Join Me On the Journey

Perhaps you were shocked a bit by the title. What do I mean by that?

Paul said in his first letter to the Christians at Corinth,

“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive. I Cor. 10:23 (NIV)

Because you have a Savior Who died for all your sin—even the ones you are going to commit—all things are permissible to you. The sin you commit after you accept Christ’s atonement is not held against you because Christ took all your sin upon His body 2000 years ago. This is part of the grace that God extends toward you when you accept Christ.

What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? Rom. 6:1 (NIV)

Of course not, Paul says, and so do you, I’ll guess. As you begin to mature and you begin to meditate on just what Christ did for you on the cross, your desire to sin will lessen. You will draw closer to Him and the tendency to sin will decrease.

And this is how we may discern [daily, by experience] that we are coming to know Him [to perceive, recognize, understand, and become better acquainted with Him]: if we keep (bear in mind, observe, practice) His teachings (precepts, commandments). I John 2:3 (Amplified)

This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. Gal. 6:16 (KJV)

When you’re a Christian, you can sin just as much as you want to…but you’ll want to less and less as you draw closer to Him.

(This is my post from last week at Faith Lifts.)

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Do you ever think about the fact that God experiences grief?

There are numerous references to God experiencing grief starting in Genesis. Here are just a few.

The LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. Gen 6:6

How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness and grieved Him in the desert! Psa 78:40

In the New Testament, we find Jesus was grieved over men’s actions many times.

After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. Mark 3:5

Grief is defined as “pain inflicted because of loss.” We all know what greif feels like. If you can feel grief, God can feel grief. After all, you are created in His image.

Stop to think what it was like for God. He created the heaven and the earth and planted a lush garden for Adam and Eve to live in. The climate was perfect. There was an unlimited food supply. All their needs were met. And, to top it off, God Himself came down to talk with them in the cool of the evening.

We don’t know how long they were in the garden before they sinned, but when they did, just imagine the grief that God must have felt.

And today, when we despise the gift of His Son, how much must that grieve him?

This post was recently posted at Faith Lifts and I have re-posted it here for your convenience.

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A few months ago during my quiet time, I was reading in Deuteronomy:

There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor. Deut. 33:26 (NLT)

I have heard it said when you see “Israel” in the Bible, you can substitute your own name. So, I did. “There is no one like the God of Tamera. He rides across the heavens to help me, across the skies in majestic splendor.”

Now, I must admit, it was a little awkward for me to read the scripture in that way. I felt a little self-conscious…and that surprised me.

I had thought I was “further along” than that. (Doesn’t that sound smug? ) I thought I had received a revelation that God truly loved me; not because of anything I had done, but because He is love. I thought I knew that He would ride across the heavens in majestic splendor…just to help me. My discomfort in reading that scripture with those personalized words showed me that I wasn’t as convinced as I thought I was about God’s love for me.

Isn’t it interesting when we’re faced with the reality that we’re not as mature in our walk with God as we think we are?

So, as was my habit, I wrote down the scripture that caught my eye. That day however, I took it a step further. I began meditating on the scripture throughout my day.

According to Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, meditation is:

the practice of reflection or contemplation. The word meditation or its verb form, to meditate, is found mainly in the Old Testament. The Hebrew words behind this concept mean “to murmur, “a murmuring,” “sighing,” or “moaning.”

Meditation is something few of us utilize in our Christian walk. I suppose we don’t really understand it, but there is nothing mysterious or complicated about meditation. It’s really nothing more than reciting a scripture repeatedly; allowing that scripture to speak to you. It’s simply a matter of forming the habit of meditating.

I love this quote from the entry on meditation in Nelson’s Bible Dictionary, “Meditation is a lost art for many Christians, but the practice needs to be cultivated again.” (from , Nelson’s Illustrated Bible Dictionary, Copyright (c)1986, Thomas Nelson Publishers)

There are several scriptures in the Bible that mention meditation. It is likely that many of these scriptures are familiar to you.

This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Josh 1:8 (KJV)

I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds. Psa 77:12 (NIV)

I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your statutes. Psa 119:99 (NIV)

There are other words used in the scripture to describe the concept of meditation: consider, think on (or think about), study.

My favorite passage about meditation and the benefits of meditation is found in Psalm chapter one. (I love it in the Amplified Bible because it’s so down to earth.)

BLESSED (HAPPY, fortunate, prosperous, and enviable) is the man who walks and lives not in the counsel of the ungodly [following their advice, their plans and purposes], nor stands [submissive and inactive] in the path where sinners walk, nor sits down [to relax and rest] where the scornful [and the mockers] gather. But his delight and desire are in the law of the Lord, and on His law (the precepts, the instructions, the teachings of God) he habitually meditates (ponders and studies) by day and by night. And he shall be like a tree firmly planted [and tended] by the streams of water, ready to bring forth its fruit in its season; its leaf also shall not fade or wither; and everything he does shall prosper [and come to maturity]. Psa 1:1-3 (Amplified)

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. Psa 1:1-3 (KJV) (Gotta love the King James!)

I must be honest in saying that my practice of meditation has been haphazard. One thing that I have come to understand is that God desires consistency and so, I believe, to see the benefit of meditation, I must be consistent with it. So, I am purposing to begin meditating on God’s word on a regular basis.

How do we practice meditation? Here are a couple of suggestions

• Ask God what He would like you to work on in your life. Look up scripture that speaks to that area of your life and write those verses down in longhand. (There’s something about writing scripture out in longhand that helps you to absorb it better.) Take moments throughout your day to slowly read each scripture and think about its meaning.
• If you read a passage of scripture in your quiet time, write down the verse or passage that catch your heart.  Think about this throughout the day. What was it that caught your attention?
• Choose a passage from the Bible to memorize.  As you memorize the passage, consider each phrase.  Why do you think God used that particular word or phrase?

Have any of you successfully integrated meditation into your spiritual life?  Do you have suggestions you could bless us with?

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Most of us remember the story of David and Jonathan. Jonathan was Saul’s son and he formed a close friendship with David. They made a covenant with each other and Jonathan saved David’s life in response to that covenant.

Later, when Jonathan was dead and David was king, he sought to find a way to honor his covenant with Jonathan. He questioned:

Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may shew him kindness for Jonathan’s sake? 2 Sam 9:1 (KJV)

David found Mephibosheth. You can read the story in 2 Samuel 9.

Now, Mephibosheth understood covenants. He lived in a time and culture when covenants were not uncommon. The Bible isn’t clear whether Mephibosheth was aware that David had a covenant with Jonathan. If he were aware of the covenant, he must have known that he could go to David’s door, knock, and say, “I am Jonathan’s son and I know that you made a covenant with him. I’m here in Jonathan’s name to claim my rights.”

But, he didn’t go.

David had to send for him, and when he did, Mephibosheth fell before him and said, “Behold I am your servant!” (I Sam 9:6)

Perhaps he was afraid because in that time, it was not unusual for a king to put to death any relatives of the former king to prevent them from attempting a coup in the future.

David then said,

“Don’t be afraid! I’ve asked you to come so that I can be kind to you because of my vow to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the land that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you may live here with me at the palace.” 2 Sam 9:7 (NLT)

Now, isn’t Mephibosheth’s response interesting? In verse 8, he answers, “Should the king show such kindness to a dead dog like me?”

Think about that for a moment. Mephibosheth called himself a dead dog.

• Did he use that phrase because he had believed his life in danger from David?
• Did he use that phrase because he was handicapped? (The Bible tells us that he was injured as a child and we therefore lame. II Sam 4:4)
• Did he use that phrase because he had lived most of his life hidden—most likely in poverty—in a town called Lo-debar?

If you think of this passage as a dialog between God and yourself, you can make application in your life. When God calls to you, do you stand before Him and say, “What could you possibly want with someone like me?” or do you say, “I’m here to claim my rights in Jesus’ name!”

Your response to God is a reflection of the way you truly feel about yourself. Have you ever stopped to listen to the things that you say to yourself all day?

I would encourage you to stop and listen.

• “Well, that was a stupid thing to do!”
• “What was I thinking?”
• “I never do anything right!”
• “I’m such an idiot!”

Is that what you hear, or do you hear kinder, gentler words?

• “Well, that probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do, LOL. “
• “Maybe I should have done that differently.”
• “Now I know what not to do next time.”

Once you take the time to listen to your self talk, you need to determine whether it’s acceptable. Would you talk that way to someone else? Would you say those things to your children?

What if your self talk is damaging? more like the first list?

Think about where those statements came from. Is that what you heard growing up? Are you in a relationship where verbal abuse is continuing to occur? It is difficult to overcome, but you can make it a priority and change that abusive self talk.

Sometimes, your self talk is just a bad habit you need to break. You have already done the work to change your self image, but you haven’t taken the time to examine your self talk and you need to make it a priority to become more aware of it. You cannot change what you do not acknowledge.

When you are striving to change that self talk, there is only one way to do it. You need to replace the bad with something good.

When you catch yourself saying, “I’m such and idiot!” stop and say to yourself, “OK. I’m not an idiot! Father, I forgive those who have told me that in the past and I refuse to believe them. I know that You love me and that You have given me a sound mind.” Say it out loud if you can (probably not when you’re in the grocery isle). Hearing it with your ears and not just in your head is important.

In your quiet time, seek God about which scriptures He would like for you to memorize for those moments.

Changing your self-talk is hard. It doesn’t happen overnight, but you can do it!

Today, pay close attention to your self-talk and see if it needs some attention.

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Do you know that God has a picture of you in His wallet?

Well, He would if He had a wallet.

You see, God loves you so much that if He carried a wallet, He would have your picture there. He would take it out whenever He met someone and brag on you.

You are on His mind every moment…of every day…of every week…of every year of your life.

The Bible says that you are “the apple of His eye.” (Deut 32:10; Zech 2:8)

Following are highlights from Psalm 139. I would encourage you to read this passage yourself sometime today. (These verses are paraphrased from the New Living Translation.)

God formed you in your mother’s womb. (v. 13)

He has examined your heart and knows everything about you…everything…down to the most minute detail. (v. 1) Matt 10:30 tells us, “…the very hairs of [your] head are all numbered.” (KJV)

He knows every thought you think…before you think it. (v. 2)

He knows everything you’re going to say…before you even say it! (v. 4) And He still loves you!

God goes before you and He follows behind you. (v. 5) He knows when you sit down and when you stand up. (v. 2) God charts your path, tells you when you need to stop and rest, and knows precisely where you are at every moment of the journey. (v. 3)

He records every day of your life in His book. (v. 16)

God’s thoughts about you are innumerable! (v. 17)

There are so many verses describing how much God loves you, but God’s love for you can be summed up in this one verse:

…God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Rom 5:8 (KJV)

Before you ever even thought about God, He thought about you and loved you.

And when you accept Christ as your Savior, the Bible says that God adopts you as His child.

For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Rom 8:15-17 (KJV)

I encourage you to stop for just a few moments today and think about God’s love for you.

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I found a blog that I recommend. Joy in the Journey is a blog written by a mom living in Indonesia. She has five very small children and her family is a missionary family…a different life from the one I live.

But, she worships the same God as I do, and so we have a lot in common, don’t we?

She wrote earlier this week about accepting compliments and about humility. Where do we draw the line between acknowledging that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made,” and “considering others better than ourselves”? (Psa 139:14 and Phil 2:3)

Let’s explore that, shall we?

First of all, we must understand that there is a difference between our spirit, soul, and body. (For further explanation of this, please read the article Spirit, Soul, and Body.)

Our spirit is righteous and holy (Eph 4:24). It is that part of us that is made new at the moment of salvation and it is sealed by the Holy Spirit so that it cannot be corrupted (Eph 1:13). (See Canned Spirit, Anyone?)

Paul says in Philippians 1:6:

Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (KJV)

He’s speaking of the fact that God created a new creature (our spirit) at the moment of our salvation (II Cor 5:17). The rest of the Christian life is to allow Him to complete that work through the renewing our soul (intellect, emotions, will, conscience) day by day. And we have a big part to play in that.

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. (KJV) Phil 2:12-13

Our new spirit is a gift from God…something that we do not, cannot earn. But, we are in charge of changing our soul. We are in charge of renewing our mind. Romans 12:1-2 says:

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (KJV)

So, what does all this have to do with humility?

The very next verse in Romans 12 says, “For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.”

This verse says not to think of yourself more highly than you ought, but it doesn’t say, “think of yourself as lower than everyone else.”

Romans 12:6a says, “Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us…” We have all been given gifts and those gifts are given so that we can minister to each other. We must acknowledge those gifts and strengthen those gifts in order to be effective in the body of Christ.

One verse in the Old Testament that has truly helped me to know my place in God is found in Numbers.

(Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.) Num 12:3 (NIV)

Moses wrote those words under the influence of the Holy Spirit. He wrote those words about himself!

Yes, the Bible exhorts us to “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” (Romans 12:10) But, Jesus Himself said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.” (Luke 10:27 KJV)

Let us honor others through service, love others with the love that flows through us when we love ourselves, and accept compliments from others with a gracious, “Thank you!”

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Did you know that there is only one thing in this life that you can control? Do you know what it is?

It’s that person you look at in the mirror every morning.

You cannot control world events. You cannot control the weather. You cannot control your hubby…or your kids…or your dear mother-in-law.

But…you can control your reactions to all those things. You can control what hours you are awake and how you use your time while you’re awake. You can control how you take care of yourself: whether you exercise, eat right, get enough sleep (unless, of course, you have a little one deciding this point for you). You can control the things you read, the things you see, the things you think about and focus upon.

So often in my life, I have found myself railing against those things I cannot change. This, as I’m sure you know, is incredibly exhausting and unproductive.

If you’re tired and bogged down, I encourage you to take a few moments to examine your life and assess whether you may be struggling to control things that you really cannot change.

“How do I do this?” you may ask. Well, it’s really not as hard as it may seem. All you need is a pen, a piece of paper (or your journal) and several minutes of uninterrupted time. If you work outside the home, take a few minutes during your lunch break. If you’re a full-time mommy, take blanket outside and sit on the ground while they’re playing near by.

Write at the top of the page: “What is REALLY bugging me about my life right now?”

Then, just begin to write. Don’t censer yourself; just write whatever comes to your mind. Give yourself a good amount of time; at least twenty to thirty minutes of continuous writing. The longer you allow yourself to write, the more effective you’ll find this exercise.

Now, some of you are so conditioned not to complain, this may be a hard exercise for you. If you have a hard time starting, begin by just simply writing, “I don’t know what to write…This is a stupid exercise…There’s nothing wrong with my life…Everything is wrong with my life, where do I start…I never did like that Tamera…” Whatever comes to your mind, just write. Don’t worry about your handwriting or punctuation. This is called stream of consciousness writing. There’s no mystery about it. It is simply writing down every word that comes to your mind as you’re thinking about a specific topic…like “What’s REALLY bugging me about my life right now?”

This is a powerful exercise and if you take the time to do it, you will discover powerful truths concerning how you’re truly feeling about some of the different aspects of your life.

So, I challenge you to “just do it.” It is so easy to read something like this and think, “I bet that would be interesting,” and then go on about your busy life. Put it on your “To Do” list. Purpose to fit it into your schedule some time in the next few days. Don’t put if off.

(This is a reposting from a couple of months ago, but it’s been on my mind again. I encourage you to perform this exercise intermittently. It really helps me to refocus.)

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I’d like to take a few minutes today to talk with you about the devil.

Now, there is a lot of incorrect teaching in the church today concerning Satan. There are some who would discount the existence of the devil, but the Bible clearly says that there is a devil. There are close to 100 references to Satan and the devil in the New Testament.

On the other hand, I would say that most Christians who acknowledge the existence of the devil ascribe him more power than he truly possesses. Satan does not have power to cause a person to sin.

A few of you may remember a comedian named Flip Wilson. (I’m dating myself here.) He created a character named Geraldine and her famous line was, “the devil made me do it.” Though it was meant for entertainment, the truth is, there are many people, non-Christians and Christians, who believe that. Oh, they may not say it out loud, but in their heart, they believe sometimes you just can’t help yourself; the temptation is too great.

Well, I’m here to tell you, the devil can’t make you do anything. Satan’s only power is to deceive.
(read the rest of the article…)

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I wonder…Did God miss me when I wandered so far away all those years? Did He grieve when there were times that I didn’t thank Him for the life He had given me and I didn’t ask Him what would be the best next step in my life? I wonder, did He miss me when there were triumphs in my life that I didn’t share with Him? I wonder, did He grieve when, in the lowest times of my life, I didn’t call out to Him for help?

As I share each and every day with my children, I think sometimes about how God feels. I see my children discover new things and connect ideas. What is the absolute first thing that they do? “MOMMY! Clarissa’s having kittens!!!!” “Mommy, why are the guineas fighting?” Mommy, what does outdistance mean?” “MOMMY, Sophia fell out of the tree!”

Every day, a thousand times a day, my children come to me with their pains, their frustrations, their questions, their triumphs…sometimes just for reassurance. Yes, it’s overwhelming sometimes, but mostly, it is just precious.

And every day, my children tell me in so many ways how much they love me. I’m a very touchy-feely, verbal person. (Sanguine ) Two of the four children are like me in that respect, and several times a day, they will spontaneously say, “Mommy, I love you!” I never get tired of hearing it.

I think God must be like that, too. He must never get tired of hearing that I love Him. He must really want me to share every little thing in my life with Him.

Today, I have asked forgiveness for all the time I spent shutting God out of my life and I made a new commitment to include Him in every aspect of my life. Won’t you Join Me On the Journey?

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I love watching birds. I suppose I like nature in general, but I love birds especially. I find that I learn so much from God’s creation.

As in all of God’s creation, there is a great deal of diversity in behavior among the different species of birds, but there is a particular behavior that some species exhibit that I find interesting. Did you know that some bird species, when it’s time for their little ones to leave the nest, start to pull out all the soft fibers and feathers and fur? This leaves only the pokey sticks and it makes the nest uncomfortable for the baby bird which serves to motivate them to leave the nest.

Are you feeling uncomfortable in your nest?

Do you ever have those times when you’re going along in life and things are feeling pretty good; your nest feels comfy. Your family is healthy, everyone is getting along; your marriage is stable; your homeschooling is sailing along; your house is clean; your career is on track…and then, one day, you wake up and it just seems like things are uncomfortable. You readjust a little; perhaps you need to go on a date with your hubby, or one of the children needs a little extra attention; perhaps there’s something you’ve been putting off; a bill you haven’t paid; that closet you need to clean. So, you take care of it. But, the nest is still uncomfortable.

What then?

Might I suggest that this could be a sign that you need to fledge? According to Wikipedia, Fledge is the stage in a young bird’s life when the feathers and wing muscles are sufficiently developed for flight. Could it be that your discomfort is from your Father who is trying to get you to leave the nest by making it just a little bit uncomfortable?

God Bless You!

If you’re feeling uncomfortable, take some time to journal about it in your quiet time. Pray about it and ask God to reveal the underlying cause. He is so faithful to do that for us.

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