Trusting - My Final Answer

“Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature

of his purpose very clear to the heirs

of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath.

God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie,

we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us

may be greatly encouraged.”

Hebrews 6:17-18 NIV

My favorite vacations take me to places where nature speaks to my soul. That is why I love the beach; the mighty ocean, the beautiful sky and clouds, the sunrises and the sunsets are refreshing for a weary traveler. During my quiet time this morning I was reflecting on a lesson that God taught me the last time I was at the ocean. I began to realize that not only did God create the heavens and the earth; he continues to create new landscapes every day. During my time at the beach I became conscious that the sky never looks the same. Each and every day the ocean appears to look the same yet everyday it is completely different! It occurred to me that I will never experience the same sunrise. I marveled at the ever changing diversity to be found in each evening sunset. This Divine creativity fills me with wonder! My spirit continues to rejoice in knowing that God is on the job each and every day painting magnificent wonders all over our earth for the enjoyment of those he loves. A God like this can without a doubt be trusted.

It is also God’s faithfulness and his unchanging nature that summons my trust. As I observed the rhythm of the waves as they rolled in and continued to crash within their God given boundaries I began to realize that if I am going to live a victorious life as a believer trusting God must always be my final answer!

Another reason that I can trust God is because God’s Word is unchangeable and true. God’s care for his people and his promise to believers regarding eternal life has been sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ. God paid a huge price for the purchase of all those who will put their trust in his Son, Jesus Christ. We, who are his children, are loved by our Father. We can trust our Father. God confirmed his promise to his heirs in two ways. First God spoke truthful words on the matter of his unchanging purpose of what was promised very clear and then sealed his words with an oath. The Word of God also speaks of God’s character in stating that it is impossible for God to lie. As his children we should be greatly encouraged because God’s Word regarding his purposes and our hope is faithful and true. It is very clear to me that God can be trusted.

Why then is the act of trusting God such a struggle for me? If only I could learn to go straight to trust I would avoid so much of the emotional grief that takes place during the prolonged process of finally arriving at the point of trusting God with my situation. I would spare myself so much stress, worry, and sleepless nights if I could only learn to go immediately to trust. I know in my heart that I must eventually surrender all of my fears and my control if I am ever to arrive at trust and experience God’s peace on every single thing that concerns me. As a believer, I know that trust is not something that can be skipped over or compromised if I am to be an overcommer. My ability to trust God is crucial to me living a victorious Christian life.

When I am at the ocean the birds also help me understand God’s care. The sea gulls, the pelicans, the sandpipers all seem to have their own personal message. The sandpipers run frantically to and fro. If that’s not a picture of me I don’t know what is! Pelicans search for food, yet God provides the fish. The peaceful sea gulls glide through the sky on wings of trust never once fearing that they will fall. Oh, to be a sea gull!

I am reminded of the verse in scripture where the psalmist David, tells me about God’s holy wings. “He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.” Psalm 91:4 NIV I am moved to tears to realize that God tucks me under his wing and covers me with his feathers of love. When I will allow it, God holds me so close to his heart that I can hear his heart beat in love for me. God is my safe house, a place of refuge, my comfort. God has been faithful to me in the past, he will be faithful to me today, and he will be faithful in all of my tomorrows. God is my protection in every circumstance. Of course, if I am to serve this God who cares for me so completely, my final answer must always be trust!

God may not show up the exact day I choose and he may not bring with him the suitcase full of the “goodies” that I ordered, but if I trust him, the bottom line is that he will show up! If I don’t believe that God will show up then I don’t believe the Bible. Could it be that I have forgotten that God cannot lie? Could it be that I have cut out of my Bible all of the verses regarding God’s faithfulness? I must anticipate and look for God’s arrival because the Bible says that if I call he will come to me in my time of need and if I trust him he will provide for my needs.

The Bible is full of God’s promises. However, many of those promises are contingent upon us obeying our part of the promise. God often says, I will do this when you do that. If I am waiting for God to make good on his promise, perhaps I should check myself and see if I have fulfilled my part of the promise.

It is pretty humorous that at times I build walls of protection around myself because I fear that God will disappoint me. This is a very lame attempt on my part for self-protection and maintaining control. It is a bit like going into battle wearing the armor of plastic wrap to ward off the bullets of life and the poisonous arrows of Satan.

As a believer I MUST believe that God will show up! What harm is there in that? What is the harm in trusting God? It seems that the most logical step in attaining God’s peace while I wait for his arrival is simply to climb up on top of the wall of self-protection that I have built around myself and jump straight into the everlasting arms of Jesus.

When I honestly think about it I realize that I will not be one bit better off by choosing not to jump! Would you agree that sometimes it seems that things could not get any worse than they already are? Maybe it is at this point that Satan shows up and says, “Oh yes they can”, and he fills our minds with the unthinkable and we take three steps backwards from the edge of the wall and refuse to jump into the invisible future. We refuse to trust our Savior. But wait a minute, isn’t it a Savior’s job is to get us safely home not to let us be taken captive by the enemy? We are never sure what God is going to do in the here and now, but we always know what lies ahead in the life to come. As believers, our final answer of trust is always based on eternity.

The bottom line is I will not be better off if I refuse to jump; my life will only remain unsettled, stressful, and full of fear. Circumstances do not change because I stay on the wall. I always have a choice to remain on the wall, but it is in my best interest to choose to mentally jump into the capable care of my Heavenly Father. It is at the point of trusting surrender that peace becomes mine. God immediately catches me when I jump, but it may be a while before he shows up with the answer. Now I must wait in peaceful confident anticipation for his arrival. God may not bring exactly what I asked for but he will choose from his abundant riches in glory exactly what it is he knows I need. Only God knows what I will need in the days ahead. I must learn to trust the One who knows my future. God’s answer will always be one of provision that will go way beyond my wildest expectations. The Bible says that God loves to give good gifts to his children. We are his heirs. God’s answer to our need will reflect his goodness and glorify his name. It is our trusting response to his answer that brings him additional glory. In living or in dying we must trust our Lord. We must know beyond a shadow of doubt, God will always be for us and more than enough in every circumstance.

God’s purpose for my life is for me to love and enjoy him forever. Trust is a key issue in this relationship. I cannot love or enjoy someone I do not trust. In the book of Job, Job says, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” Job 1:21b NIV In every adversity trust was Job’s final answer even when he did not understand what was happening to him. Building walls of protection does not keep us safe. It occurs to me that I have never heard a single person say they were sorry they had trusted God or that God had failed to catch them when they jumped into his arms. I know from personal experience that God cannot do his heavenly work in my life unless I choose to trust him.

Questions:

1. Do you find that trusting God is a challenge for you? Why?

2. Does your lack of trust keep you from living a victorious life?

3. How would trusting God benefit you?

4. What problem do you need to trust God with today?

Prayer:

Dear God,

I thank you that your words are trustworthy. God, as you know, I live in a world that lacks honesty, truth, and integrity. I am extremely comforted to know that in my world where I often can’t trust others I can trust you completely. It is a joy to know that you are a God of character and truth and because of this you cannot lie. Help me God not to trust in myself but give me the courage to jump into the air of invisible trust and land safely in your arms of love and care. God I pray that I would not focus on the outcome but rather on you. God, Satan tries to convince me that if I trust you bad things will happen. Protect me from those lies. God you have taught me that perfect love casts out all fear. Father, give me your perfect love so that I will not fear the unknown. Father, I don’t want to be the stumbling block that keeps you from accomplishing your holy work in my life. So today I climb to the top of my wall of self-protection and choose to jump straight into your arms of care. Yes, God today I choose to trust you for _________________ and that is my final answer.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Doing My Homework

“I have hidden your word in my heart

that I might not sin against you.”

Psalm 119:11 NIV

Today my time in the garden will be spent walking the many pathways that are lined with beautiful flowers. Each and every species is beautiful and fragrant. In the garden of my heart flowers from every season bloom continuously. The uniqueness with which God has created each flower starts my mind  spinning in amazement as I take in the diversity of God's floral creations. The round purple globe of the tall alliums, the searing red, yellow and orange torch of the red hot poker, the unfolding layers of each magnificent rose in so many different colors, the delicate dainty flowers of the white candy tuft and sweet violets. I especially love the wonderful fragrance of the lavender clusters of lilac. Each flower reminds me that I too am wonderfully and uniquely made from the imaginative hand of my heavenly Father. I am also reminded that even when the path of my life twists and turns like a garden pathway, it is my heavenly Father who knows the path ahead and has a unique plan for my life. It is a plan designed to bring him glory and to give me a hope and a future.

 

As I reflect on my sixty plus years, life it has been basically good but not perfect. There have been years of plenty and years of not so much. There have been days of harmony and days of discord. There have been days of sorrow and grieving and days of happiness and joy. There have been days of concern and worry and days of solid unshakable trust. I know that the ups and downs and the hills and the valleys of my life have been uniquely designed for my personal spiritual growth and development. Even when life has changes for the worse, I am reminded that God is NOT the enemy but sin is the culprit!

As I lift my eyes to the heavens, I see a gorgeous periwinkle blue sky. The sky is flawless and I am reminded that my loving Heavenly Father is also flawless in his faithfulness to me. His faithfulness gives me divine hope for both today and tomorrow. He is a Father who is good all the time. Even in the midst of trouble my Father still remains good.

God’s goodness to mankind is available in so many different ways. Creation shouts loud and clear that God's hand created our world for our use and our pleasure. God has also given us his Word, it is a road map that shows us the way into his heart. The Bible is full of wisdom regarding every subject; it is full of knowledge regarding all of things we need to know for today and  the future. Above all, God’s plan of redemption is revealed to us in the Bible. The promises of God are found in the Bible and those promises are precious and sure. God’s Word reveals to us all of his many attributes, proving that he  can be trusted. God’s Word reveals to us his plan for his creation from beginning to end. All of God’s provisions are his means of reaching out to mankind and each gift resonates with his goodness. God’s provision for all he has created is amazing. He has not left us alone on this earth without direction or hope. God knows that our brief life on this earth will be empty and meaningless without him. So as a result of his goodness, we have a hope and a future! We are surrounded by the goodness of our creator. God continues to reach out to all of us in so many ways; we need only to reach up to him.

Today I am experiencing a holy moment as I reflect on the goodness of God. It is his goodness that creates time and space in my life to be used for learning. These good days are woven into my life on purpose and are designed to be used as days of preparation. In the last few years I have been experiencing a time of blessing and balance. Life is hectic but God has seemly given me a period of grace. My mind is clear and uncluttered and my responsibilities seem to be less demanding. The last few years my joy has been full and my life at this particular time is good. But I know full well that life can change on a dime!

So today, here in the quietness of the garden, I am experiencing a moment of revelation as the Holy Spirit speaks softly a new thought into my listening ears. He whispers, “Paula, this time of peace has been set apart by God for you to do your homework. You must do your homework because sooner or later there will be a test.” So I ask, “What homework?” The Holy Spirit begins to reveal that homework is hiding God’s Word in my heart so that I might not sin against him. Past experience tells me that when my back is against the wall, that is when my real nature comes out. This can be ugly! When my life becomes difficult and problems and pain drag me down I am at risk. I become especially vulnerable to Satan when my emotions are raw and my trust is faltering. Doing my spiritual homework now will counter Satan’s attack later. Jesus responded to Satan by quoting scripture during his time of temptation. It seems to me that if it worked for Jesus, it might indeed work for me as well.

Doing my homework now during days of peace gives me an edge on a future moment when life may tumble down on top of me like a dead limb falling from a tall oak tree. God’s homework assignment for me is to read his Word and store up the treasures that are to be found only in the Bible. It is through reading his Word that God gives me spiritual knowledge and understanding. God’s Word will give me direction and comfort to be used later in my time of need. During times of fear, if I have been reading the promises of God I will be the reminded that I must choose trust instead of fear and that God will never leave me or forsake me. If I have been reading about how much Jesus loves me, when loss comes I will be filled with comfort. When desperation threatens me, if the truth of God’s Word has been hidden in my heart it will give me hope. When Satan attacks me, I will know that he is the enemy not God. In times of brokenness, that which I have learned during times of peace will bring healing to my soul. I will remember in times of fear that it is His name, Jesus Christ that is higher than any other name on earth!

Reading God’s Word equips me with the full armor of God so that I can take my stand against the devil’s potentially disastrous schemes. God’s Word teaches me to put on and buckle around my waist the belt of truth. God’s Word is truth. I am told to wear the breastplate of righteousness for protection. God’s Word teaches me about righteousness. I am to wear shoes of readiness. God’s Word will prepare me for days of trouble. God’s Word teaches me how to access God and receive his grace in my life and his peace in my heart. My shield of faith comes only from knowing the Word of God. God’s Word teaches me to reach out and receive the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit which is God’s Word. God’s Word is without a doubt my armor for the days when Satan would have me believe there is only sorrow and that God is not good.

Yes, today for me is an “ah-ha” moment! It is a moment when I recognize that reading God’s Word, hearing God’s Word, memorizing God’s Word, studying God’s Word, listening to music that is based on scripture, and yes, even praying God’s Word back to him are all ways that I can do my spiritual homework. What I put into my mind will either strengthen me or weaken me during days of discouragement and trouble. As believers, we are to think on things that are lovely and of good report. Those things a found in God's Word. 

Could it be that our loving God deliberately gives us all  prolonged moments of peace so that we can use that precious time of calmness to prepare for future trials? After all God knows the test that lies ahead and he loves us and wants us to be prepared and to succeed! How can you and I  trust a God that we are only slightly acquainted with? If we do not know the promises of God How can we trust in those promises? How can we receive strength from God’s Word if we have never read the Bible? Oh yes, for me, this is indeed an “ah-ha” moment!

In addition, I am reminded that each day I live I am one day closer to the return of Jesus Christ. What will be required of me between now and the time that Jesus returns for his church? In these disturbing times of trouble, without a doubt these semi-peaceful days are days for all of us to do our homework so that we will be able to withstand any test that may come our way! God cares about all that concerns us. At some point in the future, all of us will encounter a time when life will test us but we must remember that  God will be standing close by to see if we will lean upon him and his words during our time of testing. This day and every day God offers us amazing opportunities to prepare ourselves for the test ahead. We dare not neglect doing our homework.

Questions:

1. How much time do you spend reading, hearing, or memorizing God’s Word?

2. When do you most often seek God? In times of peace and blessing or in times of trouble and distress?
3. Do you have enough of God’s Word hidden in your heart to carry you through a time of trouble?

4. How can you implement a homework plan that will teach you more and more about God’s Word?

5. Do you see the value in using peaceful times to prepare your heart for a time of testing?

6. Do you see that knowing what God’s Word says will better equip you to trust God and fight Satan in times of trouble?

Special Note:

Do not despair if you have trouble memorizing God’s Word. Memorizing God's Word, word for word, chapter and verse is always good to do but that is not the only way to hide his Word in our heart. When we repeatedly read God’s Word  much of what we read will be retained even if it is paraphrased. We will also begin to remember the principles that are found in  God's Word. We will hide his laws and his commands in our heart as well. 

For example you may not know word for word that John 3:16 KJV says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” But you do know and understand the message of that scripture. You know that God’s Word teaches that God loved this world so much that he sent his only Son, Jesus to die so that we would not have to die for our sin. We know that if we confess that we are a sinner and believe in God’s Son and his sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sin we will live eternally with God because of his gracious free gift of salvation.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Your Word is an amazing gift that you have given to me. I pray that I would use the peaceful times in my life to better equip myself for difficult days that may be ahead. Father for those who are in the middle of times of stress, sorrow, and despair I pray that they will find strength from your Word and that those words will comfort and sustain them during their time of testing. Give them insight and understanding as they read and recall your Word. I pray that they would feel your love and comfort. God, I am challenged today to learn more and more of what your Word teaches. I pray that I will hide your Word deep in my heart and store up in my mind your thoughts. Help me to be diligent about doing my homework now so that I might not sin against you during days of adversity. You have told us that in this world we will have trouble but you Father have overcome the world. I thank you Lord for your holy Word that will help me to also be an overcommer.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Holiness that Glorifies the One Who Is Holy

“for it is God who works in you to will and
to act according to his good purpose.”
Philippians 2:13 NIV

Today the garden is chilly but my spirit is warm. Most of the summer flowers have faded and have been cut back. Only marigolds, mums, asters, and lantana grace the garden pathways. Pumpkins and gourds continue to add fall color as they wind their vines among the shrubs and trail out into open spaces looking for sunshine. Ornamental cabbages, one of my personal favorites, are scattered about. Red Nandina berries splash exclamation points of praise throughout the garden. The trees are beautiful as they parade their autumn fedoras and bonnets of red, yellow, burgundy, and gold splendor. I look up and through the parting of the trees I observe the cloudless blue autumn sky that is about as perfect as the sky can be! I wonder if perhaps, this feast of nature could be a glimpse of God’s shadowed holiness. Like Moses, I am far too frail to look into the face of his holiness! Nonetheless, this shadow of his holiness fills my heart and then spills over with the amazing pleasures that are poured out this day in the form of autumn glory. Oh that my life would in some way glorify the One who is holy!

I look up and there he is, the Master Gardner. He puts his loving arm around my shoulders and reminds me that sanctification is that divine process that changes me and replaces my imperfections with His holiness. These changes in my life are designed to bring glory to the Father. I remain quiet as I meditate on the fact that God in his infinite wisdom has chosen to move me along in my earthly faith walk little by little. I am quite confident that if God poured into me all of his holiness in one huge dose, this jar of clay would certainly explode! That may be exactly why a new heavenly body is required so that I might contain the whole of his holiness. “So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown in a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.” 1 Corinthians 15:42-44 NIV

God does not force holiness on me. He wants and desires my participation in the process of sanctification. If I refuse to participate I continue to walk in darkness. If I reject this deep satisfying relationship with God I also sit myself up for temptation and failure. In addition, I rob myself of spiritual blessings such as joy and peace as I face my everyday challenges and trials.

Walking with Jesus reminds me of the scenario of friendship. How far would I get in a new friendship if I refused to spend time with that person? How lonely would my life be if I continued to shut friendship out of my life? Who would be my sounding board as I face the challenges of life? Who would I experience laughter and happiness with as I celebrate the happy times in my life? We need people in our life, but God’s Word says that Jesus is a friend above all other friends. Jesus is a friend that sticks closer than any friend or brother. Proverbs 18:24 So why would I deliberately choose to ignore the presence of Jesus Christ in my life? Why would I hold his friendship at bay? My lack of interest in spiritual things and my Savior pushes him away. He doesn’t leave, but there is no relationship, no fellowship, no spiritual growth, and no chance for his holiness to develop and perfect my spirit. When this happens my character speaks loud and clear. Self-interest is the most important priority and that leaves very little time for the lover of my soul.

I wonder if a better understanding of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made when he willingly laid down his life for us would make a difference in the lives of believers. I wonder if becoming more aware of the huge price that Jesus paid for our sin could possibly move us to surrender, love, and obey him more. My clueless heart often leaves me responding outwardly but never bowing my heart in complete selfless submission to my selfless Lord. Worst of all, at times I find myself so busy and preoccupied with myself that I am unaffected, aloof, and desensitized to the enormeous price Jesus paid. I am embarrassed to admit that there have been times in my life that Jesus on the cross has been nothing more to me than a holy religious icon.

But the good news is that if we seek to know Jesus Christ more, there will be moments when we do get a greater glimpse of the lavish love that God has shown to you and me. For me these glimpses of Christ’s sacrificial love somehow starts to bring about more mental awareness of my need for additional changes to be made in my heart. It is in those brief moments of divine comprehension that God shows me his love, his mercy, and his grace. It is a fact that during those times of enlightenment I do find a greater need to be obedient to my Savior. It is my heart’s desire not to ever loose sight of what God has done for me. This world is full of distractions but I must stay focused on Jesus. This requires daily reflection as I ask this one simple question, “God, why are you so good to me?”

Jesus is always waiting for me in the garden but I must willingly choose to go to the garden and allow Jesus to help me correct, change, and remove the sinful behavior in my life. I must choose to give Him the pieces of my heart that cripple, paralyze and defeat me. I must choose to allow Jesus to mold me into His image. Someday I will meet Jesus face to face and when I do I want to hear him say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”

Holiness is not a suggestion it is a command and it is necessary. In all honesty when I sought sanctification as a once and for all second work of grace that would make me perfect in word, thought, and deed I lived a troubled life. My spirit was void of joy because I was chasing a carrot that would never be within my grasp. The side effect of this misery was fear. I saw all of my efforts for godly perfection as nothing short of continual spiritual failure. But when God in his mercy showed me that sanctification was a life long process I was filled with hope and joy. It is during daily prayer time that I embrace my salvation and feel God's arms of love.  Reading God’s Word daily allows the Holy Spirit to speak to my spirit. This daily time alone with God begins the sanctification process for that day. You see, God is changing me one day at a time and in this process I experience his peace and joy even in the midst of difficulty. When I take time to daily sit in the garden with Jesus my attitudes change, healing occurs, challenges are accepted, and burdens are lifted.

I love walking with God in a relationship that has provision for my failures, yet requires me to be accountable for my actions. I treasure God’s grace for me. God knows that I am dust and his grace in my life covers my human frailty and his blood covers my sin. I know that I am accountable for all of my choices but what personal joy it is to hear Jesus whisper in my ear, “Paula, get up, it’s OK, come higher, trust me, you can do it, take my power, accept my grace.”

Because of God’s grace and mercy I am falling deeper and deeper in love with Jesus everyday. Obedience and trust are always issues in my life that never seem to go away. But now I see those obstacles as opportunities to draw me closer to my Savior. Holiness was once a word that filled me with fear but now it is a word that is one of the sweetest words I know because God’s grace allows me to embrace holy living simply because I love Jesus and he loves me. It is no longer something that I must attain. It is no longer about me but totally about Him! It is God who works in me to develop my character for his glory. When each individual act of divine work is done, God pours into my life the type of holiness that glorifies only him, the One who IS holy.

Questions:

1. Do you sense that God is changing you through the process of sanctification?

2. Have you noticed that you respond to life differently than you did before you knew Jesus Christ as your Savior?

3. Are you consciously making an effort to deepen you friendship with Jesus Christ through daily reading his Word and prayer?

4. Have you sensed that you are falling deeper in love with Jesus?

5. What are the fruits of your life that reflect this inward change?

6. Do you feel the nudging of the Holy Spirit calling you to come higher?

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father,

Oh how I desire to fall deeper and deeper in love with you! I pray that this love will cause spontaneous grace, love, and obedience to flow out of my life. Lord, I thank you that you are at work in my life and that all of your ways are designed according to your good purposes for my life. God, I confess that sometimes it doesn’t feel that way. Many times I do not understand what you are doing in my life. Father, you already know that I am not always thankful for difficult circumstances in my life, but I am trying to be thankful for what you are helping me to become as a result of my trials. I pray that you will continue to do the work of sanctification in my life as walk in a close personal relationship with you everyday. I pray that through prayer and the reading of your Word I will learn how you think. How I desire to have the mind of Christ as I walk the path of holiness. I pray that my life will glorify you, the One who is holy.

In the name of Jesus I pray. Amen.

Rag Doll Holiness

…“because by one sacrifice

he has made perfect forever

those who are being made holy.”

Hebrews 10:14 NIV

Yesterday I found myself outside of the garden. There was not a whole lot of time for meditating on scripture and prayer. My hubby was pressing me to hurry up because he was anxious to get an early start. Our destination for the day was the Blue Ridge Parkway. This time of year the mountains and the hills break forth in singing as the trees flaunt their fall foliage. This crisp autumn day was calling our names! I barley had time to grab my travel mug of coffee as I exited the door.

 

God is the faithful hound of heaven. He is always pursuing me even when I am in a rush! God had big plans for me as we drove the winding roads of the parkway. Each overlook was more beautiful than the last. You see, God is everywhere. He speaks. We learn. We process. We worship! Today was to be one of those days.

 

Through the magnificence of God’s creation I begin to see his perfect holiness. He is holy because there is none like him. He is holy because he is perfect in every way. He is holy because he is sinless. As I reflect on this truth, I remember that my holy God commands me to be holy because he is holy. God’s holiness is not unattainable by my human effort but it is always attainable through God’s power and my cooperation with that power. It is a joint endeavor between me and God. I have found great joy in participating in the process which allows me to taste of his holiness. This has not always been the case in my life.

 

In my early Christian life I was taught that without holiness no man shall see God and I believed that the word holiness was synonymous with perfection. I was also taught that after you become a Christian you then seek a second work of grace and it was that event that made you perfect. Now that may not have been the intent, but that was the way I perceived what I was taught. However, I just couldn’t seem to wrap my arms around this perfect holiness. In all honesty, knew I was NOT perfect! Yet, I kept trying to acquire this one time experience called holiness. I kept seeking the gift instead of the giver of the gift. I lived in constant fear that I would die without holiness and I was fearful I would never see the Lord! This was devastating to me because I loved the Lord! I believed that my lack of holiness canceled out my salvation. So my prayers were, God save me, God, forgive me, God sanctify me, God save me, God forgive me, God sanctify me, prayed over and over again. It is only by the grace of a God who never gave up on me that I didn’t give up on him! You see, God promises us that if we seek him, we will find him! 2 Chronicles 15:2

 

During those frustrating years I reminded myself of a “rag doll” that was limp and weak as water. There were no spiritual bones in my body that could support my wilting legs of failure. As I tried to attain that which was attainable I was filled with fear, void of joy, and worn out. To add to my confusion, there were those who testified of having obtained this holiness, but for me it remained illusive. During my search for perfection, I observed that those who had somehow managed to reach this level of spirituality, often behaved no better than me. When I was wearing this judgmental hat I observed that some of these folks seemed to behave far worse. Although actions and words seem to speak for themselves, the truth was, I did not know their hearts so I accepted their confession of holiness while I continued to find myself troubled, dissatisfied, and lacking. I attributed my “rag doll” failure as my own lack of faith. I took full responsibility for the fact that I couldn’t get it right. Most of the time, each fresh new attempt at attaining holiness usually failed before I made it home from church.

 

Then God in his mercy and grace taught me about holiness. I first had to learn what holiness was NOT! Holiness was NOT adhering to a list of do’s and don’t. Holiness was NOT doing good works. Holiness was NOT a second work of grace that came in one complete package. Holiness was NOT being perfect. Holiness was NOT something that I could attain through my own effort. Holiness was NOT living my Christian life in fear and trembling. I believed with all my heart that a Christian should be full of joy!

 

God taught me that holiness IS something that God and I will work on until the day I die. I began to realize that holiness IS becoming sensitive to the voice of the Holy Spirit and then following that prompting by choosing to obey God one prompting at a time. Holiness IS falling in love with Jesus to the point that I get up in the morning and choose Jesus over and over again all day long everyday. Salvation IS already mine but sanctification IS walking in a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I must choose his words, his example, his friendship, his love, his joy, his peace, his patience, his kindness, his goodness, his faithfulness, his gentleness, his example of self-control, and his grace for my life every minute of the day. Do I do this perfectly? Absolutely not! Should I keep trying to do this better? Absolutely yes!

 

Pursuing holiness IS my work of obedience as I respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, who IS already in my life! If that fact is not true, then I must sever the Trinity into three separate pieces. But God’s Word teaches that God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit are One. How can one part of God enter my life and the others stay behind?

 

God then taught me the good news that I would not be perfect but not to worry, he has that covered too! When I experience failure in my walk with the Lord, what I have to do is to pick myself up, brush myself off, and start all over again. Praise God, the free gift of salvation was and is still mine, but sanctification was and still is a process whereby I must hold myself accountable every day. I learned that because of my sinful nature my flesh and spirit would struggle every day and because I am not yet in my perfect glorified body, I will still experience sinful thoughts, attitudes, and behavior in this life. This is not the same sin that separated me from my Creator. It is the sin in my daily life that clouds my relationship with Jesus; it dulls my witness, confuses my thinking, and causes me to take my eyes off of Jesus. When this occurs, the sin MUST be confessed and cleared up! In this life I must be accountable for my sinful behavior if I am to live an effective Christian life.

 

I praise God that I am currently an active participant in the school of sanctification. I am being made holy! …“because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.” Hebrews 10:14 NIV I began to learn the more I love Jesus the more I want to please him. Out of my love and desire to please Jesus flows my accountability, my trust, my obedience, and my faithfulness. Gone are my days of fear.

 

I am amazed at the mystery of how God works when I choose to be obedient. God uses simple obedience as an instrument to transmit his shinning glory onto the pathway of others. When I choose to exhibit Christ like characteristics in all that concerns me, people see Jesus, not me, and that, my friend, is holiness! It is the holiness garment of Jesus Christ that covers my filthy rags. That is the stuff that stiffens the legs of this “rag doll” and keeps her walking the path with Jesus. That is what keeps me in joyful pursuit of holiness. My obedience brings glory to the only perfect one, Jesus Christ. Two bi-products of holy living are peace and joy! Even on my worst day and in my darkest hour, God is able to give me his peace and joy. As believers, all we have to do is take those wonderful gifts from his loving hands. Peace and joy are the perks of daily walking with Jesus in the way of holiness. I am so glad that God commands us to walk the joyful path of holiness not the path of perfection.

 

Questions:

 

1. When it comes to pursuing holiness do you relate to feeling like a rag doll? (Sorry men, how about being a powerless super hero?)

2. Do you believe that holiness is perfection? Why or why not?

3. Do you believe that holiness is a process whereby God enables you to partake in His holiness?

4. When will holiness be a completed work in your life?

Prayer:

Dear Jesus,

Today I stand in the shadow of your holiness. My life cannot contain the full measure of holiness that you have for me. Help me Lord to walk daily with you in pursuit of joyful holy living. I thank you that I am “being made” holy. How I long for that day when your perfect holiness will also be mine. Until that day, I thank you for the privilege of being a partaker in you holiness. Jesus, I want to fall deeper and deeper in love with you so that my obedience will overflow out of my love for you. Just as Mary washed your feet with expensive perfume and dried your feet with her hair, I too, desire that to be my response. Spontaneous worship and love that is lavishly poured out on you my Lord. Jesus, I know that you desire the sweet perfume of obedience from all your children. True holiness is allowing you to help this struggling mind of mine to overcome daily my fleshly struggle to do things my way. True holiness is choosing to walk in your Spirit rather than following the desires of my fleshly will. How do I do this? Could it be it is as simple as one “yes Jesus” at a time, all day – every day.

It is in your sweet name I pray. Amen.

Pursuing Holiness

“But just as he who called you is holy,

so be holy in all you do, for it is written:

“Be holy, because I am holy.”

1 Peter 1:15-16 NIV

If you are still reading this blog, I have a pretty good idea that you are either seeking to know who God is or you have a desire to move forward in your  relationship with Jesus. You may be ecstatic or mildly curious regarding spiritual things, but regardless you are investigating Christianity and you are already walking toward God. You have ceased standing still! I want to encourage you to keep moving toward God even though you may not know exactly how to reach your destination. I promise you that God will lead you step by step as you seek to know him. God wants to show you how to live the abundant life he has for you.

If you are not a believer It is my prayer that you will embrace the fact that God loves you and realize that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. I want you to know that even if you were the only person in the entire world, Jesus Christ loves you enough that he would still have died for you alone. By placing your simple faith in Jesus Christ and what he did for you on the cross, you will be forgiven of your sin. You will not be separated from God after death; instead you will live in beautiful fellowship with God for all eternity. This is an opportunity well worth taking! By placing your trust in Jesus Christ there is absolutely nothing to loose and everything to gain.

If you are a new believer I would encourage you to connect with other believers. You must begin to read God’s Word. There may be many things written in the Bible that you may not understand but there is much that you will be able to understand. Begin reading and read until God gives you understanding and reveals truth to your mind. You must pray. Prayer is merely talking to God as you would any close friend. Simply tell God you love him, confess your weakness, state your needs, offer your thankfulness for all he provides for you, and ask him to give you understanding and guidance. This is prayer.

I am becoming more and more aware that as a long time believer I must continually raise my personal bar of spiritual learning as I seek to know more about God and his ways. There is always more to be learned about surrendering my will to God’s will. There is so much to know about trusting God in all things and obeying God’s commands and heeding the promptings of the Holy Spirit in my life. I must commit to learning more about walking in a relationship with Jesus Christ everyday. I must not allow myself to become satisfied because there is so much to be learned and so much joy to be had after the learning of a new truth has accomplished its work. I am to obey God’s command, “But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do, for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.” 1 Peter 1:15-16 NIV

I believe that learning and personal obedience to what God is teaching me is the pathway to living a holy life. It has been my experience that understanding comes to believers in bits and pieces. God reveals his truth when our heart is ready to receive a new truth. It is the Holy Spirit that reveals to us knowledge that is found in the Word of God. After we act in simple obedience regarding the Biblical truth we are presently learning, the Holy Spirit will then reveal to us more spiritual truth. Truth is revealed to us in steps. We will not receive new truth if the next truth requires that we act upon a truth we have already been given. In other words, there is no skipping over a truth that requires our obedience. At times I have felt stuck in my fellowship with Jesus. My Shepard kept me where I needed to be until I was ready and willing to move ahead. God’s truth always presents itself, the Holy Spirit gives understanding, and we must choose to obediently act upon the knowledge given. That is the path to holiness.

Here in the garden today, I am surrounded by the beauty of creation and I am reminded that God is everywhere. The diversity of his creation always speaks volumes to me when I witness God’s creativity and purposes in nature. I am thankful for the lake that edges the east side of my heart’s garden. Today as I sit on the bank of this lake I am entertained by two ducks swimming in delight! It is here that my heart opens up and my spirit connects to God. I watch a beautiful mallard leading the way and a not so beautiful duck swimming closely behind. That reminds me that I am that duck and I must follow closely behind my Heavenly Father, because he alone know the way of holiness.

The variety that is found in nature inspires me to see that God is not a god of boredom. Likewise, being a Christian is never boring! God makes sure of that. When we say goodbye to religion and open our heart to a personal, intimate, active relationship we Jesus Christ, a whole new world of joy explodes within our spirit. We are curious to learn, we are joyful regarding what we have already learned, and we begin to experience a desire to learn more. My friend this is NOT dull, uninteresting, or boring!

Sometimes I wonder, if God is holy and he wants me to be holy, shouldn’t he just zap lasers of holiness into my very being? That would be nice but it doesn’t work that way. Holiness is a joint effort. As I live my life I am bombarded everyday with the world’s values system vs. God’s value system. I am faced with ungodly attitudes and responses. I must choose God’s heart and God’s response in all things. If I want to choose holiness, I must choose not to sin. This is especially hard when at times I want to sin! I have to admit that at times I want to participate in sinful behavior. Sometimes I want to hoard, I want to look, I want to get even, I want to indulge, I want to listen, and I want to speak words that will put people in their place. I want to gossip! I must confess that when I choose to do it my way over the promptings and warnings of God, I become an active participant in sin. Those words and those actions are totally void of God’s beautiful holiness.

As a believer, I must be diligent in my continual quest to choose holiness but at the same time I must remember that holiness is a life long process. I will never completely attain perfect holiness this side of heaven. When I begin to surrender the unholy parts of my life to God, he then reveals to me yet another dark area of my heart that needs to be surrendered. Even though I have given my life to God, he still is in pursuit of my total heart. God wants my love, my loyalties, my attitudes, my words, my desires, and my strong will. Choosing holiness can be painful and extremely difficult because pain, sorrow, disappointments, abuse, misunderstanding, greed, control, anger, and fear tries to attach themselves securely in my mind. Sometimes my emotions get the best of me. But God will always makes a way of escape if we look to him and ask for his help. It is God’s will that we become an overcommer. Choosing to walk away from sinful behavior and choosing the way of holiness is NOT impossible.

Without accepting Jesus Christ, every man and woman is hopelessly lost and eternally separated from God forever. God offers us an opportunity to get back to him and daily work at changing our sinful behavior. God has a plan.

Salvation – is the forgiveness of our sin.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3: 23 NIV

Sanctification – is a life long process that develops holiness within us.…“being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 NIV

Glorification – our glorification will take place when we enter heaven and the perfect robe of perfection is given to us for all of eternity.

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like him, as he is.”1 John 3:2 NIV

Our purpose in living this life is to love and enjoy God, to serve him as we minister to others, and to pursue holy living. Through us, God’s glory shines in a sinful world. Whereby, it is his magnificent glory, his holiness lived out in the lives of believers, that men and women, boys and girls become curious about our faith and are drawn to Him. We have no greater testimony than choosing to live holy and being prepared to share our story of faith and hope with others. Holiness is not a weird personal lifestyle. Holiness is living a life that is lived beautifully by loving God and loving others.

Questions:

1. Are you currently investigating salvation?

2. Does it surprise you to learn that God has a plan for your life?

3. Are you a believer that is struggling with continued sinful behavior?

4. Are you wondering why you can never seem to get it holy living right

5. Does knowing that sanctification is a process encourage you?

6. Does pursuing holiness seem like a job or a joy?

7. How would falling deeper in love with Jesus help you become better at making holy choices?

8. Does the thought of glorification make you smile?

Prayer:

Dear Jesus,

I pray that you would place a desire in my heart to walk closer to you. I want to love you so completely that obeying you would be my first response. Jesus, I admit that sometimes I struggle with obedience. Forgive me when I allow my selfish will to get in the way of your holy will for my life. Heavenly Father, I am so grateful that you are giving me your joy as I pursue walking with you on the pathway of holiness. And yes, the thought of glorification does make me smile. It is my blessed eternal hope! Thank you Jesus.

In your name I pray. Amen.

Putting Your Big Toe On The Line

“He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John 3:30 AKJV

Today I am walking in the garden. Fall is the time when the apples are ready for the picking and pies are ready for the baking. As I stroll up to my garden’s apple orchard, which is located in the center of my heart’s garden, my mind goes back many years to another garden. Eve too stood before an apple tree. God did not suggest that she refrain from eating from the tree of good and evil. However, God did explicitly say in no uncertain terms, “Do NOT eat from the tree of good and evil.” Yet, there she was standing before the tree, gazing at the beautiful apples and all the while imagining the sweet taste of the delicious apple.

Maybe Eve considered just picking the apple and putting it in her pocket so that she could enjoy looking at it any time she wanted to. Okay, I know she didn’t have a pocket, I’m just saying…she might have…if she did have one. Eve might have reasoned that God had said, "do not eat", but he did not say, "do not pick" the apple. The thought of picking the apple might have gradually become more and more appealing to Eve. Perhaps she toyed with the idea that she would just walk around the garden and run  her hand over the smooth peel. Maybe she would just  hold the apple up to her nose so that she could smell its sweet aroma. If she had done all of those things she might have also said to herself, “so far so good.” Some would say that she was simply window shopping. Others might say that she had her big toe on the line.

Flirting with an opportunity to sin is very risky. It is a very dangerous line to have our big toe on! As we know, Eve crossed the line and now the picking, the rubbing, and the smelling progressed into full blown sin. After the first sweet crunch, Eve may have thought, so far so good. But the moment she swallowed that very first bite that delicious apple immediately turned sour in her stomach as she swallowed the apple of disobedience.

I remember that when I was a child my mother would accuse me of putting my big toe on the line. I would get as close as I could to disobedience without disobeying. This was very upsetting to her and she usually verbalized a very stern warning. The funny thing is that when I had children, they dared to do the same exact thing. Putting their big toe on the line was a common occurrence in our household. Who would have ever guessed that now my grandchildren do the same exact thing! Does the human spirit so desire disobedience that this desire repetitively passes from generation to generation as far back as our original mother Eve? We so desire to have our own way, to be in charge, to be what we consider wise, that we choose to disobey. Time and time again we walk up to the line that God has drawn and place our big toe on the line. We wonder just how much we can get away with before we find our self in the position of compromise. We must never underestimate compromise because it is just a heartbeat away from the shameful sin of willful disobedience.

Today I am looking up at the apples that are hanging from the graceful branches of the apple trees and then I look down and stare at the dusty pathway. I bend over and draw a line in the dirt. My next move is to place my big toe on that line. This object lesson is clear. The Master Gardener comes up from behind and startles me a bit. Jesus roles his eyes at me and says, “Paula, you know this is not the way to holiness and then he walks away.” That’s it! No additional warnings or threats of what will happen if I cross the line. Why doesn’t he just grab me and pull me away? Instead, he walks away and clips a rose for the lapel of his robe. Hmmmm! Really, I guess that puts the "apple" in my court. I can pick the apple off the tree or I can choose to walk away. As I back off I decide to sit for awhile on the bench and ponder today’s garden lesson.

My first thought is I really don’t know much about holiness nor can I claim very much progress in my life as a result of applying what I have occasionally learned. My life continues to be full of opportunities to practice obedience to the voice of God. I always have many occasions to willingly choose to jointly work with God as he works to change me from the inside out. I know that if I am to walk the path of holiness I must listen to the Holy Spirit, hear and heed his warnings. When I bow in obedience to the whisper of the Holy Spirit I am doing my part in the joint effort of God helping me to climb higher in my walk of faith. I hear the command. It is not a suggestion. It is a command directly from the mouth of God, “Be holy because I, the LORD your God, am holy.” Leviticus 19:2 NIV

One thing I know is that God expects me to walk in the way of holiness. God expects me to have high morals; God wants me to be a woman of integrity. God wants me to walk away from in sinful behavior and deliberately choose to obey his instructions. He wants me to practice less of me and more of him. John the Baptist said it well, “I must decrease, so he (Jesus) can increase.” I must choose to walk the path of holiness so that my life will bring glory to my Father in heaven.

I do not enter the quest for holiness void of instructions or example. The Bible is my guide book for living a moral life and Jesus Christ is my example of consistency in doing the will of the Father. As I pursue holiness I do not have the luxury of compromise. God demands simple obedience one issue at a time. The message is clear. I must decrease so God can increase. Less of my will and more of God’s will.

Why then is obedience so hard? In this life it is the never ending battle between my human flesh and my  spirit. I know what is right yet I choose wrong. I do this because I am self-centered instead of God-centered. It is plain and simple; sometimes I love my sin more than I love God.

Loveingly, the Master Gardner comes and sits beside me. I talk and he listens. I confess to him that I struggle with many self-centered thoughts. I admit to the Master Gardner that sometimes I am more interested in getting my own way than doing his will. I tell him that I know this behavior grieves him. I own up to the fact that at times I am flippant and I demonstrate a nonchalant attitude. Jesus, forgive me when I offend you in this way. Now my eyes fill with hot steamy tears and I say, “God, why can’t I have enough faith to accomplish holiness in my life?” Then God speaks and I listen. “Paula, my child, you do not accomplish holiness by drumming up faith. I accomplish holiness in you through your obedience. Sometimes this takes a great deal of effort on your part to walk away from temptation, or to pick up the right attitude, or to keep your mouth closed. You must call on my Holy Spirit for help in your time of need. You need to decrease in your self-centered ways so that I may increase in your life. I want you to be God-centered. I assure you my child that less of you will be more!”

I find comfort in knowing that God is so gracious. He does not seek perfection but he does look for improvement. I remind myself that man looks at my outward appearance and progress but God looks down deep into my heart. I also think it is possible that I may be too hard on myself. I am not to live defeated but rather walk in joy knowing that I am doing my best. I can always be better and do more but God knows when I am really pursuing holiness and he also knows when I am not the least bit interested. He also takes note when he sees my big toe on the line. Satan is also aware when I place my big toe is on the line. God hems me in and sets boundaries for a reason. It is his way of protecting me. Just like Eve, when I get to close to crossing the line I open myself up and set the stage for temptation to first beckon and then for failure to overcome me as I give in to crossing God’s line of protection. So the lesson to learn is DO NOT even think about putting your big toe on the line. Quickly turn in the opposite direction and run straight to Jesus!

Questions:

1. When was the last time your big toe was on the line?

2. Recall that situation. What happened?

3. Is your big toe on the line today?

4. Do you feel yourself flirting with compromise?

5. Has Satan showed up yet?

6. If you are a Christian who is pursuing holiness, what should you do?

Prayer:

Dear God,

I confess that  I am often tempted to put my big toe on the line. Today I find that I am tempted to flirt with compromise regarding _____________. I know that my reluctance to run away from temptation is because I really want what is on the other side of the line. There are many reasons why I want to cross the line. Sometimes I am angry and I want to get even, Other times I am hurt and I want to hurt back. Often I am tempted to satisfy my lustful appetite for ______________. Father, I shamefully admit that at times I love my sin more than I love you. God, when a compromising thought enters my mind please help me to run from the sinful temptation straight to you. Father, I do desire for there to be less of me and more of you. Thank you God that victory can be mine because your Holy Spirit lives within me and you have said that greater is he that lives in me, then he (Satan) that is in this world. Help me Lord to pursue holiness one "yes Jesus" at a time as I endeavor to be obedient to your boundaries of protection.

It is in the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen