Honoring God

            As my quiet time came to a close, I stopped thinking and just tried listening, hoping to hear God’s voice.  The scripture from Proverbs 31 came to mind, so I reached for my Bible and read the chapter.  At the conclusion I was left with this feeling of total incompetence.  I simply was not doing enough.  I surely don’t come close to matching the woman described as a “wife of noble character” in this chapter.  I would have to make changes!  I would begin rising earlier and working later, doing less of “nothing” and concentrating on using my time wisely and being more productive!                                                                                        

            Then I read the commentary below the scripture.  It pointed out that women, like me, often compare themselves to this passage and like me, feel inadequate!  Yet, no woman can be perfect or completely measure up to these standards.  Frustration and despair would set in if we believed we needed to be this person!  Further, God accepts us just like we are and we should allow God to change us into the image he wants us to be.  If God can accept us, we should be able to accept ourselves.  As we grow, we will begin to reveal the characteristics that demonstrate the unmatched perfect wife.

            Accepting myself, can be a struggle, however.  I am far from who I would like to be!  I am a procrastinator in some areas and tend to put off what needs to be done.  This happens primarily in my writing when I have a large daunting assignment ahead of me.   This may be perhaps out of fear of failure or again from the feeling of inadequacy.  I find when I break a project down into sections, I do much better, because I can look at the small tasks without the great fear of the massive undertaking.  This is a good thing considering I want my writing to be fruitful and to always honor God.

            So I find myself changing my prayer, somewhat!  Instead of “Lord give me motivation to study more, to write more, to be a better wife….” which are all about me, I want to pray that he would give me a heart to keep striving to become the woman he wants me to be.  I need to pray that more than anything I would love him first and more than anything else.  Then pray for his direction, guidance, and that his kindness be reflected in all I do.

            When I do this, I am honoring Him and making my life about Him, not me!         

A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. Proverbs 31:10

Obedience and Meeting A Need

During our visit in Pigeon Forge, TN we listened to an Acapella group from Zambia, a country found in Africa.  These five young men were ministered to when they were just boys by missionaries who saw a need, trusted and followed the call of the Lord to preach to all nations.  Their obedience laid the groundwork for another round of obedience.  Because the boys accepted Christ as their Savior, they also found the desire to meet a need.  In their country nearly half the population is age sixteen and younger.  Disease and poverty steal the lives of parents, leaving countless children homeless, and uneducated.

Zambian parents are required to pay for their children’s education which is completely opposite here in the United States.  American children receive an education as a right; a gift if you will.  Our government requires an education for each child until at least age sixteen.  The Zambian Vocal Group believe an education of the young people in their country would be the beginning of a life of change; of good change.  Otherwise, the children will continue the life of poverty and delinquency that plagues  areas with this problem.  They have, therefore grouped together to sing for audiences in this country of plenty, to provide an education for children in their country.  Their music is a ministry to pay for expenses of an education for the homeless children in Zambia.  Currently they have 250 children within the school/mission, providing education for grades K-8.  They have begun a new scholarship program which for $150 a year,  provides the means for one student to complete one year of high school.

My point of all this information merely demonstrates how trust and obedience can change lives.  First the missionaries responded, and then the subsequent mission of the vocal band.  Not one of these young men can read music, but the music they share, and the personal witness they give further spreads the greatest story ever told: the story of Jesus Christ.

Do you know Jesus like these young men from a small village in Africa?  Have you trusted in Him?  Can you imagine the desires of your heart being fulfilled, like theirs: the desire to see others come to the Christ they have come to know and worship?

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVtaHLh4-jo   (This is a link from You Tube posted by southerngospelsinger·so you can hear them sing!)  Listen and be blessed!

Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this.  Psalm 37:3-5

An Effective Prayer Life

I am learning so much in my different Bible studies.  On a recent day the object of prayer was discussed.  As people in a very busy society, we are likely to feel rushed and pushed on all sides to get as much done in as little time as possible.  This thought process affects every aspect of our lives, from the way we drive a car to the way we eat our meals!  Everything is rush, rush, rush; hurry up and get it done!

We have appliances that fill our homes.  They might include, but are certainly not limited to a microwave, toaster, blender, food processor, coffee, sandwich, waffle and bread makers, tea brewers along with the required vacuum cleaner, sewing machine or other specialty items we choose!  Now, I’m the first to admit that I like my appliances and use most of them. (Most being the operative word!)  They are each designed to perform a particular task and supposedly, in the most effective, efficient and economical way.  In a nutshell, they are designed to save time.  But do they?  

Oh, and please don’t forget our computers!  I admit I would be lost without mine!  But that being said, while it is much more efficient than paper and pen and the trusty typewriter, because I can “do” so much more on the computer, I find that “just writing” doesn’t happen!  I get sidetracked checking my mail, or face book; doing searches (and honestly often it is for writing), checking the weather and on and on!  But the truth is I’m just busy and it isn’t always productive!

When you add obligations to clubs or organizations in which we participate, sports activities, business meetings, even church and Christian responsibilities along with our day to day commitments we find ourselves feeling frazzled by the time we get everything finished! 

So how does all this affect our prayer life?  We are so caught up in all the busy-ness of day to day business, we find it difficult to stop and be quiet long enough to foster a productive prayer life.  According to the study I am in, praying for others can change other people’s lives.  That had never occurred to me!  Yet, I can honestly say I do pray for others and I expect results, but not in the sense that it could change their life, at least not in the day to day perspective! We are instructed to pray with a believing heart, but I didn’t process it further than that!  Prayer does make a difference!  It is a privilege to come to the throne of Grace on someone else’s behalf.  It is also a responsibility!  (Galatians 6:2-5)

Satan and his band of demons are becoming more and more aggressive every day in our world.  We need to remember that Christians are under constant attack from the dark side.  Marriages are failing, people are turning to chemical substances for escape, while immoral and shameful behaviors permeate advertising and are flaunted all about us.  Degradation of the human race is becoming rampant.  We need prayer; specific prayers, if we intend to stand up to this evil.  Our prayers need to be Spirit led, thoughtful and caring for each person we lift up.

But praying effectively takes time.  It takes a quiet mind and still, loving heart in tune with God.  Rushing through a practiced prayer or “one thought covers all” kind of prayer, leaves our prayer life weak and vulnerable.  We need to bow before God with a humble heart and childlike innocence.  I will admit this is an area in my life where I really need to improve.  So I ask you, how is your prayer life?  Is your relationship with the Father a time consuming, tedious task you feel like you must accomplish as your Christian duty?  Or do you cherish with all your heart the time you spend with the Lord?  I hope you’ll give it some thought, search your heart and make the relationship and prayer life with Jesus the most important part of your day.

One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."He said to them, "When you pray, say: " 'Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come…..”  Luke 11:1-2

Promises Fulfilled

As I watch our country spiral out of control economically, financially, morally and spiritually, I wonder how much longer the Lord will tarry.  There are news bulletins after bulletins decrying the depravity of our world.  It seems daily, individual state governments are making choices and decisions that further cripple an already critical situation.  As devastating as the news is, however, I can’t say I am surprised.  The situation was foretold hundreds of years ago and clearly described in God’s Word.

Not only is our country in this awful state, but the problem is worldwide!  The Word tells us nation will rise against nation and we can see this in the Middle East; Central and Southern Asia; Eastern Europe; Africa; East Asia and on the American continent.  All these countries are having some kind of raging conflict. 

Earthquakes are promised. The Philippians, Japan, Haiti, Chile, the United States and other places have had earthquakes that just seem to continue and seemingly get more frequent and with more intensity.  There is scientific reasoning for such occurrences, and while the science may be accurate, that doesn’t change the prophesy!

Famines and pestilence are predicted.  North Korea, Sudan, Somalia, the Congo, and Ethiopia are all in this category and we are now nearing historic drought levels in America with some predicting a famine in the “land of plenty!”  Follow this with the threats of pestilence which may not only be in the form of insects or mosquitoes, but modern, designer infections and human engineered viruses that have become superbugs and increasingly resistant to antibiotics.  Add germ warfare for diseases like smallpox or anthrax and suddenly we are living in an altogether frightening world!

Now, I am not normally a doom and gloom kind of person, but I can’t help but wonder where that leaves us!  On the one hand, if you know you are going to spend eternity with the Lord, dealing with these issues that encircle us becomes a bit more doable!  On the other hand, if you don’t know you are going to spend eternity within the realm of God, it might be a bit unnerving. 

We just celebrated Easter.  Jesus Christ hung on a cruel cross, dying for the sins of the world.  He was buried and on the third day, rose again.  He lives!  He will return to take his children home.  All these “things” were promised in the last days.  We are witnesses to the prophesies being fulfilled.  Do you know Christ as your Savior?  Can you say with confident assurance, despite what happens in this world, I know my eternity is secured in heaven?

These are not rhetorical questions, but real and urgent.  If you haven’t made a decision to follow Christ, I hope you’ll do that today.

When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away."   Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven."  Luke 21:9-11