Boast Of Him

Help Me, Lord, to Listen!

“A wise man listens to advice.” Proverbs 12:15

Are you uncomfortable with the idea of listening to God speak? Have you ever tried, during prayer and quiet Bible reading time, to actually listen for God’s whispers? There are Christians who have been earnest believers for decades but have never experienced hearing directly from God. Admittedly, it takes faith. And, if you aren’t already familiar with God and His Word, you can mistake your own wishes for the voice of God, so it’s not surprising that some choose not to even try and hear a personal word for themselves. Generally, however, people who do not “hear” the voice of God (and it may not be an audible voice), do not hear it because they do not listen for it.

A: They don’t really believe they can hear from God.

B: They’ve never experienced it. Just as people laughed at Noah when he said it was going to rain, some people scoff at the idea of listening to God simply because they’ve never known of it happening. Which brings us to the third reason some people never will:

C: They’re secretly afraid to. (What if God tells them to go be a missionary to Africa? Horrors! On a less extreme note, what if God simply tells them to do something they don’t want to do? What if their nice, ordered world is disturbed? )

Actually, the Lord is much more likely to gently encourage you in baby steps of growth that will lead you to become more like Him, garnishing favor with God and man, becoming more fully the person he has always intended you to be.

Do some people abuse the notion that God speaks to his people? Absolutely. The person who constantly says, “God told me this,” or, “God said that,” (who wears green socks instead of black because “God” told him to) is likely mistaken. Great errors have been made based on someone’s mistaken idea that “God” told him or her to do something. This is why a knowledge of scripture is vital for listening. The Lord will never direct anyone to do something outside of his revealed will in His Word!

The best way I know to “listen” for God’s voice is to keep a pen and notebook with me during prayer and Bible study time. It is during those quiet times with the Lord that I get thoughts for the devotions I write. God is giving me the lesson, and I simply share it with you. So try it. Keep a pen and paper handy. Jot down the names of people the Lord brings to your mind while you pray, or during your reading. Be willing to stray from your own prayer list as the Holy Spirit reminds you of other needs. Often, I am reminded of unfinished business with a person, and sometimes I stop right there and then to shoot off an overdue email, or pick out the right card to send to someone later. I do this trusting that the Lord knows the important, whereas I usually respond only to the urgent.

“Wise men store up knowledge.” Proverbs 10:14a Next time you pray and read the Word, have a pen and paper with you, make an effort to “listen” by just keeping an open mind; and see what happens! Use a notebook just for this purpose, and soon you’ll be storing up knowledge–right from the mouth of God!

An Attitude Of The Heart

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. – Psalms 100:4 (KJV).

I meditated on this Scripture yesterday. God started speaking to me about how thanksgiving is a heart issue. An attitude of the heart.

He brought me back to the story of the children of Israel while they wandered in the wilderness for forty years. He told me that they focused on what they didn’t have. They complained about the bitter water and about having no meat.

He explained to me that if they had been thankful for what they did have, God would have been more than happy to supply what they didn’t have in His timing, not theirs, without sorrow.

Many of us, including myself, are guilty of complaining about what we don’t have and not being thankful for what we do. The more we are thankful for what we do have, the more our hearts’ attitudes will change…and we will find we have every thing we need and a whole lot more.

Your Sister In Christ,

Annagail Lynes

Why Did You…?

How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father, ‘Why was I born?’ or if it said to its mother, ‘Why did you make me this way?’” – Isaiah 45:10 (NLT).

Let’s say you have a baby. As soon as that baby is able to talk, he turns to you and asks, “Why was I born? Why did you make me this way?”

You would probably think, “Oh brother! We are going to have a time with this one.”

We are like that baby. We all ask God questions such as, “God, why did You create me this way?,” “Why did You create me with blue eyes instead of green?,” “Why did You create me with brown hair instead of blond?,” “Why did You create me to be clumsy and awkward?”

God created us to be exactly who we are. With the right hair color, eye color, talents, gifts and opportunities. That is who we are supposed to be. We are not to be Aunt Sue or Uncle George. We are supposed to be the person God created us to be.

God thinks you are special just the way you are. And so do I.

Your Sister In Christ,

Annagail Lynes

Ummmm … That Was Good

I am the way, the truth, and the life.
John 14:6

I was driving around on Friday, and I didn’t have much time to eat. I was keeping extremely busy and about 2:00 p.m., I was starting to get a little hungry. I walked into an office building for a package pick-up and there was a bowl of candy on the desk. Right on top were a bunch of carmel creams, those carmels with the white centers. I used to love them as a kid, but I haven’t had one in ages.

I reached over and plucked one off the top of the pile, it was just the little pick me up I needed. As I popped that piece of candy in my mouth, I was inundated with childhood memories. Do you get those sensations when you eat or smell things from your past? I can still walk into a room with a coffee pot brewing, and it will put me in my Grandma’s kitchen, most every time.

As I finished the last bite, I murmurred to myself, ummmm that was good.

A while back, a couple of my friends and I met for some Bible Study and prayer time. We were looking at the book of Romans, then we spent some time in prayer. When I lifted my head, the first words out of my mouth that day were, “Ummmm … that was good.”

One of my friends laughed, and said it was like I had just finished a meal and truthfully, I had.

Reading God’s Word, spending time with Him in prayer, spending time with each other in fellowship; that is what feeds our faith. What gives us the energy to keep moving forward.

That carmel cream gave me a moment of instant gratification, but God’s Word is what nourishes my spirit for eternity!

Father, thank You for Your Word. It never fails to astound me how even just one scripture can energize my spirit! Your Word is the way, the truth and the life! And Lord Jesus, thank You for the little things in life that make our days special, even something as simple as a little carmel cream!

I Love You Jesus.
In Your Name I Pray,
Amen

God Bless You!

Love,
Joyce

Joyce Schneider
A Life Decision
http://www.alifedecision.org

 

You’re only as happy as your saddest child

I was listening to Brian Houston at Hillsong Church on Australian Christian Channel TV one Sunday morning when I heard him say this sentence. It got my attention. He went on to introduce his son who preached for awhile and then handed back to his father. But I missed much of what was said as I’d gone into my own train of thought.

Back to Brian Houston’s comment. “You’re only as happy as your saddest child”. What an interesting comment that is – he’d heard someone else say it and shared it with his audience. Makes you stop and think, doesn’t it?

How happy are your children? And is there anything you can do to improve their state of mind? Whilst our kids are young we have a lot of input in their lives but as they grow older and the external influences increase, our own influence on their lives changes considerably. This can be quite scary – especially if you haven’t put the foundations in, whilst they were young.

We are taught through the bible the importance of instructing our children. We are also told how it will be if our children imitate us, should we not be doing the right thing. “Abijam… was as great a sinner as his father was” (1 Kings 15:1, 3 The Living Bible)

Perhaps whilst the children are still young we need to concentrate more on helping them develop a happy outlook on life which should set a pattern for them as they grow older. Learning to choose to be happy even when surrounding circumstances are out of our control.

Which leaves me to ask you a simple question. How happy are you?

© Kathie M. Thomas, http://www.kathiethomas.com

It Cannot Be Undone

How’s Your Self-Respect, Lately?

“A kindhearted woman gains respect.” Pro.11:16a

Ever feel like you’re not getting the respect you deserve? Most moms feel this way routinely, but lots of people suffer the “lack of respect” syndrome, from Rodney Dangerfield to the biggest celebrities, to YOU. Are you frantically trying to “be more,” “do more” “be better” to gain respect?

What do you do when it feels like you’re giving your life in service to others and not getting the respect you deserve?

Here’s a few suggestions: (from one who’s been there, done that! I’ve got five kids, a hubby, and a writing career, so I know the temptation to feel unrecognized.)

1. <b>Remember that Jesus Christ, our role model, did not get the respect he deserved while on earth! </b>If even God himself in Christ suffered from disrespect, than we should not be surprised that we will, too.

2. <b>Give yourself the respect you deserve and stop looking to get it from others. </b> Here’s a trick: Ask yourself how it would FEEL to be properly respected. Really try to imagine this FEELING. Then, go ahead and allow yourself to continue feeling it. When you give to yourself what you need, you will not waste precious time and energy seeking it elsewhere. God provides us with good reasons to be proud of our lives. Mothering, being a wife, a godly friend, a godly employee; using your God-given talents and gifts–all are reasons for self-respect. But how often do you stop and really soak it in when you do a job well? Take a minute every day, if possible, to RESPECT your jobs well done. Ironically, if you do this, and truly respect yourself, first, the world will be more likely to follow your lead and respect you more, too!

3. <b>Be Kindhearted.</b> Just as Proverbs 11:16 says, a “kindhearted woman gains respect.” So be kind, to yourself, and to others. What does it mean to be kindhearted? It means your ACTIONS are kind. That you are a forgiving person. (It isn’t kind to hold a grudge.) Also, if your heart is kind, then your mouth will SPEAK kind things. It’s not enough to mean well, either. Don’t say, “Well, I didn’t MEAN to hurt that person by what I said.” Determine to be kind-hearted, in word and deeds.

If you recognize a need to grow in kind-heartedness, ask God to help you. He is the “author and finisher of our faith.” He <i>will</i> help you grow in this area! And respect, from yourself, and from others, will follow.

<i>Dear Lord, Help me to find my self-respect in You, first and foremost. Teach me to receive the grace and kindheartedness that will open my heart to my own self-worth in your sight, as well as enable me to be kindhearted in my dealings with others. Grant me self-respect; and grant that I might grow in lovingkindness and good deeds, as you have foreordained for me. You are the Author and finisher of my faith. In Christ’s Name, I pray. Amen. </i>

He Gets Me

Isn’t it great that when we feel like the rest of the world doesn’t understand who we really are ~ that God does? God gets it. He gets who we are, what our heart’s desires are, how we hurt, how we love, where we want to head in life, and how we battle our own fears and failures. He gets it all.

He loves us in spite of it all.

~ Dionna Sanchez (http://www.EmphasisOnMoms.com)

On The Way

And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again. – Matthew 20:17-19 (KJV).

In these Scriptures, Jesus is on His way to His destiny–the Cross. The people around Him do not understand what He means about being betrayed, condemned to death or His crucifixion. Nevertheless, His resurrection.

Many times, in our lives, we are on our way to our place of purpose too. The people around us don’t understand our dream, that spark that God has place in our hearts, and that’s okay.

The key is to follow Jesus’ example. Don’t let them distract you. Just keep moving, as He did, toward your destiny, even if all your friends and family desert you.

God’s opinion is the only opinion that counts. Not those of your well-meaning friends and family members. Follow God and leave the consequences to Him.

- Annagail Lynes