Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Tarry Ye Until
I was talking with a friend yesterday about prayer. I shared how God has been dealing with me lately about my prayer life. It's not unusual for me to cry out to God when I pray, I've felt that spirit of travail and gotten lost in prayer many times.... but more often it seems that I just lay my petition before the Lord, or praise Him for a bit, or whatever and then go on. So God has been dealing with me to pray until...... until I've prayed through, until I feel that release, until He's through not until I'm through.
Wouldn't you know it, tonight's sermon was titled "Tarry Ye Until"! I won't go into all of it, it was a great sermon if anyone wants a cd just let me know and I'll get you a copy, but the gist was an encouragement to believe God and that He does what He says He will. We just have to trust and wait on Him.
Jesus told His followers to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high, He did the work they just had to wait until..... not until they got tired, or something else came along, but until God's time was ready.
God told Abraham he would be a father of many nations, He would give Abraham and Sarah a son they just had to wait until..... not until they could work out a plan for a son, but until it was God's time.
In Matthew 15 a woman came to Jesus crying out for Him to deliver her daughter..... and He ignored her. She could have given up, how many times have we prayed and felt like our prayers didn't reach God so we gave up and went on about our day. But she didn't give up, she cried out to Him even more, she fell down and worshiped Him..... and He told her He hadn't come for her. I gotta admit I probably would have given up, got my feelings hurt and went home. But she didn't, she cried out to Him again.... and He commended her faith and answered her prayer.
My challenge to you... and to myself... today is to "Tarry Ye Until". If God has promised you something.... hold on until you receive. If you're praying about something..... pray until God answers you. God is not a man that He should lie, if He said it then it will come to pass.... just believe Him until!!
Wouldn't you know it, tonight's sermon was titled "Tarry Ye Until"! I won't go into all of it, it was a great sermon if anyone wants a cd just let me know and I'll get you a copy, but the gist was an encouragement to believe God and that He does what He says He will. We just have to trust and wait on Him.
Jesus told His followers to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high, He did the work they just had to wait until..... not until they got tired, or something else came along, but until God's time was ready.
God told Abraham he would be a father of many nations, He would give Abraham and Sarah a son they just had to wait until..... not until they could work out a plan for a son, but until it was God's time.
In Matthew 15 a woman came to Jesus crying out for Him to deliver her daughter..... and He ignored her. She could have given up, how many times have we prayed and felt like our prayers didn't reach God so we gave up and went on about our day. But she didn't give up, she cried out to Him even more, she fell down and worshiped Him..... and He told her He hadn't come for her. I gotta admit I probably would have given up, got my feelings hurt and went home. But she didn't, she cried out to Him again.... and He commended her faith and answered her prayer.
My challenge to you... and to myself... today is to "Tarry Ye Until". If God has promised you something.... hold on until you receive. If you're praying about something..... pray until God answers you. God is not a man that He should lie, if He said it then it will come to pass.... just believe Him until!!
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Train up a Child
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. ~ Proverbs 22:6
We're probably all familiar with that verse, right??
As a parent this is one of my goals, but lately God's been dealing with me about what it really means to "train up a child".
Does it mean taking them to church? I do that.... and it's a good thing, but if that's all we do then we're just teaching them to sit on a pew.
Does it mean teaching them scripture? I do that.... and believe it's important, but is that enough?
Does it mean praying for/with them? I do that.... but is that training?
I think all those things are important and necessary to training up our children, but I feel that there's more to it than that. Training isn't something you do occasionally or only at certain times, it's a constant process.
I looked up the word train, there are a lot of definitions!!
*to develop or form the habits, thoughts, or behavior of (a child or other person) by discipline and instruction - we must form the habit of worshiping God in our children. We do that by worshiping Him ourselves and letting them see us worship in our day to day lives. But that's not enough, we must also encourage them to worship and seek God on their own.
*to make proficient by instruction and practice - we must instruct our children in how to seek God, how to pray, how to read His Word daily. And then we must practice that with them.
*to bring to bear on some object; point, aim, or direct - we must point our children to God. If we don't who will?
The thing is our children are watching us every day. They hear what we say, but more importantly they see what we do. If we tell them that God is the most important thing but then we put everything ahead of time with Him.... they see that, and they will follow us. If we tell them certain things are off limits and a hindrance in our walk with God but then we allow ourselves to be entertained by these same things in movies and on TV..... they see that, and they follow us. If we tell them God has a plan for our lives and we should trust Him but then we stress over bills to pay and decisions to make.... they see that, and they follow us.
So are we teaching them to put God first, guard their hearts and minds, and live by faith?? Or, are we teaching them that God can wait, sin is sometimes justified and can be funny, and we must do it all on our own??
We're probably all familiar with that verse, right??
As a parent this is one of my goals, but lately God's been dealing with me about what it really means to "train up a child".
Does it mean taking them to church? I do that.... and it's a good thing, but if that's all we do then we're just teaching them to sit on a pew.
Does it mean teaching them scripture? I do that.... and believe it's important, but is that enough?
Does it mean praying for/with them? I do that.... but is that training?
I think all those things are important and necessary to training up our children, but I feel that there's more to it than that. Training isn't something you do occasionally or only at certain times, it's a constant process.
I looked up the word train, there are a lot of definitions!!
*to develop or form the habits, thoughts, or behavior of (a child or other person) by discipline and instruction - we must form the habit of worshiping God in our children. We do that by worshiping Him ourselves and letting them see us worship in our day to day lives. But that's not enough, we must also encourage them to worship and seek God on their own.
*to make proficient by instruction and practice - we must instruct our children in how to seek God, how to pray, how to read His Word daily. And then we must practice that with them.
*to bring to bear on some object; point, aim, or direct - we must point our children to God. If we don't who will?
The thing is our children are watching us every day. They hear what we say, but more importantly they see what we do. If we tell them that God is the most important thing but then we put everything ahead of time with Him.... they see that, and they will follow us. If we tell them certain things are off limits and a hindrance in our walk with God but then we allow ourselves to be entertained by these same things in movies and on TV..... they see that, and they follow us. If we tell them God has a plan for our lives and we should trust Him but then we stress over bills to pay and decisions to make.... they see that, and they follow us.
So are we teaching them to put God first, guard their hearts and minds, and live by faith?? Or, are we teaching them that God can wait, sin is sometimes justified and can be funny, and we must do it all on our own??
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Loving Spring
I'm loving this warm weather, the boys seem to be, too!!
I've started planting the garden, put out over 30 tomato plants yesterday and there are at least that many more in the green house waiting to be planted. Somehow we wound up with twenty-something squash plants. The kiddos are planning to have a produce stand this summer, hope ya'll like squash!!
Baseball practice has started, so the next couple of months will be crazy busy. Thankfully I only have one playing... if all three were I'd lose my mind! It's fun though, and a good experience for them.
I hope everyone is enjoying this spring after such a dreary winter. If you haven't taken the time to appreciate it.... what are you waiting for?? Slow down for a bit, sit outside this afternoon and just soak in God's goodness!
Travis really gets some air!!
I've started planting the garden, put out over 30 tomato plants yesterday and there are at least that many more in the green house waiting to be planted. Somehow we wound up with twenty-something squash plants. The kiddos are planning to have a produce stand this summer, hope ya'll like squash!!
Baseball practice has started, so the next couple of months will be crazy busy. Thankfully I only have one playing... if all three were I'd lose my mind! It's fun though, and a good experience for them.
I hope everyone is enjoying this spring after such a dreary winter. If you haven't taken the time to appreciate it.... what are you waiting for?? Slow down for a bit, sit outside this afternoon and just soak in God's goodness!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Being Diligent
I feel like a broken record, the same themes are always on my heart... so if you've read this a thousand times from me already..... here I go again!!
Today God is dealing with me to be diligent.
The thing is that for so long I haven't been. Sure I went to church, read the Bible and prayed a fair amount, tried to raise my children in the truth.... but I didn't diligently seek God. I did it when it was convenient, or when I had a need, or when I thought about it.... but I wasn't diligent.
2 Peter 1:4-10
Today God is dealing with me to be diligent.
The thing is that for so long I haven't been. Sure I went to church, read the Bible and prayed a fair amount, tried to raise my children in the truth.... but I didn't diligently seek God. I did it when it was convenient, or when I had a need, or when I thought about it.... but I wasn't diligent.
2 Peter 1:4-10
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall
Deuteronomy 4:9
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
2 Peter 3:14
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
What God's showing me more and more is we are not going to serve Him by accident. I have to choose to serve Him and seek His face.... and I have to teach my children to do the same. I can't live for my flesh now and expect that my boys will somehow become Godly young men, it doesn't work that way.
Galatians 6:7-8
And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall
Deuteronomy 4:9
Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons
Hebrews 11:6
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
2 Peter 3:14
Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless.
What God's showing me more and more is we are not going to serve Him by accident. I have to choose to serve Him and seek His face.... and I have to teach my children to do the same. I can't live for my flesh now and expect that my boys will somehow become Godly young men, it doesn't work that way.
Galatians 6:7-8
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
My children will pay the price for my complacency. Sure they might turn to the Lord as adults but think of all the time that would be wasted and all the bad choices they could make and the consequences they would have to live with. Why allow them to go through all that when God has given me a plan to avoid it? He has shown us a better way.
But it takes diligence.... diligently praying, diligently reading His Word, diligently teaching it to my children, diligently seeking His will and not my own, diligently guarding my heart and the heart of my children. These aren't things that my flesh will choose to do, but if I will "Walk in the Spirit" then I "shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."
I'll stop now... it just makes me heartsick when I see parent's complacency bearing fruit in their children. We feel like we have time to make things right, but they are paying the price. And worldviews that take root as a child are hard to break free from.
And Jen, if I'm copying you, it's a compliment.... you're rubbing off on me!!
My children will pay the price for my complacency. Sure they might turn to the Lord as adults but think of all the time that would be wasted and all the bad choices they could make and the consequences they would have to live with. Why allow them to go through all that when God has given me a plan to avoid it? He has shown us a better way.
But it takes diligence.... diligently praying, diligently reading His Word, diligently teaching it to my children, diligently seeking His will and not my own, diligently guarding my heart and the heart of my children. These aren't things that my flesh will choose to do, but if I will "Walk in the Spirit" then I "shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh."
I'll stop now... it just makes me heartsick when I see parent's complacency bearing fruit in their children. We feel like we have time to make things right, but they are paying the price. And worldviews that take root as a child are hard to break free from.
And Jen, if I'm copying you, it's a compliment.... you're rubbing off on me!!
Monday, April 5, 2010
Thinking About Joining the Circus
It has been One Of Those Days..... and it's not even half over!!
I overslept this morning, not by much but just enough to knock my day off. I was still able to get some bible study in while the house was semi-quiet, so that was good. Then the boys came running in shouting that we had baby goats.... also good, but required a trip down for everyone to check them out. They're adorable, but after playing outside and oohing and aahing over the babies the last thing the boys wanted to do was school..... not that I blame them.
I had a talk with the olders about choosing to follow Jesus and that He expects us to do everything without murmuring or complaining (Phillipians 2:14). And how when we find ourselves following satan's will by arguing and whining we can choose to stop and pray for Jesus to help us by taking away the bad thoughts and filling us with his goodness.
So today, when everything is taking ten times longer than it should, and I'm surrounded by bad attitudes..... I will choose to think on "God is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endureth to all generations" Psalm 100:5
I overslept this morning, not by much but just enough to knock my day off. I was still able to get some bible study in while the house was semi-quiet, so that was good. Then the boys came running in shouting that we had baby goats.... also good, but required a trip down for everyone to check them out. They're adorable, but after playing outside and oohing and aahing over the babies the last thing the boys wanted to do was school..... not that I blame them.
I had a talk with the olders about choosing to follow Jesus and that He expects us to do everything without murmuring or complaining (Phillipians 2:14). And how when we find ourselves following satan's will by arguing and whining we can choose to stop and pray for Jesus to help us by taking away the bad thoughts and filling us with his goodness.
So today, when everything is taking ten times longer than it should, and I'm surrounded by bad attitudes..... I will choose to think on "God is good, His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endureth to all generations" Psalm 100:5
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