O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.
O Light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee;
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.
O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee;
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.
O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee;
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.
(click here to listen)
This is one of my favorite songs. The author George Matheson wrote it in 5 minutes and felt divinely inspired as the words just fell onto the page. To me, this song sums up the message of Jesus, the Gospel: His Love will not let us go. There is nothing we can do to avoid God's love. No matter what we have done or how little we may deserve it. We cannot escape it.
LOVE...
God is Love.
We cannot escape His Love.
His Love compels us (2 Corinthians 5:14).
Whoever doesn't Love doesn't know God (1 John 4:8).
We are able to Love because He Loved us (John 4:19).
And He came to save us because of Love (John 3:16).
One of the most humbling passages to me is in 1 Corinthians. It says if I could speak all languages of the earth and of angels but did not love others, I would be like a noisy cymbal. If I have the gift of prophesy and can fathom mysteries and have all knowledge and faith that can move mountains but I do not have love, I am nothing. It says if I sell all my belongings but I haven't loved, then I gain nothing.
Love keeps no record of wrongs.
Love never loses faith.
Love endures through every circumstance.
Love rejoices when truth wins.
Love is patient and kind.
Love is not jealous, boastful, proud or rude.
Love always protects.
Love lasts forever.
LOVE...
This is really the only commandment we have to focus on. Jesus says the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37). Then the second is that we are to love others as ourselves. There is no greater commandment above these (Mark 12:31).
Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Sunday, November 18, 2012
WAIT
Isaiah 40:31
But they that WAIT upon the LORD
shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint.
Lately, God has been showing me how impatient I am. I was driving back from visiting family a couple of weeks ago and there was lots of traffic on 45. I saw the right lane was moving so I try to move lanes and of course as soon as I finally got over, the left lane started to move. I did this two more times until I realized I must be the deciding factor in which lane would move....whichever one I was in stopped! So I decided to exit and take the feeder that looked like it was moving nicely. But after a little time of cruising on the feeder, it stopped moving. Of course then I saw how now the highway was the place to be. If I had only been more patient, I would be moving instead of sitting!
Wait...I say this word a lot, mainly to my dog. I tell him to wait when he tries to get me up when my alarm goes off in the morning and I want to snooze for five more minutes. Wait, I tell him to before eating his food or getting a treat. Or when we are crossing a street. Or before leaving the house.
So I have noticed God slowing me down and telling me to wait as well. I want answers right away, but God says wait. I want to know how is everything going to turn out, and God says wait.
I remember something my grandmother said to me a month before she died last year at 100 years old:
"When you have God, you have everything you need. Everything else is just a surprise."
As I am waiting for things in my life and find myself being impatient, these wise words give me perspective and help me slow down. God has blessed me with His peace and His presence and has given me a new life. If I can wait and hope in the Lord, then I will be able to hear and follow Him.
If I can live with anticipation instead of expectation, then I won't be disappointed or in a hurry.
Psalm 46:10
Be still and know that I am God.
But they that WAIT upon the LORD
shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings as eagles;
they shall run, and not be weary;
and they shall walk, and not faint.
Lately, God has been showing me how impatient I am. I was driving back from visiting family a couple of weeks ago and there was lots of traffic on 45. I saw the right lane was moving so I try to move lanes and of course as soon as I finally got over, the left lane started to move. I did this two more times until I realized I must be the deciding factor in which lane would move....whichever one I was in stopped! So I decided to exit and take the feeder that looked like it was moving nicely. But after a little time of cruising on the feeder, it stopped moving. Of course then I saw how now the highway was the place to be. If I had only been more patient, I would be moving instead of sitting!
Wait...I say this word a lot, mainly to my dog. I tell him to wait when he tries to get me up when my alarm goes off in the morning and I want to snooze for five more minutes. Wait, I tell him to before eating his food or getting a treat. Or when we are crossing a street. Or before leaving the house.
So I have noticed God slowing me down and telling me to wait as well. I want answers right away, but God says wait. I want to know how is everything going to turn out, and God says wait.
I remember something my grandmother said to me a month before she died last year at 100 years old:
"When you have God, you have everything you need. Everything else is just a surprise."
As I am waiting for things in my life and find myself being impatient, these wise words give me perspective and help me slow down. God has blessed me with His peace and His presence and has given me a new life. If I can wait and hope in the Lord, then I will be able to hear and follow Him.
If I can live with anticipation instead of expectation, then I won't be disappointed or in a hurry.
Psalm 46:10
Be still and know that I am God.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
HE GIVES AND TAKES AWAY
Last November I wrote this story about what God was teaching me through my dog...and I'm so grateful that God healed him and that he is sitting by my side right now, one year later, in perfect health!
As I write this I am on a plane on my way to Omaha to visit my 5 month old niece, a trip I almost cancelled multiple times because my dog has been sick and it has put my life on hold. I had no idea how much I loved this 8 pound Maltese until I watched him start to slowly die; it just broke my heart. I asked God to either heal him or please take him, quickly. But He did neither. I had to face the unknown every day, and it was almost too much for me to handle as I struggled with the lack of control I had over the situation.
Day by day he got worse. After a bone marrow biopsy and a blood transfusion, he started to improve. But he wasn't quite the same and the effects of the strong medications he was on made him extremely hungry and thirsty. I was up all hours of the night some nights feeding him or taking him to the bathroom. I had a friend come let him out during the day because he started having accidents. I began to have extreme fatigue and often doubted that I even made the right decision to 'save' him. I remember crying in church one week as we sang the song "He gives and takes away...but I still choose to say, Oh, blessed be Your Name." And my eyes were opened to what God was trying to show me. I was hanging onto my sweet dog, and I knew I had to let him go and give him to God. He wasn't mine to keep forever.
Of course this opened the door to many conversations I started having with God about death and why we all die someday. I didn't like death very much and told him so. My heart was hurting so badly and I realized I hadn't cried this much since my divorce 5 years ago. Ironically, I had been protecting myself from relationships to avoid this exact pain! But God gently showed me that I can't hide from pain in this life, because then I would also miss out on love. And loving my dog was worth all the tears.
Jesus says there will be heartaches here on earth. We aren't in heaven yet. So there are still tears, There is sadness and suffering. There is death. There is pain. But Jesus has overcome all this! He brings peace in the midst of our struggles. He is there with us through the pain. I don't know how this part of my story will end, but I thanked God for blessing me with a little best friend these past four years. I told God I trusted Him and that He knew best. The most beautiful part of this painful experience is that God used my love of a sweet white fluffy dog to show me more of who He is and His amazing love for me.
Thank you, Lord when you give, and bless you even more when you take away, for that is when we see you more clearly than ever before. And where we learn that you are enough.
Job 1:21
Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised.
As I write this I am on a plane on my way to Omaha to visit my 5 month old niece, a trip I almost cancelled multiple times because my dog has been sick and it has put my life on hold. I had no idea how much I loved this 8 pound Maltese until I watched him start to slowly die; it just broke my heart. I asked God to either heal him or please take him, quickly. But He did neither. I had to face the unknown every day, and it was almost too much for me to handle as I struggled with the lack of control I had over the situation.
Day by day he got worse. After a bone marrow biopsy and a blood transfusion, he started to improve. But he wasn't quite the same and the effects of the strong medications he was on made him extremely hungry and thirsty. I was up all hours of the night some nights feeding him or taking him to the bathroom. I had a friend come let him out during the day because he started having accidents. I began to have extreme fatigue and often doubted that I even made the right decision to 'save' him. I remember crying in church one week as we sang the song "He gives and takes away...but I still choose to say, Oh, blessed be Your Name." And my eyes were opened to what God was trying to show me. I was hanging onto my sweet dog, and I knew I had to let him go and give him to God. He wasn't mine to keep forever.
Of course this opened the door to many conversations I started having with God about death and why we all die someday. I didn't like death very much and told him so. My heart was hurting so badly and I realized I hadn't cried this much since my divorce 5 years ago. Ironically, I had been protecting myself from relationships to avoid this exact pain! But God gently showed me that I can't hide from pain in this life, because then I would also miss out on love. And loving my dog was worth all the tears.
Jesus says there will be heartaches here on earth. We aren't in heaven yet. So there are still tears, There is sadness and suffering. There is death. There is pain. But Jesus has overcome all this! He brings peace in the midst of our struggles. He is there with us through the pain. I don't know how this part of my story will end, but I thanked God for blessing me with a little best friend these past four years. I told God I trusted Him and that He knew best. The most beautiful part of this painful experience is that God used my love of a sweet white fluffy dog to show me more of who He is and His amazing love for me.
Thank you, Lord when you give, and bless you even more when you take away, for that is when we see you more clearly than ever before. And where we learn that you are enough.
Job 1:21
Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
TAKE MY HAND, NOT MY LIFE
WEEK 6 on the sidewalk:
As I look to the right as I'm standing on the sidewalk, this is the billboard that almost seems to stare down onto the planned parenthood building: "Take my hand, not my life."
Today marks the end of the my first 40 days for life. Across the country people have joined in prayer. Prayers to end abortion. Prayers for our doctors. Prayers for the clinic workers. Prayers for the mothers and fathers. Prayers for our nation. Prayers for healing and forgiveness. Prayer for mercy. Prayers for the souls of the unborn babies.
And these prayers have been heard! Many babies have been saved because of the prayers of intercession. It has been so inspiring to see others with the same passion God has placed on my heart.
I want to take a stand for life is because I realize how precious life is...how precious each life is to God. The God of the Universe knows me...He made me in my mother's womb. Just as he knows the day he created me, he also knows when my days here on Earth will be finished. My days may be numbered, but His thoughts about me cannot be numbered! I am grateful to know that my mistakes in life have been forgiven because I have faith in the saving power of Jesus. He is always with those who believe in Him.
One day we will all face our Creator, and every tongue will confess that He is God. If you don't know Abba, God our Father, I encourage you to ask Him to reveal Himself to you. He wants to know you. And knowing Him will change your life.
Psalm 139:13-18
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
As I look to the right as I'm standing on the sidewalk, this is the billboard that almost seems to stare down onto the planned parenthood building: "Take my hand, not my life."
Today marks the end of the my first 40 days for life. Across the country people have joined in prayer. Prayers to end abortion. Prayers for our doctors. Prayers for the clinic workers. Prayers for the mothers and fathers. Prayers for our nation. Prayers for healing and forgiveness. Prayer for mercy. Prayers for the souls of the unborn babies.
And these prayers have been heard! Many babies have been saved because of the prayers of intercession. It has been so inspiring to see others with the same passion God has placed on my heart.
I want to take a stand for life is because I realize how precious life is...how precious each life is to God. The God of the Universe knows me...He made me in my mother's womb. Just as he knows the day he created me, he also knows when my days here on Earth will be finished. My days may be numbered, but His thoughts about me cannot be numbered! I am grateful to know that my mistakes in life have been forgiven because I have faith in the saving power of Jesus. He is always with those who believe in Him.
One day we will all face our Creator, and every tongue will confess that He is God. If you don't know Abba, God our Father, I encourage you to ask Him to reveal Himself to you. He wants to know you. And knowing Him will change your life.
Psalm 139:13-18
You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.
How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.
They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!
They cannot be numbered!
I can’t even count them;
they outnumber the grains of sand!
And when I wake up,
you are still with me!
Sunday, October 28, 2012
LIFE LIBERTY & THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
WEEK 5 on the sidewalk:
This week I have been praying for our president and our leaders. And for the upcoming election. I voted early on Friday (and used the Texas Right to Life voters guide that lists the pro-life candidates) so my part is done!
According to our constitution,
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Merriam-Webster says unalienable means surrendered or transferred, incapable of being alienated. The first of these unalienable rights mentioned is LIFE. Life given by our Creator. Not by the government. Not by a mother. By God.
Psalm 51:5
For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.
As a nation, we are not respecting the life of a helpless baby in the womb when we silently watch as 1.2 million abortions are done every year. We are choosing which lives we will end; so essentially we are playing God.
This chart is based of abortions in the US in 2011:
Many Germans quietly watched as the Nazi's killed the Jews. They chose to not object or take a stand for what they believed in because of fear or maybe just not wanting to get involved. But closing your eyes doesn't make the problem go away. How are we any different? Are we afraid of offending someone who feels differently or are we not wanting to get involved in something that is political? By not standing up for these little ones, are we partially responsible for allowing their deaths to occur?
Many people who are pro-choice will argue, that they personally would never have an abortion, but they say they can't tell someone else what to do. This sounds fine until they are confronted with what they are really saying. If they believe the baby is indeed a baby, then morally they have to stand up for all babies. And what about partial birth abortions, where the baby survives the abortion and is still alive outside the womb and the doctor can still end the baby's life?
I hope our nation will vote for life this election and elect leaders who will protect the unborn. President Obama is the most pro-abortion president we have ever had in the White House. I hope we have not become a nation that doesn't respect life...it's a right, after all. May God have mercy on us for what we allow to take place in our nation.
Every life is precious. At every age...God breathes life into us when we are born and he decides when our last breath will be. Who are we to say that someone doesn't have the right to live? And once we start determining who gets to live, how and where do we draw the line?
Proverbs 6:16-19
There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.
This week I have been praying for our president and our leaders. And for the upcoming election. I voted early on Friday (and used the Texas Right to Life voters guide that lists the pro-life candidates) so my part is done!
According to our constitution,
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."
Merriam-Webster says unalienable means surrendered or transferred, incapable of being alienated. The first of these unalienable rights mentioned is LIFE. Life given by our Creator. Not by the government. Not by a mother. By God.
Psalm 51:5
For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.
As a nation, we are not respecting the life of a helpless baby in the womb when we silently watch as 1.2 million abortions are done every year. We are choosing which lives we will end; so essentially we are playing God.
This chart is based of abortions in the US in 2011:
| Gestational Age | Percentage | Yearly Total |
|---|---|---|
| Less than 9 weeks | 61.8% | 749,232 |
| 9-10 weeks | 17.1% | 207,312 |
| 11-12 weeks | 9.1% | 110,324 |
| 13-15 weeks | 6.6% | 80,015 |
| 16-20 weeks | 3.8% | 46,069 |
| 21+ weeks | 1.5% | 18,185 |
Many Germans quietly watched as the Nazi's killed the Jews. They chose to not object or take a stand for what they believed in because of fear or maybe just not wanting to get involved. But closing your eyes doesn't make the problem go away. How are we any different? Are we afraid of offending someone who feels differently or are we not wanting to get involved in something that is political? By not standing up for these little ones, are we partially responsible for allowing their deaths to occur?
Many people who are pro-choice will argue, that they personally would never have an abortion, but they say they can't tell someone else what to do. This sounds fine until they are confronted with what they are really saying. If they believe the baby is indeed a baby, then morally they have to stand up for all babies. And what about partial birth abortions, where the baby survives the abortion and is still alive outside the womb and the doctor can still end the baby's life?
I hope our nation will vote for life this election and elect leaders who will protect the unborn. President Obama is the most pro-abortion president we have ever had in the White House. I hope we have not become a nation that doesn't respect life...it's a right, after all. May God have mercy on us for what we allow to take place in our nation.
Every life is precious. At every age...God breathes life into us when we are born and he decides when our last breath will be. Who are we to say that someone doesn't have the right to live? And once we start determining who gets to live, how and where do we draw the line?
Proverbs 6:16-19
There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.
A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.
A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up.
A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away.
A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
BATTLEFIELD
WEEK 4 on the sidewalk:
Eph 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
This past week, I experienced a spiritual battle. I was confused and discouraged. My mind felt like it was in a fog. I was discouraged I felt beat down and couldn't put my finger on what was wrong. I know I have been through attacks from the devil before, but this time different...I wasn't able to break free. I finally shared what was going on with a friend and she prayed for me. I immediately felt peace...peace that I had been seeking for over a week. I thought back to the sidewalk counseling preparation material I had read, and I was warned to be prepared for a spiritual battle. I had no idea how real this battle would be.
Every Christian should expect Satan to attack.
Satan comes to kill steal and destroy (John 10:10)
Satan wants to sift us like wheat (Luke 22:31)
Satan is the Father of Lies (John 8:44)
Satan prowls like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8)
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
Charles Stanley says, "Satan takes a deliberate willful moment in our life to do anything and everything he can to destroy us. It's an assault upon our emotions and an assault upon our mind. He always attacks the mind. That's his battlefield."
What God says about how to fight off Satan.
1. God's Word
Jesus showed us this when he was tempted by Satan three times in the wilderness; each time he fought Satan by quoting from Deuteronomy.
-Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Deut 8:3)
-Do not put the Lord your God to the test (Deut 6:16)
-Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only (Deut 6:13)
2. Armor of God
Belt of Truth - The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth (Psalm 145:18)
Breastplate of Righteousness -Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6)
Sandals of Peace - You will keep in perfect peace those minds who are steadfast, because they trust in you (Isaiah 26:3)
Shield of Faith - And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power (1 Peter 1:5)
Helmet of Salvation - But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation (Psalm 13:5)
Sword of the Spirit - For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword (Heb 4:12)
3. Prayer
We can pray and ask God to put a hedge of protection around us. We can also ask other believers to pray on our behalf and intercede for us when we are weak and not able to fight alone. When Jesus prayed for us to the Father, he asked God not to take us out of the world, but to keep us from the evil one (John 17:14-15). We are surrounded by evil in this world, but because of Jesus, we are protected and have nothing to fear.
Whenever we take a stand for God we will face a battle against darkness and evil powers. Abortion is truly is a battle between life and death, good and evil, truth and lies. This past week God showed me the amazing power of prayer in fighting these battles, the reality of Satan and the undeniable battle every believer will encounter, and the perfect peace He gives us in the midst of this battle.
Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Eph 6:12
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.
This past week, I experienced a spiritual battle. I was confused and discouraged. My mind felt like it was in a fog. I was discouraged I felt beat down and couldn't put my finger on what was wrong. I know I have been through attacks from the devil before, but this time different...I wasn't able to break free. I finally shared what was going on with a friend and she prayed for me. I immediately felt peace...peace that I had been seeking for over a week. I thought back to the sidewalk counseling preparation material I had read, and I was warned to be prepared for a spiritual battle. I had no idea how real this battle would be.
Every Christian should expect Satan to attack.
Satan comes to kill steal and destroy (John 10:10)
Satan wants to sift us like wheat (Luke 22:31)
Satan is the Father of Lies (John 8:44)
Satan prowls like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8)
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
We are hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.
Charles Stanley says, "Satan takes a deliberate willful moment in our life to do anything and everything he can to destroy us. It's an assault upon our emotions and an assault upon our mind. He always attacks the mind. That's his battlefield."
What God says about how to fight off Satan.
1. God's Word
Jesus showed us this when he was tempted by Satan three times in the wilderness; each time he fought Satan by quoting from Deuteronomy.
-Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (Deut 8:3)
-Do not put the Lord your God to the test (Deut 6:16)
-Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only (Deut 6:13)
2. Armor of God
Belt of Truth - The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth (Psalm 145:18)
Breastplate of Righteousness -Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6)
Sandals of Peace - You will keep in perfect peace those minds who are steadfast, because they trust in you (Isaiah 26:3)
Shield of Faith - And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power (1 Peter 1:5)
Helmet of Salvation - But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation (Psalm 13:5)
Sword of the Spirit - For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword (Heb 4:12)
3. Prayer
We can pray and ask God to put a hedge of protection around us. We can also ask other believers to pray on our behalf and intercede for us when we are weak and not able to fight alone. When Jesus prayed for us to the Father, he asked God not to take us out of the world, but to keep us from the evil one (John 17:14-15). We are surrounded by evil in this world, but because of Jesus, we are protected and have nothing to fear.
Whenever we take a stand for God we will face a battle against darkness and evil powers. Abortion is truly is a battle between life and death, good and evil, truth and lies. This past week God showed me the amazing power of prayer in fighting these battles, the reality of Satan and the undeniable battle every believer will encounter, and the perfect peace He gives us in the midst of this battle.
Philippians 4:7
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
GOD'S PLAN
WEEK 3 on the sidewalk:
In our culture, we decide so many things for ourselves...We decide where we are going to work, where we will live, what we will buy, what we will eat, and even what Starbucks drink to order. Everything is available to us. There are some people who are not as 'fortunate'...some do not know how they will get their next meal or when they will get the next paycheck. But I wonder if they are really less fortunate when their situations cause them to more readily see their dependence on the Lord. Whether we realize our need for Him or not, God is ultimately the one with complete control over our lives. Actually everything is only available to us because God allows it.
We also decide when we will start our families and how many kids we will have. I was shopping at Target the other day and passed the aisle that said 'Family Planning.' What exactly does this mean? And there is 'Planned Parenthood.' The words sound so nice and positive, but really they missing something...Where is God in all these plans? Are we getting so good at planning our families that we don't need God?
If there was a 'family planning' aisle in the Bible, it would consist of ways to seek fertility, instead of today's 'family planning' methods, which have more to do with avoiding or ending new life. The Bible shows how fertility was a blessing from God and how infertility and avoiding pregnancy was never part of His plan.
*God blessed Abraham and said He will multiply his descendants beyond number.
(Genesis 26:24)
*God promises His people food, water, and no illness, miscarriages or infertility.
(Exodus 23:26)
*When Onon avoided creating an heir for his brother, God considered this evil and took his life. (Genesis 38:9-10)
*When Sarah lied about being Abraham's sister God cursed the land with infertility.
(Genesis 20:18)
*God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply.
(Genesis 1:28, 9:7)
*Jeremiah prophesied that God said to multiply and not dwindle away.
(Jeremiah 29:6)
I wonder what it would look like if our culture completely turned the family planning over to God. Would we still use birth control or other ways to avoid conception as much if we allowed God to do the planning? Our culture says it's okay to end a pregnancy if it's not in our plans. But what does God say? Have we forgotten who creates life?
We may make our plans but it is God who directs our steps. May we allow God to light our path and not close our eyes to a culture that doesn't honor or respect life.
Jeremiah 1:5
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.
In our culture, we decide so many things for ourselves...We decide where we are going to work, where we will live, what we will buy, what we will eat, and even what Starbucks drink to order. Everything is available to us. There are some people who are not as 'fortunate'...some do not know how they will get their next meal or when they will get the next paycheck. But I wonder if they are really less fortunate when their situations cause them to more readily see their dependence on the Lord. Whether we realize our need for Him or not, God is ultimately the one with complete control over our lives. Actually everything is only available to us because God allows it.
We also decide when we will start our families and how many kids we will have. I was shopping at Target the other day and passed the aisle that said 'Family Planning.' What exactly does this mean? And there is 'Planned Parenthood.' The words sound so nice and positive, but really they missing something...Where is God in all these plans? Are we getting so good at planning our families that we don't need God?
If there was a 'family planning' aisle in the Bible, it would consist of ways to seek fertility, instead of today's 'family planning' methods, which have more to do with avoiding or ending new life. The Bible shows how fertility was a blessing from God and how infertility and avoiding pregnancy was never part of His plan.
*God blessed Abraham and said He will multiply his descendants beyond number.
(Genesis 26:24)
*God promises His people food, water, and no illness, miscarriages or infertility.
(Exodus 23:26)
*When Onon avoided creating an heir for his brother, God considered this evil and took his life. (Genesis 38:9-10)
*When Sarah lied about being Abraham's sister God cursed the land with infertility.
(Genesis 20:18)
*God told Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply.
(Genesis 1:28, 9:7)
*Jeremiah prophesied that God said to multiply and not dwindle away.
(Jeremiah 29:6)
I wonder what it would look like if our culture completely turned the family planning over to God. Would we still use birth control or other ways to avoid conception as much if we allowed God to do the planning? Our culture says it's okay to end a pregnancy if it's not in our plans. But what does God say? Have we forgotten who creates life?
We may make our plans but it is God who directs our steps. May we allow God to light our path and not close our eyes to a culture that doesn't honor or respect life.
Jeremiah 1:5
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I set you apart;
I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.
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