Adventures In a Beautiful Life

Recently I started a study in my devotions on some Christian character traits with evidence from the Bible. The first one I am working on is Godliness. So for this study I wrote down all the passages that have the word godliness or some form of it (godly). Then the days that I do the study I do one passage at a time, there may be more than one verse in the context that uses the word godliness so they get done together. It has been a real blessing to me. The first day was especially a great day, it kind of set the goal of godliness in the believer's life.

I Tim. 2:2-3

"For kings, and for all that are in authority;

that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life

in all godliness and honesty.

For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior."

I don't know about you but I want to live a life that is acceptable to the Lord. And as I began to study this passage (technically vs.1-3) the Lord pointed some great things out to me. I'll just write here what I wrote in my notes on the study. I hope they are as much a blessing to you as they were to me.
The word Godliness is the Greek means to Worship, to respect.
This passage speaks of a life that's good and acceptable to the Lord. Good here means beautiful, valuable. I want my life to be beautiful and valuable to the Lord. Doesn't everyone want a beautiful life? This life is a quiet, peaceable, godly, honest life. And this life should be our goal.
One way it is obtained found in verses 1-2, these Essential elements of Prayer:
1. Supplications - to make request, to beg
2. Prayers - worship, to earnestly pray with a wish
3. Intercessions - an interview, to confer withh or entreat
4. Giving of Thanks- gratitude,actively grateful, to bring well-favor on
...be made for all men, including those leaders with authority in our life. These four elements of prayer I believe lead to a godly life of peace and quiet. A beautiful life.

Top 10 Blessings from God that you will never Express Enough Gratittude For

Day 5 - Top Ten

Rom. 11:33-36

1.Salvation

Full and free, complete

 

2.The Word of God

Wisdom for every need

 

3. My Family

They are not perfect

but He saw fit to place me in one where

I would know him and serve Him with them.

 

4. My Beloved

I had dreamed of marrying a man my whole life

and had prayed, unknowing, many years.

I couldn't have picked a man so perfect for me,

only God could.

 

5. My Church

Many changes have taken place over the almost 2 years we've been here,

but the things I've learned and

the people I've met and fellowshipped with

have impacted my life.

 

6. Godly Parents

They were so invaluable to my life,

in shaping me for Christ,

Equipping me to follow His Will,

and teaching me to trust Him for all my needs.

 

7. God's Promises of Provision

He never fails,

whether it was college bills, emotional needs,

housing, work, food for family,

safety on mission fields.

He always provided on time.

 

8. The Hard Times

It's never easy to thank God in the hard times

but looking back I know each trial was for my good,

each trouble taught me lessons I needed to learn,

each hard time the Lord was there to Sustain me.

 

9. The Promise of Heaven

A new body,

A place that will permanently be home,

And I.Will.See. Christ.

I will see His wounds for me and praise Him for all eternity.

 

10. Ministries I have been involved in

Even in the seemingly short years of my life I have

been blessed to be involved in so much.

From behind the scenes ministries to the up front

visible ones.

And each one has taught me something different

and spurred me on to new.

To Serve is a Privilege.

 

Greatness

 

"This world has defined greatness to include achievements in either physical beauty or strength, or achievements in intellectualendeavors. what grieves God is that this same measuring stickis alsobeing used inthe church. Many Christian parents would be more proud of their children if they became famous in this world, or made a lot of money, than if they surrendered their lives to serve God."

Jerry Ross

When You Feel Like Running Away From It All

I mentioned in a previous post how it seems like here lately we have heard a lot of discouraging news. It just makes me sad. We’ve had our own struggles here at church of our own the past few months and just recently I’ve heard of two other churches whose pastors have resigned. It leaves us all in a tough spot, in a rough storm on a raging sea. But it is comforting to know that my God has the power to calm the raging sea.

We've heard about friends who've had marital problems, and I have another friend whose dealt with this almost two years ago. It scares me. Terrifies me. These are good friends,who sat in the same Bible college classes we did, heard the same preaching we did. My Friend whose spouse left is such a testimony to me, not becoming bitter at what God had allowed to happen, but plunging into the ministries at her church, where the people love her uncondintionally. I know there are days where she probably wants to run away from it all. I'm not even in that situation, but hearing all the recent discouraging news makes me want to run away from it all, pretend it's not there. But I can't and you can't either when the trials and discouragement come.

I've learned something through these discouraging tidbits of information I received or went through, YOU CAN'T RUN IN THE MIDST OF BATTLE. We've got to stand strong, dig in and fight. It's really all the devil's work, He's having a hayday in good churches and homes. And let me warn you, he's not concerned about the mediocre, ho-hum, lower standard Christians; they aren't a threat. Satan after those who are trying to live their life according to the Bible in every aspect, trying to build marriages and raise children that honor God. He's on the attack and his goal is to make you fall, to destroy your life and your testimony. DON'T LET HIM! We've only got one surefire weapon that guarantees victory over Satan - we have the Almighty God on our side. Though Him we shall do Valiently, He will tread down our enemy! Be Strong!

I noticed I was really getting discouraged hearing these things, it feels like there is no hope for the church when I know there is. There is alway hope and there is always the joy of knowing heaven awaits us after all this turmoil. So what do we do now?

I'll tell you what I've been doing. Number one is keeping your time with God. Don't miss it for a day. For me it's not a struggle, it's a habit I've instilled in my life since a teenager. If it's not a habit in your life,make it one.

So for me I felt like I needed some more defenses. Like a shot in the arm, err, or a heavy dose of Vitamin C. I'm normally reading some sort of spiritual strengthening book with my devotions,(not for). Right now I'm reading one by an author I found a couple years ago when I stumbled on a book for sale in the college library, Fourteen Things Witches Hope Parents Never Find Out by David Benoit. The book I'm reading I found recently at goodwill called Who's Watching the Playpen?, also written by Benoit. If you can get your hands on either of these books, they are worth having in your home library. The one I'm reading talks a lot about how children are affected by New Age ideas through toys, books, and a lot of cartoons and movies for kids. Granted the book was written in '95 so most of the movies/cartoons and toys are ones that were made and on when I was younger. Most of them I wasn't allowed to have anything to do with, now I know why. He talks about how Christians have become numb,even embraced things that have magic somehow tied with it. Magic is real folks, and so are demonic spirits and they should have no place inour homes. Anyway, the book dealing with witches, touches on Wicca and their infiltration and influence on the same things. Remember Cabbage Patch dolls, trolls, Furbies, Smurfs, Barney, ect...there are underlying occult themes related to these items.



Well, enough of that, but really if you can get your hands on these books, it will be well worth your reading. And to tell you the truth it's hard to put it down, because I now know why I wasn't allowed to watch Disney's Pocahontas or Lion King, ect...

Another thing I've been doing recently is listening to more preaching and teaching at home. Most of us have access to the world wide web in some form or another, we have access to download good solid preaching and carry it with us in mobile form. That is one thing about our new phone I love, I can put preaching on there and listed to it whenever. Like Sunday, I had downloaded this umm, radio program about feminism in our society and how Christians are embracing it. It was really good and so I thought Working Man would be interested, so on the way to church Sunday night He had one earbud and I had the other and we listened to it on the way there and on the way home. And I was right, he did like it. One of my favorite places to download messages is sermonaudio.com. You can look by preacher, by topic (I looked up womanhood, just browse with caution, it's got stuff from everybody),and other choices. I tend to stick with people I know are sound.



Another helpful thing are ladies lessons. I want to be the best, godly wife I can be. And I need encouragement in that often. I don't want to be the next one someone hears of that's having marital problems. My friend here let me borrow some cds she had by Mrs. Lee Marshall, Mom of the Marshall family. I think there were a total of 4 full length lessons(about an hour) for ladies on each cd. So I have 8 total. I have listened to them NUMEROUS times and there is always something new to be convicted or reminded of. You can find these on their website, www.johnmarshallfamily.com . And then when we were up for Ressurection Sunday weekend in Pa, I remembered my mother-in-love had a set of cds on her bookshelves by a woman who wrote the book, Teachers of Good Things, Francie Taylor. Boy were these a blessing too! Her lessons are shorter about 20-30 minutes long but packed full of Scriptures and principles. I went to look them up on Sword of the Lord and found she has numerous cd series', the one I borrow was The Titus Woman. Let me just challenge you, load up your arsenal, and fight of the Devil. You can have the victory in this battle and we have no need to run away from it all.

Lovely Books

To say I like books would be an understatement.

I’ve always liked them, used to get in trouble for reading to much.

Since moving down south I saw a book at the library about a woman who escaped

From the FDLS - the Mormon radical group.

Since I wrote my comparative Religions class in college about Mormonism

I thought it would be interesting to read.

So I finally got around to checking it out from the library.

I was reading it, and got about half way through but it was too much.

I just wasn’t comfortable reading about all their messed up ways

And the Holy Spirit kept pricking my heart as I read.

I knew I had to quit reading it.

I hate not finishing a book.

But I laid it aside.

While I was in Bible college taking classes on teaching,

I loved the class about teaching reading - one of our assignments was to read children’s books.

And there was a series of books recommended for

Middle School age children that I have collected over the last few years.

I didn’t read them before I started collecting because they were recommended.

My sister knows what they are,

I let her borrow them to read them, but she gave them back,

Let’s just say that they are definitely different.

So I had this series that my sister gave back to me,

I wanted to read them and see what they were all about,

I had read the first book but decided to read it again.

Easy reading- I finished the book in a day.

And I determined it was kinda creepy and sad,

And despite the intriguing mystery I didn’t like it.

I looked up the series and author in Wikipedia.

The series was classified as Gothic type.

I hadn’t known that.

 They were recommended at Bible college.

I decided not to read the other books in the series.

The whole time I was reading these books a song kept coming to my mind.

It’s not just a song,

It’s a Scripture song of Philippians 4:8.

“Finally, brethren,

whatsoever things are true,

Whatsoever things are honest,

Whatsoever things are just,

Whatsoever things are pure,

Whatsoever things are lovely,

Whatsoever things are of good report;

If there be any virtue, and if there be any praise,

THINK ON THESE THINGS.”

It’s hard to read when the Lord is sending this song over and over through your mind.

I couldn’t get over three of those traits:

Pure : Innocent, clean, modest

(in the children’s book there was basically reference to possible incest, the relative was going to marry the 14 year old to inherit the fortune)

Lovely: Friendly, acceptable

As a believer, there is a Friend who is always with us. Would I read this outloud to Him?

He knows what you are reading anyway

Good Report: Reputable, well spoken of

Well, the series was well spoken of at college, but I don’t think it would be something

The Lord would recommend. Death, morbid destruction, scary people.

Nope, nothing I want my children to read.

I just thought I would share something the Lord specifically spoke to me about.

I’m so thankful for the prompting and reprimand of the Holy Spirit.

I don’t want to do things that sadden Him.

I need to focus on lovely, pure things.

And just for those who are wondering,

I’m reading A Gown of Spanish Lace

By Janette Oke, I forgot how good,

And pure it is.

A lovely book.

Simplicity in Christ Part 2

II Corinthians 11:3

"...The simplicity that is in Christ..."

Simplicity - singleness, sincerity, generosity, bountifulness

The word Simplicity mentioned here is the same Greek word for the phrase “singleness of heart” used in other parts of Scripture.

Paul wanted these believers to be the real deal- true, sincere believers bestowed by the bountifulness of God. After researching the words of the first two verses you find strong language from Paul.

Vs. 1 “Bear with me a little in my folly”
Paul  is asking for forbearance and endurance(“bear) in his senselessness, recklessness (“folly”)

Vs. 2a “I am jealous over you with godly jealousy”
Despite the word jealousy being used twice in the same verse, they are slightly different meanings. Paul speaks of  the first jealousy, meaning his warmth of feeling for them. The second a godly jealousy, speaks of heat and zeal, venturing to say Paul’s passion.

Vs. 2b “Espoused you…that I may present you…a chaste virgin.”
Paul was the one who introduced them to Christ, and now he is ready to stand by and “give them away” just like a father gives away his daughter at a wedding. But he wants them to be a pure, modest bride, not covered by the fornication of the world.

  What Difference Does is make?

A Little Cleaning Up

As you can tell something is going on...

I've decided to re-vamp this site.

One of my goals for this year is to post more on this blog,

ideally I will try to post at least once a week.

 I realized how slack I had become.

And as I began to think I began to realize that I need the accountability

of sharing what I've been learning.

To push me further in my learning.

So part of my cleaning has to do with what I feel

the Lord had showed me for the new year.

Normally I seem to have a focus passage

that the Lord impresses on my heart around

the beginning of every year.

This year:

2 Corinthians 1-3,

particularly the end of verse 3 

"...from the simplicity that is in Christ."

Sweet to The Soul

Proverbs 16:24

"Pleasant words are as an honeycomb,

sweet to the soul,

and health to the bones."

I want my words to be sweet and healthy to my husband and everyone I speak to. They need to be that way to everyone, but especially those closest to us. In order to do that I must speak pleasant words.

Pleasant means- agreeable, delight, something of grace or beauty.

Wow! My mouth can keep me from being a woman of grace a beauty.

There are seven Scriptural references to the word no-am(Hebrew for pleasant)
Ps. 27:4 - used to describe the Lord’s beauty
Ps. 90:17 - also used to describe the Lord but we are to put it on and be showing it.
Prov. 3:17 - the way of wisdom is pleasantness
Prov. 15:26 - pleasant words come from one who is pure or striving to be pure. It’s a choice to                                      speak pleasant words and live pure.
Prov. 16:24 - our text
Zech. 11:7, 10 - a rod called beauty used to correct the sheep/ the poor of the flock.
I must speak pleasant words, that wouldn’t be words:
That degrade
Complain
Are critical
That argue
Are sarcastic
Are dirty/hurtful

Pleasant words are something sweet that can be relished. Speak words that would warm the heart when remembered.

This Day

“This is the day which the LORD hath made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it.”

Psalm 118:24

Today - “this is the day”

The Lord Planned It - “the LORD hath made;”

A Purposed Attempt - “we will”

Rejoice - To spin around ( under the influence of any violent emotion) Think spinning around with joy in a big meadow, like Maria on Sound of Music.

Be Glad - cheer up, joy, be merry



I think we look right past another meaning of this verse. We automatically think, “ Be thankful and happy God gave you another day!” But what is we looked differently:

This day was created and planned by the Lord - that means today is in the Divine planner - everything in it He planned. Our job is to make a purposed attempt to be joyful and giddy (if you would) of the day and the plans thereof. But I don’t think it’s a once a day, do-this-every-morning thing. It’s ongoing though out the day. What if we replaced the word “in” with “throughout” and “it” with “the day”. Boy, would that change everything!

“This is the day which the LORD hath made;

We will rejoice and be glad in it (throughout the day).”

We are continually rejoicing and being giddy because the plans that unfold for the day are God’s plans! Yes, even that flopped supper. Just laugh about it and do your best to fix it.

So, throughout this day, rejoice in His planning.

What About Your Legacy?

I recently read a book my sister let me read after she was done with it. Gotta love those teacher cards from the library- six weeks- no rush.

Anyway, the book was an autobiography on Tim Tebow-

the football player for the Denver Broncos

with a Testimony for God.

(I'll admit, when I saw that game where he

knelt in prayer after a good run, I was a

bit sceptical- another one of those sports people

who says they are a Christian...)

But this was different.

It was a good book,

o.k. i had to wade through all the football language

which I know nothing about.

But his testimony was great. So I leave you with

a quote from his book of the legacy you leave behind.

“...But a legacy that left eternal fingerprints on the lives of others would be a legacy to be remembered in this world and the next. The legacy God intended each of us to leave has to do with the impact our lives have had on the lives of others He calls us to serve. It has to do with the difference our lives make in the world- in our families, with friends, at work, at school, with our coaches and teammates, and all those others around us. Our legacy should be about building in the lives of all those others, doing something for others

that will not only last in their lives here, but for eternity.”

p. 206 of Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow and Nathan Whitaker.

This Year

“In His wisdom God does not show us all that lies ahead. So we enter a new year to live it day by day. What is past is past…we start anew, and what we do today will make our life for tomorrow. …each day let us follow more faithfully, more courageously, more daringly the lead of our great Captain who bids us follow Him. “

William Thomson Hanzsche
　

Ways to Serve God as a Young Person

I'm Not Sure where I got this, to tell you the truth I think I was just thinking and studying about it one day back when I was at college. And of course, it doesn't just apply to young people.

1. Obey and Honour your parents Eph. 6:1-2
2. Obey Authority Heb. 13:17
3. Grow in Grace (Your Christian walk) 1 Peter 3:18
4. Grow in the Knowledge of the Lord 2 Tim. 2:15
5. Do well in School and Everything Else you do Ecc. 9:10
6. Use your Talents for Him Rom. 10:6-8
7. Share the Gospel (the Good news of Christ) Mark 16:15
8.Serve Others Gal 5:13
9. Encourage Others (Consolation) Rom. 14:19

A Continual Feast

All the days of the afflicted are evil:
But he that is of a merry heart hath
a Continual feast.
Proverbs 15:15

Do we realize how much Proverbs applies to our everyday lives. It’s easy to read a proverb every day, one for each day of the month. But sometimes it can become monotonous and we just skim the page out of duty and familiarity. (or maybe that just me) So I take a break from them every now and then, so that it becomes a little “fresher” the next time I read it.
I’ve been reading there this month and this verse stuck out today. Because of my latest bout of sickness and recovery I guess it took on a new light.
When you are afflicted with sickness, you tend to look at each day as another struggle, another day to “take it easy” and rest. Let me tell you, I got /am so sick of resting. Yeah, it’s nice to have a day or two to be lazy because you are sick, but after almost 4 weeks of it, your days seem to become evil. O.k., we should look at every day and say I’m going to have a great day today but when you wake up, still sick, you think “will these awful days ever go away?” Or maybe that’s just my carnality again…
So I looked up a merry heart in the concordance. Merry means good, a good thing. So the verse speaks of a good heart. The word heart is the feelings, will and intellect. I looked up intellect in the dictionary (yes, we know it but do we really know it?) Intellect is your ability to reason, think and understand.
The heart doesn’t exist on it’s own, it’s located in a body, and obviously we are talking of a human. So, here is my conclusion: (Suddenly I feel like a scientist)
The human that sets his mind up to have a merry heart, one that purposes to be good, despite feelings, self-will, and often out-of-whack intellect, is going to be a human with a feast. No, not turkey, stuffing and the like. Every day is a feast, one full of God’s mercy, love and grace on us. That person purposes in their heart: “I’m going to feast on this day, because God will help me control my heart and mind.” So despite the sickness and affliction in our life, we must purpose to have a merry heart and make every day a feast day.

Quotes from 1000 Gifts

I was recently reading the book 1000 Gifts by Ann Voskamp but it took me a long time to read it because of school work and everything else. It was good, granted, read it with discretion. I will tell you that it
made me think about the things I see and experience everyday that I am so thankful for. I've started a list, I'm still so busy and with going back and forth staying at work I don't write in it everyday. But most days I see things and think of how thankful I am for it. I'm a simple person. Those who know me know that. I love the outdoors, the lightning bugs, the flower petals floating on the breeze, the breeze coming in the window that tousles my curly hair.
Needless to say I wanted to post some of the interesting parts of the book that I really enjoyed.

"The low heavens outside the paned windows fill with more snowflakes than start, no two stacked crystals the same; the trees in the wood draw in collective green breath to the still of January hibernation, and God in the world will birth ice from His womb, frost of heaven, bind the chains of the Pleiades, loose the cords of Orion, and number again the strands on my head.
Isn't it here? The wonder? Why do i spend so much of my living hours struggling to see it? Do we truly stumble so blind that we must be affronted with blinding magnificence for our blurry soul-sight to recognize granduer? The very same surging magnificence that cascades over our every day here. Who has time or eyes to notice?

All my eyes can seem to fixate on are the splatter of disappointment across here and me."
(P.31)

" I am a child again and tonight I have run to the end of the horizon and this time I have touched Him and I twirl in full apron skirt, spinning hem brushing the grass heads bowed and I laugh joy. It's dawning, my full moon rising: I was lost but know I am found again, Jesus, and I know what I want: to see deeply, to thank deeply, to feel joy deeply. How my eyes see, perspective, is my key to enter into His gates. I can only do so with thanksgiving. if my inner eye has God seeping up through all things, then can't I give thanks for anything? And if I can give thanks for the good things, the hard things, the absolute everything, I can enter the gates to glory. Living in his presence is fullness of joy- and seeing shows the way in.

The art of deep seeing makes gratitude possible. And it is the art of gratitude
that makes joy possible.Isn't joy the art of God?"
(P.118)

"Does he (her son) see me doing the hard eucharisto, counting the ugly as grace, transfiguring the ugly into beauty with thanks? Does he see?"

"The discipline of thanks only comes with practice"

"The practice of giving thanks...eucharisto... this is the way we practice the presence of God, stay present to His presence, and it is always a practice of the eyes. We don't have to change what we see. only the way we see."

(P.135)

"Overwhelming grace drew me to the Christ full of glory that I might empty of the self. I empty to become full. Full of grace...to fully live."

"I began to see that nothing I am counts for anything, but all that I count of Him counts for everything- seeing eyes might illuminate the glory of Christ in all. I am all eye, seeing through life as glass to God."

(P.209)

"Out the kitchen window the sky rolls out. Apple blossoms fill all the orchard. The morning dove warms her bluing hope. I can hear Him, what He is telling the whole world and even me here: this is for you. The lover's smile in the morning, the child's laughter down the slide, the elder's eyes at eventide: this is for you. And the earth under your feet, the rain over your face upturned, the stars spinning all round you in the brazen glory: this is for you, you, you. These are for you - gifts- these are for you -grace- these are for you- God, so count the ways he loves, a thousand, more, never stop, that when you wake in the morning you can't help turn humbly to the east, unfold your hand to the heavens, and though you tremble and though you wonder, though the world is ugly, it is beautiful, and you can slow and you can trust and you can receive each moment as grace. Eucharisto."

(P. 224)

It was a good book and I would consider reading again, maybe with less distraction next time. I will put a disclaimer in that the style of writing is very different and hard to get used to at the beginning of the book.

Lessons From A Dandelion

One bright, beautiful spring morning a lady took a walk in the woods. She sat down to meditate upon the goodness of God in giving such a lovely world to His children. She thought, "How happy we should be in this life while preparing for the life in the world to come."

Her attention was called to a little well known plant growing nearby. It was the dandelion. There he stood, not with his sunny golden head, but his head already turned to snowy white. His short life was fast drawing to a close. The soft breeze caught up some of his white locks that were ready to fall and bore them away. August winds carried others away and still others, until at last the dandelion stood quite alone. His work was done. All that was left would soon molder back to earth and be forgotten.

But was about the little seeds among the white locks that had been carried away by the breeze? Some of them fell not far away, while others sailed and sailed in the air and fell nobody know where, there to take root and grow into other plants.

"Just so it is with our lives," thought the lady. "Though we shall live here but a brief period of time and may be seen by few people, yet our influence will reach here and there and far away because our words and deeds, when we have returned to dust and have been forgotten."

Just Be Who God Wants You To Be!

I was reading in my devotional book, A Woman From God's Perspective by Anna Mary Byler, and came across a quote she had from A. W. Tozer and thought it was really good.

"When we surrender ourselves to God's meekness, we will not care what
people will think of us, as long as God is pleased.
Than what we are will be everything;
what we appear will take its place far down the scale of interest for us.
Apart from sin we have nothing of which
to be ashamed."

Since I mentioned my devotional book, I thought I would put a plug in for other devotionals. Devotional books should not replace the reading of the Word for yourself, but they are a nice accompaniment. A while back I mentioned the book Being a Girl Who Serves, by Shannon Kubiak Primicerio and what a phenomenal book it was. My sister just recently finished reading it and also said that it was amazing. About 2 months ago I also found her other two devotional books for girls, God Called a Girl and Being a Girl Who Loves. I haven't had a chance to read them yet, though Liv is reading the latter. Not every writer you will read will right right on with you, you need to have discernment as you read these books, because they are just the ideas of a person, not the inspired Word. I just thought I would put a little word out there about what an encouragement a good devotional book can add to your quiet time with God.

"Each day we must live in constant communication (with God):

that is performing all our outward service

our inward self on it's knees (in humbleness)."

~Benneth Jones~

From With Heart and Hand

How Heavy is Your Burden?

Do you think living the Christian life is hard? Do you often feel burdened down? Why do we become so burdened and overwhelmed?
I was listening to chapel messages and reading some verses and felt slightly convicted about something. Throughout our Christian life we go through times where we feel so burdened down. But do we realize that it’s our own fault? We cause ourselves to bear those burdens. Jesus tells us that the Christian life isn’t hard in Matt. 11:28-30, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Our burdens are self-inflicted. Jesus says to bring them to Him and he will give us rest, not that He’ll take it away. We are to learn of Christ, learn how to leave the worry with Him, worrying is a sin. When we cast out the sin (worrying, complaining, selfishness, ect…) in our life that is connected to that burden, we can then learn how to carry the light burden. Jesus says “my yoke is easy and my burden is light”. Living the Christian life isn’t hard, unless we are trying to live it with sin at the same time.
Christ tells us to take His yoke upon us and learn, a yoke is used to guide animals to get work accomplished. The master in charge of the animals decides on how much the animal should pull and how much they can handle. So does the Father for us, He knows what burdens we can handle when we are yoked. The verse tells us that Jesus’ yoke is easy, and the “burden is light”.
We know we are going to have a burden to carry, Christ tells us to “take up his (your) cross, and follow me.”(Mk. 8:34) A cross is going to weigh something, but it doesn’t have to overwhelm us and be hard, because the “burden is light”. Choose to carry your burden, your cross, without dragging that excess weight of sin attached to the burden. Think of when we are serving Christ like we know we should, how burdened down do we feel? Now think of when we take upon ourselves the care of running our own life and doing what we want. Which makes you happier?
How heavy is your burden right now? Do you need to drop some excess weight?

The Consequences of Complaining

I was praying the other day and the Lord brought something to mind. I was convicted lately about complaining and this is the thought the Lord gave me:
The Israelites were known for their grumbling and complaining in the wilderness. God had taken them from Egypt with the promise of the land flowing with milk and honey; all they had to do was follow Him. Yet, what did they do? Murmur and complain
*See Exodus 16:7-12, 17:3 and Numbers 14:1-4, 26-34 They complained about not having food, then water, and then that they were going to be defeated by their enemies. They complained to Moses and Aaron, who in turn said “Hey! Why are you complaining to us? We are just doing what God tells us! You aren’t complaining about our decisions, you are complaining about God’s” (Yes, this is my paraphrased version.)
Think of the results of their complaining. God didn’t allow them to go into the Promised Land, He killed them off. They ruined their chance of the greatest blessings of God by complaining, they saw God work and lead, yet still they complained.

Now to the practical application:
God has led me to this college and He’s “called” me to study here because it’s going to prepare me for the Promised Land later. But if I keep sitting around murmuring and complaining about the changes I don’t like I’m not complaining about the authorities’ decisions in my life, I’m complaining about God’s decisions!
I may miss out on the greatest blessings of God because I repeatedly disobey with my complaining. So, I can stop and have the chance to see the Promised Land (God’s specific will for me later) or I can keep complaining and risk the chance of God taking me out. He may not do it physically but I may never get to do His specific will for my life because I will not trust the way He is leading. Quite a sobering thought.
So, my challenge is: Will you continue complaining when you think about the severe consequences of it against our God?
Just remember that complaining about one thing in your life leads to complaining about everything in your life. It’s like a disease, but Praise the Lord it’s curable!

Full Consecration

The following is taken from the book Kept for the Master’s Use by Frances Ridley Havergal:
“’Take my life!’ We have said it or sung before the Lord, it may be many times; but if it were only once whispered in His ear with full purpose of heart, should we not believe that He heard it? And if we know that He heard it, should we not believe that He has answered it, and fulfilled this, our heart’s desire? For with Him hearing means heeding. Then why should we doubt that He did verily take our lives when we offered them, our bodies when we presented them? Have we not been wronging His faithfulness all this time by practically, even if unconsciously, doubting whether the prayer ever really reached Him? And if so, is it any wonder that we have not realized all the power and joy of full consecration? By some means or other He has to teach us to trust implicitly at every step of the way. And so, if we did not really trust in this matter, He has to let us find out our want of trust by withholding the sensible part of the blessing, and this stirring us up to find out why it is withheld.”
Pretty powerful paragraph isn’t it. I don’t think I need to say anything else, it speaks for it’s self.