May Your voice be louder

I was listening to a song today and realized how well the lyrics conveyed the message we've studied recently about hearing from God. If you want a quick devotion that is as simple as it gets...listen to the song "Full Attention" by Jeremy Riddle. I've made it easy...simply click the "triangle" play button on the playlist to the right. Before you do, you can even open up the lyrics to the song in a new browser window by clicking here .

Wow, what a prayer that could be for us to simply ask:

May Your voice be louder
May Your voice be clearer
Than all the others in my life

Forgiveness

Forgiveness! Something about that word is just hard for me. I never thought forgiveness was an issue for me until a couple of years ago. I don't get mad at the person that cuts me off on the interstate and let it ruin my day. I let it go when someone jumps in front of me in the grocery store line. I've even gotten pretty good at quickly forgiving my husband and not holding a grudge.

However, there was one person in my life that I just didn't want to forgive, and that unfortunately caused me to sin on almost a daily basis before I even got out of bed in the mornings!

This person happens to be a family member, and as much as I hate to admit that it gets to me, she hurts me almost every time we speak. We don't always get to choose who is a part of our lives, so sometimes we have to deal with the situation, make the most of it, and look for how God can use it to make us more like Him.

By dealing with this situation in my life, God has taught me a lot about forgiveness!

Unforgiveness is a prison. You imprison the people that you don't forgive, but you also imprison yourself. There is no escape from unforgiveness. Until you let go of the hurt and allow God to free you from the pain, you will be held captive. It takes hold of your thoughts and can consume you. However, God tells us to "Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay' says the Lord." Romans 12:19

Once I learned to let it go and to truly let God deal with this person, I became free. Instead of trying to figure out what my next comeback was going to be, how I could hurt her as badly as she had hurt me, or see how long I could avoid family get-togethers as to not see her, I was finally able to pray for her, release my anger, and genuinely hope that the Lord would change her heart.

If there is someone in your life (a friend, a family member, or even a spouse) that has hurt you and you feel as though you just can't forgive them, remember that you are not hurting them with your unforgiveness, it is only destroying you and maybe even your relationship with God. Even if they do not deserve your forgiveness, God has asked that you keep "no record of wrongs" (1 Corinthians 13:5). You will be amazed at the load that is lifted from your shoulders and the freedom that comes from letting go! It's a choice. Today, choose to forgive!

Invitation to My Pity Party

This week we continued our discussion of the recent and truly impactful revelation that God has presented our class related to his "still small voice" from 1 Kings 19.

Perhaps the biggest thing we need to see here is to understand Elijah's state of being at this time. Basically, he is a tired, burn out, frustrated man. He has been used by God and been clearly spoken to by God in so many ways. He's been through a lot. He spoke the truth to the wicked King Ahab about worshiping idols and God's resulting famine. He took on the 450 prophets of Baal and showed them the one true God and even slew them in the process. And now, he is literally running for his life from the wicked Jezebel. He even prayed that God would take his life! "I have had enough, Lord" (verse 4). He goes to a cave to spend the night. In verse 11, the Lord tells Elijah to go stand out on the mountain, "for the Lord is about to pass by".

Can you imagine, you're so burn out that you've prayed for God to end your life, and now he says come outside and I'll "be right over"? What expectations would you have for how God would reveal himself and for what he would do?

Then came a great and powerful wind...of course, that's God right? Nope, not the earthquake either...not even the fire. God was in the "still small voice"...the "gentle whisper".

But here's where it gets real interesting...in verse 13 God says to Elijah basically..."what's the deal?"..."what's your problem?". Notice Elijah's response in verse 14..."I've done everything you've asked... I'm the ONLY ONE who's been faithful...and look where it's gotten me...I'm running for my life!".

Sound familiar to you? Have you ever said "why am I the only one doing everything for God?". Or how about this one..."why is it that only a few people do all the work around here?". I think we've all felt it or said it at one point or another. Notice 2 things about God's repsonse in verses 15-18...God tells Elijah:

1) I have a plan...keep following me by doing these things and you'll see the plan I have for you...and 2) Hate to tell you, but you're NOT the ONLY one that is faithful...I have reserved "7,000 in Israel...ALL who have not bowed to the false prophet Baal".

You see, we definitely learned from this passage that God will often times present himself to us as a "still small voice" rather than the wind, earthquake or fire. But we should also learn that even when we've reached the point of frustration on our faith journey, that God IS in control...He DOES have a plan for us. And when Satan's lies are telling us things like "we're the only one faithful"...don't believe it! God has reserved "7,000 others" that are faithful and all around us to help us on our faith journey. Pray to God that he would reveal them to you.

So turn out the lights on the pity party!

“God is never late, but he misses a few good opportunities to be early.”

Sometimes we get so fixated on the “thing” we are waiting on from God and the “thing” can be a fill in the blank. God I want ______ or I need ______ or help me with ______. Then we sit back and do what …wait. Do we really wait? Are you good at waiting? More than likely if you are like me I am waiting on God to do the thing that I asked for and I am not happy to WAIT. I want it now. I immediately (and I mean before I say Amen) start to look for the “thing”. I may even have a backup plan if I don’t like God’s answer or if I think that he is moving to slow. Am I speaking to anybody here? I have been studying Esther in a women’s Bible study on Sunday nights and I had a revelation or light bulb moment as I like to call it. We where in Chapter 5 of Esther and we were at the part where Esther has prepared a banquet for King Xerxes and Haman. The King asks her “Now what is you petition? It will be given you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom it will be granted.” Esther 5:6. OK, now you have to understand that she has been fasting and praying for 3 days for God to deliver her people, the Jews, from their annihilation. The King has just asked her to tell him what she wants and it will be given to her “up to half the kingdom”. She doesn’t ask she WAITS until the next day at another banquet she prepares for the King and Haman. What was she thinking? Mordecai had come to her and asked her to go to the King on behalf of the Jews and beg for their lives. She has been praying and fasting for 3 days for the "thing". She has the opportunity in front of her and she WAITS. Oh, to be like Esther and wait on the Lord. You see if she had not waited the outcome would have been very different because even though Esther was ready King Xerxes was not. God had a sleepless night planned for him. (Esther 6)

“God is never late, but he misses a few good opportunities to be early. But, oh, the wisdom of God to know that if the answer comes to early we’d miss His greatest act.” I don’t know about you but I want to experience His greatest. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD Ps 27:14. So instead of waiting on the “thing” turn your focus and wait on the LORD. Wait on his good and perfect timing. He has a plan and it is so much bigger and better than you could even imagine. Wait on God to work the "thing" out.

Oh, Be Joyful~

This week I have had alot on my heart as I have really been able to relate to the 1 Kings 19:11-12...It's amazing how we do not see God until after the wind, earthquakes & fire. Our faith is being perfected through those times. As I was thinking and praying over something specific in my own journey, a friend of mine, shared with me an insert from a Beth Moore study dealing with faith. So many times we get caught up in the 'what ifs.' We get hung up on things like, 'What if this happens' or 'what if I never get this....' She mentions that "IF" stands for 'I FEAR.' This struck me as very real. How many times do we hear that? ALOT. That is the beginning of a lie right from the pit of you know where. The most critical breakthrough of faith you and I could ever experience is to let God bring us to a place where we trust Him-period. We don't just trust Him to let us avoid what we fear the most. We determine to trust Him NO MATTER WHAT, even if our worst nightmare comes true. Satan has no authority over us when we come to that point. I just wept when I read her insert. It feels so good to be at a place where I am totally satisfied in Him. To know that nothing ELSE satisfies or quenches a thirst only He can quench. So, that being said- the Lord gave me this verse to share this week and I am rejoicing:

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed . Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:6-9

Isn't that awesome? Oh, how I lost it in the ugly cry after reading this over and over. I had to share. This is my 'wilderness verse.' Hope it touches you too!

still small voice...

Wow! It's hard to describe how amazed, excited, inspired, and well just overall pumped I was from our class this week! So many people shared thoughts and experiences related to "living by faith" and I learned so much during that time. I'm so thankful to be a part of such an amazing group of people, committed to God! The phrase "turning a corner" comes to my mind when I think of us as a class. I find myself anxious to see what God does next. Is it Sunday yet?

As we closed, I introduced a scripture reference that we'll be discussing next week. In 1 Kings 19:11-12 , we are given a glimpse as to what I believe to be a key element of our faith when it comes to listening to God. Do you find it interesting that in this scripture, Elijah doesn't "find" God in the loud, obvious, "cut and dry" manner that we so often expect and/or hope for? This scripture tells us that God "was not in" the wind, an earthquake, or a fire. No Elijah found God after all this...in a "still small voice".

If you get a chance, take a look at Elijah's experiences in 1 Kings chapters 16, 17, and 18. We'll talk about all the things Elijah had been through and the signifigance of this "still small voice".

See you soon! KO

The Prodigal...Friend

Today I was listening to Nichole Nordeman's song "Lay It Down", which is based upon the story of the Prodigal Son found in Luke 15:11-32. If you've never heard the song, you can listen to it online by clicking here....or, if that doesnt work for you, the lyrics to the song are here.

It's been some time ago, but we studied this scripture one time in class at which time I made the reference to the old Tom Bodett commercials for Motel 6...where he always said "We'll leave the light on for you" (a slogan still on the Motel 6 website today by the way). That's just the way it is with God...he will ALWAYS leave the light on for YOU.

Not sure why, but I started thinking about recent discussions we've had in class about Facebook and how since getting on FB, I've had contact with so many "long lost" friends from high school, college, and beyond that I havent heard from in years. I know we've discussed how FB can be a bad thing (if you spend too much time on there and neglect your family for instance), but I also thought about how since joining, I've:

• discussed /recommended my Church to a friend of a friend who just moved to town


• traded numerous messages with people about prayer life and God's working in our lives


• Praised God via my "status message"


• Let my Faith in God be known on "my wall"


• joined the group "bet I can find 10,000 Christians on FB"
  

See, it's much like a lot of things in our lives...it is what we make it and God can and will use it to further his Kingdom, whether we choose to be a part of it or not.

So here's my question to you...listen to "Lay It Down" (or read the lyrics). Is there a "friend" on FB that needs to hear how Jesus Christ has changed your life? Look at your "friend count" next time you login. Out of all those people, wanna bet there's at least one that feels like they're "carrying the weight of most the world" and they'd like to "come back home"? I'm not saying you have to shove it down everyone's throats, but hey...have you thought about things like:

• Set your status message to something that says "Kevin is always amazed by God" or "Kevin is praying BIG" (you might use your name instead)


• Put info in your profile that let's people know about your faith. They might ask you about it.


• You can even set your "website" in your FB profile to be the link to this blog!

Regardless, you get the idea. If you're not on FB, the analogy still works...let your faith be known to those you come in contact with every day. In even the smallest and most "normal" of situations. You never know, you might help bring a long lost prodigal friend home to our Risen Savior.

And finally, go back thru the story in Luke 15. When the prodigal son came home, the father didn't just give him a hug or shout to tell a friend...he threw an unbelievably HUGE party...because the son "who was dead is now alive". Get a sense of what's at stake? KO