Coffee Break
"Road Signs"
On any journey you will encounter road signs. Some of the signs tell you where there is lodging, restaurants and gas stations. Some tell you how many more miles to a certain city. There are also signs telling you where to exit, stop, no passing and the speed limit. On this spiritual journey I have also encountered "road signs". When you get into your car to take a journey, you are headed to a destination. When you are on a spiritual journey, there is also a destination.
The Lord has a destination in mind for me-- as He does for all of us. The road signs I have encountered on it are meant to help me to arrive there. The journey that I have been on is to bring me back to where I once was and take me forward to a higher level where I haven't been before.
I want to share with you some of the "road signs" I have encountered. I have been encountering many "RE" signs.
Regain-- regain my hunger and thirst
Renew-- renew my thinking that has been too influenced by the world and bring it back to the Word of God.
Refresh-- refresh me, taking away the weariness and allowing the Lord to breath a breath of fresh air on me.
Rekindle-- rekindle the fire that once burned brighter
Regenerate-- putting back into my heart the things that were lost
Relight-- relight, and restart a fresh fire in my soul
Reshape-- reshape my attitude to conform to His
Remold-- remolding me into His image when it was marred.
Refocus-- refocus my thoughts and heart on what is truly important
Reform-- reforming me from the inside out
Reconstruct-- reconstruct what has been damaged in my heart
Restore-- restoring, bringing back everything that I allowed the enemy to steal from me
Repair-- repairing what needs fixing-- sometimes we don't think we are broken, but God knows
Reconciliation-- reconciling any thing that was broken in my relationship with the Lord or anyone else.
Reignite-- reignite a bright light in me that cannot be hid.
Realign-- realign, putting back in order everything that was out of order
Reprioritize-- reprioritize and put everything in my life in its proper place.
Revive-- revive, bring back to life every dead place in me.
Did you see any "road signs" that you might need to pay attention to? At different times in all our lives we need to have some "REs" going on. Sometimes we need to rediscover God's great love for us, or let Him repair us, or let Him remend our broken heart, or let Him reignite a passion for Him, or reconcile our relationship with Him or someone else. As we give heed to these signs and follow them, we will reach the destination He has in mind for us.
Have a great day. Pay attention to the "road signs", they will help you get to where you are going.
Friday, February 28, 2020
Thursday, February 27, 2020
Coffee Break - Good Pain
Coffee Break
"Good Pain"
Before I had my surgery I was in such tremendous pain. After I had my surgery I experienced some pain. The pain that I had before was different than the pain I had afterwards. The pain I had before was "bad" pain. The pain afterwards was "good" pain. Really, is there such a thing as good and bad pain? The pain before was from a problem that was going on in my body-- bad pain. The pain that I was having after the surgery was a healing pain-- good pain.
Not every pain we experience is bad. When I gave birth to my daughter, that was definitely good pain. Through the pain of labor I was giving birth to a beautiful baby girl that would bring more joy to my life than I could ever have imagined. This was a good pain because it brought joy with it.
The Bible tells us that Jesus endured the suffering of the cross for the joy that was set before Him. (Hebrews 12:2) Jesus endured the pain, beating, suffering, crown of thorns and nails because He knew that through this sacrifice you and I would be able to have a chance to receive salvation and live with Him forever in His kingdom in heaven-- the thought of having us with Him brought Him great joy, therefore, He didn't come down off the cross but stayed in pain and agony until it was finished!
There is pain that we go through-- spiritually speaking-- that isn't pleasant but it is needful and in the end it will yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness in us. (Hebrews 12:11) Our faith being stretched is painful, the Potter's hands on us molding and making us into a fit vessel is painful, the fire of the furnace that purifies us is painful, the pruning off the dead and unnecessary things in our lives is painful... but they bring about something good. They bring about peace, joy, strength, victory, love, kindness, and so on. It is painful but afterwards our lights will shine brighter, our salt will be savory, our weakness will turn to strength, our fear will turn to faith, and our love will increase. The pain of suffering will make us perfect, establish us, strengthen and settle us. (1 Peter 5:10) You've heard it said-- no pain, no gain. Well, spiritually speaking as well-- no pain, no gain.
Have a great day. Not all pain is bad.... some is good!
"Good Pain"
Before I had my surgery I was in such tremendous pain. After I had my surgery I experienced some pain. The pain that I had before was different than the pain I had afterwards. The pain I had before was "bad" pain. The pain afterwards was "good" pain. Really, is there such a thing as good and bad pain? The pain before was from a problem that was going on in my body-- bad pain. The pain that I was having after the surgery was a healing pain-- good pain.
Not every pain we experience is bad. When I gave birth to my daughter, that was definitely good pain. Through the pain of labor I was giving birth to a beautiful baby girl that would bring more joy to my life than I could ever have imagined. This was a good pain because it brought joy with it.
The Bible tells us that Jesus endured the suffering of the cross for the joy that was set before Him. (Hebrews 12:2) Jesus endured the pain, beating, suffering, crown of thorns and nails because He knew that through this sacrifice you and I would be able to have a chance to receive salvation and live with Him forever in His kingdom in heaven-- the thought of having us with Him brought Him great joy, therefore, He didn't come down off the cross but stayed in pain and agony until it was finished!
There is pain that we go through-- spiritually speaking-- that isn't pleasant but it is needful and in the end it will yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness in us. (Hebrews 12:11) Our faith being stretched is painful, the Potter's hands on us molding and making us into a fit vessel is painful, the fire of the furnace that purifies us is painful, the pruning off the dead and unnecessary things in our lives is painful... but they bring about something good. They bring about peace, joy, strength, victory, love, kindness, and so on. It is painful but afterwards our lights will shine brighter, our salt will be savory, our weakness will turn to strength, our fear will turn to faith, and our love will increase. The pain of suffering will make us perfect, establish us, strengthen and settle us. (1 Peter 5:10) You've heard it said-- no pain, no gain. Well, spiritually speaking as well-- no pain, no gain.
Have a great day. Not all pain is bad.... some is good!
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Coffee Break - Priority - Part 2
Coffee Break
Priority - Part 2
I know I covered the subject of priorities yesterday, but I feel I need to talk about them a little more this morning. Yesterday I told you that the Lord is reprioritizing my life. I believe that I am not the only one who needs Him to do this to.
If we will step back and take an honest evaluation of our lives we would see that there are many things that we put priority on that we should not. When our priorities are out of order, so are our lives. How so? Because our lives become cluttered with things that aren't even important. When they are cluttered, we tend to get distracted. When we get distracted, we lose our focus. When we lose our focus, we can't see clearly. When we can't see clearly, we lose our vision. When we lose our vision, we lose our peace.
Priorities are those things that are important to us. The place and value we put on them is an indication of what place of priority they have in our lives. Just what is important and what should be important to you? I am so thankful to live in America. We are the land of plenty. We have nice things and enjoy modern conveniences that so many around the world don't. But we are a materialistic nation. Sadly, sometimes that is a curse instead of a blessing. Remember I am talking about priorities, as in what is really important.
We need clothes, but do we need the latest fads? Do we need expensive labels? Do we need ten pair of blue jeans? We need shoes, but do we need $400.00 tennis shoes just because some big name sports star wears them? There is nothing wrong with a little entertainment, but are you being entertained for hours in front of the television? How many times a day do you check your Facebook? Do you keep the notification turned on so you know the instant someone posts? Do you turn off your cell phone when you have company or are out to lunch with a friend? These are just a few things that we probably have out of order of priority in the physical realm, but what about the spiritual realm. After all, this is all temporary but that is eternal.
Do you pray daily or neglect your communion with the Lord because you put more priority on sleeping late or going somewhere? Do you read the Bible on a daily bases or go days without? Some argue that they don't have time for it but, you have time to check your Facebook or email-- numerous times a day. (Just saying.) Do you take time to engage in worship during the day? Or is that something reserved for church service?
Our first priority has to be our relationship with the Lord. That was His first priority-- a relationship with you. He made the salvation of your soul His highest priority. He didn't let anything or anyone-- not the pain, the suffering or the angry mob-- stop Him from going to the cross to pay for your salvation. You are still His priority. He is always there with you and for you. He comes to your rescue when you need Him. He moves on your behalf. He fights your battles. He defeats your enemies. He supplies all your needs. He puts you first and does not let anything else come before you in order of priority. Do you do the same when it comes to Him?
Have a great day. The things of this life are not your greatest priority. Your relationship with the Lord is.
Tuesday, February 25, 2020
Coffee Break - Priority
Coffee Break
"Priority"
When you are laying flat of your back for almost two months unable to even get up without help or without pain, you quickly discover what is priority and what isn't. The things we think are so important... aren't!
I thought it was important to have my house always "spic and span", especially when I knew company was coming over- or at least picked up. But I learned right away that it is-- like my dad always says, "Just a thing". I couldn't dust, sweep, pick up paper off of the floor, wash clothes, wash dishes, cook, make up my bed, fold clothes, you name it... or even dress and undress myself. So, things had to wait on my husband to do it. He did a fantastic job-- that man gets the blue ribbon. He was trying to run the house, do the grocery shopping, pay the bills, pick up my meds, take care of the yard, and be nurse to me-- if it had to be done, he had to do it. He couldn't get around to doing everything-- it was impossible. Plus, you ladies know that even when men do it, they don't do it like we do it. A lot of things had to be let go because he couldn't do it and neither could I. So, therefore, I learned that it really doesn't matter. It was not that big a deal. It wasn't earth shattering. Life would go on if you came over and saw dusty furniture or unwashed dishes. It wasn't the end of the world.
Sadly, we are so caught up in the minor things, the unimportant things, the things that nobody but us even notices, that we forget what really is important. When we forget, it is a sign that we have misplaced our priorities. Our priorities often get misplaced by unimportant things. I am not talking about being people of excellence or good stewards over what the Lord has blessed us with-- we should be. I am talking about getting so anxious about things that are not that big a deal.
In this journey I am on, the Lord is reprioritizing things in my life. My first priority is my relationship with Him-- not ministry, not a clean house, not anything else. My next priority are the things that are priority to Him-- valuing and putting in proper order the things that He values-- which would be people. Remember, love Him first, then others, then self.
Have a great day. Where are your priorities? Are you majoring on the minors, and minoring on the majors? Is the Lord and your relationship with Him your first priority? If not, you better get your priorities in order.
"Priority"
When you are laying flat of your back for almost two months unable to even get up without help or without pain, you quickly discover what is priority and what isn't. The things we think are so important... aren't!
I thought it was important to have my house always "spic and span", especially when I knew company was coming over- or at least picked up. But I learned right away that it is-- like my dad always says, "Just a thing". I couldn't dust, sweep, pick up paper off of the floor, wash clothes, wash dishes, cook, make up my bed, fold clothes, you name it... or even dress and undress myself. So, things had to wait on my husband to do it. He did a fantastic job-- that man gets the blue ribbon. He was trying to run the house, do the grocery shopping, pay the bills, pick up my meds, take care of the yard, and be nurse to me-- if it had to be done, he had to do it. He couldn't get around to doing everything-- it was impossible. Plus, you ladies know that even when men do it, they don't do it like we do it. A lot of things had to be let go because he couldn't do it and neither could I. So, therefore, I learned that it really doesn't matter. It was not that big a deal. It wasn't earth shattering. Life would go on if you came over and saw dusty furniture or unwashed dishes. It wasn't the end of the world.
Sadly, we are so caught up in the minor things, the unimportant things, the things that nobody but us even notices, that we forget what really is important. When we forget, it is a sign that we have misplaced our priorities. Our priorities often get misplaced by unimportant things. I am not talking about being people of excellence or good stewards over what the Lord has blessed us with-- we should be. I am talking about getting so anxious about things that are not that big a deal.
In this journey I am on, the Lord is reprioritizing things in my life. My first priority is my relationship with Him-- not ministry, not a clean house, not anything else. My next priority are the things that are priority to Him-- valuing and putting in proper order the things that He values-- which would be people. Remember, love Him first, then others, then self.
Have a great day. Where are your priorities? Are you majoring on the minors, and minoring on the majors? Is the Lord and your relationship with Him your first priority? If not, you better get your priorities in order.
Monday, February 24, 2020
Coffee Break - Disciplined
Coffee Break
"Disciplined"
How many of you like the word-- discipline? Our flesh sure doesn't. But we have to have discipline in our lives. That's why some of us are in a lot of trouble-- no discipline, and the rest of us would be without it.
Why is discipline so important? If our eating habits weren't disciplined we could wind up on a reality show knowing that if we didn't lose the weight we were going to die. If we aren't disciplined with our spending habits we could become so deep in debt that we could wind up sitting in the dark with no electricity, or have our vehicle repossessed, or worse yet, find ourselves homeless. A lack of discipline could cause us to wind up in jail because we couldn't stop doing things that were illegal. The greatest tragedy when it comes to lack of discipline is that of losing your eternal soul. You wouldn't stop doing what you wanted to do long enough (discipline) to make things right with you and the Lord.
While not all lack of discipline can have as dire consequences as those named above, even the smallest areas where we aren't disciplined can cause us problems. During this time I have seen that I needed more discipline in areas in my life. I was placed in a situation where I had to be disciplined. I had to be disciplined in order to not rush my recovery, in order to follow the doctors instructions to not lift, bend, twist or pull anything for more than 6 weeks. I had to be disciplined to take my meds at the proper time. I had to be disciplined on how I got in and out of bed. I had to be disciplined, as well as patient, to let someone else help me and not go off on my own and do certain things for myself. This is the hardest part for most people. It is easier to go ahead and do it yourself than to have to wait on someone else, or show them how to do it. (Parents get the gold medal here-- it is easier to do it ourselves than tell them how.)
The greatest reason we need discipline is not about these things, but about doing what the Lord instructs us to do. Just imagine the outcome at the Walls of Jericho had the Israelites not disciplined themselves to obey the Lord's command to match around the walls without uttering a word. They might have missed the victory. They might have made the battle harder on themselves. They may have missed the miracle and revelation of God that they saw. Our lack of discipline could cause us to miss out on what the Lord has planned for us. Think about it.
Have a great day. How disciplined are you? Do you need to work on it?
"Disciplined"
How many of you like the word-- discipline? Our flesh sure doesn't. But we have to have discipline in our lives. That's why some of us are in a lot of trouble-- no discipline, and the rest of us would be without it.
Why is discipline so important? If our eating habits weren't disciplined we could wind up on a reality show knowing that if we didn't lose the weight we were going to die. If we aren't disciplined with our spending habits we could become so deep in debt that we could wind up sitting in the dark with no electricity, or have our vehicle repossessed, or worse yet, find ourselves homeless. A lack of discipline could cause us to wind up in jail because we couldn't stop doing things that were illegal. The greatest tragedy when it comes to lack of discipline is that of losing your eternal soul. You wouldn't stop doing what you wanted to do long enough (discipline) to make things right with you and the Lord.
While not all lack of discipline can have as dire consequences as those named above, even the smallest areas where we aren't disciplined can cause us problems. During this time I have seen that I needed more discipline in areas in my life. I was placed in a situation where I had to be disciplined. I had to be disciplined in order to not rush my recovery, in order to follow the doctors instructions to not lift, bend, twist or pull anything for more than 6 weeks. I had to be disciplined to take my meds at the proper time. I had to be disciplined on how I got in and out of bed. I had to be disciplined, as well as patient, to let someone else help me and not go off on my own and do certain things for myself. This is the hardest part for most people. It is easier to go ahead and do it yourself than to have to wait on someone else, or show them how to do it. (Parents get the gold medal here-- it is easier to do it ourselves than tell them how.)
The greatest reason we need discipline is not about these things, but about doing what the Lord instructs us to do. Just imagine the outcome at the Walls of Jericho had the Israelites not disciplined themselves to obey the Lord's command to match around the walls without uttering a word. They might have missed the victory. They might have made the battle harder on themselves. They may have missed the miracle and revelation of God that they saw. Our lack of discipline could cause us to miss out on what the Lord has planned for us. Think about it.
Have a great day. How disciplined are you? Do you need to work on it?
Friday, February 21, 2020
Coffee Break - No Love
Coffee Break
"No Love"
Jesus said that by our love all men would know that we are His disciples. He didn't say that by our church attendance they would know. Or by our giving money to the church, the poor or those who had a need they would know. He didn't say they would know that we were His disciples by doing ministry, singing in the choir, feeding the hungry, by teaching Sunday school class or by working in the church. As a matter of fact, we are told in His word that we can do all these things and more but if we don't have love we are no better than an irritating noise-- a clinging brass and tinkling cymbal to be exact. (1 Corinthians 13)
If we aren't careful we can substitute works for love. Anyone can do good works and not be right with the Lord-- not one of His born-again children. Even atheist can be giving, caring people-- and they don't even believe in God.
When we get so involved in the work of the Lord, we can lose sight of what it is all about. God sent His Son Jesus into the world because He loved the world and didn't want to see us perish. The works that Jesus did while here on earth were to demonstrate the Father's love for us.
I have to admit that through this time the Lord has let me know that I had lost my love and compassion for others-- the way it should have been as His disciple. When you are doing ministry, especially the kind I am doing that involves meeting people's physical and monetary needs, you can lose love and compassion in the process. When you have so many people who use you, when you have so many people who only want handouts, when you have people who aren't willing to help themselves but expect you to constantly bail them out, you can "shut up your bowels of compassion" after a while. This is a prayer that I constantly pray.. please don't let me do that. Situations in life, abuses by others, being used by those you care about, dealing with hardships day in and day out, going through grief and all the questions connected with it are among some of the things that try to suck the love right out of you. When they do, they leave you cold, hard and callous.
Even though I prayed that I wouldn't get like that, I did. But God heard my prayer and is answering it. He is restoring my love and compassion. He is giving me back His heart of love. Being flat on my back made me see what compassion was really about. I had several people come and bring us meals and pray for us and just love on us by trying to relieve our burden. It was a reminder of what love really looks like... it's words backed up with actions out of caring and unconditional motives. What others did for me was a true picture of what Jesus did for us. He showed us that this is what love is.
Have a great day. What does your love look like? Does it look like Jesus? Are you mistaking works for love? Has your love grown cold and your heart hard? Jesus will give you back your love and compassion if you ask Him to.
"No Love"
Jesus said that by our love all men would know that we are His disciples. He didn't say that by our church attendance they would know. Or by our giving money to the church, the poor or those who had a need they would know. He didn't say they would know that we were His disciples by doing ministry, singing in the choir, feeding the hungry, by teaching Sunday school class or by working in the church. As a matter of fact, we are told in His word that we can do all these things and more but if we don't have love we are no better than an irritating noise-- a clinging brass and tinkling cymbal to be exact. (1 Corinthians 13)
If we aren't careful we can substitute works for love. Anyone can do good works and not be right with the Lord-- not one of His born-again children. Even atheist can be giving, caring people-- and they don't even believe in God.
When we get so involved in the work of the Lord, we can lose sight of what it is all about. God sent His Son Jesus into the world because He loved the world and didn't want to see us perish. The works that Jesus did while here on earth were to demonstrate the Father's love for us.
I have to admit that through this time the Lord has let me know that I had lost my love and compassion for others-- the way it should have been as His disciple. When you are doing ministry, especially the kind I am doing that involves meeting people's physical and monetary needs, you can lose love and compassion in the process. When you have so many people who use you, when you have so many people who only want handouts, when you have people who aren't willing to help themselves but expect you to constantly bail them out, you can "shut up your bowels of compassion" after a while. This is a prayer that I constantly pray.. please don't let me do that. Situations in life, abuses by others, being used by those you care about, dealing with hardships day in and day out, going through grief and all the questions connected with it are among some of the things that try to suck the love right out of you. When they do, they leave you cold, hard and callous.
Even though I prayed that I wouldn't get like that, I did. But God heard my prayer and is answering it. He is restoring my love and compassion. He is giving me back His heart of love. Being flat on my back made me see what compassion was really about. I had several people come and bring us meals and pray for us and just love on us by trying to relieve our burden. It was a reminder of what love really looks like... it's words backed up with actions out of caring and unconditional motives. What others did for me was a true picture of what Jesus did for us. He showed us that this is what love is.
Have a great day. What does your love look like? Does it look like Jesus? Are you mistaking works for love? Has your love grown cold and your heart hard? Jesus will give you back your love and compassion if you ask Him to.
Thursday, February 20, 2020
Coffee Break - Patience
Coffee Break
"Patience"
When you talk about patience, most people will agree that this is one of the hardest things for them to do... wait! Especially when it comes to waiting on God. God has a way of making us wait for everything. We don't like to wait. We want what we want, ten minutes ago. But God isn't like that. His timing is perfect.
Abraham had to wait 25 years for the promised son. Joseph had to wait for 14 years to see his destiny come to pass. Elizabeth had to wait until her old age to bear a child- John the Baptist. And on and on goes the examples in the Bible of people waiting on God for the answer.
This experience has taught me a lot about patience. I had to wait for referrals that never came. I had to wait for the holidays to end to see a doctor. I have had to wait for the doctor to release me to go back to the shop. I had to wait to drive, send out the Coffee Break devotional, go back to church or ride to town until I could sit long enough. I haven't been able to make or sell my jewelry. I have had to miss so much that was happening with family and friends because I was unable physically to do anything. I have had restrictions so I have had to wait for my husband to do certain things for me that I am restricted from doing. I have had to wait on his timing.
The Bible says that tribulation worketh patience. It absolutely does. I have heard people say, "Don't pray for patience, because you will get tribulation". Through all this, I say, go ahead and pray for patience. You need it. I need it. Patience plows up the ground for peace to be produced in your life. Impatience will rob you of your peace. It will bred anxiety. We need to have peaceful lives. The Lord wants us to have peaceful hearts and minds. Therefore, because He knows we need peace, He will allow those things into our lives that will produce it. I have more peace than I have had in a long time because I am not being impatient about things that are in and out of my control. I know they are in God's control.
Have a great day. Tribulation works patience in our lives. We need patience. Patience will lead you to peace.
"Patience"
When you talk about patience, most people will agree that this is one of the hardest things for them to do... wait! Especially when it comes to waiting on God. God has a way of making us wait for everything. We don't like to wait. We want what we want, ten minutes ago. But God isn't like that. His timing is perfect.
Abraham had to wait 25 years for the promised son. Joseph had to wait for 14 years to see his destiny come to pass. Elizabeth had to wait until her old age to bear a child- John the Baptist. And on and on goes the examples in the Bible of people waiting on God for the answer.
This experience has taught me a lot about patience. I had to wait for referrals that never came. I had to wait for the holidays to end to see a doctor. I have had to wait for the doctor to release me to go back to the shop. I had to wait to drive, send out the Coffee Break devotional, go back to church or ride to town until I could sit long enough. I haven't been able to make or sell my jewelry. I have had to miss so much that was happening with family and friends because I was unable physically to do anything. I have had restrictions so I have had to wait for my husband to do certain things for me that I am restricted from doing. I have had to wait on his timing.
The Bible says that tribulation worketh patience. It absolutely does. I have heard people say, "Don't pray for patience, because you will get tribulation". Through all this, I say, go ahead and pray for patience. You need it. I need it. Patience plows up the ground for peace to be produced in your life. Impatience will rob you of your peace. It will bred anxiety. We need to have peaceful lives. The Lord wants us to have peaceful hearts and minds. Therefore, because He knows we need peace, He will allow those things into our lives that will produce it. I have more peace than I have had in a long time because I am not being impatient about things that are in and out of my control. I know they are in God's control.
Have a great day. Tribulation works patience in our lives. We need patience. Patience will lead you to peace.
Wednesday, February 19, 2020
Coffee Break - I Surrender All"
Coffee Break
"I Surrender All"
When we talk about surrender, we don't mean that it is a one time thing that you do. When you received salvation, you surrendered your life to the Lord. Therefore, you were born-again. But after that you have to continue to surrender to the Lord and His will the rest of your life.
When I surrendered to the Lord's will concerning surgery, that was not the end of it. I couldn't sit back and act like by that one act I had fulfilled all my duty from now on on the subject of surrendering to the Lord. No, daily I had to surrender to His will during my recovery. I had to surrender to being patient and being still. I had to surrender to waiting to getting back to doing the things I had been doing until He releases me.
Surrender is actually a daily practice. When you are faced with a choice to do right or wrong, you have to surrender to the Lord through the choice you make. Either you will choose to follow what God says is right or you will choose to follow what your own will or the world's system says is right. When you choose to do right according to God, you just surrendered to Him.
Surrender comes in all forms. Sometimes it's as simple as getting out of bed a little earlier in order to spend time with the Lord before you have to go somewhere. Sometimes it is more monumental like not taking the promotion you have worked so hard for to achieve because the Lord says not to take it. Either way, each involves surrender. Don't discount small acts of surrender. Surrendering in the small things will make it easier to surrender in the larger things. And the more you surrender, the less of you and the more of Jesus will be seen in your life.
Have a great day. Surrendering to the Lord is a life long practice, not a one time thing.
"I Surrender All"
When we talk about surrender, we don't mean that it is a one time thing that you do. When you received salvation, you surrendered your life to the Lord. Therefore, you were born-again. But after that you have to continue to surrender to the Lord and His will the rest of your life.
When I surrendered to the Lord's will concerning surgery, that was not the end of it. I couldn't sit back and act like by that one act I had fulfilled all my duty from now on on the subject of surrendering to the Lord. No, daily I had to surrender to His will during my recovery. I had to surrender to being patient and being still. I had to surrender to waiting to getting back to doing the things I had been doing until He releases me.
Surrender is actually a daily practice. When you are faced with a choice to do right or wrong, you have to surrender to the Lord through the choice you make. Either you will choose to follow what God says is right or you will choose to follow what your own will or the world's system says is right. When you choose to do right according to God, you just surrendered to Him.
Surrender comes in all forms. Sometimes it's as simple as getting out of bed a little earlier in order to spend time with the Lord before you have to go somewhere. Sometimes it is more monumental like not taking the promotion you have worked so hard for to achieve because the Lord says not to take it. Either way, each involves surrender. Don't discount small acts of surrender. Surrendering in the small things will make it easier to surrender in the larger things. And the more you surrender, the less of you and the more of Jesus will be seen in your life.
Have a great day. Surrendering to the Lord is a life long practice, not a one time thing.
Tuesday, February 18, 2020
Coffee Break - Refining Gold
Coffee Break
"Refining Gold"
Yesterday I talked about how a plain unappealing rock is reshaped into a beautiful polished rock. A few days ago I said that the Lord has been repeatedly telling me that when I am tried (through this trial that I am going through) I will come forth as pure gold.
In order for us to become those beautiful polished stones we have to go through situations that cause friction and abrasion. But in order for us to become pure gold we have to go through a refining process. The refining process gets out the impurities that are in the gold. The impurities that have to be gotten out of us are such things as works of the flesh-- anger, bitterness, discontentment, fear, jealously, etc. The impurities are also the cares of this life/world-- consumed with getting ahead, acquiring and lusting after wealth, worry about tomorrow, and so on.
The refining process involves being put through the fire. What does that mean? It means that when you are going through a situation and you are in a position where you have only two choices-- either surrender to God's will or hold on to your will-- you are in the fire. That's where I was-- in the fire-- the day I knew God's will was surgery and I decided to accept His will instead of my own (no surgery). When we choose God's will over our own, the impurities are being removed from our lives. Each time we make the choice to choose God's will over our own-- which is not just a one time thing, but a daily one-- we are getting a little purer.
The fire shows us what's inside of us. The refiner already knows the gold is not pure, but intermingled with impurities. So, he let's the fire do its work. Which is cause the impurities to rise to the top so he can skim them off. The Heavenly Father sits as a Refiner. He knows what is in us... we don't. So, as He watches over our lives during the fiery trials, waiting to skim off the impurities. The trials cause them to rise to the top. The Father skims them out of our lives when we surrender them to Him. Each time you surrender and give up the impurity (bitterness, self-will, anger, self-centeredness, fear, and so on) He reaches down and skims them off.
Have a great day. When you are in the fire and the things inside of you that should not be start coming to the top, surrender them up to the Father so He can remove them.
"Refining Gold"
Yesterday I talked about how a plain unappealing rock is reshaped into a beautiful polished rock. A few days ago I said that the Lord has been repeatedly telling me that when I am tried (through this trial that I am going through) I will come forth as pure gold.
In order for us to become those beautiful polished stones we have to go through situations that cause friction and abrasion. But in order for us to become pure gold we have to go through a refining process. The refining process gets out the impurities that are in the gold. The impurities that have to be gotten out of us are such things as works of the flesh-- anger, bitterness, discontentment, fear, jealously, etc. The impurities are also the cares of this life/world-- consumed with getting ahead, acquiring and lusting after wealth, worry about tomorrow, and so on.
The refining process involves being put through the fire. What does that mean? It means that when you are going through a situation and you are in a position where you have only two choices-- either surrender to God's will or hold on to your will-- you are in the fire. That's where I was-- in the fire-- the day I knew God's will was surgery and I decided to accept His will instead of my own (no surgery). When we choose God's will over our own, the impurities are being removed from our lives. Each time we make the choice to choose God's will over our own-- which is not just a one time thing, but a daily one-- we are getting a little purer.
The fire shows us what's inside of us. The refiner already knows the gold is not pure, but intermingled with impurities. So, he let's the fire do its work. Which is cause the impurities to rise to the top so he can skim them off. The Heavenly Father sits as a Refiner. He knows what is in us... we don't. So, as He watches over our lives during the fiery trials, waiting to skim off the impurities. The trials cause them to rise to the top. The Father skims them out of our lives when we surrender them to Him. Each time you surrender and give up the impurity (bitterness, self-will, anger, self-centeredness, fear, and so on) He reaches down and skims them off.
Have a great day. When you are in the fire and the things inside of you that should not be start coming to the top, surrender them up to the Father so He can remove them.
Monday, February 17, 2020
open letter
Coffee Break
An Open Letter to Christians:
Yesterday morning, as I was laying in bed the Lord began to speak to me to confront His people about a practice that they are involved in. What is that practice? It is the practice of getting your opinions, views, values, morals and belief system from the world.
The Bible says that the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:3,4)
I submit to you, without adding to or taking away from the Word of God, that this doesn't necessarily mean just those who come into the church as teachers and ministers. But the present day church, for the most part, has turned their ear to the outside world that tells them what their flesh wants to hear.
We have allowed ourselves to be influences by and given our ears to Hollywood actors, Career politicians, humanistic physiologists, megastars, sports figures, the elite of society, the rich and famous, the latest recording artist, atheistic professors and anyone else who has a platform for their voice.
Just because Hollywood tells you having premarital sex, homosexuality and transgenderism is to be embraced doesn't mean that it is all right. Just because law makers tell us that a woman has the right to do what she wants to with her body and abort her unborn child or make the decision if she wants the child to live after it is born doesn't mean it is all right.
Can't we see what is going on? Can't we see that the "gospel" that these are "preaching" to us is a gospel of...
Rebellion-- rebel against authority and anything that you don't like.
Division-- Democrat vs. Republican; Black vs. White; Rich vs. Poor; Privileged vs. Non- privileged; Male vs. Female, etc.
Disunity-- fight against those who aren't for us and believe the way we believe.
Self-centeredness-- it's your body do with it whatever you like; you can be whatever gender you decide you want to be and everyone else has to cater to you.
, hatred, anger and
we have begun to accept the things the Bible?God calls sin and evern defned them
An Open Letter to Christians:
Yesterday morning, as I was laying in bed the Lord began to speak to me to confront His people about a practice that they are involved in. What is that practice? It is the practice of getting your opinions, views, values, morals and belief system from the world.
The Bible says that the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. (2 Timothy 4:3,4)
I submit to you, without adding to or taking away from the Word of God, that this doesn't necessarily mean just those who come into the church as teachers and ministers. But the present day church, for the most part, has turned their ear to the outside world that tells them what their flesh wants to hear.
We have allowed ourselves to be influences by and given our ears to Hollywood actors, Career politicians, humanistic physiologists, megastars, sports figures, the elite of society, the rich and famous, the latest recording artist, atheistic professors and anyone else who has a platform for their voice.
Just because Hollywood tells you having premarital sex, homosexuality and transgenderism is to be embraced doesn't mean that it is all right. Just because law makers tell us that a woman has the right to do what she wants to with her body and abort her unborn child or make the decision if she wants the child to live after it is born doesn't mean it is all right.
Can't we see what is going on? Can't we see that the "gospel" that these are "preaching" to us is a gospel of...
Rebellion-- rebel against authority and anything that you don't like.
Division-- Democrat vs. Republican; Black vs. White; Rich vs. Poor; Privileged vs. Non- privileged; Male vs. Female, etc.
Disunity-- fight against those who aren't for us and believe the way we believe.
Self-centeredness-- it's your body do with it whatever you like; you can be whatever gender you decide you want to be and everyone else has to cater to you.
, hatred, anger and
we have begun to accept the things the Bible?God calls sin and evern defned them
Coffee Break - Rock Polishing
Coffee Break
"Rock Polishing"
Through everything that I have gone through, the Lord is using it to do a work in my inner man. As I have said several times there is always more behind what you are going through than what you are going through. Although He did not do this to me, as I have said He is bringing something good and eternal out of it.
For my birthday my husband bought me a rock tumbling kit because I am fascinated by the transformation that takes place when a plain old dirty looking rock becomes a beautiful, colorful, polished, smooth stone. The transformation is amazing. It doesn't even look at all like what it started out being. Who would have thought that such beauty was hidden inside something so unappealing.
That beautiful polished stone did not get that way without going through a process. It was put in a tumbler to go around and around and around-- not for a few minutes but for days. Inside the tumbler was also several other rocks and some course grit. After many days it was taken out. But that wasn't the end of the process. It was washed and dried and put back in the tumbler with the same rocks and finer grit to be tumbled again for another week. Then it is taken out and washed. Is that the end of it? No, back into the tumbler to go around and around again, this time with a prepolisher. The same process is repeated as before. Lastly, it is put back in the tumbler with another polisher. At the end of an appointed time, it is taken out of the tumbler, washed and there you have... finally... the finished product. The whole process was intended to reshape the stone, smooth it and bring out its beauty.
When we go through some of the situations we go through, through them God is trying to make us into something beautiful for His glory. Sadly, we live in a time when the gospel message we hear is one that says as a Christian you will never go through any hardship, heartache, suffering, affiliation, pain or tribulation. This is not what the Bible teaches. Our Lord Jesus said we would have tribulation in this world. So we do go through things. But while the devil intends to destroy us through them, God never intends for those things to spiritually destroy us. He intends for them to make us like beautiful polished living stones.
Like the rocks in the tumbler, we have to go through a process in order to be who God plans for us to be. That process isn't always easy, comfortable or pleasant- and it doesn't happen overnight. We can't become who we need to become and get to where we need to go in the Lord without adversity and friction.
Have a great day. To be who God wants you to be so that you can do what He wants you to do, you have to go through a reshaping process. It isn't always easy but in the end you will come out looking beautiful.
Friday, February 14, 2020
Coffee Break - No Fire
Coffee Break
"No Fire"
When I surrendered to the Lord's will to have surgery, I didn't know that through it what He was also doing was answering prayers that I had prayed. When I had my surgery, I was kept overnight. That night in the hospital I wasn’t able to sleep. Sometime during the middle of the night I decided to turn on the television. I began to scroll through the channels looking for a Christian station. I found one. As I watched the guest was talking to the hosts about an event that was soon to take place. The event was going to be a gathering of believers who wanted nothing more than God. They were gathering to seek the Lord for a fresh touch and be in His glorious presence. The guest was inviting people to come and be a part of the meeting. He said something that made my “spiritual ears” stand up at attention. He said, “You have been working for the Lord, been involved in ministry, gaining more knowledge, praying, doing all the Christian duties, but you have lost the fire.” I said, “Oh, Lord, that is me.” I am working for you, running a ministry, teaching, studying the Word, being used in the gifts, but something is missing.” That was it! I have felt for a while like something wasn't right and something was missing in my life. But I didn't know what it was. I had prayed about it but never could put my finger on what it was. This was it--My fire had gone. I was like a smoking flax and bruised reed. (Matthew 12:20 ) The smoke of religious service was there but the fire of the Spirit, the passion, the hunger, the yearning and first love was not there. But God is so gracious and loving that if we allow ourselves to get to the point where we are just “smoking”, He will not quench it. He sees the smoke and knows that were there’s smoke, there is a chance for a fire. He knows how to blow on the embers and reignite it.
Let me ask you this morning-- and be honest with yourself and God. Are you a smoking flax? Often we think we are on fire but are nothing more than smoke. Have you lost your passion for the Lord? Is the zeal of God still there? Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness? Have you lost your first love? Do you still yearn to be in His presence? Like I said already, we can go through the motions and do all the Christian duties but lack the fire. Maybe you are like I was, you knew something was missing but didn't know what. Maybe it's the fire. If it is, you can get it back. I am! The way it is happening is by drawing near to the Lord and making Him and His presence my priority.
We often equate the work of the Lord with the presence of the Lord. It isn't. You can do His work and still not have His presence. "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:22,23) Many are drawing to the works, thinking they are drawing close to Him.
Have a great day. Has your fire gone out? Don't mistake your Christian works for God's presence. Start drawing close to Him and getting into His presence and He will fan your smoke and start a fire from it.
"No Fire"
When I surrendered to the Lord's will to have surgery, I didn't know that through it what He was also doing was answering prayers that I had prayed. When I had my surgery, I was kept overnight. That night in the hospital I wasn’t able to sleep. Sometime during the middle of the night I decided to turn on the television. I began to scroll through the channels looking for a Christian station. I found one. As I watched the guest was talking to the hosts about an event that was soon to take place. The event was going to be a gathering of believers who wanted nothing more than God. They were gathering to seek the Lord for a fresh touch and be in His glorious presence. The guest was inviting people to come and be a part of the meeting. He said something that made my “spiritual ears” stand up at attention. He said, “You have been working for the Lord, been involved in ministry, gaining more knowledge, praying, doing all the Christian duties, but you have lost the fire.” I said, “Oh, Lord, that is me.” I am working for you, running a ministry, teaching, studying the Word, being used in the gifts, but something is missing.” That was it! I have felt for a while like something wasn't right and something was missing in my life. But I didn't know what it was. I had prayed about it but never could put my finger on what it was. This was it--My fire had gone. I was like a smoking flax and bruised reed. (Matthew 12:20 ) The smoke of religious service was there but the fire of the Spirit, the passion, the hunger, the yearning and first love was not there. But God is so gracious and loving that if we allow ourselves to get to the point where we are just “smoking”, He will not quench it. He sees the smoke and knows that were there’s smoke, there is a chance for a fire. He knows how to blow on the embers and reignite it.
Let me ask you this morning-- and be honest with yourself and God. Are you a smoking flax? Often we think we are on fire but are nothing more than smoke. Have you lost your passion for the Lord? Is the zeal of God still there? Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness? Have you lost your first love? Do you still yearn to be in His presence? Like I said already, we can go through the motions and do all the Christian duties but lack the fire. Maybe you are like I was, you knew something was missing but didn't know what. Maybe it's the fire. If it is, you can get it back. I am! The way it is happening is by drawing near to the Lord and making Him and His presence my priority.
We often equate the work of the Lord with the presence of the Lord. It isn't. You can do His work and still not have His presence. "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:22,23) Many are drawing to the works, thinking they are drawing close to Him.
Have a great day. Has your fire gone out? Don't mistake your Christian works for God's presence. Start drawing close to Him and getting into His presence and He will fan your smoke and start a fire from it.
Thursday, February 13, 2020
Coffee Break - Alone
Coffee Break
"Alone"
Yesterday I shared with you that with God things are not always what we think they are. I thought I was just getting relief from my pain and fixing the problem that was causing it by having surgery. But, like I have already told you, it wasn't about my physical well-being, it was about a spiritual journey He wanted to take me on.
As I also said, don't misunderstand, God did not do this to me. He didn't afflict my back and put me in such pain. But He is using it. He is using it to get me in a place where I am flat of my back, I can't do anything, I can't go anywhere, I am alone and I am being still. I am in a solitary place. Therefore, I have nothing else to do but listen to Him.
Thank God for solitary places. Jacob was in a solitary place and he encountered the Lord. He wrestled with Him and the Lord touched his thigh so that he limped the rest of His life. Let's put it this way-- after he had an encounter with the Lord he never walked the same way. The Lord will change our walk/life when we have a real encounter with Him. Jesus was in a solitary place-- 40 days in the wilderness. When He came out of the wilderness, He came out in power and victory and started His ministry.
Are you in a solitary place? Each time we go into our prayer closet, or war room, and we shut the world and everything else out we are going into a solitary place. Those solitary places (whether they are your prayer closet or some situation that has you alone) are where we come out refreshed, changed and empowered to do what we are called to do.
The Lord has spoken a word to me throughout this whole trial, and He speaks it to me often. It is-- when I am tried, I shall come forth as pure gold. The Lord wants to turn you into a pure gold vessel to be used for His honor and glory. But it comes as we submit and surrender to the Master Refiner. We have to be willing and obedient to allow Him to do whatever He desires.... even if it takes us down a path that we would not choose or want to go down. And even if it takes us into a solitary place.
Have a great day. Sometimes we don't understand what God is doing, especially when we are in a solitary place, but it is always a good thing, it always benefits us and the work of His Kingdom.
The Lord has spoken a word to me throughout this whole trial, and He speaks it to me often. It is-- when I am tried, I shall come forth as pure gold. The Lord wants to turn you into a pure gold vessel to be used for His honor and glory. But it comes as we submit and surrender to the Master Refiner. We have to be willing and obedient to allow Him to do whatever He desires.... even if it takes us down a path that we would not choose or want to go down. And even if it takes us into a solitary place.
Have a great day. Sometimes we don't understand what God is doing, especially when we are in a solitary place, but it is always a good thing, it always benefits us and the work of His Kingdom.
Wednesday, February 12, 2020
Coffee Break - It's Working For Good
Coffee Break
"It's Working For Good"
I know I have already said it and I am sure that I will probably say it several more times before I finish sharing this journey with you. But it bears constant repetition.
It is: God did not put this affliction and suffering on me-- or on you. The things that we suffer in life come as a result of living in a fallen world-- one that is under the curse of sin. Because of this, our bodies are subject to pain, trauma, sickness and death. We won't live here forever. If we live to be old our bodies will have aches and pains and begin to wear out. They also come as a result of the actions of others against us. They come as a result of consequences for bad choices, unwise decisions and mistakes we have made. They also come because we have an enemy, the devil, who is out to destroy us.
But when they do come our way, God can use them for our good. The good that He can bring out of them may differ from one person to another. The good that is being worked out through my situation may not be the same thing that is being worked out in yours.
In my case the good thing is to bring me back to a place of hunger and thirst for the Presence of God in my life that has been lacking. It is also to bring me to a place of fresh surrender so that He can take me to the next level He has planned for me to go to. When the Israelites were standing between the Red Sea and Pharaoh's army, it was to bring them to a place where they could see the power of God over their enemies. When the disciples were in the boat during the storm, it was so that they could see that Jesus is the Son of God and has power over nature. When the three Hebrews were thrown into the fiery furnace, they learned that the Lord would never leave them-- He was the fourth man in the fire. When Daniel was thrown in the lion's den, it revealed to him that the Lord could save him out of any situation-- man or beast. When Job faced great calamity, in the end he gained a knowledge and closeness to God that he had never experienced before even though he was a worshipper.
Perhaps you are going through a trying time at the moment. You may be facing sickness and pain in your body. You may be going through a time of financial lack. You may have just lost your job. Your friends may have turned their backs on you. You may be at a cross roads in life. You may be fighting depression or some other mental and emotional trial. The Lord can work in each one, no matter what it is. For some it may be to show you that the Lord is with you always. For others it may be bringing them to a place of repentance because of lack of faith. For others it may be so that He can show you His awesome power to work on your behave. For someone else, through it He can show you that He is your deliverer. Then for another He can prove to you His amazing goodness and love. He may be using it to show you that He is your provider and can make a way where there seems to be no way. Etc., etc., etc.
He knows what you are going through. He knows where you are. He knows how to take every situation and work through it for your good... whatever that good may be.
Have a great day. We all go through something at sometime in our lives. Is there something that the Lord is wanting to work out in your life through what you are going through?
"It's Working For Good"
I know I have already said it and I am sure that I will probably say it several more times before I finish sharing this journey with you. But it bears constant repetition.
It is: God did not put this affliction and suffering on me-- or on you. The things that we suffer in life come as a result of living in a fallen world-- one that is under the curse of sin. Because of this, our bodies are subject to pain, trauma, sickness and death. We won't live here forever. If we live to be old our bodies will have aches and pains and begin to wear out. They also come as a result of the actions of others against us. They come as a result of consequences for bad choices, unwise decisions and mistakes we have made. They also come because we have an enemy, the devil, who is out to destroy us.
But when they do come our way, God can use them for our good. The good that He can bring out of them may differ from one person to another. The good that is being worked out through my situation may not be the same thing that is being worked out in yours.
In my case the good thing is to bring me back to a place of hunger and thirst for the Presence of God in my life that has been lacking. It is also to bring me to a place of fresh surrender so that He can take me to the next level He has planned for me to go to. When the Israelites were standing between the Red Sea and Pharaoh's army, it was to bring them to a place where they could see the power of God over their enemies. When the disciples were in the boat during the storm, it was so that they could see that Jesus is the Son of God and has power over nature. When the three Hebrews were thrown into the fiery furnace, they learned that the Lord would never leave them-- He was the fourth man in the fire. When Daniel was thrown in the lion's den, it revealed to him that the Lord could save him out of any situation-- man or beast. When Job faced great calamity, in the end he gained a knowledge and closeness to God that he had never experienced before even though he was a worshipper.
Perhaps you are going through a trying time at the moment. You may be facing sickness and pain in your body. You may be going through a time of financial lack. You may have just lost your job. Your friends may have turned their backs on you. You may be at a cross roads in life. You may be fighting depression or some other mental and emotional trial. The Lord can work in each one, no matter what it is. For some it may be to show you that the Lord is with you always. For others it may be bringing them to a place of repentance because of lack of faith. For others it may be so that He can show you His awesome power to work on your behave. For someone else, through it He can show you that He is your deliverer. Then for another He can prove to you His amazing goodness and love. He may be using it to show you that He is your provider and can make a way where there seems to be no way. Etc., etc., etc.
He knows what you are going through. He knows where you are. He knows how to take every situation and work through it for your good... whatever that good may be.
Have a great day. We all go through something at sometime in our lives. Is there something that the Lord is wanting to work out in your life through what you are going through?
Tuesday, February 11, 2020
Coffee Break -- So, Why?
Coffee Break
So, Why?
So, Why?
When I surrendered to the Lord to have the surgery,
little did I realize at the time that I was actually being set up by the Lord
to go on a spiritual journey. It wasn’t
about my physical well-being or healing.
After all, I was already healed by the stripes of Jesus. And I had experienced His healing power in
this same area six years earlier.
Six years ago I was working in my yard and overextended
my back. When I did, pain hit my back
and I knew something was wrong. Several
weeks later I had an MRI. When the
doctor gave me the results, the first thing she said was, “Are you ready for
surgery?” I had five bulging disc. My immediate reply was, “No,
surgery is not an option for me.” I did not have the
surgery. I took pain relievers, prayed
and stood upon the Word of God. I
continued to experience pain (but not to the degree I did this time) for five
months. Then one day the pain
stopped. I have been fine since. I know the Lord touched me and healed the bulging
discs. To confirm it, three years later
I was in an automobile accident (fender bender). It
wasn’t serious but I was hit from behind while I was parked. I decided to have an MRI done from the top of
my spinal cord to the bottom. (I wanted
to make sure that I was alright.) I went
to the same Orthopedic doctor and he confirmed from the results that there was
nothing on the MRI that indicated any need for surgery. God had healed me.
When I surrendered to the Lord to have the surgery, it
wasn’t about relieving the pain, healing or my physical well-being. It was about something greater. Something eternal. Something that would glorify Him. God cares about us and everything that affects our lives. He cared about the pain I was in, but He is more concerned about our spiritual well-being than our physical. Our spirits are eternal, our body is not. It will go back to the dust one day.
When I surrendered to the surgery, I surrendered to His will. Once I was surrendered to His will, He could then begin to do a work in my life that He desired to do. When God leads you, it is about more than you think. He is working out a greater plan behind it.
Have a great day. With God, things are not always what we think they are. They are never what we think they are about. It is about something far greater that the Lord is after. Bottom line, you will miss what He really wants to do in your life if you don't surrender.
Monday, February 10, 2020
Coffee Break- Devil's Trap
When I surrendered to the Lord's will, I had peace. When we surrender, the enemy will try to come in and make you question if you really heard from God. He will try to distract you. He will try to get you to turn away from the Lord's will and pursue your own. He did with me.
I knew what I had heard from the Lord concerning going through the surgery. So, I went to see my primary care doctor. After looking at the MRI results he suggested surgery, but he wanted me to have it out of town. He gave me pain meds and was going to make a referral for me to a neurosurgeon.
I waited for over a week for a referral. The following Monday I called to see if I had an appointment yet. I spoke with the lady who makes the referrals. She had not made a referral or appointment with a neurosurgeon. But she did tell me that the doctor also left orders that I could go to pain management. Well, that sounded better than surgery, since I didn’t want it in the first place. So I told her to set up an appointment with a certain doctor here in town. The conversation ended with me waiting to hear back from her and hopefully we could “get this show on the road”. In the meantime that same day I got a call from the orthopedic doctor’s office wanting me to confirm my appointment Friday of that week. Appointment? My husband had called his office after we had the MRI done to set me up an appointment, since he was sent the MRI results as well, but after the receptionist told him it would be over a week before I could be seen. I cancelled the appointment because I was waiting to go to pain management.
On Thursday I still had not heard anything back about a referral. All that night I kept pondering which doctor? Do I have it in town or out of town? This mass of questions and confusion kept coming against my mind. We all know the Lord is not the author of confusion. When I woke up that Thursday, I told my husband that I knew what I was going to do before I saw my primary doctor-- that was when the confusion began. I decided to call the orthopedic doctor because he had the MRI results and I didn't need a referral to see him. Remember, I had cancelled the appointment for the next day. I breathed a prayer before I called, "Lord, if this is you, please let him be able to see me in the morning." I called.. no openings. But while she was looking for the earliest opening, she asked if I just needed the MRI results. I told her my primary care doctor had already given them to me. She put me on hold and when she came back she said she would try to work me in at 11:00 the next morning.
I knew the Lord's will but I let the devil entice me with what I really wanted to do. He is good at opening doors to trap us and cause us to go against God's will and plan. But, thankfully, The Lord knows how to get us back on course. He knows how to open (the doctor could see me even after I closed the door by cancelling my appointment) and close doors (to this day I have not been called with a referral to pain management).
We are not ignorant of satan's devices. He will try to sway you, deceive you, appeal to your flesh and cause you to go against God. We have to be on guard. We have to be watching. If you know that you have heard from the Lord, don't let the devil persuade you to do otherwise.
Have a great day. When you know the Lord's will, don't let anything cause you to turn away from it...no matter how appealing it is.
I knew what I had heard from the Lord concerning going through the surgery. So, I went to see my primary care doctor. After looking at the MRI results he suggested surgery, but he wanted me to have it out of town. He gave me pain meds and was going to make a referral for me to a neurosurgeon.
I waited for over a week for a referral. The following Monday I called to see if I had an appointment yet. I spoke with the lady who makes the referrals. She had not made a referral or appointment with a neurosurgeon. But she did tell me that the doctor also left orders that I could go to pain management. Well, that sounded better than surgery, since I didn’t want it in the first place. So I told her to set up an appointment with a certain doctor here in town. The conversation ended with me waiting to hear back from her and hopefully we could “get this show on the road”. In the meantime that same day I got a call from the orthopedic doctor’s office wanting me to confirm my appointment Friday of that week. Appointment? My husband had called his office after we had the MRI done to set me up an appointment, since he was sent the MRI results as well, but after the receptionist told him it would be over a week before I could be seen. I cancelled the appointment because I was waiting to go to pain management.
On Thursday I still had not heard anything back about a referral. All that night I kept pondering which doctor? Do I have it in town or out of town? This mass of questions and confusion kept coming against my mind. We all know the Lord is not the author of confusion. When I woke up that Thursday, I told my husband that I knew what I was going to do before I saw my primary doctor-- that was when the confusion began. I decided to call the orthopedic doctor because he had the MRI results and I didn't need a referral to see him. Remember, I had cancelled the appointment for the next day. I breathed a prayer before I called, "Lord, if this is you, please let him be able to see me in the morning." I called.. no openings. But while she was looking for the earliest opening, she asked if I just needed the MRI results. I told her my primary care doctor had already given them to me. She put me on hold and when she came back she said she would try to work me in at 11:00 the next morning.
I knew the Lord's will but I let the devil entice me with what I really wanted to do. He is good at opening doors to trap us and cause us to go against God's will and plan. But, thankfully, The Lord knows how to get us back on course. He knows how to open (the doctor could see me even after I closed the door by cancelling my appointment) and close doors (to this day I have not been called with a referral to pain management).
We are not ignorant of satan's devices. He will try to sway you, deceive you, appeal to your flesh and cause you to go against God. We have to be on guard. We have to be watching. If you know that you have heard from the Lord, don't let the devil persuade you to do otherwise.
Have a great day. When you know the Lord's will, don't let anything cause you to turn away from it...no matter how appealing it is.
Wednesday, February 5, 2020
Coffee Break - Stay Focused
Stay Focused
When we are going through a trial, difficulty, pain, sorrow or grief, etc., it is so easy to focus on what we are going through. It steals our attention and will consume us. The agonizing pain I was in kept holding my thoughts captive. I couldn’t think clearly because of the pain. There was a battle raging in my body, but a war raging in my mind.
The mind is the battlefield. Whoever wins on the battlefield wins the war. When David went out to face Goliath on the battlefield, either he was going to win or Goliath. There could not be two victors on opposing sides. It is either all or nothing.
“Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” 1 Samuel 17:1-3,8-10
If you have read the story of David and Goliath you know who won—David. How was David able to destroy the giant? Goliath was bigger than David. He was older. He was trained as a man of war. He had all the right weapons. He was a fighting machine-- a one man army. He was intimidating. He placed fear in the hearts of those who saw him. David on the other hand had none of those qualifications. He was a young shepherd boy armed with nothing more than a slingshot and some smooth rocks. So, what made David win on the battlefield? His focus! He didn’t focus on the size of Goliath, like the Israelite army did.
“And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up.” (1 Samuel 17:24,25)
Instead he kept his focus on God. “ Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel." (1 Samuel 17:45,46)
Had David continued to look at the giant, he would have only gotten bigger and bigger in his eyes/mind. Out of the 12 spies that went into the land of Canaan ten looked at the giants and the longer they did, the bigger the giants looked and smaller they looked to themselves. "we are like grasshoppers". (Numbers 13) Joshua and Caleb, on the other hand, brought back a good report because they focused on the Word/promise of God.
Am I saying that we deny what we are going through like it isn’t real? Of course, not. David did not deny Goliath's presence or size, but he didn't focus on it.... it had not captivated or consumed him. He focused on the victories that the Lord had already given him and knew that the Lord would do the same now-- this giant was not bigger than his God. When I was going through such intense pain there was no doubt my body was in pain—there was no denying that. What I am saying is that we have to work to stay focused on the Lord. I called out many times for Him to help me and give me the grace to keep my focus on Him and the pain in my body. Had I not, I would have lost my mind the pain was so horrific.
Whatever you are going through, keep your focus more on the Lord. Don't act like your problem isn't real, but keep renewing your mind, keep bringing those thoughts captive, keep reminding yourself of the promises of God, call upon Him for grace and help.
Have a great day. It may feel like you are losing the battle but if you stay focused on the Lord, you will win the war.
When we are going through a trial, difficulty, pain, sorrow or grief, etc., it is so easy to focus on what we are going through. It steals our attention and will consume us. The agonizing pain I was in kept holding my thoughts captive. I couldn’t think clearly because of the pain. There was a battle raging in my body, but a war raging in my mind.
The mind is the battlefield. Whoever wins on the battlefield wins the war. When David went out to face Goliath on the battlefield, either he was going to win or Goliath. There could not be two victors on opposing sides. It is either all or nothing.
“Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephesdammim. And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together.” 1 Samuel 17:1-3,8-10
If you have read the story of David and Goliath you know who won—David. How was David able to destroy the giant? Goliath was bigger than David. He was older. He was trained as a man of war. He had all the right weapons. He was a fighting machine-- a one man army. He was intimidating. He placed fear in the hearts of those who saw him. David on the other hand had none of those qualifications. He was a young shepherd boy armed with nothing more than a slingshot and some smooth rocks. So, what made David win on the battlefield? His focus! He didn’t focus on the size of Goliath, like the Israelite army did.
“And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. And the men of Israel said, Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to defy Israel is he come up.” (1 Samuel 17:24,25)
Instead he kept his focus on God. “ Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel." (1 Samuel 17:45,46)
Had David continued to look at the giant, he would have only gotten bigger and bigger in his eyes/mind. Out of the 12 spies that went into the land of Canaan ten looked at the giants and the longer they did, the bigger the giants looked and smaller they looked to themselves. "we are like grasshoppers". (Numbers 13) Joshua and Caleb, on the other hand, brought back a good report because they focused on the Word/promise of God.
Am I saying that we deny what we are going through like it isn’t real? Of course, not. David did not deny Goliath's presence or size, but he didn't focus on it.... it had not captivated or consumed him. He focused on the victories that the Lord had already given him and knew that the Lord would do the same now-- this giant was not bigger than his God. When I was going through such intense pain there was no doubt my body was in pain—there was no denying that. What I am saying is that we have to work to stay focused on the Lord. I called out many times for Him to help me and give me the grace to keep my focus on Him and the pain in my body. Had I not, I would have lost my mind the pain was so horrific.
Whatever you are going through, keep your focus more on the Lord. Don't act like your problem isn't real, but keep renewing your mind, keep bringing those thoughts captive, keep reminding yourself of the promises of God, call upon Him for grace and help.
Have a great day. It may feel like you are losing the battle but if you stay focused on the Lord, you will win the war.
Tuesday, February 4, 2020
Coffee Break - The Beginning
Coffee Break
"The Beginning"
I don't want to bore you or weary you with the physical details that I have been going through, but I feel I need to give you some background that will help you understand the things that I will be sharing with you over the next weeks. Please forgive me for being so lengthy.
One day I was in my office at home. I leant over the side of the chair to reach something on the floor. It turns out that was not a smart idea. The farther I leaned the more pressure I put on my ribs against the chair arm. The chair arm didn’t give, but something in my ribs did. I felt a terrible pain. I didn’t know what I had done. Had I fractured a rib? Had I only bruised it? It only hurt when I would touch it. I didn’t go to the doctor—after all, they wouldn’t have done anything even if it was broken and I had no difficulty breathing so I just left it alone. I was lying in bed one night, almost a week later, and it felt like the pain traveled from the right side of my rib cage to the left side. The next day my back started hurting and the ribs completely quit hurting. Let me skip ahead to the next week. The followingTuesday morning when I woke up, I almost
fainted getting out of bed. I could not put my left leg on the floor. The pain was horrible. I woke my husband and told him to take me to
the ER. (He knew it was bad because I
never ask for medical help.) When I
finally saw a doctor, he asked me the question they always ask—“on a scale from
one to ten how bad is your pain?”
Without hesitation I said, “FIFITY!!!”
Mind you, I have been blessed with a very high pain tolerance. The ER doctor set me up for an MRI on Thursday. To make a long story short, the MRI showed I had a bulging disc at L3 and it was pressing the nerves between L3 and L4. (Turns out it wasn't just bulged, I had blown part of the disc out.)
When I first felt the back pain, I knew something bad was going on. I could not walk, sit, stand or crawl. I laid on the couch for five weeks day and night crying in pain and trying to keep my focus on the Lord. I texted my pastor, friends, family, prayer warriors, the intercessors in my prayer group asking them to pray for me and pray that I wouldn’t need surgery. I was praying every prayer I knew to pray, confessing every scripture
on healing, even listening to a download I had on my phone of nothing but
healing scriptures. Watching faith preachers on television. I knew I was healed already because of what Jesus did at the cross through His shed blood. Healing is part of my covenant. And actually, six years earlier I had done another stupid thing and wound up bulging five discs. My doctor wanted to do surgery, but I didn't. Five months later the discs were back in place. The Lord healed me then so I expected the same this time.
The day after the MRI I was to see my primary care doctor. Before I was to see him the next day, I had gotten to the point where even lying down, which was all I could do, was beginning to get difficult. I laid there crying out to the Lord for His help. Remember I had prayed, and had everyone else praying for no surgery. As I cried out to the Lord praying that He would touch me and give me a miracle and the healing that was already mine, deep in my spirit I heard that still small voice that I have heard on many occasions. I knew the answer I needed was not the one I wanted. I felt as though the Lord was telling me that His plan was for me to go the surgical route. One of the things He said to me was, “My will is not always your will. You no longer belong to yourself, you belong to Me. I bought you with the price of the shed blood of My Son. Your life is mine to do whatever I desire to do with it.” At that moment I had the option to surrender to His plan, though it was not mine, or rebel and demand my own way, after all, He has given us the free will to choose. Through the pain and tears I said, “Lord, I surrender. I surrender to whatever Your will is. I don’t understand because I know that I am healed, but I trust You.”
I said all that to say this-- is there something the Lord has spoken to you about and you need to surrender to His will and plan and abandon yours? Surgery was not what I wanted, but I wanted His will more. To obey is better than sacrifice. Surrender to Him. Trust Him even if you don't understand it. You don't have to understand to trust. Trust has nothing to do with understanding. Trust equals faith. The truth is, you may never understand His plan but you can trust it.... because you can trust Him.
Have a great day. Surrender to the Lord 's will and plan. Lay yours aside. Trust Him. He knows what He is doing. He knows what He is has planned for your life... His plan is always better.
"The Beginning"
I don't want to bore you or weary you with the physical details that I have been going through, but I feel I need to give you some background that will help you understand the things that I will be sharing with you over the next weeks. Please forgive me for being so lengthy.
One day I was in my office at home. I leant over the side of the chair to reach something on the floor. It turns out that was not a smart idea. The farther I leaned the more pressure I put on my ribs against the chair arm. The chair arm didn’t give, but something in my ribs did. I felt a terrible pain. I didn’t know what I had done. Had I fractured a rib? Had I only bruised it? It only hurt when I would touch it. I didn’t go to the doctor—after all, they wouldn’t have done anything even if it was broken and I had no difficulty breathing so I just left it alone. I was lying in bed one night, almost a week later, and it felt like the pain traveled from the right side of my rib cage to the left side. The next day my back started hurting and the ribs completely quit hurting. Let me skip ahead to the next week. The following
The day after the MRI I was to see my primary care doctor. Before I was to see him the next day, I had gotten to the point where even lying down, which was all I could do, was beginning to get difficult. I laid there crying out to the Lord for His help. Remember I had prayed, and had everyone else praying for no surgery. As I cried out to the Lord praying that He would touch me and give me a miracle and the healing that was already mine, deep in my spirit I heard that still small voice that I have heard on many occasions. I knew the answer I needed was not the one I wanted. I felt as though the Lord was telling me that His plan was for me to go the surgical route. One of the things He said to me was, “My will is not always your will. You no longer belong to yourself, you belong to Me. I bought you with the price of the shed blood of My Son. Your life is mine to do whatever I desire to do with it.” At that moment I had the option to surrender to His plan, though it was not mine, or rebel and demand my own way, after all, He has given us the free will to choose. Through the pain and tears I said, “Lord, I surrender. I surrender to whatever Your will is. I don’t understand because I know that I am healed, but I trust You.”
I said all that to say this-- is there something the Lord has spoken to you about and you need to surrender to His will and plan and abandon yours? Surgery was not what I wanted, but I wanted His will more. To obey is better than sacrifice. Surrender to Him. Trust Him even if you don't understand it. You don't have to understand to trust. Trust has nothing to do with understanding. Trust equals faith. The truth is, you may never understand His plan but you can trust it.... because you can trust Him.
Have a great day. Surrender to the Lord 's will and plan. Lay yours aside. Trust Him. He knows what He is doing. He knows what He is has planned for your life... His plan is always better.
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