Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water's edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (the Salt Sea) was completely cut off. So the people crossed over opposite Jericho. – Joshua 3:15-16
Walking over on dry ground. Step out in the water. The scripture pauses in the telling of this story to tell us about the condition of the waters. The water is at a flood state. In other words, the water is high and often not contained by the shores. Yet, this is the water they are told to walk across. How can this be, the water is too high? They simply must step out into the waters. They must step in faith knowing the waters will be cut of (we walk by faith, not by sight).
Isn't in interesting that the water didn't stop first? Why do you think that was? I believe it was because God wanted the people to trust Him. So they had to start walking right into what seemed to be an impossible situation. Well that's what God wants us to do. We sometimes try to run or hide from our situations. Sometimes we just wish they would go away. (Well most times). But the Lord wants us to trust Him and walk after Him, even when our situations look like they will over take us.
There are some situations in our lives at time that seem impossible to cross, but God has given us instruction to come and listen to his word. When we do we are given detailed information on what to do and how to proceed. It is interesting to note that God’s instruction was not for them to run away from this impossibility, but to travel toward it. God’s instruction for us is the same. He does not tell us to run away from the impossible situations in our lives but to walk toward them. He tells us to move out of our comfort zone and go towards that which seems impossible. He doesn’t tell us to go alone, however, because he goes before us.
When we come face to face with that thing, he then tells us, step out. He does not move the situation first, he test us to see if we will trust him. When we step out into the waters that seem to be uncontainable, he then shows us he can contain them. God piled the waters up so that the children could step into the water and touch the dry ground.
God will pile up; stop the water from coming in and flooding us so that we can walk through the impossible situations on dry ground. I pray for us this week so that we can know that God has our victory just ahead.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Words of Encouragement
Now then, choose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe. And as soon as the priests who carry the ark of the LORD -the Lord of all the earth—set foot in the Jordan, its waters flowing downstream will be cut off and stand up in a heap." So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them. – Joshua 3:12-14
Walking over on dry ground. Set the instruction to actions. In the 12th verse of Joshua it reads, "Now then, chose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe." Here Joshua gives the people instructions. First they listened, now they have to set in order those things that need to be in place. When we are going through something, we have to listen and then follow what the Lord tells us, even when we don't understand the reason why. We also have to follow Him exactly as He tells us to. We are not to change the instruction at all.
The people could not wait for God to do first and then move, they were instructed to set out and when they did, then God would move. This setting the instructions of the Lord into action is a call to living faith. We speak about having faith in God, but how often do we make it a living faith? How often do we say we believe God’s word to be true and act as if we do?
When the people were ready to move and follow what God had told them to do, they broke camp and the ark went before them first. Some of us have gotten too comfortable in our “camps” and we are not ready to break the relationship or attachments with those “camps”. Those camps are places where we have gotten comfortable and all our creature comforts are being meet. Yet, the instruction from the Lord is calling us to come from those creature comforts, to break out of those strongholds and move in the way he is instructing us.
When we move forward from those places, God promises to go before us. He promises us that he will walk before us so that we will know what way to go. I pray for us today that we would set out against that which is holding us stationary and follow the instructions of the Lord. When we do, we set out to find our victory.
Walking over on dry ground. Set the instruction to actions. In the 12th verse of Joshua it reads, "Now then, chose twelve men from the tribes of Israel, one from each tribe." Here Joshua gives the people instructions. First they listened, now they have to set in order those things that need to be in place. When we are going through something, we have to listen and then follow what the Lord tells us, even when we don't understand the reason why. We also have to follow Him exactly as He tells us to. We are not to change the instruction at all.
The people could not wait for God to do first and then move, they were instructed to set out and when they did, then God would move. This setting the instructions of the Lord into action is a call to living faith. We speak about having faith in God, but how often do we make it a living faith? How often do we say we believe God’s word to be true and act as if we do?
When the people were ready to move and follow what God had told them to do, they broke camp and the ark went before them first. Some of us have gotten too comfortable in our “camps” and we are not ready to break the relationship or attachments with those “camps”. Those camps are places where we have gotten comfortable and all our creature comforts are being meet. Yet, the instruction from the Lord is calling us to come from those creature comforts, to break out of those strongholds and move in the way he is instructing us.
When we move forward from those places, God promises to go before us. He promises us that he will walk before us so that we will know what way to go. I pray for us today that we would set out against that which is holding us stationary and follow the instructions of the Lord. When we do, we set out to find our victory.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Someone You Should Know!
· What do you know about ministering and teaching young women?
I have been teaching teenagers now for over eighteen years in the church. I was mentoring young girls even before I started teaching in the formal setting of the church. I started with my own nieces by beginning a Bible study for them to help them find answers to life’s questions. This is something I feel God has called me to do and I enjoy making a difference to those I touch.
I have been teaching teenagers now for over eighteen years in the church. I was mentoring young girls even before I started teaching in the formal setting of the church. I started with my own nieces by beginning a Bible study for them to help them find answers to life’s questions. This is something I feel God has called me to do and I enjoy making a difference to those I touch.
· Why/When/How did you start writing?
I have been writing for as long as I can remember. Writing started for me as a child to help me through the difficulties in my own life. I found a place of refuge in my writing. I felt I could give my feelings a voice that would not die. Over the years my writing has changed, because God has developed my understanding and my abilities.
· What is your typical day like?
I am a busy mother. I take my girls to school, if my husband does not handle that job. I then sit down each morning to prepare my Words of Encouragement, which is a daily word from the Bible distributed via e-mail for those that are working on jobs. I am a student, so I am either reading assignments or preparing papers. In between that time, I exercise, prepare meals, wash clothes and do the other things that moms do. No matter how busy my day gets, however, I still like to take time to pray, read my word and hear what God has to say to me.
· How many books have you written and where do you get your ideas?
I have written three books and a series of books for younger children, however only Fearfully and Wonderfully Made is the first book in print as of January 2008. I am beginning the production of my second book, Broken China Makes a Beautiful Mosaic and hope that will be available in 2008 as well. I have produced a few plays for the Langley Avenue Church of God where I attend. I get my ideas from life itself. I think sometimes I see things differently than others. I can look at a tree uprooted by a storm and see a message about humbleness. The tree tried to stand strong against the storm and because it did not bend, or humble itself it was uprooted. So I find my ideas everywhere, isn’t God everywhere?
· How do you research your books?
Once I have an idea about something I look to see what information I need. In Fearfully and Wonderfully Made I needed statistics so I looked for survey companies that did research on my subject matter. If it is a story about the word of God, I take the time to study so that I am accurate in what I say or write.
· Why do you write Christian books?
I believe this is a gift that God has given me so I want to give it completely back to him. The very first book I began to write many years ago was not a Christian book. As I was writing that book, I began to feel a sense that this was not what I should be doing. When I stopped and asked God, what are you trying to tell me? This question came to mind, “Would this be something you are proud to put your name on as a Christian?” I had to say no, so I hit the delete button even though I had almost finished that novel. I have never looked back.
· How long did it take you to write this book?
This book was written over a thirteen week period of time because it was originally written as a Sunday school lesson. The process of changing it from a lesson to a book took a few months.
· Aren't all Christian books the same?
I don’t believe so. Even if different writers are writing about the same subjects, God has a way of allowing each one to bring something new and different. It’s the same with preaching. Several people can preach the same scripture and you can get something different from each one.
Return next week to read more of this interview.
Words of Encouragement
Joshua said to the Israelites, "Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God. This is how you will know that the living God is among you and that he will certainly drive out before you the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. See, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth will go into the Jordan ahead of you. – Joshua 3:9-11
Walking over on dry ground. Listen to God’s instruction. This is an old writing from several years ago, but I felt it was worth sharing again. It's from the book of Joshua 3:9-17. I have it listed in my journal as "Spiritual steps to walk over on Dry Land".
In verse 9 Joshua tells the children of Israel, "come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God". The first thing we must do to get through our problems is listen to the instruction of the Lord. It's when we don't that we make our situations worse. We will never know how to handle things if we don't go to the source (God) and find out what it is and what's the correct way to move.
It is in the time of going aside, or coming to listen that we are encouraged about the journey ahead. Joshua tells them they will know that the living God is among them because he will drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. This is their proof that God is in the midst of them, he will remove all the different forces that would stand against them coming in and possessing what is for them. God wanted to eliminate these other nations because they were the worshippers of many other gods. The Hittites called their pagan gods, “the thousand gods”.
If we look at the history of the people of Israel we will see that some of these nations were not removed, not because God could not do it, but because they went back and intermingled with them. They married themselves to some of these nations and therefore lost the purity of what God wanted to be in them.
What does that tell us today? God is calling us to come and listen to how to walk through this life to the other side. He wants us to know that he is before us, just as the ark was before the children of Israel. He also wants us to know that he will remove all the spiritual forces that would want to come and dwell among his people. We however must not go back and intermingle with these forces or we will allow the enemy to have a stronghold on our lives.
I pray for us today that we would set ourselves aside so that we can hear the words of God. We will not be able to make this journey until we do the first thing, which is to hear the word of the Lord and what his instruction for us is. This is step one to walking over on dry ground.
Walking over on dry ground. Listen to God’s instruction. This is an old writing from several years ago, but I felt it was worth sharing again. It's from the book of Joshua 3:9-17. I have it listed in my journal as "Spiritual steps to walk over on Dry Land".
In verse 9 Joshua tells the children of Israel, "come here and listen to the words of the Lord your God". The first thing we must do to get through our problems is listen to the instruction of the Lord. It's when we don't that we make our situations worse. We will never know how to handle things if we don't go to the source (God) and find out what it is and what's the correct way to move.
It is in the time of going aside, or coming to listen that we are encouraged about the journey ahead. Joshua tells them they will know that the living God is among them because he will drive out the Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites, Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites and Jebusites. This is their proof that God is in the midst of them, he will remove all the different forces that would stand against them coming in and possessing what is for them. God wanted to eliminate these other nations because they were the worshippers of many other gods. The Hittites called their pagan gods, “the thousand gods”.
If we look at the history of the people of Israel we will see that some of these nations were not removed, not because God could not do it, but because they went back and intermingled with them. They married themselves to some of these nations and therefore lost the purity of what God wanted to be in them.
What does that tell us today? God is calling us to come and listen to how to walk through this life to the other side. He wants us to know that he is before us, just as the ark was before the children of Israel. He also wants us to know that he will remove all the spiritual forces that would want to come and dwell among his people. We however must not go back and intermingle with these forces or we will allow the enemy to have a stronghold on our lives.
I pray for us today that we would set ourselves aside so that we can hear the words of God. We will not be able to make this journey until we do the first thing, which is to hear the word of the Lord and what his instruction for us is. This is step one to walking over on dry ground.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Words of Encouragement
Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? – Jeremiah 7:8-10
The Message. The Prophet Jeremiah – God’s judgment. If you have ever read the book of Jeremiah, you know he continued to give the same type of message again and again to the people of God, yet they would not listen. Instead of listening to Jeremiah, they continued to do as they were doing.
The question Jeremiah asks in this scripture is how long will you continue to trust in words that will not profit. How long will you run after things of the flesh and then come into the house of God as one that should be clean? How long will the flesh be able to rule is the question Jeremiah is asking the people of this time.
There is a message for us today in the words of this prophet. He talked about the judgment of God coming upon the people because they refused to turn to God and away from those things that were an abomination to God. Are we hearing the call today? Are we sitting Sunday after Sunday but not really walking away with a clearer understanding of the message of God? Or a changed life?
God’s message for yesterday, are clearly messages for today. God is still calling for us to be willing to be messengers of righteousness. Just as God called Jeremiah from his mother’s womb, he is so calling us today. Just as he sent word of the promises of Jesus as the savior through the prophet Isaiah, those promises are still for us today. The savior is still the savior today. Jesus is still the only way that we can have power over the flesh so that we do not sin against God.
Let us not be like the reluctant prophet, Jonah and refuse to do as we are instructed and setting ourselves up for a “downward” trip. Let us also remember from the words of Nahum about the mercy of God. Even when he corrects us, it is done because of his mercy. The message from Jeremiah is do not allow flesh to dwell within you and then feel comfortable coming into the house of God to praise. Do not be fooled into thinking that because hands are raised that God overlooks the sinfulness of the life we live. Yet, we can rejoice and know that if there be anything in us that needs to be removed, God is the one that can remove it. He has the power over all that would hold us and keep us from being what God has called us to be.
So when you go to worship this week, God with a humbled heart seeking God to show you what needs to be laid at the altar. What needs to be released and what needs to be strengthened in you. Go having heard, received and willing to live out the living message of God’s word. Go telling God, I am listening, speak.
The Message. The Prophet Jeremiah – God’s judgment. If you have ever read the book of Jeremiah, you know he continued to give the same type of message again and again to the people of God, yet they would not listen. Instead of listening to Jeremiah, they continued to do as they were doing.
The question Jeremiah asks in this scripture is how long will you continue to trust in words that will not profit. How long will you run after things of the flesh and then come into the house of God as one that should be clean? How long will the flesh be able to rule is the question Jeremiah is asking the people of this time.
There is a message for us today in the words of this prophet. He talked about the judgment of God coming upon the people because they refused to turn to God and away from those things that were an abomination to God. Are we hearing the call today? Are we sitting Sunday after Sunday but not really walking away with a clearer understanding of the message of God? Or a changed life?
God’s message for yesterday, are clearly messages for today. God is still calling for us to be willing to be messengers of righteousness. Just as God called Jeremiah from his mother’s womb, he is so calling us today. Just as he sent word of the promises of Jesus as the savior through the prophet Isaiah, those promises are still for us today. The savior is still the savior today. Jesus is still the only way that we can have power over the flesh so that we do not sin against God.
Let us not be like the reluctant prophet, Jonah and refuse to do as we are instructed and setting ourselves up for a “downward” trip. Let us also remember from the words of Nahum about the mercy of God. Even when he corrects us, it is done because of his mercy. The message from Jeremiah is do not allow flesh to dwell within you and then feel comfortable coming into the house of God to praise. Do not be fooled into thinking that because hands are raised that God overlooks the sinfulness of the life we live. Yet, we can rejoice and know that if there be anything in us that needs to be removed, God is the one that can remove it. He has the power over all that would hold us and keep us from being what God has called us to be.
So when you go to worship this week, God with a humbled heart seeking God to show you what needs to be laid at the altar. What needs to be released and what needs to be strengthened in you. Go having heard, received and willing to live out the living message of God’s word. Go telling God, I am listening, speak.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Words of Encouragement
The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. – Nahum 1:3
The Message. The Prophet Nahum – God’s mercy. This scripture is regarding the sayings to Nineveh and God’s anger against her. However, we can look at the words of this verse and see a message for us today.
The scripture reads that God is slow to anger. This small part of this scripture speaks of the mercy and patience of God. We often confuse God’s patience with a lack of power. The enemy fools us into believing that because God hasn’t moved against our sinful behavior he is some how powerless over our situations, and our sins. Or the enemy makes us believe our sin has gone unnoticed by God and we have somehow fooled him by our deeds. Yet, we are reminded that even though he is slow to anger his is also great in power.
God shows not only his mercy upon those that trust him, but he is extending his mercy even to the unsaved. Think about this. Even as one goes about their day continuing in unrighteousness, they are functioning within the mercy of God. It is God’s mercy that the unrighteous are able to continue, but it is all done so that God can draw them to himself.
Even though God is slow to anger, he will not allow the deeds of the unrighteous to go on continually unchecked. God is a loving God and he seeks that all would turn to him, but if we refuse to heed in the time he has given to us, we will have to stand before him for the unrighteousness of our deeds.
If you find yourself in a storm, caught up in the whirlwind, just maybe it is God saying to you, “today is the day I am calling for you to yield”. Did you know that if God calls you to accountability while you yet live, he is still showing you mercy? He is calling you to accountability NOW because he doesn’t want you to perish. He will correct you now, so that you have the chance to change and right your relationship with him.
Today I pray and ask that we all pray for those that have turned from God’s calling. There are people you know that have been living on the mercy of God, yet are refusing to obey him. He has been extending his mercy, but by his great power he will correct. So today, let us pray that when God calls to those that are disobedient, they will hear. And then let us pray for ourselves that there be nothing hidden in our hearts that would make us disobedient to God. Let us pray that we would always yield to the will of God. God is calling, are you listening?
The Message. The Prophet Nahum – God’s mercy. This scripture is regarding the sayings to Nineveh and God’s anger against her. However, we can look at the words of this verse and see a message for us today.
The scripture reads that God is slow to anger. This small part of this scripture speaks of the mercy and patience of God. We often confuse God’s patience with a lack of power. The enemy fools us into believing that because God hasn’t moved against our sinful behavior he is some how powerless over our situations, and our sins. Or the enemy makes us believe our sin has gone unnoticed by God and we have somehow fooled him by our deeds. Yet, we are reminded that even though he is slow to anger his is also great in power.
God shows not only his mercy upon those that trust him, but he is extending his mercy even to the unsaved. Think about this. Even as one goes about their day continuing in unrighteousness, they are functioning within the mercy of God. It is God’s mercy that the unrighteous are able to continue, but it is all done so that God can draw them to himself.
Even though God is slow to anger, he will not allow the deeds of the unrighteous to go on continually unchecked. God is a loving God and he seeks that all would turn to him, but if we refuse to heed in the time he has given to us, we will have to stand before him for the unrighteousness of our deeds.
If you find yourself in a storm, caught up in the whirlwind, just maybe it is God saying to you, “today is the day I am calling for you to yield”. Did you know that if God calls you to accountability while you yet live, he is still showing you mercy? He is calling you to accountability NOW because he doesn’t want you to perish. He will correct you now, so that you have the chance to change and right your relationship with him.
Today I pray and ask that we all pray for those that have turned from God’s calling. There are people you know that have been living on the mercy of God, yet are refusing to obey him. He has been extending his mercy, but by his great power he will correct. So today, let us pray that when God calls to those that are disobedient, they will hear. And then let us pray for ourselves that there be nothing hidden in our hearts that would make us disobedient to God. Let us pray that we would always yield to the will of God. God is calling, are you listening?
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Words of Encouragement
The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me." But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. – Jonah 1:1-3
The Message. The Prophet Jonah – The Reluctant Servant. Most of us have heard the story about Jonah being in the belly of the fish quite often. We have heard of the story of Jonah’s reluctance to do as God has instructed him to do. Jonah’s reluctant to do what God is telling him is because of the treatment they have received from the people of Nineveh.
If we look at this from our times and situation, this is what that means. God wants you to go to the person that has treated you the worse, and tell them the message of salvation. Maybe you just don’t want to tell them, partly because you know if God says he will save them, he will. Your desire for your worse enemy is vengeance. Yet, we must be willing to let go of the desire for vengeance against those that hurts us, because God says vengeance is his.
So here we have Jonah, receiving a message from God to go and preach against the wickedness. Instead of going as the Lord instructed it says, “He went down…” When Jonah went down to Joppa, he was also going down spiritually. For everything after this leads down for Jonah. He ran from God and he went down to Joppa. He went down into the ship and then he ended up down in the sea, and finally down in the belly of the fish for three days.
What’s the message for us today? When we refuse to heed what God is telling us to do, we can expect to take a downward trip. The things we are trying to accomplish will go down. The self-promotion will go down, the activities will lead down, until finally we find ourselves trapped in a “fishy” situation. But the merciful God of heaven allows us to be trapped in some fishy situations because it is in those places he has our full attention. It is in those places that we must humble ourselves, if we ever hope to find release.
I pray for us today that we would not be reluctant to hear the word of the Lord and his instruction for our lives. I pray that when he calls, we listen. God is calling, are you listening?
The Message. The Prophet Jonah – The Reluctant Servant. Most of us have heard the story about Jonah being in the belly of the fish quite often. We have heard of the story of Jonah’s reluctance to do as God has instructed him to do. Jonah’s reluctant to do what God is telling him is because of the treatment they have received from the people of Nineveh.
If we look at this from our times and situation, this is what that means. God wants you to go to the person that has treated you the worse, and tell them the message of salvation. Maybe you just don’t want to tell them, partly because you know if God says he will save them, he will. Your desire for your worse enemy is vengeance. Yet, we must be willing to let go of the desire for vengeance against those that hurts us, because God says vengeance is his.
So here we have Jonah, receiving a message from God to go and preach against the wickedness. Instead of going as the Lord instructed it says, “He went down…” When Jonah went down to Joppa, he was also going down spiritually. For everything after this leads down for Jonah. He ran from God and he went down to Joppa. He went down into the ship and then he ended up down in the sea, and finally down in the belly of the fish for three days.
What’s the message for us today? When we refuse to heed what God is telling us to do, we can expect to take a downward trip. The things we are trying to accomplish will go down. The self-promotion will go down, the activities will lead down, until finally we find ourselves trapped in a “fishy” situation. But the merciful God of heaven allows us to be trapped in some fishy situations because it is in those places he has our full attention. It is in those places that we must humble ourselves, if we ever hope to find release.
I pray for us today that we would not be reluctant to hear the word of the Lord and his instruction for our lives. I pray that when he calls, we listen. God is calling, are you listening?
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