How vulnerable are we in our daily lives? In today's society of private homes, security systems,call display, texting, firewalls and passwords, how vulnerable do we really allow ourselves to be?
Today in my quiet time with God, He gave me a new perspective on how vulnerable Christ must have felt and been on the cross. I laid on my study floor with arms spread wide and the feeling made me shudder! Christ made himself totally vulnerable and exposed for me....my Creator, the Creator of the universe!! Inconceivable. What kind of love is that? Beyond my ability or comprehension, that's what.
However, I believe that is the type of vulnerablity God is calling me to. I like feeling secure and independent and free. God wants me to be secure, dependent and free in Him and then be vulnerable to others out of love for Him. That means letting others in behind the mask, into my home and into my free time. Exposing myself to the possibility of being hurt, taken advantage of and inconvenienced. That doesn't mean I let people walk all over me or tolerate toxic relationships or expose myself to unrestrained scutiny. God gave me a brain and expects me to utilize it! That being said, I believe God wants me to be vulnerable with wisdom and intelligence, loving as much as I can and whoever He brings into my path.
Lord give me eyes to see those you have called me to love and be vulnerable with and courage to do it because You did it for me.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Prayer
A few days ago I started reading a small book by R.A. Torrey called 'How to Pray'. I am always surprised by these small books by "old dead guys", as our friend Neil would say, and the insights I gather from them. What a powerful little book!
I often take prayer much too lightly, breeze through it too quickly or struggle with spending the time on it. This book has given me a whole new way to look at prayer and the importance of it!
He starts in right at the beginning with eleven reasons to pray. I am only half way through the list at the moment but will speak to two in each blog as I go through the book. Ephesians 6:18 is the verse he states expresses the importance and need for prayer:
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."
The author calls us to " constant, persistent, sleepless, overcoming prayer" and repeats those words frequently throughout the book in the hope " that these words.....might burn into our hearts."
The first reason he states for the need of "constant, persisitent, sleepless, overcoming prayer" is that there is a devil.
Secondly is that "prayer is God's appointed way for obtaining things" and the reason we flounder in all we do or have weak results is we don't spend enough time in prayer!
I know I tend to forget who and what I am fighting against in my life. My eyes can't see the spiritual realm around me and so I fail to recognize where the battle truly is. My need for prayer is there as soon as I open my eyes, from the moment my brain kicks into gear and my feet touch the floor because there is a devil lurking nearby looking to tear me apart and destroy my witness for Christ. I DO NOT want that to happen and so I need to pray first thing in the morning and all day long. Now that doesn't mean I sit in my study and do nothing but read God's Word and pray. It means I need to have a quiet time of prayer with God, to start my day and then to frequently be offering prayers to Him throughout my day as He brings things or people to my mind or as I encounter troubles, fear, challenges, LIFE!
I have a tendency to be a whiner and complainer. Lame, I know! I want to be a Princess and just have life go my way. My sinful self.
The part of me that loves my Saviour Jesus Christ longs to live a life that honours and glorifies Him and the only way I can truly and best do that is through "constant, persistent, sleepless and overcoming prayer".
Father, thank you for R. A. Torrey and his willingness to write this book and that it has come into my hands. Thank you that you did not leave us here alone on earth to flounder but have left us your holy Word that instructs and shows us your will. Draw me each morning to prayer and time spent in Your Presence. You make it all worthwhile!!
I often take prayer much too lightly, breeze through it too quickly or struggle with spending the time on it. This book has given me a whole new way to look at prayer and the importance of it!
He starts in right at the beginning with eleven reasons to pray. I am only half way through the list at the moment but will speak to two in each blog as I go through the book. Ephesians 6:18 is the verse he states expresses the importance and need for prayer:
"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."
The author calls us to " constant, persistent, sleepless, overcoming prayer" and repeats those words frequently throughout the book in the hope " that these words.....might burn into our hearts."
The first reason he states for the need of "constant, persisitent, sleepless, overcoming prayer" is that there is a devil.
Secondly is that "prayer is God's appointed way for obtaining things" and the reason we flounder in all we do or have weak results is we don't spend enough time in prayer!
I know I tend to forget who and what I am fighting against in my life. My eyes can't see the spiritual realm around me and so I fail to recognize where the battle truly is. My need for prayer is there as soon as I open my eyes, from the moment my brain kicks into gear and my feet touch the floor because there is a devil lurking nearby looking to tear me apart and destroy my witness for Christ. I DO NOT want that to happen and so I need to pray first thing in the morning and all day long. Now that doesn't mean I sit in my study and do nothing but read God's Word and pray. It means I need to have a quiet time of prayer with God, to start my day and then to frequently be offering prayers to Him throughout my day as He brings things or people to my mind or as I encounter troubles, fear, challenges, LIFE!
I have a tendency to be a whiner and complainer. Lame, I know! I want to be a Princess and just have life go my way. My sinful self.
The part of me that loves my Saviour Jesus Christ longs to live a life that honours and glorifies Him and the only way I can truly and best do that is through "constant, persistent, sleepless and overcoming prayer".
Father, thank you for R. A. Torrey and his willingness to write this book and that it has come into my hands. Thank you that you did not leave us here alone on earth to flounder but have left us your holy Word that instructs and shows us your will. Draw me each morning to prayer and time spent in Your Presence. You make it all worthwhile!!
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Turn
This mornings text was Acts 9:1-22. The apostle Paul's conversion. Man, I would have liked to been there and seen that!! I had always imagined Paul and his associates riding horses to Damascus but it doesn't say that. Actually from the text it appears they were walking, which I suppose shouldn't surprise me, they all walked alot back then. I wonder what ever happened to the others who were with him? They heard the Lord's voice as well. Did they become followers of Christ also or did they choose not to believe and continue on in blindness? True blindness.
Paul had been spiritually blind then was physically blinded and from that Christ gave him true sight. In my devotions today it was talking about turning points in life. Often we look on some of these turning points as terrible disasters, crises and unwanted change. Yet God is at work through these times to turn us in a new and better direction. One in which we can better glorify Him and also have life more abundantly. He satisfies the true desires of our heart, even the ones we don't really even know until he shows us. Oh, what a God we serve and have the privilege to call Friend!!
"God does all these things to a man - twice, even three times - to turn back his soul from the pit,." that the light of life may shine on him." Job 33:29-30 NIV
Paul had been spiritually blind then was physically blinded and from that Christ gave him true sight. In my devotions today it was talking about turning points in life. Often we look on some of these turning points as terrible disasters, crises and unwanted change. Yet God is at work through these times to turn us in a new and better direction. One in which we can better glorify Him and also have life more abundantly. He satisfies the true desires of our heart, even the ones we don't really even know until he shows us. Oh, what a God we serve and have the privilege to call Friend!!
"God does all these things to a man - twice, even three times - to turn back his soul from the pit,." that the light of life may shine on him." Job 33:29-30 NIV
Monday, September 17, 2012
Crippled by Fear
Today I was reading John 5:1-15. It spoke about the crippled man who had lain by the healing pool for 38 years and not been able to get in to be healed. The cripple complained that he had no one to help him and how others always got in before him. I had thought to myself, "Well just go in anyway!". The whole premise of the healing pool was that the first one in would be healed but I thought, "well you could try it!", at the same time realizing this came from my belief that God can heal anytime and anyone whereas the cripple probably didn't have that same faith. Then God spoke to my own heart and I realized that I have been doing the same thing. I have spent many, many years complaining that others were already doing what I longed to (and felt God wanted me to) and doing it very successfully, so why should I bother? What if I failed or was just deluding myself?
The next few verses slapped me upside the head! Christ says to the cripple "Get up! Take up your mat and walk." In other words; stop making excuses and get moving! Quit looking at others and comparing yourself to them and their lives and do what you believe I AM is calling you to do! Stop living in fear and trust God to provide the results.
I was at a Beth Moore simulcast on the weekend and one of the points she made was "Fear is the crippler of a walking, talking miracle." When we don't trust God and allow fear to cripple us we are allowing Satan ground he doesn't deserve.
Psalm 44:5 says "Through you we will push back our adversaries; through your name we will trample down those who rise up against us." (NASB)
O, Lord, remind me that you are more powerful than anything I fear. Open my eyes to what holds me back from following you and through your name to push back and "GET UP! TAKE UP MY MAT AND WALK!!"
The next few verses slapped me upside the head! Christ says to the cripple "Get up! Take up your mat and walk." In other words; stop making excuses and get moving! Quit looking at others and comparing yourself to them and their lives and do what you believe I AM is calling you to do! Stop living in fear and trust God to provide the results.
I was at a Beth Moore simulcast on the weekend and one of the points she made was "Fear is the crippler of a walking, talking miracle." When we don't trust God and allow fear to cripple us we are allowing Satan ground he doesn't deserve.
Psalm 44:5 says "Through you we will push back our adversaries; through your name we will trample down those who rise up against us." (NASB)
O, Lord, remind me that you are more powerful than anything I fear. Open my eyes to what holds me back from following you and through your name to push back and "GET UP! TAKE UP MY MAT AND WALK!!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)