The LORD Knows

One of the greatest desires of every heart is to be known by another, someone who is aware of all their layers.  These powerful truths are laid out for us in Psalm 139.

O LORD you have searched me 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 in on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.

You hem me in – behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.

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

Psalm 139:1-6

The name LORD refers to our covenant God.  You see the LORD desires to have a connection and a relationship with you.  The psalmist says that the LORD has searched him.  The word “searched” refers to careful scrutiny such as in mining operations, excavations and in explorations of countries.  While in Jerusalem I was able to visit a city that was discovered recently through archaeological excavations.  The tour guide showed us a few areas where archaeologist had found layers of civilizations.  A city would be built, then an earthquake would occur and over time the city would be covered up.  Then a new city would be built above that city and it too would be covered up by earthquake or mudslide over time.  The people would just keep building one city on top of another.  But, the archaeologists, after careful search and much digging, have uncovered one layer after another of roads, buildings, and even kingdoms.  The LORD carefully searches our minds and hearts because He desires to have a relationship with us.  As God searched the layers of our lives, He knows us.  The word know means to perceive, understand, to be familiar with and to be aware.  The LORD is aware of you and understands you. He can peel off the layers of our lives to reveal the origin of our hurts, hopes, anger and dysfunction.  The LORD knows us from the inside out.

The LORD knows our dwelling places. The word sit means to dwell or rest.  Where are you dwelling or in whom are you resting? What is your mind dwelling on and what is your emotions sitting in?  The LORD knows.  To rise means to rise up, establish, and strengthen.  The Key Word Study Bible Lexicon states, “Used of individuals standing up from a sitting, kneeling or reclining position. It refers (also) to the confirmation of a person, oath, decree, or existing situation.”  We can only rise from where we have been sitting or from whom we have been resting in.  If you have been sitting in bitterness, you will rise in anger or revenge.  If you are resting in God, you will rise in confirmation of His strength and His love.

In fact the LORD not only knows when you sit and when you rise, but He also knows what you are thinking about when you sit or rise! To perceive means to discern, observe, pay attention to, and to understand. In other words the LORD is paying attention to not only when you sit and when you rise, but He also knows how you perceive Him when you do what you do.   

Yet you know me, O LORD; you see me and test my thoughts about you.”

Jeremiah 12:3

The Word of God is living and active.  Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to diving soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hebrews 4:12

The LORD knows the attitude of your heart. Do you trust Him in your sitting, thinking that He is the God who knows what is best? Are you rising up because you know the truth that you can do all things through Him who gives you strength? If your answer to either of these questions is no, then take the time to get to know the One who knows all about you.  In order to live the full life God intended, get to know the LORD and who you are in relation to Him. The LORD is aware of your layers, your circumstances, pays attention to your thoughts, knows all about you and still desires a relationship with you!  You are fully known and fully loved!

Known by Him,

Nancy

Wherever Jesus is, There You Find It

I just returned from a tour of the Holy Land and am still trying to take in all that I saw and touched while there. Walking where our Lord Jesus walked, sailing on the sea where He walked on the water, and standing near the rock where He ascended into heaven were all overwhelming experiences.  If I could sum up my trip in one word it would be the word peace.

As I was preparing to go to Israel I was confronted with feelings of fear and anxiety because of the chaos in that part of the world.  To help combat these feelings I memorized, meditated on and prayed a specific scripture as I traveled:

"Like birds flying about, so will the Lord of hosts defend Jerusalem.  Defending, He will deliver it; passing over, He will preserve it."  Isaiah 31:5

Israel is precious to the Lord and He has promised to protect it, defend it and preserve it.  As I went there I claimed that truth and clung to it, believing that He would continue to defend and preserve Jerusalem, while I was there!

As we traveled from the airport to our hotel in Bethlehem a peace settled over me.  It was a peace that was indescribable.  That peace followed me throughout Jerusalem and when we went to the place of His ascension into heaven John 14:27 came rushing to my mind:

"Peace I leave you, My peace I give you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid." 

As I stood there, I imagined Jesus saying those very words in that exact place.  Once more His perfect peace came rushing into my heart and mind as I sailed on the Sea of Galilee.  I could almost hear Jesus say to those frightened disciples in a storm tossed boat:

"Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid."  Matthew 14:27 

Our last stop was in Jericho which can be a dangerous place, but again I felt God's peace like never before.  Jesus spoke words of peace that echo through time to help us whenever we want to give in to fear, worry or anxiety.

I have told you these things so that in me you will have peace.  In this world you will have trouble, but take heart I have overcome the world.  John 16:33

In fact, in Philippians 4:5 the Apostle Paul says that the Lord is near and then reminds us that since He is near we should not be anxious about anything, but instead we should pray about everything! Jesus is as near to me in Houston as He was in Jerusalem.  When Jesus left this earth He reminded his disciples that He would not leave them alone, but would send the Helper, the Holy Spirit to be with them, to live in them, to remind them of His words and to empower them to overcome fear.  

If you are in need of peace today, take courage, Jesus is near, do not be afraid!  May His peace that goes beyond our understanding guard both your heart and your mind in Christ Jesus!  

Shalom,

Nancy 

William and me on the Sea of Galilee

Let Loose!

Spent just a few moments yesterday with my one and only grandchild, two-month-old Isla Rose.  I couldn’t take my eyes off of her, even when her daddy was changing her diaper!  I stood over her as she responded to my baby jabber with wide eyes and a dimpled smile.  She is still not to the stage where she can purposefully use her hands, but somehow her hand found its way to my hand and she wrapped it tight around my index finger.  When the diaper was changed she still had a tight grip on my finger and this grandmother wasn’t about to pry her loose!  Eventually, I gave her up to my son and off they went to the next grandparent’s house. As I reflect on this precious moment, I am reminded of something the Apostle Paul once said:

Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do:  forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 

Philippians 3:13-14

I love how he gives us a one-step process for reaching our goals.  This one step does however, requires two intentional actions on our part:  forget what’s in the past and reach forward to what is in your future.  Unfortunately I am more apt to follow baby Isla’s lead and move with no purpose.  I often unintentionally find myself holding on to things that are not moving me forward, but are keeping me from my God-given call – taking hold of the thing for which Christ took hold of me. (Philippians 3:12) I often allow the fear of failure, past mistakes, or just plain procrastination to keep me from moving forward in my relationship with Christ.  These would be considered “the sin that so easily entangle us” that keep us from finishing strong in the race of life.  (Hebrews 12:1)  But Paul says to forget about the good and the bad. Dwelling on what you have done well in the past may cause you to become comfortable with where you are.  On the other hand focusing your attention only on the bad things in your past may cause you to live in shame and condemnation.  When you are lured back to the past, that is the old enemy singing over you.  (Micah 7:8) Instead Paul encourages us to forget about it.  I don’t think he meant literally to forget your memories of past failures and accomplishments, but to not keep your focus on those things – bringing them back up in your mind over and over again.  Sometimes a quick and gentle reminder of the past can spur us on and motivate us to grow up in Christ and even go deeper still.   

Once you get your mind off the past, Paul says to reach forward to the future.  The Greek word for reaching  forward, or straining forward, is a picture word illustrating a runner who is stretched forward at the starting line, ready to run his race.  Literally it means to “stretch oneself forward.”  Moving forward is always a stretch!  God stretches us by calling us to do God-sized tasks.  We stretch forward toward God, who is the One who accomplishes all His purposes in and through us!  (Psalm 138:8) When the gun goes off the runner is focused on winning the race and the reward that awaits him when he crosses the finish line.  Paul also encourages us to run to win.  (1 Corinthians 9:24) The good news is that if you know Christ and have entered into His eternally full life the reward is a home in heaven spent worshiping Him forever – a very sweet reward!  

This week at our church there was a revival for the precious senior citizens of our congregation.  I had the wonderful opportunity to enjoy the worship segment of one of the revival services.  That day the hymns were all focused on heaven.  I took a moment to drink it all in and observed the beautiful white crowned men and women as they worshiped with passion and over-the-top joy.  Their faces lit up as they sang about the mansion in heaven, the streets of God, and seeing Jesus’ face for the first time.  They gained energy with each song they sang.  They were focused on the prize, fueled to finish the race! 

Time spent with a baby and with a room full of senior saints gave me fresh inspiration and encouragement to stay the course, to live a life worthy of Christ, and to remain focused on the prize of eternity spent with the Father.  Now I say with Paul:

I am off and running and there is no turning back.  

Philippians 3:14 (MSG)

Let loose and Press on!

Nancy

Hardheaded!

Have you ever been called hardheaded, stubborn or unchanging?  I can be all of these, wrapped into one - on occasion!  But I also know a few of those hardheaded types and they can leave this cheerleader speechless!  This year as I have focused on the word new, I thought it was going to be so refreshing and all shiny and, well – new.  But, the more I desire new, the more I am reminded of all the changes that are required for new.

I would love to get started on writing a new book, but that would require a change in my daily schedule.  One of my desires is to encourage others to become healthy through personal training, but that would require additional hours a day for study for a new certification.  I would love a new kitchen, but I would need to write the new book and start training people in order to afford it!  There are some things I would like renewed in my life as well.   I would like to become a better teacher, friend, student, and speaker.  All these require change.  Change also requires accountability.

For over five years I was a part of an accountability group.  There were six of us women who gathered weekly to share honestly and openly in a safe and secure environment. We shared blessings, temptations, key struggles and areas where God was calling us to go deeper with Him.  This usually meant He was calling us to something new.  It could have been a new habit of encouraging our husbands, speaking truths to our children, or using our time more productively.  We all had times when we struggled with the reality of change.  We needed each other to speak words of encouragement, instruction, or truth over our lives as we sought to reach these new goals. We cried together, prayed together, laughed together, and grew deeper in love with the Lord together.  It has been over a year since we’ve met together and oh how I miss them. I miss the accountability and being spurred on to love and live well.  If we ever showed up hardheaded or stubborn, someone in the group would call us to account!  Instead of fighting it, we welcomed it. 

Let a righteous man strike me – it is a kindness; let him rebuke me – it is oil on my head.  My head will not refuse it.  Psalm 141:5

Jesus is our ultimate Change Agent.  He is all about changing us from the old to the new.  He paid the ultimate price by dying on a cross to provide a new relationship with God.  He gave us not only a new relationship, but a whole new life!

“Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”  

Romans 6:4 

My efforts to change on my own fall flat and I fail miserably!  Trying harder just doesn’t seem to work!  Eventually I must lift my hands first in surrender and then in praise of the one who makes all things new.  My efforts are like patching up my holey jeans.  They may be “fixed,” but they are not new!  My husband is such a good steward of his shoes that he will take them to the shoe shop and have them resoled several times before I step in and tell him that it is time for a new pair.  Sometimes doing the same thing over and over again is no longer effective.  It is time for a change!  Its time to walk in the new way.    

“No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; otherwise the patch pulls away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear results.  No one puts new wine into old wineskins; 

otherwise the wine will burst the skins, and the wine is lost and the skins as well; 

but one puts new wine into fresh wineskins.”   

Mark 2:21-22

I started the year giddy with excitement for the new that the Lord was going to bring into my life, and my family and friends’ lives.  The excitement has now given way to reality. The reality is I am hardheaded and so are a lot of others I know. That means the only way we are going to experience the excitement of the new is to live the reality of change.  The author of Hebrews has the key that will unlock the stubborn streak in all of us:

Therefore since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with endurance the race marked out for us.                                                                        Hebrews 12:1

The Lord is calling each of us to run a new race, but we have to throw off stubbornness and allow him to strike us with His kindness and welcome His rebuke. He is our Change Agent and He is calling us to account.   

Hands up and hearts open,

Nancy

What's Love Got to Do With It?

So, what does love have to do with it – humility, that is?  I have been studying this week about “unconditional love” for a class that I teach to mentors and about “humility” for my ladies Sunday morning Bible study class.  It dawned on me this morning that love is all about humility and that humility is a required ingredient for unconditional committed love.  I see this played out on the pages of my Bible and in the lives of my family and friends. 

In Scripture, God revealed His love for all people, the good, the bad and the ugly, by sending His Son, who suffered the shame and pain of crucifixion, to provide a way for all to experience an eternal relationship with the Almighty, One and Only God.  Jesus exemplifies humility.  Jesus was and is God, yet He did not use His divine status for His own purpose and gain.  Out of His humility He showed love and out of His love He chose to be humble.

Have this attitude in yourselves, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself . . .. He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.  

Philippians 2:5-8

The two greatest humbling experiences in my life have come from love relationships:  marriage and parenthood.  These begin with an overwhelming emotional love, but love that is lasting and unconditional comes when we are humbled in and through these relationships. In this season of life I am watching the beginning and the development of these relationships in my children.  My daughter is engaged and in the midst of planning and preparing for her wedding day. She is in love, but soon after the wedding she will experience what it means to be humbled by love.  Even now, during the planning she has been faced with many difficult decisions regarding such things as the number of bridesmaids to have, the best photographer, and the colors for the bridesmaids dresses and groomsmen suits. In this process she made this statement, “I want to be considerate of what he (the groom) wants.”  She is taking the first steps in learning what it means to love unconditionally.  Just as Jesus chose to set aside His divine rights to fulfill God’s purposes, a husband and wife must choose to set aside their rights to self-gain in order to fulfill God’s purpose for marriage. Tina Turner may sing that love is just a second-hand emotion, but the truth is, love is not only an emotion, it is also a choice to be humble.  When we demand our rights, rather than humbly considering others above ourselves, it never ends well.  Lasting love lasts because people choose to put others before themselves.  That takes humility.

Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind, 

regard one another as more important than yourselves.  

Philippians 2:3

My son and his wife have just recently become parents to my precious granddaughter, Isla Rose.  Moments after Isla was born I received pictures of the brand new family.  My son and daughter-in-law’s faces glowed with an awe-filled love.  A couple of weeks later I had the great joy of spending a week with the new family.  The sleep-deprived parents were still over-the-moon in love with their precious Isla, but the romance of parenthood was giving way to the reality of sacrificial love.  Every moment of each new day was now filled with meeting the needs of this tiny human being.  She had to be fed, bathed, changed, swaddled, soothed, and watched constantly.  Changing dirty diapers is humbling, but it becomes second nature because you love her, sacrificially.  Parenting can also be humiliating!  When my daughter was two, she began to exert her will with a vengeance.  I remember once in the grocery story when I had lightly swatted her leg for some act of disobedience, which I can no longer recall, that she loudly proclaimed, “Mommy, you are hurting me!” (With no tears I might add!) At that moment I wanted to find a rock to crawl under in embarrassment.  That was only the beginning of many more humiliating experiences as a mom.  Because I loved her, I persevered and learned that it wasn’t about how good I looked as a mom, but how well I loved my child.  Often I had to discipline my children out of love.  I wanted the best for them and so correction and instruction were necessary.  Selfishly I wanted to let it all slide, have fun and keep the peace.  In love, I had to choose to put aside my own interest and do the right thing.  That takes humility.

Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.  Philippians 2:4

God continues to teach me how to love and live humbly.  The lessons so far have revealed one solid truth – you cannot have one without the other. 

He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the Lord require of you?  To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

 Micah 6:8

Humbled by His love,

Nancy

A Divine Sidewalk Encounter

Over the past couple of weeks I have read the same verse several times in my devotional book and then heard it in a sermon.  I made note of this reoccurring passage in my journal, asking God to show me the lesson He was teaching me in this familiar passage. 

For God, who said, “Light shall shine out of darkness,” is the One who has shone in our hearts to give the Light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.  2 Corinthians 4:6

The day after writing this question to God in my journal, I was enjoying a breakfast and reading scripture at a favorite restaurant in Santa Monica, California while my daughter was working.  She was to call me when she was finished with her meetings and then I would walk up the street a few blocks to meet her.  I had finished my meal and the restaurant was filling up and becoming louder, so I decided to take advantage of the beautiful weather and started my walk toward the spot where I would meet my daughter.  As I walked along the sidewalk taking in the sights and sunshine, a young man approached me and asked, “Would you mind if I asked you a questions?”  I was drawn to him.  This was in itself unusual because I generally am a little apprehensive to speak with strangers I meet on a sidewalk.  I generally ignore them or give them a polite nod and say, “no thank you.”  But today was different.

I surprised myself when the words came flowing out of my mouth, “Sure, what would you like to ask me?”  He answered with this question:  “Can I pray for you?”  He went on to tell me that he felt that our meeting was divinely appointed and that he was to pray for me.  With my skeptical tendency and guarded heart, I asked him how he would pray.  He closed his eyes and said, “I would pray like this: Father in heaven I am asking you to give her a revelation of your love.  Fill her with your love in such a way that others would notice.  Fill her with your Holy Spirit . . . in Jesus name, Amen.”  As he opened his eyes, I said, “Amen, in Jesus name, I receive that prayer!” I asked him if he knew Jesus and he said, “Yes and I can tell that you do too.” He went on to say that his faith was being increased, just by talking with me.  I shared some scriptures with him and answered a few more of his questions.  Then a homeless man walked up and he said, “Sir, can I ask you a question?”  At that I said goodbye and continued on my walk.  

As I walked away, I thought to myself, “Was that a genuine divine appointment, or just someone who was a little crazy repeatedly asking people the same question?” Then “Light shall shine out of darkness” came to my mind.  Either way I was in the midst of darkness on a sunny day and Christ came shining through!  I am choosing to believe that the sidewalk meeting was a divine opportunity to shine the light of Jesus.  The Holy Spirit did fill me that morning, just as the young man prayed, empowering me to yield to love instead of hate, to kindness instead of aggravation, and compassion instead of coldness. 

That morning God answered my question.  He is true to His Word.  He has given us the Light so that we can be a light wherever we walk.  The key lesson I learned is that in order to be a light I must be willing to set aside my own agenda, notice the darkness around me, and speak the truth that will bring the Light to those blinded by darkness.

“What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops.”  Matthew 10:27

The only true light we have is our knowledge of God through a relationship with Christ.  Today the darkness is greater than ever in our world.  Evil abounds, fear rises, and many are without hope.  The good news in the midst of such darkness comes straight from the mouth of Jesus: “I am the Light of the world, he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” 

My prayer for you today is that you would first follow Jesus and then intentionally seek to be a light to those who are groping in darkness.  Build someone’s faith today and share with him or her that you know Jesus, the Light of the world!

Shine on,

Nancy

Like a Newborn Baby

I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw. Proverbs 24:32

These past few weeks I have celebrated the birth of my first grandchild, the 30^th birthday of my son, and the 60^th birthday of my husband.  Each celebration marked a different stage of life, yet at every stage there are lessons to be learned.  As I spend time with my precious granddaughter I have been taken back to a scripture that keeps running through my mind.  “Like newborn babies, long for (crave) the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.” 1 Peter 2:2-3 Baby Isla craves pure milk and let’s her request be made known about every two to three hours.  She really requires very little: milk, a clean diaper, and sleep.  Simple babyhood! “God made us plain and simple, but we have made ourselves very complicated!  Ecclesiastes 7:29 (TEV) It seems the older we get the more complicated we have made our lives.  So complicated that we often put God on the “when I have more time” list. 

As I have been observing Isla, my precious newborn grandchild, I have learned some lessons about myself.  There are days that I confuse my craving for the milk of His Word with the craving for more activity, more fun, or even more ministry.  When was the last time that I cried out in my craving for more of God and His Word?  The second lesson I am learning from Isla is that cleanliness is a requirement for godliness.  Once Isla has her diaper changed, she has a new attitude!  When I spend moments in the morning reflecting on yesterday asking the Lord to show me the dirt in my life and then through confession allowing Him to remove it, He brings me peaceful contentment.  For prior to craving the Word there must be a time where  we put aside malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy and slander. (1 Peter 2:1) Nothing is more refreshing than tasting the goodness of the Lord’s forgiveness!  Lastly, Isla sleeps a lot, not always at night, but she sleeps.  After a good sleep, she wakes up cooing and her eyes wide open in wonder.  I have been staying with my son and his wife this week to help with the baby.  I have been sleeping on their couch with their puppy dog.  Couch plus puppy does not always equal a good nights sleep.  But, this morning as I woke up from a good nights rest I opened the blinds and the brightness of the sun peeked through. What hope and anticipation there is after a good nights sleep to see the sun streaming in.  I woke up from that rest craving even more time with the Light of the world.  

This week Isla has reminded me to focus on the simple truth that I am to crave the pure milk of the Word, so that I can continue to grow up in Him.  Isla has grown before my very eyes this week.  She has fed on pure milk, had her diaper changed, and rested well.  Lesson learned:  Crave the Word, confess my dirt, and rest in His love and mercy.  If you are reading this and have tasted the kindness of the Lord’s salvation keep your life simple by craving His word, keeping your life free of unconfessed sin, and find your rest in Christ alone.  

Keep Craving,

Nancy