Tag Archives: God’s Word

Fighting words

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There’s a time for everything: a time to win, a time to lose, a time to laugh, a time to cry, a time to run, and a time to fight. That could mean fighting off a bully, fighting for something you believe in, or even fighting your own self and the things you tell yourself about yourself.

In the movie Back to the Future II, the hero Marty McFly does his best to do right and avoid fighting his enemy, the trouble-maker Biff. He has his limits, though, and when Biff hollers at him while he’s walking away from a confrontation, “What are you…chicken?” Marty stops dead in his tracks, steely determination in his eyes. He says quietly, “Nobody calls me ‘chicken‘” and turns to teach Biff a lesson.

What triggers you to that tipping point, to when you’re ready to fight? Most of the time I believe in solving things as peacefully as possible, but when it comes to the enemy of my soul, there’s going to be a battle. And, when it comes to the enemy picking on the ones I love, get ready to rumble!

I recently discovered an album by artist Ellie Holcomb called Red Sea Road. (so many great songs, love the lyrics) In her song “Fighting Words” she shares openly about the negative self-talk that happens inside, even self-hate, the lies the enemy spews and how she fights back:

I will fight the lies with the truth
Keep my eyes fixed on You
I will sing the truth into the dark
I will use my fighting words¹

As I listened, I found myself wishing she revealed specifically what her fighting words are. You know so I could use them, too! I realized I need to figure out my own fighting words to counter when the devil tries to pull me down.  Where would I find them? Continue reading →

God came near

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I’ve been telling a friend of mine who has some choices to make that God promised he would give us wisdom when we ask, it says so in the Bible, his Word. (James 1:5) So I’ve been praying that way for her and He is answering, bit by bit, and helping her decide.

Throughout the morning some concerns started piling up in my heart and I knew I needed some quiet time, so during my lunch hour I practiced what I’ve read in the Word about praying and laying all my anxieties before God and thanking Him for as much as my little brain can think of.  (Philippians 4:6-7)  I talked with Jesus as I would any friend and opened up my hands, letting go and remembering that everything is under control but not mine, God’s.  I drove back to work feeling lighter and at peace.

God’s Word is truth, I’ve proven it in my life over and over.  It’s living and active, has the power to convince us to change, to surrender, to try, to wait, to believe, to love.

The Bible says that God’s living Word is Jesus and Jesus is our Emmanuel: God with us.

I guess I missed a day in my “Jesus Calling” devotional because I realized today I was reading December 12th when it’s really the 13th.  It was good, though, because what I read was just what I needed today.  “If you could only see how close I am to you and how constantly I work on your behalf, you’d never again doubt that I’m wonderfully caring for you.”

Why do I doubt it?  Why do I forget that God is as close as my breath, and even closer still than that?  I needed a reminder that God came near and that He chose to do so.  My piddly existence is worth something to Him, a mystery I may never understand!

He is near.  He is living and active.  He is Emmanuel, God with me, near me, by my side and on my side.

He came near and stays near, always awake, always faithful, always present.  He doesn’t turn away or leave or abandon.

Be near, O God.  My Savior, Emmanuel!

 

Do I have something in my teeth?

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Obey God’s message! Don’t fool yourselves by just listening to it. 23If you hear the message and don’t obey it, you are like people who stare at themselves in a mirror 24and forget what they look like as soon as they leave. 25But you must never stop looking at the perfect law that sets you free. God will bless you in everything you do, if you listen and obey, and don’t just hear and forget.  James 1:22-25  CEV

God has given this verse to me several times this week (from different sources) so I think I should ponder it more closely.  Obviously He’s got something for me to learn. Continue reading →

The secret word

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Each summer when the girls were younger, I typically would leave a note on the kitchen table for my girls once they woke up – ideas for ways to spend their time other than television or computer, chores I needed them to complete that day, etc.  A few years ago at the bottom of the note I typed out something like this, “I’ll be checking when I get home so be sure you finish your chores.  I love you girls and hope you have a great day! If you’re still reading this note you’re going to be really glad you read all the way through because the secret word is peanut.  If you can tell me the secret word when I get home from work you get a surprise.  Now go do your stuff.”

When I got home I asked them if anyone knew the secret word.  They gave me blank stares and asked, “What secret word?”   Continue reading →

It’s Still Good

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I’ve been thinking a LOT about the nature of the Church in America, how we do some things right, how we do some things seemingly wrong, how we miss the mark so often by getting distracted and becoming like social clubs, how it seems we’ve failed in being life-saving stations.  I’ve swayed so far on the continuum that I’ve wondered the purpose of meeting every Sunday to sing songs and have “church.”  What is the point in all this that we do week after week, God?  Is this accomplishing your mission for us??

This morning God showed me that it’s still good.  Meeting for worship with other believers, other “sheep” is still a very good thing.  There’s nothing wrong with it – it’s just not all there is.  When we meet we encourage one another, we get help shifting our focus back to God, we hear from God’s Word, we gain new insights and direction, we hopefully hear testimonies of how God is at work in other people’s lives, we celebrate how good God is together, we sing, we pray together.  It’s still good!   As a church we just can’t stop or stay there.  Our mission is to get out and share hope and Jesus with everyone who hasn’t believed yet.  How do we do that?  That’s the million dollar question! Continue reading →

Just Do It

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nike-just-do-it

The famous Nike slogan “Just Do It”, coined by Dan Wieden, co-founder of the advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy, was considered one of the top ad slogans of the 20th century.  I’m adopting it as my personal slogan.  The tricky thing is that I have a lifetime membership in “Procrastinators Anonymous” (I think we’re having a meeting tomorrow, maybe).  For some reason I avoid tasks that seem unpleasant or difficult in the attempt to have peace, comfort, or time to partake in some other more enjoyable activity, only to find that I feel more stressed and restless.

Have you ever stood in a kitchen with dirty dishes stacked precariously high, piles of laundry looming, kids messing around when they’re supposed to be doing homework, stacks of clean clothes yet to be put away, bills to pay, a closet to organize, dinner to fix…?  You get the picture.  It seems much easier in those times for me to just to try and forget all I have to do as I get a diet coke and go sit down.  However, it’s all still there when my moment of intentional oblivion is over.  My mom used to tell me, just start on ONE thing.  Just do it.  Continue reading →