Presence of Stillness

BE STILL

‘Be still and know that I AM God …’

‘Be still and know that I am God …’

‘Be still, and know that I am GOD …’ 

                                          Psalm 46:10

Be Still …

The Presence of Power

 

‘So will My word be which goes out of My mouth; It will not return to Me void (useless, without result), Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.’ Isaiah 55:11 AMP

‘ … not one thing has failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you…’ Joshua 23:14

The word of God is a mighty thing - 

     His spoken word is a surety;

Which is why it is vital to know what He had said concerning us

‘For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.’ Hebrews 4:12

The sword in today’s picture is in its sheath on the third floor of my home. Yet the Word, my Bible, in the picture with it is more powerful and more useful in guarding and protecting my life. That is a thought to truly ponder … and to be in wonder.

The Word is listed as the one offensive weapon when discussing the full-armor of God in Ephesians chapter six.

There is power in the word of God!

The Presence of Power - Found in the Word of God

It is simply amazing …

‘All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.’ II Timothy 3:16-17

Wonder of His Presence

 

“You are worthy, our Lord and God,

    to receive glory and honor and power,

for you created all things,

    and by your will they were created

    and have their being.” 

Revelation 4:11

in the kitchen

 ‘For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory’  II Cor. 4:17

 

It has been a while since I’ve written –

But, as I sat at my desk praising the LORD this morning, this dropped on my heart

That picture above is a picture from my kitchen

I am starting a business and needed pictures for my website

The point is to show some of what goes into our products –

We select the finest ingredients that we can: vanilla, sugar, flour, salt, milk, butter

On their own, each of these ingredients is not that appealing –

            Not even the butter which is unsalted

And who really wants milk without a slice of cake or some cookies on the side?

 

However, when all of those ingredients are combined and mixed with other components; when the eggs are separated; when the mixture is beaten, laid into a mold and placed into a heated oven to bake – it creates something truly amazing!

 

If you take out too late – it will burn

If you take it out too early – it will be under-cooked and ruined

Precision is key - It must stay in a precise amount of time

This is true of baking and other forms of cooking as well

 

Mother’s Day is approaching this Sunday

This is my first mother’s day on this earth without my Mom who is now residing in heaven

I’ve been thinking about her a lot lately – and shedding some tears

            I miss her something terrible!

They are great memories. And one of my favorites is when she lived with me and my sons. My Mom did not bake a great deal. However, she was an amazing cook. And whenever she would cook, I would wait until she was not watching and sneak a taste out of the pan before it was done. 

I recall times when I burned my fingers, tongue or the roof of my mouth trying to hurry to eat it before she would catch me. Yes, I was [and sometimes still am] an impatient being . And when she would catch me, she would slap my fingers and say, ‘Get out of that pot! Out of my kitchen!’ Now – that was funny because it was actually my home; but it was unmistakably her kitchen when she was cooking in it.

 

I recall one instance where the LORD spoke to me after one of those exchanges with my Mom. And this is what He spoke to my spirit:

‘That is exactly how you are with Me at times. I am preparing something amazing for you. But you are impatient – sneaking into the pan, not getting the full effect of what is being prepared [because it is not finished yet] and hurting yourself in the process. If you will wait, you will receive My best – something delicious.’

 

You see – the process [the ingredients, in baking and cooking; the trials in life], they are all needed to bring about something magnificent. You may be experiencing bits and pieces which, on their own, are unappetizing. You might be frustrated, feeling beaten by life and circumstances. You may be weary from the amount of time required or parched from the heat and the cooking/baking process.  Yet, it is all a part of the plan, process and product of The Master Baker who says to you today, ‘I know the plans I have for you … plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a hope and a future.’ Jeremiah 29:11

 

Rest assured that the LORD is working all things together for your good

          And for His glory

He is in the kitchen and He is fixing you something beautiful ... something beautifully delicious!

 Have a Blessed Day!

 

‘I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe even if it were reported to you.’

Habakkuk 1:5 GWT

the hurting hurt

‘This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Return to Me’, declares the LORD Almighty, ‘and I will return to you’, says the LORD.’  Zechariah 1:3

 

Earlier this year, I wrote a post about ‘the hurting’

It was focused on a gentleman I happened to meet in the store one day. He shared some of his challenges that he experienced, and, in the course of sharing, he mentioned challenges he faced at work due to harassment from some people.

In that post, I noted: ‘… not all bullies mature and change – sometimes they just grow up to become bigger bullies’

I meant what I said – and still do

And I would never make an excuse for someone’s vicious behavior toward another human being. However, there is always another perspective – even when considering the meanness of people

 I am currently in school taking a behavior modification course

And, for some reason, my class assignment this week had me thinking of the hurting - not those who suffer hurt like the gentleman I met but those who do the hurting

I was reading a section of the book Behavior Modification where it notes “behavioral research with nonhuman subjects demonstrated that aggressive behavior and other emotional responses may occur when painful stimuli are presented …”¹

So what does that mean?

It means when a subject experienced a painful stimuli, that same subject lashed out. Further, the subject lashed out at one who was not responsible for presenting the painful stimuli. Their fury rested on the nearest target they could find.

This process is not unique to nonhuman subjects

It is true of human individuals as well

It is a well-established fact that hurt people hurt people

The first documented act of premeditated murder demonstrates this

Cain and Abel, the first brothers mentioned in the Bible both presented offerings to the LORD. Abel gave the fat portions from the firstborn of his flock and Cain gave an offering as well. And Scripture notes:

‘The LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering He did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.

Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.” Genesis 4:4-8

Our Scripture reference is lengthy today – please accept my apologies. But it is necessary to understand the whole story.

Rejection is a powerful and painful stimuli

Yet we must  each own our individual reactions

‘We are tempted when we are drawn away and trapped by our own evil desires. Then our evil desires conceive and give birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.’ James 1:14-15

Giving birth to death – what a concept

Sin gives life to a life-taking source

Cain allowed his anger to fester, to mushroom and then to drive him to murder his own brother. But, understand, there is nothing to indicate that Abel actually did anything to Cain. So what was Abel guilty of? What was his great sin?

What did Abel do that was deserving of a murder sentence?

He was loved and approved of by the Father – that is all

Amazing isn’t it? 

What one small seed of rejection can blossom into when planted and cultivated. The sin of jealousy, bitterness and uncontrolled anger – will make one do the unthinkable. It will cause brother to turn against brother, child against parent,  husband against wife – created against the Creator.

What makes me believe that rejection played a role in Cain’s heinous acts?

When confronted with his sin and forced with facing the consequences of his action, his first thoughts and comments were this, “My punishment is more than I can bear … You are driving me from the land and I will be hidden from Your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.' Genesis 4:13-14

It was not until after he voiced words pointing to his concern of being separated from the LORD, that he made mention of his physical safety.

Hurt people hurt people

The hurting hurt others - sometimes

We cannot know for certain why Cain killed Abel or what motivated him

We also understand that not all people who have been hurt hurt others

Yet, sin is always crouching at the door – and we must master it

Cain’s sin against his brother was egregious

He killed his brother, caused grief for his parents and hurt the LORD

Yet the LORD – even after all this – still loved Cain

And He made provision for Cain’s protection.

What a mighty, loving and indescribably gracious God we have!

 

Today – I am praying

I am praying for those who have been hurt by those who are hurting

I am asking God’s hand of protection for those being plotted against

And, I am praying for the hurting who hurt others and themselves

I am praying they would have a genuine encounter with the LORD; one that would take them from feeling hurt and rejected to healed and restored

I am also praying for you.

 

Have a Blessed Day!

 

‘To all who mourn in Israel He will give: beauty for ashes;

joy instead of mourning; praise instead of heaviness.’

Isaiah 61:3

 

¹ Miltenberger, R. (2016). Behavior modification principles and procedures. Cengage Learning.

forever enthroned

‘Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen’  

I Timothy 1:17

His birth would have meant nothing without His life and death

His death would have been meaningless without His resurrection

His purpose was fulfilled from the beginning,

            His task completed before it ever began on the earth

Jesus – the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world [Rev. 13:8]

Jesus – the Man who lived and died for all of humanity [John 1:29]

Jesus – the Conqueror who rose to life again [Heb. 12:2]

Jesus – the King who lives and rules eternally

            Seated at the right hand of the Father [Rom. 8:34]

I am thankful for His sacrifice every day of my life

There is no relationship with God Almighty without Him;

Faithful to His promise to never leave us, He sent His Holy Spirit

He is forever enthroned – in the universe and upon our hearts

We are not worthy; yet He esteemed us highly valuable

Today is just one more day to celebrate and give thanks

 

Happy Resurrection Sunday!

 

‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son,

that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.’

John 3:16

in your lane ...

‘No weapon formed against you shall prosper and every tongue which rises against you in judgment is already condemned’  Isaiah 54:17

 

Stay in your lane –

It is usually said flippantly as a polite – not at all polite – way to say,

Mind your own business!

Yet, sometimes we need to remind ourselves and speak this to our own selves

 

But, what does that look like, practically and spiritually?

It looks like us fixing our eyes, minds and hearts on the right things

It is you & I staying out of matters that are not in our control

It is each one of us rejecting the impulse to ‘counsel’ God

It is each one of us focusing on all we know to do that is right

We stay in our lane and God stays in His lane … as only He can do

There is a story in the book of Esther –

Esther was a young Jewish girl. She was taken to the palace of the king and eventually became queen where she was tasked with being a voice to help save her people. It is a wonderful Bible account and one which had lasting implications. We will delve into Esther’s story later this year. But today, I would like to focus on the backstory of Esther’s cousin Mordecai.

 

Mordecai raised Esther after the death of her parents. He also served faithfully in the king’s court. However, he was hated and despised by a man named Haman – a man who would ultimately be responsible for plotting the destruction of the Jewish people [the very plot Esther had to fight against]. But before Haman set out to destroy all of the Jewish people, he set his sights on destroying one particular Jewish person, Mordecai – even erecting a gallows on which to hang Mordecai.  

Long story short, Mordecai ‘stayed in his lane’ by continuing to focus on what he knew to be right. He did not have to worry or think about any of Haman’s evil plotting against him individually. The Bible does not note whether Mordecai was even aware of Haman’s plot to attack him personally – to take his life and rob him of a future. Mordecai did not know – but God was fully aware of everything that was transpiring. And Haman ended up getting caught in the very trap he set for another. He reaped what he attempted to sow into the life of Mordecai, ultimately being hanged on the very same gallows which were erected at his command. And Mordecai kept living, traveling in his God-ordained lane.

Understand and know –

As we ‘stay in our lane’ … we free God to fully occupy His lane

We remove troublesome ‘traffic’ from His lane & what He is doing

Not that we could thwart the plans of God;

God is an expert at being & showing who He is

Yet we frustrate ourselves when we jump lanes and try to be God; and while we may want them to ‘get got’ now, God knows best

The battle is not ours – it belongs to the LORD

He is perfectly capable of working out His plans for us

He has good plans –  to prosper and not to harm, to give a hope and future (Jer. 29:11) and He promises that no weapon formed against us shall prosper.

He puts all things, situations – and people – in their designated lane

But, He does it in His time … in His way.

Esther is one of two books in the Bible that does not mention God

            But His presence and providence is evident

Likewise – you may not be able to see God in your current situation

            But He is ever working for your good and for His glory

No weapon formed against you shall prosper.

They can lie, cheat, manipulate and plot to steal from you

But, what God has for you is for you – and when He determines it is time for you to move forward, to spring forward into the plans and purposes that He has for you, nothing can stop it!

 

‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him,

who have been called according to His purpose.’

Romans 8:28

THE LORD OUR HELP

Good Afternoon!

I pray and trust your Sunday is off to a great start

We are three days into the new year –

And, the LORD has already demonstrated His faithfulness to me;

He has shown, without question, HE IS THE LORD OUR HELP

Here in the United States, when desperate help is needed, we dial 911

It is the ability to get assistance and protection – for health emergencies, fires, and against perils

And while it is a great service – it is not the ultimate source

Yesterday – I shared an image from an accident my youngest son was involved in;

I also shared portions of a verse – PSALM 91

Following the accident, my son and his friends had to call 911 for assistance. However, the degree of assistance they required, was minimized because I “dialed” 911 before he even left our street that evening.

 

The first verse of PSALM 91 notes:

‘Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.’

Psalm 91:1

 

That is a powerful promise!

It is a promise that God is faithful to fulfill

Therefore, I thought it would be fitting to share Psalm 91 in its entirety today.

That entire Psalm is tremendous – detailing the love, protection and provision of the LORD;

It demonstrates that our God, HE IS THE LORD IS OUR HELP

Whether you are in need for a moment, for a day, a month, a year or all of eternity;

THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY – HE IS THE LORD OUR HELP

 

Psalm 91

Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    He is my God, and I trust Him.
For He will rescue you from every trap
    and protect you from deadly disease.
He will cover you with his feathers.
    He will shelter you with his wings.
    His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies in the day.
Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
    nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
Though a thousand fall at your side,
    though ten thousand are dying around you,
    these evils will not touch you.
Just open your eyes,
    and see how the wicked are punished.

If you make the Lord your refuge,
    if you make the Most High your shelter,
no evil will conquer you;
    no plague will come near your home.
For He will order His angels
    to protect you wherever you go.
They will hold you up with their hands
    so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
You will trample upon lions and cobras;
    you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love Me.
    I will protect those who trust in My name.
When they call on me, I will answer;
    I will be with them in trouble.
    I will rescue and honor them.
I will reward them with a long life
    and give them my salvation.”

 

What a powerful section of Scripture!

THE LORD OUR HELP –  

And you can ‘dial’ Him any time of day ... He will not disappoint

 

Have a Blessed Day!

it's personal ...

Good Morning Friends

Happy Sunday!

Week two of no gathered services for church –

However, how many of you know we are the church;

                And church is wherever we are

I fully appreciate these intimate personal times with the LORD

It’s personal … it is a personal preference for each individual

Even so – I still miss gathering together as a corporate body of believers

But this too shall pass …

I heard an interesting news notification yesterday –

The actual instance occurred a couple of days ago;

In light of the numerous restrictions imposed by COVID-19, the Pope issued this statement:

‘If you don’t find a priest to go to confession, speak to God. He’s your Father. Tell Him the truth. ‘Lord. I did this and this and this. Pardon me.’ Ask His forgiveness with all your hear, with an act of contrition, and promise Him, ‘Afterward I will go to confession.’ You will return to God’s grace immediately.’

Now – for the record, let me state that I am not Catholic

Therefore – I do not have a personal understanding of some of the traditions and practices

The best that I can ascertain is that the practice of going to a priest would be an attempt to replicate Old Testament practices [where a priest had to represent the people] or an action to honor the New Testament directive to, ‘confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed’ (James 5:16)

HOWEVER – Let us make no mistake

It is essential for us to understand that Jesus is our High Priest

CHRIST is our priest forever – without beginning or end [Hebrews 5:5-6]

We may approach our LORD and GOD, our FATHER and FRIEND directly

Because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus,

We are able to go directly to God – at any time

                It’s personal ….

It is about a personal relationship – something He desires to have with each of us

At the death of Jesus, the veil was torn –

It was torn, indicating the introduction of personal relationship with the LORD

When that veil was torn it removed the separation which existed between God and man

The tearing of that veil from top to bottom –

It was indicative of a work which could only be performed … by the LORD Himself

TO BE CLEAR –

These are unprecedented times …

In our nation and around the world, this health crisis is removing standard protocols

Churches are having to resort to online services

Individuals are coming face-to-face with the realities of their faith

A  few days ago, I wrote about my grandmother, my Nana

                And I acknowledged the tremendous impact that she had on my faith

She had an impact on my faith – but she was not and is not the source of my faith

You see, relationship with the LORD … it’s personal

It must be received – and then cultivated and developed through personal interaction

                Through personal times of prayer, study, reflections, worship and transparency

In these challenging times, go to the LORD

At all times, go the LORD God Almighty – seek His heart

It’s personal … it’s personal to Him

                He desires a personal relationship at all times

And I believe, just as the verse notes above, many who have died [in our case spiritually],

They are being raised to life.

Have a Blessed Day & Stay Safe

stand strong

Good Evening Friends!

I hope you had a fantastic day today –

I have had an interesting day;

One of those days that makes you sit and reflect at the end of the day

Have you ever experienced a situation –

One which should have left you feeling a certain way,

But had the complete opposite affect?

I had one of those moments today –

Two actually

It made me think of a response from three of God’s faithful servants in the Old Testament

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego

These three men were faced with persecution and threatened with bodily harm;

And, their enemy, who had heard of their determination to honor the LORD, was furious;

Then, in his rage, the king declared, “Now when you hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipe and all kinds of music, if you are ready to fall down and worship the image I made, very good. But if you do not worship it, you will be thrown immediately into a blazing furnace. Then what god will be able to rescue you from my hand?” Daniel 3:15

The three Hebrew men responded, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and He will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. But even if He does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” Daniel 3:16

I love the way the Message Version says it:

“Your threat means nothing to us. If you throw us in the fire, the God we serve can rescue us from your roaring furnace and anything else you might cook up, O king. But even if he doesn’t, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference, O king. We still wouldn’t serve your gods or worship the gold statue you set up”

The kings words were meant to instill fear –

However, those very words, words meant to intimidate them,

Those words had the opposite affect – instead it emboldened them!

People in our modern-day society make reference to people ‘doubling-down’

Well, these three had to be the originators of ‘double-down’

Some might refer to them as ‘strong-willed',

But that is what I like about them and their story.

I have often told the tale of my youngest son and his incredible determination:

From the time he was very young, he has had an extremely strong will;

I would even dare to say that it is a quality he possessed before he was born

The pregnancy with him was nothing like what I experienced carrying his two older brothers

And, he was almost two weeks late! He was determined to do things his way, on his timetable

It was a constant struggle, a war of wills, a tango of temperaments;

My son determined to have his way – and me determined to control the situation

HOWEVER – everything changed one day

I was praying about/against that willfulness in my son;

Then I heard the LORD speak so clearly, that it might as well have been audible:

‘Stop praying against that trait … I gave him that characteristic

It does not need to be rebuked. It needs to be trained and harnessed

Because when he wants what I want – HE WILL BE UNSTOPPABLE!’

You see – there is a strength that comes from confidence in self

                In knowing who you are as a person … this is foolishness, vanity and futility

Then – there is a strength that comes from confidence in the LORD;

                In knowing Whose you are … this is true strength, wisdom & power!

When you know the LORD – you are able to walk and talk, a little differently;

‘The people who know their God shall display strength and do great exploits’ Daniel 11:32

So, my encouragement to you this evening – stand strong in the LORD

AFTER ALL –

‘…if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing; but if it is of God,

You cannot overthrow it – lest you even be found to fight against God’ Acts 5:38-39

Have a Blessed Evening!