Missing Something?

Have you ever been fascinated  by optical illusion art?  One of my favorite illusion paintings is "Pintos" by Bev Doolittle. It appears to be a beautiful winter scene on a snow splotched rocky hillside but hidden within the scene if you look closely are 7 pinto horses. Beautiful! I love horses. This painting reminds me of the many things God is doing often right in front of my face but I am distracted by my circumstances and don't see.  When Job told the Lord in chapter 42 verse 5, “My eye see You,” he was not saying that he saw God physically. He was referring to the moment when he had a personal revelation of God.  Without a personal revelation of God, the enemy can easily rob pieces of your life from you as you dwell captivated by the circumstance that grip you.

2 Kings 6:15-17 "When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. 'Oh, my lord, what shall we do?' the servant asked. 'Don't be afraid, ' the prophet answered. 'Those who are with us are more than those who are with them.' And Elisha prayed, 'O Lord, open his eyes so he may see.'  Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha."

 

Those verse from within the infamous Chariots of Fire second chapter of Kings (2 Kings 6:8-23) really encourage those who feel like the enemy has you surrounded and is moving in for the kill.  They definitely had some bad circumstances going on but the prophet Elisha sees things hidden to others... God's army is present and is stronger than satan's forces. 

A pearl to string: Why did Elisha see the Lord's army when others could not see it?

I'm thinking when one walks close with the Lord they are given eyes to see what is ordinarily invisible. Personal revelation from God is the very best protection on earth.  You may feel like the servant of Elisha who saw only the massed forces of the enemy which cause you to feel fearful and defeated.  Lift your eyes -- there is a mighty heavenly host waiting for your eyes to open and see the battle is the Lords,

We are safely in His care,

                                   Lyndi

GOT A MAD GOING ON?

  “For every minute you are angry
you lose sixty seconds of happiness.”
 
“Speak when you are angry – and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.”  Dr. Laurence J. Peter

When you are angry, your body reacts just like it does to stress. It prepares for fight or flight.  Chemicals are released into your bloodstream. These powerful chemicals cause your body to undergo extreme changes. Your heart beats faster to pump increased oxygen, adrenaline, and sugar into your bloodstream.  Breathing begins to increases and blood is detoured away from the internal organs you don’t use in a fight and moves it to your muscles for strength. Your pupils dilate causing your vision to sharpen and your awareness intensifies.   Your rational mind is disengaged and your thoughts become distorted. You probably want to read that last statement a couple of times.  You may generate negative self- statements. You may begin to believe that no one cares or ever thinks about you. Negative thoughts usually serve to increase your anger. You are now in your anger attack mode and ready to fight. When you face real dangers in the world, this fight or flight response is invaluable to your survival, but when you are in a constant state of fight or flight day after day your health can begin to suffer. The powerful chemicals accumulate and make your body pay a price for being in a constant high energy state. Chronic anger suppresses the immune systems, can cause gastrointestinal problems such as irritable bowel syndrome and ulcers, it will affects your blood pressure and can lead to heart attacks and strokes.

The most common source of anger is frustration. Frustration occurs when you are blocked from doing what you want to do or from going where you want to go.  It is a feeling of helplessness and loss of control.

Another primary cause of anger is disappointment. You are disappointed when situations, events, or people, including yourself, do not meet the expectations you have for them. Threat to our sense of security is also a major cause of anger. Situations that threaten your security like doing poorly on an exam, losing your wallet, or encountering a problem you’re not prepared to deal with can leave you feeling vulnerable and angry.  The common thread that runs through all of these situations is another emotion, fear. These situations all result in the experience of fear. Anger is an emotion of fear. It is a defensive response to the feelings of helplessness and vulnerability that fear produces. While fear is a passive emotion with energy directed inward, anger is an aggressive emotion that allows you to direct energy outwards.

 A pearl to string: We cognitively interpret most of our life experiences; how we interpret a situation influences how much anger we might experience. Most often people try to justify their anger instead of taking responsibility for it but everyone experiences anger. The ability to express negative feelings in a constructive and positive manner is essential to positive spiritual, physical and mental health. 

 The anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. (James 1:20 ESV)  A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression. (Proverb 29:22 ESV) , “Those who control their anger have great understanding; those with a hasty temper will make mistakes.” (Proverbs 14:29 NLT).

It's good to count to ten and lean on the Lord

Know you are loved

                         Lyndi

In Between

If you are driving east on the Atlanta highway in Georgia you will pass thru a sleepy little bedroom community called Between Georgia. It has a mini population of 161, least a birth occurred in the last few hours. Perfectly named because it is halfway between Atlanta and Athens. Imagine if you will greeting a stranger at a plaza on that highway and asking where they are from. "I live in Between".... "In between what?" .... "In Between Georgia" .... "In between Georgia and what? LOL being in between anything can be perplexing. I can think of a lot of places I would not want to be in-between: for instance two angry people arguing, a rock rolling off a mountain, a tsunami, a bridge collapse, a wild fire, killer bees or the worst getting caught between my morning and my day without spending time with the Lord.

Morning? Genesis 28 we read that Jacob rose early in the morning to make a vow to God at Bethel.  God told Moses, “Be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto Mount Sinai.” David rose early in the morning for worship, prayer, and meditation. On the first Resurrection/Easter Sunday morning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the tomb where Jesus had been buried. And that’s where they met the risen Lord!

 Day! wake, shine  up, fix breakfast, drive kids, groceries, fix a flat tire, lunch meeting, run dog to vets, clean house, prepare dinner, make lunches for next day, pick up kids, take kids to practice, pick kids up from practice, serve dinner, clean kitchen, do laundry, over see homework, baths, pay bills, write notes to family and friends, read, watch TV, sleep...... and some people have to go to work facing highway traffic twice daily and contending with grouchy hungry people on the way back home. Yikes I sure wouldn't want to do that day in the nude. Without Jesus I am spiritually in the nude -

 A pearl to string: Where do you meet the risen Lord?  I meet Him at the first breath of dawn each morning before my feet hit the floor. The power of prayer does not depend on me or you but on the One who hears our prayers.

 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice (Psa. 5:3) You hear when good people cry out to you (Psa. 34:17) you bring joy in the morning (Psa. 30:5) Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul (Psa. 143:8) I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning (Psa. 59:16). Your steadfast love never ceases; your mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness (Lam. 3:22). For this is the day that you have made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psa. 118:24).   

And He loves you,

                        Lyndi         

A Sermon Walking

by David Langerfeld

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." (James 1:22).

In 1953, reporters gathered at a Chicago railway station waiting to meet the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize winner.  He was a big man, well over six feet tall, with bushy hair and a large mustache.

Reporters were excited to see him and expressed what an honor it was to meet him. Cameras were flashing, compliments were being expressed when, looking beyond the adulation, the visitor saw an elderly black woman struggling to carry her two large suitcases.

"Excuse me," he said as he went to the aid of this woman. Picking up her cases, he escorted her to a bus and then apologized to the reporters for keeping them waiting.

The man was Dr. Albert Schweitzer, the famous missionary-doctor who had invested his life helping poor and sick people in Africa.

A member of the reception committee remarked to one of the reporters, "That's the first time I ever saw a sermon walking." 

The measure of any man or woman is not their name, nor their fame, nor what they say, but what they do.  "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says!" (James 1:22)


"I'd Rather See A Sermon"
By Edgar Guest

I'd rather see a sermon

Than hear one any day;
I'd rather one should walk with me
Than merely tell the way.

The eye's a better pupil
And more willing than the ear,
Fine counsel is confusing,
But example's always clear;

And the best of all the preachers
Are the men who live their creeds,
For to see good put in action
Is what everybody needs.

I soon can learn to do it
If you'll let me see it done;
I can watch your hands in action,
But your tongue too fast may run.

And the lectures you deliver
May be very wise and true,
But I'd rather get my lessons
By observing what you do;

For I might misunderstand you
and the high advice you give,
But there's no misunderstanding
how you act and how you live.

And all travelers can witness
That the best of guides today
Is not the one who tells them,
But the one who shows the way.

Though an able speaker charms me
with his eloquence, I say,
I'd rather see a sermon
than to hear one, any day.

A Forever Never

This is such a mean, lonely world for so many.  There is much suffering going on around the world. Some of which I can not even fathom the depth or breadth.  With our grand forms of instant communication we stand witness to the poverty of life but living it is quite another matter.  Don't you just want to shout into the darkness of peoples suffering, "God can handle this for you... believe in Him, trust in Him, relax in Him".

Robert Strand, in his book, Especially for the Hurting Heart, has a wonderful discussion of Hebrews 13:5 in which we read these encouraging words: "God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you!"

Strand asks, "Whatever does never mean?"  He notes that in the original language "never" is really a compounding of five negatives. Not that each negative is added to another. Rather, each negative is multiplied by the other. According to Strand, it really should read, "I will never, no, not ever, no never leave you or forsake you!" It is a synergistic compounding negative. It's a forever never which has no exceptions!

Then he asks, "What does 'leave' mean?"  He says that in the original Greek it means "to leave behind, to abandon, to give up on, to send back."  Well then, so far our verse will read: "I will never, no not ever, no never leave you behind, abandon you, give up on you, or send you back!"

Finally he asks, "What does 'forsake' mean?"  In the Greek it means, "to leave one in a helpless state, to disregard." It also can be further expanded to include "not relaxing my watchfulness over you." To this point, then, says Strand, our verse, in the full, amplified version reads: "I will never, no not ever, no never give up on you, abandon you, leave you behind, cause you not to survive, leave you helpless, nor shall I ever relax concerning keeping my presence with you!"

A pearl to string: Just want to pray His peace into your loneliness, into your pain, pray His healing into your suffering and pray His love surround you completely for I have learned Jesus truly means: "I will never, no not ever, no never give up on you, abandon you, leave you behind, cause you not to survive, leave you helpless, nor shall I ever relax concerning keeping my presence with you!" Hebrews 13:5

May the words of His love comfort you.

You are loved.

                  Lyndi

A Gotchme Gotcha

Have you ever been offended?  The kind of offense that makes you shout, either in your head or out your mouth: "that's it, color me done" and you act on what your anger dictates?  Uh oh that would be a  "Gotchme gotcha".  Who can escape that question? Isn't it amazing how the devil uses our offenses and our "offendedness" to divide and conquer marriages, relationships, the court room, the work place, churches and even entire nations!

We've all witnessed good people using the "you've got 7 offenses before I start swinging" method of forgiveness. A nice try at forgiveness of offenses before "offendedness" sets in. God's Word  reminds us to forgive 70 times 7.....(forgive 490 times) but even that could occur in less than a week these days.  We are living in highly offensive times.  We are not careful enough about the things we say or do and more importantly, we get offended way too easily. We get sideways and go off high and to the right because people do not meet our expectations. 

If you are holding a baby and his little arm swats you in the face, would you take offense to that? Of course not! We know the little guy didn’t intend to hurt us. We respond with “awwww” or laughter or something to that effect. But if it is a friend, a family member or a brother or sister in the church who offends us with a little swat of his words or actions, we are undone. We expect more from them! We become angry and we want to defend ourselves, fight back or leave forever.  Ian Percy said: " “We judge others by their behavior. We judge ourselves by our intentions.”

Jesus said NO! He said that even if someone despitefully uses us, that means on purpose, that we are to respond in love! We as human beings are troubled and sinful. We are not perfect and we should never expect others to be, no matter what their positions are in this life. God is perfect and He is the one from whom our expectations should come — not man.

A pearl to string: Are we living the Christian life or are we mouthing the words? Honestly I can not do this on my own.  If I am offended I am full of emotion. If I am full of emotion I am not nice. I am the classic snapper... off with their heads!  Oh boy! Swallow hard... want to know what Jesus says: "Woe to the world because of offenses! For offenses must come, but woe to that man by whom the offense comes!” (Matthew 18:7) Jesus is teaching about causing little children to sin. Isn't that what we adults do... teach our children by our bad behavior?  That alone is enough reason for me to need a Savior.  I thank God for Jesus. I thank God I can give my offenses to Jesus and allow Him to wash over me and heal me.

 

My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him. (Psalms 62:5)

Amen,

     Lyndi

Don't Do IT

by Sharon Jaynes
www.girlfriendsingod.com
Today’s Truth

“Flee from sexual immorality…Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God.  You are not your own, you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:18, 19-20 NIV).

Friend To Friend

Can I talk girlfriend to girlfriend for just a moment?  It’s about a very uncomfortable subject, and honestly, one most of us would rather pretend does not exist in “Christian circles.”  It’s sexual sin.

In my last devotion, we stood road-side and looked at the story of the woman caught in adultery, and Jesus who set her free. Even though she wasn’t behind prison bars, she was in bondage to a sinful lifestyle.  Sexual sin is highly addictive and the search for love in all the wrong places, insatiable.  It is a drink that never satisfies the soul and leaves the partaker only thirsty for more.

A woman is enticed by a syrupy word from a co-worker, an e-mail from an old boyfriend, an invitation on Facebook, or an alluring smile at a neighborhood gathering.  Loneliness fills the room and passion comes knocking at the door.   But when the smoke clears, loneliness returns with new hunger pangs laced with regret.

Sex outside of marriage can lead to many things: unwanted pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, divorce, mistrust, regret, shame, loss of family and a whole list of undesirable dominos that tumble in succession.  But in Jesus’ day, a woman caught in the act of adultery faced possible execution.  In some parts of the world it is still enforced today.  So why would the woman we meet in John Chapter 8 who was caught in the act of adultery take the risk?   Was it worth it?  No.  The answer is always no.

There is no greater longing in the heart of a woman than to be loved, cherished, and cared for. It can cause the strongest to break a resolve and succumb to the tempter’s lure. Adultery has been the cause for church leaders to crumble, ministries to meltdown, and families to falter.  Sexual sin has caused the most sensible to act like a fool, the most moral to march into madness, the most devout to be devoured by desire.  The desire to love and be loved can sometimes scream over the din of reason.

The yearning for love gnaws at the heart.  And then the brush of a hand, the glimpse of the eyes, or the stirring of a comment blows on a spark and sets it ablaze.  Loneliness echoes in the hollow soul just as passion comes scratching at the door. Never doubt this, my friend: Satan is an opportunist who takes advantage of the lonely heart (Luke 4:13).

To be loved is one of the strongest desires of the human heart.  God planned it that way because He longs for us to have that longing filled by a relationship with Him. But so many settle for a sip from the rusty tin cup when God offers an everlasting stream.

A woman can risk it all for a few moments of passion.  She can lie to herself that a sexual relationship or liaison is love.  Then after the brief pleasure lies exposed by the morning sun, she realizes what felt like love was tainted with the poison of shame.  It can happen. It does happen.  It did happen to the woman standing before Jesus with an angry mob of rock holding Pharisees gathered around.  It has happened to many women who e-mail me every day.

I sat in a movie theater with a friend who had succumbed to sexual temptation.  She had lost her husband, her family, and many of her “friends.”  During a preview for another movie, the film showed a woman contemplating an affair with a suave Frenchman.  Martha (not her real name) spoke a bit too loudly for the moviegoers sitting in the darkened theater.  “Don’t do it,” she cried aloud.  The words came out of her mouth before she could stop them.  Martha was living the devastation of yielding to sexual temptation, and her audible cry was the overflow of her pain-filled heart.

Can I shout with Martha for just a moment?  “Don’t do it!” 

I know this devotion is not for everybody.  But if there is one woman out of the 200,000 or so that receive our Girlfriends in God devotions every day…just one woman who will turn away from the temptation that is knocking on her door today, then it is worth it. 

Don’t do it.  Turn to God and allow Him to fill the emptiness in your heart today.  He’s waiting with open arms.

Let’s Pray

Dear God, I pray that I will be alert to the devil’s schemes today.  Help me to see when and where he is tempting me to sin against You.  Give me the strength to flee temptation and run straight into Your arms.  I cannot do this on my own.  I need the power of Your Holy Spirit to empower me to do what is right and good in Your sight.  Thank You for being all that I need.

In Jesus’ Name,

Amen