothy 3:17, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline," little could be done to calm her. All the coaxing and promises of gift shop goodies could not take this overwhelming fear away from my daughter.  She took a step into the raft and literally panicked, to the point of screaming.  A mixture of anger, resentment as well as concern took hold of me as I watched the same emotions rise up in my husband.  And as the three of us walked down the stairs together, all my precious daughter could say to us was "I'm sorry."  Over and over and over again.   

My husband took a seat in order to calm down and sent me and my daughter to the wave pool.  At first, I tried to reason with her, assure her that although disappointed, we weren't mad.  I recalled our moments on the platform, both of us looking into her eyes as they darted back and forth, asking her if she trusted us, trusted that we wouldn't hurt her or put her in harm's way.  That we would be sitting right next to her, holding her hand and sticking with her every moment of the way.  Yet, all of that rhetoric didn't resonate with her. the bottom line was that she didn't trust us and she was terrified. For the next few moments, while we were in that wave pool, I sought the Lord for wisdom and peace in the situation.  I put my arms around my baby girl and held her as she put her head on my shoulder and listened to me pray.   All of the sudden, I felt the Lord say to me, "you are asking of her the same thing I have asked of you, and what has your response been?"  A flood of compassion crashed over me along with the waves as I realized what this whole ordeal was really about.

Let me back up a half-a-second.  Two days before, I had a panic attack as well.  The details don't matter, but the crux of the lesson does.  When we come to a place of healing, we often think we have done all we need to do.  However, the journey never ends as we are refined and refocused as God reshapes us in to a new creation.  Our strength is not in ourselves and our high-minded thinking that we have overcome on our own, but from the very Spirit of God that inhabits us.  And, as we walk in our flesh and lean on our own understanding, we find ourselves face to face with situations we thought we could handle, yet they end up handling us and we are left a hot mess.  

Somewhere along the way, we lost our trust.  Trust in the process, trust in others, trust in God, and, we put too much trust in ourselves and our own abilities.  What is this thing called "trust?"  Again, I turn to Professor Google for our definition:  "firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something."  Don't we all say that trust is to be earned, not given?   Once a trust is broken, most of us have a heck of a time giving it out again.   We could argue the inherency of trust, but that will not be of any benefit, since both you and I know that regardless of where we learn the validity of trust, it can easily be broken and often times is at the heart of many of our relational issues.

You see, here is the reality:  crippling fear is not of the Lord.  You and I know what the Scripture says.  We know that there are varying levels of fear and that there are healthy fears that keep us from doing things that harm us, as well as reverent fear of the Lord.  But, herein lies the problem - how do we know the difference?  How can we trust that our fear will give us the boundaries of safety that we are looking for?  Scripture after Scripture encourages us to trust in the Lord.  A quick search reveals 59 references to trusting (or not trusting) in the Lord.  The most recited perhaps is Proverbs 3:5, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding."

My daughter trusted in what her eyes and ears were telling her.  She saw and heard the rushing water at the beginning of the ride.  She saw a large flotation device swallowed up by a big blue tunnel and she couldn't see what was ahead of her.  She assumed that the rest of the ride was fast and bumpy and regardless of what anyone told her to the contrary, she could not trust what was being said to her.  How many times have the eyes in your head contradicted the eyes of your heart and convinced you that whatever God was asking you to do, that you could not trust Him for the outcome?  We lean into our emotions and allow them to tell us what is truth and what can and cannot be trusted.  I hate to break it to you, but our emotions are probably the one thing we have that we can absolutely NOT trust!  Emotions lead us into temptation, wrong thinking, sinful choices and devastating consequences.  We must learn to trust the Word of God.  Jesus, the Word made flesh, who knows us by our names.  Scripture tells us over and over again that those who trust in the Lord will find their peace, their prosperity, their victory and their joy:  

Psalm 37:3:  Trust in the Lord and do good. Then you will live safely in the land and prosper.

Proverbs 16:20:  Those who listen to instruction will prosper; those who trust the Lord will be joyful.

Isaiah 12:2:  See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory.”

Jeremiah 17:7: But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence.

Trust is the key to possessing our blessings.  We must first trust the one that holds them in His hands as knowing what is best for us.  As I have shared before, "Trust + Obedience = Blessing."  It's the formula for success.

So, you may be wondering about the outcome of all this as it relates to the water-park adventure.  Well, about half-way through the day, donning a life-jacket and after a threat to go down in the raft or if we go down the stairs, we go home, my daughter went down the family raft ride with us. And, on the way out of the park, our last ride was. . . you guess it!  The family raft ride!  I even caught her smiling a few times (in between the gentle dips and turns down the chute).    You see, in the end, she did trust us after all, even if it was under a bit of slight duress, and she was victorious over her fear.

Yet, in the end, the bigger lesson learned was mine.  I now see how much I lean on my own strength and understanding and how misleading they can be.  I need to trust in the Truth because in the Truth, I find my liberty.  And when I walk in liberty, I have the freedom to follow God with joy in my heart and assuredness (a.k.a. "trust") in His plan for my  life.

John 8:32:  "Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings.  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."    

The Choice is Yours

There are times in our lives when we have to make tough decisions.  We hem and we haw about whether or not we are making the right ones.  We seek counsel from our peers and often times we keep asking until we hear what we have been wanting to hear.  In the end, our peace hangs in the balance because we don't know where we really stand.  It becomes less and less about the decision itself and more and more about the outcome of that decision.  And the outcome is determined by where we place our focus, on what or on whom. 

For the past several weeks, the messages at church have been convicting, to say the least.  Week after week, speaker after speaker, the Holy Spirit comes and penetrates the hearts of those who earnestly seek after Him.  Truly, Jesus told us the importance of chasing after God because we truly want to know His will.  “How blessed are the pure in heart! for they will see God."  Matthew 5:8 (Complete Jewish Bible)

For those of us who say we believe in God, we must make a very important decision. Even Joshua posed this question to Israel and his answer graces walls all over the world, including my own.

“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:14-15 (New Living Translation)

What does it mean to put away the idols your ancestors worshiped?  What does he mean "choose this day whom you will serve?"

On the surface, it seems we are to abandon the ways of those who have come before us.  But, I would challenge you to dig a little deeper.  It's not just about the generational idol worship that you and I have inherited, it's about those idols we are dragging around behind us.  It's about the past - the wrong we have suffered, the hurt we have carried and the pain we may have caused another.  It is the very thing that keeps us in bondage and from walking in the liberty of God!  Why do we feel we must consult our past in order to move into the future??  We don't own our past anymore!  As soon as we crossed the threshold from the past to the present, God takes ownership!  He doesn't want us to carry the weight of the past upon our shoulders.  It's why He sent His Son to suffer and die.  He said to us, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 (NLT).  Yes, He spoke regarding our current burdens - our worries, our struggles, the things we battle in the here and now.  Yet, He also meant the weight we carry behind us - the very things that haunt us when we approach something new and exciting and that we know is in line with God's will for us.

Instead of walking in the liberty of God's truth and love, we cower beneath the weight of the what-ifs and the fear of not just failure, but of success.  We idolize our past to such a degree that it leaves us paralyzed and unable to walk into our destiny.  The very Spirit that raised Jesus from the depths of the grave lives in us, if we truly have accepted the free gift of salvation.  Once saved, we have an opportunity to show our gratitude to God by walking in obedience to Him.  Our offering is all of our heart, mind, and soul.

“And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul. 
Deuteronomy 10:12 (NLT)(emphasis mine) 

What can we bring to the Lord?
Should we bring him burnt offerings?
Should we bow before God Most High with offerings of yearling calves?
Should we offer him thousands of rams and ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Should we sacrifice our firstborn children
to pay for our sins?
No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
and this is what he requires of you:
to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Micah 6:6-8 (NLT)(emphasis mine)

It's not about fair.  It never will be.  The past is the past and only God alone reserves the right to pass judgment.  We must bear in mind, however, that you and I are afforded the same grace and mercy. My sins are no better or worse than your sins, regardless of how the world views them.  Sin is sin.  Jesus paid the price for all sin. Why is this important? Because I didn't go to the cross for any man.  I have no right to be disobedient or rebellious against God because someone we believe deserves to be punished seems to be getting away without any consequences.  So, why do we drag that weight around our necks?  Why do we shake our fist at God and ask "why?" all the while demanding He bless us in our feeble attempts to serve Him?

Here's the bottom-line:  God will not honor lip service.  He cannot do so.  James tells us this: 

So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, “Some people have faith; others have good deeds.” But I say, “How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds.”  You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can’t you see that faith without good deeds is useless? Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.  And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God  So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road.  Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.       James 2:17-24 (NLT) (emphasis mine) 

God wants to bless us.  He wants to answer our prayers.  But, He can and will only do so if what we ask is in line with His will.

"My purpose in writing is simply this: that you who believe in God’s Son will know beyond the shadow of a doubt that you have eternal life, the reality and not the illusion. And how bold and free we then become in his presence, freely asking according to his will, sure that he’s listening. And if we’re confident that he’s listening, we know that what we’ve asked for is as good as ours."
1 John 5:14-15 (The Message)(emphasis mine)

What is the point to all this?  We have to make a choice.  Let's revisit Joshua 24:14-15 again:

“So fear the Lord and serve him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshiped when they lived beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt. Serve the Lord alone. But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then choose today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.”
Joshua 24:14-15 (New Living Translation)(emphasis mine)

I don't know about you, but I don't want to be like Ebenezer Scrooge's partner, Marley, who bore in death the chains of sin he created in life.  I want to walk in the liberty of God, so that I may serve Him, and prosper.  Just as God exhorted Joshua, we can glean the same power and strength from these words:

“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them.  Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:6-9 (NLT)(emphasis mine) 

The time to live boldly for God is now.  Choose this day whom you will serve.  For me, there is only one Way.  I can't make this choice for you.  I can only point you in the direction of the Truth.

"But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (NKJV)

Focus.

I wonder if you are like me. . . I often find myself with good intentions that often go awry.  I am highly distractable (insert bright, shiny object here).   

Yet, the word that came to me tonight was "focus."  Like I often do, I looked up the meaning of the word and according to Professor Google, the noun means "the center of interest or activity" or "the state or quality of having or producing clear visual definition."  Let's look at the verb, however.  To focus is to "(of a person or their eyes) adapt to the prevailing level of light and become able to see clearly" or "pay particular attention to."  Hmmm.  As you may have guessed, my interpretation has a slight slant to it. . .

I heard on the radio earlier today that Jesus had developed the habit of obedience.  While I won't explore that concept at this time, I would venture to say that Jesus was, indeed, focused.  In all things, Jesus always prayed for His Father's will (Matthew 6:9-13, John 17:1-26 to quote a sampling).  We might think it was easy for Jesus to pray for God's will on earth, but the Bible clearly tells us that He was tempted in every way that we are today:  "Also, let’s hold on to the confession since we have a great high priest who passed through the heavens, who is Jesus, God’s Son;  because we don’t have a high priest who can’t sympathize with our weaknesses but instead one who was tempted in every way that we are, except without sin." (Hebrews 4:14-15, CEB)

So, what is it that kept Jesus from distraction?  He knew His Father's will for Him was far greater than what He could purpose for Himself.  Even as He was fully God, He was fully human as well.  This is why we can have confidence that He knows our every emotion  - good, bad or indifferent. 

So, how do we find the focus that Jesus had?  Is it even possible?  Oh, yes, my dear friend, it is.

Let us turn to the Scripture, the very Word of Life that Jesus embodies:

Psalm 16:5 - LORD, You are my portion and my cup of blessing; You hold my future. (HCSB)

Psalm 37:5 - Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. (ESV)

Proverbs 3:5-6  - Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. (ESV)

Proverbs 16:9  - The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps. (ESV)

Isaiah 43:18-19  - “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. (ESV)

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 2:9  - But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (ESV)

Many of these Scriptures may be familiar to you, but let's go back to our word, "focus" so you understand why I am sharing these verses with you.

The definition that struck me was this:  "(of a person or their eyes) [to] adapt to the prevailing level of light and become able to see clearly."  If you are a follower of my blog, you will recall I wrote about "The Eyes With Which We See."  I spoke about viewing our lives through our spiritual eyes versus our natural eyes.  I believe focus is not much different.  We must "adapt to the prevailing level of light and become able to see clearly" but we must be certain of the source of that light.  If it is not God, what is it?  Psalm 119:105 says "Your word is a lamp to walk by, and a light to illumine my path."  His Word, God's Word, illuminates the path before us.  So many times we try to hold up the lamp of our own making, a manufactured ideal that we are in charge of where we are going and what we are doing.  Yes, we have been given free choice to choose God or reject Him, but once we have the Holy Spirit living in us, any attempt to deviate from the path of righteousness leaves us frustrated, disappointed and full of regret. 

Believe me, I am not immune to this process.  Again, I am highly distractable.  I often times find myself doing things that waste time and effort and then I kick myself later for doing so.  We are not alone in this.  Even Paul, the greatest apostle that ever lived, told us in Romans 7:15 that "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do." (NIV)  So, what did He do? He focused on the right Light.  The Light of Jesus, the Living Word of God.

I know it's hard to take it all in.  I struggle just as you do.  But, we do have a hope in Jesus.  Once we are born again of Him and of His Spirit, we can and will accomplish all that He has predestined us to do.  We may make choices that delay possession of that destined blessing, but in the end, when we hone in on what we have as sons and daughters of the Most High King, the possibilities are endless.

So, perhaps instead of getting all wrapped up in what I am not accomplishing and allowing myself to escape into my distraction of choice, I really should get focused.  But first, I think I'll ask God to give me a peek at His plan for my life. And even if the road ahead requires mud boots and waders, I am confident that the Light I see in the distance will take me to a future that can be nothing short of glorious.

"We are the dreamers of dreams. . ."

"Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, 

to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think." 

Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)

We all have a dream.  Sometimes that dream is birthed within us when we are young, before we even have the ability to speak it. Sometimes it comes as we become seasoned in life, fine-tuned and focused.  And then, sometimes the dream changes, morphs, if you will, as we reevaluate and re-purpose ourselves and how we live our lives. One thing is constant, however.  When our dreams are not realized, we tuck them away, or bury them even. And at some point, either a new dream rises in our hearts or the old one resurfaces.

I've been writing since I was a child.  It used to be my outlet for depression and teen angst.  My stories were dark, sometimes haunting and always written from a place of pain.  As I grew older, I stopped writing.  I'd pick it up now and again, journaling, documenting life's events and/or the road I traveled to get to them.  In December of 2015, I felt the call to really write - write from a place of strength, peace, growth and love.  You, my dear reader,  share in the fruit of that labor.  I thank you for reading and sharing in that journey.

Last week, I received a notification that a Christian book publisher was having a writing contest.  I mulled it over and tried to temper my excitement.  God has impressed upon me a book in the last several months and I thought that maybe, just maybe, I could share some of that vision. . ..   So, I wrote.  I wrote and rewrote and prayed and rewrote again. I think I questioned myself and my motives as much as I felt the leading to submit an entry.  God bless my dear friend who read and reread and encouraged and prayed.  Finally, believing God had gave me just the right words (and exactly 3999/4000 characters), I paid my entry fee and hit the "submit" button.

The 48 hours following were nerve-wracking.  Within hours of submitting my piece, I knew it needed to be changed, reworked and part of me wanted to retract it.  And, the waiting!  Oh, the waiting.  I tried to put it out of my head. . .but my flesh could not keep from checking my email a hundred times an hour (ok, that's an exaggeration, but goodness!  The agony of waiting!)

Well, yesterday afternoon, I received the announcement.  As my eyes skimmed the page, I begin to read a familiar title. . . really familiar.  And, then, I saw my name.  I. WON.   Yes.  not only had I won, but I. WON. THE. GRAND. PRIZE.  Tears immediately burst from my eyes and I couldn't breathe.  A mixture of unbelief and joy flooded my mind and heart and my body began to shake.  God had birthed a dream in my heart, given me a vision and the words, and then provided "infinitely more than [I] might ask or think."  My husband and daughter were caught off guard as I had submitted the piece unbeknownst to them.  I think I shed tears of joy, fear, shock and a host of other emotions for at least an hour.

 I'd be lying to you if I said I wasn't excited.  I'd be lying to you if I didn't tell you that I have been overcome with fear, dread, and worry.  What if I dishonor my Lord?  I already know that the content will change.  What if. . . what if. .. and then, the warfare begins.  Did I disappoint people?  Am I being humble enough?  What have I really gotten myself into?

While the swarm of emotions attempts to steal my joy (and has almost been successful), I am reminded that even if I am in error, God's favor stills rests upon me. No matter what happens in the future  - whether I actually write and publish a book or am lead down another path - God loves me. He REALLY loves me.  I know that He didn't allow this to happen so I'd feel good about me.  I'm to feel good about GOD in me, working through me, on a day to day basis and by the power of His grace and mercy, I can move according to His will and in His power alone.  Even if I made a mistake in my thinking and hence in my writing, I praise God that I know it and that I can have confidence that He will shield those who read it from being affected by what I now know to be different.

God is exceedingly able to bring our dreams back to life.  He is exceedingly able to give us the desires of our hearts. . if and when they align with His will. 

  Take delight in the Lord,  and he will give you your heart’s desires.

Psalm 37:4 

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19

As I take it all in, a strange voice echoes in my mind. .. Gene Wilder's Willy Wonka who declared in the face of sarcastic criticism "We are the music makers, And we are the dreamers of dreams,. . ."  The line is actually the beginning of a poem entitled "Ode" by  English poet Arthur O'Shaughnessy.

We are the music makers,  

And we are the dreamers of dreams

Wandering by lone sea-breakers,

And sitting by desolate streams;—

World-losers and world-forsakers,

On whom the pale moon gleams:

Yet we are the movers and shakers

Of the world for ever, it seems.

Isn't that true?  We are not of this world!  God's Word tells us that we are to live in the world but not of it!

And, then, Once you had no identity as a people; now you are God’s people. Once you received no mercy; now you have received God’s mercy.” Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.   1 Peter 2:10-12 (NLT) 

I also hear the voice of my pastor speaking about "Dream Provokers" and how necessary the both the cheerleaders and the naysayers are to the success of our journey. 

"If God wants you to do something with your life, He will send a dream provoker." - Pastor Marcus Mecum,  7 Hills Church.

Pastor reminded us that without the dream provokers in our lives, we won't be stretched, challenged and determined to achieve much more than that for which we've settled.

So, here's my charge to you. . .DREAM BIG.  Allow God to so move in your mind, heart and soul that you can start to see the vision in clear focus and hear it calling to you.  Be strong and courageous!  If you take a minute to read my short piece, you'll see that we are given the command to be strong and courageous!  It's not an option, but a directive!  Allow the God of all creation to create in you dreams beyond your wildest imaginings and then believe Him to deliver. . . and be prepared for a blessing beyond measure. 

To read my contest entry along with those who have also won, please visit https://www.xulonpress.com/writing_contest/page/winners

photo courtesy of http://akadesign.ca/

Blessing in the Brokenness

For those of you who know me, my story may or may not be familiar to you.  I write because I am now at liberty to do so.  And, now, I can share why I have that liberty.  The journey is not over yet, as I am constantly being reminded that there is "Blessing in the Brokenness". . . 

"Broken"              

adjective bro·ken \ˈbrō-kən\

: separated into parts or pieces by being hit, damaged, etc.

: not working properly

: not kept or honored[1]

Broken.  Ponder that word for a minute.  What does it mean to be broken?  Have we ever really looked at that word?  It's definition seems so simple if we apply it to an object or a promise. 

But, what does it really mean to be broken?  Have you ever lived in that place?  What does brokenness look like?  I can tell you.  I used to live there.

Twenty-two months ago, almost to the day, I was broken.  Not just broken, but shattered.  My heart in a million pieces, I walked out of my house, said goodbye to my then six-year old daughter, and just walked away.  I turned my cell phone location services off and then on again.  I turned the cell phone off and on again.  Tears streaming down my face, all I could think of was does my daughter know how much I love her?  Will they tell her?  Will he, speaking of my husband, equally in a place of brokenness, tell her that I love her?  I just walked and cried.   My heart cried out to God, who seemed so far away.  My body moved forward towards the local hospital, the only destination I could focus on that could possibly bring me healing. I texted my husband.  I called my best friend, whom I could not immediately reach.  Moved forward by desperation, I walked 4.3 miles before my husband finally came to pick me up.  And, the sight of my precious daughter running out to me sent my grief deeper into my soul.  Numbly, I walked back to the van and climbed in.  Soon, my best friend called and before I knew it, she was sitting in my living room and then I was sitting in the emergency room on a 72-hour mandatory psychiatric hold.  I don't remember how long it was before the social worker, larger than life on the television screen before me, released me to her care.  As I walked out with her, all I knew was that I didn't know what would happen next and I felt nothing but despair.

The one conscious thought I had was to make a phone call to my husband's best friend. I thought I was calling for my husband, to ensure someone was there for him.  But little did I know how that one phone call would be the beginning of a journey that I can describe as nothing short of miraculous.  The door to the Ministry Of Miracles was opening to me and I didn't even know it.

Our dear friend followed in obedience and made a phone call.  This phone call lead to my husband making a phone call, then another.  And, finally, the instruction came to me.  "I want you to pray about when, not if, you are going to call Bari.  When, Michelle, not if.  Rob has already spoken to her.  She would like to speak to you, too."  I agreed to pray, nothing more.  It's all I could agree to.  Yet, praying seemed so shallow and fruitless. 

But, oh, my Father in Heaven still heard.  He heard the prayers of my husband and our friends and my first call was made two days later on a Saturday night.  "How are you feeling, Michelle?" said a cheerful, but confident voice on the other end of the line.  "Anxious," I said.  "No, you aren't feeling anxious.  You're feeling dread."  How did she know? It was like she could look through the phone directly into my soul.  I tried to shrink further into myself, arms crossed and on the defensive.  But, something pulled me out of that posture.  Someone.  Not just the voice on the other end of the line, but Someone bigger than the two of us.  SURRENDER.  I will never forget writing that word, while laying on my stomach like a teenager, and smiling and laughing.  A new work had begun and my world started to change. 

Today, I walk in liberty.  I stand tall as a Daughter of Zion, a Daughter of the Most High King, a Daughter of Destiny. But this is not just any destiny.  It is a powerful, purpose-filled Destiny that was created before the Earth was formed and my heart existed to possess it.  Today I am rooted in the Living Water that gives me life, the very breath I breathe given to me by the Holy Spirit, poured out over the hours upon hours of counsel, instruction and revelation through the Ministry Of Miracles' principle, Bari.  Strongholds have been broken.  I no longer live with a shattered heart. The chains that once bound me lie scattered behind me.  No longer an empty vessel, the clay from which I was formed has been reshaped and renewed and it now holds the blessings of being raised up and out of captivity.  The scales have long since been removed my eyes and I walk in the light of God's perfect love, perfected in His righteousness, only made possible by Jesus' death and resurrection.  Words simply are not adequate to describe the healing that has mended the broken places in my life. 

Oh, but the blessings were not reserved just for me.  My husband has received counsel and instruction and walks in greater freedom than ever before.  My daughter instantly bonded to Bari and grows closer to God with each passing day.  Gone are the damaged places that kept us in bondage. Hearts and minds that were once under oppression and not working properly, freed and full of life and joy.  No longer are we wounded, living in a fog, feeling dishonored, for we live in the reality of the blessing and honor we receive as children of our loving Heavenly Father. 

Romans 8:9 - 17 says:

"But you, you do not identify with your old nature but with the Spirit - provided the Spirit of God is living inside you, for anyone who doesn't have the Spirit of the Messiah doesn't belong to him. However, if the Messiah is in you, then, on the one hand, the body is dead because of sin; but, on the other hand, the Spirit is giving life because God considers you righteous. And if the Spirit of the One who raised Yeshua from the dead is living in you, then the One who raised the Messiah Yeshua from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit living in you. So then, brothers, we don't owe a thing to our old nature that would require us to live according to our old nature. For if you live according to your old nature, you will certainly die; but if, by the Spirit, you keep putting to death the practices of the body, you will live. All who are led by God's Spirit are God's sons. For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to bring you back again into fear; on the contrary, you received the Spirit, who makes us sons and by whose power we cry out, "Abba!" (that is, "Dear Father!").  The Spirit himself bears witness with our own spirits that we are children of God; and if we are children, then we are also heirs, heirs of God and joint-heirs with the Messiah - provided we are suffering with him in order also to be glorified with him."[2]

Let's go back to that word, "broken."  Brokenness can be and is used by God.  Brokenness is necessary to the process of restoration.  Without being broken, we do not see the hidden places where anger, shame, bitterness, pain and sin hide.  Only when we are broken, can something new and beautiful be revealed.  A diamond's brilliance is not revealed until it has been broken from the layers of rock around it.  On the outside it is ugly and course, but once revealed and refined, we see it for what it really is - beautiful and precious.  Are we not God's precious jewels, born into an ugly and sinful world?  Reread Romans 8:9-17.  We are precious in the eyes of our Abba, Father, who sent His only Son to die a brutal death but was raised from the dead by the Holy Spirit to give us new life.  This new life must be born out of the brokenness that exists deep within our souls, the very brokenness that serves as the fertile ground on which the Holy Spirit cultivates and develops the roots that connect us to the Vine and sustains our lives.

Our blessings came not in place of, but because of and through the brokenness.  I needed to be broken for the Father to bring me to the Ministry Of Miracles.  I needed to be broken further in order to break free of the chains that bound me to the pain of my past.  The deepening bond of my heart to the Father's through the firm, yet gentle voice of Bari had to (and continues to) come as the Holy Spirit works in the depths of my soul through our calls.  And, oh, the overflowing joy!  The laughter and sharing as the Lord healed the hidden places in my husband and me over the last twenty-two months are beautiful and precious.  A song born in my daughter's heart, resonates within me as I reflect upon how even she has been reshaped and renewed though so young.

There is no shame in being broken.  For it is only when we are broken and humbled that we become teachable.  And, when we are teachable, the yearning in our souls is satisfied with the manna from Heaven, the Word made flesh, Jesus.  We can then enter His courts with praise and sing "Holy, holy, holy is ADONAI, God of heaven's armies the One who was, who is and who is coming!" (Revelation 4:8).[3]

Walk through the door.  The Father is waiting.  The Spirit is drawing.  The Ministry Of Miracles is the Ministry of the Miraculous.  I am living proof.  And, I praise Him with all that I am. 

For more information on the Ministry of Miracles, please visit www.ministryofmiracles.org.

[1] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/broken

[2] http://www.biblestudytools.com/cjb/romans/8.html

[3] http://www.biblestudytools.com/cjb/revelation/4.html

It's okay to be weak.

In the last several posts, I have championed strength.  As a matter of fact, I'm in the middle of another Spirit-filled post about victory.  However, as I reflected today on the weakness I have in my physical body (courtesy of this season's version of "flu"), I realized, it's okay to feel weak and vulnerable and still have strength within you.

Many of us have quoted Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9  (I have often quoted it, myself):

"But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 

But oftentimes, we leave out verse 10, which completes Paul's thought:

"For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

So what does it mean to be weak?  Is it a negative thing?  Perhaps by the world's standards.   Professor Google defines the term as "(1) lacking the power to perform physically demanding tasks; lacking physical strength and energy, or (2) liable to break or give way under pressure; easily damaged."  In society, showing mercy is considered weak, being honest can make you the "weak link," and being physically lacking often is used to describe a person as a whole as "weak."

But, if being weak is lacking in the world, how much more is it desired in the Kingdom of God?

If we are not weak (vulnerable), we cannot be broken and molded.

Jeremiah 3-4:

So I went down to the potter's house, and there he was working at his wheel. "And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter's hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Then the word of the Lord came to me:  “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter has done? declares the Lord. Behold, like the clay in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel.

If we are not weak, we cannot we be restored and made whole.

Luke 5:5-9 

One of the men lying there had been sick for thirty-eight years.  When Jesus saw him and knew he had been ill for a long time, he asked him, “Would you like to get well?”  “I can’t, sir,” the sick man said, “for I have no one to put me into the pool when the water bubbles up. Someone else always gets there ahead of me.” Jesus told him, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk!” Instantly, the man was healed! He rolled up his sleeping mat and began walking!

If we are not weak (vulnerable), our hearts cannot be open to God's plan:

Luke 1:35-38

"And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her."

Yes, God's mighty power is made greater in our weakness, but perhaps it's when we are willing to be weak, that God can do His greatest work in and through us.  As I have written before, it is through surrender that we gain our greatest blessings and power.  When "we end," Christ begins!  It is in and through right standing in God that we have the ability to tap into our inheritance in Christ.  And, Christ freely gave that right to us at His most vulnerable point in life, His death on the cross.

Strength in Christ is essential and being a warrior in God's army requires a lot of spiritual fortitude.  Yet, even warriors must show their weaknesses from time to time.  It's how truces are made.  Yet, they never lose their edge, their confidence, their readiness, or their focus.  Instead, they let the softer side of themselves be used for a greater purpose. 

Whatever weakness you find yourself in today, rest in knowing that God's grace is sufficient for you and He will carry you forth as long as you take the time to rest in His loving kindness and let Him turn your weakness into His glory.  

Failure is not an option!

Have you ever had that feeling that you if you just had one more day, one more hour, one more ounce of "umpf" in your step, that you could reach your final destination or goal?  I know I do.  I've had so many thoughts swirling around in my head, ideas, inclinations, and yet, the Lord impressed upon me to think on the story of Joshua and the City of Jericho.

We all know the story.  God told Joshua that Jericho was His.  He gave Joshua instructions on how to conquer the city (see Joshua 6).  The familiar children's hymn comes to mind, "Joshua fought the battle of Jericho, Jericho, Jericho.  Joshua fought the battle of Jericho and the walls came a-tumbling down."

The thought occurred to me, what if Joshua hadn't completed the full seven marches around the city over the course of seven days?   What if he stopped just short of the finish line?  Would the walls still have fallen down?  Would the annals of history been the same? 

While I could amuse myself with the possible alternate outcomes, the bottom line is this:  we will never know.  My gut feeling is that the walls wouldn't have come "a-tumbling down."  In fact, I don't believe that the Lord would have allowed Joshua to fail.  I think He would have given Joshua a good talking-to and sent him to finish what he had begun.  I don't believe that failure was an option for Joshua.  And it's not an option for you or I either.

I can hear some of you of saying, that's ridiculous!  Failure just happens. It's how we learn. Didn't Edison prove that with the light bulb?  However, I would tell you that we are not talking about the same thing.

I know I've written before about knowing who we are in Christ.  Our identity in Him is the foundation upon which we build our lives.    If we do not know who we are, we cannot accomplish our purpose.  And we cannot be without purpose.   Purpose is what drives us to succeed.   We fail when we do not know how to succeed.  But, we have been given everything we need to have victory in life.

Paul said in Hebrews 12:1-4

So then, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us, too, put aside every impediment — that is, the sin which easily hampers our forward movement — and keep running with endurance in the contest set before us,  looking away to the Initiator and Completer of that trusting, Yeshua — who, in exchange for obtaining the joy set before him, endured execution on a stake as a criminal, scorning the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Yes, think about him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you won’t grow tired or become despondent.  You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in the contest against sin.

I have to be honest.  I have read that Scripture multiple times, but as I was just reading it again, I saw something that struck me differently this time.  "...put aside every impediment — that is, the sin which easily hampers our forward movement — and keep running with endurance in the contest set before us,  looking away to the Initiator and Completer of that trusting..."  What is it that hampers our forward movement?  Sin.  What sin, you ask?  Any.  Sin is sin.  Whether we believe our sin to be "little" or "big," it's all the same to God.  But, there is something else.  Whom do we look to? ”. . . to the Initiator and Completer of that trusting..."   Our forward movement is entirely dependent on our trust in God. (check out my post here for more on that subject)  Without our trust in Him, we are merely stopping short of what we are called to do and the fulfillment of all that God has purposed for us 

Joshua put his trust in God.  He took of his shoes.  (Joshua 5:15).  In biblical times, removal of your shoes was to give up your authority over yourself.  It was a complete act of submission.  Not only did Joshua obey, but he trusted God for the future.  His declaration is probably  hanging in your home or in the very least, you have recited it over your family:  "As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord!" (Joshua 24:15) But what would have happened if Joshua hadn't had enough faith in the God of his ancestors to complete the assignment at Jericho?  Would we still have that declaration to speak over our homes today?

Joshua understood the importance of moving forward in God.  He didn't question the command to march around the city.  He trusted and obeyed (more on that here).  It took a lot of faith to take a city without an embroiling battle.  For a warrior of God, marching in silence had to be difficult to do.  Yet, we are called to move forward in faith.   Jesus didn't die on the cross so you and I could stand by and be idle!  Blessings need our participation to come to fruition!  We must complete the assignment as it is given, and not stop just short because we can't see the outcome.  We have to believe that God's outcome is far better than what we hope for and perseverance will pay off!  So often we stop just one or two steps from our being able to sound the trumpet of victory and we never even know just how close we've come.

". . . Keep running with endurance. . ."  Keep on marching around your Jericho.  You have everything you need to succeed inside you! 

Failure is not an option in God.  Our victories have already been won.  It's up to us to claim them.

For or Against?

The push and pull of life can get you down.  From the moment we open our eyes, it seems we are ready for battle.  Whether it's fighting your body to get up and at 'em, dragging your kids out of bed or it's "time to make the donuts," life seems like a constant fight.  Some days we wake up with the fight in us, and some days we feel defeated before we even move a muscle.  The how and the why seem to escape us most days.  Oftentimes, we look to Heaven and wonder where our Champion is.  The reality is He has never moved.  It is we who have stepped away from the protection He freely offers us.

We often hear or even quote Romans 8:31:  "What, then, are we to say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?"  We say it when we don't know what to say.  When seemingly insurmountable circumstances face us, this Scripture is meant to bring comfort and peace.  Back up a few verses and you'll find Romans 8:28, "Furthermore, we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called in accordance with his purpose."  Read all of Romans 8 and you will find evidence of God's constant protection, provision and peace.  I believe that all these Scriptures are true.  But, I have a question for you. . .

Are you for or against God?

From the beginning of time, God predestined each and every one of our lives.  Yes, He knew we would betray Him, curse Him, and doubt Him.  He even knew we would fight Him.  Desperate to hide their sin, our first parents hid themselves, lied to their Creator and suffered the consequences of fighting who they were created to be.  We are foolish to think we are any different than they.  And, just as they had a choice, we, too, have the free will to be for or against the very one who breathed us into being.

So, why do we fight?  What is it that we fight against?  Are we really fighting our Creator?  What has He done that causes us to fight Him so? 

Nothing.  We can shake our fists and cry foul play during our darkest hour, but in the end, we will end up on our knees.  King David lamented in  Psalm 42, "I say to God, my Rock, why have you forgotten me?"  Even Jesus Himself, . . ." uttered a loud cry, “Elohi! Elohi! L’mah sh’vaktani?” (which means, “My God! My God! Why have you deserted me?”)" (Mark 15:34, Complete Jewish Bible).  Even so, both David and Jesus rested in knowing God was always for them.

I could recite a litany of Scripture for you.  Instead, I ask you to look deep inside yourself and tell me what you see.  To truly understand how fiercely God loves and fights for us, we must understand who we are. 

Consider these words:  

Sealed.  Protected.  Purchased.  Cherished.  Beloved.  Redeemed.  Saved.  Set Apart.  Blessed. 

The common denominator between those words is YOU.  You may not feel that you fit the description at this very moment, but the truth of the matter is that you are all these things.  God, from the beginning, set out to show you that you are priceless, loved beyond measure and absolutely worth fighting for.  So, why do we claw and scratch and fight our way through life as if God is keeping us from the very life we deserve? 

Because we deserve better.  We deserve what God has planned for us.  In our efforts to attain all that we believe we are entitled to, we let our emotions, our circumstances and our surroundings define us instead of the truth.   Time after time after time, humankind has bent its ear to the darkness, listening to the lies that tell us that we will determine our worth.  Yet, our worth was settled long before you or I heard hurtful words, long before Jesus suffered on the cross, long before Moses struck down an Egyptian, long before Cain killed Abel and even before Eve took a bite out of the forbidden fruit.   "In the beginning, God. . ." 

As God spoke life into all creation, He knew our own hearts would fail us.  As He laid the foundation of the world, "God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (Genesis 1:27).   We were created in His own image, in the very image of God.  We don't have to know what He looks like, because all we have to do is look in the mirror.  We may not always like what we see, but the truth of the matter is WE ARE created in the very image of the great I AM.

So, who are we really fighting against?  The war within ourselves is very real, and we constantly feel like we are fighting against God and everything that surrounds us.  But, when we stop and think about the fight, do we really fight against the very One that gave us life?

The answer is a resounding "no."  We are caught in the middle of a mighty war.  Satan would have you believe that you must fight against God to get what you want out of life.  He twists and manipulates our thoughts, our emotions and our actions.  The Father of Lies would have us believe that we are unlovable, unworthy and that somehow God doesn't think we're deserving.  The truth of it all is that he is the one that has fallen from grace. Determined to make his war ours, he takes pleasure in turning us against each other and ultimately against the Lord.  God did give us free will - the will to choose His way or choose our own - and Satan will stop at nothing to bring us under the influence of the very sin he perpetuated before all time began (see Isaiah 14:12-17).

While it may seem like we are merely helpless pawns in a spiritual game of chess, the truth remains:  God IS for us and we are not helpless!   Whether or not we see His hand on our lives, He is always there, guiding our paths, allaying our fears, healing our hurts, and championing our cause.  We're the ones that get in the way of our own blessings.  We are a stubborn, rebellious, ungrateful, prideful, self-righteous, think-we-know-it-all people.  We have been that way from the beginning.  But, just as our ancestors of old had a choice to follow God or their own foolish hearts, we too, can follow either path.

So, who are you really for?  Are you for or against God?  His position never changed.  The real question may be, are you for or against yourself?  Let us go back to Romans 8, this time in verse 29:

"Because those whom he knew in advance, he also determined in advance would be conformed to the pattern of his Son, so that he might be the firstborn among many brothers; and those whom he thus determined in advance, he also called; and those whom he called, he also caused to be considered righteous; and those whom he caused to be considered righteous he also glorified!"

I think we can add to our list of adjectives:  Predestined.  Righteous.  Glorified.  LOVED.

How can we fight against such love?  Love that gave up so much, the very lifeblood of all humanity, given for us, to ensure we would love and be loved by our Heavenly Father. 

It's not easy to stop fighting.  The fight burns within us as we seek justice for all that it at odds with what we believe to be good and right.  But, I will ask you again, are you for or against God?  And, this time, don't be so quick to answer.  If you're anything like me, you'll be reevaluating your battle plan and ensuring you're on the right side of the fight.

The Formula for Success

We all look for it, yearn for it. . . the formula for a successful life.  Books a plenty have been written on it, as well as seminars, webinars and the like.  The "how-to's" and "wherefores" of success in this life seem to favor the rich, the famous and those with the mind for business.  "And you, too, can have all this and more if you just send me $19.95 plus shipping and handling. . ."  

But, what really defines a successful life?  Is it all just oversized homes, ridiculously fast cars, shiny jewelry and servants at your beck and call 24-7?  To many, even most, that may be exactly what they think equals success in this life.  But, I believe there is so much more.

Don't get me wrong, I love nice things.  I like to be comfortable and enjoy my surroundings.  But, things don't define me.  Oh, you could label me successful by observing my middle-class lifestyle  (if such a class even exists anymore).  However, stuff is stuff.  And, I have been ridding my life of the kind of stuff that limits my ability to truly be successful.  Simplicity is often times our best and kindest companion.

In light of all this, I have been pondering this question as to what makes life work.  Without hesitation, I can tell you that God is the center of all that is good and right in my  life.  But some may ask why.  What is it about God that moves me, inspires me, and makes me who I am?

The secret lies in my relationship with God.  Now, wait. . .before you start skimming down the page or click on an ad, hear me out.  It is through my relationship with God that I have discovered the true formula for success.

When you think about what makes a relationship work, what word comes to mind?  I'm sure there are many, but I will spare you the headache and give one to you.  TRUST.  Trust is a fundamental component to all successful relationships and our relationship with God is no different.   

Trust is the "firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something."  (Thank you, Professor Google).  However, if we look to God for a definition, the Scripture that comes to mind is 2 Corinthians 5:7 "for we live by trust, not by what we see." (Complete Jewish Bible,  hereinafter "CJB").  Most of us know this verse to say "for we walk by faith, not by sight." (English Standard Version).  

Trust.  Faith in the unseen, moved to action by an omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient God.  Most of us are familiar with the "trust test" whereby you stand in front of someone and free fall backwards in complete confidence that the person standing behind you will catch you before you hit the ground. Our trust in God is no different.  Confidence, being so grounded in Him that following Him and His plan occurs without giving it too much thought.  "Fix[ing] our eyes on the things that we can't see now." ("Here now" (Madness) by Hillsong United))  Trust is that component to which no form can be given, it just exists.  Whether you earn it or it's given, trust is fundamental to our success in life.

What does trust look like, when it comes to God?  For that, let's look at another word:  Obedience.  (Some of you just cringed, but again, stick with me here.  . .)

Obedience, according to Professor Google, means "compliance with an order, request, or law or submission to another's authority."  Again, let's look at it through Scripture.  Jesus is the perfect example of obedience, in all His ways, but most importantly because Jesus, being fully human, yet fully God, "humbled himself still more by becoming obedient even to death —death on a stake as a criminal!!" (Philippians 2:8, CJB).  Obedient to the Father's will, obedient unto death, even when He felt the grief of what He faced in His frail humanity, Jesus still prayed “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, let not my will but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42, CJB, emphasis mine). 

Trust.  Obedience.  Both powerful words on their own, but together, even more so. We've heard them strung together in that beautiful hymn by John Henry Sammis:

"Trust and obey,

For there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus,

  But to trust and obey."

Did you catch it?  Read it again.  Trust and Obedience, when partnered together, bear the most glorious fruit!  "To be happy in Jesus [is] to trust and obey."  Happiness, joy, contentment.  These are the true measurements of success.  Jesus, Himself, said in John 14:

 “Don’t let yourselves be disturbed. Trust in God and trust in me. In my Father’s house are many places to live. If there weren’t, I would have told you; because I am going there to prepare a place for you.  Since I am going and preparing a place for you, I will return to take you with me; so that where I am, you may be also.  . . . Trust me, that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me. But if you can’t, then trust because of the works themselves. Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever trusts in me will also do the works I do! Indeed, he will do greater ones, because I am going to the Father. In fact, whatever you ask for in my name, I will do; so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me for something in my name, I will do it.  “If you love me, you will keep my commands; and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another comforting Counselor like me, the Spirit of Truth, to be with you forever. . . . Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me, and the one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and reveal myself to him.”  . . . “If someone loves me, he will keep my word; and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Someone who doesn’t love me doesn’t keep my words — and the word you are hearing is not my own but that of the Father who sent me. . . this is happening so that the world may know that I love the Father, and that I do as the Father has commanded me.  (CJB, emphasis mine)

Do you see it now?  Trust and obedience produce the favor of God.  

 "Trust + Obedience = Blessing."

Paul echoed Jesus' teaching in Philippians 2:12-16:

So, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed when I was with you, it is even more important that you obey now when I am away from you: keep working out your deliverance with fear and trembling, for God is the one working among you both the willing and the working for what pleases him. Do everything without kvetching or arguing,  so that you may be blameless and pure children of God, without defect in the midst of a twisted and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the sky,  as you hold on to the Word of Life. If you do this, I will be able to boast, when the Day of the Messiah comes, that I did not run or toil for nothing. (CJB, emphasis mine)

Trust + Obedience = Blessing.  "If you love me, you will obey my commandments."  Trust is a core element of love.  If you cannot trust someone you love, how pure can that love be?  And, true obedience is born out of love.  Some may argue that fear creates obedience.  Interestingly enough,  God agrees: "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord, which I am commanding you today for your good?" (Deuteronomy 10:12-13, ESV, emphasis mine)

Even in the Garden of Eden, God asked His children to trust and obey.  "The woman answered the serpent, “We may eat from the fruit of the trees of the garden, but about the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden God said, ‘You are neither to eat from it nor touch it, or you will die.’” (Genesis 3:2-3, ESV)  In other words, "Trust Me.  Obey Me.  For if you do not, the blessings will cease."

The proof is undeniable.  Blessings are not handed out to the prettiest, smartest, richest, or most clever.  Blessings are bestowed upon those who have placed their trust in and give their obedience to an all-knowing, all-seeing, ever-present, ever-loving God.  We measure success based on the outcomes of what we do, how we act, and what we say.  There is truth to that line of thinking, however, we must be mindful of Whom is truly measuring those outcomes.  

True success is attainable in this life.  It is gained through hard work, pure motives and good stewardship.  All these things still boil down to these simple words:  

"Trust and obey,

For there’s no other way

To be happy in [all things],

  But to trust and obey."