Did The Den Do You In?

Having faith does not prevent you from descending into the pits of life. Instead, faith gives you the ability to remain steadfast as you go through the those pit experiences. People today are still asking the same question King Darius did in Daniel 6:20.

Wanda (insert your name), servant of the living God! Was (is) your God, whom you serve so faithfully, able to rescue you from the lions?

Unlike Daniel I have not been thrown into a physical den of lions.  But haven’t we all encountered lions of our own. Being thrown into a lion’s den was not meant to be a leisurely stroll at the school. It was designed to destroy and to kill Daniel.  His adversaries had no expectation of him surviving the experience. What is your lion?What occurred in your life that was poised to tear you and leave you for dead? Some things are sent to destroy your witness, your faith, your character, your marriage, your relationships, your body, your hope, your health, or your mobility.

And you can rest assured that someone is watching to see if you will come out of it alive. But as I pondered over Daniel’s date with the lion’s den, I noticed that not only did he come out of it but he came out without scars. Can we say we came out of the trial without scars? If the enemy can’t stop you from coming out, he will aim to keep you scarred for life. The evidence of scarring shows when we refuse to try again, trust again, love again, hope again, or pursue again.

Dear God, I thank you and I declare that you are mighty! Not only are you mighty enough to bring us out but you are able to make us whole again. Make us whole in our inner man, in our emotions, in our love for one another.  We don’t want to be limited by our pit experiences. May you get the glory out of our lives. In Jesus name. Amen.

How Content Are You?

Am I really content? That’s the question that’s loitering in my head this morning as I rewind yesterday’s message in my mind. Can I really say as Paul said in Philippians 4: 11-13 that I have learned the secret of being content?

11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned , in whatsoever state I am , therewith to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased , and I know how to abound : every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need . 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. (KJV)

11 And I am not saying this because I feel neglected, for I have learned to be satisfied with what I have. 12 I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little. 13 I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me. (GNT)

 

It would be easy to blast off a quick yes I’m happy with what I have but closer inspection of the word contentment is necessary. According to the Holman Bible Dictionary, contentment is an internal satisfaction which does not demand changes in external circumstances. The American Heritage Dictionary defines content has desiring no more than what has or satisfied; ready to accept or acquiesce; willing. 

In examining those two definitions, I can easily see that I don’t fully measure up to Paul’s declaration. I can think of situations I don’t readily accept. Nelson’s Illustrated Dictionary defines content as freedom from anxiety or worry.

The idea of of contentment comes from a Greek word that means “independence” or “self-sufficiency”. But the apostle Paul used the word in a Christian sense to show that real satisfaction or sufficiency comes from God:

Quite frankly there are some conditions I find myself in that I become irritated and anxiously await change to come.  So how does one be content yet expectantly wait for fulfillment of the promises?  Hmmm, a quick search of my blog archives reveal this has not been the first time I have pondered the question. In a post titled Satisfaction Guaranteed, I stated the following:

How can I be satisfied when I don't like what is occurring around me? Honestly, I haven't mastered the art of contentment. But in reading something the other day, I gained greater insight on contentment. When I know and trust that where I am is not outside of God's radar, I can be confident that He is orchestrating all things and that there is indeed a plan for my life. Therefore, I can patiently wait on Him.

Enduring Love

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!

      His faithful love endures forever.  Psalm 118:1 (NLT)

I’m grateful for a love that stands the test of time. Wishing you & your family

Happy Thanksgiving

It’s Not About Me

But let the one who boasts boast about this: that they have the understanding to know Me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight,” declares the LORD. Jeremiah 9:24

Pedigrees

    titles

       possessions

                      achievements

                                        blog stats

                                           are things that can be used by some to define success. The more letters behind one’s name and the more toys one can accumulate can often lead one to be revered by others.  And if we are not careful, we will become awestruck with ourselves. Surely you have seen those who are in awe of themselves. Their conversations are chocked  with I statements.

But as believers we are called to higher level of boasting. Not in the knowledge we’ve acquired, or the brute of force we can mange, nor in our money are we to call attention. But rather our boasting is to be that we know God. That we have relationship with God. If any man had room to brag on himself it was Paul but even he said:

Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ. Philippians 3:8 (NLT

While it’s perfectly understandable to be proud of one’s accomplishments, we must not lose sight of the fact that it wasn’t our wisdom, strength, smarts, willpower alone that got us there.

Joining Joanne at an Open Book for Monday Manna.

Grow

Babies, plants, animals. Each of them are things that grow. No matter what our age there is always room to grow. Growing can be uncomfortable. Stretching you beyond places of comfort. Expanding your mind. Embracing new ideas. Willingness to try new things. Each of those are required to produce growth. One has to be connected to the source of life in order to produce much lasting fruit. Otherwise, the winds of life easily topple those outward growths. If you are not seeing enough growth above perhaps its best to check the roots beneath. Are you fully anchored in the true sustenance of life?

Joining The Gypsy Mama for 5-Minute Friday. What images does the word grow bring to mind?

Who Said You Were Exempt

Can anyone say with honesty that they welcome trouble? I certainly can not. For trouble is an equal opportunist. It cuts across all cultures, socioeconomic statuses,  and races. Money can’t shoo all trouble away. And even our profession of faith as Christ followers does not give us an all-exclusive pass from trouble.

Ezekiel serves as a prime example that you can be doing all the right things and still bad things happen. He was serving God, proclaiming His truths, yet he still received troubling news.

“Son of man, with one blow I will take away your dearest treasure. Yet you must not show any sorrow at her death. Do not weep; let there be no tears. Groan silently, but let there be no wailing at her grave. Do not uncover your head or take off your sandals. Do not perform the usual rituals of mourning or accept any food brought to you by consoling friends.” Ezekiel 24:16-17

Now putting myself in Ezekiel’s shoes, I wonder what my true response would be. Would I be tempted to whine about how unfair it all seemed? Would I continue to proclaim His truth despite my personal situation? I do not have to look back very far to see how I have failed similar tests. Unlike Ezekiel, I haven’t experienced the loss of a spouse but I have lost things as a believer. And I must say there have been times that I was a very sore loser.  My commitment level waned. My confessions of certain truths were less than normal. But that was not the case with Ezekiel, instead he proclaimed to the people the next morning, and in the evening his wife died but he still did everything God said.

Reading further in the passage, you will find that God was using him as a example for the people so that they might know that God is the sovereign Lord. Granted Ezekiel had the privilege of knowing before hand that this trouble was coming, which we don’t always have. But in the Word it tells us that in this life we will have trouble. Can God trust us (me) to be a proper reflection of Him even during troubling times? Will we (I) remain steadfast in our obedience, love, confession and serving?

Because Just One is Never Enough

Have you ever just ate one M&M or one potato chip? I can’t think of one single time that’s occurred for me.  It’s just something about them that calls me back for another one. And then another one. Even when I tried these new popcorn chips, which I didn’t like, I gave it more than one try. For you, it might not be either of two that has you reaching for more. But there is bound to be something that you refuse to settle for just one.

If food, clothes, shoes, or technological gadgets can have us (me) craving for more than one, why is it that we (me) settle for acknowledging God on a matter just once? Ouch, is what I said when this was brought to my attention today. The other day a friend of mine told me that I think too much. Admittedly, I consider myself more of a thinker than a talker but I was prodded by the spirit that the reason for some of all that thinking is that I’m not doing enough acknowledging in my life. You see when I’m thinking, I am pondering ways to fix this, correct that, and predict the future. In essence I’m taking matters into my own feeble hands. The thinking gets me super glued to what-if(s) and how.

When all I really need to do is trust and put into practice Proverbs 3:6,

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths. (NKJV)

It’s not enough to acknowledge God once but it’s something to be done continually. He does not become tired of us coming to Him about the details of our life. He promised to give us direction. If I’m  feeling lost, perhaps it is because I have failed to seek His counsel. So even if you asked God once and you did not hear anything (because that happens to me a lot), remain consist in your acknowledging. 

Linking up with Tracy for Winsome Wednesday.

The Promise Keeper

It’s hard to believe we are already in the next to last month of the year. Where has the time gone? There is something about this time of year that causes me to look back over the landscape of my year and do an assessment. Although looking for areas of accomplishments is good, I generally find myself examining the areas that I started but never finished. My eyes focus on  what I have yet to obtain or see manifest in my life. Do you know what happens when I do this? Disappointment sets in. I lose my grip on the promises of God.

As I walked this morning and pondered yesterday’s message in my heart,  I heard the whispers of God reminding me that He is the promise keeper. For a girl, who has experienced the heartache of broken promises, it’s hard for me at times to really trust. People I thought were trustworthy proved themselves otherwise. And then there is the fact that I don’t always keep the promises I make to myself. I promise to eat better, exercise more, venture out more, think better thoughts, or act less selfishly BUT I fail to keep my word. So the issue of promises often has me mentally squirming and pondering should I really believe that it’ll happen this time.

Our vision of God is often distorted because we look through the lens of our human experiences. A promise is only as good as the character of the one, who makes the promise. As humans, we all have failed to keep at least one promise but not God.

True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they broke their promises, does that mean God will break his promises? Romans 3:3 NLT

Despite the approach of the end of year, do not lose hope in God’s Word. There is still time left. Do as Psalms 119:82 says, strain to see the promises of God. Daily He is fulfilling promises to you and me.

B E L O V E D

As I opened the latest edition of Sanctified Together, I was greeted with the words beloved Wanda. The idea of me being BELOVED gripped my thoughts. It was not just some standard opening line but rather I was reminded that it’s just what God feels about me. I am His beloved. You are His beloved!

My beloved is mine, and I am his, Song of Solomon 2:16a

The Road Back to Judah

Have you ever found yourself in a place in life that was absent of judah (praise)? While if we just think and examine close enough there is always something for which to be grateful. But life can throw you some blows that shroud the goodness around you. The book of Ruth tells of the story of one such woman, named Naomi.

In an attempt to avoid famine in her hometown, Naomi travelled with her husband and sons to Moab. During her time there she lost her husband and eventually her two sons. Left widowed, alone, and hopeless in a foreign land. Yet she heard the news of God blessing in her hometown and made the decision to go back home.

Although she was going back to a place she had been before, she wasn’t the same. Her condition had changed. She went out married and came back widowed. She went out with children and came back childless. She left full of hope but was returning hopeless. She was coming back bitter, full of sorrow, and blaming God for her plight.

Like Naomi, I have encountered changes during my life journey. Changes that were for the worse instead of better. Changes that led me back to square one again. Only this time my heart wasn’t as open as before. I wasn’t as hopeful as before.  I wasn’t rehearsing His goodness as before. Why? Because I thought I heard God but it didn’t turn out the way I expected. Or because I experienced loss or disappointment.

Each of our lives  have episodes of loss, disappointment, grief, bad decision-making but our stories don’t have to end there. All the while Naomi was going about trying to survive, God was orchestrating a plan. He was ushering her back to a place in life, one that she couldn’t even conceive in her own mind, that was leading to hope and praise. And He’s doing that for you and me. All the times I cried about loss, I didn’t readily see that He would bring new experiences, which would lead me back to hope, faith, and love again.

God is one who is in the details of our lives. He is in the midst of our everyday affairs and He can make sense of all the randomness.