He’s Preparing You For Heaven

Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God…(Matthew 19:24)

Yesterday I went to the grocery store to get one thing, but of course one thing turned into five and before I knew it I could no longer comfortably carry everything in my hands. At this point, I knew I had to go and get a basket. I tracked one down and emptied my hands of everything I had been carrying.

Life with Jesus is a lot like that. We set out zealously to follow our Lord telling ourselves we’re not going to pick up new idols along the way but we do. Before we know it our hands become too full. Then, what happens next is usually very painful as God creates circumstances in our lives to strip us of all the things we added to our life on top of our relationship with Him.

Friend, if you’re going through what seems like one more dark journey after another, look up, your Heavenly Father is preparing you for Heaven.

When Jesus is speaking with the rich young ruler he tells him that if he wants to enter heaven he must sell everything he has and follow Jesus. Jesus knew this mans idol was his wealth and he made no room for it in relationship with Him. All these painful things you’re walking through is creating more opportunities to drop what you’re carrying and prepare you for the glories of Heaven.

This is why I am always looking deep inside myself because I know that with each trying moment in life is an attack against something I hold too dear.

Friends, we are on our way to somewhere so beautiful, so glorious that nothing can compare. Not our wealth, our homes, our success, education, clothes or anything we can get from people. We can let all of that go because something greater has come, Jesus and something greater is yet to come- life with Him. For all of eternity with riches far greater than we could ever amass on this earth.

So friend, what do you need to drop today? What has your heart apart from God? Since God loves you, He’ll go after it if you don’t drop it on your own. Go ahead and drop it now as you offer your whole self as a living sacrifice before Him.

Lord, my life is yours. Forgive me when I forget that you’re the King. Help me now to walk in the faith of my Master who has set me free and shown me how to live. Forgive me when I carry idols. I want to drop them now for your name, in Jesus name, Amen.

Life is a Gift

In spite of his wonders, they did not believe….(Psalm 78:32)

Yesterday my child was in disarray because she could not find her princess crown. Eventually, we found it, but for quite some time all she could focus on was the fact that it was lost, so she cried and screamed. I told her once she calmed down I would help her look for it. Eventually she did and we went on a hunt to find the crown. We found it and as we were leaving the house a few minutes later I pulled her aside and told her that every moment is an opportunity to be thankful and to see the good in everything- even when we can’t find our toy. I told her we can’t get so focused on what’s lost. We have to keep moving forward and believing the very best at all times.

Have you ever been like that though? So hyper-focused on what’s not going perfectly in your life you forget to be thankful and glad for the good things God is doing ? Maybe, just like my child, you get so focused on the bad thing that you can’t move forward to believe the best for the future. Is it a family relationship? A challenging financial situation? Some needed home repairs? A frustrating time at work? Loneliness? Addiction? What’s keeping you stuck?

Friend, it all starts in our minds. With what we truly believe about God and His word. If we believe the right things and truly believe they are true for our lives walking in the faith that God will do what He has promised and shown Himself faithful to be for ages we can have joy even when life goes awry. Even when that relationship goes off the tracks again or when it seems like we pulled the wrong card from the deck we can have joy and peace because God is good and He loves His children. Friend, you are one of those loved children.

I’ll say this just as much to myself as I would to anyone reading, life is a gift. Don’t waste your time believing its not. You’ll suck yourself into a pit of self-loathing and depression. Believe God instead for the best and walk in faith believing His blessings for you are good.

Lord, you are mighty and strong. You are truly good. Why would I ever doubt your goodness? Forgive me when I do. Help me now to walk with great faith as I trust and believe you for good things, in Jesus name, Amen.

His Name is Near

We praise you, for your name is Near….(Psalm 75:1)

We can all think of people in our lives who make us feel the most safe. The ones who have such a inviting and comforting presence that the thought of being around them brings us a deep sense of joy and peace. As a child I had many people who were that person for me. As an adult I have many loving mentors and family who are that for me as well.

The nearness of God is available for all of us. In His presence we can become wrapped in peace. His nearness is what we need. When you feel overwhelmed and not sure of where to go don’t seek all the answers, instead, draw near. Draw near to His presence, after you have, His safety, comfort and peace envelopes your anxious and worried heart and mind. Then you accept the reality that you may never receive the answers, but you have Him. Isn’t that what we need most?

When my child is hurt she comes running for me. When she’s scared she comes running for me. When she’s worried, anxious or sad, she comes running for me. But sometimes she doesn’t, sometimes she gets angry and instead of seeking my presence she actually fights against me. However, whenever she allows herself to pause she always seeks my presence. Friend, it’s time to pause and seek His presence. You may never receive all the answers, but you do have His presence and His nearness. Won’t you run to Him?

Lord, forgive me when I don’t run to you. I need you in my life more than ever. I don’t think I fully even understand just how much I need you, but oh how I do! Lord, be my hope today and each day, I pray, in Jesus name, Amen.

Wait For His Gift

The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him…(Lam 3:25)

My child is currently obsessed with the thought of her birthday being just around the corner in a little over a month. We talk it about it everyday. While my mom was here we purchased a number of decorations for her party. She talks about those everyday too. Although I have told her numerous times that we cannot play or open the decorations she gets as close as she can in an attempt to do both.

She also wants to know everything she’s getting for her birthday. I have told her time and time again that its not something for her to know because it would ruin the surprise. As her mother, I want to give her a gift, but not before it’s time. It’s hard for her to wait, because she doesn’t understand the concept of time. Although I understand the concept of time, I have a hard time waiting too.

I know God wants to give me good gifts, but I feel myself sitting around waiting everyday just hoping this is the day. In years past I’ve tried to “help God out.” I’ve gotten as close as possible to what I believed the gift for me was and in my attempt to help God out opened the wrong gift at the wrong time. Since then, I have learned to wait on God, but in my waiting, sometimes I forget to be satisfied with him for today. My love for him should never be dependent upon his gifts for me. I forget that sometimes. It’s not that I don’t love God its just that, if I’m being honest, sometimes I equate love with getting what I want from him.

Just as I love my child more than words can express I know that God loves me with an even greater love. He knows what he’s doing with my life and I need not worry about his timing. Friend, do you have peace or are you constantly trying to take matters into your own hands? I think it’s time to get out of that closet with all the birthday decorations. The ones you’re just staring at, getting hyper focused on when it’s time to open them. It’s time to start looking at what’s around you today. The people and places to love and cherish not because of the gifts that may be coming, but because of the mission set before you to love people like Jesus so that you can bring them the greatest gift of all.

Lord, I will wait. You know how I can be sometimes. Forgive me when I find you lacking because you don’t give me what I want. Transform my heart, each day, I pray, in Jesus name, Amen.

Are You Critically Wounded?

Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord….(1 Chron 10:13)

King Saul’s life would end tragically on Mt. Gilboa. His sons died in battle and he became critically wounded. Little did he know, he spent most of his life critically wounded and unwilling to wait on God to heal him. He lived with a critical wound of fear and not trusting God. Time and time again Saul would take matters into his own hands. God was graciously putting him in circumstances that gave opportunity for Saul to trust the Lord. That’s just how God works. He puts us in situations that break our self-will if we would be willing to submit and wait upon Him.

Instead, in his life, Saul would impatiently run ahead of God . He never did learn to trust God and it was there on Mt. Gilboa that his wound became the end of himself. Driven by fear, Saul took matters into his own hands, as he did so many other times and fell on his own sword dying in battle.

Have you ever done that? Fell on your own sword because you didn’t trust God to take care of you? I have. I’ve impatiently tried to take matters into my own hands only further wounding myself until I finally fell on my own sword. Thankfully, in those moments, after we have fallen on our own sword out of fear, when we cry out to the Lord, He meets us with resurrection power. He takes the things that destroyed us due to our own sin and in our repentance He can makes us new. What Saul needed was a broken and contrite heart that truly wanted God more than anything else and I need that too.

What are you holding onto today that will soon become a sword that you’ll fall on in one of life’s battles? Is it fear over finances? Your children? Future? Singleness, marriage or ministry? What Saul needed most was rest with God so that the Lord might heal him from the critical wounds he kept inflicting upon himself by not trusting in the Lord.

I need that too, so instead of going to Mt. Gilboa where our enemies of fear will overtake us, let us go instead to the Shepherds field where our Lord lives that we might worship him there and be changed. Transforming ourselves into a people who trust the Lord and wait upon Him.

Lord, you are so good. Forgive me when I forget just how trustworthy and true you are to me. I pray that my whole life would be lived as an offering to you. Let it be so I pray, in Jesus name, Amen.

Sit With Them

Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ….(Galatians 6:2)

Last night, after our main session was done at youth group a few students stayed in the sanctuary. This is always a sign to me that they might need the presence of an adult who cares and so I stayed back along with a few other adult leaders. One by one, as I was talking with these teenagers they all expressed a similar discouragement.

“I just don’t feel close to God. I just don’t really know if He’s talking to me. I don’t feel like I hear from Him or experience Him in all these ways that everyone else does. It just makes me wonder if maybe God is mad at me.”

I was heartbroken over their words. I could tell they were genuine in their desire to want to be close to Jesus. I didn’t offer many words to try and fix their pain. I’ve learned not to do that as much. Instead I told them I was sorry for their pain and that I could relate because I had been there too and I know what they’re going through. I encouraged them to simply keep pursuing the Lord and not get overwhelmed when God didn’t speak to them like He does others, but instead to know they are loved deeply by God. Even when they can’t always hear Him.

Ministry is more about presence than it is about fixing people’s problems. Naturally, young people don’t trust adults because we spend so much time trying to fix them and their behavior, but what if instead of trying to fix them we just tried to relate with them and share our struggles in that area too? Maybe God would meet us both in the middle with the grace we all need. Because I think what most of us are searching for is not an answer to our problems, but someone to be present with us in them. So that we might know we’re deeply loved despite our doubts and struggles.

So who in your life doesn’t need you to fix them, but just needs your presence, understanding and for you to relate with them? Who needs to hear the words, I’m sorry for what you’re going through because I’ve been there too? Who needs to hear that God loves them still because you’ve experienced that kind of love too?

Each moment in time is an opportunity to shower others not with answers, but with grace. Yes, of course we should share what is true when lies spring up, but we must also remember that our presence is one of the greatest gifts we can give to someone that makes room for God to move in the stillness and quietness of our moments spent with that other person as we listen and lean on God together.

Lord, I want more of you in my life. Forgive me when I don’t choose to be present with people. Help me to listen well and to speak truth once I have sat long enough with hurting people in your presence, I pray, in Jesus name, Amen.

Waiting in the Wilderness

The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD’s anointed…1 Sam 24:6

David although not a perfect man was willing to wait on God for his time to be King. King Saul was extremely jealous of David and because of that he was bent on murdering David to preserve his lineage as King. Therefore, David fled and during his time fleeing from Saul in the wilderness David twice had the opportunity to take Saul’s life and end all the madness. Once Saul was dead David would be King and all the running would end. Yet, David doesn’t do it. He realizes that killing Saul would be him taking matters into his own hands and so he waits. He trusts God. He keeps fleeing and believes that God will vindicate him.

God does. Saul dies in battle and David is made King.

If I was David, what would I have done? I’m not sure. I would like to think that I would have the same response, but I often find myself in my daily life struggling to wait on God. I get impatient and want my time to shine to come now. I entertain the lie that my life won’t really matter for God until my time to shine comes. Yet, the Lord has been reminding me over the years that seasons of waiting are seasons of preparation. Seasons of meeting with God to gut out the old to make something new. Because in those desert seasons of waiting, where God gets you alone with Him, He’s showing you that He’s sufficient in the wilderness. He’s the one who raises up and tears down. He’s the author of each page of your book if you’d be willing to wait on Him to write the next chapter.

Friend, this season you’re in is not wasted. There are people to love and shepherd all around you. There is growth in your own heart to be had if you’d be willing to submit yourself to the Father who loves you and wants to grow you into His image. So won’t you now believe the very best and wait on Him to do it? The last thing we need more of in life is leaders who haven’t had God refine their character in the wilderness first before they step out to lead. View this time as gift from God to make you a more capable, loving leader for your future and for others.

Lord, I trust you. I will wait and believe the best. In Jesus name, Amen.