Intimacy…Closeness to God

June 30, 20137 Comments

When you say the word intimacy in our culture people normally relate it to only a relationship between a couple in a romantic relationship. Our culture defines intimacy in terms of physical affection. Intimacy is far more than physical touch. Intimacy can be defined as closeness, knowing (being known). The most intimate (close) relationship we can have is with God.

A friend, spouse, child, person cannot know everything there is to know about us. They cannot meet all our needs. God created us to need Him first, then people. Adam had a personal relationship with God before He had a relationship with Eve. While Eve was being created, Adam was asleep. They both knew God before they ever knew each other.

We were born with a deep-rooted desire for intimacy. God created us with the desire and need to be known, accepted, and unconditionally loved. He gave us a desire and need that He can fill. I’ve heard people say we have a God sized void, I believe it’s true. We can try to fill it with so many things, but none of them will completely fill us. People try food to fill emptiness, it leads to food addictions and obesity. People try relationships and sex to fill emptiness, and find they need more and more and aren’t completely satisfied. People try activities and busyness, and they end up discontent. Our need for intimacy must first be met by God in order for there to be balance in our lives.

Our world puts God somewhere towards the bottom on the list of relationships. He’s someone to seek out when we’re bored, hurting, need something, or not at all. The One who created all things, pursues our hearts with pure love. He longs for us to have an intimate (close) relationship with Him. He does not need our love. He wants our love. He knows that His love transforms who we are into who we were created to be.

Covenant Love:

God invites us into a covenant with Him. A covenant is an agreement, usually formal, between two or more persons. Covenant love is binding, it’s intended to be for life and in the case of God, for eternity. We have to refuse Him and walk away from Him; He is always faithful to us.

Old vs. New Covenant:

Under the old covenant, people could not come boldly into God’s presence. Priests performed rituals in order to be able to enter His presence. Under the new covenant, Jesus paid the price so all who have faith in Him can come boldly into the presence of God. He paid for our sins, so we could have unhindered access to the Father and the deposit of His Holy Spirit. God extends an invitation to intimacy. God has always longed to be with His children. He has always desired relationship with us.

The fundamental basis of this new covenant relationship is the conversion process, whereby each day the believer draws closer to God:

“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.” (2 Corinthians 4:16)

“ . . . for it is God who works in you both to WILL and to DO for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13)

This change of nature results in an intimate relationship with God.

We all have the opportunity to have a flourishing, close, and intimate relationship with God. Nothing on earth can fill the void in us; it’s where He belongs. He loves us more than we can imagine, and His love fills us to overflow. When we receive God’s love and love Him in return, we have overflowing love for others. All areas of our lives flourish when we put God first. When God is first, addictions diminish. When God is first, insecurities diminish. God always wanted and planned to be first in our lives…

You are deeply loved friends. Have a great week. Praying your relationship with God goes even deeper…

Dream with God

June 4, 2013October 24, 20145 Comments

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!~Matthew 7:11.

I love Matthew 7:11. Sometimes I think we forget that God is not only interested in giving us salvation, but other good things as well. As a loving parent, He cares about what we care about. We can put God in a box and say, “As long I do what God wants, He is pleased. And when I get to heaven He will give me good things if I perform well on earth.” God does care about obedience and there is blessing in doing what He says. However, our favor with Him is based on what Jesus did, not what we have done. We can’t earn what’s given in His Son.

God is quite generous and longs to bless us. Many fear talking about His generosity for fear they will be labeled as someone promoting a “Prosperity Gospel.” A prosperity gospel says, “If you follow Jesus, you will have everything you want when you want it, and your life will be problem free!” That is not what this post is about or what Jesus taught. We will have troubles in this life and God is not obligated to do what we want when we want, but He does long to be good to His kids. We can have a great time if our complete trust is in our Father. There is love, peace, joy, hope, and blessing in God.

God cares about the things we like and desire and invites us to dream with Him. He delights in us and takes delight in our enjoyment of His blessings.

Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart,~Psalm 37:4. If our hearts are evil or have evil intentions, God won’t grant our requests. He doesn’t lead us to sin, harm ourselves, or others. The verse says, “Delight yourself in the Lord.” If our hearts are delighted in Him, then our hearts are being transformed by Him. Here’s an excerpt from my book, I Thought I Knew What Love Was.

God continually challenges me to dream with Him, to seek Him for the desires of my heart, to believe Him for good things. He is not and will never be a dead beat dad. Hope this blesses you and you dream big! God is unlimited, and He loves you.

Dream Little Ones
written October 16, 2004 by Erin Lamb (all rights reserved)
Dream little ones.
Don’t let this time pass you by.
The tides of life will roll away,
and what will you say for the time that has been lost?
Dream little ones,
and reach for those dreams;
don’t allow them to be strangled by life’s uncertainties.
Reach out,
like you are reaching for heaven.
Dream little ones,
and leave the past mistakes behind.
Fill your heart and mind with all that can and will be.
You are not alone on this journey.
I have made provisions
to send you help from heaven.
Dream a dream that you think you can’t achieve,
and I will lift you
to the heights you can’t reach.
There is nothing too large,
or too far out of My reach.
I hold it all in the palm of My hands.
Dream little ones,
and don’t give up.
Don’t give in.
You have so much potential
that lies within.
I have built a bridge of love in your heart
that leads from you to Me.
I am looking forward to getting you to the place where you are
content in My embrace.
I do not want to stifle you,
or cripple you;
I only wish to grant you love.
So dream little ones,
and trust I can make dreams a reality.

Check out, I Thought I Knew What Love Was. You can purchase right here on the site there’s a link entitled Get Your Copy or you may purchase through these wonderful sites: http://www.westbowpress.com, http://www.barnesandnoble.com. and http://www.amazon.com or iTunes store.

All rights reserved. No part of the material may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, without the written permission of the Publisher, Westbow Press (www.westbowpress.com), or Author, Erin Lamb. The only exception is in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Photo credits: Pinterest

All That I Have Is Yours

May 18, 2013October 24, 2014Leave a comment

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ~Romans 8:32

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows,~James 1:27.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ,~Ephesians 1:3

If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you,~James 1:5.

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus,~Phil 4:19.

There are so many scriptures that speak about the generosity of our Heavenly Father. I challenge you to seek them out and read them aloud. I have Philippians 4:19 written on my bathroom mirror. I recite Jeremiah 29:11 quite often, “I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you, give you hope and a future.” I cling to that verse in good and bad times.

The Father says, “All that I have is yours!” Take a moment to ponder those words. There is an inheritance that comes from relationship with Christ. God has no lack. Not only does He not have lack, He is extremely generous. The Creator of the Universe is inviting you to come to Him with your desires, dreams, hopes, aspirations, and more. He cares about what you care about. He withholds no good thing from us (Psalm 84:11).

Okay so now let’s talk about why you may or may not be feeling the generosity of God.

1. God works through people.

Yes, God can rain down gold from the sky, but most of the time He works through humans. Why? It gives us a chance to partner with Him. It teaches us to give and receive. It teaches us to love. So, when people bless us, we often thank them and not God. I’ve had random people bless me. I know it was God. People who have never met me have reached out at times to offer prayer, support, encouragement, help. God works through people and even people who don’t know Him.

2. We are stingy or have selfish motives.

As a loving Father, God knows when we are asking for things for the wrong reasons or if He gave us what we asked for whether it would be good for us. If He did not love us, He would cave and give us everything we wanted when we wanted it. He’s smart. For example: I love horses. I think they are beautiful. I have been asking God for a horse for years. Here’s the problem. I don’t have the space for a horse, nor do I know how to care for one. Why would God give me something that would be a burden not a blessing? In response to my constant prayers, God had someone give me a horse figurine.

In God’s Kingdom, giving leads to abundance. God blesses us out of the kindness of His heart, and we don’t earn blessings. However, the giver always has more than the stingy person in God’s Kingdom. If God can get it through you, He will get it to you. I read about this pastor who was always giving money away to other churches even when they needed the money to pay their bills. Or He would feed the poor when they needed to eat. This pastor has been blessed tremendously, and God has always met their needs. We can’t out give God. He said whatever we give will be given back in abundance. We don’t give to get, that’s the wrong motive. When we do have a heart to give, God gives back and it’s more than we gave.

Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full–pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back, Luke 6:38.

3. People are called to bless each other within God’s Body.

We (you and I) are called to bless other people. If I go to church with sister Sally and know her husband is out of work and they can’t pay their bills, I am called to bless them if I can. God said love and care for one another, not just pray for one another. If we are not giving to other people, they are not experiencing the generosity of God. The same goes for the gifts of the Spirit. If everyone comes to church on Sunday to hear a word, then goes home….then the Body of Christ is not functioning at it’s best. We (all God’s children) are called to serve and be generous. It’s not just for pastors, leaders, counselors, and missionaries.

4. Unbelief.

Not believing God is actually sin. It’s challenging to believe God when circumstances have demonstrated something other than the blessing of God. Just read the story of Job. Faith is an important and vital part of relationship with God. Believing leads to seeing. If I don’t believe God wants to bless me or is blessing me, guess what? I don’t see or receive anything. If someone gives you a gift and you say it’s not for you, then you don’t get anything. Unbelief says, “God can’t or God won’t do this.” Doubt says, “I know God can do this, but I am not so sure He will.” God can and will bless us even when we don’t believe Him, however we miss out on so much because we are unwilling to believe God is who He says He is.

Lastly I will say God is continually pouring out blessings on the righteous and unrighteous, it’s not always acknowledged as being from Him. The list above is about our perceptions and possible hindrances to seeing the generosity of God. God is good, kind, loving, and generous.

If God says no to a request, it’s only because He has something better in mind or what we’re asking for is not good for us or another person. He also won’t force us to do His will. So, if you’re praying for something that involves another person, know that God will work in and around them, but won’t force His will or yours on them.

Papa I ask that anything that is hindering us from receiving Your blessings would be uprooted and removed. May we walk in the truth that You’re a great Dad, and You love us. Help us to receive Your blessings and then give them away. Heal past hurts and disappointments. Help us to live lives filled with hope. In Jesus name, Amen.

P.S You are deeply loved.

Photo credit: Pinterest

The Eyes of Love

April 24, 20133 Comments

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love,~1 John 4:8.

There are so many verses in the Bible that tell us God is love. I thought when I started talking about God’s love people would rejoice about it! I mean He seems too good to be true, but He is not. He is better than good. I’ve found many people want God to be angry. They want God to punish the world. Many see Him as cold, cruel, unfeeling, unconcerned, weak, etc….Many people pick up old testament verses about God’s wrath and run with them.

Don’t get me wrong, God is perfect in holiness. He has the ability to give and take life. We honor Him, respect Him, and understand that without salvation we are lost and will pay the full penalty for sin. He is not a weak kitten; He is a consuming fire. He is passionate about justice. He cares how we treat Him and others. He is not a pushover. He is also not a bully. He made Himself vulnerable to us. He gave us a way to be close to Him.

If God is so good, why do we (humans) have such a hard time believing it…

1. We know God by faith. We must believe in order to receive. If we don’t believe in God, everything we see in the world will be filtered through that unbelief. If we don’t believe God loves us, our circumstances will validate our unbelief. Here’s an example. Have you ever met a person who believes the world is bad, people are bad, everything is bad? I have. They believe everyone is out to get them. So, anything that happens is filtered through that belief. I had a lady tell me that I did not like her as much as other people and she was convinced everything I did was to leave her out. On my end, I did like her. Anytime she felt slighted there was a logical explanation. She wasn’t a target for me. She believed she was the target, therefore her unbelief clouded her vision. If we believe God is angry, we will take our circumstances and make them fit that belief. If we believe God is good, then we view our circumstances through the lens of His goodness.

Example from life…

My car accident in January cost me a car and increased my expenses. If I think, God hates me, He is punishing me….then yes…that is what I will take away. If I think God loves me…He saved my life…I could have died…I have a nicer car…maybe the other car was about to break down and now I have a higher value for a totaled car than a trade in…then that is what I take away. What we believe is powerful.

2. We’ve had horrible experiences with people, especially Christians or parents. I wish it weren’t so, but people are sinful. People have done more to push people away from God than we’d imagine. None of us are perfect so we rely on grace. If a person has a horrible encounter with their parents or people who claim to know God, it can taint the view that God is love. Our parents are supposed to love us unconditionally as God does. Together they are to show us what love is. When they don’t, we have a hard time relating to God.

Christian means imitator of Christ. When we (Christians) fail to represent God’s love, we miss an opportunity for people to know how good He is. We can help push people away from God.

3. We’ve misread the Bible. People debate over the Bible all the time. I can say with true conviction that God is love. There are tons of verses on God’s love, mercy, forgiveness, desire for us, compassion, and grace. He does not love us in the way we may think, meaning our world’s belief that love means live as you please (that’s not real love by the way).

God has made the appropriation for all sin by sending His Son. I wouldn’t die for people I care nothing about. I would not send my son to die for people I did not like. I would not invite someone into relationship that I could not stand. God LOVES us.

4. We’ve based God’s love off our feelings or circumstances. If I wrote out for you my testimony you might question how I could say God is love. My circumstances have not always pointed to this truth. It is truth despite circumstances, feelings, or what we see. God is love, and He does and will work all things together for the good of those who love Him,~Romans 8:28.

5. We think love is a life with no pain and getting whatever we want, whenever we want it. I’ve met many people who say, “If God loved me then I wouldn’t have to go through this, or if God loved me, this would not have happened, or if God loved me, He would give me__________.” God loves us so much. He is not, however, obligated to do whatever we demand of Him. The Bible does not tell us a life with God means no pain. Jesus told us, in the world we would have trouble but to take heart as he has overcome the world. God’s love is not based on what He gives us, what He does for us, etc…Love is who He is. His love cannot change. We can’t see why He allows certain things to happen. I do know if He allows it, He brings something good from it. Read the book of Job, it’s encouraging.

Lastly, I will say if we ask for a deeper revelation of God’s love, we will begin to see it. It’s always on full blast and pointed in our direction. I believe it’s blocked many times by our unbelief. It’s there, we just can’t see it.

Papa, I pray any areas of our hearts that are not open to receiving Your love are softened. May we know the height, the depth, the width, and the vast expanse of Your love. When we see You, may we see love, the eyes of love. In Jesus name, Amen.

Love,

Erin

Misunderstanding the Father’s Heart

March 24, 2013March 24, 20133 Comments

So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him, Matthew 7:11.

I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all the LORD has done for us– yes, the many good things he has done for Israel, according to his compassion and many kindnesses, Isaiah 63:7.

He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all–how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Romans 8:32.

Sweet friends, I wanted to talk about our heavenly Father. He is probably one of the most misunderstood members of the Trinity. He is often represented as out to get people, cold, stern, or everything He is not. Some say we must cling to Jesus for He protects us from our grumpy Father. Well, nothing could be further from the truth. The Father loves with the same intensity as the Son. They are one.

Some things to ponder.

You were the Father’s idea. Every person was a thought in His mind before conception (Psalm 139).
The Father sent His Son. I don’t know about you, but I would not send my son to die for people who were guilty.
Jesus only did what He saw the Father doing; the good we see in Jesus is also in the Father. Jesus gave them this answer: “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does, John 5:19.
The Father wants us to have good gifts. Ephesians 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”
Good gifts come from God. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning,” James 1:17.

There are people who have taught that poverty and suffering is a sign of humility. Think about it this way. If you have/had children, how would them being poor, sick, hungry, depressed, or suffering make you look? It would make you look like a dead beat parent. Children’s services would probably come and take your kids if you did not feed them, clothe them, or care for them. Why do we believe God is a dead beat dad? Why do we think God wants us to have less than what we would give our children? Why do we think God is delighted with our sufferings?

The Bible says we will suffer for living in a sinful world. The Bible also tells us that we are more than conquerors through Christ who gives us strength (Romans 8:37). Jesus tells us in John 10:10, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.“

Sometimes we take on the mind set that the will of God for our lives is to be miserable, poor, sick, and hurting until heaven. We are just making it through. There is a difference between suffering for preaching or teaching the Gospel and the suffering that comes from sickness, disease, poverty, lack, abandonment, abuse, or injustice. God isn’t sitting in heaven going, “10 million more of my kids died today from sickness, let’s party angels.” We read that the Father delighted in Jesus taking on our sins for we could be saved and He knew the grave would not hold His Son. The death and resurrection of Jesus brings life to many. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand, Isaiah 53:10.

I am not hear to state God is our genie in a bottle and whatever we ask, He is obligated to oblige. Nor am I stating walking with God is a guarantee of a life free of problems. It isn’t. In the world we do and will have trouble. I am stating God is a good Father. He wants to bless us. He cares about us. He wants us to dream. He wants us to enjoy life. He wants us to be a blessing…

If I am poor, I can not help the poor.

If I am unhealthy, I can not serve others well. My sickness brings no glory to the Healer.

If I am always depressed, I can not give hope to others.

If I hate life, I am not going to encourage anyone! Nor will I have the joy Jesus paid for.

If I am always in need, I can not effectively help those in need.

I know God does not want us consumed with the desire for things or blessings. He wants us to be consumed with passion for Him. He is the greatest blessing and reward. We cannot believe that in any way that it glorifies Him for His children to be poor, in need, in lack, sick, full of disease, hurting, or depressed. It sends a message to the world, “God doesn’t take care of His own.”

As we prepare for Easter, I pray we thank the Father for all He does and has done for us. I also hope we cling not only to our salvation, but embrace all Jesus paid for. We have a Father who gave His very best to save us. May we be free to dream with Him, embrace the beauty of life with Him, and enjoy Him. May we ask for more so we can bless more people. May we believe God is the Perfect Father and our desires touch His heart. Bless you friends, in Jesus name, Amen.

His Thoughts Towards You…

March 18, 2013March 18, 2013Leave a comment

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me, Psalm 139:17-18.

How does God feel about you? I think it is a question worth asking. When I started writing poetry that ended up in the book I Thought I Knew What Love Was, I had only a glimmer of God’s love. I knew Jesus died for my sins and felt I had some understanding of His love. I was only tapping the surface of God’s great love for us. The book spans 7 years of my walk with God, and even in the last year the revelation of God’s love has grown. God’s love simply cannot be fully measured or adequately explained. It is vast beyond measure. We simply attempt to explain something so wonderful; we rarely do it justice in our verbal expressions.

King David tells us in the verses above (Psalm 139:17-18) that God’s thoughts towards us outnumber the grains of sand. How many grains of sand do you think there are in the world? The University of Hawaii gives us a theoretical number, for to count them all would be impossible.

According to the University of Hawaii’s answer:

There are seven quintillion five quadrillion grains of sand on all the beaches of the world. That’s a 75 with 17 zeros following! God has more than 7,500,000,000,000,000,000 good thoughts about you.

You can say, “I am not good. I make mistakes. I am not perfect. How can God have so many good thoughts about me?” God created you. You were His idea.

God knows everything about us and not only sees who we are, but who He created us to be. I think of King David who committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband killed. God called David a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22). Abraham lied quite a bit. He continued to tell people his wife was his sister. God called Abraham a man of great faith and His friend.

God sees us with the eyes of love. He’s not blind to our imperfections. He loves us despite them and works in us to transform us. His love isn’t based on our behavior, or maturity, or merit. It’s who He is. God is love. God sees the best in us because we are His children.

Example from real life.

I used to volunteer with children’s ministry. I normally ended up in the infant or 2-4 year old room. There were many times the kids would not listen, try to fight each other, behave in ways that were not kind to each other. I did not think, “They are awful little monsters.” Nor did I yell at them, “You are so selfish. Get it together.” They are kids. I know that they have to learn to get along. They are not bad, they are acting out of what they know and what is best for them. God knows that we are children. When we come to Him, we do not behave like Him. He is patient, kind, loving, and filled with grace. He knows we need Him. He sees someone He loves. Someone He paid a high price for.

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children, Psalm 103:13-17

So, my friends, you are deeply loved. God loves you. He has great plans for your life (Jer 29:11). You are valuable to Him.

For studies on our identity in Christ please join my Bible study blog, http://morena242.wordpress.com. Blessings and love,~Erin.

Looking for Real Love…

February 23, 2013Leave a comment

Love is one of the most common used words in our vocabulary. In English we have one word for love. In the Greek there are several words for love. There is philia which is described as brotherly love; love for family or friends. Eros is an intimate love; a passionate desire often used to describe affection between lovers. Agape is unconditional love used to describe God’s love for mankind, it is sacrificial love. Storge is used to describe the love a parent has for their offspring.

Outside of relationship with God many of us will encounter philia, storge, or even eros love. We will be hard pressed to find agape love. The love God has for us is agape love and it is independent of us. God gives sacrificially because of who He is, not who we are. His love is not based on our performance, or merit. Even if we reject Him, He never stops loving us. Even some parents reject their offspring. Some parents can base their love and affection for a child based on their behavior. God does not. People base their love for others on their beauty, behavior, performance, attraction, or family ties. God loves because He is love. He loves the wicked, vile, and evil.

When God says, “I Love You,” it means more than what we could imagine. It is not something He simply does. Love is who God is. He cannot be anything other than love. Before the first humans were created, God was love. He created mankind knowing we would rebel against Him. Since, He is not limited by time or space, He knew everything there was to know about us before we were ever formed. He still made provisions to save mankind from the penalty of sin. He sent His very best to rescue us.

The world is looking for love. Looking for real love. I can say God is the best place to start. He knows everything about us and will never reject us. He cares more about us than we care about ourselves. He was willing to endure the worst pain to save those He loves.

We can spend our lives looking for love in all the wrong places, with all the wrong faces, or we can set our eyes on the One who is love. He is available 24/7 to be there for His children. He is 1 Corinthians 13 love. I replaced love with God’s name below.

God is patient. God is kind. He does not envy. He does not boast. He is not proud. God does not dishonor others. He is not self-seeking, or easily angered. God keeps no record of wrongs. God does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth. God always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. God never fails.

God’s love for us is not blanket love. Nor does He love us out of obligation. We are here because God allowed us to be here. He knows every hair on our heads (Luke 13:7). If we are following Him, it is because He pursued us. For no person can come to the Father unless He draws them (John 6:44).

Real love, genuine love can be found in God. It’s a love that does not fail. Don’t look for people to meet your needs. Go to the One who is love. He will change your life.

I leave you with Psalm 139. I hope it blesses you and sinks into your heart. You are deeply loved.

Psalm 139:1-18

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.

You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.
You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.

If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.

When God’s Answer Doesn’t Seem to Match Your Prayers

February 2, 2013February 8, 20138 Comments

For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope,” Jeremiah 29:11.

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.

Have you ever asked God for something and His answer did not seem to match your request? I have numerous times. This year I asked God for a year free of trauma, people close to me dying, and to save more money. It’s February 2nd and in the past week, I have been a car accident where my car was totaled, my aunt died, and I have another family member in critical condition in the hospital. I would have paid off my car next week. I would have had no car payment and been eligible for overtime. Since I was off due to the accident, the overtime is gone and if you’re working you know most people are making less money this year due to the social security tax in the USA going from 4.2 to 6.2 percent. So, the saving money part isn’t going the way I would like at the moment.

Let’s get to the good part of the story. What has God done the past week? Well, I suffered minor injuries from the accident, and I could have been killed or hospitalized. I missed landing in a frozen pond by a few feet. I was able to turn to miss hitting a utility pole head on. A friend came to be with me and help me the day of. The tow was free. Everything I have needed has been provided. Every day my pain is less and less. Every day I feel God’s love in a deeper way. I have not found a car replacement, but I am trusting God to do something great. I trust God even more with my life. I had no control over what happened last Friday. I simply had to trust God. I have seen in a greater capacity what God can do when we rely fully on Him, trust Him, believe Him, and seek Him. He is good.

Losing loved ones:

I grieve for any person who leaves this world without knowing God. In my mind, that is the worst case scenario. For my family members who know Jesus and leave this world for the next, I can rejoice. They were not healed here, but they have their complete healing in eternity. No pain, no sorrow, no weeping, no hurt, and bliss in the full presence of God. It hurts to lose someone we care for. It’s challenging to see any blessing in loss. I am not here to state we should throw a party or not grieve. Mourning is part of life. What I am saying is that God has a reason for allowing certain things to happen that we may never understand in this life.

When my mum died. I worshiped through abundant tears. It hurt me deeply, and I still have moments of sorrow. I could not understand why God would take her home. Why in this case He chose to not bring complete healing this side of eternity. I recall though sitting with her the week before she died. She said to me, “I am going home.” I responded, “No that’s not true, you’re getting better.” She replied,” No, I am going home. I have done everything God called me to do and now it’s time to go home.” She had asked God to take her home when she completed what she was placed on earth to do. She asked God to take her home if she were not going to be completely healed and a burden to others. God honored her prayers not ours.

When God’s answer does not seem to match our prayers, we can trust in His infinite wisdom, His unfailing love, and His perfect will.

So, my dear friends, if God’s answer doesn’t match your prayers, trust Him. I can say that because I have to trust Him every day. I have to lean on Him as my life depends on Him. I am young person who feels like I have lived a thousand years. But I would not trade my experiences and hard times for they have taught me so much about the love, provision, care, comfort, friendship, and beauty of God. I dare not glory in hardships, I delight in God who makes all things beautiful in His time. He gives us beauty for ashes, joy for mourning, and peace for turmoil. These momentary afflictions are nothing compared to His love. As long as God is here, we have a hope that will not disappoint. Hang in there! Keep seeking His face. He loves you deeply!

Lastly, I found this online and it brought great comfort.

I asked for strength,
And God gave me difficulties to make me strong;

I asked for wisdom,
And God gave me problems to learn to solve;

I asked for prosperity,
And God gave me brain and brawn to work;

I asked for courage,
And God gave me dangers to overcome;

I asked for love,
And God gave me people to help;

I asked for favors,
And God gave me opportunities.

I received nothing I wanted – I received everything I needed.
My prayer has been answered!

You are in my thoughts and prayers today friends…You are deeply loved.

A Greater Yes

January 20, 20132 Comments

Last post I wrote about when God says no. It’s easy with Christianity to focus on what God says no to instead of what He says yes to. If we entered into a relationship with God only to be given a list of rules, it would not be a blessing. So, today I want to talk about the blessings that come from being with God.

Redemption in Christ

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love,having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him, Ephesians 1:3-10.

The Blessings of God

Forgiveness. God gives us forgiveness of sins. All of our sins have been paid for on the cross. Jesus paid the penalty for all sin. Why is this a blessing? It’s a blessing because the wages of sin is death. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, Romans 6:23. If we are not forgiven, we are not saved from eternal separation from God. We cannot save ourselves. We need God and His forgiveness.

God is not like us. We forgive and cannot forget. God removes the stains of sin forever. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us, Psalm 103:12. I, even I, am He who blots out your transgressions, for My own sake, and remembers your sins no more, Isaiah 43:25. God gives us a clean slate. Not only does God forgive us our sins, He gives us freedom from being slaves to sin. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness, Romans 6:18.

Relationship. God is after a relationship, not our rule keeping. He invites us to have a fruitful and blessed relationship with Him. Jesus paid the price so we could have full access to God.

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me, John 14:6.

In Him (Jesus) and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence, Ephesians 3:12.

Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me, John 15:4.

Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need, Hebrews 4:16.

This relationship comes with so many benefits. God is our Provider, Advocate, Helper, Healer, Wise Counsel, Wisdom, Redeemer, Friend, and so much more. We have the opportunity to have a personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe. Also all the things He asks us to do, He gives us His Holy Spirit to enable us to do those things. He only asks us to do things that will lead to blessing. He invites us to know Him. He is the greatest reward. We don’t have to go through a bunch of rituals to get to Him. We can go boldly to Him with confidence.

Eternal Life: God offers us life eternal in paradise. This life is just a blip on the screen of life. Eternity is so big and vast beyond measure. Our minds cannot fully fathom what awaits. Heaven awaits. There will be no sickness, death, evil, fatigue, pain, suffering, poverty, no bad news, and we will reign with Christ forever and ever. For God loved the world so much that he gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life, John 3:16.

But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed! It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies.

Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled:

“Death is swallowed up in victory, 1 Corinthians 15:51-54

The only alternative is life apart from God in eternal damnation. God invites every person to bypass hell which was created for the devil and the angels who rebelled with him. He says, “Come to Me and find life.”

Spiritual gifts: God gives us His Spirit and the Holy Spirit has numerous roles in our lives. He is at work to transform us into the image of Jesus. He also is at work so that we can operate in the gifts of the Spirit and have the fruits of the Spirit in our lives.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other, Galatians 5:22-26.

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.

This post does not even begin to capture all the benefits of saying yes to God and His will. He withholds nothing good from us. The world has many things to offer, but saying yes to anything outside of God’s will leads to bondage and death. God is good. Everything He does is good! If He says no it’s because He has a greater yes.

Bless you friends. You’re in my thoughts and prayers, Love Erin.

Where’s God When Bad Things Happen (Part II)

January 3, 2013Leave a comment

More Than Conquerors Romans 8:28, 31b-39

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…

If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Can God stop all the bad things from happening in the world? The answer is God is Sovereign and can do what He pleases. He does not, however, force people to live holy. It’s unfortunate and good as well. How can I say it’s good? Glad you asked.God promises to work all things together for the good of those who love Him. Right now in this present world it does not always look good or feel good. From an outside perspective Jesus’ suffering and going to the cross seems cruel. It does not seem very loving of the Father to put His only Son in harm’s way, until you see the final picture. The crucifixion of Jesus leads many sons and daughters, who would be lost forever, into right relationship with Him. He gave His very best, and raised Jesus up to heavenly places. He gave Jesus the name above all names. Something amazing came from one man’s suffering. One man’s obedience, leads many to eternal life.

I don’t always understand in the moment why God allows certain things to happen. I don’t believe He causes the evil in the world, but He does not stop all the evil in the world. He is the One to turn to in times of suffering, not the One to avoid. God knows the depths of suffering. Jesus suffered and there’s no better person to cling to in all seasons of life. Our personal suffering may lead many to Christ. Though uncomfortable, it’s great if heaven is enlarged by our life story.

Closing Thoughts:

God will use everything for our eventual good. I can say that as someone who has suffered. When I turned the pain over to God, He gave me something better in return. He gave more of Himself. He is close to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18). He heals and restores. He comforts. He becomes a trusted a friend. When we choose Him in the midst of suffering instead of bitterness, hatred, and turning away from Him, we find beauty in the ashes. If I recounted all the tragedies of my life, you’d think I was insane for following God. What people don’t see is that God takes the ugly and makes it beautiful. He uses the bad for a greater purpose of good. He is just and fair. It doesn’t seem good in the midst of trials, but these afflictions are working out a greater glory for us (2 Corinthians 4:17). They are also giving us a testimony and building compassion in our hearts for others. A person who’s suffered, will normally reach out to another suffering person.

Father I pray healing over every person who is hurting. I ask for healed emotions, healed diseases, and freedom unlike anything they have experienced. Bless them richly, in Jesus name. Amen.

God=Love

Exploring God's Heart

Category: Devotions