Posted in Hiding His Word

Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart – Philippians 4:7

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The Holy Spirit offers a means of letting us know the will of God. He guides us through His peace. Philippians 4:7 says:

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

Peacea state of mutual harmony between people or groups; cessation of or freedom from any strife or dissension; freedom of the mind from annoyance, distraction, anxiety, obsession

Keepto hold or retain in one’s possession

The Greek word that is translated “keep” is “phroureo.” It is used in the New Testament in a literal sense of a military guard stationed at the gates of a city to prevent invasion or to keep the inhabitants from fleeing in fear and being captured and killed by the enemy.

“Phroureo” is also used to describe the activity of the Holy Spirit in watching over and guarding believers to preserve them so that they may attain the blessings by doing the will of the Father. That is how it is being used in this verse. It is a “spiritual warfare” kind of word.

Before I became a Christian, I would describe my inner condition as fearful (or full of fear). I was generally scared of almost everything. People, finances, family, and my future. I was afraid of what was, what ifs, what could be. I was never at peace and had no idea what peace was like. I knew others who did not live that way, but I felt this was who I was meant to be and I needed to just come to terms with it.

Some people are bound by spirits of fear and will not be at peace until they are free. Deliverance from spirits of fear seems necessary for some to be able to really know the peace of God. I was one of those.  The day I received Jesus Christ as my Savior, was delivered of fear, and baptized in the Holy Spirit, everything changed instantly. At 46 years old, I was at perfect peace for the first time in my life, and it did surpass all of my understanding. I could not even explain peace, but I knew it immediately. It was a brand-new experience for me.

Within a few years of experiencing peace, I became somewhat adjusted and familiar with the peace of God, so I didn’t think a lot about it unless it disappeared. I don’t mean that I necessarily became over-anxious again. I just became aware that I was not feeling the peace of God at that moment. When that happened, I would stop what I was doing and pay serious attention to the Lord who would then show me what to do or what not to do. The guiding and the peace always hinged on the attention I gave.

Over the years, there have been quite a few decisions that I made as the Holy Spirit “guarded” me with His peace. For that reason, I truly have come to trust His peace. I wish I could say I have always stopped in my tracks and given  my full attention when my peace disappeared. I can’t say that at all…but I can say that I have always regretted not heeding the peace of God. Thankfully, we can learn from mistakes and forgiveness is real. Thank you so much, Jesus!

Posted in Hiding His Word

Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart – Psalm 37:23-24

D300F698-C069-4F5D-810E-0EFE69A4999AThe steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand.”‭‭ ~ Psalms‬ ‭37:23-24‬

Just like a giraffe has a higher vantage point than the turtle, our Father whom we trust in has the ability to see farther and beyond our present vision and circumstances. God sees where we are, what we need, and where He wants to take us. When we fall He picks us up and makes a way for our restoration. He is a God that loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to die for you and for me. He gave us the Holy Ghost to be our counselor and mentor. He gave us His Word so that His will and plan could be always before us to guide our lives. He gave us prayer so that we always have direct access to Him.

His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts though we should desire they be, looking more and more like Jesus every day. His ways, thoughts, plans and view are eternal. Through relationship with Jesus Christ given to us by our surrender to and confession of Jesus as our Lord and Savior we too can have life eternal. We too can be guided step by step, hour by hour, day by day….knowing this – ordered steps are eternal steps.

Order our steps today, Lord, and help us to see things from Your eternal point of view.

Posted in Hiding His Word

Thy Word Have I Hid in My Heart – Ruth 2:2-3

 

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Ruth the Moabitess said unto Naomi, Let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace. And she said unto her, Go, my daughter. And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers: and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.”‭‭ ~ Ruth‬ ‭2:2-3‬

Ruth had no idea.. She didn’t just “happen” upon the field of Boaz who was kin to her deceased father-in-law, Elimelech. No, nothing just happens and truly God’s divine working in our lives is both a joy and a mystery. His plans are perfect.

God is constantly working with us to accomplish His purpose and plans.

And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.” ~ Mark‬ ‭16:20‬

God is constantly working in us  to accomplish His purposes and plans.

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” ~ Philippians‬ ‭2:12-13‬

God is constantly working for us to accomplish His purpose and plans.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” ~ Romans‬ ‭8:28‬

With us, in us, and for us He is constantly working.

We fast and pray, we Read His Word, we seek His will, and then we make decisions (and sometimes we mess it up and make bad decisions); but it is God who orders our steps and the steps of those we encounter. In a vision, Ezekiel saw the works and plans of God depicted by a throne set on a “firmament” that was moved by “ a wheel in the middle of a wheel” (Ezekiel 1:16).

We can’t explain all of that, but thank You, God we can believe it and rely on it!

——-

The phrase “wheel in the middle of a wheel” made me think of this song. Truly Jesus is my Rock, my Sword, my Shield…my Wheel in the Middle of the Wheel. He’s the Lily of the Valley, He’s the Bright and Morning Star!

Posted in Uncategorized

My Inheritance

He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom He loved. Selah.”  ~ Psalm 47:4

The Lord has been so gracious to allow me to be in His presence in places where He has chosen to show up through His signs, His wonders and His miracles. I know I am blessed and that He has used these times and situations to increase my faith. I have seen miracles of healing, miracles of food multiplied, I have experienced and seen deliverance from depression and anxiety and addiction. I long for the day that those that are God’s own children will not be as those from Jesus’ hometown, expecting so little and so receiving and seeing little of God’s power in their lives and communities.

I think so many think of God as sooooo familiar. Meaning they think they know all there is to know because they have sat in church and think they know all the stories. The Bible says though that the stories could fill volumes though so no way we could know them all. And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. John 21:25. Yes, in many ways God is familiar but in many, many more ways or probably most ways, He is a God that we can not define or put into our little box or our little human minds. He is infinite and yet reachable. He can reach out to the most scholarly yet has made His gospel simple enough for a very small child. He is a mystery and yet tells us He wants to be known. He is magnificent but humble; the Lion and also the Lamb.

After a wonderful Sunday where God moved through our pastors to give the Word, I am pondering today His call on my life and how to apply His Word. I know in part what God can do and am confident in the Word and that He can do infinitely more….but there are times when I wonder how it will all come to pass since I wasted so much of my life and talents and resources on temporal things and the roadblocks seem endless. Will I go to my grave reminding myself not to look back with regret? Will these roadblocks turn out to actually be the steps to what has been prepared?  Though I am a person that is pretty focused and committed still I wonder sometimes. I was thinking along these lines this morning and I felt my Father pose a question to me. He told me upfront that it was hypothetical but He told me to take it seriously nonetheless. The question was this…Excluding praise and worship, reading my Bible and prayer and excluding all otherhuman opinion, if I could do only ONE thing of service for Him all the rest of the days of my earthly life, what would I do and why?

It was early so I had the time at 4:30am to ponder these things, but it wasn’t necessary. I immediately knew my answer. If I could only do one thing of service — I would feed the hungry.  I know you think now I am talking feeding the hungry physically and spiritually but I am actually mostly talking in the physical.  I would feed the hungry real solid food and pray that God, in His mercy, would give me also opportunity and ways to feed them spiritually as He saw their need and mine.

Why?

Because long before He told me to preach or pray, He told me “you give them something to eat” from Matthew 14:16, Mark 6:19, and Luke 9:13. When God spoke this to me, it was one of the first times I ever heard God speak directly to me through His written Word. It stuck with me. On looking over these last years, I have found that from my obedience to“you give them something to eat”  has come most of the miracles, signs and wonders that I have been allowed to see and from obedience to that command, I have been given opportunity to share the Word and pray with people and I have been able to see people saved. Real true lasting fruit. From obedience to that command I have met people that live in their cars and in the woods and I have also met hungry ministers. I have been allowed to minister to those that have given their lives for the Gospel but found themselves being fed through my hand but in that moment of divine appointment (and I believe that is what it was), I found them there feeding me in such beautiful ways. Truly I tell you, from obedience to that command “you give them something to eat” I, myself, have been fed and sustained by God and have felt the presence and LOVE of GOD HIMSELF through them toward me. It was never just me allowing the love of God through me. He gave me love through them. 

I find myself now in a season where I am removed and separated at least for a time from that kind of ministry and there are days I grieve. Not because I miss a ministry but because I miss the people and what they brought into my life. I miss the faith that desperation brings into a people. I miss the mutual need. God transformed my heart of prejudice and gave me love and acceptance and compassion. He gave me understanding. In return so many of the people also accepted me and loved me back. For so many once a month I was friend or mama figure or prayer partner. They were daily in my prayers and that prayer created a bond. I look for them always when I drive the streets of Gastonia. I am so hopeful when I don’t see them out there. I made it a point to know their names and their children’s names and their situations and their hearts. I miss their hearts. I miss their hugs. I miss their stories. I miss how they bonded to others and how they helped their neighbors. They grabbed the concept we know as “church” so much better  than most. They were rich in ways I think few know. 

A verse that struck me this morning during those early hours with the Lord was this: Psalm 47:4, “He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom He loved. Selah.”  I have always loved that promise. I have always asked the Lord for the nations but my inheritance is His choice. When someone leaves you an inheritance it is their choice as to what they leave each person. The poor and the poor in spirit are my inheritance…this I know though I can’t fully explain all of what that means yet or how my wonderful Father wants me to take care of this precious gift he leaves me.

Selah! [pause, and calmly think of that]