Immanuel, God With Us

Immanuel. Even the sound of this name has a beautiful ring to it. The Bible tells us that the blessed son of a virgin would be called, Immanuel, which means God with us. When you take the time to actually consider that fact, that God is with us, it truly is humbling and brings such comfort at the same time.

Last fall was a very difficult time for our family. The deterioration of my Dad’s body due to ALS had left him completely paralyzed and unable to communicate. Even though he was paralyzed, he was still in constant pain. My mom was his primary caretaker and she was physically, mentally and emotionally exhausted. My heart had become so weighed down with sadness. It was heartbreaking to see my parents in so much pain, emotional and physical. Not only that, but my brothers and sisters were feeling helpless and sad too.

Sunday morning, on the 8^th of December, I sat in church in a broken state. The message that day was Immanuel, God with us. As my pastor spoke, I could feel the words going straight to my heart. As I listened to how God is with us even through the deepest pain and times of trials, I couldn’t keep the tears from forming in my eyes. It’s not that I didn’t know this already, but that day it was specifically what I needed to hear. I felt like it was meant just for me.

Sometimes we feel like God has turned a deaf ear to us, but we know, according to his word, that isn’t true. He does hear us. (John 9:31) Sometimes, we feel like he has simply forgotten about us and left us to deal with our pain on our own. That’s how I was feeling that day. That isn’t true either. Hebrew 13:5b says “For He himself has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’” Even when we don’t feel Him, He is there.

At the end of the message, my heart was pounding. I knew I had to talk to God right then. As I knelt at the altar, the tears I had tried to hold back became a flood. When I stood and prayed with my pastor, I told him that I felt like God had forgotten my family. Even though I knew it wasn’t true, the pain was still present. I needed to feel God’s peace more than anything.

Five days later, my dad passed away. What a long day that was. My family and I stayed with my mom that night. As I lay in my childhood bed, I began to dread the next few days, days of planning a funeral and saying a final goodbye to my dad. I prayed that God would be with us over the next few days. Before I even finished my thought, I felt him speak to my spirit, “I never left you.” It was so strong and clear, there was no mistaking it was God. It gave me such peace and comfort. He had seen my anguish and consoled me. I knew God was not only with me but with my mom and the rest of my family as well. 

Immanuel, God with us. We think of this name at Christmas because it goes along with the Christmas story. But this is a truth we can hold on to all throughout the year. I’m so glad He is with me, even when it doesn’t feel like it. He never leaves His children alone.

Quiet My Soul

“The Lord your God is in your midst, The Mighty One will save. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will quiet you with His love. He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

I absolutely love this verse! One morning I was feeling exceptionally overwhelmed and really needed some encouragement. I took the kids to school and came back home to steel a moment with the Lord before work. (Something I should have already done) Normally I don’t do the open your Bible and read where it falls technique, but this particular morning, I had no idea where to go. I asked God to speak to me through his word and desperately just opened my Bible. 

It fell to this passage. As I read it carefully, I began to weep as I saw the Lord trying to tell me how much he not only loved me, but that he rejoices over me. I can be so hard on myself, and every time I mess up, I feel like I have disappointed God in some way. What a blessing to see that he is so glad when He looks at me that he sings joyfully! Can you just imagine that? It’s a little hard to picture. Despite my faults and sins, God still loves me so much that he rejoices over me. How cool is that?!

Not only does he rejoice over me, but he quiets me with his love. Oh how my soul needed calming that morning (and so many other times). Another translation reads “With His love, he calms your fears.” How many times have my anxious thoughts caused a battle in my mind and heart? The Bible tells us in Philippians 4:6 to “Be anxious for nothing,..” What a great truth to know that he calms us by his very own love. To me, it is truly amazing that the one true, powerful, holy God loves me like that, affectionately and personally. 

So now, when my heart is racing, I tell myself that God quiets me with his love. When I feel lonely and low, I remind myself that my Heavenly Father is rejoicing over me with joyful songs. How can I remain sad and anxious with knowledge of this truth?  The next time you feel anxious and alone, meditate on this verse and allow God’s love to calm your fears and quiet your soul.

Get it Together!

So encourage each other to build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Many of us know people who appear to have it all together. Sometimes we feel intimidated by people like that. They seem to have great marriages, great kids, good jobs, and are spiritually mature. And the fact is they may have or be all these things. However, that doesn't mean they don't struggle with issues just like everyone else. That doesn't mean that at some point they were not intimidated by others who looked like they had it all together too. It just means at some point during their spiritual journey, they realized things had to change, and they sought guidance from the One who really does have it all together. They grew spiritually and let God have more and more control over their lives. But by no means does that imply that they don’t have trials. Everyone has days when they feel less than adequate. They have frustrations, doubts, insecurities and go through hard times.
 
Then there are people who look like they are doing everything right and with ease. But that is only what they want others to think. In reality their lives, in part or in whole, may be in shambles. They are afraid to let anyone see what things are really like. Perhaps it is a control issue or they don't want to be embarrassed. Maybe they feel like they will let people down if they knew how things really were. In any case, there is no need for other people to feel insecure or intimidated by someone who appears to have everything under control. Fact is few people do.
 
When my children were preschoolers, a fellow mom and I were talking and she was surprised to hear me talk about being stressed. She said, “but you always seem to be so calm and together.” My jaw dropped, I'm sure. I almost looked around to see who she was talking to! I could have kept her there for days filling her in on my insecurities and self-described short comings. Once a new friend at church read a post of mine and told me, “it really makes me feel better to know that someone as spiritual as you has problems too.” I just stared at her, dumbfounded. I wanted to crawl under the table. Oh my, if she only knew! Yes, I knew scripture, but I often struggled putting them into practice just like she did. Spiritual? I sure didn't feel like it.
 
Most people who appear to “have it all together” are often just trying to keep it all together. They would welcome an encouraging word, or it would make their day to know that someone was thinking about them. We usually tend to reach out to those we know are struggling, and we should. But even those who appear strong sometimes feel weak. Life still gets hard and knowing someone cares could make all the difference.

In Disguise

Even Satan tries to make himself look like an angel of light.     2 Corinthians 11:14

I saw a license plate this week that had the number 666*---. I thought to myself, “I would ask for a different plate! There’s no way I would ride around with that license plate on my car.”  When I told my husband about it, he said, “Well, maybe they had it made that way.” 

“I don’t think so; it looked like a regular car that you and I would drive.” I replied.

The number 666 has always represented evil, so wouldn’t that person’s car look, well, black or beat up or have evil bumper stickers? Of course in my mind evil was supposed to be easily recognizable, visible to any observer. Not always so, the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 11:14 that “Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.” Satan is dark and evil, light is good. So he disguises himself to be more appealing.

Sin is often that way. It appears to be pleasurable or “ok”, but in reality, it’s just Satan’s deception to blind an unbeliever to the truth of his need for Jesus. For a believer, he causes her to lose her joy and peace, maybe even her family and feel shame and regret. Many extramarital affairs start with compliments or “innocent” flirtations. Many people lose their careers over a choice to take money that “no one would miss.” Going out with friends is OK; you need to let off steam, but what happens when that occurs so often it takes you away from your family? You begin to want something else and become dissatisfied and discontent. Gossip can even be disguised as prayer requests!

So how do we know that something is a sin, even when it is disguised as something harmless or even good? Psalm 119:105 says “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” First of all, God’s word is THE first place for direction in our lives, the place to determine right and wrong. When we are full of God’s word, he will make the path clear. If you are still not clear on whether something is harmless or not, ask God. James 1:5 says, “If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you.” He will not rebuke you for asking.” It never fails, when I have asked God for wisdom in a matter, he always comes through. However, whether we listen or not is up to us. The Spirit of God is here to help us do the right thing. (John 14:26)

We as Christians have available to us the help we need to discern between good and evil. We have to listen and obey. It is so very important that we do. “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” Proverbs 4:23.

Walk in Love

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. Ephesians 5:1,2

I had an aunt who has now passed on, that truly lived this verse. Whenever I read it, I think of her. Aunt Bertha’s life was a portrait of God’s love. She walked and talked love every day of her life. She taught on walking in love every chance she got. I fully believe it was her calling to share, teach and live God’s love to others; she did it so well.

It saddens my heart when I see and hear Christians, fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, not loving one another but instead hurting each other in attitude, word or deed. Jesus told his disciples in John 13:34, 35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” How did Jesus say people would know we were his disciples? By how often we go to church? By how much money we give? By serving in many different areas of church? All these things are great, biblical and serve a purpose, but the way everyone knows we belong to Jesus is when we love each other.

When Paul wrote that we are to “walk in love,” he meant for it to be a lifestyle, a way of life, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Galatians 6:10). God gave us all strengths, and we all have weaknesses. We are to encourage one another and lift each other up. (Hebrews 10:24, 1 Thessalonians 5:11) We may not all get along like best friends. Some personalities just don’t mesh. That’s OK. There were even some disciples who didn’t quite get along all the time. However, we still have to love each other.

How do we do that? By reading God’s word and asking the Holy Spirit to help us live it out. 1 Corinthians 13 is a wonderful place to start. It tells us what love is and what it is not:

If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains,but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Philippians 2:1-5 also has a great way to start, with humility. 

Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus…

Love is not a feeling or an emotion. It is a choice we make. It’s a decision to treat people right and actually care about them. We as Christians should be an example to the rest of the world of what Christ’s love is all about. We are His ambassadors. 2 Corinthians 5:20, “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” How can God make his appeal through us, if people don’t see us, the family of God, genuinely loving one another?

Joyful Worship

“Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” Psalm 100:2

We’ve recently been studying about God's Character in Sunday school. It has made my heart full and reminded me how wonderful, holy, loving and mighty God is. He deserves our praise and worship given by all that we are. In fact in Mark 12:30, Jesus tells us to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind and with all your strength.” He stresses every aspect, leaving no question that every part of who we are is to be entirely for God. If we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength as we are commanded, wouldn’t we worship with all our heart, soul, mind and strength?

Psalm 9:2 "I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name. O Most High."

Psalm 35:9, 10 "Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and delight in his salvation. My whole
being will exclaim, "Who is like you, Lord?" (Emphasis mine)

Psalm 86:12 "I will praise you, Lord my God, with ALL my heart; I will glorify your name forever."

Did you notice the word "rejoice" in both the first and second verses? And "with all my heart" in the third?  Our worship time, especially with other believers, should be a joyful time of rejoicing in the Lord and we should praise him with all our hearts. Yes, we may come to church with burdens and heartaches, but worship is about God, not about us. When we lay ourselves aside in order to worship God, everything else fades in comparison to our realization of who we are praising. God is still God, no matter what problems we are facing. He still deserves our praise and worship.

When we come together in worship to sing praises to God, let's prepare our hearts, really listen to the words of the songs and remind ourselves that God is so worthy of our praise. He
deserves our ALL! To prepare our hearts, reading scripture about praise and worship is a good place to start. So is studying about God's character.  Try using the Bible app or other resources to suggest verses to read. When we take our minds off of ourselves or others around us and put our mind on God and his goodness, we glorify him and fill our hearts as well.

With Jesus

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. Acts 4:13

Wow, that is a powerful thought! They took note that they had been with Jesus…Oh how I want that to be said of me! Not for bragging rights or to “toot my own horn,” but to know that my life reflects Jesus in such a way that others know it is Him in me.

As we look at this scripture, we see the religious and governing leaders didn’t think there was anything extraordinary about Peter and John… except their courage. Peter and John had been arrested for teaching that Jesus had been raised from the dead. They had healed a man, and they proclaimed that is was by the power of Jesus Christ. As they stood in defense of the “charges” brought against them, their accusers saw that there was nothing special about these men, but because of their courage in defending their faith during their difficult circumstances, they knew they had been with Jesus.

That’s when God is able to receive glory. When there is nothing special about us, but because we spend time in his presence, he graciously lets his glory shine through us. What a privilege!

Yes, we may fool people sometimes. We may put on a fake smile and use “churchy” lingo, and we may get by for a while. But what is inside will come out. What is in our hearts will radiate through our eyes and be spoken from our lips. (Luke 6:45) I want to be like Moses when his face shown with the glory of God because he had been in the Lord’s presence. (Exodus 34:29)

There’s so much that can be said of us, but for someone to take not that we have been with Jesus, what an honor!

Teach Me, Oh God

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing. Psalm 143:10
 
Life often has much to throw at us, sometimes good and sometimes bad. Many times we are torn between knowing what we should do in different situations. We often have so much on our plates that life becomes hurried and difficult. The important things in life often take a back seat to other things. Many times, Satan uses this to turn our attention away from what is right and good to what may seem better to our human nature.
Sometimes it isn’t necessarily something bad, but it is not God’s will for us right then. We often settle for the “ok” instead of striving for the “best”. Often times, though, it is sinful, but our spirits have been weakened by a lack of intimacy with God that we fall prey to Satan’s lies. This verse is actually a prayer that we too can pray. “Teach me your will, for you are my God.” I would think that this prayer from a sincere heart would be very pleasing to God. Can you imagine how you would feel if your child asked you sincerely to teach him/her what you wanted him/her to do? “What, really, did I hear you right? You actually want to know what I want you to do?” How great it is when our children are eager to obey. I know God is pleased when we are eager to know his will and obey it. 1 Samuel 15:22 says that obedience is better than sacrifice. How many bad choices would we avoid if we actually asked him to teach us His will?
“May your gracious Spirit lead me on a firm footing.” When we know God’s will for us and obey it, his Spirit leads us on a firm footing. Being lead by his Spirit is superior to being lead by our own desires or judgment. Better a firm footing, than a shaky one. When we follow God’s will, our foundation is solid. When we follow our own, it is not. Following our own desires is often a recipe for disaster. Even if our flesh tells us it won’t hurt anything or it will make us happy, God’s way is always better. The outcome of following God’s will is peace, and who doesn’t need that? (James 3:17) So, let’s ask God to teach us His will. He is much wiser than us. (Isaiah 55:9) He also wants the best for us. (Jeremiah 29:11)

Rest For Your Soul

I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from Him. Psalm 62:1 NLT
 
Sometimes I find myself running here and there doing, doing, doing. I feel like I am doing the right things...good things. Often though, at the end of the day, I still feel like something is missing. Do you ever feel that way? I am sure we all do at times. I think we expect that if we do what we feel God wants us to do, our hearts will be full and our minds at peace. Why is that not always the case?
Doing and serving is not enough. There is a difference between doing and sitting in the presence of God: quiet, still, and at peace, soaking in His presence with no other agenda than just being with my Lord. I don’t know about you, but that’s hard for me. I am not use to being silent and still unless I’m asleep! I don’t like lulls in conversations and too much silence makes me uncomfortable. But I am beginning to see that sitting quietly before God is where I will receive my victory and fulfillment. Allowing Him to speak to me and putting everything else out of my mind while I focus on Him fills that void that all the other “good stuff” doesn’t.
So, when you feel like you are starting to run on empty, even though you are doing all the right things, find time...no, make time, to sit quietly in His presence. According to our key verse, that is where we will find our victory.
 
Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from Him. NIV

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
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What is Our Desire?

Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. Psalm 73:25-26
 
A while back, I was having some dissatisfied, bluesy feelings that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened, so I didn’t know what was going on in my mind and heart. I prayed to God one morning to speak to me so that I could feel His peace. The scripture above is what He gave me. He is the strength of my heart and yours. Whatever may happen in our lives or whatever feelings may come and go, He is always present. He is mine (and yours) forever. Our goal should be to live up to the first part of that verse, to desire God more than anything on earth. I think that was the root of my unidentifiable longing. I needed more of God. I need to spend more time with him. Our spirits become dry and thirsty when we don’t spend quality one on one time with our Father. Everything else in our lives depends on our relationship with Jesus. Nothing else that we desire can even come remotely close to God. We should desire Him more than anything else on earth. That may already be the longing of your heart and you don’t even realize it. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.
 
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.      Mathew 5:6
 
As the deer longs for streams of water, so I long for you.O God. I thirst for God, the living God. Psalm 42:1

Who Does God Say We Are?

I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called--his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. Ephesians 1:8

Paul wrote these words to the church at Ephesus. He was thankful when he heard of the people’s strong faith in Jesus Christ and their love for people. He prayed that God would flood their hearts with light so that they would understand and be confident in the hope of Jesus Christ. He reassured them that they are indeed God’s holy people and they were called by God. If you are like me, you don’t feel holy. Thankfully, it’s not about our feelings. We are made holy through Jesus Christ, certainly not of our own accord.  If we have been saved by believing Jesus is God's son, believing that He died and rose again, and making him Lord of our lives, this is for us.
So what does this verse mean for us? It means that we are children of a Holy God. We can come before His throne unashamed. Yes, we still sin and need to repent, but we don’t have to live in bondage to sin. We don’t have to live defeated lives. We are a part of God’s family and He loves us. We are not to be prideful but thankful. We should live our lives like we appreciate what Jesus has done for us, with lives and attitudes that are pleasing to Him. How do we know if our lives are pleasing to him? Through prayer and the Bible. We should ask God to reveal to us anything that isn’t pleasing to him. David prayed in Psalm 139:23, 24 “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.” God will not only point out what needs to be changed, He will lead us in changing it.
We can be confident that Jesus Christ is ours. We need to let the word of God bring light into our lives so we can understand this. We belong to Him and all that he is belongs to us. Every need we have can be met through Him. There is nothing too big or too small for our Lord. We can be confident that he cares for us and wants to intervene in our lives as we give him control. We have to be willing to work with him and obey him.
He is our confident hope: our hope for salvation, eternity, and the here and now. Let’s live our lives like we believe this. Let’s relinquish our lives to him. Let’s allow Jesus to shed his light into every aspect of our lives. This includes our hearts, our minds, our attitudes, our marriages, parenting our children, our jobs, our service to him and the list goes on. Nothing is hopeless with Jesus because he IS our hope.

Love Never Fails

Mama and Daddy on their 50th Wedding Anniversary

Today has been a month since my dad passed away. It doesn’t seem like it. Although, if I asked my mom, I’m sure it has been a long month. My mom and dad were married 50 years, 6 months and 12 days. A month without him has probably seemed so much longer than a mere 30 days.

As I have mentioned in other posts, my dad was very sick. ALS had taken away all of his physical capabilities and left only his mind to function. He was trapped inside his body, and after he could no longer communicate, he was trapped in his mind as well.  He suffered so much. When he died in his sleep and went to be with the Lord, his pain ended.

I saw true love in action the last year of his life. My mom was his primary care-giver and she saw to his every need. There at the end, all he could do was grunt to call her, but she would go to him and try everything she could to make him comfortable. At 71 years old, she bathed and dressed him. She fed him and got up all hours of the night to see about him. My brothers and sister and I tried to help as much as we could, but he wanted her. The last 2-3 months, he wanted her right there with him almost all the time. She even slept (what time she could) in the recliner close to him at night because he didn’t want to be left alone. He had to sleep in his wheel chair in the living room. It was the only way he was somewhat comfortable.

When young people marry, the words, “in sickness and in health, for better or worse” can often be just words to get through in order to kiss the bride and be pronounced husband and wife. We often don’t think about the difficult circumstances that may follow. Who would? A couple’s wedding day is about joy and happiness. No one wants to think about the bad stuff that may or may not happen. Unfortunately, it will. It is inevitable that we will have trouble in this life.

True love is sacrificial, like the love of Christ. It’s when the hard times come, that our love for each other is truly put to the test. My mom and dad have been there for each other through a lot of ups and downs over their 50 years of marriage. Though nothing has been as hard as the last 15 months. Their golden years didn’t turn out like they had hoped. My dad’s sickness changed everything, everything but their love. Even when my dad could no longer speak words that were understandable, he could tell my mom, “I love you.” And my mom rolled up her sleeves and took care of him right to the end. That is true love.

One day they will see each other again. She lives with that hope. He died, but their love didn’t. Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.                 (1 Corinthians 13:7)

Pay Attention to the Little Things

“Things don’t go bad in a marriage in an instant. The character of a marriage is not formed in one grand moment. Things in a marriage go bad progressively. Things become sweet and beautiful progressively. The development and deepening of the love in a marriage happens by things that are done daily; this is also true with the sad deterioration of a marriage. The problem is that we simply don’t pay attention, and because of this we allow ourselves to think, desire, say and do things that we shouldn’t.” Paul David Tripp-What Were You Expecting?

Some examples of everyday things that can snowball into a hazard for our marriages or cause sweet harmony.

• Do you continue to do something you know aggravates your spouse or do you stop out of consideration? (leaving shirts on the floor, crinkling the toothpaste tube, burping out loud, etc...)
• Do you replace the toilet paper roll or leave it for your spouse to do because you have had to do it the last 3 times (or load the dishwasher or take out the trash, etc…) 
• Do you complain about needless things or show gratitude and appreciation for things done right.
• Do you leave for work without a tender kiss for your spouse or do you kiss her and tell her you love her?
• Do you go to sleep at night irritated with one another or thankful to be lying next to the person you love?
• Is it more important to prove you are right or to make your spouse feel cherished and valued?
• Is it more important to point out all your spouse’s faults/mistakes or forgive him/her knowing that love covers a multitude of sins. (1 Peter 4:8)
• Do you do rude things now that you’re married that you may not have done while you were dating? Is it fair to think that your spouse doesn’t deserve the respect they did while dating?
• If you know your spouse likes something a certain way (and it is perfectly reasonable), do you try to please him/her or do you think it is too much effort?
• Do you always consider your spouse’s feelings before you say or do something?

You get the point, right? It’s the little, everyday acts of love or acts of selfishness that can eventually make or break a marriage. It is a simple fact that although we may think getting our own way makes us happy, selfishness never makes a happy marriage. Putting the other person’s needs above our own is the right thing to do. (Romans 12:10) When we look out for the interests of our spouse, we begin to experience much more love for him/her than when we would simply looking out for our own interests. And that makes everyone happy!