The following are 4 devotions I recently used for our Women's Ministry Simply Still event.  It was a blessed time for reflection and relaxation during this busy Christmas season.  I pray that they touch your heart as well.  

Leave Room for Cream!

 

Psalm 46:10

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

 

Psalms 37:7

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

 

If you’re a lover of coffee swirled with oodles of cream, then you understand how crucial it is when you order coffee at a restaurant.  Or maybe you’re at a friend’s house and when she gently pours fresh brewed coffee into your mug, you politely stop her from filling it up too far.  Some of you would even go so far as to say you like a little bit of coffee with your cream! In that case, you are really careful about not filling your cup up too much.  But then it happens. Your server completely forgets you need room for cream, pouring freshly brewed coffee all the way to the brim of your cup. It’s so full, some of it even splashes out, making a nice little puddle right smack in front of you. Ughh! What a mess!

 

What a powerful picture of what our lives can be like! When we don’t leave room for any margin– cramming our schedules to the brim–everything splashes out and before we realize it, we have a huge mess right smack in front of us.   We keep filling our lives up with more and more. We say yes to every request without thinking it through. We scurry around with a sense of urgency, afraid we’re going to miss out on something. And just like that server who thinks we like black coffee, we keep on pouring until there’s no room left.  But instead of coffee creamer, in that moment we realize we have no room left.

 

No room to just rest. No room to sit still and read a book. No room to have even a five-minute conversation with our spouse. No room to let the kids just play outside. No room to listen to our teen or friends unload about their bad day. No room to be refreshed. No room to be still in the presence of God.

It’s especially easy to find ourselves in this overflowing mess during the Christmas season. We say we want to leave room for cream, yet we keep on filling the cups of our souls to the brim. 

 

Gotta send out those 100 Christmas cards!  We already have three parties scheduled, but I think we can fit this one in too. We’ve already reached our limit of spending, but a little more won’t hurt. I wasn’t going to buy anything for that friend, but now that they’ve given me something I need to get them something in return.  I wanted to have a simple Christmas at home, but they’re expecting us to be there!  We really want to go to the Christmas Eve service, but we have so much to do. My house isn’t decorated like hers, so I’ve got to go out and buy some more stuff to keep up. And the list goes on.  What’s the one thing that causes your schedule to overflow? Have you left room for anything else?

 

The thing about a cup of black coffee filled up to the brim is that there are only two ways to make room for any cream.  You can either drink the black coffee until you have enough room, or you can pour it out. Either way, it’s going to be inconvenient. If you’re used to sweet cream, the black coffee can be bitter to the taste. And if it’s really hot, you can’t quickly drink it down to where you want it without burning your mouth.  If you attempt to pour it out, you’re most likely going to make a mess as it drips down the side of your cup. Believe me, I’ve tried this many times!

 

If the cup of your soul is filled to the brim, and it’s too crowded for the peace of Jesus to flow through, what can you do? Sometimes we may have to drink the bitter cup we’ve poured. It’s not pleasant. Maybe we get burned and experience grueling pain. But going forward, we’ll know better. We’ll know next time not to make a rash decision. We’ll know next time to think through a situation, asking God for wisdom. Even when we make a mess of things, God’s grace is always available. We humbly learn that the next time we will leave room for cream.

What about you, dear friend? Are you leaving room for His peace and rest this Christmas season? Are you intentionally slowing down and keeping your focus on Him? Or do you already feel your cup getting too full? Are you allowing others to fill your cup to the brim without saying stop?

 

Relax with your family. Celebrate your friendships. Rest in His presence. Enjoy your cup of coffee, but whatever you do…….leave room for some cream.

Dear Lord,

I pray that I would be still and know that you are God right here, right now. So often I let my hurry or someone else’s hurry fill my mind causing me to strive harder, to worry, to be impatient.  I pray that you would still my mind and that I would contemplate only YOU. I pray that I would rest in your peace. That I would rest in your unchangeable nature and promises. That I would rest in your complete control over all that happens in my life.  I pray that I would rest easy throughout this day knowing you are a good, good God.  In Jesus’ name, amen. 

 

No Room

John 110-14

He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

If you have ever been in a busy tourist town during peak season, you may have noticed "no vacancy" signs in front of many motels. These signs simply mean that the motels are full. 

Sometimes motels and inns don't have room for people, but sometimes people don't have room for others in their hearts. Maybe a group at school won't make room for someone who isn't as smart or athletic or physically attractive as they are. Maybe at church a group of friends stands around talking after the service but won't make room for newcomers--people who are hurting and longing for a friend.

Luke tells us there was no room for Mary and Joseph in the inn at Bethlehem. Jesus was born into a world of people that had no room for him. And later in life he was hated and rejected. "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him."

In this Advent season, is there room in your heart for the Lord Jesus?

So many things can fill our lives and make us busy: family, friends, careers, sports, and the general business of life. But do we have room for the Lord Jesus, and for others who need to know his love?  Perhaps this Christmas you could make room for Jesus and let him stay in your life.

Lord Jesus,

 

Your love, Your grace, Your mercy astounds me. The lengths You go to make Yourself known to us is staggering. Teach us the necessity of reciprocating that relationship — to make room for You in our hearts, making time to seek You first. So often we do not make room for you and others. Fill our hearts, and by your grace help us to accept others who need love and friendship.  You came to earth so that we could know You. Help us to take time to listen and feel your presence.  In Jesus’ name, amen.

 

The Work of Being in Wonder

Luke 2:19-20

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Someone once said that after God created the world and assigned various tasks to the elements of his new creation, there was one job that remained unassigned: the work of being in awe and wonder. It’s not a task of doing. It’s a task of delighting (or simply being in awe)! God then gave that important job to the crowning element of his creation: humankind.  In the Scripture verses we find Mary engaged in this awesome work. She “treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.”  There was certainly a lot to treasure and ponder: a miraculous pregnancy; a healthy baby; a surprise visit by some shepherds; and a report of angels in the skies over Bethlehem!  A few months before these events, Mary had found someone to join her in the work of wonder: her cousin Elizabeth. Together they had delighted in what God was doing for them and through them.

Are you ready for this assignment from God? There is so much for you to ponder! You’ve awakened to a new day, to a world filled with beauty and delight. Above all, God has given you the awesome gift of his own Son to reshape your future.  Can you slow down today—enough to reflect, remember, and recall?

Lord Jesus,

 I long for joy in my heart and peace in my soul. Bless me with contentment, so I may know what it feels like to love this life entirely. I desire to be near You every moment, and I know if I am, I will be able to receive the joy that is waiting for me. Hold my hand, guide me, and let me live in Your perfect will. Wrap Your Spirit around me, so my every breath is in sequence with Yours. Let peace envelop my thoughts and encompass my body. May I never, ever pull away. Help me put away the idol of busyness. Prepare me for this assignment, the work of being in awe at you and at all you have done. Help me see your wonders.   In Jesus’ name, amen.

Are You Ready for Christmas?

 

The closer we get to Christmas Day, the more you’ll hear this question:  “Are you ready for Christmas?”  What exactly does this question mean to you?  “Have you finished your shopping?”  “Have you wrapped all your presents?”  “Have you bought all the food you’ll need for that perfect Christmas dinner?”  “Have you finished buying those last-minute stocking stuffers?”  I think these are the thoughts that pop into our head when people ask, “Are you ready for Christmas?”

 

But deep down in my heart, I’m never comfortable answering this question. If Christmas is truly about the coming of Jesus to save us from our sins, then perhaps the question we should really be asking is this:  Are we ready for Christ?  Are we ready to humbly admit our need for a savior?  Are we ready for Jesus to continue refining the rough places of our ugly flesh?  Are we ready to surrender that one area of our lives that keeps tripping us up?

Are we ready to say yes to Him when our fear compels us to say no?

 

I’d much rather answer the questions about whether my shopping is done and if the girls’ stockings are ready. It’s easier to smile and say I still have that one last gift to wrap and those last few items to get at Walmart for our Christmas brunch.  But it’s much harder to admit that my flesh is still fighting against selfish pride.  Every. Single. Day.

I need a savior every moment of every day!  It’s hard to confess that there are several rough places in my soul needing a gentle touch and smoothing out by the grace of God.  I need Jesus to not only be my redeemer, but my holy refiner!  It’s hard to own up to the fact that I’m fearful of the unknown and what lurks around the corner of the next phase of my life.

I need the peace of Jesus to calm my fears!  Am I ready for Christ?

 

I’m ready for Him to take all the yucky, ugly, shameful, fearful things in my flesh and make them into something beautiful that only HE can accomplish. Yes, I’m ready. Because my way of doing things–apart from Him–doesn’t usually turn out very well.

 

On Christmas Day, the gifts will be unwrapped, the stockings will be emptied, and the food will be gobbled up. And afterward the tree will come down, the Christmas decorations boxed up and the after-Christmas sales will expire.  Nobody will ask you again until next year, “Are you ready for Christmas?”  But each and every day after Christmas, we must answer this question: Are you ready for Christ?

 

Ready for Him to interfere with your plans?  Ready for Him to lead you out of your comfort zone?  Ready for Him to take you to the next step of his purpose for you?  So dear friend, I ask you to answer honestly……Are you ready for Christ?

 

I pray God’s richest blessings upon you and your families. May you have a Merry Christmas! But most importantly, I pray you will embrace Jesus Christ every day of the year.

 

Lord Jesus,

 

We thank you for this time together and for this opportunity to focus our attention on the true reason for the season. Jesus! We pray that tonight will be filled with laughter, joy, and peace as we celebrate the birth of our Savior. God Bless everyone here and may everyone feel Your presence this Christmas season. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Being a Water Walker

Most of the following information I took from a book called - "If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat!"  by John Ortberg.  It is a great book. 

What kinds of things do you trust in, especially when life gets stormy, that help you feel comfortable and secure rather than fearful?  Be honest!  Could it be locking the door when you're alone?  Could it be eating?  Could it be calling a close friend or family member?  All these things are good but what about God?  Why isn't He the first thought?  He's probably in the thought process, but is He the FIRST thought?  He should be.  We've discovered that He has integrity, Ability, and Benevolence.  The trifecta of trustworthiness.  Maybe it's because He's something not tangible.  Oh, but wait, we trust the drivers at the crosswalk.  As for me, I am trying everyday to make Him my first thought of every moment.  I believe this takes practice and comes with maturity in our walk with Him.  So, keep trying.

Why do you believe or not believe that God calls everyone who follows him to step out in faith and do something extraordinary?  Yet another excellent question.  We determine our beliefs from our experiences.  Yet, how can we experience extraordinary if we are not willing to "get out of the boat?"  Our experiences come from trusting in God and His plans, not our own.  Here are some of the positive reasons for getting "out of the boat."

• It is the only way to real growth
• It is the way true trust develops
• It is an alternative to boredom and stagnation
• It is a part of discovering and obeying our calling
• The water is where Jesus is!

What stops us from getting "out of the boat?"  FEAR!!!  What happened to Peter when he looked down and realized that he was walking on the water?  He became fearful, took his eyes off Jesus, and sank.  There is a high price for fear.  Fear motivates us to take action and remove ourselves from whatever is threatening us.  Fear readies our body to flee, hide, or fight.  Fear can help protect us from harm.  However, when fear rather than trust becomes our solution to difficult situations, it exacts a devastatingly high price.  Consider the following drawbacks of fear:

• Fear can strike when it is not helpful or wanted
• Fear can be paralyzing instead of motivating
• Fear can cease to be sporadic and become habitual worry
• Fear threatens to keep us from trusting and obeying God
• Fear that causes us to avoid a difficult situation rather than facing it head on and taking action kills personal growth.  When we take the easy way out we feel bad about ourselves because  we learn we can’t cope with life’s greatest challenges
• Living with fear keeps us from experiencing our God-given potential
• Living in fear destroys our joy and robs us of life’s delights
• Living in fear causes us to focus on the negative
• Living in fear creates a loss in intimacy between us and other people.  We become afraid to say what we think or feel, afraid of the pain of conflict
• Living in fear causes us to believe that God can’t, or won’t, take care of us
• Fear limits hopes, dreams, and callings

When we get out of the boat, we are never quite the same….Every time you walk on the water, each time you trust God and seek to discern and obey His calling on your life, your God will get bigger, and your worship will grow deeper, richer, and stronger.   John Ortberg

The way we live our lives is a consequence of the size of our God.

If you are not fully convinced that you are absolutely safe in the hands of a fully competent, all knowing, ever present God, than your God is too small!!!  This is why so many of us keep living as though everything depends on us.

So, are you a water walker?  Who are you in Christ.  I challenge you to read Ephesians 1 and 2.  Make a list of what God says you are.  Then believe and live your life as big as your God is.  Expect to do something extraordinary.  

Benevolence - The third and last component to trustworthiness

A tender heart is very rare, but we all have very good reason to be kind to one another and show compassion!  “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32.  “The tenderness of a friend rejoices the heart.” Proverbs 27:9. “Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love …” Romans 12:10. After all is said and done, the average person, a sinner, is rather hardhearted. A deep and thorough salvation from sin, a radical transformation is necessary before a person can be tenderhearted toward others; for example, brothers toward brothers and sisters toward sisters. 

Quite simply put, having a tender heart is something very rare. The source of being tenderhearted is understanding and compassion.  The fact of the matter is that we have the same sinful tendencies within us as the others, and we have experienced that it is difficult to overcome them. This is the very reason we should have compassion with others when they fall. It is absolutely inappropriate to say, “I just cannot understand that!” On the contrary, it is quite fitting to say, “That is really sad, but I understand it very well, and I have good reason to show compassion.” Yes, imagine if it had been you or me!  All of us have good reason to be radical in seeking salvation from every trace of hardness so that being tenderhearted toward one another becomes a common occurrence in daily life.

Ability - The second component to trustworthiness.

Have you ever considered this: the same power or ability that parted the Red Sea is available to you?  Ephesians 1:19 says, “… and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power.”  God holds the whole ocean in His hand, and He created the land on which we stand and walk. This same power is available to us today! By this power we can be liberated from the sin that dwells within us.  God is the power that created the heavens and the earth. When He said, “Let there be light!” the light came to the earth, and He created day and night. (Genesis 1) God parted the Red Sea; He made the walls of Jericho fall without a single blow. (Exodus 14:21; Joshua 6:20). Even the sun and the moon have to stand still at His command. (Joshua 10:13)  God is infinitely great.

The prophet Isaiah made an attempt at describing Him:  “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, Measured heaven with a span And calculated the dust of the earth in a measure? Weighed the mountains in scales And the hills in a balance?” Isaiah 40:12.  “… Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in.” Isaiah 40:22.  God is eternal.  This is the same God with whom we can have a personal relationship. He is always the same. He is everlasting.  “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.” Isaiah 40:28-29.  That means that this same power, the same tremendous power that parted the Red Sea in a moment, is available now – to you and me!

Most of us will not overtake cities and countries, or go to battle against physical enemies, but God has called us to resist the sin that dwells in us. Through Jesus He gave us the possibility of being set free from sin’s slavery, to overcome our own lusts and demands, and to conquer everything that causes unrest and conflict.  We need God’s help every day – each time we are tempted – to overcome the sin that wants to come out of us. Sin is strong, but God’s power is always stronger! His power breaks down barriers and walls, and makes possible what was impossible! We can stand by the power of the eternal God in those very areas where we used to fall in sin again and again! 

God can create something completely new in us if we surrender to His power and set our own will aside. This puts us in the right position to be transformed. When God gains access to our lives we can truly become new creations who are no longer under the power of sin. What an incredible hope! Do we see it?

Paul writes in Ephesians 1:17-18,  “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints …”  Just as Paul prayed that the Ephesians could see even more clearly, we also can pray to receive enlightened eyes of the heart. We can pray to be able to see as God sees. Then God will again cause light to shine where it was dark before, and situations are turned upside down. Life becomes very interesting and very hopeful!

We must lay hold of trust in God’s power in our personal lives. This power is strong enough to set us free from sin and bring us into a life of abiding in the will of God; this gives us a future and hope (Jeremiah 29:11). Trust in God’s power allows us to let go and instead let Him – He who has all power over heaven and earth – guide us. God’s power is exceedingly great!  “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.” Ephesians 1:17-21.

God has the ability.  Do you have the ability to trust in Him?

Integrity - One of the three components that make a person trustworthy.   Scripture is filled with passages urging integrity in believers—it just talks about integrity without using that term. Think of the most famous New Testament commands for Christian living: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-25). Such a list is a command to live a life of the highest integrity, a life that brings goodness and blessings to all people.  In short, the Christian command to integrity is a command to both talk and walk in the way of Jesus.  

It's a life marked by love, compassion, mercy, justice, and honoring God's call above everything else. It's the life spoken of in 1 Peter: "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep their tongue from evil and their lips from deceitful speech. They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil" (3:10-12). That definition of integrity calls us to walk in the path of Christ, and to steer clear of hypocrisy.  So how can we live a life of integrity? We must accept God's call to live in his will and walk in the footsteps of Christ. We must live the kind of life that Jesus lived, even if no one is watching you.

We must obey the command of James 1:22: "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." It's simple, and it's difficult. And it's all that God asks.

Do you have integrity?  Do I have integrity?  It's hard to answer now that we have God's definition.  Yet we trust one another more easily than God.  God has integrity that overflows.  Let's remember this next time we question whether or not to trust.  

Next time we will take a look at Ability!

Faith vs. Trust

Faith In God  

•Faith is believing whatever the outcome, it’s “for the good”

•Faith one can have constantly

•Faith often comes naturally

•Faith can remain aloof from ones conscious reality

 Trust in God

•Trust is believing that the outcome will be good in a revealed way

•Trust is only required at specific times

•Trust requires intense effort

•Trust must permeate ones conscious reality

Trust, a topic I struggle with on a daily basis.  In fact, I wasn’t planning on doing a talk for our women's retreat this year but as I always say, "If I'm struggling then you all are going to join me."  This year was going to be my weekend to RETREAT!  God had other plans, however.  So, I spoke on the topic of trust this past September at our annual retreat.  I have struggled with trust ever since my kids became my kids.  As many of you know, my husband and I adopted 4 kids, ages 3-6 all at the same time.  I thought I had it figured out until my daughter got pregnant…again and again and again.  Now it is a daily struggle. Just when we thought we were done, we stepped up to raise two of our four granddaughters, (the other two live with their dad).  These days and at my age I have to rely on trusting God more and more. A song I sing with the girls, (now 9 and 10) is "God is Bigger than the Boogie Man.."  If I am going to believe this than I have to trust.  So, in an effort to share some of the information I learned while preparing my teaching, I am going to share on my blog for the next few days.  There is a lot of information so I'll take some time.  Also, if any of you disagree or have other scriptures that help you cope with this subject, please share.  Here goes.

First of all, faith and trust are often used interchangeably, as though they’re one and the same.  They are not.  In fact, FAITH and TRUST are two entirely different things.  Faith has been called “the substance of hope.”  Faith requires no evidence for belief.  The very nature of faith surmises that tangible evidence doesn’t exist.  On the other hand, trust is based largely on evidence that is real.  Trust is the core conviction of judgment based on knowledge, instinct, and experience. Consider this:  Imagine walking down a city street.  At one point, you step onto a well-marked crosswalk.  In doing so, you unwittingly place enormous trust in other people.  You trust the drivers of cars and trucks, presumably complete strangers to you to behave safely.  They are expected to obey the traffic laws.  You trust these drivers will be skilled and sober enough to observe you walking in the middle of the street and will come to a stop, thus allowing you to pass safely.  Based on volumes of evidence — including traffic fatalities which happen frequently in crosswalks, railroad crossings, and the like — placing this trust may be ill-advised.  After all, you know nothing about these drivers.  They could be drunk or distracted or sending texts and quite possibly not see you.  Should that misfortune happen, the end result could be a serious injury, or perhaps even death.  Nonetheless, we all step out into crosswalks anyway, usually without even thinking about the risk we are taking.  This is because trust is an every day part of life.  We have no choice than to trust other people. 

In my study of trust, I found that there are three components that make up a trustworthy person:  integrity, ability, and benevolence.  So, why do have I/we have a problem trusting God.  He has integrity.  He has ability.  He is benevolent.   Tomorrow, I will focus on integrity.  I hope you will join me.  

Thanks for reading.  KC..