Saturday, October 31, 2015

Busy Work

Look to the Lord and his strength; seek his face always. ~ 1 Chronicles 16:33

We have all had those days, months and sometimes even years when we are completely and utterly deplete of any significant energy.  Where do you go when that happens?  After a hard day of wrestling with finances, shuffling kids here and there, dealing with difficult people and just constantly giving and rarely receiving, I often find myself sighing with relief when I finally plop into bed.  We have times in our busy lives when we just wish we could BE.  Just to close the rest of the crazy world out and plug ourselves into an imaginary battery pack to recharge, renew, and vitalize.  Sometimes I get so tired of doing the good, gracious and right "Christian" thing that I get burned out and if I am not careful, can throw myself a perfect self-pity party.  I believe will all my heart, that one of Satan's favorite ways to make Christ's children fall is to keep them so busy doing "church work" , or the "right thing" that we forget how to say "NO" sometimes and then can't hear God's voice anymore.  The result is that the relationships, the people, and the things in our lives that really matter most get just a sliver of our daily 24 hour time allowance so that those important things start to crumble.  The foundation has been compromised, the cracks start to show and the devil gets the foothold he needed to create a crater of resentment, anger, and guilt - all in the name of Jesus.  We must be on our guard!  Continuously!  We must find our strength in Christ and keep our eyes focused on him!  We must let His word be our imaginary battery pack to recharge us before it's to late!  When you feel yourself slipping, especially due to exhaustion, you better take a look at your priorities and weed out the areas the He may not have told you to be a part of and learn to say NO for you and your family.  Dare I say for your spiritual life and relationship with your Heavenly Father as well.  Seek His face and find your quiet strength in Christ and whatever He would have you do, not the world and surly, not the busy work.  Just because everyone else is running around crazed, does not mean I have too.  I long for the simple, purposeful and God breathed "busy". ~ 

Friday, October 30, 2015

Majestic Holiness

Who among the gods is like you, O Lord?  Who is like you - majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? ~ Exodus 15:11

With all the unique artists, musicians, writers and dancers in our popular culture, there are many who can claim to have beauty and majesty like anything we have ever seen.  How can you not see the glory, majesty and holiness in an Almighty God when you look at the beauty of creation, or when you see the many talents and abilities of great performers?  When you realize that God created, orchestrated and set into motion this massive universe, the word "majesty", or "majestic" has a whole new meaning magnified by the awesomeness of who He is.  God supersedes anything our human minds could possibly conjure up about Him and yet He embodies all our characteristics, feelings and emotions; there truly is no other God like Him.  God can give us hope when our life is in dire need; He loves though anger and bitterness, and He forgives all wrong.  God can capture my attention for hours and fill me with instant peace while I gaze at a sunset, or at perfectly painted clouds that sometimes, I feel, are there just for me because He knows my heart and soul respond to His creation of nature.  I am humbled to think that He created me.  I am humbled to think that he saved me from an eternal death void of his glory and majesty.  I have experienced how awesome in "working wonders" He is and I treasure these things in my heart.  Through his majestic holiness, He saved me even though He didn't have a guarantee I would choose Him.  He is much bigger than all of us.  There is no other God. ~

Lacks Wisdom

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. ~ James 1:5 ...