SIGNS FROM ABOVE

~Is God ever Late?~

2010-05-13T22:09:25-05:00

One of my favorite devotionals and inspriational sites I have found over the past several months is Joni Eareckson Tada, the host of the Christian Radio show, "Joni and Friends". Today, I received a message that hit home with me. I am a procrastinator and someone who tends to be late. Sometimes, no matter how hard I try to be "on time", I just can't make it. I could prepare two hours earlier and still be running late for work or an appointment. So, when I read the message from Miss Joni, I was comforted to know that even in my lateness, God is ALWAYS on time. God is NEVER late. THAT is a comfort. Such a comfort to know that He is always going ahead of us and making the way for us, and orchestrating the events and circumstances in our lives regardless of whether we are late. And sometimes in being late, miracles, blessings, and protection happens. Enjoy the devotional and I hope you are blessed as I was....especially to my fellow procrastinator perpetually late friends out there....cj patterson

Hi, I'm Joni Eareckson Tada and welcome to "Joni and Friends"...

That's right! Here at Joni and Friends you will always hear the most strange and unusual facts. Like... did you know that there is an actual Procrastination Club of America? Yep, my friend, procrastinators across this country have proclaimed a certain day each year as "Be Late for Something" Day. But you know what? If you're like me, you don't have to join that club; you're already a charter member. For instance, I'm the sort of person who just doesn't like to tackle a big project until I tie up all the little loose ends from smaller projects - and that really puts me behind. I simply can't compose that really important email... until I wipe out all the other little email messages next to it. I can't tackle writing a chapter in a book until I've finished all the correspondence and my desk is clear-and that makes me late for the deadline. You got the picture?

But, honestly, the most interesting things can happen when you're late for something. Sometimes actual miracles can happen. Just consider how the Bible speaks to this - because, have you ever noticed how many wonderful things took place when Jesus was late for something; while He was on the way to somewhere and He got sidetracked? There He was, walking down a path near Jericho, and a blind man grabbed His attention; before you know it, He got distracted. Then there was the time He was on the way to see Lazarus, His critically ill friend, and He got into another delay -- not just for a couple of hours, but a couple of days. Then there was Jairus. He asked Jesus to please come heal his sick daughter right away, but when the Lord started out, He was interrupted by a woman with a hemorrhage. He was late leaving Jericho, late getting to Lazarus' funeral and late to see the daughter of Jairus.

But, we all know what happened when Jesus was late to something when He got sidetracked, when He seemed to procrastinate because the blind man was healed, God's power was displayed by an open grave, and not only does the woman with a hemorrhage receive a healing, but so does the daughter of Jairus. My goodness, Jesus wasn't tardy at all! Because with that little bit of procrastinating: Miracles were multiplied... greater numbers were reached... more lessons were learned... many more hearts were opened... and much, much more glory to God resulted... all because He was late for something.

Now, I'm not necessarily encouraging you to be a procrastinator; I don't want you to cultivate a habit of tardiness; but you've got to know that sometimes God's best plans are hidden in that inconvenient phone call that interferes with your routine or when someone engages you in a conversation that makes you late for an appointment. Sometimes God has you take that detour for a good and glorious reason, and often, the interruption that forces you to cancel or postpone or delay...?? Well, who knows, God's best plan could be hidden in it all. And it could even result in a miracle.

So today, friend, try to stay on schedule, but if... if something happens that's just out of your control - bad traffic, a flat tire, an unexpected visit as you're going out the door - whatever; if it happens and you end up being late, just remember the Lord Jesus. He took delays in stride and used them for everyone's benefit... He used them with an eye to the Father's glory. All because: amazing things can happen when you're late. ~ Joni Eareckson Tada

~fear not~

2009-10-04T14:51:13-05:00

Below is a devotional I received from my hubby this week. He received it from some unknown source. The message was very timely for me as I was dealing with some level of fear in a decision I had to make regarding my work. Fear is probably at the root of a large portion of our problems we face here on Earth. Satan uses fear to keep us down and keep us from fulfilling our full potential. Keep us from living a life of joy and abundance in Christ.

I feel that fear has been one of the greatest debilitating factors in my life. Whether its fear of losing a loved one, or fear of trying something new, or fear of the unknown, or fear of powers that appear the be threatening, fear of my children getting hurt or making poor choices, etc. Fear seems to be at the root of alot of our decisions. And, yet, God has made it clear that living in fear is not what He would have for us as His sons and daughters, as Christians. The only fear we are to have is the fear of the Lord.

"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools depise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7)

"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." (Luke 12:4-5)

^"There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love." ~ (1 John 4:18)

Here is the devotional:

Deal Aggressively with Fear

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power,
love, and self-discipline"
(II Timothy 1:7, NLT)

So many people today are missing out on God's abundant life of joy, peace, and victory because they keep giving in to fear. They are afraid to make a decision, they are afraid to confront issues, they're afraid to step out in faith, they're afraid of the past, and they're afraid of the future. But as believers, we don't have to live that way.

Fear is not from God. God has given you power, and His power is greater than the power of any of your fears. You have to make a decision to deal aggressively with fear. You can't be passive and expect to live in victory. The only way to conquer fear is to confront it head on. As long as you're running from your fears just ignoring them or sweeping them under the rug, you're not going to get any better. Refusing to deal with fear doesn't make it go away. Instead, be strong-willed and determined knowing that the enemy is defeated. As you declare God's Word that says you can be bold and strong, you'll have the courage to conquer fear and move confidently into the destiny He has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

"Father God, thank You for giving me power to overcome fear. I choose to face fear head on and drive it out of my life. Show me any areas of my life where fear is holding me back so that I can press forward into the life of victory You have for me. In Jesus' Name. Amen

~a prayer~

2009-09-29T21:15:15-05:00

I received this devotional last week via email from one of the Christian sites I am linked to and it was definitely one that I can relate too...All to often I run off at the mouth before thinking and especially without talking it over with God first. And, when that happens, watch out...I am liable to say anything and then live with the aftermath of what I said. I am sure we all can relate to this. Hope this inspires anyone out there strugglng with this type of issue. I am learning to control those impulses and instant reactions by taking my feelings and thoughts to God first in prayer to allow Him to direct my steps and fill me with all I need from the beginning of the day to the end of the day. Blessings ~ cj patterson

A Morning Prayer

"Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name." Psalm 86:11 (NIV)
It is very early in the morning. Not many people are stirring yet.

Though my body begs me just to roll over and go back to sleep, my soul is stirring to get up and go sit with Jesus.

Though I can't physically see Him, I know He is present.

I decide to open my Bible to the Psalms and use the verses I read as prayers to start my day. And the more I pray those verses out loud the less I hear all the nagging things of the world. A beautiful melody of truth starts to rise up and suddenly my worries fade in the light of God's truth.

His perspective on things that are troubling me starts to overshadow my anxiety. Like shade on a hot summer's day, I feel relief in His presence.

I know that He is preparing me for what I will need throughout this day. He is already standing in every minute of my day and He sees what I will face. So, He's equipping me to be able to handle what is ahead of me with His gentle boldness, quiet strength, and loving grace.

In Psalm 81:10b, God instructs me, "Open wide your mouth and I will fill it." He will give me what to say today. What to say in happy moments. What to say in aggravating moments. What to say in moments where I feel insecure and what to say when I feel completely confident. What to say in disappointing moments. What to say in response to questions.

He also reminds me that sometimes it is good to keep my mouth closed and say nothing at all.

All the words that rumble about in my brain and those that will proceed out of my mouth, Lord, You be the author of those.

Psalm 84:1 reminds me that God's dwelling place is lovely. So, I ask God to dwell in me richly. I want Him to be what radiates about me. I want Him to be my pretty today.

Not my hair. Not my outfit. Not my efforts. But simply Him and His spirit dancing invisibly about me... shifting a wrong attitude, guarding my words, and whispering constant truths into my heart.

Psalm 86:11 is what I ask the Lord to give me. "Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart..."

Lord, may nothing separate me from You today. Teach me how to choose only Your way today so each step will lead me closer to You. Help me walk by the truth and not my feelings.

Help me to keep my heart pure and undivided. Protect me from my own careless thoughts, words and actions. And keep me from being distracted by MY wants, MY desires, MY thoughts on how things should be.

Help me to embrace what comes my way as an opportunity...rather than a personal inconvenience.

And finally, help me to rest in the truth of Psalm 86:13a, "Great is your love toward me."

You already see all the many ways I will surely fall short and mess up. But right now, I consciously tuck Your whisper of absolute love for me into the deepest part of my heart. I recognize Your love for me is not based on my performance. You love me warts and all.

Have mercy, that's amazing.

But what's most amazing is that the God of the Universe, the Savior of the world, would desire a few minutes with me this morning. Lord, help me to forever remember what a gift it is to sit with You like this.

Dear Lord, I love You. All that I have read here is the desire of my heart. I know and confess that sometimes my actions and reactions betray my love for You. Please forgive me. Thank You for Your grace that is able to recognize this new day as a new chance to walk closer with You. In Jesus' Name, Amen. ~ Lysa TerKeurst

~p r a i s e~

2009-09-21T22:02:23-05:00

I received the below email from my husband the other day. He received it from a friend. A forwarded email circulating. Unfortunately, I do not know the origin of the email or I would give proper credit to the Christian brother or sister who wrote it. Yet, the message is worth sharing and passing on...I hope you find it uplifiting and remember to SING your SONG of PRAISE to Him in ALL circumstances, (Isaiah 42:10) (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18), knowing and trusting He is working ALL things for the good (Romans 8:28).

"Sometimes, when we don't see our dreams and desires coming to pass, we can feel empty and barren like a woman who is unable to have children. But look at what this verse is saying: if you've got unborn promises, don't just sit around in defeat. Don't just give up and say, "Too bad for me." No, God says when you're barren, the first thing you need to do is sing a song of praise. You might think, " I'm kind of depressed today. I'll sing after I have my 'baby.'" No, this passage wasn't written to people who were holding their baby and had seen their dreams come to pass. It was written to empty-armed people; people who didn't have what they were believing for. Do you know why? When you're giving God praise, do you know what you are doing? You are activating your faith and putting yourself into position to give birth to that promise. You are setting yourself up for God to move on your behalf.

Why don't you get into position today by singing a song of praise? All throughout the day, thank Him for what He is doing in your life and watch those dreams and desires come to pass."

~Sowing and Reaping~

2009-09-05T07:25:32-05:00

Here is a Scripture from Hosea regarding sowing and reaping. Currently, I am reading and studying Hosea. Its a wonderful book on redemption and God's continuous LOVE during consistent outright rebellion and disobedience. More to come on this book of Scripture later...

Hosea 10:12 ~ "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until HE comes and showers righteousness on you."

Thank You Father for loving us so much that you gave YOUR ONLY Son to us so that in Him, we are righteous...I KNOW I need Him...and am thankful I have Him and He is my Savior and is "keeping me"...If all I ever am is "kept" in Your Grace, then that will be infinitely more than I deserve and more than I can possibly fathom...No works could ever come close to Your Grace...our works are filthy rags compared to Your Grace to us. Thank You and please help me sow righteousness and reap fruit for YOU!!! In Jesus' precious name I pray! Amen - YOUR LITTLE GIRL - cj patterson

Isaiah 38:17 ~ "Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love YOU KEPT ME from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back."

Received this devotional in my inbox this morning from Dr. Charles Stanley, InTouch Ministries...great topic on reaping and sowing.....

Sept. 5/6, 2009
God's Principle of Reaping and Sowing

Proverbs 12:14
Galatians 6:7-10 states, "Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life . . . let us do good to all people."
This passage contains an important scriptural truth: Our positive actions will ultimately benefit us, whereas our negative deeds will eventually bring harmful repercussions. This principle is a "corollary" to the Golden Rule. As we saw yesterday, the Lord calls us to treat other people with kindness and respect, even when they aren't easy to love. Admittedly, this can be difficult when an individual wrongs us continually. But if we give in to our flesh and retaliate, we are sowing seeds of corruption, and in due time, we will reap accordingly.
On the other hand, treating someone well--even after he has been unkind--will profit us. According to Scripture, we are "sow[ing] to the Spirit" and will reap rewards. Some benefits may be supernatural and unknown to us at the time. Yet we do know that obedience in this situation will facilitate forgiveness, build character, and develop endurance. No matter what the other person does, we always win when we walk obediently before the Lord.

Think of relationship challenges as a chance for unbelievers to witness God's love in action. With His help, you can sow seeds of love, joy, and peace that will yield a rich harvest for your own life as well as for the other person. You'll also avoid the ill effects that come from harboring bitterness and anger. - Dr.Charles Stanely

~Godly vs. Toxic Friendships~

2009-09-02T21:53:03-05:00

In my studies of the life of David, I have been very touched by the TRUE friendship shared between David and Jonathan. Their friendship is a GODLY friendship. The friendship between Jonathan and David is one of the most touching friendships described in the Bible. I believe their friendship is how God intends for all of our friendships to be...Unfortantely, most "friendships" we encounter here on Earth, don't even come remotely close.

1 Samuel 18:3 ~ "And Jonathan made a covenant with David because he loved him as himself."

I know of a friendship that I can compare to David and Jonathan and that is one of my dear husband, Brent, and his precious friend, Trae. Those two epitomize the type of friendship that Jonathan and David had. Both my husband and his friend feel blessed by the other and would do anything for the other. Of all my husband's friends, past, present or future,Trae is his "Jonathan." Its so wonderful to have a "Jonathan" in your life. I too have one "Jonathan" in my life but she comes in the form of a lifelong friend by the name of Andrea. Those type of friendships are rare and few and far between. When you find a "Jonathan", they are the keepers...Friends come and go...but "Jonathans" are always there FAITHFUL through your life until the end and ever after. Thank the Lord for "Jonathan's" in our lives!

I ran across an article on the web that speaks of other kinds of friendships that really are NOT friendships at all. More like the opposite of that. And, unfortunately, these are the more common type of friendships we encounter in our lives instead of the "David/Jonathan" type of friendships. As I read this article, several people in my life came to mind as having fallen into one of each of these type of friends and a few even fit all the descriptions. And, I have to admit, I can even see where I have been a toxic friend to others in some ways myself.

Here is the article and I will put in parentheses, Scripture verses, to show where God's word supports or doesn't support certain types of friendships. I pray that this helps anyone out there who has experienced this or is experiencing this...Or maybe recognize some of this type of behavior in your own self and let the Holy Spirit refresh you and renew you in any area needed. ~ cj patterson

How to Recognize a Toxic Friend

Toxic friends come in all shapes and sizes; what is the hardest thing about a toxic friendship is how it creeps up on you unawares. Although you may be laboring under incredible negativity and feeling awful around your friend, it can take a while to fully understand that this negativity is being caused by your friendship. Knowing the signs of a toxic friendship will help you to either avoid remaining in such a friendship, or perhaps even developing one in the first place.

Pay attention when your friend puts you down. Friends are friends because they support us. (1 Thessalonians 5:11- "Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.") They don't necessarily have to agree with us, or even share our tastes, but they do tend to be relationships of mutual respect, joy in one another's company, and acceptance of difference of both attitude and actions. If your friend is constantly saying things that demean you, that make you feel small or unhappy, or if your friend makes you feel unworthy and pitied, then you have lost a friend and gained a critic. (Matthew 7:3 - "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?") If this happens on a regular basis, you're with a toxic friend.

Be wary of a friend who gossips about you. (Proverbs 11:13 - "A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret." Proverbs 16:28 ~ A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.") Any friend who tells tales on a friend is not a friend. Instead, being with you simply offers this person an opportunity to glean details for spreading around to others. If you find out that this is happening, you're with a toxic friend. Be careful about jumping to assumptions, however. If your friend slips up once, this may just be a situation of not handling things properly and they might seek your forgiveness. If it happens regularly, however, the pattern should serve to warn you.
Consider mockery carefully. (Proverbs 22:10 - "Drive out the mocker, and out goes strife; quarrels and insults are ended." ) Mockery can commence in a friendship as mere, gentle ribbing of one's faults by way of endearment or genuine affection. If it becomes the normal way of relating, however, especially in front of other people, then you have a recipe for a toxic friendship. After a time, it can be too easy for such a friend to use this a defense mechanism to ward off criticism of themselves and to offload that onto you. In this case, you become the target that your friend uses to outplay the potential for attack from others against them.
Consider your feelings about your friend and the time spent together. Ask yourself these questions...

Is this something that your friend has just started to do, or has it been going on for a long time?
Does spending time with your friend make you feel defensive or upset?
Do you spend time justifying your own behavior around your friend instead of it feeling "natural" to be together?
Are you happy with this friend?
Do you feel belittled, attacked, used?
Does the friendship feel unbalanced and like plain hard work?
Do you feel at fault for things that happen to your friend?
Has your friend betrayed your confidences?
Does it feel like competition rather than a balanced and caring friendship?

Recognize what constitutes a healthy friendship. It is important to look at things in the positive light as well as the negative situation, to help you balance your feelings and the interpretation of the situation. A good, healthy friendship involves feeling like you are supporting one another, acting as a sounding board for each other. Good friends don't compete negatively; if there is competition, it is openly acknowledged and each other's achievements are lauded and appreciated equally. Good friends care for one another, and keep secrets between each other. Good friends spend time helping each other overcome adversity rather than creating it and maintaining it. Good friendships are relationships that make both people feel good about themselves and feel natural. Even though a friendship needs to be worked on as much as any relationship, a good friendship doesn't feel like work; it feels like building foundations, and growing a garden; pleasant, worthwhile, rewarding, and filled with give-and-take in equal measure. (Ecclesiasties 4:9-10 ~"Two are better than one,because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!")
Act on your feelings and analysis of the situation. If you recognize the signs of a toxic friendship, get yourself out of it and move on. It is not worth continuing at the expense of your health, self-esteem, and happiness.

Read an excerpt from the well-known book by Dr Jan Yager, When Friendship Hurts: How to Deal With Friends Who Betray, Abandon, or Wound You: 6 Types of Toxic Friends for information on toxic "types" to see if you identify with any, or several, of these types in your friendship of concern:

The promise-breaker ~ Proverbs 22:1 - "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold."
The double-crosser ~ Matthew 26:48 ~ "Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: 'The one I kiss is the man; arrest him.'"
The self-absorbed ~ Proverbs 8:1 ~ "An unfriendly man pursues selfish ends; he defies all sound judgment."
The discloser ~ Proverbs 20:19 ~ "A gossip betrays a confidence; so avoid a man who talks too much."
The competitor ~ Ecclesiastes 4:4 ~ "And I saw that all labor and all achievement spring from man's envy of his neighbor. This too is meaningless, a chasing after the wind."
The fault-finder ~ Matthew 7:4-5 ~ "How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."

~Turn Back For GO(o)D~

2009-09-02T06:59:49-05:00

Galatians 6:7 - "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap DESTRUCTION; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap ETERNAL LIFE."

Destruction vs. Eternal Life. Seems like a no brainer to me. Yet, we teeter between the two every single day. The battle between the flesh and the spirit, or the old nature and the new nature or the path of Destruction and the path to Eternal Life. If you are a Christian battling with sin...any kind of sin. (And I do not know one who doesn't). The above Scripture is straight to the point. We reap what we sow. And God will not be mocked. He is a Holy God.  Yes, we as Christians are saved by Grace but that does not give us a liscense to keep on sinning. Paul talks a great deal about this in Chapter 7 of Romans. Highly recommend that chapter to read for anyone struggling in this area. Here is a great devotional I received on habitual sin and God's answer to conquering it. The wonderful thing is Christ WILL give us the power to overcome any and all sin...He has already overcome Satan and the world (John 16:33) and is faithful to provide us a way out of any temptation that comes to us....

1 Corinthians 10:13 ~ "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

Blessings - cj patterson

Repent, Rescue, Repeat

Wendy Pope

"Again the Israelites did evil in the LORD's sight."

Judges 10:6a (NLT)

When life gets hard, have you noticed how easy it is to sin? I have found during some of the toughest circumstances I face, I am easily lured into sin. The lure seldom comes from new temptations. It usually comes from areas of sin I "thought" I had left behind, repented of and turned away from. Our enemy is cleaver and cunning. He knows our areas of weakness and comes back to those places when we are at our lowest, in hopes to seduce us back into a pattern of sin. It is an age-old ploy. He doesn't stop using the tactic because he continues to have success.

The enemy's success can be proven by looking back at the repeated sin of idolatry and disobedience of God's chosen people, the Israelites. The ebb and flow of the Israelites' sin started soon after their exodus from Egypt. They had barely cleared the banks of the Red Sea when they began to worship a man-made golden calf. Even though the Lord showed grace and forgave their sin, they continued to be lured in this same sin until it became a pattern. When they faced their toughest times: hunger, thirst, and threat of death, they quickly turned against the Lord, looking for other places of safety and hope.

As we read through the Old Testament we find the Israelites became more and more blatant about their sin. They no longer tried to hide it. They worshipped the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but still held true to their devotion and worship of the pagan gods. Joshua called their sin evil. Evil is an ugly word, which means morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked. God's Word tells us that the Israelites' evil lead to their misery and their misery grieved the Lord (Judges 10:16). Our sin grieves the Lord and causes us misery as well.

Misery comes from the Hebrew word "`amal." It means to toil, trouble, labor, mischief. I found the meaning of toil to be very interesting: hard and continuous work, exhausting labor or effort. Habitual sin, like that of the Israelites' idol worshiping is exhausting to keep up with. It takes continuous effort to stay involved in sin because one sin leads to another that leads to another. It is toilsome and drains the life out of us. The Israelites sinned until they felt helpless and trapped, at the point of exhaustion. Then they would repent of their sin and beg the Lord to forgive them, promising their wholehearted devotion. In His continual grace God forgave them, but they would eventually fall back into their sin cycle.

As I read about the cycle of repent, rescue, repeat among the Israelites I have come to the conclusion that they never truly repented at all. True repentance of sin as repentance means in the Bible is to turn back. Basically, turn 180 degrees and don't look back. This is not what happened with the Israelites. They enjoyed their sin, but when the going got tough they cried out to the Lord. They simply offered the Lord "lip service" because they wanted to be rescued from their tough circumstances. They never depended on God long enough to allow Him to change their hearts.

Are you tired and miserable? God intended our life to be lived to the fullest, where He alone can make our joy complete. The only way to live this life is to put our safety and hope in the Lord by turning our hearts completely toward Him, leaving our sin behind and letting Him turn our hearts from the lure of sin. I want to be a 180 degree "repenter." I don't want to be a rescue-crying sinner who calls on God to bail me out when life is too exhausting and I am completely miserable. I want to escape the cycle of repent, rescue, and repeat. I am going to ask God to help me change my heart in the issues that I struggle with repeatedly. Will you join with me in this prayer?

Dear Lord, I ask You to forgive me when I fall into the cycle of rescue, repent, and repeat. Forgive me for treating Your forgiveness so causally. I give You permission to have Your way with my heart, changing it to be completely restored toward You and no longer falling prey to the lure of habitual sin. My desire is to live in complete obedience to You, the One and Only true God. In Jesus' Name, Amen. ~ Wendy Pope

~The ONLY Perfect Fit~

2009-08-31T20:18:22-05:00

   Here is a devotional I received via email from one of the Women's Christian ministries... This goes right along with my previous Birthday post and the truths I have come to believe and KNOW...Blessings! - CJ Patterson

Devotional:

As a little girl, I had longed for a daddy to pick me up, swing me around, and tell me I was lovely and loved. When this childhood longing went unmet, it became an adult emptiness and brokenness that drove me to seek out all kinds of misguided remedies.

My primary remedy was to look for someone or something that would make me feel loved and significant. It's as if I carried around a little heart-shaped cup and extended it to whatever or whomever I perceived might fill it.

I presented the cup to my education: "Will you fill me?"

I offered it to my husband: "Will you fill me?"

I held it out to my child: "Will you fill me?"

I extended it to my material possessions: "Will you fill me?"

I presented it to each of my jobs: "Will you fill me?"

Within these questions were many more entanglements: "Will you right all my wrongs?" "Will you fill up my insecurities?" "Will you make me feel significant?" The more I offered my emptiness hoping something could fill it, the more frustrated I felt.

And when I had grown in my faith, I was especially perplexed. Wasn't being a Christian supposed to fix these kinds of issues in my heart? What was I missing?

Have you ever been there?

Why is it so tempting to look to things of this world for fulfillment? This notion that worldly things can fulfill is all around us. It's on TV, the focus of countless secular songs, and it's what dominates American advertisements. I can't even stand in the grocery store checkout lane without being bombarded with suggestions for a more fulfilling life. A better husband. A better body. A better career. A more beautifully decorated house. The magazines seem so slick, their promises so enticing. They sneak into our thought processes and make us think, "If only I had _______________, I'd be so happy. I'd be so fulfilled."

So, we chase and chase until we bankrupt our relationships, our bank accounts, and our very souls. The reality is every single thing the world offers is temporary. No person, possession, profession, or position can ever fill the cup of a wounded, empty heart--not my heart, not your heart. It's an emptiness only God can fill.

Whatever "if only I had" statement we are struggling with, we can replace it with solid truths from Scripture that will never leave us empty. It's a bold statement to make and might even sound a bit trite, but it's true.

When God's Word gets inside of us, it becomes the new way we process life. It rearranges our thoughts, our motives, our needs, and our desires. Our soul was tailor made to be filled with God and His truth; therefore, it seeps into every part of us and fills us completely. It is the only perfect fit. ~ Lysa TerKeurst

"I have chosen the way of truth; I have set my heart on your laws." ~ Psalm 119:30



Psalm 73:26 ~ My flesh and my heart may fail,
   but God is the strength of my heart
   and my portion forever.

~A BIRTHDAY, ANEW DAY~

2009-08-28T20:37:43-05:00

Psalm 139~

" ¹³For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother's womb.

¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.

¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

¹⁶your eyes saw my unformed body.
   All the days ordained for me
   were written in your book
   before one of them came to be."

Isn't that a marvelous part of Scripture??? I really have no words to describe how this particular Psalm touches me in my inmost parts...Simply, in Awe of the Fact!!!

Well, here I am...Another year older...And, hopefully wiser...The month of August is my Birthday month. And, I hate to even say which one I celebrated this time around. But, no reason in shying away from it. I celebrated my 39th birthday last Saturday. The beginning of the last year of my thirties. And, I must say, that already, major changes are happening. And for the BETTER!!! THE OH SO MUCH BETTER!!!

The month of August has been just WOW for me. So, amazing. God is so amazing. Jesus is so WONDERFUL...I am just so happy of WHO I AM in CHRIST!!! You know, even though I accepted Jesus as my Savior when I was sixteen years old, I just am NOW beginning to understand WHO I AM in Christ. I must say for years I lived apart from the truth.

I bought into the whole ball of lies that the world and the father of all lies feeds us. I bought into the world's view of what it means to be successful or good or whatever you want to call it. Yea, by the world's standards, I would be considered very successful. In spite of me buying into the worldly life, He still blessed me so much in all aspects of my life...even though I lived apart from His truth. I can only imagine what my life could have been like if I had willingly submitted and come to the FULLNESS of HIS wonderful truth back at age sixteen. My testimony would undoubtedly be different. Yet, as the above Psalm states,my days were already ordained and written in the Book before I ever was born. Think on that for awhile!  As it is, I feel that my life is just proof positive to me and validates to me what the Word says about our God and our Lord. What a TRUE and an everlasting, patient, loving, mericful (abounding so) God He really is. He is so GOOD...He is HOLY...and soooooooooooooooo PATIENT!!!!

The outside picture of my life indeed looked good to the world. I can't tell you how many times I have heard over and over again how envious people were of me and my life. Yes, my life is wonderful and good. And, there is more good than bad!! So, don't get me wrong. I am very blessed with a wonderful husband, children, family and friends.

BUT, the inside picture of me was totally wrong...My inside picture did not match the outside picture. Or maybe it did? I was very worldly...yet I was spiritually bankrupt...Emotionally dependent on the world and those in it to satisfy my needs and fulfill my longings for acceptance and love. The truth is the world and those in it can NEVER fill your cup. NEVER NEVER NEVER!! It is God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit that can and will fill it up til it runneth over to others in an outpouring of love, humility, patience and kindess...But, you have to KNOW the truth. If you are in Christ, it is ALL there for you. He is just waiting for you to Come and Receive Him and Accept Him and the Holy Spirit.

John 8:32 ^"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

AMEN TO THAT!!!

I am still a baby girl in Christ. But, I know that if you truly desire Him and seek Him with all you have, with a most sincere and humble heart, He will reveal truths to you that will simply amaze you and bring you to your knees in humility and gratefulness. I am so grateful for Him. I can't even begin to properly express this in mere words!!!

I have spent years and years on end trying to please others and prove to others how worthy I am. How great I am. How good I am. How smart I am. How beautiful I am. How savvy I am. How innovative I am. How cool I am. How this or that I am. Wrong answer! I was chasing the impossible. Oh, it worked for awhile. Some people bought it. Others didn't. And, some just took advantage of my pleasing efforts. Can we say co-dependent? Yea, that's me...And, when the ones that didn't buy it, well I tried even harder and harder to prove my worth to them. Only to realize that it didn't matter if I was the most perfect human being to ever walk the planet, I would NEVER NEVER please everyone or find what I was searching for. Someone would always find fault or pick at something I did or failed to do...Or whatever I did just for them just wasn't quite enough. Yea, I ran across a few of those takers on my path to prove my self-worth. The types that you just give and give and give and give to try and earn their love or respect and then when you have nothing else to give, you are no longer any use to them. But the truth is in all my "giving", I was trying to get something in return...so it was really all based on my own selfish wants and needs...to "fill my cup" so to speak...Well, you see, the world and those in it can NEVER NEVER NEVER fill your cup, fill your void or fill the innermost parts. Only God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit has the power to do that and not only do that but fill you up in abundance to where you are running over and over!!! And then you will runneth over in true love...remember "love is patient, kind, etc." 1 Corinthians 13...That kind of LOVE ONLY COMES FROM GOD!!! PERIOD...the ability to love in that kind of way is God given...we apart from God can not LOVE based on 1 Corinthians 13. Not possible. But with God, its the only kind of LOVE. If its not a GODLY LOVE, then its not LOVE at all. Its just people being selfish with one another trying have their own selfish needs, desires or wants met. To make them feel worthy, powerful, etc. EGO DRIVEN....SELF LOVE...which is not LOVE at all...

1 Corinthians 13~~~~~~~the ONLY WAY TO LOVE!

I am only worthy in Christ. I am nothing an can do nothing apart from Christ, John 15:5-6...Without Him, it is all vanity of vanities. But in Him, I have EVERYTHING and CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH HIM WHO STRENTGHENS ME!!!!!!!!!!! (Phillipians 4:13) -

But not to bring me glory but to bring HIM glory....PRAISING HIS GLORY!

Ephesians 1:11-13 -"In him we were also chosen,having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory."

I see things so much more clearly now. And, I know to those who aren't believers, my gushing will be nonsense to them or foolish talk to them. But, for those who believe and are in Christ and have come to the place of giving yourself TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY to Him, you will know what I am talking about.

1 Corinthians 2:14 - "The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."

I want to share some things that have really helped me understand the truth. Neil Anderson has written some pretty powerful books,"Victory Over the Darkness"and"The Steps to Freedom in Christ." These two books have been instrumental in freeing myself of the world's lies and my own lies to myself. Feelings of unworthiness, hopelessness, a sense of defeat, etc. These books have helped me overcome it and move forward in living in FREEDOM in CHRIST. And, it wasn't really the books persay (although they were great)...They were very helpful tools that allowed the truths to be revealed to me by the Holy Spirit. I highly recommend these books...

Actually, I have been doing ALOT of reading the past few months and will continue to share my favorites...Lots of wonderful Christian books written by anointed authors and ministers to help others. I know that I have been blessed tremendously by some of the books I have stumbled upon. Sharing is good...I don't know what the tomorrow holds for me and my precious family but I do know that the future looks much brighter now that I KNOW WHO I AM IN CHRIST!!!!

More to come..................

~OUT of the World~

2009-08-20T22:12:15-05:00

Okay........so, its about two plus months later since I last posted. All I can say is the past few months have been busy, a whirlwind, etc. Our family has been quite busy to say the least. Vacations, birthdays, etc. But, I am back.

During this time, the Holy Spirit has revealed so many many truths. One truth I would like to share is what the Spirit spoke in my heart and soul today. This morning I prayed for the Lord to empty me of all my thoughts and distractions so I could clearly focus on Him and His Voice alone. I prayed that He would reveal to me something that He wanted me to meditate on. Immediately, the Spirit revealed to me and might I say quite loudly these following words....

"The world will ensare you. Don't be of the world."

My heart nearly skipped a beat and the words were repeated again in my mind. God really does speak to you if you ask with all your heart and soul. Of course, I had to go to Scripture to find the Scriptual basis and test what I heard if it was in Truth...And, I as I already knew, it was. There are many verses in the Word to back this concept up...but the first one I came to in the Bible was this...

John 15:19 ~ "If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, YOU DO NOT BELONG TO THE WORLD, but I HAVE CHOSEN YOU OUT OF THE WORLD..."

Simply amazing...my walk and journey is a slow one. I am very stubborn and rebellious child of God sometimes. Blatantly, resisting what I KNOW to be true. Yes, I am in a pruning season now. Painful but necessary. The world will try to hang on to the OLD you...but once Christ is in you, you are no longer of this world...YOU have been chosen out of the world...And the world will eventually hate this new creation, this new you...but you can't ride the fence forever. You can't have one foot stuck in the mud mire and the other foot placed on firm ground. You will never move forward. You will remain in that spot and your growth will be stunted.

You have to choose...And that's where I am at on my journey...and I choose Christ....I choose to leave the mud mire and grab His hand and let Him pull me out of this world and place me on His firm established ground...If you find yourself trying to live in both places, you will find it impossible. If you are truly a child of God, you will find that you just can't get by with it. The Holy Spirit will let you know it. And you won't want to get by with it. You will no longer want the things of this world. You will want the things of Christ...

Psalm 40:2 "He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

Romans 12:2 ~ "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

One more BEAUTIFUL verse from the Book of John...this one is just speaking to my soul very strongly now...

John 17:8-10 ~ "For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them.

Thank you Father for choosing me out of this world...I know I have been a stubborn and rebellious child...keeping one foot in the world and one foot out of the world. You have shown me that is just not possible and it is not what you have planned for me or my family or any of YOURS...Thank you for your mercy, grace and love and for choosing to pull me out of the mud mire and place me on Your firm and established ground that will not move or sink or crumble. You are more than faithful, more than graceful, more than wonderful, more than anything, my little mind can fathom. I pray that this will touch someone out there who like me has been riding the fence. I hope it will encourage someone to turn to You and extend their hand out to You. Because You are faithful and will pull them out of whatever situation or place they are in, and You will place them on firm ground under the shadow of your wings. In your precious Son's name, Jesus, I pray....Amen... ~ cj patterson

Psalm 36:7 ~ "How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings."