Time spent with God brings clarity

 

When I look back on this year there are lot of emotions. When I think of the overall thing God has been teaching me this year, through all the different struggles and emotions, I do believe it all comes down to one word:
HUMILITY.

Ive never considered myself a prideful person, but pride will effect every person in one way or another, at one stage or another! To be a disciple of Jesus Christ, one MUST learn to be humble. We need to learn that no matter what position we are in, or how much life we have lived and experience we have, we will never be know-it-alls. We always have room to grow, and room to learn. We will never stop learning, and even if we think we don’t have this attitude or these thoughts…..one day i believe we will all find out deep down pride was sitting there all along, and these thoughts have been imbedded somehow. We will continue to realize daily that we are not the one’s in control. We often are made to wait. We often are made to be uncomfortable. We often are made to be long-suffering….amongst many other things. And this is all for our own growth of character, and for a deeper dependence on Christ.

We must continually realize that God is greater than everything that is us, and everything that affects us. Our fears, our desires, our hearts, our thoughts, our failures, our mistakes, our past, our future, our emotions, our knowledge, our capacity to understand, our gifts and talents, our relationships, our sins…and life changes (there are a lot of those!)
We must learn to be humble in all of these things…and know that God is leading us through it all.
  The journey to humility may not be an easy or enjoyable one, but it is one that makes us more like Jesus and brings godliness to our character!

 

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” John 15:1-5

Lessons from David

 

This morning in my quiet time I was reading Psalm 42, and this is the psalm where David is questioning “why is my soul downcast within…”

It is a very sad psalm, and I’ve even heard people speak on it saying that the sadness mentioned in here, the “deep crying out to deep” is talking about depression. Whether this is true or not, I am not 100%, but I can definitely see where people get that from. So as i was reading, I started just journaling what thoughts came to head with this passage, and started thinking about depression.

Depression is such a common disease these days, almost anyone you speak to has either gone through depression, or is currently depressed. Some say they are clinically depressed and takes meds, and other’s don’t even know it and just live in that state of mind, and other’s get over it.

I have extremely strong opinions concerning depression, simply because I have dealt a lot with it, within myself and some people whom I care deeply about, but I am not going to get into that right now. What I want to get into, is talking about the Power of the Holy Spirit.

 

I encourage you to go and read Psalm 42 either before or after you read this. To see if you can gather, what I gathered.
I believe that David was probably depressed when he wrote this psalm, but I also think that he gives us an extremely great example of how to deal with depression, or sadness.

First, he is thirsty and panting for the living God. (v1)
If you are sad/depressed, and not thirsty for God to move and to be near you…check yourself.

Second, he remembers the better times, the times God used him and when he was walking in his call…(v4)
Its easy in times of sadness/depression to just think about all that your sad about, all the bad stuff in life and in yourself and even in other people. But the New Testament sooooo many times tells us to set our minds on things above (colossians 3), to look to Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (hebrews)…numerous times in numerous ways.
We cannot turn our hearts and minds against God in these moments…we can choose what we remember and what we don’t remember ultimately. If we want to remember better times, we will. If we want to stay in the depressed state of mind that is not honoring to God, we do.

Thirdly, David HOPES in God. (v.5,11)
Hope is a feeling. it is also an incredible word, and an incredible feeling. It helps bring life, and helps us to look forward, instead of looking backward and inward. It forces us to look past what is going on, and to what can happen, deliverance, newness…
And this isnt a hope that is rooted in the people around you, or yourself, this is a hope that is rooted in God, who can work all things out for the good of those who love Him. (romans 8:28)

 

My opinion, is that the best remedy and advice for sadness and depression is to have these 3 things. A desire for God, to remember all that He has done and those better days, and lastly, to HOPE IN GOD.

The mind is a powerful thing, but the Bible tells to be of a sound-mind (2 tim 1:7), sober-minded (2 tim 4:5, 1 peter 1:13; 4:7; 5:8) and to take every thought captive and make it OBEDIENT to Christ(2 Corinthians 10:5). Therefore, we can…because we have the Holy spirit alive in us, enabling and working in us! )(John 14:26To say that you can’t take every thought captive, that you can’t be sober and sound minded, is to limit and belittle the power of God.
Which i’m pretty sure is a sin….it’s called unbelief…..

To end, all of this(hoping in God, taking every thought captive…), takes work. I think this is where a big problem is, especially in America…because we are an extremely lazy culture. (proverbs 13:4)Therefore, we for the most part, don’t want to do the work that its going to take us to be whole, to allow Christ’s power (Holy Spirit) to reign in us, because it’s hard.
Lazyness is a sin. and if you dont hate sin, and want to turn from it, you might want to make sure your saved.

Take sin seriously, take God seriously.

 

“…Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.”
Psalm 42:11

Seasons of Life

 

Everything in life, runs by seasons.
You have Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall.
We all have our favorite season(s).
And for the seasons that we don’t like…we can’t control them. We can’t make them move faster. We just have to endure them.
Like we endure the weather and can’t change that, we have to endure some of life’s circumstances and trust God. and know that a greater(more favorite, more enjoyable) season, is on its way!

So if your like me, and hate winter…endure it. For Spring is just around the corner. And we get those moments where you wake up, and it looks and smells and even looks like Spring…and even though it may just be a teaser and winter is still there, look at it as a joy and a hope and a glimpse into what God is bringing your way!

So if your not enjoying the season of life you are in right now spiritually, endure it. keep pressing on. keep running the race. For another season is just ahead. We can’t say how long it will be, but God is with you through all of the seasons you go through. Giving you hope in the wintry, cold, dark seasons.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…”  Hebrews 12:1

Work

 

”Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”
Colossians 3:23

This past week has been a really weird week work wise for me. It was quite difficult for me to do a good job at my work and be disciplined and not want to waste time while at work.

I even find that with leadership sometimes too. Some weeks are harder than others, and there are times when I don’t want to lead and don’t want to take the time to do all that is required of me in leadership and my roles.

This past week, has also been a week when ive realized that I dont have a right to ever want to be lazy in the call God has given me and the work He has given me to do. If He has called me to lead, than I need to always lead. In any physical work that I do, I don’t have a right to complain. If its work I don’t know how to do, or a work that is not my favorite, I need to do it with a grateful heart praising God for the ability to learn and the ability to do.

So whatever your work is, whether it is spiritual/kingdom work or earthly/physical work, it is all for the glory to God. and should be done for His glory and the fame of His name.

we are not here for ourselves, or for men, but for God.

what are you setting your mind to?

 

You know those weeks where a certain theme just keeps coming up in your devotions and in everyday life. Well, thats been happening this week.

Monday I was really convicted by a devotion I read by John Piper, about our mind and what we spend our time thinking about. And he used the Scripture, Romans 8:5-6
            “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, set their minds on things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”

Well, recently, my mind has completely set on my flesh. On what my flesh wants and desires…daydreams have been taking over and I’ve been allowing myself to think impure thoughts, to plan out a future of what I want certain things to like, Ive been dreaming of things that satisfy the lusts of my heart, rather than truly giving them to God and trusting Him but trying to satisfy myself in the waiting period.
How wrong, sinful, and how dirty of me. A holy(set apart) child of God.

I find the verses from Romans so convicting, and so powerful. To set the mind on the flesh is DEATH, and to set the mind on the Spirit is life, and peace.
This fall, for my birthday, I got a new tattoo. It is the word PEACE on my forearm. I love it. It’s a great reminder to pray for God’s peace in my life, in every circumstance and moment. Sadly, sometimes it is hidden and I forget about it. But to know that to think about the things of the Spirit is life and peace…and that by not thinking of things of the flesh and by not satisfying my flesh by thinking of things of the flesh, i can have peace. There will be a peace in my heart and my soul and my life, and my life will be full and that longing that the flesh desires, will be filled with Christ and His peace.

Hebrews 12:3
”Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted."..”

Colossians 3:2
”Set your minds on things above, not on the things that are on the earth.”

 

What are you spending your time thinking about?
Is it glorifying to God?!

my rendition of psalm 23

 

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not look for any other guide. He makes me rest when my body, mind and soul have been worn down. He leads me to the waters that will not sweep, my tired body away. There He satisfies my thirst and restores what’s been taken by all the cares of the world. He leads me along the paths that are right before His eyes, and that bring glory to His name; where I’m challenged to be more like Him.
Though, I may walk in places of trouble and danger that the devil may be hiding and waiting in, I shall not fear his evil ways. For my God walks in front, behind and beside me. Your discipline, O Lord, Your protection, Your power, they bring me peace.
You place me in front of those may hate and despise me, and then You anoint me. Showing all that I am Yours, sealed, and equipped to fight, with Your Holy Spirit alive in me, and my heart overflows with joy for all the works You have for me.
Surely Your goodness and Your mercy will pursue me for the rest of my life, wherever I go, and I will dwell one day in Your house, O Lord, FOREVER.

Hallelujah

 

sometimes it’s nice poetry to rewrite psalms or certain parts of scripture into your own interpretation. it helps you look deeper into the passage, and make it more relevant.

I used to always overlook Psalm 23, because it was so common, and so quoted. But now that I’m older, and looking back on all these truths and scriptures, I absolutely love this Psalm. I love that the LORD truly is my Shepherd, and how good He is, and how He leads me. I love the idea of a shepherd and his sheep and the relationship there. and I love that that’s the relationship Christ chooses to illustrate our relationship with Him in John. We are His. He is not just going to leave us…He cares for us, and will take care of us. Better care than anyone could ever imagine!

The LORD, God, is my Shepherd.

really?!

 

How legalistic can one become?!

I literally was just reading in John 5, and read this passage…on where Jesus heals a lame man on the sabbath and this is the Pharisee’s response to the man…

”so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, ‘It is the Sabbath, and it is not lawful for you to take up your bed."’” (John 5:10)

As I read that, my thought process was…”really?!?” They were so concerned with keeping the law, that they wouldnt even permit a lame man, who had just been healed, to take up his bed…
Now i realize there is much more to this, for instance, that the Jews hated Jesus…therefore the fact that this lame man was healed on a Sabbath is quite a big deal to them…

But the relevant point I am trying to make…the Jews of Jesus’ time, are modern day legalistics. We all can be legalistic about certain things. I’m not gonna lie, sometimes I wish I could be legalistic about things, and more often than I like, find myself fighting it in my head… but being legalistic about the things I want to be legalistic about would cause much dissension and it wouldn’t allow people to learn from mistakes and it would make people to become just like me…which we really do not want. We want people to become more like Christ.

Jesus is LORD over the Sabbath. Jesus is LORD over the law. May our focus be on JESUS and not on rules, or the law, or how we think something should be happening. Focus your attention on Jesus.

 

“…looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith…”
Hebrews 12:2