Proverbs 31 Devotionals

• May. 29, 2009 - Priorities

Priorities

Do you struggle to keep your priorities in the right order? I certainly do! It can be quite frustrating at times. We try to keep our husbands happy, take care of the kids, manage a home, keep on top of all the outside activities, keep up with extended family, and suddenly, there is no time left for us, nor time to spend with the Lord.

Psalm 1 gives some wonderful insights into how to change this merry-go-round that seems to spin out of control. Verse 2 tells us the godly delight in doing everything the Lord wants. Hmm…..how many times do I find myself doing things everyone else wants me to do? That happens more often that I care to admit. Perhaps that is our problem. Sisters, we need to learn to say “no!” If you don’t think you can say no up front to someone who asks you to do something, train yourself to say, “Let me pray about this and discuss it with my husband, then I’ll get back to you.” This will train you to be a God-pleaser, rather than a man-pleaser. You will learn to pray before saying “yes,” and it may lessen your load because you may discover that God wants you to cut many activities from your life.

The second part of verse 2 says the godly think about God’s law day and night. This means they take time to read the Word, meditating on it until it is in their spirit. This way, even when they are going about their daily grind, they can still be thinking about what they have learned. This takes practice and diligence. Ok, I can hear some of you saying, “I just don’t have time for this!”

Verse 1 tells us the godly don’t follow the advice of the wicked. We may claim to not have time to read the Word, but how often do we turn on secular TV and listen to the ungodly advice given there? How often do we pick up a magazine or newspaper and read ungodly advice in those pages? Verse 1 also mentions the joy the godly have because they aren’t filling their spirit with ungodly advice.

This verse also tells us the godly do not stand around with sinners. In other words, they find wise, godly friends who will be like iron sharpening iron. The godly also refuse to sit down and get comfy with those who scoff the very Lord they serve. Yet, how many times do we sit down and turn on a situation comedy to relax and wind down for the night? Often, these shows portray the fathers as idiots, and they frequently make Christians look like morons.

Verse 3 tells us the godly bear fruit in each season. If we make time with the Lord a priority in our lives, it will enable us to stand firm regardless of what comes our way. We can bear fruit:

n when going through a desert experience,

n when the children are squabbling,

n when a family member is ill

n when our marriage is in a rut,

n in the midst of a job loss,

n while grieving the death of a loved one.

I don’t know about you, but with the trying times in which we live, I’m finding much more life in the Word than on television. It refreshes my spirit and gives me hope, even when the evening news makes me want to tremble in fear.

Do your priorities need to be adjusted?

Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link

• Oct. 3, 2008 - Power Outage

Posted in The Busy Daily Grind

Power Outage

Early one morning, our power went out. I had no idea it was out until I opened my eyes and saw the lights flashing on my alarm clock.

Samson had a ‘power outage,’ and he was also unaware that he had lost his power. (Judges 16) Just like Samson, we can also suffer from a power outage that can be very subtle in sneaking up on us.

Samson thought that he could ‘toy’ with Delilah and the Philistines, yet maintain his power. He didn't realize that day by day, as he played with them, he was becoming self-sufficient and even arrogant. Next, he became less dependent upon God.

We do the same thing. We play with worldly passions, and when we don't see an immediate consequence, we continue in that path. We think we can handle things on our own, so we quit committing our daily work to the Lord. Finally, we face a power outage, and we never saw it coming.

The power outage may start like this:

A major event takes place, so instead of reading the Word in the morning, we turn on the TV instead. We only intend to watch it for a few minutes. Suddenly, we hear the rest of the family arising and we realize that we've been engrossed in watching the TV for forty minutes. Now it’s too late to read the Word.

We manage to go through our day just fine, so we don't feel too bad about missing out on our quiet time with the Lord. It makes it easier the next morning for us to sleep in when we've had a rough night. After all, we did just fine yesterday without our quiet time, so what’s one more day?

Since we still have some spiritual oil in our reserve tank, we manage to gracefully get through another day, even if we didn't read the Word.

The following morning, we decide to quickly check our email before doing our devotions. Before we know it, we've been online for over thirty minutes. We realize that we still need to jump in the shower before the rest of the family awakens. Devotions will have to wait again. Now we feel a little pressured to get our shower finished before the others start yelling, “Mom! I need the bathroom!” The pressure builds during the day, making us feel like a pressure cooker that is ready to blow its lid.

The next morning we still remember the stresses of the previous day, so we opt to get a jump-start on our day. We get our shower done early. Next, we focus on finishing some chores.

By this time, we are having a severe ‘power outage.’ It manifests itself later when one child is facing a crisis with a friend at school. With our power gone, we have no mercy to offer this child. Our youngest child falls and gets hurt, and we lack in compassion. As if this isn't enough, another child is struggling with a new math concept and our patience is waning very thin. For the friend who is in desperate need of a listening ear, we fail to notice that God wanted to use us to minister to her need. Instead, we ask her if we can return her call later since we are busy.

The only way to defeat the Delilahs and the Philistines in our own life is to guard our time with the Lord. We must remain connected to the Power Source so that we don't experience a power outage.

What Delilahs and Philistines are leading you toward a power outage?

Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link

• Oct. 3, 2008 - Building on the Rock

Posted in The Busy Daily Grind

Building on the Rock

When my daughter was a toddler, we frequently sang a song about the wise man and the foolish man. I had no idea how the truths of that song would affect me I in years to come.

Part of keeping our house on the rock is to make sure that we refrain from choosing the better over the best. Sometimes I see the need to give up some very good activities so that I am able to grab hold of the best.

In my quest to try and keep my house built on the rock, I frequently assess the activities in my life. I usually try to do this about every three months. Occasionally, I may need to do it on a weekly basis during excessively busy times of the year, such as the Christmas season. There are also some days when our schedule is extremely hectic. On those mornings, I will often surmise each activity, trying to place the most important ones at the top of my priority list.

For instance, I was looking forward to attending a dinner with our women's group at church. It started at 6:30. That same evening, my daughter had PE class from 5:00-6:00 P.M. Time did not allow me to do both, so I had to make a choice. While the women's dinner would have been fun and uplifting, my daughter is higher on my priority list, so my choice was to give up attending the dinner (the better choice) so that Rachel could still attend PE (the best choice). By making this choice, I kept my house built firmly on the rock. It also made a deep impression on my daughter when she realized that I saw her activity as more important than my own.

My normal routine is to attend church on Wednesday evenings. However, one Wednesday, I could tell that my husband was incredibly stressed. Since my husband is higher on my list of priorities than my church attendance, I chose to drop off Rachel at church. I came home to be with my husband while we had the opportunity to be alone for a while. Dean was very pleased to see that I viewed ministering to him as more important than church attendance. Giving him a chance to vent his frustrations of the day was very therapeutic. Again, I set aside the better choice (church attendance), in place of the best choice (ministering to my husband).

Another opportunity for making a choice between building on shifting sand or the rock came when a friend discovered that her son had a cyst on the brain. I had been unable to reach her, so I left a message for her to call me the next day, even if it was during our homeschool hours. She knows that I am adamant about not being disturbed during those precious schooling hours. Hearing my message let her know that I saw her need as one of top priority.

I went through a spell where I had not been able to write any devotions. I simply did not have the time. While I enjoy writing, and even feel the Lord has gifted me to write, I cannot let it take the place of my own personal time with the Lord. I must also be careful to not let writing take priority over my family and managing things at home.

During that period of time, it would have been very easy for me to become frustrated over not having any new material to send to those on my mailing list. Instead, I focused on building on the rock. I knew that if I kept my priorities in order, daily choosing the best in place of the better, God would honor those decisions.

Eventually, I sat down one evening to write. It was like a dam that burst forth. Not only was I was able to write six devotions in a very short amount of time, but I could not seem to write fast enough to get my thoughts on paper.

As I have had to set aside a few of the things that I really wanted to do, in order to choose God's best for me, I have had no regrets. God is so faithful in pouring out His peace and granting clarity of mind to me. The sense of balance I feel in making choices that honored Him has made it easier for me to say “no” to that shifting sand so that I can say “yes” to a firm, strong, and stable rock.

Are you choosing to build on the rock?

Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link

• Oct. 3, 2008 - Change of Curriculum

Posted in The Busy Daily Grind

Change of Curriculum

God has a curriculum for us to follow in Deuteronomy 6:6-9. He tells us to talk of His commands when we are at home. That could easily be done while we are eating our evening meal except that it's a rare occurrence for the family to eat together these days.

We are to talk about God's Word when we walk along the road. In today's society, we could still do this while we are driving the car. The only problem is that we rarely turn off the radio.

We are to talk about God's precepts when we lie down. We could do that, but after we hurriedly put the kids in bed with a goodnight kiss, we still have laundry and dishes to finish before we can even go to bed.

We are to be talking about God's ways when we get up in the morning. Yet, in today's society, we are so rushed to get out the door that we miss out on this opportunity to impress God's Word on the hearts of our children.

When our children walk into the room, do they observe us looking at our daily planner more often than they observe us delving into the Word of God? Do they see us opting to read the newspaper rather than God's Word? Do they see us relaxing by reading romance novels instead of our Bible?

Do we need to change the curriculum in our home?

Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link

• Oct. 2, 2008 - Schizophrenic

Posted in The Busy Daily Grind

In Matthew 16, Simon has just declared that Jesus is the Christ. In verse 18 we find that Jesus calls Simon "Peter," then He states that upon this rock He will build His church and the gates of hell will not stand against it. Only four verses later, we see that when Jesus begins to tell the disciples about His upcoming death, Peter makes a strong declaration. "God forbid, Lord! This must never happen to you!" (Amp. Bible) Notice that Peter is even using the Name of the Lord in making his bold statement. But what does Jesus do? He doesn't turn and say, "Peter, you've got it all wrong." He turns to Peter and says, "Get behind me Satan! You are in my way...and a snare to me, for you are minding what partakes not of the nature and quality of God, but of men." (Amp. Bible) It appears here that Peter is of two mindsets within a very short period of time.

Jas. 1:8 refers to a person who is double-minded. In other words, he is referring to one who has more than one mind. Doesn't it sound like he is describing Peter here? There are many Christians who fall into this category. They have a mind for spiritual things when they are at church, but often, as soon as they get in the car, they have switched gears to a worldly mindset.

I looked up the word "schizophrenia" in the Webster's New World Dictionary.

It is "a mental disorder characterized by separation between thought and emotions,...by bizarre behavior."

There are many people who will go to church on Sunday and act "spiritual," but on Monday when they are at work, they don't care anything about others who are in their path. They will run them over to climb the ladder of success. How many people will act really nice to those in the church family, but at home, they are often yelling and cussing at their own family? How many will tell the pastor what a great message he preached, only to get in the car and start having the pastor as the appetizer for their meal? How many times do we find ourselves challenged by the message, only to forget about it within minutes of leaving the service? Wouldn't you say that these fall under the term "bizarre behavior" for people who profess to be Christians? Do we find that there are many "schizophrenic Christians?"

As moms, we wear many hats. We often switch from one role to another in just a matter of minutes (sometimes seconds!). Because of this, it's easy find ourselves falling into the trap of separating the spiritual side of life from the unspiritual side. Let me give you some examples to clarify what I mean.

Our spiritual side of life is: going to church, reading, praying, doing devotions, helping at church or other "religious" activities.

Unspiritual side of life is: cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, changing diapers, giving baths to the children, playing with the children, shopping.....

What we need to realize about life is that IT'S ALL SPIRITUAL! How we handle ourselves at work reflects on our spiritual mindset, showing whether we are a double-minded person, unstable in our ways. Do others even know by our behavior that we are Christians? Do we go to Little League games, making a complete spectacle of ourselves with our yelling and belittling comments about the umpire or the coach? Or, do we encourage our children to do the best they can, and to keep a good attitude even when there may be some unfair calls made by the umpire? Do we help them to understand that winning isn't everything? Do we teach them to be a good sport, whether they win or lose?

Even how we spend our money can show if we are double-minded. Are we buying impulsively to satisfy our fleshly desires? Are we buying because emotionally we feel that we need a "lift" for the day? Or, are we thinking about being wise in our purchases, only buying things to meet the needs of our family? Are we being obedient to our husbands in our purchases?

How we take care of our family can show whether we are double-minded in our thinking. How we take care of the house can show whether we have fallen into the trap of double-minded thinking. We are to do our work as if working for the Lord. (Col. 3:23)

As wives and moms, we "work" all of the time! We need to be careful to keep our mindset from becoming double-minded. We have been so bombarded by our culture that we have different "compartments" in our lives. It's far too easy to want to separate those areas into the categories of spiritual and unspiritual, when in reality, it truly is all spiritual. That is why it so important for us to renew our minds (Rom. 12:2), to be made new in the attitude of our mind (Eph. 4:23), and to set our minds on things above (Col. 3:12).

Father, help us to remember that everything we do affects us spiritually. Help us to realize that it's all about You. Help us to have the mind of Christ in all that we say, think, and do. Amen.

Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link

• Oct. 2, 2008 - Are You Listening?

Posted in The Busy Daily Grind

Are You Listening?

We live in such a fast-paced, busy world. It's so easy to be bombarded by the myriad of voices that we can physically hear, yet never hearing that still, small voice of the Father.

Deut. 8:3 says that man doesn't live on bread alone but by every word that proceeds from mouth of the Lord. The word "proceeds" could be translated "proceeding" because it is referring to an ongoing process of God speaking to us. He has much to say to us, but are we listening?

In Isaiah 55:3 God tells us to hear Him so that our soul may live. If you never listen to your spouse, your relationship is going to die quickly. When is the last time you took the time to really listen to Father speak? It will bring life to your weary soul.

In John 10:27, Jesus says that His sheep hear His voice. The literal meaning of this portion of scripture is that His sheep are hearing His voice, meaning that it's an ongoing process. If His sheep are hearing His voice, then the implication is that the Shepherd is speaking quite often to them. Are we listening to our Shepherd? It's the Shepherd who leads us beside the still waters, who restores our soul, who causes our cup to overflow, who guides us in paths of righteousness. He can't do these things to sheep who won't listen.

In closing, I want to share something personal with you. I sat down to read the Word one Sunday afternoon. I hadn't gotten very far into it before the Lord spoke four different messages to me to use in Proverbs 31. I had this thought stick with me for several days: If God can speak four things so quickly to me when I take a few moments to sit still before Him, what am I missing out on when I refuse to take the time to listen for His voice?

Ps. 46:10 Be still and know that He is God.

Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link

• Oct. 2, 2008 - Multi-Tasking

Posted in The Busy Daily Grind

Multi-Tasking

Early one morning, as I sat down at the computer, the spyware scan started to run its weekly check. It reminded me that I needed to run the weekly virus scan. Once I got that up and running, the computer notified me that there were some updates that also needed to be installed, so I started running those as well.

In the midst of multi-tasking on the computer, a weird thing began to happen. As new emails would appear, I could see an envelope, alerting me to a new piece of mail, but there was a blank space in the spot where it should show ‘sender’ and ‘subject.’ After I finished my multi-tasking, I had to shut down the computer, then restart it so the ‘updates’ would take.

Multi-tasking seems to be the new buzz word for the myriad of activities which keep us busy. It seems that everywhere you go, you see people who are multi-tasking. How many times do you see people with a cell phone glued to their ear? Whether it’s in the car, a restaurant, Walmart, or even the doctor’s office, seeing someone on a cell phone is a common occurrence. The cycle seems to never end. We may stop multi-tasking in one area, and immediately start it in another area without giving it a second thought. It’s so automatic that we don’t ever realize we are doing it.

I believe that we switch to ‘auto-pilot’ so quickly in our multi-tasking that it causes us to end up missing out on a lot of what God may want from us. Just as I had blank spots showing up in the ‘sender’ and ‘subject’ information in my emails, I do believe that we are allowing a lot of ‘blank spaces’ in our lives, due simply to our aggressive multi-tasking. Do we have a blank in the spot called prayer? What about in the space for daily devotions? Is that spot also empty? What about following the Holy Spirit’s prompting? Would it be blank for the last several weeks because we’ve been so consumed with our own agenda that we failed to listen to His calling?

What about the space for showing mercy or giving encouragement to someone who really needs it? Would we have a blank space there? Could it be that when we talked to our friend that we were so ‘surface’ in our conversation due to our own heavy schedule that we didn’t even notice the pain in her voice? What about the place for praying for one another? Are we so focused on getting home from church and fixing dinner or getting the children to bed, that we neglect to notice the lady who is at her wit’s end and could really benefit from someone who would take three or four minutes to pray with her?

Just as I had to ‘power down’ the computer to get it up and running properly, we all need to take time in our busy lives to ‘power down.’ Turn off the cell phone, turn the ringer down on the home phone, and turn off the answering machine, the computer, and the television. Put a ‘do not disturb’ sign on your front door, and even your bedroom door, if that’s what it takes, but ‘power down’ so that God can minister to you, adding ‘updates’ to you, so that you can function the way HE intended for you to function.

Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link

• Oct. 1, 2008 - Busy, Busy, Busy

Posted in The Busy Daily Grind

Busy, Busy, Busy

Monday: baseball practice, ballet lessons

Tuesday: baseball game, visit library for book report project

Wednesday: baseball practice, church

Thursday: baseball game, ballet lessons, return videos to store

Friday: my turn to play taxi-service after school

Saturday: ballet, piano lessons, take child shopping for shoes, etc.

Sunday: church AM/PM, take child to visit friend between church services

Does this schedule look familiar? Is it like yours at all? Too many of us are caught in a daily, very hectic schedule. While all of us want what is best for our children, it is easy to find ourselves caught up in too many activities. Maybe it is time to reevaluate WHAT activities we do, and also WHY we do them.

Why are we involved in so many extra activities? It may be because we did the same thing when we were young. Or perhaps it is because we never got the chance to do any of these things, so now we feel the need to be sure that our children "do it all." While the Bible never mentions that we should get our children involved in so many activities away from home, it does mention many times that we are to train our children. (Eph. 6:4, Deut. 4:9, 11:19, Prov. 22:6) While outside activities aren't bad, we need to make sure that they don't take away from what is really important.

We may feel pressured to be involved in so many activities because "everyone else is doing it." But we don't have to do things because everyone else is doing it. Romans 12:2 tells us not to conform after the pattern of the world. In fact, we are to be conformed to the likeness of Christ. (Rom. 8:29, II Cor. 3:18) If we are so busy running here and there, how can we be conformed to His likeness? Can our children be conformed to His likeness when they are too busy doing homework and outside activities?

What kinds of influences are we letting into the lives of our children through these activities? Proverbs 12:25 tells us that a righteous man is cautious in friendship. We need to be cautious about putting our children in situations where they are being exposed to things that aren't godly. There are many children out there who are not taught the things that we may be teaching our children. I know that when I was young, it was far too easy for me to be "sucked in" by these kinds of "friends." I wasn't going to have much influence on them, but they were sure having an influence on me!

Romans 16:19 tells us to be wise about what is good and innocent about what is evil. If we let our children be around many ungodly influences, it is hard for them to maintain that innocence about what is evil. If they are being exposed to many ungodly things, we may not be protecting them as we should be.

We may get our children involved in so many activities because it boosts our own self-esteem. Yet, we must remember that love isn't proud. If our primary reason to have our children in all of these activities is to stroke our own ego, our motives probably need to be reevaluated. We need to remember that Proverbs 16:5 says that God detests the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

Even if our own motives past the test, we must remember that love protects. (I Cor. 13) When children are put into activities, we must evaluate what values they are seeing displayed before them. Are the activities encouraging responsibility, sportsmanship, and perseverance? Or do children see pride, selfish ambition, and a lack of concern for others?

Sometimes these seemingly innocent activities can cause financial woes. Financial trouble can creep in, not only because of the cost of the activities, but also the cost of eating out several nights a week. It can even spiral into marital trouble, as MOST marriage trouble starts with financial problems.

Satan has many schemes, and we are to be aware of them. (II Cor 2:11) We are to be like sheep among wolves - wise as serpents, but harmless as doves. (Mt. 10:16) II Cor. 10:5 tells us to demolish arguments and every pretension (thought) that sets itself up against the knowledge of God. We are also admonished to take our stand against the devil's schemes. (Eph. 6:10) For this reason, it is important to occasionally step back and reevaluate our decisions. Could the enemy be using these activities to distract us from what is really important? Could it be that all of this "busyness" is one of his many schemes to destroy us? Could it be a scheme to destroy intimate family time, to destroy time for devotions, to destroy time to relax and unwind, to destroy our energy in training and instructing our children in righteousness?

I mention this because I have often heard it said that family meal time is almost nonexistent in homes, because family devotions are almost a thing of the past in many homes, because the divorce rate in Christian homes is about the same as it is in secular homes. I mention it because Rom. 12:1 tells us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices, yet many of us are so busy these days that we feel like the "walking dead" because we are so tired.

Titus 2:4-5 tells us to encourage young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be self-controlled, chaste, good managers of our homes, to be kind, to be submissive to our husbands, so that the Word of God many not be discredited. Can we really be Titus 2:4-5 women with our current level of activity? We must not let this "busyness" rob from us those things which really are important.

A while back, I received an email that had an acrostic at the bottom. It was VERY thought-provoking, to say the least:

Busy =

Being

Under

Satan's

Yoke.

Do you need to reevaluate?

Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link

• Oct. 1, 2008 - Do You Need Help?

Posted in The Busy Daily Grind

Do You Need Help?

From heaven the Lord looks down and sees us all; He watches all of us. No king is saved by the size of his army, nor does a warrior conquer by his own strength. A horse is a vain hope for their deliverance. Even in its great strength, it can't save. (Ps. 33:13-14, 16-17)

As moms, I would imagine that most of us are quick to rise each morning, ready to start tackling the day's assignments. If we're not careful, we can be like the one who rides on a horse, confidently trusting in the strength and ability of the horse. We begin to trust in our own abilities and in our own strength. We forget that God is watching us as we scurry along, confident in our ability to get things done. I can picture Him being saddened when we fail to acknowledge that we need His help.

Sometimes we can attack our housework with a vengeance, much like an army goes after their adversary. While it's good for us to do our work vigorously (Pr. 31:17), when we fail to invite God to help us, we many switch from attacking the house with a vengeance to attacking others with a vengeance because they have interrupted our cleaning schedule. We may find that our positive attitude has turned sour, leading us to stinking thinking. Instead of cleaning as unto the Lord, we may be doing it with an angry, resentful attitude.

At the time of this writing, I am trying to homeschool, work on my Internet ministry, and have recently launched a home-based business. In doing all of these things, I have found that I am getting stressed very easily. My fuse has always been a short one, but lately, it's gotten worse. The tiniest offense can set my temper aflame. As I took time to ponder on what has been happening, I realized that I'm not spending as much time in the Word. While I resent missing those times with the Lord, I have to admit that it's not my circumstances that have caused me to miss out on devotions. It's my wrong choices, and that has led to being at an emotional low point for several days. As I read the above scripture, it made me realize that I have been trusting in my own strength to get things done. Instead of following God's leading, and asking for His help, I have allowed my priorities to quickly get out of order.

When we put our hope in God and rely on His help, here is what happens:

Ps. 33:18 His eyes are on us.

:19 He delivers us and keeps us alive in famine. If we look to Him on busy days, even if we don't spend much time in the Word, He can still keep us from a spiritual famine because we are still acknowledging Him in all our ways.

:20 As we hope in Him, He is our help and our shield.

:21 Our hearts will rejoice because we are trusting in His holy name.

Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link

• Oct. 1, 2008 - Pick Your Battles Prayerfully

Posted in The Busy Daily Grind

Pick Your Battles Prayerfully

I have often heard my pastor tell us to pick our battles with our children. Some battles really aren't worth fighting. Others need to be fought at all costs. It takes discernment to discover which battles are the ones we need to fight.

In Deut. 17:8-10, we see that Moses was told that if he had cases come before him that were too difficult for him to judge, he was to take them to the person whom God would choose.

As a mother, I have often found situations arising that leave me at a loss on what to do. I learned very early as a parent that it's wise to pray for three wise and godly women to whom I could go for counsel on tough issues. They have been a great help to me, providing some wonderful insights.

In Judges 4:4, we see that Deborah was leading Israel. In verse six, she sent for Barak, telling him that God wanted him to gather ten thousand men to go to Mount Tabor. God was preparing to give Jabin's army into their hands. In verse 16, we see that all of Sisera's troops fell by the sword.

The correlation to us, as women, is that we should be causing our spiritual foes to fall through using the Word in our intercession for our family. It is a powerful thing to quote the Word when we are praying. I remember one Sunday when our youth pastor used a machete, calling it a sword, and tossing an apple into the air, then slicing it in half. It was a fantastic visual picture of how using the Word of God can slice our spiritual foes.

Saul and his servant were out searching for some lost donkeys. The looked for hours with no success, coming to the point where they didn't know where else to look. In verse six, the servant mentions a man of God. He states that everything the man of God speaks comes true, so perhaps, he could tell them where to look for the donkeys. As Saul agrees to go see the man of God, he not only finds his donkeys, but the man of God anoints Saul as leader over Israel.

Sisters, sometimes when we approach God, He not only answers our original request, but if we are careful to listen, we may find Him revealing much more to us.

The story of David and Goliath is a very familiar one. We see that David is a brave man, a warrior, and most importantly, the Lord was with David. God had delivered David from the paw of the lion and the bear, and David was confident that God would deliver him from this vile Philistine. When David spoke to Goliath, he was careful to make mention that he was coming in the name of the Lord. He knew that all of his success was from God alone, and he was certain to give God the glory for his success.

We also need to be constantly aware that every good and perfect gift comes from the Lord. (Jas. 1:17) Any battles that we win, we win because God is for us. (Rom. 8:31)

Another battle in the Old Testament that is incredible is when God gives very clear instructions to the Israelites for going against Moab. (II Kings 3) After they followed the Lord's instructions, the valley was filled with water. As if that wasn't awesome enough, in verses 22-23, the Moabites see the valley of water, only it looks like blood! They head out to plunder, not realizing that they were walking into their own destruction.

When we pick our battles prayerfully, it can cause the plans of the enemy to be destroyed.

In Acts 12, the church was earnestly praying for Peter, who was in prison. Suddenly an angel appears to Peter, causing his chains to fall off.

Sometimes when we pick the battle of intercession, we will cause chains of bondage to fall.

In Mt. 1:19, Joseph was going to divorce Mary quietly. But once an angel appeared to him in a dream, he was encouraged to go ahead and take Mary as his wife. He was given a clear revelation as to what was taking place within Mary's womb.

In Acts 16:6, the Holy Spirit kept Paul and his companions from preaching the Word in Asia. In verse 9, we see that Paul has a vision of a Macedonian man and he concludes that God had called them to preach the gospel there.

Sometimes when we pick our battles prayerfully, God will speak clear instructions to us through the stillness of our sleep.

Do you feel the need to pray about some battles?

Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link

• Oct. 1, 2008 - Unopened Gifts

Posted in The Busy Daily Grind

Unopened Gifts

We don't often hear people talk these days about being lazy. Instead, they always talk about how busy they are, reciting the myriad of activities that have taken them captive. They make it sound as if they are being very productive because they are constantly doing something.

As I was studying about a sloth, I discovered that even in our busyness, slothfulness can thrive, simply because we are failing (or refusing) to do what we should be doing. For example, a farmer decides that he doesn't want to harvest the crop. Instead, he chooses to watch the latest sports team on TV, he goes to the local bookstore in search of a treasure to read, he joins the local men's club to get some exercise, where he meets another man who encourages him to join the local bingo clubs. This man finds that he is suddenly busy every night, however, he isn't busy doing what he should be doing -- harvesting his crops.

Proverbs 31:16 (AMP) sheds some interesting light on this subject. "She considers a field before she buys or accepts it, expanding prudently and not courting neglect of her present duties by assuming other duties." Again, we see a pattern here for a sloth -- she who doesn't do what she should be doing is giving herself over to slothfulness.

Have you lost a sense of purpose, zeal, and joy in your life? Do you feel as it you're spinning your wheels and going nowhere? It could be that you've opened yourself up to slothfulness in some area of your life.

Busyness can keep us from opening our gifts from the Lord. Slothfulness can bury our gifts and talents from God. Sometimes our talent gets buried because we are doing someone else's will for our life instead of God's will for our life. It can cause us to leave our gift unopened. You can't treasure an unopened gift because you have no idea what the gift is. It's only as you open the gift that you discover what it is, how to use it, when to use it, and then begin to practice using it, perfecting it with constant use. You learn to fan into flame the gift of God. (II Tim. 1:6)

I know that in my own life, had I done the will of other people, I could never had opened the gift of writing devotions. It takes a great deal of time to write devotions, researching each topic, typing them, getting them copyrighted, and posted on my website. Doing someone else's will would have left this gift unopened, and I would missing out one of the most treasured gifts of my life -- a gift I not only enjoy, but find very relaxing and invigorating at the same time. I share this with you to stir you to thinking about whether you are missing some great treasures in your own life.

Do you have any unopened gifts which need your attention? Do you need to start fanning the flame of a buried gift to stir it up once again?

Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link

• Oct. 1, 2008 - Filthy Rags

Posted in The Busy Daily Grind

Filthy Rags

As Christians, we know that we are saved by grace, through faith. We say we aren't saved by works, but yet the way we live our lives may say something different.

Sometimes it's good to evaluate why we are doing certain things. Why do we allow our children to be involved in so many activities? (Activities which require us to chauffeur every night of the week, and several times on the weekend) Are we afraid to say no? Are we trying to avoid hearing their whining if we refuse? Is it to stroke our own ego? Is it peer pressure? Why do we feel that we must say 'yes' to every person who asks us to do something? Are we looking for approval? Do we fear what they may think of us if we say 'no'? Are we trying to stroke our ego again?

While doing all of these outside activities builds up a very busy schedule, it may not be building a very firm foundation for us. Paul tells us that we should build a foundation using gold, silver, and costly stones. (I Cor. 3) When we find ourselves wrapped up in too many activities, even good activities, which aren't God's will for us, we will find that we are building a foundation of wood, hay, and straw.

When we find ourselves doing too many things that aren't God's best for us, we cause ourselves undue stress, excessive weariness, and constant strife. The strife can affect our marriage, family, friendships, and most importantly, our walk with God. Our aim should be to let God's righteousness shine through. When we build a foundation by doing things outside of God's will for us, we are letting our own righteousness show through, and God makes it clear that our righteousness is nothing more than filthy rags.

(Is. 64:6)

Do you need to get rid of some filthy rags?

Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link

• Oct. 1, 2008 - Focused to Win

Posted in The Busy Daily Grind

Focused to Win



We fall so easily into the trap of doing too many things. I have heard many parents talk about how they are always eating on the run because they have at least one or two activities every night of the week. That doesn't even count the myriad of activities they must attend during the weekend.



In watching how some people live their lives, constantly on the go, you might even think that they are in a marathon. That may very well be the case, only there's no prize at the end. Paul tells us to run in such a way so that we will get the prize. (I Cor 9:24) To win the prize, we must go into strict training, beating our body, and making it our slave, so that we won't be disqualified for the prize. (I Cor. 9:25, 27)



What kind of training do we need?

1. We need to learn to run with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Heb. 12:1) This means that we need to learn to God's will for our own life, and not follow someone else's will.

2. We must redeem the time. Realize that there is never going to be enough time to do everyone else's will for your life, but there will always be enough time to do God's will for your life. (Eph. 5:16)

3. Fix your eyes on Jesus. (Heb. 12:2) You must get focused on what God wants you to do. If you don't, you may find yourself doing too much, following the crowd, only to find that you are lost in that same crowd.

4. Find a lighter yoke. (Mt. 11:29-30) Jesus tells us that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Do you need to lighten your load by getting rid of some outside activities? If you are constantly saying, "I just can't get everything done," may I suggest that you ask the Lord which burdens you need to remove from your yoke?

5. Resolve to know nothing except Christ, and Him crucified.

(I Cor. 2:2) If anything can help you keep things in the right priority and in the right perspective, it is knowing your God.



When we run to win, persevering in doing our Father's will, we will receive a crown which will last forever. (I Cor. 9:25)

© March 2004, Stacy R. Miller

Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link

• Oct. 1, 2008 - A Pile of Poop

Posted in The Busy Daily Grind

It's a common thing to hear people talking about how they are so busy all of the time, filling their lives with numerous activities. I have written a 3-part series addressing this very issue. Each devotion will address this all-too-common way of life, but from a different point of view. It is my deepest desire that Father will speak to your heart and help you to evaluate your own life as you read these devotions.

A Pile of Poop

The more women I meet, the more I see that too many of us are trying to do too much. It's as if the normal, everyday things such as laundry, cleaning the house, cooking, and running errands aren't enough. We are compelled to put our children in baseball, basketball, soccer, ballet, and gymnastics. We don't even stop there. Let's not forget about Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Bible clubs, and other after-school activities. And who get the pleasure of being the chauffeur to all of these activities? You guessed it -- MOM!

Even once Mom finishes with the children's activities, she's still not done. She has her own activities. There's the MOPS group which meets twice a month, the monthly homeschool mom's night out, her volunteer work at the crisis pregnancy center, and the volunteer work at the hospital. Now, let's not forget the Sunday morning and Sunday evening church services, as well as the midweek services. Oh! I almost forgot! There's the women's group that meets once a week at church.

WOW! What a full schedule! But, is it a full life -- a fulfilled life? I have serious doubts about that.

We carelessly muddle our way through each day. What we don't stop to realize is that our current way of living isn't God's best for us. He doesn't want us to live thoughtless, aimless lives. He wants us to seek after Him, making sure that we know what His will is (Eph. 5:17), so that we can enjoy an abundant life. (Jn. 10:10)

While we may have many different motives for being involved in so many activities, Paul reminds us that if what we pursue is not God's will for us, then we should count it as dung. In today's language, we'd call it 'poop.' (Phil. 3:7-8)

All of our pursuits, no matter how good they may be, are nothing compared to the greatness of knowing Christ. Ladies, I'm not talking a head knowledge of God. I'm talking a heart knowledge where you intimately know your God. I'm referring to a knowledge that causes you to yearn for Him like you are in a dry, thirsty land. (Ps. 63:1) I'm talking about a yearning where you feel you will faint if you don't have time alone with the Lord (Ps. 84:2) I'm referring to a passion for Him where thoughts of the Father consume you, morning, noon, and night -- where your heart thrills to speak His very name.

How long has it been since you've had this kind of relationship with the Father? Are vain pursuits keeping you from having that relationship now? Do you need to clean out any piles of 'poop' from your life so that you walk more closely with your God?

Comments (0) :: Post A Comment! :: Permanent Link