Monday, June 29, 2009

I'm Not Satisfied....

We sang Hillsong's "Believe" in church yesterday.. a powerful song.. I went to bed and woke up with it playing in my head... especially the line "I'm not satisfied...." I'm not, you know. I live life like I am, but deep inside I want more.... more love... more compassion... more passion.... more desire for the Word... to be more burdened for the lost... more of HIM! And today, I am praying for just that... MORE!

I wonder if you are Satisfied with our life as it is... to sit where you are... to stay in your nice comfortable spot and live the status quo? If you want more, there is One and Only One who can give it to you... Jesus! I'm not talking about giving you Stuff... who needs more of that! I am talking about giving you more of Him so that you can live that abundant life He has for you (John 10:10).

If you feel satisfied, pray for God to stir your heart and show you areas in your life where you should want more... where you need more... to make you unsatisfied! If you are already there, praise Him and then share where you are not satisfied and thank Him for the work He is going to do in those areas.

Monday, June 15, 2009

How Much Does H Have of You?

What a beautiful morning we are having here.... definitely summertime in the South with the heat and humidity. I have been doing my quiet time outside several mornings a week and oh the blessings! To hear the birds singing (I imagine they are praising the one who created them and who cares for them)... to hear the quiet sounds of a morning as it wakes up... to see the green grass and the trees full and lush.... the vibrancy of the flowers blooming... to catch wafts of the fragrance of various plants... and the breeze... we rarely how much of a breeze in the summer here but it seems each time I sit outside God sends me breezes... sometimes very soft subtle ones and at other times ones strong enough to make the leaves in the trees shiver. At church yesterday we had a guest speaker and he was talking about God breathing on us and our breathing in God.... as I was thinking about that earlier, the weather outside went from the stillness of a summer morning to a strong breeze that blew on my face and made me feel as if the Lord was blowing life into my nostrils as He did Adam. It was a lovely time!

Our speaker yesterday posed an interesting thought.... If you are a believer... a Christ-follower... then you have the Holy Spirit in you... all of Him... He doesn't hold back this part from some folks and that part from others.. you get 100% of the Spirit.. but here comes the question.. How much of YOU does the Holy Spirit have? God doesn't snatch ... He doesn't force us to surrender... to yield... He gives us a choice. So today, how much of the You does He have? I can tell you that He doesn't have all of me... I say I surrender all... but my heart sends out tentacles that wrap around certain things and hang on for dear life. It is tough letting go! The key... I think.. is not looking beyond today. Don't think of having to let go forever. Just take it one day at a time... maybe even one hour at a time... one minute! And as much as you can be specific... say "Lord, I surrender me to you... my kids... my husband... our finances... this person's health... this child's rebellion... his salvation... her deliverance... etc." and also ask Him to show you what you are holding on to.. what you need to let go of and surrender to Him. And then be ready to hear His reply and act on it!

Sunday, June 14, 2009

From the Inside Out



From the Inside Out

Joel Houston

A thousand times I've failed

Still your mercy remains

And If I stumble again

I'm caught in your grace



Everlasting,

Your light will shine

When all else fails

Neverending,

your glory goes

Beyond all fame


In my heart and my soul

I give You control

Consume me from the inside out Lord



Let justice and praise

Become my embrace

To love You from the inside out


Everlasting,

Your light will shine

When all else fails

Neverending,

Your glory goes

Beyond all fame



And the cry of my heart

Is to bring You praise

From the inside out

Lord my soul cries out


Your will above all else

My purpose remains

The art of losing myself

In bringing You praise



Everlasting,

Your light will shine

When all else fails

Neverending,

your glory goes

Beyond all fame

Monday, June 8, 2009

Week.... Weak...

A friend recently shared that she saw a sign that said something like "One week without God makes one weak." Cute play on words and very true statement. We need God... we need to meet with Him.. daily.. sometimes hourly, depending on our current circumstance. We need to meet with other believers for fellowship, encouragement, support, and accountability. We need to be in the Word daily and be putting it in us for those moments when we don't have Bible readily available (which is often when the enemy strikes).

If you have been away from God whether for a week or many, many weeks, the great news is He is right there ready to welcome you back with open arms. He wants to spend time with you... all it takes is your willingness to give up some personal time (computer, television, reading, sports, gaming, etc.) to spend with Him. It might be tough at first, but each day it gets easier and easier. I encourage you to spend time in the Word and in Prayer daily... meeting with God. And I encourage you to be connected to and involved with a local church for fellowship. I spent some time away from church. I did not realize how much I was missing until I allowed God to draw me back into a fellowship. We need that....Believers are not meant to fly solo!

Give God your weakness and your week! He will do amazing things with them!