Godly reverence

For He who is almighty has done great things for me - and holy is His name [to be venerated in His purity, majesty and glory]! And His mercy (His compassion and kindness toward the miserable and afflicted) is on those who fear Him with godly reverence, from generation to generation and age to age. Luke 1:49,50

Let's go on a bit of a word search today, what is godly reverence? The Australian Concise Oxford dictionary defines godly as 'religious, pious, devout,' and reverence as 'the act of revering', and revering as 'hold in deep and affectionate or religious respect.' So from my perspective I would interpret the phrase 'godly reverence' as 'devout deep and affectionate respect'.

What a challenge that is, especially in today's society when 'respect' is so often an unused or misused in many of our daily interactions. How do we show devout deep and affectionate respect to God? Three questions to specifically consider today...

What is in our heart that shows devout deep and affectionate respect to God?

How do our words show devout deep and affectionate respect to God?

How do our actions show devout deep and affectionate respect to God?

My prayer today is that at least once during this precious God-given day, I will show Godly reverence to Him, who is more than worthy. Why not make it your prayer too?

Taking a long deep breath

The Message bible says in Exodus 31:17, It is a fixed sign between me and the Israelites, Yes because in six days God made the heavens and the Earth and on the seventh day he stopped and took a long deep breath.

I don't pretend to understand how God made the heavens and the Earth, I just believe that He did. I don't pretend to understand how He felt at the end of those six days. 

The Amplified bible says for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth and on the seventh day He ceased and was refreshed.

In my little life I am quickly learning the value of taking a long deep breath, of ceasing and making time to be refreshed. Yesterday I had the opportunity to 'cease' for almost three hours, by way of sitting on a train, in a 'quiet carriage', listening, uninterrupted to worship music. It was a much needed time of reflection on how good God has been to me, how perfect His timing has been. It was a time of drawing strength from meditating on the character of God and getting a great understanding of His essence.

The wave of emotions that passed through me in those three hours of ceasing and taking a long deep breath were most interesting. Starting with a time of 'getting settled', then moving to grieve and despair as I reflected on my circumstances. Then, aided by the song Sing Along from Passion's White Flag album, the Holy Spirit lifted my faith and filled me with hope for the future. 

As I alighted the train almost three hours later I felt like a completely different person, assured of God's love and reminded of His faithfulness. How important it was to take that long deep breath. Again God's timing was perfect.

Question for today, when was the last time you ceased and took a long deep breath, taking time to reflect on God and His character? How did you feel after that time of rest? If you feel like you need to rest again now, why not ask God to help make a way for that time to happen for you?

Do this with humility and discipline

In the light of all this, here's what I want you to do. While I'm locked up here a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk - better yet, run! on the road God called you to travel. I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline - not in fits and start, but steadily, pouring yourselves our for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. Ephesians 4:1-3 The Message

What a challenge I felt this morning as I read this scripture, run on the road God has called you to, no strolling off, no fits and starts. That certainly is a challenge as other things in life can sometimes so easily become all consuming and distract us from the path God has called us to. 

The words 'humility' and 'discipline' really stood out for me, as two of the key character traits required to help one stay true to God's calling on your life.  As I started to ponder these two words and think about how difficult it can be to live a life exemplifying them, I felt God say to me, 'You don't have to strive in your own strength to be humble and disciplined, remember the fruit of the Spirit I have given to you.'

So my mind traveled to the scripture in Galatians 4:22, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience  kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (NIV)

This moment of revelation reminded me that God never asks us to do something that he hasn't equipped us for, or provided the help for us that we will need along the path. 

The Holy Spirit will help me to run on the road God has called me, and to run with humility and discipline, if I continually submit to His promptings. And that submission is another challenge for another day!

Yes, that is my prayer today, God, Thank you for providing all I need to stay on the path you have called me. Please help me to operate out of the fruit of the Spirit, so I do as you have called me to do, in the way you want me to do it.

Question for today, how are you travelling on the road God has called you to travel? Are you as humble and disciplined as you could be? Or are you like me, needing to constantly ask God for help to live out the fruit of the Spirit? Why not ask God for that help too?

Your eyes focused and clear

But I do more than thank. I ask - ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory - to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for Christians, oh, the utter extravagance of his work is us who trust him - endless energy, boundless strength. Ephesians 1:16-19

What a great prayer for us to offer up to Jesus, asking to keep our 'eyes focused and clear', so we can move into a closer relationship with God and gain insight into His plan for our lives and the inner character He is building in us to help us fulfill his purpose.

For me there used to be many many times in the day when my eyes were not focused and clear on the purposes of God. Rather they were focused and clear on the purposes of Wendy! This selfish focus would cause all sorts of problems, especially when I was less than considerate of the people around me, in order to achieve my purposes! 

However, thankfully for me (and those around me), times have changed as I have begun to understand God's grace, and learn how to live out of grace, and extend grace to those who live life with me. I thank God that He is slowly making me more 'intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally', helping me to knowing and understand His amazing grace.

Of course there are still times when I am focused on the purposes of Wendy, but the more discernment I have about God, the more I recognize the nudge of the Holy Spirit, gently saying, 'whose purpose are you focusing on now?' 

Thankfully most times nowadays I stop and listen to that nudge, and check back in with God regarding my actions. When I do stop and listen, and often alter my plans in response, I find that I have the 'endless energy, boundless strength' that I need to complete the plans. I thank God that He always knows best.

Question for today, what are your eyes focused and clear on?  Do they need adjusting, if so, ask God to help you to be intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally. 

Interceding in behalf of all the saints

Ephesians 6:18 says 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).

When it comes to prayer I have been both a giver and a very grateful receiver. Prayer is so vital to my well-being. I praise God, my heavenly father, that He is always available to listen to my prayers and He knows exactly what to do! In great contrast to myself, when our children want to ask me some things, I am not always available, and certainly I do not always know what to do! 

Regarding praying for other people, sometimes it can be "obvious" what they need prayer for. Either through a specific request for prayer, or a conversation with them might reveal a circumstance that requires prayer.  

Sometimes it is the whisper of the Holy Spirit in the middle of the night, or when I am hanging out the washing, that says, 'pray for this person'. In most instances nowadays I recognize the Spirit's voice. However I have no idea why or what to pray, so I immediately start to pray in the Spirit. Often once I start praying in the Spirit, a specific word, such as 'peace', or 'wisdom' will come to mind. I claim that word over that person's life, in Jesus Name. If it is a reasonable time of day, I might even text the person to say, "praying for you" and give them the word that God has given me for them. 

When I next see the person I was prompted to pray for, it sometimes transpires that there was a need for prayer and encouragement at that specific time the Holy Spirit prompted me to pray.  I get so excited when I hear that, as it reminds me how God can use us, if we make ourselves available to Him. What a network of support if we would have if we always listened and obeyed the promptings of the Holy Spirit to pray for others.

A couple of challenges for us all, are we available to hear the Holy Spirit?  Are we being obedient to the promptings of the Holy Spirit to pray for those He puts on our hearts?

God's weapons

For a number of years now it seems that my life has been played out on a battleground, with attacks in many different ways, but all coming from one source, the Devil. These attacks have not been minor inconveniences. Oh no, they have been of major proportions ranging from having a daughter with cancer, to the challenges of helping my husband to keep a business viable in today's economy.

There has been many a time when I have asked God, "When will this all end and we can go back to our pleasant little life we had 5 years ago?" So far I haven't gotten a specific answer to that question! The response I have received however, has been, "keep seeking Me, keep reading My Word, keep spending more time with Me, keep trusting Me, keep putting Me in the driver's seat of your life. Don't give up on Me."

I have had little choice other than to do exactly what God has told me to do. Everyday I make that choice to spend time with God in the morning before I start on my list of jobs. In fact, I ask Him what I need on that list, and what can go! It is then with confidence that I can go about my day, knowing that I have at least started it the right way. Sometimes by the end of the day everything is more than a little pear-shaped, but that's okay. I just get up again the next day, spend more time with God and start again!

Getting back to the idea of life being a battleground, as I was reading this scripture a few days ago, it reminded me of the daily fight we face, and just how important it is to have God in the driving seat of your life. 

And that about wraps it up. God is strong, and he wants you strong. So take everything the Master has set out for you, well-made weapons of the best materials. And put them to use so you will be able to stand up to everything the Devils throws your way. This is no afternoon athletic contest that we'll walk away from and forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.

Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. Ephesians 6:10-18 (The Message) 

I pray that this scripture will encourage you to seek God through His word and prayer. He is the only option.

Who or what has first place in your life?

Here is a question to ponder today, Who or What has first place in your life? 

I found myself asking that question as I was reading my bible this morning, reading 1 John 5:21

Little children, keep yourselves from idols (false gods) - [from anything and everything that would occupy the place in your heart due to God, from any sort of substitute for Him that would take first place in your life]. Amen (so let it be). (AMP)

The New Living Translation simply says, 

Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your heart.

Sometimes our lives get so cluttered with things that we think are imperative. Imperative that we "have this". Imperative that we "do this".  But are these things really so important in the big scheme of thing? Are they taking up space in your heart and mind that is meant to be filled with the things of God?

Sometimes I get despondent about various parts of our house that could do with renovating. Thoughts of how the house could be different and what we could do about it start to consume my mind. This "project" becomes top of mind for the day. As soon as I wake up i am writing down ideas about what improvements can be made that day.

And then I feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit as He reminds me that firstly Jesus didn't have a magnificent home here on earth that He spent hours getting 'just right', but rather He focused completely on doing God's will. And secondly the Holy Spirit reminds me that there are many many people in this world who barely have a room to live in, let alone a 4 bedroom house. The Syrian refugees come to mind this morning. 

I then realise that "our house" has subtly taken first place in my life. It has consumed my mind and heart. It is time to ask forgiveness and put Jesus back into first place in my life!

The question for today, who or what has first place in your life today?