Words spoken THOUSANDS of Years AGO....still apply to this 35 year old woman....who is a wife, mom, friend, teacher....
Father, may I come forth as gold when you test me....
May my feet closely follow your steps....
May I keep to your ways....
May I not depart from the commands of your lips.....
May I treasure your words MORE than my daily bread!!!!!
(My application after reading Job 23:10-12 - MY Personal PRAYER)
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Do You Bring Misery or Relief?
Over the past few days, I have been reevaluating the way I interact with my friends...especially when they are in a time of crisis...and honestly, not just my friends, but my husband and my two daughters. You can't help but do this when you read the book of Job.
As I read Job 13:5 "If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom." Job says this to his friends who have come to comfort him when he has lost everything...they go on and on thinking they know how to "fix" his problems and what he needs to do to make things right. This is SO my typical reaction to situations, I try to be the problem solver, I try to put my two cents in and many times that IS NOT what God's wants from me...He needs silence from me! I do not know what God is doing in the heavenly realms. Many times I open my big mouth (most of the time with the best intentions) and end up making things worse. May I learn to be silent....to turn to the Lord and to TRUST Him. Father, give me discernment!
Another verse that was highlighted with God's finger was Job chapter 16 verse 2-3 " .....miserable comforters are you all! Will your long-winded speeches never end? ...." Many times when my friends (or husband, or daughters) simply needed someone to listen to them, to sit with them...HERE I GO.... into one of my LLLOOONNNNGGG speeches....Forgive me Lord! Teach me to be more like Job, 16 verse 5 "But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief." May I NOT bring misery....but may I bring relief!!! May I be one that my friends can count on to be quiet (oh, what a challenge!) and one that they know will speak words that will bring relief!
Now, I COMPLETELY KNOW and BELIEVE that our Heavenly Father is the ONLY ONE that can bring comfort and relief, but I do believe He has placed other humans here on earth for us to live with in community.....to be helpmates and to be teachers, role models, mentors....may we learn to discern the role that we play in comforting others!
As I read Job 13:5 "If only you would be altogether silent! For you, that would be wisdom." Job says this to his friends who have come to comfort him when he has lost everything...they go on and on thinking they know how to "fix" his problems and what he needs to do to make things right. This is SO my typical reaction to situations, I try to be the problem solver, I try to put my two cents in and many times that IS NOT what God's wants from me...He needs silence from me! I do not know what God is doing in the heavenly realms. Many times I open my big mouth (most of the time with the best intentions) and end up making things worse. May I learn to be silent....to turn to the Lord and to TRUST Him. Father, give me discernment!
Another verse that was highlighted with God's finger was Job chapter 16 verse 2-3 " .....miserable comforters are you all! Will your long-winded speeches never end? ...." Many times when my friends (or husband, or daughters) simply needed someone to listen to them, to sit with them...HERE I GO.... into one of my LLLOOONNNNGGG speeches....Forgive me Lord! Teach me to be more like Job, 16 verse 5 "But my mouth would encourage you; comfort from my lips would bring you relief." May I NOT bring misery....but may I bring relief!!! May I be one that my friends can count on to be quiet (oh, what a challenge!) and one that they know will speak words that will bring relief!
Now, I COMPLETELY KNOW and BELIEVE that our Heavenly Father is the ONLY ONE that can bring comfort and relief, but I do believe He has placed other humans here on earth for us to live with in community.....to be helpmates and to be teachers, role models, mentors....may we learn to discern the role that we play in comforting others!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Dedicated to My Friends Who are Suffering....
Horrible health problems, lose of all earthly possessions, lose of all your children, AND your spouse just tells you to give up...this is the beginning of the story of Job!
As I began reading Job once again I wanted, from the beginning, to have in mind several things....
So, to my friends who are struggling with THIS right NOW....not understanding "WHY ME?"....I want to encourage you to TRUST God and His divine wisdom. And quite honestly, I am reminding myself of this because there have been and WILL be times of suffering in my life and I have asked that question "WHY ME?"
I am starting in Job 1, but I had to go ahead and skip to Job chapters 39-42....MY FAVORITE part of Job....I will probably read it several times as I read Job. If you are in the "WHY ME?" phase read this section of scripture and place it all into perspective.
May we be found blameless, upright, shunning evil and fearing the Lord.
*when using the word "righteous" I am referring to those who have been made "right" before God b/c of His Grace and Mercy and those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their blood sacrifice for their sins and they have placed their trust in Him. "Righteous" - NOT as in doing the "right" things to get to heaven...no ONE can "work" their way to heaven by doing right acts. It is ONLY by FAITH and TRUST in our Savior Jesus Christ! If you have any questions or comments to add to this...PLEASE do! :)
As I began reading Job once again I wanted, from the beginning, to have in mind several things....
- We always think that while here on this "cursed" earth evil will be punished and *righteousness will be rewarded - BUT,
- Truthfully, righteous people go through suffering and evil people many times "get away with it"
- BUT if we TRUST God, our Sovereign Lord, then we know that in the end when the Judge calls before Him ALL mankind, He will place the final judgement and this will be the time that evil will be punished and the righteous ones will be rewarded
So, to my friends who are struggling with THIS right NOW....not understanding "WHY ME?"....I want to encourage you to TRUST God and His divine wisdom. And quite honestly, I am reminding myself of this because there have been and WILL be times of suffering in my life and I have asked that question "WHY ME?"
I am starting in Job 1, but I had to go ahead and skip to Job chapters 39-42....MY FAVORITE part of Job....I will probably read it several times as I read Job. If you are in the "WHY ME?" phase read this section of scripture and place it all into perspective.
May we be found blameless, upright, shunning evil and fearing the Lord.
*when using the word "righteous" I am referring to those who have been made "right" before God b/c of His Grace and Mercy and those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their blood sacrifice for their sins and they have placed their trust in Him. "Righteous" - NOT as in doing the "right" things to get to heaven...no ONE can "work" their way to heaven by doing right acts. It is ONLY by FAITH and TRUST in our Savior Jesus Christ! If you have any questions or comments to add to this...PLEASE do! :)
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Babellings turned to Confessions
Languages...English, Spanish, and now Portuguese...I have had to remind others AND MYSELF that learning a second or third (or for some of our students even fourth) language is NOT meant to be easy. In Genesis 11:1-9 the story is told of God confusing the languages because of mankind's.....drum roll .............PRIDE!!!! Surprise, surprise!
Well, I have always loved that story when it comes to explaining languages and encouraging others not to get discouraged when learning a new language, BUT today....something new happened....Because YOU know GOD's WORD is ALIVE....ACTIVE and it penetrates like a double edged sword....and this was a FRESH word that I needed to hear...even though I have read this bit of passage SO MANY times!!!! Oh, I LOVE My FATHER! I want to share my notes from my journal this morning....hoping to be transparent...to ask you to pray for me...and to encourage you....
January 4, 2012
"Father, like the people at Babel who became prideful and REFUSED to MOVE, to OBEY....forgive ME! Forgive me for not wanting to move when YOU want me to move...forgive me for digging my heals into the ground when I want something ..... Father, I am your clay, in your hands, may I not become brittle and dry, BUT may I be moldable so that when you want me to MOVE I will. When you want me to do something, speak to someone , get on my knees and pray, that I simply WILL, NO HESITATION! Forgive me for MY PRIDE....may I be obedient to your commands and your ways." (Genesis 11:1-9)
Well, I have always loved that story when it comes to explaining languages and encouraging others not to get discouraged when learning a new language, BUT today....something new happened....Because YOU know GOD's WORD is ALIVE....ACTIVE and it penetrates like a double edged sword....and this was a FRESH word that I needed to hear...even though I have read this bit of passage SO MANY times!!!! Oh, I LOVE My FATHER! I want to share my notes from my journal this morning....hoping to be transparent...to ask you to pray for me...and to encourage you....
January 4, 2012
"Father, like the people at Babel who became prideful and REFUSED to MOVE, to OBEY....forgive ME! Forgive me for not wanting to move when YOU want me to move...forgive me for digging my heals into the ground when I want something ..... Father, I am your clay, in your hands, may I not become brittle and dry, BUT may I be moldable so that when you want me to MOVE I will. When you want me to do something, speak to someone , get on my knees and pray, that I simply WILL, NO HESITATION! Forgive me for MY PRIDE....may I be obedient to your commands and your ways." (Genesis 11:1-9)
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