David, a man after God's own heart, loved God's word and loved God's correction. Without God's correction/discipline, sins grow and separate us from God.
As I read the passage above from Psalm 19, I had to ask myself, do I REALLY love God's laws and commandments? Do I position myself to "succeed" with God in the sense that I obey what I know God wants me to do? And not just the rules and regulations, but the thoughts He speaks into my heart and mind. Am I obedient in even the smallest thing, the smallest urging, the quietest voice? Do I ever see how close to sin I can get without falling over the edge?
With God my salvation is sure, but if I really BELONG to Him shouldn't I want to do what He asks, what He expects? My joy comes from having a deep, personal relationship with a loving Father. Just as there is peace in a home when children obey their parents and don't whine and complain and try to get out of chores or homework; when they accept "No" as final; when they say "Thank you" for even small things, so there is peace in my heart - God's home - when I ask His direction for how to spend my time and energy and money and then do what I know He wants me to do.
God's love, His discipline, His patience, His directions, His laws are all perfect. Why would I not love His correction when He sees me headed for disaster? Too often I want the gifts, the blessings but not the "No". Help me, Lord, to love the "No" - knowing that You always have the right answer.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
God's Love Overwhelms Me
What a beautiful Easter Sunday! What a wonderful Easter Saturday night! We had church at NewSpring last night. The message was one of the most powerful I have heard/seen since I started at NewSpring almost a year ago.
Although I have been a Christ follower most of my life, I am still overwhelmed at the price Jesus paid to redeem my sorry, sinful life so that I can be called a daughter of the Most High God. I am so glad the story never gets old for me. As I thought about all Jesus suffered, the death and punishment He accepted so I wouldn't have to be punished, I wept. Not tears of regret but tears of joy that God loves me so much that He would pay such a price for me. For me! Who am I that God should love me so?
And it's not just me He loves. God loved the WORLD and He gave His one and only Son, that ANYONE who believes in Him will have eternal life. John 3:14-17 Last night about 10 people in Greenville, gave their lives to Jesus. They are now the recipients of God's grace and God's love and part of my family. I don't know their names, but we will spend all eternity together in heaven. Yeah!
Although I have been a Christ follower most of my life, I am still overwhelmed at the price Jesus paid to redeem my sorry, sinful life so that I can be called a daughter of the Most High God. I am so glad the story never gets old for me. As I thought about all Jesus suffered, the death and punishment He accepted so I wouldn't have to be punished, I wept. Not tears of regret but tears of joy that God loves me so much that He would pay such a price for me. For me! Who am I that God should love me so?
And it's not just me He loves. God loved the WORLD and He gave His one and only Son, that ANYONE who believes in Him will have eternal life. John 3:14-17 Last night about 10 people in Greenville, gave their lives to Jesus. They are now the recipients of God's grace and God's love and part of my family. I don't know their names, but we will spend all eternity together in heaven. Yeah!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Easter
I love the Easter season. A lot of people think that Christmas is the main holiday for the Church...Jesus being born in a manger. And it is important. It is the fulfillment of a ton of prophecy and lots of years of expectation.
But the only reason Jesus left His home in Heaven to be born to a virgin Jewish teenager was to die on a Roman cross so that He could pay the penalty for my sins. That just blows me away. Jesus, part of the Trinity of the God-head, son of the Living God, gave up His position, His "rights", His home in Heaven to come to earth as a man. He faced all that we face - hunger, thirst, abandonment, loneliness, tiredness, frustration, anger, temptation, joy, peace - anything, everything human existence affords.
The greatest thing He did was take on the sins of the world, bear those sins into death and the pit of Hell and then, 3 days later, rise from the dead, victorious over sin and death. And He did this for me!! So all my sins can be forgiven and I can be reconciled to a holy God; so I can have the Holy Spirit to fill me with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control; so I can spend all eternity with Him in Heaven when this body finally dies.
Easter - without it there is no hope, no forgiveness, no salvation, no forever in the presence of God.
But the only reason Jesus left His home in Heaven to be born to a virgin Jewish teenager was to die on a Roman cross so that He could pay the penalty for my sins. That just blows me away. Jesus, part of the Trinity of the God-head, son of the Living God, gave up His position, His "rights", His home in Heaven to come to earth as a man. He faced all that we face - hunger, thirst, abandonment, loneliness, tiredness, frustration, anger, temptation, joy, peace - anything, everything human existence affords.
The greatest thing He did was take on the sins of the world, bear those sins into death and the pit of Hell and then, 3 days later, rise from the dead, victorious over sin and death. And He did this for me!! So all my sins can be forgiven and I can be reconciled to a holy God; so I can have the Holy Spirit to fill me with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control; so I can spend all eternity with Him in Heaven when this body finally dies.
Easter - without it there is no hope, no forgiveness, no salvation, no forever in the presence of God.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Am I Real with God?
I'm reading the Psalms each day. One of the things that I like about David's songs to the Lord is just how real David is. When he feels abandoned, he asks God where are you. When he's in the midst of hard times, he asks God to intervene. When his enemies attack him, verbally or physically, he calls on God to deal with them.
But the thing David does most is praise God for who He is, for what He has done, for what He will do. David really seems to KNOW God, not just know about God. He teaches me a lot about worship. He trusts God with all that he has.
I think a lot of times we put on a false face to the world 'cause we don't want anyone to know if we are hurting or scared or angry or doing things we ought not to. I think we've been taught to "be nice" so we won't even open up to God - who already knows what's going on in our hearts and minds. I think that is why David had such a great relationship with God; why God called him "a man after My own heart." David was willing to be real with God and in turn, God became very real to him.
But the thing David does most is praise God for who He is, for what He has done, for what He will do. David really seems to KNOW God, not just know about God. He teaches me a lot about worship. He trusts God with all that he has.
I think a lot of times we put on a false face to the world 'cause we don't want anyone to know if we are hurting or scared or angry or doing things we ought not to. I think we've been taught to "be nice" so we won't even open up to God - who already knows what's going on in our hearts and minds. I think that is why David had such a great relationship with God; why God called him "a man after My own heart." David was willing to be real with God and in turn, God became very real to him.
Spring Is Here
Well, maybe not. Just a few days ago, on Saturday, it was 70 degrees. A tad breezy but a great day to be out working in the yard. Today it is cold again...feels like winter.
Bella and I went out around 9:30 Saturday morning; Nathan was still sleeping. She didn't have any long pants or a sweater so I put her in the car with her baby Jaguar (a stuffed toy - from the Dora cartoon). I pulled the car up to where I was and of course I took the keys out. So she played happily, feeding, changing diapers and all the little girl stuff little girls do.
I had started weeding the flower beds Friday evening while the kids rode skateboards and played. On Saturday morning, while Bella was pretending to be mommy, I took up where I left off. Bella wanted to help Friday evening but she didn't want to get the damp earth under her fingernails or hold the worms we uncovered. So she bowed out of the Saturday morning weeding until I started moving mulch. Then she decided she would help and started filling empty plastic flower pots. I'm not sure how much she wanted to help but I do know she enjoyed the "digging" to scoop up the mulch into the pots.
But spring will return. I guess Spring is here whether the temperatures feels like it or not. The azaleas and dogwoods and other early bloomers are just spectacular now. I love this time of year!!
Bella and I went out around 9:30 Saturday morning; Nathan was still sleeping. She didn't have any long pants or a sweater so I put her in the car with her baby Jaguar (a stuffed toy - from the Dora cartoon). I pulled the car up to where I was and of course I took the keys out. So she played happily, feeding, changing diapers and all the little girl stuff little girls do.
I had started weeding the flower beds Friday evening while the kids rode skateboards and played. On Saturday morning, while Bella was pretending to be mommy, I took up where I left off. Bella wanted to help Friday evening but she didn't want to get the damp earth under her fingernails or hold the worms we uncovered. So she bowed out of the Saturday morning weeding until I started moving mulch. Then she decided she would help and started filling empty plastic flower pots. I'm not sure how much she wanted to help but I do know she enjoyed the "digging" to scoop up the mulch into the pots.
But spring will return. I guess Spring is here whether the temperatures feels like it or not. The azaleas and dogwoods and other early bloomers are just spectacular now. I love this time of year!!
Thursday, April 2, 2009
God Is Always in Control
One of the things that I find so interesting about the book of Job is everyone is trying to speak for God. Job in his sorrow at all he's lost just wants to curl up and die. Then he decides he needs a face to face with God so he can ask what's going on here? Why am I suffering and getting beat up by life? Why have You abandoned me? Why do I deserve this? Sounds like a lot of people. We want an explanation from God for all the trials and hardships and tough times. I've had friends who have said they are making a list and one day they are going to get answers. Yeah, right!
Then there's Job's friends...so sure of why Job is suffering. With all their God does this and God doesn't do that you'd think THEY were the one's that God pointed out as righteous. Which by the way is one of the most awesome stories in the whole Bible. The angels come into God's presence and Satan comes too. Always the accuser, he says Job only worships God 'cause of all the stuff God gives him. God gives Satan PERMISSION to take away Job's stuff. The big, bad angel can't do ANYTHING without God's permission. He is really a wimp AND a loser. Jesus already won the battle!!
I'm just about to get to my favorite part of Job; the part when God finally speaks and puts an end to Job's complaining and the "friends" posturing and all their empty speculations. But even with all the wrong stuff, they do say a lot of right things about the sovereignty of God and the power and majesty of God. We see how deep Job's faith is here and here. But then God speaks and like any of us, Job and his friends are left speechless.
Then there's Job's friends...so sure of why Job is suffering. With all their God does this and God doesn't do that you'd think THEY were the one's that God pointed out as righteous. Which by the way is one of the most awesome stories in the whole Bible. The angels come into God's presence and Satan comes too. Always the accuser, he says Job only worships God 'cause of all the stuff God gives him. God gives Satan PERMISSION to take away Job's stuff. The big, bad angel can't do ANYTHING without God's permission. He is really a wimp AND a loser. Jesus already won the battle!!
I'm just about to get to my favorite part of Job; the part when God finally speaks and puts an end to Job's complaining and the "friends" posturing and all their empty speculations. But even with all the wrong stuff, they do say a lot of right things about the sovereignty of God and the power and majesty of God. We see how deep Job's faith is here and here. But then God speaks and like any of us, Job and his friends are left speechless.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Is It ONLY Wednesday
Yesterday, after lunch, I asked the woman in the next office...is it still Tuesday? Well this morning I still can't believe it's only Wednesday.
I've done enough work already to fill a week but hopefully it will slow down now. Spring break is in full swing in Spartanburg County and people are supposed to be at home or on a mini vacation or something...not calling me with all sorts of issues with their health insurance. Unfortunately it is mostly small businesses struggling financially and past due accounts with carriers.
But my boss says I have the magic bullet this week. I've spent a lot of time on the phone with United Healthcare and have gotten a lot of information for people and a lot of problems solved so that is a good thing. Being on the phone with a carrier doesn't make all the paper on my desk go away, though. I did finally get all the paper sorted and put in the proper folders but it's still got to go into the file room.
Usually when I'm too busy to take lunch or breaks the week flies by but not this one. It's dragging its sorry carcass as slowly as possible. Monday was an 11 hour day but Tuesday was back to just 9. It's looking now like the rest of the days will be the 7.5 hour days I am paid for and that gives me reason to rejoice!!!
I've done enough work already to fill a week but hopefully it will slow down now. Spring break is in full swing in Spartanburg County and people are supposed to be at home or on a mini vacation or something...not calling me with all sorts of issues with their health insurance. Unfortunately it is mostly small businesses struggling financially and past due accounts with carriers.
But my boss says I have the magic bullet this week. I've spent a lot of time on the phone with United Healthcare and have gotten a lot of information for people and a lot of problems solved so that is a good thing. Being on the phone with a carrier doesn't make all the paper on my desk go away, though. I did finally get all the paper sorted and put in the proper folders but it's still got to go into the file room.
Usually when I'm too busy to take lunch or breaks the week flies by but not this one. It's dragging its sorry carcass as slowly as possible. Monday was an 11 hour day but Tuesday was back to just 9. It's looking now like the rest of the days will be the 7.5 hour days I am paid for and that gives me reason to rejoice!!!
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