It had been an exhausting week, physically and emotionally. By the time Sunday morning arrived, my body showed its fatigue by totally ignoring the alarm humming on the table beside the bed. I never even heard it. What woke me was my husband’s hand shaking my side. He was standing beside the bed, calling my name. Good thing one of us had heard their alarm, or we would have been late for church, but we made it!
Continue reading “I Almost Missed The Blessing”Category: Spiritual Refreshment
Four Tips for Growth
This post is part of the continuing series as we review A Woman After God’s Own Heart, by Elizabeth George.
I heard about a woman who was having a dinner party and fixed an elaborate meal. Everything was cooking, chilling and baked, ready for her guests that would arrive a couple hours later, but she found herself hungry. She sat down and ate a couple of large candy bars “just to tide herself over.” When it came time to serve her guests, she had no appetite for the lavish meal!
We are guilty of doing the same thing when we foolishly binge on things that have no value to our spiritual life. Let’s glean some great practical advice that Elizabeth George was given by a friend that will help us to grow spiritually because we’re feasting on God’s Wisdom.
Continue reading “Four Tips for Growth”Headed to The Wilds!
I’m excited to have the blessing of speaking at The Wilds ladies’ retreat this weekend. There are 19 or 20 of our church ladies attending and I’m so excited to share this weekend with these precious sisters in. Christ.
The van is packed and we’re headed to do some shopping and enjoy lunch out before getting to camp. This will be full, fun day!
I pray your weekend is full of seeing God at work! I’ll be anxious to share all the details of the weekend very soon!
I pray you’re making plans to be in a Bible preaching church on Sunday!
Time To Unclutter
There are seasons that just make us want to dive into our areas of clutter and begin a donate campaign. The beginning of the new year, springtime, or a move all give us that proverbial shove to get rid of our piles!
We tiptoe into closets that are brimming with things we’ve stuffed inside, perhaps because we didn’t know what to do with them, or we were in too much of a hurry to put them in their proper place. Lurking on shelves, in shadows and under stacks, we find so many items that are no longer useful. Oh what freedom comes from filling bags with all the undesirable bits and bobs!
Early one recent morning I walked into my closet – my walk-in clothes closet where I also pray. I grimaced at the little pile I had hidden placed behind the door, but I ignored it, shut the door, and knelt to pray. It was then that the Holy Spirit brought to my mind that there are areas of clutter that are far more serious than that pile in my closet. It was so easy for me to see.
Oh yes, Lord! In my life I look around me and recognize the hording that slows my spiritual progress. It deadens my sensitivity to Your Spirit. It makes my testimony ineffective, keeping my eyes on earthly things, rather than the heavenly treasures.
A “pile” of spiritual clutter that came to my mind is found in Colossians 3:
- sexual immorality
- impurity
- passion
- evil desire
- covetousness, which is idolatry
- anger
- wrath
- malice
- slander
- obscene talk
Before you raise your eyebrows and think I’m living in immorality, (I am not), I was reminded that this list might sound like it’s directed to the “really bad sinner.” But the Spirit of God reminded me that if I allow any of this to enter my closet door through means of someone else throwing it in there, it’s still cluttering my life. That means I may need to “toss out” people I follow on social media that promote their sinful lifestyle. Comedians that laugh at what God calls pure may need to be added to the trash pile, and “entertainment” that uses profanity, promotes obscene language or nods “yes” to things God clearly condemns all must be added to the “donate pile.”
I also see that filling my minutes/hours/days with useless things is even more cumbersome to my life than hanging onto the sweater I loved but has a hole in the sleeve.
As I continued in my prayer time, I heard the Lord giving me directives on what to “toss” and what to add to my spiritual closet. Confessing my spiritual clutter was the only thing needed to unload the mess. I rose from my knees with a sense of peace. This time was needed. The shadows had revealed the lurking loads that were now clean, fresh and ready for enjoying, rather than sighing with the burden of knowing it is all there, but not dealing with it. It is gone.
Lest you think this is a boast of legalism where we have to “follow all the rules,” I must add that in Christ we are free. We are free to choose the path of righteousness that will lead to greater spiritual fruit, or we can choose the way that gives a short-lived satisfaction but yields only weeds and thorns that we will regret. We live with eternity in view , knowing that Christ could come today. I want my “closet” clean and ready to receive Him. I want others to see the joy of walking with Christ. I, too, love the precious things the Lord adds to my life each day. You know the happy feeling of dumping all that load of junk at the donation center? This is far greater!
If you ask the Lord to show you the clutter that needs to be removed from your life, He will faithfully reveal those things to you. Humble yourself before Him and be ready for the peace and joy that comes from your obedience.
Praise God for removing the clutter!
Blow Off the Dust
It was early Sunday morning and I had gotten my coffee and journal and cozied myself on the sofa where I could read my devotions and enjoy the warmth of the sun on a cold November dawn. Looking around, I realized I had left my Bible in the other room. I glanced over to the bookcase beside the sofa, and I spotted one of my old Bibles that I had “retired” quite a few years ago. I pulled it off the shelf and seated myself once again. This Bible was like an old friend. It’s pages are worn, curled and marked, but oh, so loved.
I flipped the pages to go to where my Bible plan had brought me. It was II Peter 1. As the page opened, I saw flecks of dust dancing in the sunlight! It was proof that this Bible had been unused for some time, but when I read its pages, it said,
Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 according as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue
My heart swelled as I read those words. How precious that the Lord has given us everything we need for this life in Christ, and where do we find it? In His word.
- When my heart is overwhelmed, I can get strength from His Word.
- When I am filled with fear, I can get faith from His Word.
- When I am sad or worried, I can get peace from His Word.
- When I feel alone, I am reminded of His presence in His Word.
To neglect the Word of God is to reject all that we need to do more than merely survive the day. I’m pretty sure we’re all interested in more than “just making it.”
It’s easy to get too busy, too involved in other activities, or too tired that we neglect God’s Word, and when we finally come to ourselves, we find our souls more dusty than the Bible’s pages.
If you’ve “fallen off the wagon,” in your reading plan, go get your Bible and open its pages to find just what the Lord wants to teach you about Himself today. It’s truth is deeper than the dust. It will show you
the Way to go,
the Truth you need to hear and
the Life to guide you on your way…
and all that is found in our Savior,
If you’ve neglected God’s Word, blow off the dust and dive in. You’ll be refreshed and strengthened for your path today.
RefreshHer 