When I'm Giving Up

Some days it's just good to know where my strength comes from.

I can do all things through Christ, because he gives me strength. Philippians 4:13 (NCV)

With your help I can attack an army.
    With God’s help I can jump over a wall. Psalm 18:29

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his great power.  Ephesians 6:10

He gives strength to those who are tired
    and more power to those who are weak.
Even children become tired and need to rest,
    and young people trip and fall.
But the people who trust the Lord will become strong again.
They will rise up as an eagle in the sky;
    they will run and not need rest;
    they will walk and not become tired.  Isaiah 40:29-31

But he said to me, “My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you.”  2 Corinthians 12:9

But, Lord, don’t be far away.
    You are my strength; hurry to help me.  Psalm 22:19

An Undefined Space

Your own ears will hear him.
Right behind you a voice will say,
"This is the way you should go,
whether to the right or to the left."
Isaiah 30:21 (NLT)

Yesterday, I attended a meeting with someone. The meeting was very successful and on the drive back to the office I commented on how my colleague decided to reach out to this man on a whim and that it went so well.

He said that he couldn't get the thought out of his head. It kept repeating itself over and over again. I said "Maybe you were hearing "The Voice." He said, "Yes, I kept hearing it somewhere between my head and my heart."

That comment resounded completely in my own head/heart space. When you hear God speaking, it lodges in the space of your head and your heart and it sticks. You know it is him. There is no doubt. You can't really explain it but there isn't really a need to try. There is a peace in this place that does not need to be explained. It just needs to be obeyed.

Tools To Love God And Others

He said, “That you love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and muscle and intelligence—and that you love your neighbor as well as you do yourself.”  Luke 10:27 (MSG)

Passion - strong and barely controllable emotion
Prayer - a conversation saying thanks, asking for help, both sharing and listening
Muscle - physical power and strength
Intelligence - applying knowledge and skills

In the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus asked the scholar what the law said about how you should live your life.  I love how The Message translates this verse.  Makes you think. If you define each of those, it is clear you are all in.  You should use every aspect of your being, including your faith, to love God and your neighbor.

A paraphrase might be:

Love the Lord your God with a strong and barely controllable emotion, with all the physical power and strength that you have, using the brain you were given to learn and apply that knowledge while remembering, you need to pray.  Because you can't do it by yourself.

Those are some lofty goals. I have to go pray now.  Because I can't do that by myself.

Things God Never Said

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.  Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

Here are some things that God has probably never said:

• Man, I can’t believe you messed up again.
• If you do that one more time our relationship is over.
• You are too messed up to hang around with me.
• Don’t talk to me right now. You need to get your act together and then I’ll talk to you.
• I am not paying attention to what you are doing. I have other more important things to do.
• Come back later. I’m busy.

God doesn’t say these things. EVER. He doesn’t say these things because he loves us and he knows we need him to heal and be better.  

The Bible says that God will continue to work in your life. Continue. Keep at it. Never stop. Until Jesus comes.  That’s forever in our terms.

Those voices that you hear in your head that say you aren’t doing it right? The ones that say you aren’t connecting with God or you didn’t do what he wanted? The ones that make you feel like it’s hopeless?  Those are Satan.  Ignore him.  God never says hopeless things to you. EVER. Satan wants you to become discouraged and give up. God wants you to know that He’s got you and he will never, ever give up on you. There is a big difference between the two.

Bowing Now Or Later?

Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
    and gave him the name above all other names,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:9-11 (NLT)

When I read this verse, my mind always goes to Jesus' second coming. I think about seeing him in the clouds and being overcome. Overcome with love and adoration. Overcome with the idea that I will get to be with him and talk to him. I imagine everyone bowing and everyone praising him.

But this text is not just a future event. This is a current event as well. We are supposed to grow closer and closer to Jesus every day so that at the mention of his names our hearts will be overcome with love and adoration. At the mention of his name we will bow.

What stops us from living the kingdom on earth as it is in heaven? What causes us to put off to the future what we should be doing now? And then, I can't help but wonder.....if I don't live like this now, will I get to in the future?

A Minute In It - Not What You Thought Would Happen

A minute in Gods' word will change your life.  Reach the passage below and answer the questions after the post.

But now that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers became fearful. “Now Joseph will show his anger and pay us back for all the wrong we did to him,” they said.

So they sent this message to Joseph: “Before your father died, he instructed us to say to you: ‘Please forgive your brothers for the great wrong they did to you—for their sin in treating you so cruelly.’ So we, the servants of the God of your father, beg you to forgive our sin.” When Joseph received the message, he broke down and wept. Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said.

But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. No, don’t be afraid. I will continue to take care of you and your children.” So he reassured them by speaking kindly to them. Genesis 50:15-21 (NLT)

Joseph's brothers had sold him into slavery.  Because of this he was imprisoned (either as an indentured servant or in a jail) for about 14 years. When God turned his life around and used him to save Egypt, his brother's resurfaced.

Is there some event in your life that you've gone through....that you can look back on and say "They intended it for harm but God used it for good?"  What are you doing with that? Are you holding on to it and holding a grudge or are you letting it go?  Are you in the middle of such a thing now?  Can you trust that God can make all things work for his good and his glory?

Whatever You Do.....

And be sure of this: I am with you always. Matthew 28:20 (NLT)

Happy Monday!

What plans do you have for today? Whether you are

• Working in an office
• Driving a cab
• Teaching at a school
• Managing a home
• Working construction
• Waiting tables
• Hiking trails or
• Taking a day off

No matter what you do or where you do it, Jesus is with you. You are not alone.

Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand. Isaiah 41:10 (NLT)

Have a Great Day!

Mission Possible

In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk—better yet, run!—on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline—not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences.

You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness. Ephesians 4:1-6 (MSG)

These are your instructions for today. The only way you can do them is by keeping in touch with the Holy Spirit. Each time you feel that you want to quit or slack off, each time you want to take off on your own path and do your own thing, stop and pray. When it gets hard. Stop and pray. And when you find joy in the journey, stop and PRAISE!

Happy Friday Everyone!