Are You All In -- One More Thing

The last four blogs we’ve gone through the verses about loving God with all our hearts, minds, strength and soul. We’ve studied and meditated on those words – heart, mind, strength, soul and all, but there’s one thing I failed to mention. Maybe I should have started off with this, but He didn’t lead me to this until the end. Therefore, you get in the order He gave it to me.

Now that you are ALL IN with your heart, mind, strength and soul, this means He has total access. Total access to ALL your heart. Total access to ALL your mind. Total access to ALL your strength. Total access to ALL your soul. Breathe deeply and let that sink in. You are holding nothing back because you are all in. You’ve abandoned your assumed control over your heart, your mind, your strength and your soul. You’ve been liberated from the bondage of the things that bind you – sin, the need for popularity and power, the desire for things, and fears.

Psalm 51 is a prayer for restoration. I encourage you to look up that chapter and pray it. In verse 10 it says, God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. The word create means to make from nothing. Ezekiel 36:25-26 says, I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place My Spirit within you and cause you to follow My statutes and carefully observe my ordinances. When God has total access to your heart, He determines if you need a heart transplant. He determines what needs to be cleaned in order to make you whole and full of life. It affects your heart, your soul and your life.

Romans 12:2 reads, Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. Philippians 4:8 says, Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy, think about such things. If you are loving God with all your mind, He has access to every area of your mind. Focusing your thoughts as He has directed us in Philippians 4:8, keeps our mind renewed and non-conformed to the thinking of this world.

Ezekiel 34:16 is God speaking to the Israelites, “I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bandage the injured, and strengthen the weak, but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will shepherd them with justice.” We are reminded in 2 Chronicles 16:9, For the eyes of Yahweh roam throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His… This is why Paul In 2 Corinthians 12:10 wrote, So I take pleasure in weaknesses, insults, catastrophes, persecutions, and in pressures, because of Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong. He knew his strength was inadequate but God’s was greatest of all. By loving God with all your strength, He has access to your weaknesses, can bandages your injuries, strengthen you, and be your strength. How comforting is that!?

When you give God all your soul, you can rest in hope (Psalm 62:5). Matthew 10:28,  Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. John 10:28, And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. Giving God all of you soul gives you security for the future and eternity.

I’ve given you plenty of verses on which to meditate. Let me encourage you to get spiral bound note cards. Write a verse on each card. Keep it in your car or at your desk…wherever you spend a good amount of time. And when you are sitting in your car waiting or at your desk taking a break, instead of checking your phone, check your verse. It’s the first step in giving God your ALL.

Father God,

Please help us to allow you to have complete and total access to ALL. Help us to love and worship you will ALL our heart, mind, strength and soul knowing you will heal and complete your work in us. Thank you for not leaving us the way you have found us.

In your sweet son’s name Jesus Christ,

Amen

Are You All In -- Strength

When I was in high school, I breached the 110 pound mark my senior year, and I was asked to join the weightlifting team. I was wiry and scrappy. That’s what I was told. I was also told there were very few girls in my weight class. The reason there were so few in this weight class is the bar without adding any weights to it probably weighed more than I did. I kindly declined the offer.

We’ve been covering the phrases: with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your strength, and with all your soul. Today, we are going to cover with all your strength.

Strength or might means force, abundance, wholly, speedily, diligently. Deuteronomy 6:5, Mark 12:30, and Luke 10:27 says we are to love the Lord our God with all our strength. It’s a state of being strong, You aren’t born with strength. Strength is something you have to develop through exercise and a healthy diet. You have physical strength, mental strength, emotional strength, and spiritual strength.

Exercise to have physical strength by working outside or going to the gym. Exercise your mental strength by working on keeping your mind sharp. Exercise your emotional strength by monitoring self-control. Exercise spiritual strength by following God where He leads.

Your diet for physical strength means eating healthy food, no fast food or foods high in fat and sugars. Your diet for emotional strength may be puzzles or learning new things. Your diet for emotional strength is focusing on God’s trust regarding any situation your feeling may become involved in. Your diet for spiritual strength is the bread of life and living water.

We know that in our own strength, we all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23) because none of us are righteous by our own doing (Romans 3:10). We know our strength is nothing compared to God’s strength, and yet we all try to operate in our own strength to handle life. Thank goodness we also know we are saved by grace and not by the works completed in our own strength (Ephesians 2:8). We know God searches the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are committed to Him (2 Chronicles 16:9). And in light of how little our strength is, God wants us to love Him with all the strength we can must. With every fiber of our being He wants us to love Him because that is how He loves us.

He doesn’t want us to serve Him in our own strength or might. He doesn’t want us seeking in our own strength. He doesn’t want us trusting, believing or serving out of our own strength. Too many serve out of, seek in, trust or believe in their own strength which means that person becomes self-reliant as opposed to God-reliant.

He simply wants you to love Him with all your strength, all your energy, all the force you can muster to love Him because then He will provide the strength that is necessary (Isaiah 40:31) you need to serve, to seek, to love, to believe and to trust. He is more than able to make up for your shortcomings.

Isn’t that comforting? You don’t have to seek and serve and love in your own strength.  Let’s face it, there are some people who would be very difficult if not impossible to seek and serve and love in your own strength. It’s in God’s strength you can do His work and His service, but first you have to give God and love God with all you got.

Are you loving God with all your strength?

Dear Father God,

I cannot begin to fathom how you created and maintain everything that happens on this round ball called earth. I cannot begin to fathom how your word is so powerful creation took place. I cannot begin to fathom how you hold not only our solar system in the palm of your hand but so many other galaxies. I’m so thankful for your strength and might because I am so inadequate. Even in my greatest strength, nothing I do can compare to you. Thank you for searching for me, finding me, and proving your strength time after time.

Amen.

How Many of Us Would Miss the Boat?

I don’t know about you, but my children want to “discuss” everything even when something is not up for discussion. I’m paying for my raising, as my momma would say. I was born with an opinion as was my son. I was born with a lot of words to say as was my daughter. Put those things together, and I want to discuss everything especially if I don’t agree with it. Am I alone here? You probably have more self-restraint than me.

As I’m reading through Noah’s story in Genesis there is a verse which caught my attention. Genesis 7:5, “And Noah did everything that the Lord commanded him.” This was after Noah had built the ark, gathered the food, collected the animals, and he did EVERYTHING that the Lord commanded.

Noah didn’t say, “God, these animals are going to get sea sick being tossed around in this ark. Are you sure this is the best way? It’s really going to smell in that ark.”

Noah didn’t say, “God, you realize you want me to load prey and predators together in the same boat? Should we maybe have two boats?”

Noah didn’t say, “God, I have three sons. Could we have three arks, so each one could captain their own ship?”

Noah didn’t express his opinion or his thoughts. He obeyed. Plain. Simple.

How many of us would have missed the ark because we would feel the need to voice our opinion, work our own agenda or ask questions about logistics?

How many of us, when we are told or led by God to do or say something, have to ask for clarification if this is really what God wants us to do?

Noah did EVERYTHING that the Lord commanded. Half obedience is full disobedience. Might want to read that again. Half obedience (obeying in part) is full disobedience. (OUCH! That stung, didn’t it?) Noah obeyed in full.

Do you know how Noah could obey in full? Noah talked to God regularly. Noah’s faith in God was greater than his need for control, his need for information, his need to be heard. (Read that one again. Boy, this is walking all over my toes? How about yours?)

God looks for those who are willing to fully obey. 2 Chronicles 16:9 a&b, For the eyes of Yahweh roam throughout the earth to show Himself strong for those whose hearts are completely His. You have been foolish in this matter… Noah’s heart was completely God’s. This is how Noah was able to fully trust God.

Noah’s trust and faith in God meant Noah didn’t have all the details of what was going to happen in order to do the next step God directed.

Noah’s trust and faith in God meant Noah didn’t have to worry about the safety of his family and his family’s future because he knew God was in control.

Noah’s trust and faith in God meant Noah’s pride took a backseat and humility took the front seat.

Noah’s trust and faith in God meant Noah knew God’s provisions were enough.

Are you fully trusting in God today?

Are you fully obedient in what God is leading you to do and say?

Are you fully operating in faith that God will carry you through whatever storm you are facing?

OR are you missing the boat? Fortunately for you, God is giving you this moment to repent. He is giving you this moment to submit your pride. He is giving you this moment to exercise your complete faith and trust in Him.

The question is, will you?

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