God’s Contagious Love

God’s Contagious Love (Hesed in Hebrew) is steadfast and enduring, and those qualities make His love contagious.  When you realize – really realize that God loves YOU passionately, you want more of His love.

It’s the same as we love others.  When they realize your love, care, and kindness are authentic it is contagious. 

As we pass on the love of Jesus to others, it is also contagious.  Even the grumpiest person on the planet can eventually be affected by God’s love. 

Exercise: today practice loving someone who is not so very lovable.

Miracles Abound!

When I was a teenager I used to pray for miracles and then I would wait...

and wait...

and wait...

and then I would say to my dad, "I asked for a miracle and nothing happened." (With my bottom lip stuck out).


My dad would smile and reply, "No, sis...you asked for a miracle and when it came you didn't see it!"

I pondered that for several years.  I wondered, "what exactly did he mean by that?"


Then one day I had children.  I would watch them run and scream and laugh outloud.  Then I knew.

There are miracles all around.  Children KNOW it.  They see the wonder inside every moment. 

They marvel at how dandelion seeds fly off into the wind when they blow on them.

They understand that swinging high is a miracle.  Grass is a miracle.  Clouds are a miracle.

Then I saw the miracles, too. 


What miracles did God bring into your life today?

If you want to be creative...do a miracles collage so you will remember the miracles.

What's Heaven Like?

A Journey.

Heaven.

Where is heaven?

What’s it like?  

And when does it start?

Do you see the Kingdom of Heaven? 

Or do you have to die to see the Kingdom of Heaven?

We often think heaven is all about golden streets and angels flying around.  Those have been mentioned in scripture, but there are many other elements talked about in scripture as well. 

I grew up believing you could only experience heaven after death, but as I have studied scripture, I no longer believe that. 

This week I want to challenge you to look around and see the Kingdom of Heaven.

As we consider how the Kingdom of Heaven "fits" into our story, I encourage you to pray that the Spirit will open your eyes to see new things about the Kingdom of Heaven.

Each day this week we will explore gifts given to us daily that help us understand the Kingdom of Heaven on earth.

Exercise: This week, look for the Kingdom of Heaven in your world…

If you are an artist, paint it – a photographer, snap it – a poet, write a verse about it.  Experience the fullness of it today and every day.

From Discouragement to Hope...

On our journey, we will encounter incredible obstacles and we get discouraged. 

Discouragement is the loss of hope or courage.

Courage (dictionary.com) is “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, without fear.

Scripture had some very important insights into Hope – Romans 5:3-5 says we can rejoice in problems because we develop endurance which strengthens our character, which gives us hope.

The Apostle Paul is telling us that when we encounter obstacles we can rejoice. That's because when we endure, our character is stronger and we have hope. 

So, how do we get from A to H?  Often, A (the starting point of our discouragement) is our attitude.  Sometimes, we need to spend time with God and ask Him to change our attitude and show us how to receive HIS H(ope). 

Exercise: the next time you feel discouraged, take time to sit with God and ask Him to help you change your attitude.  Keep a record of what God did for you. 

As we make space for God, we receive HIS hope.  Open your hands - receive the wonder of God!

Journey to 'Simple'

About six weeks ago I started sensing I am supposed to focus on letting God simplify my life.  It seemed like every time I did a book search or research for a project, the subject of ‘simple’ turned up. I ended up ordering a few new books on ways to simplify.

Since then, God has been sending tons of confirmation from all kinds of sources (including a Bible Study and the Ash Wednesday service at my church last night) that He wants me to be open to the “cleaning out the clutter”, mostly from my brain.  Each day throughout Lent I am going to focus on a very brief word or phrase from scripture so the Spirit can teach us how to clear out the clutter. 

Clearing out the clutter can mean a host of things – your space, your brain, your heart, even (symbolically or realistically) your closets.  As we clear out the clutter, we are making room for more of God. 

As you pray during Lent, ask God what He has for you during this time.  What special gift does He want to give you? 

What's Love Got to Do with IT?

Tina Turner.

1984.

"It's a second hand emotion" and "who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?"

WOW - do we really look at love that casually?

Growing up my dad was probably one of the most open-minded people I know.  He did not censor what I read, thought, or sang. (Except one time he forbade me from going to a movie - I went anyway because I was 18...I deeply regretted going because it was creepy and gave me nightmares - so much for not listening to my dad!) 

Instead of censoring me, he made me think about what I read, heard, and put into my subconscious mind. He made me tell him what the words meant and then he made me tell him how that "fits" into God's love and plan for my life. 

He was especially careful with songs like "love the one you're with" and he reminded me to not give myself away "cheap".  "What's love got to do with it?" is somewhat similar.  Don't treat love like some cheap rag we can dispose of if we're hurt.

In our story we need to remember that love comes from God, and is OF God.  Yes, you might be hurt, rejected, or scorned by others, but never by God.  Loving and giving love away is always the right choice...whatever the cost.

I've also learned that 99.9% of the time when love is not accepted it's because the other person has fear (which breeds fear).  For those people, it takes more than one time of loving them to convince them they are "worth" loving. 

So, what's love got to do with it?

Everything.

Light, Life, Revelation

God's story for you.

Turning to God.

Confessing your need.

Water rushes over you.  

Healing.

Receiving light, life, revelation.

Listening for the whisper of God.

Peace.

So, how does your story "fit in" with God's story?

God's Plan

Part of my story:  I discovered a few years ago (or faced the realization) that I'm not like most of the women we see in commercials.

For example, I prefer white daisies or Gerber daisies to roses; safires to diamonds; fuel economy to luxury; and jewelery that has "meaning and history" to new sparkles (just to name a few).

So when it comes to God's plan for my life, I realized I need to be on the lookout for a plan that is going to "fit" ME.   God knows I am who I am by HIS design and purpose.

As you pray, and keep on praying about God's will for your life, think about who God made you to BE, and what your taylor-made plan might look like.  In God's time you will see the FIT - the plan God has for you.

One thing's for sure it will be perfect and it will fit who you are.

So what is it?

Orchids?
Emeralds?
SUV?

Who knows, maybe even a little adventure!

Studying Psalm 119:2

Studying God's Word includes connecting to the story of God.

Take Psalm 119:2 - in Hebrew:

אַשְׁרֵי, נֹצְרֵי עֵדֹתָיו;    בְּכָל-לֵב יִדְרְש לב

When I first looked at Hebrew, I thought...no way!  But it's not as difficult as you might think (at least until you get to the tenses)

Here's how it breaks down:

Blessed    

Eh’-sher

אַשְׁרֵי  

they that keep (add the verb 'are')

naw-tsar’

נֹצְרֵי

 his testimonies (precepts for living)

ay-daw’

עֵדֹתָיו

All (whole)

Kole, kole

בְּכָל-לֵב

Seeking

Daw-rash’

יִדְרְש

Heart

labe

לב

The English Standard Version (a literal translation) says:

Psalm 119:2: Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with their whole heart.

 What story is behind these words?

Remember the story about the people of Israel?  They left Egypt after God sent the plagues which made it so the Egyptians were willing (and ready) to let them go.  

The people of Israel crossed the Red Sea.  

They entered the wilderness.

Moses went up the mountain (Mt. Sinai or Horeb) and God gave him His precepts (10 Commandments).

Those precepts came straight from God and they were intended to protect his people.  God knew if they stayed close to Him and continued to keep Him with their whole hearts they would be okay.  God also knew if they turned from Him, they would stumble and fall.  

God's desire is that we would stay close to him...Abba, Jesus called Him, and hold His precepts close to our hearts. 

Keep No other Gods before me (God) was the first precept.  

Respect God's holiness (don't use God's name in vane)

Keep the Sabbath holy (celebrate rest)

Honor Mother and Father (listen and honor their words)

Don't kill (end a life)

Don't take another man's wife (be faithful)

Don't steal (take what isn't yours)

Don't lie (tell the truth)

Don't want a wife that is not yours (covet - desiring something God doesn't want for you - desire God's way)

Don't want possessions that are not yours (covet - your neighbor's house - be grateful for what God has provided for you).

Remember that God spoke this to the Hebrew mind - the original reader was Hebrew.  They were a communal people - set apart - and God's desire was that they would cling to HIM alone.  

Now go back to Psalm 119:2 and make it your story.  What does God want for YOU?  The precepts are still applicable today, for you.  How do they apply to your life? 

Exercise:  Write your story keeping Psalm 119:2 in mind.  Ask the Spirit to help you write about what God HAS for you.

Studying God's Word

Studying God’s Word is the absolute best way to understand His character.  Once we begin to understand why God makes the decisions He makes (in other words, why does a good Papa discipline His children?) we will have a better idea how to recognize God’s will for our lives. 

As you gain a greater understanding of God’s story, you will see how the story of your life and God’s story are closely interwoven together to form a beautiful tapestry.  You will recognize that God has a plan for you – only you – that is like no other. 

Exercise: What part of God’s story weaves into your story?  Begin to notice when you read God’s Word what the Spirit is telling you about God’s story and your story.  Ask the Spirit to reveal things to you – things we do not know.  Be sure to write down what you hear.  It’s good to keep a journal or a “listening log” because that helps you to be able to see a pattern forming.

History and Intent

What are the origins of Valentine’s Day?  When did the celebration of love begin?

Actually there are a few stories about Valentine’s Day’s humble beginnings, but interestingly enough all were early Christian martyrs, Priests named Valentine.

. 

The first was martyred sometime around 270 AD because under Claudius the Cruel’s reign, marriage was “banned” because he felt the men were so strongly attached to their wives and families that they were refusing to join the army.  The priest, Valentine, believing this was unjust married young lovers in secret.  For that, he was arrested, beaten, and beheaded on February 14.  The story passed down says that he became friends with the jailer’s daughter and before he died he sent her a note and signed it, “From your Valentine”. 

The other two priests named Valentine who were martyred were a Bishop named Valentine in Italy and a priest named Valentine who was a martyr in Africa.  

It is believed the day became associated with romance around 496 AD when Pope Gelasius declared that February 14 would be celebrated as St. Valentine’s Day.  Prior to that the people in that area had celebrated a pagan festival of love where young women’s names were put in a box and young men drew out their “loves” name.  

It’s most interesting that the intent and origin of Valentine’s Day in the church was to replace a pagan feast of love.  The church intended for the holiday to mean much more than choosing someone to love and show affection for on that day.  The initial intent was to make it a Christian holiday that celebrated love that comes from God, to remember the sanctity of marriage, and to remember the Christian martyrs who fought for the early Christian church. 

 

Exercise today: contemplate what God would have Valentine’s Day mean to you…

Part of knowing God’s will is listening for His call.  The Spirit pursues us constantly – we need to practice listening.

Exercise: Write about a time when you realized a person was listening intently to you.  Think about how that make you feel.  Did it change your relationship with that person?

Now take the exercise one step further. 

Write about a time when you realized God was listening to you – heard you - was listening to your prayers. 

What was the experience like?  How did it make you feel? 

Practice listening for God to call for you – then listen to what God has to say.  Write down what you hear and keep a listening log. 

Beauty

Today, consider practicing BEAUTY!

What is the most beautiful thing you've seen today, this week, this month?

As you practice the spiritual discipline of beauty, LOOK for beauty all around you, and keep record (however you like to record things - on paper, in your head, tallies...) of all of the beauty around you that God made!

Appreciate BEAUTY and embrace the wonder of what we have been given!

Perfect Peace

Being in the center of God's will means you will have peace.

If you have made a decision, or about to make a decision, one of the "confirmation" signs we get is that we experience God's peace. 

I have been in the middle of an emotional hurricane where everything around me was falling apart and yet I had peace.  God held onto me and gave me His peace. 

As you struggle and pray on your journey, learn to recognize God's peace.  If you do not know what that feels like, take time to let God show you.  If you ask, God will provide...perfect peace.

Fasting and Feasting

Deuteronomy 16 is a great example of instruction to the people of Israel. 

In order to observe the Passover they were to offer a sacrifice, eat no leavened bread (a form of a fast).  The instruction includes specific items the people of Israel were to do for seven days, then they were to offer the Passover sacrifice followed by six more days of eating unleaven bread.

This time of sacrifice was followed by The Feast of Weeks (which lasted seven weeks).  During that time they feasted and rejoiced before God.  They were to remember that God delivered them.

It made me realize we don’t think of sacrificing things for God.  They fasted, sacrificed, and at the end of that time they feasted and rejoiced in the Lord.

What have you sacrificed for God lately?

Have you fasted (given up something you cherish) for God?

The last question is really important, because we don’t practice it much today (especially in the American culture). 

Have you feasted with friends and family and rejoiced to God for all He has done?

What an incredible event that would be!  It would be more meaningful if you gave up something you cherished for 14 days and that was followed by several days of feasting and celebrating! 

That’s what the people of Israel did to help them remember God’s faithfulness.  Do we not need to have days like that to look forward to, plan for, and participate in? 

Close to the Source

Knowing the will of God can sometimes be a “given”.  Take my sons, for instance.  I have one daughter and three sons (all grown).  My daughter is the oldest and for the most part she was predictable.  If I said go, she went.  If I said stop, she stopped.

After I had her I thought I knew a lot about raising children.  Right.  Then I had my three sons.  I discovered I know NOTHING about raising children.  If I said go, they stopped…or worse they scattered.  If I said stop, they ran.  You’re getting the picture – unpredictable.

We lived in rural northern Missouri for 20 years and for my sons (and my son-in-law), the world was their playground.  When the boys wanted to go fishing (which was pretty often) they walked to the river and went fishing.  I didn’t worry about where they were or what they were doing because everyone in town knew them (I was the newspaper editor for the county paper) and if they did something dangerous I would invariably get a phone call.  I had eyes all over the county watching my sons.

For the most part, I didn’t worry about them.  My oldest son started working on local farms during the summer when he was 11 or 12 years old, either bucking bales or doing odd jobs.  He loved working on the farm.  My middle son started his own lawn mowing business when he was twelve.  He would mow lawns, do odd jobs, and drink lemonade with his customers.  My youngest son started doing gardening work for people when he was twelve.  They worked hard and looked forward to going to work.  Since the word “allowance” wasn’t in my budget (or my vocabulary) they earned their own money and bought their own cars. 

By the time we moved to the city, my older two sons were in college and my youngest son was a senior in high school.  Since my youngest son was 2 years old when we moved to a town of 300 people in NW Missouri, living in the city was a new experience for him.  The first time he went out late I gave him specific instructions about letting me know exactly where he was at and if he went somewhere else I told him to call me to let me know (pre-text days).  Naturally, he ignored my instructions (old habits die hard).  When he got home I asked where he went and he told me.  Then I asked why he didn’t call.  He said, “I was fine, Mom.  Don’t you trust me?”

I explained it wasn’t a question of trust.  It was a question of safety.  If he was ever in a car accident and went down a ravine, how would I know where to look for him?  What would I tell the police when they asked where he had been and where he was headed? 

Oh, he hadn’t thought of that.  Having lived in places where everyone knew him, and everyone in his family made a huge difference.  People would be able to say, “yea, I saw him headed south of town at 8pm.”  Now, no-one knew him and looking for him would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. 

No-one in this new place knew he was my son.  No-one here knew his brothers.

So it was with the people of Israel.  As they wandered in the desert if they stayed in contact with God and “followed” they would remember and resemble God.  Others then would know they belonged to God, the One true God instead of all the other gods. 

God’s will was that they would stay in contact with Him, so they would have the benefit of his counsel, knowledge, love, peace, joy... 

God’s greatest desire is that we would spend time with Him.  As we stay connected to Him we get a greater sense of what God is up to in our lives. 

Just like my son who left familiar territory where he was “known” it was important for the people of Israel to stay in touch with Papa – God – YHWH.  It was God who KNEW them, and God who loved them.  When they stayed in touch with Him they were in touch with His thoughts. It really is true that the more time you spend with God, the more you will know the heart and mind of God.  Do you suppose that's why the people of Israel wandered in the desert for 40 years?  Hummm...

The People of Israel in the Desert - Knowing God's Will

God's will for the people of Israel was that they would BE in the promised land (a metaphor for IN God).  They could have gone there immediately (that week) but instead they wandered in the desert for 40 years. 

God's will is always that you will stay with Him.  You may not know what job you need to pursue, or what your life is going to look like in a year, but right now what God wants is for you to sit with Him. 

Sometimes, we jump too far ahead and what to know what God has for us before the time is right.  The truth of the matter is that God has a bigger plan for you.  It's often bigger than you can accept today, so He needs to prepare you for what he has for you. 

For the people of Israel God wanted them to be HIS PEOPLE.  The time in the desert was so they would learn to trust Him.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart;
      do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek his will in all you do,
      and he will show you which path to take.
                                                Proverbs 3:5-6

Learning to trust God is not an easy task, because we have to relinquish our will, our desires, our dreams.  We die to them and give them to God.  It's okay to die because God has something better for you. 

Exercise:  Everytime you feel anxious, repeat Proverbs 3:5-6 and tell God you trust Him.  Allow Him to GIVE you trust.  Stay in that place of trust for as long as you are able, and remember what it feels like.  When you grow anxious again, repeat the exercise.

How can I know God's will?

Understanding God's will for your life can be agonizingly difficult.  It's not difficult because God wants it to be difficult, part of the problem is that the way we "think" comes from our culture and our experiences.  God doesn't think that way at all.  God's motivation and design for us to to love him and others, and to give us his greatest good.

God sees the big picture for our lives and for everyone else's life.  We can only see one step in front of us.  So, in order for us to begin to understand God's will we need to see the big picture about God.  

The best way to do that is through scripture.  As we read and understand God's word, we understand more about God's Word.  In other words, as we understand the character of God in scripture and how he spoke to people in days gone by, we will begin to understand how God will speak a Word to us personally today.

As we begin to explore how we can know God's will, we start with who God is:

Love

Light

Goodness

Mercy

Compassion

Grace - forgiveness

Faithful to hold on to his children

Wants his children to turn to Him and trust Him

Hope

The list goes on, but that's a good start.  Can you think of other characteristics of God - ways God has touched your life?

How Does God Speak?

According to Elijah in I Kings 19 it was not in the windstorm, or the earthquake, or the fire, but it was with a gentle whisper.

Know what the problem with that is?  You have to turn off the noise long enough to clear your head of the endless noise.  You have to quiet your mind and your heart.

Silence.

Sometimes lots of silence.

Getting to know God.

Reading scripture in silence.

And then, you will hear the gentle whisper of God.

Mindful of the Red Sea

How did God part the Red Sea?

It's interesting that we don't question how God created so many species of butterflies, or made giraffes but we find it difficult to believe that with one breath he could part the Red Sea.  I think what amazes me most is that there are those who explain it away by scientific reasoning.

It reminds me of a story I once heard...

There was a man falling from a roof and as he was falling he prayed, God please save me.  Then suddenly, a large nail caught the seat of his trousers and he stopped falling.  The man looked up to heaven and said, "that's okay, God, this nail caught me". 

The world is ready and willing to believe anything did the miracle except God. 

Yet, sometimes are we any different?  Are we mindful of the miracles all around us, daily?  Do we credit God with constant care and love?  Do we appreciate good health and the food we eat? What Red Sea experience did you have today that God brought?  Write it down and remember the miracles that God provided today.