Wednesday, February 24, 2010

God's Cleats

February 24, 2010

Here is a devotional from Proverbs31.org by: Rachel Olsen

"Wisdom and money can get you almost anything, but only wisdom can save your life." Ecclesiastes 7:12 (NLT)

Devotion:

The Vancouver Olympics have me glued to my TV. Figure skating, downhill skiing, snowboarding, even curling - I'll watch most any Olympic sport. I relish the competition, the teamwork, the medal ceremonies, and especially the stories of athletes overcoming odds to perform well.

In fact, it reminds me a little of my husband Rick.

My husband grew up with a single mother, and very little money. In high school, Rick wanted to try out for track and field - he dreamed of running fast and long, and throwing a javelin. The problem was he didn't have the right shoes, and couldn't afford them. Thank God for good friends and a kind coach.

One of Rick's close friends invited Rick over to his house one day and said, "Try these running shoes on. They just don't fit my feet right and I'll never wear them." Rick wasn't sure if J.T. was telling the truth, but the shoes fit Rick fine. Those shoes helped him qualify for the state meet in the 800 meter race.

Running shoes allowed Rick to run much faster than his old sneakers would, but he would slip and slide in them while trying to throw the javelin. One day after practice, Rick's coach called him over and held up a big box of cleats. "Here's some unclaimed shoes students left in their lockers at the end of the school year. Find your size if you can." Rick found some that fit and the cleats made all the difference. Even the "crunching" sound they made on the track sent shivers of confidence and purpose up Rick's spine. Rick discovered it's much easier to strive for the goal when your footing is secure.

Many athletes dream of standing atop a podium during an awards ceremony with gold medals around their necks. For most, it takes talent, hard work, plus money to get there. But there is an ornament even more valuable than a gold medal. Proverbs 3:21-23 reveals:

"My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment, do not let them out of your sight; they will be life for you, an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way in safety, and your foot will not stumble."

Sound judgment and discernment are medals that become ours when we walk in wisdom. Money can take us places, for sure, but it can only take us so far. It provides but a measure of security. Wisdom is the footwear each of us needs to run the race God has set before us. Wisdom will help us make the important trek from this world into eternity.

When we walk in His wisdom - in God's cleats - He promises us solid footing. He does not promise a road that is always flat, or a route that is easy to run, but He promises us solid footing no matter the terrain. Wisdom - proper respect for the Lord and His ways - affords us ultimate security. Eternal security. Money can't do that.

Rick went on to compete successfully in high school, and on his college cross-country team. He also went on to gain godly wisdom. I'm so thankful for the friends and coaches that ensured Rick had what he needed to run his best.

God ensures - through the Bible, His followers, and His Spirit within us - that we each have what we need to run our best as well. He equips us to follow hard after Him. No money is necessary to be well-heeled in God's kingdom. Whether we're wearing nursing shoes, work boots, high heels, hand-me-downs, or flip-flops, we can walk securely by walking wisely.

Dear Lord, grant me wisdom and sure footing as I follow after You. I trust You to equip me with all I need. Whatever my path, I believe Your principals can keep me from slipping. You lead, I'll follow. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Application Steps:

Consider what you usually walk in - fear? anger? depression? doubt? discontentment? a big hurry?

Reflections:

Who in your life can coach you in the ways of wisdom?

Who can help you "find your size" and follow after Him?

Power Verses:

Proverbs 4:7, "Getting wisdom is the wisest thing you can do! And whatever else you do, develop good judgment." (NLT)

Proverbs 2:6, "For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding." (NLT)

Proverbs 31 Ministries
616-G, Matthews-Mint Hill Road
Matthews, NC 28105
http://www.proverbs31.org/

Monday, February 15, 2010

No More Nagging


I thought you might like this from GirlfriendsInGod.com by Sharon Jaynes:
February 15, 2010

(In honor of Valentine's Day, Sharon's February devotions are focused on marriage.)

Today's Truth

James 5:16 (TNIV) "The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."

Friend To Friend

There are some verses in the Bible that I wish God had just left out. Here are a few:

"A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping" (Proverbs 19:13).

"A quarrelsome wife is like a constant dripping on a rainy day; restraining her is like restraining the wind or grasping oil with the hand" (Proverbs 27:15, 16).

"Better to live in a desert than with a quarrelsome and ill-tempered wife" (Proverbs 21:19).

"Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife" (Proverbs 25:24).

OK, that's about all I can take right now. When I wrote the book, Becoming the Woman of His Dreams, I surveyed and interviewed men about what they longed for in a wife. One thing that men repeatedly mentioned was their aversion to nagging. Drip, drip, drip. Webster defines nagging as to scold or find fault with repeatedly, to cause annoyance by scolding or repetition. Interestingly, a nag is also an inferior or aged horse. The best remedy to cure ourselves from being a nagging wife is to become a praying wife. Jesus invites us to stop nagging our husbands and begin nagging God!

Here's what Jesus had to say:

Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, `Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'

"Then the one inside answers, `Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened" (Luke 11:5-9).

In the Greek, the original language of the New Testament, the words ask, seek, and knock are present participle verbs. That means that the more accurate translation would read, ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, knock and keep on knocking. God invites us to be persistent in our prayers for our husbands. We can give our worries and cares to God and leave it up to Him to do the rest. "Cast all your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you" (Psalms 55:22). "Cast all your anxiety on Him for He cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). Remember, you don't want to be your husband's mother...you want to be the wife of his dreams.

Let's Pray

Dear Lord, I confess that sometimes I nag my husband ... alright, maybe more than sometimes. But Lord, I am determining in my heart to stop nagging my husband and start being consistent and persistent in prayer. My husband is Your workmanship, not mine. Forgive me when I try to yank the paint brush from Your hand and create brushstrokes of my own. I pray that I can be the woman that he needs in order for him to become the man that You desire.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen.

Now It's Your Turn

What do you think a nag sounds like?

Do you ever nag your husband? I know that is a silly question, but answer it any way. Confession is good for the soul.

If there are things that you tend to nag your husband about, try this. Write them down on a piece of paper, turn the list over to God, and then turn off the leaky faucet. Give it a try. You might be surprised!

I'd love to hear how God has used prayer in your marriage. Visit my Facebook page and let's chat. While you're there sign up! www.facebook.com/sharonjaynes

More From The Girlfriends

Nagging just seems to come natural for most of us girls. But God calls us to live super-naturally. For more on how to be the woman of your man's dreams, you'll want your own copy of Sharon's book, Becoming the Woman of His Dreams: Seven Qualities Every Man Longs For. Visit her website to read an excerpt.

Girlfriends in God
P.O. Box 725
Matthews, NC 28106
info@girlfriendsingod.com
http://www.girlfriendsingod.com/

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Climbing Out of the Pit (Part 3)

By: Mary Southerland from GirlFriendsinGod.com

Today's Truth

"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD." Psalm 40:2-3 (NIV)

Friend To Friend

At some point in life, we all will find ourselves in some kind of pit, the darkness settling around us like a paralyzing blanket of hopelessness. That deep, dark pit may have many names, but easily becomes a prison from which escape seems impossible. The journey out is a process of steps uniquely planned by your Father. He is the Guide for this step-by-step journey.

Step One: Wait for God.

Step Two: Cry out for help.

Step Three: Count on God.

In this world, there are few certainties. God is one. His promises are true and we can wholly trust Him to keep His Word, to do exactly what He promises to do. In the key passage today, we find an impressive set of promises. God promises to free us - direct us - restore us - give us joy and invites us to join Him in Kingdom work. Wow! That is quite an impressive "to do list" when you are sitting at the bottom of an ugly pit, with the shattered pieces of your life scattered around you. But God's ways are not our ways.

In Romans 11:33, Paul writes "Oh, what a wonderful God we have! How great are his riches, wisdom, and knowledge. How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his methods." (NIV)

God is drawn to brokenness. What an amazing truth, that He turns first to the broken. Psalm 40:1 says "He turned to me." Notice it does not say that David, the author, turned to God. I don't think that David could turn to God! Knowing the desire of David's heart and understanding his weakness, God heard his cry and turned to David just like God will hear your cry and turn to you!

During the darkest hours, I questioned God continually. I flung my anger at Him like a spear. My heart and soul were filled with fear and confusion instead of faith and trust. Yet, He never turned away from me. He knew every tear that I cried. Out of those tears and brokenness has come the most effective and powerful chapter of my life! I am convinced that the more we are broken, the more we are used. You can count on God. You can credit His grace to your account!

Mercy is when we don't get what we deserve.

Justice is when we get what we do deserve.

Grace is when we get what we do not deserve.

We are trophies of God's grace and we can count on Him.

Step Four: Be patient.

Psalm 40:1 "I waited patiently for the Lord."

In this verse, "patiently" literally means "without tiring" or "with perseverance". Be patient with yourself. Don't give up on you. No one gets depressed overnight and no one conquers depression overnight. It is a marathon, not a fifty yard dash! On my journey, it took 45 years to hit rock bottom. It has taken me four years to climb out ... this far. I am still climbing! We must be patient. We must be willing to persevere. Don't give up! Just give in and allow God to take control. He will turn that pit into an altar on which your broken spirit can be laid as a sweet sacrifice of praise.

Step Five: Don't give up.

Philippians 1:6 "And I am sure that God who began the good work within you will keep right on helping you grow in his grace until his task within you is finally finished on that day when Jesus Christ returns."

God is at work! The very fact that you are reading this devotion is proof that the Father has ordered your steps so that you can hear my story. That may be because you are in a pit and you need help or maybe because someone you love is in that pit and you need to help them. God wants you to experience restoration and then to be a vessel of restoration for others.

Years ago, in a large southeastern city, the great pianist, Paderewski, was scheduled to perform. The city was alive with excitement and the day finally came. In the crowd at the concert was a young mother clutching the hand of her small son. Hoping to inspire him to practice, she had brought him to hear the master perform. As they sat and waited for the concert to begin, she turned her head to look at the people as they filled the auditorium. The little boy saw his chance to escape. He quietly slipped from his seat, walking down the aisle toward the stage. Just as he reached the orchestra pit, a spotlight hit the grand piano and he gasped at the beauty of the instrument. No one noticed the little boy as he slipped up the side stairs to the stage and climbed up on the piano stool. No one noticed him at all, until he began to play "Chopsticks". The concert hall fell silent. Then people began to shout. "Get him away from that piano!" Backstage, the Master heard the crowd and grabbing his coat, rushed to the little boy's side. Without a word, he bent down and, placing his hands on either side of the boy's, began to compose a beautiful counter melody to "Chopsticks". As they played together, he whispered in the little boy's ear, "Don't stop! Keep on! Don't quit!"

Right now, right where you are, understand that your Father is standing beside you, with His arms wrapped around you. Listen as He gently speaks, "Don't stop! Keep on! Don't quit!"

I know that the music of your darkened soul may be filled with chaos and dissonance, but even now, the Master is composing the "rest" of your song. One day very soon, it will be a song of beauty and light! One day, you will come out of the dark!

Let's Pray

Oh God, right now I choose to wait on You, crying out for Your hand of mercy and love to deliver me from this pit of darkness. I abandon myself to You and am counting on You to be my Redeemer and Friend. Give me the courage to share my pain with others and ask for help. Now, in the presence of my enemies of darkness and depression, I celebrate the victory. Thank You, Father!

In Jesus' name, Amen.

Now It's Your Turn

Memorize Psalm 40:1-3. Accept these promises as a gift from God for every pit - past, present and future - in your life. Ask yourself the following questions:

· What is the first step you should take in order to climb out of this pit?

· What do you need to leave behind or step over in order to take this first step?

Read Psalm 18:28. What does it mean when it says that God is your lamp? How does that change your perspective of life?

Examine the deepest desires of your heart. Do you really want to escape this pit of darkness? Does the freedom frighten you? Why?

More From The Girlfriends

I am often asked if I no longer have to deal with depression. Yes, I do. I have asked God to take this struggle out of my life, but He has said "no." Why? I don't pretend to know all of the reasons, but I do know that my name, Mary, literally means "bitter, but when broken, sweet." My battle with depression keeps me on my face before God, broken and crying out to God. Anything that makes us cry out to God can be counted as a blessing. If you need help in dealing with depression and the pain of the pit, visit my website to find free resources to encourage and equip you on your journey. You can also email me at mary@marysoutherland.com.

The Word of God is your most powerful weapon against the darkness. Get it into your life. Read, study and memorize Scripture and allow God's powerful truths to be a mental, emotional and spiritual hedge of protection. Need help? Check out Mary's weekly online Bible Study, Light for the Journey, as she begins 2010 with the series, "Aim at Nothing ... And You Will Hit It!" Learn how to set meaningful and powerful life goals.

You can also connect with Mary on FaceBook!