... Paul Harvey...

So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.
Hebrews 10:35-36

All for now (I think),
Lisa

Today's Streams in the Desert

After waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised
Hebrews 6:15

and so will I.

All for now (I think),
Lisa

Ready to Receive

God: Pursuit, Promise, Provision
Lisa: Preparing, Waiting, Resting
(all while trusting, praying, believing, desiring)

All for now (I think),
Lisa

Less Like Scars
by Sara Groves

It's been a hard year
But I'm climbing out of the rubble
These lessons are hard
Healing changes are subtle
But every day it's

Less like tearing, more like building
Less like captive, more like willing
Less like breakdown, more like surrender
Less like haunting, more like remember

And I feel you here
And you're picking up the pieces
Forever faithful
It seemed out of my hands, a bad situation
But you are able
And in your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars and more like
Character

Less like a prison, more like my room
It's less like a casket, more like a womb
Less like dying, more like transcending
Less like fear, less like an ending

And I feel you here
And you're picking up the pieces
Forever faithful
It seemed out of my hands, a bad situation
But you are able
And in your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars

Just a little while ago
I couldn't feel the power or the hope
I couldn't cope, I couldn't feel a thing
Just a little while back
I was desperate, broken, laid out, hoping
You would come

And I need you
And I want you here
And I feel you

And I know you're here
And you're picking up the pieces
Forever faithful
It seemed out of my hands, a bad, bad situation
But you are able

And in your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars
And in your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars
And in your hands the pain and hurt
Look less like scars
And more like
Character

All for now (I think),
Lisa

... Paul Harvey...

You know, I noticed something about the two passages below about resting. We have to make every effort to enter rest (Hebrews 4:11). We have to work at resting!! That verse has so much more meaning now to me...and you know the other weird thing, it comes home to me differently now. And so does the second passage.

In the days following my sister’s suicide, I made every effort to help my dad. And on a Saturday I was completely at the end of my rope. That night - I was sobbing in my bed and the verses Matt 11:28-30 came to me (I don’t think I recited them at the time correctly or knew exactly where they were, but I felt they were not my own – they were given to me). After I said them, I felt a lightening of spirit and I fell asleep, and woke up the next morning (Sunday), giddy in anticipation of how God was going to work.

The funny thing is that (I didn't realize it until now) I ceased trying to help my dad. He gave me rest. I found rest (both are in that passage). And my dad is a walking miracle today!!

Now it's coming home to me in a different scenario.

All for now (I think),
Lisa

Resting vs. Waiting

I learned that the Hebrew word for "wait" is "to twist by binding". And in recent experiences I have encountered Christ in my waiting - much like Mary and Martha did in waiting for Christ concerning their brother Lazarus. I have learned that waiting is not passive, but active. I have also learned that waiting has its own reward. And He is right there with me!!

That was then and this is now. As you might have read, I now feel called to "rest". I told a friend the other day that I was going to explore it... I use to think resting and waiting were similar, but they are very different!

Our pastor spoke on Sunday (of course, more perfect timing!) about the first 4 of the 10 Commandments. The 4th commandment is:

"Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Exodus 20:8-11

The Hebrew word for rest is the same root word for seven and sabbath. At that perfect time, it means to cease, stop, end. It doesn't necessarily mean to restore (as we think rest is... to rest because you're weary). It means an ending of activity, the cessation of effort. Sabbath does not mean keeping a special day, it means ending a specific effort. God created the the earth, then He rested. Have you noticed that He has yet to create anything new since then? He ceased.

There are a couple of passages that have spoken to me:

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience.
Hebrews 4:9-11

I was working. And now I'm ceasing from my labors, my activity, my works, even my waiting.

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Matthew 11:28-30

I was weary and burdened. God will give me rest. And there I will find rest (both are in that passage).

All for now (I think),
Lisa

The Stream Has Turned into a Raging River

Today's devotional from "Streams in the Desert" once again fed me wonderfully. Let me share with you the last part:

Trusting even when it apears you have been forsaken; praying when it seems your words are simply entering a vast expanse where no one hears and no voice answers; believing that God's love is complete and that He is aware of your circumstances, even when your world seems to grind on as if setting its own direction and not caring for life or moving one inch in response to our petitions; desiring only what God's hands have planned for you; waiting patiently while seemingly starving to death, with your only fear being that your faith might fail - "this is the victory that has overcome the world"; this is genuine faith indeed.
George McDonald

I hope it feeds you as well.

All for now (I think),
Lisa

Getting Somewhere

Here are new words for me:

1) Righteousness
2) Blamelessness
3) Obedience
4) Rememberance/Carry
5) Character
6) Rest/Still
7) Receive

I hope they speak to you in a way that you can only experience solely because only God could have communicated it.

All for now,
Lisa

Jehovah-Rohi

My Sunday school class is studying the names of God. This past Sunday was Jehovah-Rohi: The LORD my Shepherd. I took notes, and sometimes (ok, I know I'm weird) I take notes in prose fashion. Sunday was no exception.

I am a sheep
Frail, weak, unstable
My Lord Jesus Christ is my shepherd
He is the righteous branch
He will carry me

He will take care of me
I do not lack
Even on dark days, scattered with clouds
He sees

He desires to tend to me
Health, comfort, welfare
He is with me

I am His
The sheep of His pasture
My heart reclines
In His gentle tending care
He is my rest

Trusting His character
Confident in His promise
Obedient to Him
The LORD is there
The LORD is here
He is in me

All for now,
Lisa

The Domino Factor

Actually, wikipedia calls it the domino effect. But with God, His work in my life is much more than a linear sequence. And He is much more than simple.

But what I've seen lately is how each step along the way is useful to Him. And I want to enjoy each domino as it comes. Still seeing the "downed" dominoes behind me and looking forward to the "upped" dominoes in front of me. But focusing on the domino right in front of me!

The other good news here is that even if I mis-step and get out of alignment, He is good (given that I've repented) to get me right back along the road.

All for now (I think),
Lisa

A Promise: God Said it, I Believe It

If you're read my blog for any amount of time, you know that God has given me a promise. And most of you know that God has taken me through a time of development, and through a time of waiting. And now into a time of rest. And yet, even in the time of rest, there is still a wonder.

All of it requires a step OUT in faith. Truly stepping out in genuine faith. And Sunday's "Streams in the Desert" spoke volumes to me. And thank you Nancy for letting me know about it (I keep that devotional at work so I hadn't seen it yet). I just read it this morning.

"God... calls things that are not as though they were." - Romans 4:17

the last paragraph was like water to my thirsty soul...

If God has said so, surely you do not want to suggest He has lied! If He has spoken, will He not fulfill it? If He has give you His word - His sure word of promise - do not question it but trust it absolutely. You have His promise, and in fact you have even more - you have Him who confidently speaks the words. "Yes, I tell you" (Luke 12:5). Trust Him!

All for now (I think),
Lisa

Paul Harvey is a Good Friend

I have noticed a couple of times already that after I take the time to blog about a topic, God shows me just a little more... usually just after I hit "publish". Paul Harvey (with his saying, "and now, the rest of the story") has become my friend. And today is no exception. But is that any surprise? After all, scripture says:

For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12

I was just having a coffee break with a friend and was telling her about my blog post. As we were sharing, God revealed to me another theme I often use to encourage people. This is usually around the issue of perspective. Especially when our problems get bigger than how we see God

4) The moon and your thumb

So, you would probably agree with me that the moon is pretty big. And that your thumb is much smaller than the moon. However, if you go outside at night, hold up your thumb, just right, between your eye and the moon, you can obscure the moon with your thumb - making it seem just about as large as the moon. And you can do that with God also. Hold up your problem, just right, and you can almost make your problem as large as you think God is... or worse, even larger than you think!

My experiences recenty with the true presence of God has shown me that God is so much bigger than I could have imagined. Much bigger. And "ten-fold" would be an underestimation, for sure.

All for now (I think),
Lisa

Getting a Taste of My Own Medicine

You know, I've been a believer for a while. And at my age, I have had quite a few opportunities to come along-side other believers to encourage them in their walk (especially with the number of years I worked with youth).

And I have seen "themes" of questions and "themes" of my typical responses. This is not bad nor good, just fact. The interesting revelation as I sit here this morning is that these themes have come back to me ten-fold in the past week. While, in the past, my responses have been God-focused, sincere, and true, I have just recently seen a deeper context of them. I think that's what my Sunday School teacher meant by the deep things of God.

Let me explain...

1) Waiting on a bigger revelation

This is very often a source of confusion for many believers (myself included). When people question what God is doing (especially when they don't readily see Him) , I often use something that I learned from an "Experiencing God" class I took 15 years ago. It involves looking at the story of Mary and Martha with respect to Lazarus. And the analogy that if you are confessed and prayed up on sin, you have to believe that God is about to make a great revelation (like with Lazarus).

This came back to me ten-fold on Thursday. I received a Christianity Today Singles article on waiting. However, the analogy didn't really come to me at the time; it only occured to me later that I have used this same story as encouragement in waiting. What I learned new this week is that waiting has its own reward. And that waiting is not some sort of "boot camp" that you must endure to get to the next step. And that God is right there, in the midst of your waiting, and not just right here, but grieving right here along with you. "Jesus wept" with Mary and Martha. And Jesus weeps right here with me. I don't think I would have experienced the presence of God that I have recently had I not been in wait.

I see His presence.

2) Look for God's face, not just His hand

Now this one I've used often. And I confess now that I might have used it a little piously. While it is true and right to do this, I don't think I fully had the concept down. It wasn't until Thursday when I saw this quote somewhere on facebook - "When you don't understand what God is doing in your life, trust His character." (author unknown) - that I got to thinking about His character. And who He is!

And on Sunday, when I saw this scripture, I received it bountifully! For it talks about God's character.

"if we are faithless, he will remain faithful, for he cannot disown himself." 2 Timothy 2:13

I'm also reading a great book called "Life with God". The whole book is on reading the Bible not for knowledge but to be transformed! To know His presence. I remember Rich Mullins saying that "I don't think you read the Bible to know truth. I think you read the Bible to find God, that we encounter Him there."

This has also happened to me latey as I've been delving more and more into the scripture itself and not relying on others, my class, etc. to do it for me. Now, this has been a desire for me for over five years. And I'm only seeing the manifestation of it now. Unfortunately, my (somewhat limited) desire was for knowledge. I had no idea He would actually meet me there.

I know His presence.

3) God is seldom early but He is never late

This is a saying that a friend told me almost 15 years ago and I've hung on to it since! But it came home to me (again) ten-fold on Saturday. Let me first tell you that I like to long distance cycle. It gives me a lot of opportunity for uninterupted talk with the LORD. But it's not easy. I often "hit the wall" with endurance. And I also confess
that I will use an ipod (with just an earphone in one ear) while cycling. A few years ago, on the MS150 ride, I was struggling to get to La Grange. Just as I turned the curve to head in, the song "Everlasting God" came on. I felt like God arranged that especially for me.

And again this Saturday, while cycling, I hit the wall; and just as I said to myself, "I don't know if I can finish", that song came on again! I realized then that God's timing can wait until the exact moment that you can go on no longer! I'm using that revelation for other parts of my life.

I feel His presence.

And lunch on Friday with a friend help seal this for me. God is showing me practicing the presence of Him.

This is good medicine!

All for now,
Lisa

I See You

sung by Ashley Cleveland
word by Rich Mullins

Lord You're leading me with a cloud by day
And then in the night, the glow of a burning flame
And everywhere I go I see You, and everywhere I go I see You

And You take my hand and You wash it clean
I know the promised land is light years ahead of me
And everywhere I go I see You, and everywhere I go I see You
And everywhere I go I see You, and everywhere I go I see You

Well the eagle flies and the rivers run
I look thru the night and I can see the rising sun
And everywhere I go I see You, and everywhere I go I see You
And everywhere I go I see You, and I see You, oh I see You

Well the grass will die and the flowers fall
But Your Word's alive and it be will after all
And everywhere I go I see You, and everywhere I go I see You
And everywhere I go I see You, and everywhere I go I see You
And everywhere I go I see You, and everywhere I go I see You
And everywhere I go I see You, and everywhere I go I see You

And everywhere I go I see You
And everywhere I go I see You
And everywhere I go I see You
And everywhere I go I see You

All for now,
Lisa

God is Bigger

All for now,
Lisa

Feeling a Little (More) Like David

I was drawn to this Psalm today... Psalm 37

1 Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;

2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

9 For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.

11 But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy great peace.

12 The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;

13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.

14 The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.

15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;

17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.

18 The days of the blameless are known to the LORD,
and their inheritance will endure forever.

19 In times of disaster they will not wither;
in days of famine they will enjoy plenty.

20 But the wicked will perish:
The LORD's enemies will be like the beauty of the fields,
they will vanish—vanish like smoke.

21 The wicked borrow and do not repay,
but the righteous give generously;

22 those the LORD blesses will inherit the land,
but those he curses will be cut off.

23 If the LORD delights in a man's way,
he makes his steps firm;

24 though he stumble, he will not fall,
for the LORD upholds him with his hand.

25 I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.

26 They are always generous and lend freely;
their children will be blessed.

27 Turn from evil and do good;
then you will dwell in the land forever.

28 For the LORD loves the just
and will not forsake his faithful ones.
They will be protected forever,
but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off;

29 the righteous will inherit the land
and dwell in it forever.

30 The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom,
and his tongue speaks what is just.

31 The law of his God is in his heart;
his feet do not slip.

32 The wicked lie in wait for the righteous,
seeking their very lives;

33 but the LORD will not leave them in their power
or let them be condemned when brought to trial.

34 Wait for the LORD
and keep his way.
He will exalt you to inherit the land;
when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man
flourishing like a green tree in its native soil,

36 but he soon passed away and was no more;
though I looked for him, he could not be found.

37 Consider the blameless, observe the upright;
there is a future for the man of peace.

38 But all sinners will be destroyed;
the future of the wicked will be cut off.

39 The salvation of the righteous comes from the LORD;
he is their stronghold in time of trouble.

40 The LORD helps them and delivers them;
he delivers them from the wicked and saves them,
because they take refuge in him.

All for now,
Lisa

Phrases and Verses for Today

Manageable visions are not worthy of an unmanageable God. - Larry Crabb

His own time. His own way. - Streams in the Desert

Be still and know that I am God. - Psalm 46:10

What God declares the believing heart confesses without the need of further proof. - AW Tozer

No good thing does He withold from those whose walk is blameless. - Psalm 84:11

Delight yourself in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart. - Psalm 37:4

For nothing is impossible with God. - Luke 1:37

When you don't understand what God is doing in your life, trust His character. - author unknown

If your presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. - Exodus 33:15

Do not be anxious about anything. - Philippians 4:6

We take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. - 2 Corinthians 10:5

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. - Galatians 5:6

I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined to me and heard my cry. - Psalm 40:1

With the goodness of God to desire our highest welfare, the wisdom of God to plan it, and the power of God to achieve it, what do we lack? - AW Tozer

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. - Exodus 14:14

I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in His word I put my hope. - Psalm 130:5

There is no fear in love. - 1 John 4:18

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. - Jim Elliot

I'll always wait for something. Or rather, Someone. And as I long for earthly things, I'll allow them to point me to the deepest longing in my soul. He's the One I await. - Crosswalk Singles

and the best for last:

Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." - Revelation 4:8

All for now,
Lisa

Today's Devotionals... so GOOD!

You know, sometimes the devotionals I read can just hit me square between the eyes. And today is no exception... all THREE of them. Here are some excerpts:

Streams in the Desert

Whatever occurs in the valley of tears, I know He has chosen me. Dear Christian, do not be afraid, for Jesus is with you. Through all your fiery trials. His presence is both your comfort and safety. He will never forsake those He has chosen for His own.

Our Daily Bread

Far too often, it seems, we limit the significance of church to what happens on Sunday. But the church is to be so much more. It is to be a safe haven, a rescue station, a training center for spiritual service.

My Utmost For His Highest

Do you have even the slightest reliance on anything or anyone other than God? Is
there a remnant of reliance left on any natural quality within you, or on any
particular set of circumstances? Are you relying on yourself in any manner
whatsoever regarding this new proposal or plan which God has placed before you?

We are to “love one another,” John the disciple reminded us, “for love is of God” (1 John 4:7).

So, what all three of these devotionals have told me today (which is nothing that I didn't already know) is that, yes, affliction and brokenness will happen. And tears will come. But He has chosen me (how cool is that?). And what can get ahold of me when God is there? ("His presence is both comfort and safety). And the church (the body, not necessarily one church) should be a training center towards a greater yielded life. Yet, the church should not be the source of the training - just a means. I guess what I'm tyring to say is even relying on the church (even if it's a remnant) is not truly relying on God. Yet, He will use the church (our friends, family, even circumstances) to get His message delivered.

God is love. Jesus is the access. The Spirit is the guide. We rely on those. Alone. Our friends, family, church, circumstances are used by God.

Let's not get that mixed up.

All for now,
Lisa

P.S. Oh, and last night, a friend forwarded me a passage I had not seen before: For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Isaiah 41:13

Abraham and Noah

On the plane back from Jackson Hole on Saturday, I simply opened my Bible to read – for I had a few hours of wondrous, uninterrupted silence. I decided to read about Noah – and his account – of the promise given to him by God and just how he responded. I noticed that scripture said that Noah was “a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God” (Gen 6:9). It also said Noah “did all that the LORD commanded him” (Gen 7:5). Lastly, in the beginning of chapter 8, it says “But God remembered Noah”. Those 5 things really stuck out in my mind. I chewed on them a bit and decided to flip over a few chapters and read the account of Abraham – and the promise given to him. What I noticed was similar. I noticed that in Chapter 15, it says “Abraham believed the LORD and He credited it to him as righteousness”. Further, in the beginning on Chapter 17, God says to Abraham, “Walk before me and be blameless”. I also noticed that when God offered the covenant of circumcision, Abraham, on that very day, did as the LORD commanded him. Then, “at the very time God has promised him, Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham” (Gen 21:2).

So, 5 things boiled down:

1. Being Righteous
2. Being Blameless
3. Walking with God
4. Doing All that LORD Commanded
5. God Remembering His Promise

I marked those things in my mind and decided I would study them later. Well, “later” came that very afternoon.

Righteousness
I did a google search on “righteousness”. The first entry was Wikipedia and it said that righteousness is one of the chief attributes of God – and is imparted onto us as believers in Christ because God is the only one “right”. It said the Hebrew word for righteousness in tseh’-dek. (Incidentally, would you believe my Sunday School lesson the next day was “A Study of the Names of God: Jehovah-Tsidkenu: The LORD our RIGHTEOUSNESS” (of course!)).

Blamelessness
I also did a google search on “blamelessness”. I found a great sermon by David Wilkerson, of Times Square Church, from 1993 which was insightful. Then, on Sunday, I found in my Bible where I had marked Psalm 19:13 (“Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression”) – and put in the margin “definition of blameless”. I went back to the two accounts and noticed that both Noah and Abraham sinned – even after they received their promises. So, blameless doesn’t mean sinless – it just means that willful sins are not ruling over you.

Walking with God
This was an easier one for me. For as a believer in Christ, walking with God means living by the Spirit (“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature” Gal 5:16).

Doing All the LORD Commands
To me, this was simple obedience. But remember, scripture says obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). I think there is a fine line there. Being obedient is out of love and surrender. Being sacrificial is usually out of pride.

God Remembering His Promise
Sunday’s “Streams in the Desert” said it best for me: “His own way. His own time”. But I always hold on to 1 Cor 2:9 (‘However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him’).


Every morning I want to ask myself this question:
Choose this day whom you will serve.

I pray my answer each day will be:
I will be faithful.

All for now,
Lisa

Where Are Your Eyes?

I can confess that the last month or two has sent me on a roller coaster of events, thoughts, emotions, feelings, observations, commands, and promises. All of which has sent me into a bit of confusion. And I know God is NOT a God of confusion. So, Sunday's "Streams in the Desert" devotion was comforting. This was the main verse the devotion was centered around:

We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you
2 Chronicles 20:12

The verse was a verse that I had first heard almost 7 years ago. It was right after 9/11 and I went to a Passion event where Louie Giglio was set to speak. Obviously, his talk was centered around the recent terrorist attacks. However, the verse is one I've thought of many times since then. So, the timeliness (of course) was perfect to hear it yet again.

The Streams devotion also reiterated some important things to remember in our daily life:

Living a life of faith often requires us to leave things alone.

If we have completely entrusted something to God, we must keep our hands off it. He can guard it better than we can, and He does not need our help.

It is such a comfort to drop the entanglements and perplexities of life into God's hands and leave them there.

It all reminds me of the marquee at a church near my house. It says:

Sorrow looks back
Worry looks around
But faith looks up

Where are your eyes?

All for now,
Lisa