Beautiful Moms

Grace and Linda

 

Sarah and Ruth

 

Tambra and Jen

 

One Vote Counts

When our childen are gown, they will want to know what we stood for.

Here is a four-minute video to pass on. Reminds me of the America I believed in as a child.

http://www.valuevotersusa.com/

What to do today?

I posted this on my personal blog last week but thought that it would be appropriate here as well.

What to do today?
Many chores beckon,
Duties never-ending,
Children always needing,
Errands to be done.
But ...
Baby niece born last night
Tiny bundle of sweetness
Life beginning, makes me think
What really matters?
Should I vacuum all the house
Fold the laundry, organize,
Bead a necklace, shop for food,
Practice piano, write a song?
Somehow I don't know where to start
Today - just a Tuesday, I guess
But not.
This is the only "today" I have
These hours precious, not to be
Spent carelessly.
so tell me please
What would You have me do today?

Something Worked!

So many things in my life don't work they way I want them to (like potty training my son and keeping up with the laundry and housework) that when something does work, I want to shout it from the housetops. While I realize that two days doesn't exactly indicate consistency, there is just something about what we did today and yesterday that feels right and lasting.

Yesterday and today, I actually had a devotional prayer time with the kids that was fun and life-giving for all of us! We have tried so many different things over the past couple of years that at times I've been very discouraged. Gradually I've given up on trying to do my ideal and just gone for what doesn't make me or the kids too frustrated. And in the process, we are gradually learning what works for us.

What we did today is really quite simple: First, we read a short section from Mark. I keep it very, very short (5-10 verses at most) so that there's a chance of keeping their attention. We are reading from the New Living Translation, which seems to have a good storytelling style of language. Then I ask the kids if they have any questions about the story or to tell me something they heard (just one thing, even if they can just remember one word I said, I count it success).

A side note about the kids actually hearing the Word: I have gradually come to believe that it is important that they get the living Word of God directly, not just Bible stories or devotional readings. The Bible promises that the Word brings life (Matthew 13:23). So I would rather they hear a few words from the Bible and not understand it all than many words of a story. For if His Word does not return void (Isaiah 55:11), then I believe that something they heard will stay in them and be magnified over their lifetime by the Holy Spirit until it actually does bring life to them.

If, after I've read the verses I've chosen, they don't remember any of it, I remind them that these are their life words. If they don't take their life words (like taking medicine), they will die. And the only way they can take their life medicine is through their ears. Then I read it again. I try to make the reading as fun as I'm able (my ability to do this varies greatly day to day). Sometimes I simply have them repeat every word or phrase after me. Other days I try to do dramatic voices and actions. Every now and then we're really creative and each child acts out part of the story. Then I ask them again to tell me something about the story or to ask a question. Usually by the second reading they have heard something. Hallelujah!

This next part is my favorite. Inspired by this post, we've started writing prayer requests on index cards. I pass out an index card to each child. We sing one of our favorite Bible verses, "Give thanks to the Lord for He is good, His love endures forever," (Psalm 107:1). Then each child prays for the request on their card (mostly repeating after me). Then we sing another favorite verse, "Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4). The kids really get into this part as we clap and dance around.

I think the best part for me is that I feel a smile in my spirit afterwards, like we've really touched Heaven.

While we do have to be careful not to compare ourselves with one another (I am so prone to that!), it can sometimes be very encouraging to hear what others do so we can incorporate ideas that sound fun for our family. I'd love to hear what works for you! If you have an idea you'd like to share, please leave a comment so we can all be encouraged.

Note: Lest anyone think better of me than I really am, please do not misunderstand me. While my goal is to have a daily prayer time with my children, there are many days when it just does not happen. I have been learning, with them and in my own personal prayer time, to not look back and simply to see each day as a new day and a new opportunity. And though, on a day-to-day level, it looks very inconsistent, over the course of a month or a year we are actually making progress!

Reality Check

While I was in the prayer room this morning, I wrote the following thoughts in my journal and shared them in our meeting afterward. They were encouraging to me and seemingly to others also, so I thought I would post them here as well.

If it takes all of God's power to live this everyday life, then even the very practical, "unspiritual" things I do must be very significant. What I do seems so unimportant on an eternal level. But how does heaven see it? With every load of laundry that I wash and fold, while I see only another shirt or pair of underwear, what do the angels see? If I do it with a resentful attitude, then they see only wood, hay, and stubble. (And who wants to fold that?) But if I humble myself to do the most menial chores as a sacrifice of love for Jesus and my family--even if I am struggling to maintain that attitude (it still counts)--then I am actually handling gold and silver and precious stones (see 1 Corinthians 3:9-13).

Even further, if I see the ones I am serving as who they really are, then I will tremble with awe at the privilege of being allowed to untie the sandals of these precious, glorious, beloved ones (see John 1:27).

"All of God's Power"

"If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet" (John 13:14).

"Ministering in everyday opportunities that surround us does not mean that we select our own surroundings--it means being God's very special choice to be available for use in any of the seemingly random surroundings which He has engineered for us. The very character we exhibit in our present surroundings is an indication of what we will be like in other surroundings.

"The things Jesus did were the most menial of everyday tasks, and this is an indication that it takes all of God's power in me to accomplish even the most common tasks in His way. Can I use a towel as He did? Towels, dishes, sandals, and all the other ordinary things in our lives reveal what we are made of more quickly than anything else. It takes God Almighty Incarnate in us to do the most menial duty as it ought to be done" (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, 9/11).

Towels, dishes, sandals ... I can hardly think of better words to describe the everyday-ness of life as a a mom. I am encouraged to realize that these things are so important that it takes all of God's power to do them well. I mostly rush through the work in my own strength, when all the time Jesus wants to reveal Himself to and through me in the midst of it. Lord, let Your power be made real in me to do the most daily, mundane work. Help me to see it as significant as You see it. Reveal Your character in me.

I had just posted this and then went to one of my favorite blogs and saw this post. Just had to share it with you.

Quiet the Noise!

What does a bookish, peace-loving escapist do when she has four children ages five and under? Run? Hide under the covers? (Many days I’ve wanted to.) Or pray? Life with my little “bonbons” has driven me to prayer more than anything else. My life drives me to desperation on a near-daily basis. I find that the pressure of my current circumstances is what has motivated me to seek the Lord with a passion and intensity previously unknown to me. I used to float through life in a semi-dream state (just ask my mom). Now I am forced to encounter present reality nearly every moment of the day.

As I write this, I am sitting at the house of prayer. My wakeful (and, for the past hour-and-a-half, fussy) seven-week-old is struggling against the wrap in which I have him tied to me. I'm hoping he’ll go to sleep. I would like to snatch half an hour of peace away from the house which never seems quite picked up no matter how hard I try, the laundry that is never fully done, and the computer that beckons me to plan, research, buy, do, and escape through hours of endless browsing.

There is always far more to do than I can possibly accomplish. After I have cared for my children’s physical and emotional needs there is always much more I want or need to do: more housework, more email, more reading (yeah right, though I do snatch time for my favorite activity), more study, more projects … and even when I stop to spend time with the Lord, I have to choose how I will do it. Do I turn on the IHOP stream and worship? Or do I do an in-depth Bible study (and, if that, which of the many studies I want to do will I work on today)? Do I read something from my stack of books or listen to an RHOP podcast? Do I meditate on one verse or read several chapters? Or do I simply sit quietly and listen? I feel overwhelmed with options.

I am becoming convinced that which option I choose isn’t really the issue. God is not limited to one form of communication. He can speak to me through any of them. The real question is why I am coming into His presence. Is it to check another task off my to-do list, or to encounter Him? Over the past few years, I have made several lifestyle choices to make more room for seeking the Lord. But even with fewer distractions in my life, it is too easy to fill every moment with noise, even if the noise comes only from my own thoughts. In the midst of living a lifestyle meant to encourage the pursuit of God, I can still miss actually meeting with Him.

Lord, help me! Help me to let go of everything but my hunger for You. Stoke the flame of desire in me until everything else falls away and I am face-to-face with You. “I will seek You in the quiet place” of my soul. Amid the noise of life, let my spirit rest in You until all is quiet within. Let me be attentive to what is on Your heart today.

The baby finally fell asleep. :)

This was written in my journal several months ago, but I am just now posting it. It seems appropriate as we begin focusing on The Power of a Focused Life for the next few weeks.

The Season We're In

I wrote this post on my personal blog to share my thoughts on adoption, but I thought that it might be encouraging to all moms. Please click here if you'd like to read it.

A Willing Heart

Thursday, July 17, during the Noon set at IHOP-KC, Justin Rizzo prophesied the following over stay at home moms and those in the marketplace:

Enjoy and allow the Holy Spirit to minister to you through this.

Lesson on the Beach

About a month ago, my family was privileged to be invited to a beach house on the coast for several days. With our four very little children, we haven't yet been adventurous enough to take many family vacations. But, with other family members going along and a big house to stay in, this one seemed pretty safe, so we decided to take the plunge.

Vacationing with little ones is a lot of work, to say the least. By the time we were finally on the road, our van packed to the gills and then some, we were pretty exhausted and more than a little wondering whether it was worth it. After we'd been driving for about an hour, though, a lighter mood began to set in, and we started laughing about the many mishaps that had accompanied our attempts over the past hour just to get away from our house. Though it was now dinner time, we decided (with our kids' unanimous approval) to snack on trail mix and get going. (Good thing, too, because if we hadn't we might have given up and just stayed home.)

A couple of days later, though, my doubts about the sanity of whole thing returned with a vengeance. We tried each morning to get down to the beach to spend the morning there before lunch, naps, and sundown took over the rest of the day. However, by the time everyone was breakfasted, diapered, dressed, SPF'd (that part alone took half an hour), diapered again, and we had trekked down to the beach, it was invariably eleven o'clock and everyone was starting to get hungry again. Of course, we hadn't wanted to take the time to pack a lunch, so we were at least half an hour from food. (Thank heaven we'd remembered to bring the trail mix!)

The second day, just as we arrived at our favorite spot on the beach, my husband realized that we had forgotten our camera. He left rather abruptly to return to the beach house to get it. The kids had cousins to play with, so I began to get settled in to nurse the baby. Just as I sat down on a beach blanket, my three-year-old started crying that she just had to go to the bathroom right that minute. There was no way she could wait. My first thought was, "You just went before we left the house, and not only that, but we just passed the bathroom on the way to this spot, and it's a ten-minute walk back over scalding hot sand and through crowds of half-clad teenagers!" I tried to talk her out of it, but she insisted that she really had to go.

Grumpily, I dumped the baby in my grandmother's arms, grabbed my kids (everyone but Mommy thought a trip to the bathroom sounded like a fun adventure), and began marching off in the direction we had just come. Almost immediately we were accosted by a large dog, which in my children's mind is equal to a fire-breathing dragon. (He actually never came near us, but that didn't matter; his mere presence was enough to terrify them.) After some impatient coaxing, I got them past the dog, but then the hot sand began to burn their feet. Of course, in my haste, I had neglected to have them put the shoes that they had just kicked off back onto their feet. (After all, that would have added another five minutes to the trip!) I sighed, put my two-year-old on my shoulders, and sent the three- and five-year-old girls back the hundred yards we'd come so far to get their shoes. I don't remember how they made it past the dog, but they did. Several minutes later, with no sign of the girls, I started to worry that something might have happened to them. I started dragging myself back to check on them when they rounded the rocks toward me, explaining that they had been afraid to return alone because of the dog. I refused to say anything because I knew nothing I could say at that moment could be good for any of us. They bounced alongside me as I marched, half dragging them across the hot sand. After a few minutes they decided that hot sand wasn't so fun and began to whine. "WHY are we walking back to the bathrooms?" I asked. "Then DON'T COMPLAIN! I don't want to hear it!" All the time, inside, I was asking God, "Why did You give me these children? Why are we even here? You must have some point in this. PLEASE show it to me, because I am NOT having fun right now!" Sunscreen stung my eyes so that I could hardly see. My hair was blowing in my face. The sand was really hot, burning my feet too, and my two-year-old (still with no shoes on) was really heavy to carry over the sand dune. And all around me, carefree teenagers cavorted, sunbathed, and flaunted their freedom in my face.

Finally we made it to the bathroom. The emergency potty culprit sat on the toilet and almost immediately declared that she didn't have to go after all. I had no sense of humor at that moment. Barely cloaking my fury in sarcasm, I responded that I did not think walking back and forth all day over hot sand dunes was very fun and that we were not leaving that bathroom until something came out of her little bottom. I plopped down on a bench, set the heavy toddler down, sternly warned him not to move, and again asked God what was the point of all this. His answer immediately resonated through my soul: "You just served My little one." I sensed His pleasure washing over me, bringing a peace that had not existed in me just seconds before. More than a little ashamed of my tantrum (and relieved when she triumphantly declared success), a rather chastened and much more relaxed mommy helped a happy three-year-old wash her hands and made sure the five-year-old also made use of the facilities while we were there.

On the way back, I reflected that whether I got to do anything that I wanted to do on the trip was really unimportant. What suddenly mattered more than anything else was serving His little ones. If He found such pleasure in my doing that, bad attitude and all, then why not make that my goal? It was certainly more attainable than insisting on the fulfillment of my own selfish pleasure. By the time we got back to our cool spot on the beach, I was nearly free of all resentment. I figured that I would sit down and feed the baby, the kids would play with Daddy, and then we'd all head back to the beach house for lunch. And I was OK with that.

As it turned out, I did feed the baby, and the kids did play with Daddy. We then proceeded to have the best time together of the whole trip. Baby slept in Grandma's arms and trail mix staved off hunger an extra hour while we ran in the surf, wrote in the sand, explored tide pools, gathered shells, and took lots of pictures. And I enjoyed it all the more because by then I was simply grateful for the unexpected blessing of having a good time after all.

2008May_DillonBeach

Getting Noticed

"But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him." (1 Corinthians 8:3 NKJV).

How can I love You? I really want to be known by You. But knowing more about You doesn't necessarily mean that I love you, for "knowledge puffs up" my ego if it is not grounded in love (8:1). Signs and wonders, prophetic insight, acts of mercy, and martyrdom do not in themselves cause me to be known by You. In fact, without love, they simply cause me to be a noisy irritation, worth nothing and gaining nothing (13:1-3). Though I am often jealous of those who have more prophetic giftings than I, they are not what get me noticed by You. Well then, what will get me noticed?

Love ... true love. (Insert Princess Bride accent here.)

What is true love? 1 Corinthians 13 goes on to explain what love is, so I will look there.

"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up ..." (13:4). How can I suffer long with you? Perhaps by patiently receiving whatever You bring my way without complaining. Perhaps by being patient with those You bring into my path. Love for You is expressed by not being envious of what You've given others or boastful of what You've given me. If my love for You is true, it "does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked ..." (13:5). My Beloved, how have I behaved rudely toward You? How have I sought my own? How have I been provoked at You?

"I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these My brothers and sisters, you were doing it to Me!" (Matthew 25:40 NLT).

You love Me by loving My brothers. You hate Me by hating My brothers. When you are patient with one of Mine, you are patient with Me. What you are selfish and rude toward one of them, you are selfish and rude toward Me. It is no understatement to say that every interaction with one of My children is interaction with Me. Your prayers are not the only holy conversations you have. Every conversation is holy because you are having it with one of Mine, which is the same as having it with Me. Do not profane what is holy. Approach each one of My beloved ones as you would approach Me. Would you approach My manifest presence in arrogance or with anger? No, you would approach Me in humility and with an open heart. Do the same with those who are Mine. Begin to see Me in every person, for "this one, s/he is Mine" (Misty Edwards). Whatever you do or say to them, I take very personally. You have dozens of opportunities every day to show kindness to Me. Do not throw them away. For I do not forget the smallest kindness. I will abundantly reward those who love Me in this way, by showing kindness to my brethren. And I will also reward those who show kindness to you, My beloved.

You are so kind, Jesus, so merciful and gentle. I fall so short of loving You truly. Please do in and through me all that You have said, for I really want to be known by You.

Some of Us

 

Amy (and baby - ack! I forgot her name!) and Charlotte

 

Amber and Melissa

 

Michelle and Sarah

Had my camera with me this morning, so I thought I'd take a few pictures of our group. We had a great time!

Peace and Faith

I was so encouraged by these words that I heard in the prayer room yesterday (sung by Justin Rizzo and his team on the Friday 10am set) that I thought I would put down some of them here:

Be anxious about nothing
In all things give Him praise
Be anxious about nothing
In all things give Him thanks
Be anxious about nothing
But give glory to the Lord

Your peace is coming to my soul
Like the calm after the storm
Your peace is coming to my heart
Your peace is giving me a fresh start

Cloudiness is gone, all the haze as I gaze upon Your face. Nowhere in Your Word did you encourage me to live by my own reasoning, my own logic. How many times did you say, "O, you of little faith"? I think I have too much common sense for my own good sometimes. There's no common sense in faith. Faith is believing. Faith is trusting that the Red Sea will part, that the blind will see, that the dead will live.

Could it be that You're keeping my future fuzzy that I would grow in faith? Could it be that You're that in love with me?

The Reward of Work

"Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her own works praise her in the gates" (Pro 31:31 NKJV).

So often I think of doing my work for the Lord's benefit. But it is obvious, when I think about it, that nothing that I do or don't do can possibly add to His power and strength. So then I think that it is for others, and on one level it is. But in the end, I myself am the primary beneficiary of my own work. This is true not only in this life, in growth of character and rewards (whether material, spiritual, or emotional) but in eternity as well. The fruit of my hands will be given to me! (Nothing is wasted!) Our own works will cause Jesus to praise us before men and angels: "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord" (Mat. 25:21).

"For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire" (1Co 3:9-15 NKJV, emphasis added).

While our works will not earn Heaven for us, they still have real eternal value. If what we build during this internship (this pre-life, if you will) survives the fire of judgment, it will continue on in the new Heaven and Earth, and we will be honored for having done it. You may work now in obscurity, hidden from the praise of man. You may often wonder whether anyone sees. You may crave praise. (Oh, do I!) Our desire is not wrong. But the best praise is saved for last. Our work is not yet complete. One day, all that we have done in secret "as to the Lord" will be noticed by all of creation. Our Father, who sees us now, will reward us openly!

This is the opposite of man's way. Jesus' brothers advised him, "For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world" (Joh 7:4 NKJV). The human way is to do everything openly, to be known and recognized by as many as possible, as quickly as possible. But this is the way of unbelief (7:5). Jesus' way is the opposite: "But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret" (Joh 7:10 NKJV). And this is the reason: Whatever is done secretly now, the Father will reward openly later!

"But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly" (Mat 6:3-4 NKJV).

"But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly" (Mat 6:6 NKJV).

"But you, when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you do not appear to men to be fasting, but to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly" (Mat 6:17-18 NKJV).

Three times, Jesus repeats the phrase, "your Father who sees in secret will reward you." Perhaps this is something He wants us to understand!

Lord, help me not to do my work merely for temporary rewards. Please protect me from seeing myself as a martyr for my family, slaving away with little appreciation for all my work. For, whether anyone now notices or not, You see everything I do. Help me to do it well, for Your praise. Rest my heart in the knowledge that the real, lasting rewards are still to come. Thank You for the encouragement of the praise I do receive (and now that I think of it, it comes more often than I sometimes think). It helps to keep me going. But let me thank You even more for the acts of love and service that I do which are not noticed, for these are the ones for which I will reap great, eternal rewards later. Please give me the grace to patiently wait for what You have promised instead of grasping for whatever I can get now.

"And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ" (Col 3:23-24 NKJV).

A Word on Mothering

This is an encouraging word that was sent to me by someone I respect greatly: my Mama! I thought that I would like to share it with you:

This morning as I was soaking in the streaming prayer room God gave me this for you girls.

"There is a season to be able to be in My presence without interruption. That is not your time now. This is your time to be a mommy and all the gifts that go with this calling. I will meet you many times through out your day. There will be moments without interruption here and there look for those.

"Know, My daughters, that it delights My heart for you to spend this season pouring yourself into your children. I love them so greatly and prize them so dearly that I gave My only, beloved, unique Son so that they can live with Me forever. You are leading them on that journey, that path to find me. Do not despise the season you are in. You are loving Me as you love them. You kiss Me when you kiss them. You spend time with Me when you spend time with them. I delight in you; let them see that you delight in them. Teach them what delight is. I long for your heart; long for their heart. I gaze upon you; gaze upon them. I enjoy you; enjoy them. It is as you do these things and sprinkle My truth into them throughout the day that they will come to know Me. It is as you do this that they will long for Me.

"Don't ever let them feel like they are a distraction to you, that they get in the way of your time with Me. They are what I given you to do at this season of your life. You will have many other seasons in your life. You will enjoy those seasons so much more if you are obedient to Me in this season."

Luke 18:16, 'Let the children come to me. Don't stop them. People who are like these children belong to God's kingdom.'

Matthew 6:20-21, 'But gather and heap up and store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust, nor worm consume and destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal; for where your treasure is there will your heart be also.'

If this is for you, I pray that it will bless you!

Be encouraged today!

Hope

For we through the Spirit eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by faith. (Gal 5:5 NKJV)

What is “the hope of righteousness”? Well, hope “never disappoints or deludes or shames us” as righteousness, which is given as a gift, is also worked through us by “pressure and affliction and hardship” (Rom. 5:3-5). We “eagerly wait” while we “grown inwardly,” waiting “with patience and composure” for that which “is still unseen by us” (Rom. 8:23-25). Though we do not see it in the natural, we confidently expect to enter into the righteousness that is promised (and already given), “perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses” (Heb. 11:1).

I am picturing it like my children perched each morning on bar stools at the kitchen counter. They come downstairs, eagerly expecting the juice and gummy vitamins that they know will be waiting for them. And thought they do not see it, they know that breakfast will be coming in just a little while. They cannot see it, for it is in the microwave, but before they were even awake, I was in the kitchen preparing their oatmeal for them. Thank You, Lord, that though I cannot see what You are doing, I can confidently know that You are preparing good things for me. What You are preparing is exactly what I need, and I sit myself at Your counter, waiting cheerfully for what You have for me today.

Moreover [let us also be full of joy now!] let us exult and triumph in our troubles and rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that pressure and affliction and hardship produce patient and unswerving endurance. And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity). And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation. Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us. (Rom 5:3-5 AMP)

And not only the creation, but we ourselves too, who have and enjoy the firstfruits of the [Holy] Spirit [a foretaste of the blissful things to come] groan inwardly as we wait for the redemption of our bodies [from sensuality and the grave, which will reveal] our adoption (our manifestation as God's sons). For in [this] hope we were saved. But hope [the object of] which is seen is not hope. For how can one hope for what he already sees? But if we hope for what is still unseen by us, we wait for it with patience and composure. (Rom 8:23-25 AMP)

NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses]. (Heb 11:1 AMP)

Having Done All

… and having done all, to stand. (Eph. 6:13b)

What is the “all” that I must do before I “stand”? I pray, Holy Spirit, that You would please give me the insight You desire me to have for today, for myself and for my family.

This verse uses the same Greek word, katergazomai, which is translated “done” in Eph. 6:1, and translated “work out” in Php. 2:12. It means to work fully, that is, accomplish; by implication to finish, fashion: - cause, do (deed), perform, work (out) (Strongs). It seems to be along the same lines as Eph. 6:10-13:

Therefore, my dear ones, as you have always obeyed [my suggestions], so now, not only [with the enthusiasm you would show] in my presence but much more because I am absent, work out (cultivate, carry out to the goal, and fully complete) your own salvation with reverence and awe and trembling (self-distrust, with serious caution, tenderness of conscience, watchfulness against temptation, timidly shrinking from whatever might offend God and discredit the name of Christ). [Not in your own strength] for it is God Who is all the while effectually at work in you [energizing and creating in you the power and desire], both to will and to work for His good pleasure and satisfaction and delight. (Php 2:12-13 AMP)

So, by working out my own salvation--in God’s strength seeking to please Him in everything I do--I am actually doing spiritual warfare against the “spirit forces of wickedness” (Eph. 6:12). I am actually becoming an overcomer (Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible, entry for Eph. 6:13). The battle is not to go find the evil spirits and do battle with them directly. That is something the Lord must, and will, do on my behalf. But by obeying God with fear and trembling, in His strength, I am overcoming the evil one’s attacks against me.

Lord, work in me both to will and to work for Your good pleasure, satisfaction, and delight. Put Your energy in me, and help me not to try to do it on my own steam. Create in me both the power and the desire to cooperate with You as You fully complete the work You have begun in me. Transform me on the inside into Your very image. Align my will, thoughts, and emotions with Yours. Your work is effectual and mighty in me. Show forth Yourself within me in power.

And I am convinced and sure of this very thing, that He Who began a good work in you will continue until the day of Jesus Christ [right up to the time of His return], developing [that good work] and perfecting and bringing it to full completion in you. (Php 1:6 AMP)

(If you want to read more about this, please see related post, "Standing.")

The Secret of Getting Dressed

In conclusion, be strong in the Lord [be empowered through your union with Him]; draw your strength from Him [that strength which His boundless might provides]. Put on God's whole armor [the armor of a heavy-armed soldier which God supplies], that you may be able successfully to stand up against [all] the strategies and the deceits of the devil. For we are not wrestling with flesh and blood [contending only with physical opponents], but against the despotisms, against the powers, against [the master spirits who are] the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spirit forces of wickedness in the heavenly (supernatural) sphere. Therefore put on God's complete armor, that you may be able to resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands], to stand [firmly in your place]. Stand therefore [hold your ground], having tightened the belt of truth around your loins and having put on the breastplate of integrity and of moral rectitude and right standing with God, And having shod your feet in preparation [to face the enemy with the firm-footed stability, the promptness, and the readiness produced by the good news] of the Gospel of peace. [Isa. 52:7.] Lift up over all the [covering] shield of saving faith, upon which you can quench all the flaming missiles of the wicked [one]. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword that the Spirit wields, which is the Word of God. Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God's consecrated people). (Eph 6:10-18 AMP)

Thank You, Lord, for the armor You provide (Eph. 6:10-18). You do not leave us defenseless against the attacks of the enemy. I do not have to enter the day unprepared. Instead, I can ask for and receive Your protection as I go forth, confident that the armor You have given me is sufficient to deflect every attack, whether it be in thought, word, or deed. I do not need to run through the day ducking for cover, but I can stride confidently into the battlefield, for I am protected by You. You do not desire to beat me down (that is a lie of the enemy). You desire me to overcome! And You promise many rewards to me when I do:

· To eat of the tree of life in the paradise of God (Rev. 2:7);
· To be in no way injured by the second death (2:11);
· To eat of the manna that is hidden (2:17);
· A new name engraved on a white stone (2:17);
· Authority and power over the nations (2:26);
· White garments (3:5)
· Name in the Book of Life (3:5);
· Acknowledged as belonging to Jesus (3:5)
· Name confessed by Jesus before His Father and the angels (3:5);
· To be a pillar in the sanctuary of God (3:12);
· To never be cast out of His presence (3:12);
· To be given the name of God, the city of God, and Jesus’ own new name (3:12);
· To sit beside Jesus on His throne (3:21);
· To inherit the new heaven and new earth, and the new Jerusalem, where God will personally be with us and be our God, where He will wipe away every tear and remove death, sorrow, and pain, and where we will drink from the springs of the water of life (21:1-7);
· To be God’s son and He our God (21:7).

What a progression. From the outer courts into the inner sanctuary, we are given many great and precious promises (2 Pet. 1:4)! We go from being allowed to eat of the tree of life (eternal life), to eating the hidden manna (revelation of the mysteries of God), to increased authority and privilege until we realize that we have been received into the very innermost circle—the circle of the Trinity—sharing in the Jesus’ own position as the Son.

And if we are [His] children, then we are [His] heirs also: heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ [sharing His inheritance with Him]; only we must share His suffering if we are to share His glory. (Rom 8:17 AMP)

This is far beyond my comprehension. I am probably stating it badly. I do not mean that we will become God. But God did say that we are His children, His heirs alongside Christ … that is worth thinking on! And even in the above verse, the prerequisite of overcoming is implied. We “must share His suffering” in order to “share His glory.” And we are not unprotected!

For His divine power has bestowed upon us all things that [are requisite and suited] to life and godliness, through the [full, personal] knowledge of Him Who called us by and to His own glory and excellence (virtue). By means of these He has bestowed on us His precious and exceedingly great promises, so that through them you may escape [by flight] from the moral decay (rottenness and corruption) that is in the world because of covetousness (lust and greed), and become sharers (partakers) of the divine nature. (2Pe 1:3-4 AMP)

Lord, give me that knowledge of You. Make me able to escape the rottenness and corruption that seeks to overcome me and become a sharer (wow!) in Your divine nature. You will fulfill every desire of my heart for love, acceptance, greatness, honor, recognition, power, and authority. And the way is through You. Protect me with Your armor of truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and Your Word so that I may stand my ground, drawing my strength from You. You are my goal. You are the end of my journey. Thank You that You are also with me every step along the way. I will not be afraid, but I will trust in You!

Good Morning, God!

I didn't want to get up early this morning, but I did, and look what encouragement God had planned for me! I trust that you will be encouraged as well.

Coffee with God