But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. Gal. 5:22-25
Several years ago my kids and I studied the Fruit of the Spirit together... we took 1 virtue at a time and found verses on it and studied it... it was a great time. One thing God really wrote on my heart is how we will say "I have no patience with whatever"... that is a lie. I have patience if I have the Holy Spirit in me... I am just not choosing to let Him bear fruit in me. When we feel unkind or unloving or whatever we don't have to... the fruit is there, we just have to surrender and let the Spirit do His work in us.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Thirsty?
Yesterday in my time with the Lord I read John 4:1-26... one of my favorite favorite favorite passages in the Bible.. the Woman at the Well...don't you just love that story! I love how personal Jesus is... I love the definition of true worshippers found in verse 24... but this time I felt drawn to focus on what Jesus offered her... and what He offers us... Living Water.
I drink lots and lots of water.. in fact, I rarely drink anything else. I will occasionally get a Sprite when I am eating out and it tastes good, but I find myself needing more of it to quench my thirst. It just can't satisfy like good cold ice water. Isn't that how it is with the things of this world? We find all sorts of things to quench our thirst... other people... stuff... stimulants... busyness... hobbies.... television... computer... they can be fun and even rewarding at times... we may even feel they are doing the trick... quenching our thirst.. satisfying us... but then we need more and more and we find they just don't do it... they don't satisfy whatever is inside us. The only thing that will do that... that will fill our need to be loved.. accepted... give us hope... is Jesus... the Living Water.
It really is that simple. He is all we need. And when we have tasted that Living Water, we will want more of it... and we can have more... Jesus tells us that blessed is He who hungers and thirsts for righteousness sake, for he shall be filled (Matt. 5:6) ... He also calls for us to open wide our mouths and He will fill them (Ps. 81:10).
This week I am striving to drink from the well of Living Water He offers and not fill up on other stuff... care to join me? Barb
I drink lots and lots of water.. in fact, I rarely drink anything else. I will occasionally get a Sprite when I am eating out and it tastes good, but I find myself needing more of it to quench my thirst. It just can't satisfy like good cold ice water. Isn't that how it is with the things of this world? We find all sorts of things to quench our thirst... other people... stuff... stimulants... busyness... hobbies.... television... computer... they can be fun and even rewarding at times... we may even feel they are doing the trick... quenching our thirst.. satisfying us... but then we need more and more and we find they just don't do it... they don't satisfy whatever is inside us. The only thing that will do that... that will fill our need to be loved.. accepted... give us hope... is Jesus... the Living Water.
It really is that simple. He is all we need. And when we have tasted that Living Water, we will want more of it... and we can have more... Jesus tells us that blessed is He who hungers and thirsts for righteousness sake, for he shall be filled (Matt. 5:6) ... He also calls for us to open wide our mouths and He will fill them (Ps. 81:10).
This week I am striving to drink from the well of Living Water He offers and not fill up on other stuff... care to join me? Barb
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Life Verses
I often hear folks share a special Bible verse and say "That's my life verse". Then today as I was doing some Bible study, the author of the book I am working through suggested that I write out my life verse and memorize it.. and she added if I didn't have a life verse I should pray for God to show me one. I had to laugh a bit at that. If I didn't have one? No, I didn't have one.. I have many!
I don't know if I could sum up my spiritual journey.. past, present or future.. with just 1 verse or even a passage of scripture. About 12 years ago God walked with me through the darkest periods of my life... one I pray to never repeat... trial upon trial hit me over the course of several years... I truly felt I was going to be completely destroyed. I survived and, honestly, came out better in many ways. I don't love that I went through all that.... and some of it was of my own making and left scars not only on me but on people I love... but it truly was like silver being refined. I hit a point where His Word was my life... not just a life verse, but a life line! I spent hours going through the Bible.. searching for promises.. praying and begging Him to lift the darkness... He eventually did.. but not until I came to fully understand the Power of the Word... I know without a shadow of a doubt the reality of Hebrews 4:12...
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Maybe that is my life verse! God's Word is living and active in me... it is what sustains me... I honestly do not know how anyone survives without it.
As I thought this morning about the task at hand.... to write out my Life Verse and memorize it.. I realized I had already done that. During those dark periods I would write out verses.. promises I could pray and claim. I didn't set out to memorize them, but when you live off the Word like I did at that time He writes it on your heart never to be erased. I have continued the practice of making verse cards and carrying them with me. Some I set out to memorize.. others are with me to remind me of something He has promised. Over time I will learn them.
So here are a few... a very few... of my life verses...
Ps. 34:4 I sought the Lord and He answered me, He delivered me from all my fears.
If I honestly had to choose a verse that summed up that dark time this would be it. I remember vividly the moment my eyes were opened to this verse and I memorized it within seconds! I said it so many times over those years. It is a part of my marrow. I am a walking testament to the fact that this verse is true... it is as if I wrote it myself instead of the Psalmist.
Phil. 4:13 I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.
This is a popular verse... you hear it a lot when someone is asked "What's your favorite Bible verse?" It is one of the few verses I remember memorizing when I was a teen. God took this verse and taught me to personalize it and eventually it became a verb in my life. My family is quite use to hearing me say "We are going to Phil. 4:13 this." That means it might seem un-doable, but we are going to do it with Christ. I share it often with friends... Sue can hold her tongue when she wants to snap back because Christ gives her the strength to do so... Margaret can have peace while waiting on the tests results because Christ, the Prince of Peace, enables her to do so. It is a great ACTIVE verse!
Eph. 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us
I am immeasurably more... my parents were told no more children... 1 in a million chance... and my mother mourned that she would never have a daughter. A year later I came along... God taught them a great lesson. And He has taught me many with this verse. When I try to limit Him, He immediately brings this verse to mind. I have seen the immeasurably more... I have seem more than I can ask or imagine... the God I love and trust in is the Eph. 3:20 God!
Zeph. 3:17 The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His love. And He will rejoice over you with singing.
I have heard this verse for years, but then my kids gave me the CD Glory Revealed. All the songs are Scripture and this is the first one on the CD. I sing this verse more than I say it. The picture it paints in my mind is precious to me. My big strong Daddy God wraps me in His protective arms and with a smile brighter and wider than anything I can imagine He gently strokes my hair and sings to me with a love that is purer and truer than anything I know. When I feel worn out.... useless... ignored... unappreciated... I sing this verse to myself knowing that He is singing to my soul... I just have to listen.
Those are but a few of my life verses. I could go on for days! I challenge you to start digging in the Word and finding your life verses. They are there... you just have to open the book!
I don't know if I could sum up my spiritual journey.. past, present or future.. with just 1 verse or even a passage of scripture. About 12 years ago God walked with me through the darkest periods of my life... one I pray to never repeat... trial upon trial hit me over the course of several years... I truly felt I was going to be completely destroyed. I survived and, honestly, came out better in many ways. I don't love that I went through all that.... and some of it was of my own making and left scars not only on me but on people I love... but it truly was like silver being refined. I hit a point where His Word was my life... not just a life verse, but a life line! I spent hours going through the Bible.. searching for promises.. praying and begging Him to lift the darkness... He eventually did.. but not until I came to fully understand the Power of the Word... I know without a shadow of a doubt the reality of Hebrews 4:12...
For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Maybe that is my life verse! God's Word is living and active in me... it is what sustains me... I honestly do not know how anyone survives without it.
As I thought this morning about the task at hand.... to write out my Life Verse and memorize it.. I realized I had already done that. During those dark periods I would write out verses.. promises I could pray and claim. I didn't set out to memorize them, but when you live off the Word like I did at that time He writes it on your heart never to be erased. I have continued the practice of making verse cards and carrying them with me. Some I set out to memorize.. others are with me to remind me of something He has promised. Over time I will learn them.
So here are a few... a very few... of my life verses...
Ps. 34:4 I sought the Lord and He answered me, He delivered me from all my fears.
If I honestly had to choose a verse that summed up that dark time this would be it. I remember vividly the moment my eyes were opened to this verse and I memorized it within seconds! I said it so many times over those years. It is a part of my marrow. I am a walking testament to the fact that this verse is true... it is as if I wrote it myself instead of the Psalmist.
Phil. 4:13 I can do ALL things through Christ who strengthens me.
This is a popular verse... you hear it a lot when someone is asked "What's your favorite Bible verse?" It is one of the few verses I remember memorizing when I was a teen. God took this verse and taught me to personalize it and eventually it became a verb in my life. My family is quite use to hearing me say "We are going to Phil. 4:13 this." That means it might seem un-doable, but we are going to do it with Christ. I share it often with friends... Sue can hold her tongue when she wants to snap back because Christ gives her the strength to do so... Margaret can have peace while waiting on the tests results because Christ, the Prince of Peace, enables her to do so. It is a great ACTIVE verse!
Eph. 3:20 Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us
I am immeasurably more... my parents were told no more children... 1 in a million chance... and my mother mourned that she would never have a daughter. A year later I came along... God taught them a great lesson. And He has taught me many with this verse. When I try to limit Him, He immediately brings this verse to mind. I have seen the immeasurably more... I have seem more than I can ask or imagine... the God I love and trust in is the Eph. 3:20 God!
Zeph. 3:17 The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with His love. And He will rejoice over you with singing.
I have heard this verse for years, but then my kids gave me the CD Glory Revealed. All the songs are Scripture and this is the first one on the CD. I sing this verse more than I say it. The picture it paints in my mind is precious to me. My big strong Daddy God wraps me in His protective arms and with a smile brighter and wider than anything I can imagine He gently strokes my hair and sings to me with a love that is purer and truer than anything I know. When I feel worn out.... useless... ignored... unappreciated... I sing this verse to myself knowing that He is singing to my soul... I just have to listen.
Those are but a few of my life verses. I could go on for days! I challenge you to start digging in the Word and finding your life verses. They are there... you just have to open the book!
Friday, April 10, 2009
Good Friday
When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!" All the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" Matt. 27:24 & 25
The last part of verse 25 always gets to me. The people were saying "We will take the responsibility... the blame..." but what they didn't realize is their cry is actually what we need to be praying... that the blood of Jesus be on all people... on our children... for their is no other way for salvation.
So often Good Friday is just another day.... I imagine as I get busy with laundry and such it will become that for me today... I am praying that it doesn't. Take the time to read about the Crucifixion in the Bible (Matt 27 is one account)... and really meditate and ponder on what Jesus did... look at Phil. 2 also... He is GOD and He stepped out of His deity to become a human and to willing allow Himself not only to die on a cross, which is a horrible and shameful death, but to be spat upon... mocked... beaten.... ridiculed... and all because He loved each one of us! Personalize it and realize that this happened because of you and for you. And weep with sadness and joy that His blood in on you... you are to blame... I am to blame... we all are... BUT if Jesus is your Savior then His blood is on you and has washed you white as snow! How can you do anything but shout Hallelujah at that.
And while there does need to be a bit of humble sadness today as we realize what our Savior did... we need to remember that the story does not end today... oh no! There is a "rest of the story" that comes on Sunday... Weeping may last for a night, but Joy comes in the morning!
The last part of verse 25 always gets to me. The people were saying "We will take the responsibility... the blame..." but what they didn't realize is their cry is actually what we need to be praying... that the blood of Jesus be on all people... on our children... for their is no other way for salvation.
So often Good Friday is just another day.... I imagine as I get busy with laundry and such it will become that for me today... I am praying that it doesn't. Take the time to read about the Crucifixion in the Bible (Matt 27 is one account)... and really meditate and ponder on what Jesus did... look at Phil. 2 also... He is GOD and He stepped out of His deity to become a human and to willing allow Himself not only to die on a cross, which is a horrible and shameful death, but to be spat upon... mocked... beaten.... ridiculed... and all because He loved each one of us! Personalize it and realize that this happened because of you and for you. And weep with sadness and joy that His blood in on you... you are to blame... I am to blame... we all are... BUT if Jesus is your Savior then His blood is on you and has washed you white as snow! How can you do anything but shout Hallelujah at that.
And while there does need to be a bit of humble sadness today as we realize what our Savior did... we need to remember that the story does not end today... oh no! There is a "rest of the story" that comes on Sunday... Weeping may last for a night, but Joy comes in the morning!
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Stilling the Busyness
I am re-reading the book Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver. I read it back in 2002 and loved it! A couple of things really stood out to me this morning and I thought I would share them with y'all...
Weaver is talking about the "one thing" Mary chose...
"The 'one thing' is not found in doing more. It's found by sitting at His feet. Mary sat at His feet... she listened.. she didn't come up with clever responses or a doctrinal thesis. Her gift was availability." "The only requirement for a deeper friendship with God is showing up with a heart open and ready to receive."
How true all that is! And I fall short so often. I am in a hurry... or I am trying to hard to make Scripture speak to me. I have got to learn to sit and listen.... to still my mind... to give Him my attention and soak in all He has to show me. Kari Jobe sings an awesome song called The More I Seek You and in it she sings "I want to sit at Your feet, drink from the cup in Your hand, lean back against You and breathe" That line just grabs my heart every time I hear it and I find myself singing it in prayer to the Lord often these days. (If you want to hear this awesome song go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3GijrnfStk )
The question was posed... which woman do you relate to most... Mary or Martha? I have always felt I was a Mary and I think at one time... during a season of my life... I was. But while I am not a perfectionist or a super homemaker or anything like that, I find that I am constantly busy.. even when I am still my brain is running through a list of things I need to do.. so I am definitely relating more with Martha these days. Busyness sees to invade my everything... even my time with God. I just don't seem to be able to let go and really relax... sit at His feet... listen.. BE STILL AND KNOW... the comment was made in this chapter that we will fore go (or postpone) time with God to do the urgent things... we live in a constant state of urgency. But what is more urgent.. more important than time with God? Surely there are times when something needs our immediate attention... like a crying baby or sick child... but often our urgent things aren't really urgent in the grand scheme of things.
Luke 10:40 says "But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made..." I personalized this verse.. But Barbara is distracted by all she has to do.. and the thing I realize is I impose the HAS not God.. I decide what HAS to be done. The thing is I know that if I spend time with Him and let go of my have-to-do list, He will make time and a way for me to get done the things that truly do need to be done. I have seen Him do that, but for some reason I seem to have forgotten that He can!
One more thing.. at the end of v. 42 is says "Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her." First... it's a choice whether I spend time with Jesus or not. 2nd.. what intrigues me is the phrase "it will not be taken away"... surely no time spent with Jesus is a waste... no time in the Word or in Prayer is trivial or of no use... but what I wonder is this.... is the reverse true? If Mary's choice will not be taken away from her, will Martha's? Does all the energy and effort of serving come to no true fruition? Surely not all service, but when we serve instead of worshipping... when we choose work over grace.... when we serve because we feel we have to or that no one else will instead of letting some things go and just sitting at His feet and soaking in the time we have with our Savior. I think that time of service ends up being lost to us... we can never get back that moment.. that opportunity to be with Jesus. BUT PTL we are given more chances.. we can stop at any moment and say Lord, Speak to me... and He will. We just have to be available and have an open and expectant heart!
Weaver is talking about the "one thing" Mary chose...
"The 'one thing' is not found in doing more. It's found by sitting at His feet. Mary sat at His feet... she listened.. she didn't come up with clever responses or a doctrinal thesis. Her gift was availability." "The only requirement for a deeper friendship with God is showing up with a heart open and ready to receive."
How true all that is! And I fall short so often. I am in a hurry... or I am trying to hard to make Scripture speak to me. I have got to learn to sit and listen.... to still my mind... to give Him my attention and soak in all He has to show me. Kari Jobe sings an awesome song called The More I Seek You and in it she sings "I want to sit at Your feet, drink from the cup in Your hand, lean back against You and breathe" That line just grabs my heart every time I hear it and I find myself singing it in prayer to the Lord often these days. (If you want to hear this awesome song go here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3GijrnfStk )
The question was posed... which woman do you relate to most... Mary or Martha? I have always felt I was a Mary and I think at one time... during a season of my life... I was. But while I am not a perfectionist or a super homemaker or anything like that, I find that I am constantly busy.. even when I am still my brain is running through a list of things I need to do.. so I am definitely relating more with Martha these days. Busyness sees to invade my everything... even my time with God. I just don't seem to be able to let go and really relax... sit at His feet... listen.. BE STILL AND KNOW... the comment was made in this chapter that we will fore go (or postpone) time with God to do the urgent things... we live in a constant state of urgency. But what is more urgent.. more important than time with God? Surely there are times when something needs our immediate attention... like a crying baby or sick child... but often our urgent things aren't really urgent in the grand scheme of things.
Luke 10:40 says "But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made..." I personalized this verse.. But Barbara is distracted by all she has to do.. and the thing I realize is I impose the HAS not God.. I decide what HAS to be done. The thing is I know that if I spend time with Him and let go of my have-to-do list, He will make time and a way for me to get done the things that truly do need to be done. I have seen Him do that, but for some reason I seem to have forgotten that He can!
One more thing.. at the end of v. 42 is says "Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her." First... it's a choice whether I spend time with Jesus or not. 2nd.. what intrigues me is the phrase "it will not be taken away"... surely no time spent with Jesus is a waste... no time in the Word or in Prayer is trivial or of no use... but what I wonder is this.... is the reverse true? If Mary's choice will not be taken away from her, will Martha's? Does all the energy and effort of serving come to no true fruition? Surely not all service, but when we serve instead of worshipping... when we choose work over grace.... when we serve because we feel we have to or that no one else will instead of letting some things go and just sitting at His feet and soaking in the time we have with our Savior. I think that time of service ends up being lost to us... we can never get back that moment.. that opportunity to be with Jesus. BUT PTL we are given more chances.. we can stop at any moment and say Lord, Speak to me... and He will. We just have to be available and have an open and expectant heart!
Monday, April 6, 2009
Awesome Passage
Read this in my quiet time this morning... what an awesome passage of Scripture... a great one to pray back as a praise to the Father....
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:4-7 NIV
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. Titus 3:4-7 NIV
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Our Constant in a Changing World
I work with an afterschool ministry program at my church for K - 6th grade. I work with the older kids (4th-6th), an age group I have never worked with before and one I am enjoying much more than I thought I would. How I got into this is a long story, but needless to say it was all God.
So each week I share a bit of Bible study with the kids and also play a game with them. They love hangman.... so we do Bible verse hangman. It is a great way to get them in the Word and get the Word in them. I am amazed at how much they remember from such a simple game.
I was looking for some verses last week and I stumbled across Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever." What a simple straight forward truth! And how powerful and empowering it is for us.
That verse has stuck with me all week and as I was meditating on it recently, God brought to mind Malachi 3:6... "I the Lord do not change." I love finding Scriptures that reinforce each other and I especially love finding those types of Scriptures in both the Old and New Testament. The fact that God and Jesus do not change ... have never changed... will never change is not something new that occurred after Jesus came to earth in the form of a man, but it is an eternal truth that always has been and always will be.
Isn't it amazing to realize that the God we serve.. the God we love... the God who loves us.. the God in whom we trust.. never changes. He is the same as He was yesterday... as He is today... as He will be tomorrow. He will not be stronger one day and weaker the next... He isn't moody or wishy-washy... He loves us continually... cares for us... provides for us... pours out His mercy and grace on us... and so much more each and every day.
Times change.. no doubt the world we live in is different in many ways from the world our grandparents and great-grandparents inhabitted and it is different from the one our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will live in should the Lord tarry that long. Our world is in a constant state of change, but the One who created it... the One sovereign over all.. He is the same... yesterday... today... and fever!
So each week I share a bit of Bible study with the kids and also play a game with them. They love hangman.... so we do Bible verse hangman. It is a great way to get them in the Word and get the Word in them. I am amazed at how much they remember from such a simple game.
I was looking for some verses last week and I stumbled across Hebrews 13:8 "Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever." What a simple straight forward truth! And how powerful and empowering it is for us.
That verse has stuck with me all week and as I was meditating on it recently, God brought to mind Malachi 3:6... "I the Lord do not change." I love finding Scriptures that reinforce each other and I especially love finding those types of Scriptures in both the Old and New Testament. The fact that God and Jesus do not change ... have never changed... will never change is not something new that occurred after Jesus came to earth in the form of a man, but it is an eternal truth that always has been and always will be.
Isn't it amazing to realize that the God we serve.. the God we love... the God who loves us.. the God in whom we trust.. never changes. He is the same as He was yesterday... as He is today... as He will be tomorrow. He will not be stronger one day and weaker the next... He isn't moody or wishy-washy... He loves us continually... cares for us... provides for us... pours out His mercy and grace on us... and so much more each and every day.
Times change.. no doubt the world we live in is different in many ways from the world our grandparents and great-grandparents inhabitted and it is different from the one our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will live in should the Lord tarry that long. Our world is in a constant state of change, but the One who created it... the One sovereign over all.. He is the same... yesterday... today... and fever!
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