My Morning Mantra: Commit, Trust, He will...

Psalm 37:5 “Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.”

I recognize that each person reading this blog is at a different place in his or her journey. Some of you know exactly where you want to be and are heading in that direction. Others have been in the same spot for a long time and are looking for a change. Many of you walk through life each day not knowing why you are in the place you are and do whatever it is you do.

Like all of you, I have been in each of these phases at one point or another. To be honest, I’m exiting a season of doubting my purpose. I have sought out different options, made it right to the cliff of decision, and have slowly backed away. Each time sensing a lack of peace.

If you are currently navigating through the murky waters of indecision or indirection, please, open your heart and mind to God’s Word. He has much to say in regards to finding our path in this life. With this in mind let us take a look at Psalm 37:5.

I love the words of the psalmist, David, in this passage. They are perfect for those of us in a season of confusion, doubt, and/or lack of purpose.

He first writes, “Commit your way to the Lord.”

Fellow followers of Christ, before you make any decisions in life, commit your way to God. Too often we act first and consult God second. We must make it a habit to consult God first. We must commit our path, our whole life, to Him. Then, after you have asked the Lord for direction do what David says next, “Trust also in Him.”

Trust in the Lord.

Many believers get nervous when people start talking about “God’s plan” for them. Most of the time it is because they not sure if what the Holy Spirit is saying to them is actually Him or the bad pizza they ate last Tuesday.

Following the Spirit is a matter of faith. This is where you have to act. If you sense God directing you, act in faith. He will lead you. The Holy Spirit walks through life with us every day. He will not let you wander aimlessly down the wrong path. Trust His guidance and follow the directions He gives you through His Word and presence. This is not a magic formula. I am simply advising that you listen to the Holy Spirit. In my experience the Holy Spirit has given step by step direction: a nudge in the pit of my stomach, a thought, or a scripture verse that seems to leap off the page.

Finally, David tells us that “He will do it.”

David is a great testament to the power of committing your way to God. He was a ruddy looking shepherd. David's father didn’t think enough of him to bring him before the prophet Samuel when Samuel was looking to anoint a king from among Jesse’s sons. He was the youngest of his siblings, destined to work on the family farm.

Then, one day, David took food to his brothers who were fighting with the Israelite army. He saw the Philistine giant that everyone had been talking about. King Saul’s army was shaking in fear just as the citizens of Judah had reported. In that moment, David committed his way to the Lord. He determined that if God could help him defeat bears and lions in the wilderness, then He could empower David to defeat the giant. So David went to the brook and picked up five smooth stones. He took his sling, committed it to the Lord, trusted Him, and hurled the stone at the giant with all of His might.

Do you remember what happened?

God did it. The giant fell to the ground and Israel won the battle.

If you commit your way to the Lord and trust Him then He will do it.

He will illuminate the path that you have tried so hard to see but cannot.

Commit to His leading. Trust Him to reveal Himself to you. Because He will do it.

Therefore, if you are in a place of doubt trust that God does not lie. He will do what He says.

If you’re afraid, commit that struggle to the Lord and trust that He will empower you through His Spirit to overcome what troubles you.

If you are lacking direction, trust God and step out in faith. If you have committed your way to Him then He will do it.

No matter where you are in your journey with Christ try to remind yourself of Psalm 37:5 every morning: Commit, Trust, He will…

On Coffee and Cream

2 Timothy 1:6 "Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands."

What exactly is going on in this passage? I am so glad you asked! Let's look at it together. Take a minute and open your Bible, turn on your iPad, or click on biblegateway.com and find 2 Timothy 1.

You'll find that Paul is writing to encourage Timothy. How do we know this? Just take a look at verse seven - Paul reminded Timothy that God had not given him a spirit of fear but of love, power, and a sound mind. Therefore, something had happened between Paul's first letter and this one that had shaken Timothy's courage. In this letter Paul takes a little time to encourage him. He did this by reminding Timothy of the heritage he had received through his mother and grandmother who were faithful followers of Jesus (see verse five). It is then that Paul says let God stir up the gifts that are inside of you, Timothy. We learn that there must have been a gift inside of Timothy that had settled down at the bottom and was no longer being used. Paul wanted to see Timothy allow God to stir it up.

That is what I want for you today.

Picture this: it's morning. You have woken up, walked down to the coffee pot, brewed your favorite coffee grinds, and poured that delicious first cup. You've added the perfect amount of cream, and perhaps a little sugar, while your taste buds salivate at the anticipation of that first sip. Then, in the middle of this process, the phone rings. Unfortunately, you must rush to the other room to handle the business before you. By the time you return to the coffee, the cream and sugar have settled to the bottom, and that perfect concoction has not come together to create that delicious sip you wanted to enjoy. So, you go to the utensil drawer, pick out a spoon, place it in the cup, and begin to stir. As you do this, the cream, sugar, and coffee become one beautiful, swirling unit that is now ready to satisfy your taste buds as you sip and indulge.

Our lives are similar to the coffee. God has made us. We are His favorite blend. He has a special purpose for us as He pours us into His cup for His use. The Holy Spirit adds the cream and sugar, or gifts, to that cup. It is ready for use. The problem is that we stay stagnant and do not participate in the plan God has designed for us. We prefer to stay on the counter instead of fulfilling our purpose. Most of the time believers want to be used for God's purpose but they, like Timothy, are fearful. Therefore, we sit, and as we sit on the counter, our gifts settle to the bottom of the cup to the point that we forget there were gifts placed within us.

Today is the day we can ask God to stir up the gifts within us.

Some of you are reading this blog and do just that. You share your gifts with the people around you and honor God by fulfilling your purpose. To you I say, "Way to go!" Do not be discouraged or grow weary. Allow the Holy Spirit to continue pouring into you so that you can pour out to others - just like a cup of coffee.

There are others reading this who may be like Timothy, a bit scared to use your gifts. May I encourage you today to go for it? God has not given you a spirit of fear but of love, courage, and a sound mind. You can do it! The Holy Spirit has placed that gift inside of you for such a time as this. If you are unsure of what that gift is, ask the Holy Spirit to tell you. He will. Go for it! Allow God to stir it up.

For those of us who have sat still so long that our gifts have settled to the bottom, I pray that God will stir those gifts up. God has a purpose and a plan for you. You have not been told that you are an encouraging person by chance. You are not hospitable on your own. You do not jump at every chance to serve others because you're a nice person. You do not have a skill or talent because you were slapped with a special skill at birth. Your gifts are not happenstance - they were specifically planned for you. Allow God to stir them up so that you can share them.

I challenge you to wake up tomorrow and drink a cup of coffee, not only because it is delicious, but also because it will remind you to share your gifts with the world around you.

Today you have the chance to be like Timothy and allow God to place His spoon in the cup that is your life, and stir!

He is not here, He is risen!

Happy Resurrection Sunday, friends! What a day to celebrate!

As I scroll through my social media page, I see countless smiles, families dressed in their best, enjoying this day we call Easter. It makes my heart happy to see the people of God enjoying the day that transformed our lives.

Granted, over two-thousand years ago the disciples were dressed a bit differently and were anxiously awaiting their fate. Some doubted whether or not Jesus would actually do as He said, and rise from the dead. Sure, He had the power to heal and free others, but could He actually be victorious over death?

We’re blessed because we know the end of the story, we know that Jesus did as He said and conquered death, and we know that He reigns victoriously in heaven waiting until God releases Him to catch us all away! This knowledge makes today the most exciting day on the church calendar!

Without today Christmas is pointless.

Without today Lent has no significance.

Without today Palm Sunday was just another time mankind welcomed the wrong Messiah.

Without today Good Friday isn’t good at all.

But because Jesus rose from the dead, we live and all of the previous events are significant.

Today is the day that Christians live for!

Jesus is alive! He fulfilled His purpose and conquered sin, death, and hell.

We have life today because of Jesus’ victory. We have freedom and forgiveness because He made it possible. It is all because of Jesus, and His victory, that we are alive.

Since this day, the body of Christ as been on the move and growing throughout the world. The power of Jesus literally changed the world and is continuing to change lives today. I hope to continue exploring the growth of the church as we journey on throughout the next few weeks together, but today I want to focus on a passage of scripture that speaks to all of us today.

Earlier I mentioned that some of the disciples had trouble believing if Jesus was actually going to do as He said and raise from the dead. Even after Jesus started revealing Himself, some had difficulty believing the testimony of others. To one disciple, Thomas, Jesus said in John 20:29, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

That’s right. This verse speaks to all of us. Unless you have been blessed with the overwhelming gift of seeing Jesus face to face, you fall into this category of those who believe but have not seen. We know, through faith, that Jesus rose from the dead and now sits at the right hand of God the father in heaven.

It is by faith that we love Him, stand on His Word, and share His truth with others. It is by faith that countless Christians, right now, are laying down their lives in death for His namesake. Because of this faith, Jesus says we are blessed. We are blessed for our faith in Him regardless of what our eyes have seen or haven’t seen. We know that Jesus rose again and believe the testimony of those who have gone before us; therefore, in His eyes we are blessed.

The first time we see Jesus will be when He welcomes us into the eternal life He purchased for us with His blood. Whoa.

So, what’s the point to this Resurrection post?

The point is this:

If you know Jesus, I celebrate with you today. I rejoice with you that our sins are forgiven and we are made whole in Jesus. Hallelujah, He is risen! I also encourage you to share this joy and freedom with someone else. After all, Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. Now that you have been found, lead someone else to Him. Take this gospel, this good news, to the broken world around you.

If you do not know Jesus, I welcome you. There is a reason you were drawn to this blog. I believe it is because of the love Jesus has for you. He desires to free you from all sin, shame, and pain. He loves you so much that He went to a cross and battled with hell, all for you. He won the battle for you. He was victorious so that you might live. My role in all of this is merely to remind you that you need only to believe. Recognize that Jesus is who He says He is – Lord of all, Savior of the world, Son of God. Believe that He did exactly as He says – went to the cross, was buried in the tomb, and resurrected three days later with victory over sin, death, and hell. Let Him know that you need salvation from your sin. Jesus is waiting for you. He loves you with a truly everlasting love. Today is the day! What better day to do so than resurrection Sunday! I encourage you to open your heart to Jesus. Open your heart and believe. After all, “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

Happy Easter, everyone!

He is not here, He is risen!

Focus on Jesus - Part 1

Okay, confession time. I have been struggling with inspiration lately. I keep having ideas that end up in my writing journal but never in a word document. Yesterday, as I sat in my big comfy chair and stared out the window looking at the bright blue sky and cotton-shaped clouds, I settled on a thought. 

This week we should focus on Jesus. I'm sure you're thinking, “this is a Christian encouragement blog, of course we're going to focus on Jesus.” And you would be right to have that thought, but I mean this in a more specific way. This week we should focus on Jesus and the week leading up to His death. 

On the Christian calendar this week is known as “Holy Week.” It is the week when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem for the final time because He would spend this week being tried and killed. For all of us, this is the time that began the rest of our lives, because it was in this week that Jesus died and purchased our freedom from sin with His blood. But, I must stop because I am getting ahead of myself. 

Today I encourage all of us to think about Jesus’ grand entry into Jerusalem. After all, today is Palm Sunday (it received this name because that is what the people waved at Jesus as He rode into town on a donkey). Men, women, and children lined up along the streets and welcomed Jesus into town because they believed Him to be their Messiah. In their minds He would save them from Roman oppression. In reality, He was going to save them from eternal damnation and the greatest enemy this world has ever known – Satan. 

I'm not going to focus on the faults of the people but rather their initial response to Jesus. In John 12:13 we read “So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!” 

There is so much happening in this small portion of scripture and I look forward to reviewing it together as we enter this Holy Week. Here the people acknowledged Jesus as King. Again, they believed He would save them from their earthly woes. For a man that was simply going to free them from an oppressive government, they waved palm branches, and they laid down their own coats at the donkey’s feet to welcome this man into the city. They sang and shouted His praises; saying hosanna “which signifies salvation (Henry).” All of this for a king of flesh and blood.

We know today that Jesus was more than a mere king. He is the Savior of the world, Lord of all creation, author of perfection, bright and morning star, end and the beginning, and king of all kings! Jesus is almighty God. He defeated Satan and conquered sickness, death, and hell. He is all of this and more!
Yet, when we come to worship Him in corporate or private settings, what does it look like? Is it tainted by obligation? Is it over-shadowed by other responsibilities? Is it “old hat” because we've done it for so long? 

If the people of Jerusalem could “roll out the red carpet” for a man they thought to be a mere king, should we not do the same (if not more) for our Savior? The one who shed His own blood for us? 

My challenge to all of us this week is to focus on Jesus – the king of all kings. If you have trouble breaking out of your mundane worship rituals, try starting this way: “Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

Work Cited 
Henry, Matthew. "Commentary on John 12." Blue Letter Bible. 1 Mar, 1996. Web. 20 Mar, 2016. <http://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/mhc/Jhn/Jhn_012.cfm>.

Job: An Example of Genuine Prayer

Hello Friends! 

A few weeks ago we looked at prayer and how we can use it in our daily routine. I hope that those few notes from Max Lucado were helpful and that you have found yourself spending more time (even if it was only a few extra minutes) talking with God.

This week I would like to continue with that thought and get a bit more personal.
Two of my dear friends and I have been working through the same one year Bible. Together, we completed the book of Job (the Bible we have chosen works through scripture chronologically). As I spoke with one of them recently, we shared our thoughts regarding Job. I was so encouraged by our conversation and I wanted to share it with all of you.

Many times we see one perspective of Job. He was a man who endured losing everything while staying faithful to God and in the end was rewarded with even greater blessings. To someone who has never read the book of Job, he comes across as bit of a spiritual “Superman.” This illustration of Job is not incorrect. He did lost everything. He did remain faithful to God. God did restore Him. But… there’s a lot more to Job than just this neat and clean “though He slay me, yet will I trust Him (Job 13:15)” montage.

Job is one of the most honest characters in the Bible. He tells God exactly how he feels throughout his entire journey. There are moments when Job is handling his loss rather well and others where He feels completely abandoned and frustrated with God.  

Have you ever been in a place like that? A major event happens in your life (loss of a loved one, destroyed dreams, eviction from a home, devastating news from a doctor, etc.) and you are fine with God. You are saying all of the right things, believing and trusting what you know from the Bible and experience, and dealing with your emotions better than anyone expects. Then, out of the blue, you lose that resolve and begin to deal with the raw brokenness. Perhaps you stop talking to God. Maybe you keep talking to Him but it comes out more aggressively. If you’re like me you know the right answers but have immense difficulty applying them to your situation. Well, take heart my friends, you are not alone.

When we read the book of Job we see that he didn’t immediately dust himself off and “get over it.” No, he had genuine conversations with God, asking Him what the purpose was in all of his agony. In chapters 29 – 30 he even whines a bit as he tells God that men who used to praise him now mock him.

Here’s the real “kicker.” What do you think God does during Job’s lament? Does He smite Job down? No. Does He ignore the cries? No. Does He patronize him? No. God listens to Job’s every thought. Then, God responds. Yes, you read that correctly, God responds to Job’s hurt and complaint. God is not offended by Job’s raw emotion.
The same is true for us.

So often we believe that we can only talk to God when we have it all together. We can only tell God the “good” stuff because we’re not supposed to admit that we don’t understand why certain circumstances are taking place in our lives. This is not true. Friends, God is strong enough to handle the hurt of your heart. He already knows what you’re feeling and thinking so why not tell him?

When you come to this level of comfort with God you will notice a greater intimacy with Him developing. It’s just like what happens with you and your husband. After you’re married you can no longer perpetuate the illusion of perfection. The man sees you for all that you are as you do him. When we show God all that we are -- the good, bad, and broken -- we recognize that He is completely trustworthy. Our faith grows as He walks with us through that pain. We become more comfortable in our relationship with Him.

Job learned that God is faithful. God’s plan is perfect. God restored more than what Job lost. This God that Job encountered is the same one who longs to be in relationship with you. He wants to sit and have a forever long conservation with you. He’s ready to hear it all. He’s ready to respond.

The question is, are you? Are you ready to lower your mask of perfection, expose the raw underneath, and begin an authentic journey with God? If you are, now is the time. Just start talking. He’s waiting…