Month: July 2013

Several years ago I was in an Atlanta hotel room sleeping soundly and peacefully.  While in this deep sleep, I heard loud noises and someone yelling.  I pulled myself out of my cavernous slumber to find that I was the source of the noise – I awoke clapping and screaming “Hallelujah” at the top of my lungs.  In my dream, God was hosting the most spectacular fireworks show I have ever witnessed.  When I say spectacular, I am not doing the exhibition justice.  It was way beyond anything I had ever experienced in the natural.  The truth is I can take them or leave them – fireworks are not something that usually inspire ooh’s and aah’s in me. I came to full consciousness, stopped clapping, quit shouting, and just praised God.  I had been the recipient of a private pyrotechnic display created by the Almighty God!  I was blessed beyond my ability to measure blessings!

Read Psalms 8:1-9

For each of the statements below, find a strength and find an area that needs improvement:

• What are the works of His hands that God has given me dominion over?
• How do I please and honor Him?
• Do I use praise to still my enemies?
• Do I take time to be regularly delighted by God and His creation?
• What are my strengths in the questions above?
• What one area do I need to improve?
• What plan can I make for improving that single area?

Oh Lord, my God, when I look at all that your hand created, I am struck that You chose to commune with me!   You have given me authority over Your earthly creations – May I be pleasing to You in my charge and not disappoint.  May I always see You in everything my eyes see, my ears hear, my nose smells, my mouth tastes, and my hands touch! I need only my senses to see how marvelously glorious You truly are!  You are magnificent and mighty!  The angels sing Your praises night and day, even children and infants praise You. Help me to see You in all of Your creation! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

My father was in the U. S. Marine Corps where he attained the rank of Sgt. Major.  He served in both WW II and Vietnam.  He knew the meaning of honor.  He knew what it was like to honor others who exceeded his rank, and he knew how to receive honor from the file below him. After he retired, he honored only those who had served their country and those who had attained a greater rank, and he continued to receive honor not only from other military men but from civilians as well.  Despite years of showing him Jesus, it was towards the very end of his life that he finally accepted Him as his Lord and Savior.  My husband shared with my dad the story of Jesus, the centurion, and authority. Salvation through Jesus finally clicked for him.  He understood honor in terms of authority or rank.

My honor, my integrity, is something that I have control over.  I can strengthen it or I can obliterate it.  Only I can choose to destroy my own honor with my thoughts or with my actions.

Read Psalms 7:1-17

• Do I talk with cause against someone or something?
• Do my thoughts or words pronounce guilt?
• Do I join people in talking about others?
• Are the motives for my words and deeds pure and genuine?
• How can I strengthen my honor?
• What do I need to do to stop destroying my honor?

Lord, I trust in You to save me and deliver me from all enemies, even myself.  Instruct me in my words and deeds. Help me to look at the purity and righteousness of my conduct and my speech.  You examine my heart and mind – You know my very thoughts!  Help me to examine them too.  Help me to speak and do justly.  Thank you for helping me reflect the characteristics of Jesus, especially integrity.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

My resume says that I am flexible and dynamic, embracing change with ease.  While that statement is true in my professional life, I must admit I have a more difficult time with transforming me, especially in the middle of a trial. I simply want the trial to end quickly with me standing victorious – going from the beginning to the end with nary a singe.  I want to pray and have an answer immediately – all my problems solved – and me changed for the better.  I don’t want to work out what I need to learn; I don’t want to wait long for an answer: I don’t want to seek out the root of the problem – it might be me.

I fail to remember the fire of the trial burns up the dead wood in my character and provides purified ground for new growth – new traits.  That is, I believe, the Father’s expectation for me during a trial.  That I would not just come out the other side, but that I would emerge better, whole, healed, restored.  In faith, believing He has heard my cries and knowing He will answer (His way with His timing), is just the beginning.  If I truly want to be transformed and conformed to Jesus, I must ask myself some tough questions.

Read Psalms 6:1-10

• When I am sick, in pain, in fear or in distress do I cry out to the One who can make me whole, better than before?
• Do I give Him thanks before seeing Him move?
• What part of me needs to be burned up during this trial?
• What new growth in me needs to be planted and cultivated?
• Do I ask God for a plan for the watering of that new growth?
• Do I stand, in faith, knowing He has heard my cries, with victory?

Only You, Lord, carry the power to heal and make whole – body, soul and spirit.  I will cry out to You standing firm that You hear and receive my prayers, and giving You thanks for victory while still in the fire. Help me to see those things that need to be burned up and also see those things that need to be planted.  Give me the plan for the watering and cultivation of the new me. Thank you, Lord, that You deliver me even when I am the source of my troubles. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

I’m a collector.  I collect things.  Some of my collections enrich and enhance my life and the lives of those around me; and some are as distracting as a hungry alligator in a crowded shopping mall.  I pick things up as I travel including things better left alone.  Like a shopaholic who buys things they don’t need, I “purchase” potentially detrimental things to add to my collections. My currency is my time, my attention, and my energy.  I gather things – worry about tomorrow, worry about today, worry about things that are not in my charge, anger, manipulation, offenses, perceived offenses, others’ offenses, Martha-thoughts, shame, humiliation, self-centeredness – I could go on and on.  All of these things steal my focus, my time and my energy – I am no longer a good steward of what I have been entrusted with in this world.  The collections steal from me, from God, from my relationships, and from the Kingdom of God here on earth.  I rob not just myself, but because I am tied up with my collections, I rob from those who need an ear, a hand, a word.

And to top it all off, when I want to get in His presence, I can barely see or focus outside of all these things I have collected.  So one-by-one, I consciously let go of each collected item. I come bound, but I find freedom.   I resolve to do better, but then tomorrow comes and I find myself collecting useless things yet again.

Lord, help me to not pick up those things are better left to the side of the road I travel.  Help me to recognize the collections for what they are in the scope of Your big picture – time stealers, energy robbers, and attention diverters.  Let me instead give each problem and care as it surfaces to You, leaving myself unencumbered to worship You, serve those I come in contact with, and contribute to the expansion of the Kingdom here on earth – all to Your glory. In the name of Jesus, Amen.

Have you ever received a call from someone who asks your opinion about a decision that they need to make, but they really don’t want your advice – they just want you to agree with whatever plan they have already made? I think they really know that their plan is wrong or has holes in it, but they are intent doing it anyway.  They don’t ask God because they know the answer, and it is not an answer they want to hear. I know this because I’ve probably made a few of those phones calls – just searching for someone to come into agreement with my faulty plan so I can justify moving forward with it.  Then when things go awry, the complaining begins!

Read Psalms 5:1-12 and meditate on these points:

• Do I complain to others or to God who can fix my situation or my attitude?
• Do I wait for His answer or seek counsel from the world?
• When faced with hostility from others do I react or let God act?
• Do I rely on His protection or make my own?

Lord, through all of my murmurings and complaints I cry to You because You are my God and King. I direct everything to You and wait in expectation of Your answer. Help me to go to You first and seek Your will instead of my own. You are filled with an abundance of kindness and favor towards me. Guide me in all right things when I face hostility.  As I flee to You for protection, I will be joyful and will shout for joy.  You protect me and defend me.  You bless me and with delight, You surround me. In Jesus name. Amen.

Changing who I am does not come easy for me.  It is intense work at which I fail miserably at times.  My best gains in change come from meditating or thinking about my day as I lay down to sleep.  I look for things that I did “right” and encourage myself to continue that behavior.  I also look for things that I could have done better, and things where I completely lost it.  I acknowledge my failures, repent, and determine what I could have done differently. I resolve to do better the next day as I pray for the Lord to help me.

Read Psalms 4:1-8 and meditate on these points:

• What do I honor or value? Does it honor God?
• Do I deliberately try to change for the better, or do I expect it to just happen because I want to change?
• What is my plan to change one character flaw – an area where I acknowledge I need improvement?
• What are my good character traits?  Do I encourage myself to continue to grow these traits?

Father, any good in me is from you.  You hear my prayers and cries because you favor me.  When You shine Your light upon me, You increase the gladness in my heart.  Because You give me security and refuge, I can sleep in peace.  Help me to see my strengths and my weaknesses.  Help to change from who I am to who you want me to be. In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

I am a godly woman who is highly favored by my righteous, equitable and prosperous Lord and God.  He hears my cries.