The Consistency of Christ

Sometimes the only seemingly consistent thing in this world is inconsistency. Events often happen that change my course of life- both positive and negative. A recent positive change is the birth of our daughter! A "negative" is the countless times I have already failed in attempt to make my day run smoothly with an ever-growing 4-month old :) I have obtained the bad habit of babying her to the point where she is a tad spoiled and knows it! (First-time Momma Syndrome, as I call it.) So while time passed waiting for the New Years Eve ball to drop, I asked my sister and mother for the un-sugarcoated truth of how to undo what has been done. The advice given was real, but Oh how I was going to have to fake it, in order to pull it off. The last thing I wanted to do was let Baby cry it out, or let her go minutes before tending to her every whimper! As I attempted, my heart shattered with every scream, and broke with every bellow of anger she started to gain. My intelligent infant KNEW she was not getting her way anymore, and that really annoyed her. BUT, as a few days have passed, she is napping better during the day, and sleeping better at night! (Waking up 2-4 times, oppose to 7 or 8!) So this afternoon, I look at the clock amazed that she has been napping for over 2 hours (which normally has been 1/2 hour naps.) The advice was WORKING! Through the tough and trying times, being consistent has started to pay off! *Cheers of joy*

Then it dawned on me how we never have to put any effort into knowing how consistent the Lord is to us. We do not have to put Him on a schedule or wonder if He will give us the time we desire, when we desire it. Jesus is ALWAYS there; faithful and true! I thank Him for loving us with an unchanging love, even when we act like stubborn babies! While pregnant, I was told how parents have a purest type of love for their children, but that doesn't even begin to compare to the love God has for us- His children. Today when I mess up, I can go to God in humility; tomorrow when I have a successful moment, I can go to the same God in thankfulness. And all the moments in between, I can make prayer requests, and seek wisdom in His Word! ALL THE TIME is the perfect time to seek God! Praise Christ for His consistency in loving us, reproofing us, and caring for us as one lost sheep that needs HIM to find the way- the Only way.

"...be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." [Hebrews 13:5b]

Monumental Moments

As I pack my baby bag to prepare for the upcoming hospital stay, I have moments where I am super excited, and then there are moments of fleeting fear. The excitement outweighs the anxiousness right now, but I know the next few days, weeks, years, and decades will bring a whole new sense of depending on the Lord!

When I was a teenager, one of my biggest problems was making dating relationships last, thinking I had all the answers. Then once I was saved, I had to truly trust that the one I was marrying was God's Will for my life, and depend on Him to control my flesh if I was ever going to be a proper helpmeet! Now that I've been married for a few years, I have a better grasp on being a good Christian wife, but we all know that there's always room for improvement. I mess up time and time again, letting "emotions" and things get in the way, and I return to the Lord with an open heart for restoration. I am blessed that my husband is forgiving when I have my moments :) But I've realized very fast that I cannot do this marriage thing on my own! I read devotional books, the Bible for godly examples, and improve my listening skills during sermons to gather all the information I can. Now that I feel more-so better equipped as a helpmeet, a whole different adventure comes knocking at the front door- and I am once again lost for wisdom! God equips us for one challenge, and just when we think we have a hang of things, BAM! a new one comes along! He doesn't let us get away with thinking we've outsmarted our situations! :)

So my new adventure is now becoming a Mommy! I realized how selfish I was once I got married and had to put my husband's needs above my own in order to make the relationship work, so I can only imagine how less selfish I need to become, in order to care for an entire life from now on! I need to keep depending on the Lord to handle all the worries and concerns about being a new mom. Oh, if there were only room in this blog to list all the things that frighten me about pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum care of the baby! BUT... that's just my point! I need things to fear, so that I can give them to the Lord, and personally witness how He will provide peace!

*I will try, Dear Abigail, to be the mom that God wants me to be for you! And we will try, as parents, to train you up in the Lord so that you may not depart from it!*

All of the "scary" things we go through serve a purpose, and we can either try to handle them on our own, or seek the Lord to help us through. Obviously trusting God is the reasonable answer, but we need to decrease ourselves in order to increase Him in our lives. I can now just slightly relate to how Hannah in the Bible felt, offering everything to the Lord for His blessing of motherhood! So, here I am about to embark on my personal voyage of motherhood with very little knowledge, but more and more dependence on our Heavenly Father, and I can completely rest in His care.

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." [Proverbs 3:5,6]

Victim Vs. Victor

Nothing we write are "new" thoughts, but this is just my take on a few ideas that have helped me recently.

For a world that loves being an individual, the idea that God loves us individually still baffles several minds. It amazes me that God loves me i.n.d.i.v.i.d.u.a.l.l.y. I can specifically be used of Him for many marvelous tasks! This is a humbling thought, because we constantly tend to focus on how we can improve our Christian walk, rather than how we can be of good use this current moment in our life. But, God knows us by name and specifically prays for and provides our very own needs. Samuel 3:6 says, "And the Lord called yet again, Samuel." At the burning bush God called, "Moses, Moses." (Exodus 3:4) At the tomb the Lord cried, "Lazarus, come forth." (John 11:43) These are just a few examples of how God referred to His children by name, which shows the special and unmatchable relationship we have with the Savior. Daily He calls to me, "Ashley, Ashley" and your name as well. Now it would be a cliff-hanger for His call to be left there, so I must dive into His Word to discover what the rest says!

We can unwrap our special message when we read the Bible, listen to sermons, pray, and ask the Lord for guidance. He will speak to us in that ever-small still voice that can be "heard" with genuine concentration. We are not too insignificant to work for God, nor should we say that we are unable to be used of the Almighty. If we avoid ministries, church services, and opportunities to witness, then we are playing the victim as if we just don't see how we can make a difference. When in reality, we are just robbing God of praise and glory! Of course we need to use our special talents and gifts for God, and not all situations will be something we will be called to lead, but we should still be ready to jump in and do our best for the Master, regardless of personal experience.

All we have to do is remember that God knows us as well as a shepherd knows his flock- by name. When we let that sink in, we then realize that God has specific tasks He wants us to complete. We learn of these tasks by opening the Bible and letting Him speak to us through His Word. We will not have to invent convictions; He will reveal and open our eyes to focus on Him in a way we did not expect. Then we must RESPOND to our call. Get involved in the way God reveals, and do that work with the best of your ability. Then we will eliminate the excuse of being a poor victim, and realize that we are a precious victor for the Lord!

So, take a moment, and simply ask the Lord what He would like to show you today, and be ready to do so with a cheerful heart, knowing that He will personally equip you for His task!

 

"V is for Victory!"

Impressive Intentions

Today I read a story in the Bible that is not very popular, but pretty crucial to everyday life. This nameless man, known as a Levite man, had a concubine. This was a common practice, but not intended for God's chosen people. Already this man was slightly adapted to world's way of thinking instead of God's. Anyway, the concubine was also a well-known harlot, and therefore not a devoted concubine, if you will. She left her husband and dwelt with her father four months. I thought the next steps of the man were valiant in effort. He gets up, goes after the woman, and intends to fetch her from her father's house. He obviously loved her as his own, even though she gave herself to others. This man (other than disregarding God's plan for marriage in the first place) seemed to be an man of respect. He met his wife there, rejoiced to see her, and they had a mutual feast. The father-in-law begged the man to continue lodging there for days. After every effort to leave for home, the father-in-law again requested for the man to continue lodging, with reasons such he can't leave on an empty stomach so stay for lunch, and then it's getting too late so please stay the night again. This man accepted several offers of hospitality, therefore seemed to be a great son-in-law and respectful to the efforts of taking his wife back peacefully. One night the man, his servant, and his wife left the house and was determined to go home. This time it was dark and the trio needed a place to sleep and rest their donkeys. The servant suggested resting in a near-by town, but the man refused to associate with the town since it was not one of God's chosen tribes. (Another good intention.) So they finally dwelt in Gibeah which belonged to the tribe of Benjamin. An elder stopped them and after hearing the story of their travels, invited them to stay with him. This is where a seemingly successful story turns tragic!

Some mischievous men knock on the elder's door and request to "meet" with the traveling man, in order to mock and kill this stranger. Obviously the man would not expect this from a thought-to-be godly tribe. The elder had already befriended and empathized with the man, therefore pleaded with the bullies to leave him alone. After relentless teasing and prying, the elder and the man did not want to die... so they made a selfish decision! After all the hard work of being respectable, this man chickened out when his very life was on the line! He offered up his concubine to these men in his stead. Now, what good were his intentions, if it ended in this disaster?

After a brutal night of rape and abuse, the harlot met her fate. With her last breaths, she crawled to the threshold of the very house her husband slept peacefully in that night. With stretched-out arms, she laid there to die. The sun shined the next day, the man woke up from his restful slumber, opened the door to continue his journey home, and there his wife laid motionless before him. He beckoned to her, and then realized what his actions had become. So, he took her upon his donkey, finished his journey home, and cut her up into twelve pieces to represent the twelve tribes, and divided her parts among all of Israel. He did this with the intentions to show how a supposedly united children of God had divided their loyalty through murder of their own people. What this man failed to recognize is that his very own actions contributed to this murder!

I retell this story to lay down this message... how often!!!...do we give one inch to the devil, and he takes a mile from us! How often!!!...do we try to justify our wrong actions to correct our mistakes! This man had mainly good intentions, but honestly erred from the start. He disregarded God's law of marriage, then tried to be loyal within his sin. His loyalty did not excuse his disobedience. When he intended to be a good son-in-law, he resulted in sneaking away in the night to avoid the father's request to stay the next day. He may have seemed to be a leader, but he did so sneakily. Therefore, he needed a place to lodge again, which resulted in chaos. He seemed to be a good guest by not bringing harm to the elder or the home, but his compromise resulted in death anyway! Then he blamed the men for the murder in which he actually contributed in!

This man spoke out to Israel when they asked him about the results of his journey. When the man blamed the murderers, Israel attacked the tribe of Benjamin. When Benjamin would not give up the murderers to be killed, God's two tribes fought and thousands died, and the tribe of Benjamin nearly became extinct! In a haste, Israel vowed not to let any of God's children marry to the tribe of Benjamin. But they soon realized that this vow would erase one of the tribes. Then since the remaining men of Benjamin needed wives so not to totally wipe out their existence, Israel killed the men and wives of one city who failed to help them fight. They compromised on their vow to put a higher priority on the people. After all of these deaths, the virgins from that helpless city contributed in the continuation of Benjamin. They were basically back to square-one, but with thousands killed and the sin still alive and present.

ALL of these actions resulted from a man's "good intentions" to pursue his concubine. None of these extreme consequences could have possibly been known by the man, but they did result from the initial sin of not failing to seek God's Will. Our sins DO have consequences, and possibly a whole chain-reaction of events as well. We affect several with our ONE sin!! And most of the time, we think, "Oh this one sin is harmless!" But remember that every sin is nothing but harm in the eyes of our Living God. No sin goes undetected by Him, and we may someday see the results of them when standing before God Himself. Scary thought! So, let us pay more attention to living a sanctified life, and repenting those un-confessed, "swept under the rug" sins, that we commit most daily. May we also apply the messages we read in God's Word to our daily lives, to live in a way that pleases our Master! Remember that any ground given to satan is less ground surrendered to God!

This Bible story is told in Judges 19-21.

"Bless ye the Lord"

Hello, friends. It feels like ages since I've posted on here! On New Year's Day my husband and I found out that we are having a baby, come September 2012! YAY! :D Since then we have been figuring out baby names, how to maximize our small one-bedroom farmhouse, and learn all we can about what to expect while we're expecting :) So needless to say, it's been extremely busy around here! But amidst all the excitement, I can't help but feel a tad guilty about neglecting this blog. Not that this is a masterpiece nor do I have hundreds of readers, but nonetheless it's still a personal responsibility to me. All-too-often we take our eyes off little things to make enough room for the thrilling moments in life. So, here I am trying to regain some balance in my life.

This whole experience reminded me of how we often take our eyes off Jesus when something "better" seems to stroll in front of us. (Of course nothing compares to Him, but the flesh tries to convince us otherwise.) These little idols in our lives create a stumbling-block between us and the Savior. It is no secret that we serve a righteously jealous God (all you have to do is read Deuteronomy 28 to know that!) and how precious our full devotion is to Him.

During our daily devotions this morning, my husband read Psalms 134. Verse 1 says, "Behold, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord..." This phrase struck my mind. Most everyday and in every situation we ask the Lord to bless us, but to think that we could actually BLESS the Lord of lords and King of kings? That there is something we could DO for the Creator of the earth? I know this may seem elementary, but I was intrigued that God actually wrote in His Word for us to bless Him! We bless Him by simply praising Him, but this is an important aspect of our relationship! This made me feel even closer to Him.

May we try to regain balance in our ever-changing lives, and remember to focus on God daily and learn to bless Him. And even when something amazing happens (like finding two pink lines on an EPT) remember that God is the One who allows blessings in our lives, so don't get caught up in the moment without praising Him! May I continue to frequently write these blogs and stay tuned to how God inspires me.

♪"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace."♪

Abiding in Blessings

 This is my favorite month! For the past (almost 25) years, I grew in anticipation when my birthday drew nearer in November; now not so much, haha, but the comfort of this month has stayed. My husband’s birthday is close to mine, so we can share in the excitement when we do especially kind and considerate things for each other this month. Then, there are the brilliant and vibrant colors of autumn, the coziness of sweaters, scarves, boots, and a cute hat to complete the look. When I look out my window, I see weathered corn stalks, cows, pumpkin patches, gourds of various shades and sizes, and the peaceful descending leaves hitting the pane, to which my cats adore chasing. Autumn just reminds me of a continuous farm that I can drive by for miles and enjoy. And during harvest season, others join in the décor to heighten this country atmosphere. And of course, there is Thanksgiving, as well! The idea of gathering friends and family is simply timeless. We realize how grateful we are for one another, and verbally share our greatest blessings from the year gone by. 

 But, may I purpose another idea to consider? Say you are sitting at the marvelous wooden table displayed with crisp turkey, potatoes, apple cider, and pies galore. You look up from your lavish plate to share what you’re thankful for, and you see the Lord Jesus Christ sitting opposite from you. Time’s up. It is now His turn to speak. Would the Lord be able to include you in His list of blessings? We focus on what we are grateful for, which is pleasantly humble; but in return, we forget whether or not we're counted as a blessing to others, especially the Lord. Obviously we are special to Him, and He cherishes us as His sweet children despite our failures, but do we make a conscious effort to be a blessing and “give our best to the Master”♪ ?

Our responsibility does not stop with saying we love God. Genuine love is deeper, and the Savior is our greatest example. We need to learn how to love God in full. I guess the best way to measure how great a blessing you are to the Lord, would be to compare yourself to what He considers important in His Word -the Holy Bible. Here are just a few to begin with:

1.     Be grateful when He meets a need, even when He doesn’t allow it as quick as we’d like. The Lord’s timing is not our own. “But my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” [Philippians 4:19]

2.     Humbly accept when your wants are not met, or given to you in ways you did not plan. This goes with having peace during the hard times, trials, and heartache… which is something we let our pride prevent us from doing, even though it benefits us the most. God still hears us! “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us.” [1 John 5:14] and “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that fear is not made perfect in love.” [1 John 4:18]

3.     Love the brethren! A big one! How can we love God with the same heart we hate another one of His children with? Have you righted the wrongs you may have with a fellow Christian? We all get into the traps of bickering and messing up friendships, but that is not the end-all. Even if you won’t end up best friends, you have the responsibility to be at peace with Believers. This is what God commands us, and it’s not to be taken lightly as if, “God will understand if we don’t get along.” Even if you think you have nothing in common with each other, God still encourages unity, since you do have the same Father in common after all. Pray for and love them regardless. And let’s face it, we strive greatly to have a speck of Christ-likeness in us, and yet He died for us with Love. “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” [1 John 4: 11] and “Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be.” [James 3:9,10]

4.     Do all things for the Lord without complaining. From picking up garbage that someone else left behind, or congratulating someone on something you wish you accomplished first; we are to have a cheerful and sincere heart in all that we do. If you don’t “feel” like doing something, then pray for the strength and drive to finish. I recently did so, and hey, it worked! “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.” [1 John 5:3] and “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men.” [Colossians 3:23]

5.     Idols! Do you have idols in your life? And I am not referring to the statuesque kind. Idols or gods are things that take a higher priority than God in your life. Before you still reply, “Of course not!” have you skipped church due to a prior commitment, or delayed/skipped your morning Bible Time, because you just “had” to style your hair in an exact, time-consuming manner, or press that pesky snooze button? I have been guilty of these things myself! We may quickly see how much WE are our own hindrance to living right with God. Why would we sabotage ourselves so? For the same reason we need Him more and more- our sinful nature. “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” [Exodus 20:3] and “O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? How long will ye love vanity, and seek after leasing? Selah.” [Psalms 4:2]

These are just a few, but crucial, features God requires of us. If we fail in these areas, how could we possibly be pleasing the Savior? Well, we first need to pray for forgiveness! Humble yourself before Him and ask for those sins to be forgiven, which would restore your relationship with Him anew! “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” [1 John 1:9] Then to prevent those mistakes from reoccurring, ask God to give you a new, focused heart to start each day with. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” [Psalms 51:10]

I’ve heard this analogy many times, and it still hits home when repeated. “If your church was made up of a hundred of YOU, would it be a good church?” Something to ponder. Would this church please the Savior? Would Jesus Christ Himself want to visit your church? Would God consider your church a blessing?

So this Thanksgiving, please give God the glory in all that you are thankful for, but also reflect on if a list could be written about you.

 "...be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work." [2 Timothy 2:21]

Harvested Heart

Hey, everyone! I had another blog in the batter’s box for today, but the line-up has changed. I woke up this morning to head out to work at our church’s Homeschool Co-op. While opening the car door, I noticed a yellowish haze on the driver’s side window and down the door. Yes *ahem* my car was already egged and it was only morning! Our devotion today was on how Christians should not engage in this “holiday”; but it seems like no matter how much we avoid it, it’s hard not to be affected some way or another by its influences. But like Pastor’s message yesterday, we may not be able to control the situation, but we can control our attitude in the situation. So, even though I dreaded boiling water to wipe away the frozen yolk, eggshell, chipped paint, and slight paranoia, I must just deal with it and smile.

I read this verse in my Bible Time today: “But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; And shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the daytime. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you.” [2 Peter 2:12,13]

What a verse for this day, I thought, because the Judgement of God to the corrupted Lost is a terrifying thought! So, when you see dozens of folks (and yolks) “celebrating” today, may I encourage you to pray for those souls?!

And just when you thought it couldn’t get any more frightening… the Bible says there is an even worse judgment for another group of people; any guesses whom?

"While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption... For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. BUT IT HAS HAPPENED unto them according to the proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire." [2 Peter  2:10-22]

Answer: those who have been influenced by Christians and learned of the Biblical Truths, yet have gone astray. This group is worse off, because they have all the resources they could possibly need (the Bible itself) and they still deny God and His ways. They refuse to live the Christian life and produce Fruits of the Spirit; hence they live like the world. Without fruitfulness, their tree of life will wither away and die. Just picture a full moon behind that decaying tree, and you have an image of scary, all right, and it’s not pretend.

Everyday, many souls are experiencing death and torture; (the biggest torture is not the fire, but the eternal life without God.) So may we just pray earnestly for the Lost today, and keep in perspective that they “know not what they do.” And for those that do know, yet pleasure in the sin, may we still never cease to pray for their repentance! This is how we can have a set-apart attitude from the world today!

♪ Bring the wandering ones to Jesus! ♪

“But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it, which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” [Matthew 13:23]