Well, I Didn't See That Comin'

WELL, I DIDN’T SEE THAT COMING

My son loves to wrestle with me. Sometimes we arm wrestle. Sometimes I’m putting him in a headlock. He knows he’s going to get beat, and yet he starts it up on a regular basis all in good fun. I tell him no matter how big he gets (he’s fortunate to be 13 now) that I will always be able to take him down, and once I’m through with him, his daddy gets a turn. Invariably during our roughhousing I’ll do something my son isn’t expecting in order to “dominate,” and he will say, “Well, I didn’t see that coming.”

My prayer life is a lot like that. I pray with a burdened heart for God to heal this person, fix this person, resolve a situation, or something along those lines, and when He starts to heal that person, fix this person, resolve that situation, He does it in such an unorthodox way that I say, “Well, I didn’t see that coming.”

Sometimes healing that person means giving them a perfect body without pain in heaven. Sometimes fixing a person means He deals with me, my flaws and weaknesses, and my attitude which can be hefty at times. Sometimes fixing a situation means exposing sin and lies to break a situation down to what is true, so He can restore a relationship, a Christian or bring someone to Christ.

In the past few years, I’ve prayed some pretty big, bold, complicated prayers regarding burdens in my life, and two times God has answered in ways I would never have imagined. Why would He allow a marriage to be shattered in order to restore fellowship within the marriage and with Him? Could it be He was dealing with a couple of hard-headed folks which may or may not have had hard hearts? Why would He remove a livelihood? Maybe to remove those who were not encouraging spiritually and was otherwise dragging you into the gutter.

Before you get angry at God for not answering your prayers the way you wanted, better ask yourself some questions:

1.     What was the end result for which you were praying?

2.     Did you in any way try to handle this problem, person or situation yourself? How did that turn out?

3.     Why did you turn it over to God if you weren’t going to trust His hand, His method, His will?

4.     Do you know as much as God?

5.     Is there a possibility there are things going on that you are not privy to or facts you aren’t aware of? I mean, are you all-knowing like God? Because if you are, you should be rich, the most financially stable person on the face of the earth.

6.     God asked Job who he was to question Him. I ask you the same thing. Who are you to question God? Who am I to question God’s dealings, motives or plan? We are simply to obey.

So when things start going sideways in the situation or with the person for whom you are praying, let me make a few recommendations based on my experience.

1.     Get a grip on your lip. Stop talking. People talk because they think they have so many important things to say. You can’t possibly see God’s hand moving and working if you are too busy running your mouth.

2.     Open your eyes, your mind, and your heart. When things go sideways and it’s not of your sinful doing, it means God is up to something, and you should pay attention.

3.     Take notes. Journal. Journal. Journal. The Israelites would stack stones to remember what God had done in certain places, so they could tell their children and their children’s children. Journaling is your way of stacking stones.

4.     Wait. DO NOT MEDDLE. God does NOT need your help…at all.

5.     Move and speak only as the Holy Spirit leads.

6.     Be grateful. Find things to be grateful for along the way. Praise God during the wait. 1 Thessalonians 5:18, In everything give thanks.

7.     Trust. You trusted God enough to take it to Him; trust Him enough to leave it there. Trust that He has gone before you and is already preparing the way (Isaiah 42:16).

I could go on with this list, but these are the top 7 things to do when things appear to go sideways when you pray.

Pray Big. Pray Bold. Trust Greater. And Watch God do His thing. Then TESTIFY.

Holiday Miracles

Have you ever heard of miracles happening during the holiday season?

Have you ever prayed for a miracle during the holidays.

Sometimes God provides the miracles, but we fail to acknowledge them as such.

This Thanksgiving week, I observed what I will call a minimum of three miracles. I’d like to share them with you.

1.     A young widow who lost her husband due to brain cancer found many things for which to be thankful. She was even grateful for grief. That’s a God thing. That’s God working in her and through her, sustaining her, upholding her with His mighty arm.

2.     A mom whose 15 year old daughter died of cancer finding things for which to be grateful. She was grateful death came quickly. She was thankful there was no regrets. She and her daughter had lived life to the fullest, lived life loud, lived life vibrantly the last several months Cam had on this earth.

3.     I saw a young lady meet her birth family for the first time. God’s grace and mercy was enough, so they could begin to build relationships where there once was none. If you have never been part of an adoption story, you may never know the significance of this, but if you have, you know the weight of it.

The holiday season is not easy nor joyful for everyone. Sometimes the season doesn’t live up to the hype and disappointment rears its ugly head. Depression can be a constant companion for many. But I encourage everyone to look for things for which to be grateful. If these women can find things, surely you can too. I cannot fathom walking in their shoes. As a matter of fact, I can’t even let my mind go there. But the Bible says in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “give thanks in everything.”

There have been times when my sister and I have felt so beaten down that we struggle to look for something for which to be grateful. So we come up with some of the most off-the-wall things. Please feel free to use any of these if you are that desperate. (Keep in mind, we use levity to help us cope.)

1.     Bellybutton lint because that means we have an inny-bellybuttton.

2.     Toe jam because that means we have more than one toe. Toe jam requires more than one, and some people truly don’t have more than one or any.

3.     Nose hair because without it that bug that flew up Lori’s nose would have traveled to her brain.

4.     Dirty laundry because it means we have been blessed with clothing for our family.

5.     Scrubbing potties because it means we have indoor working potties, and in some countries this is a luxury.

6.     Molded cheese in the fridge because it means our family had plenty to eat, and there was excess. To many this is unheard of.

7.     Fighting kids because our kids are well enough to stand-up to each other and aren’t in a hospital or worse.

8.     Music or TV that’s too loud because it means we have the gift of hearing.

Do any of these apply to you?

Philippians 4:8 is a verse I have to remind myself of on a regular basis. “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.” Things in my home and family are not perfect. We struggle. We are constantly battling to protect our family from principalities and evil forces, but if I can just keep my focus on these things, if I can keep my focus on Christ, I can find something for which to praise Him, something for which to say, “thank you.”

I’d like to pray for those of you who are struggling. You feel like you barely survived the Thanksgiving holidays and don’t know how you will manage Christmas.

Abba Father,

Thank you. Thank you for loving us and being with us even when we are in pain. Thank you for never leaving us alone. Thank you for never leaving us in our struggle. Thank you for never wasting anything in our lives.

I want to lift up this sweet girlfriend to you. You are her wonderful Creator. You know her most intimately. You know her need before she does. You go before her turning the darkness to light, making rough places smooth (Isaiah 42:16), but sometimes God it’s just hard. It’s hard because we can feel so overwhelmed, and the void and emptiness seems to want to swallow them whole. But God, I know You have a hold of her and won’t let go of her.

Please surround her with growing, mature, godly girlfriends who will encourage her. Help my girlfriend to have the courage to take the next step to follow after you. And above all, heal her and bring her through. God, in Isaiah 43:2 it says you are with us when we pass THROUGH the waters and the rivers which will not overwhelm us, and that we will not be scorched when we walk THROUGH the fire. In all of these trials, God, we are passing through. We don’t stop there. We don’t live there. Satan wants us to think we have to stop and live, but that’s not your plan. So, give her the courage to make that next step.

Lord, I pray she feels Your Spirit. I pray she feels Your undeniable presence.

We will give you all the praise and glory.

Amen

Job -- What Comes Before Restoration

Too often when Job is taught or read, people like to skip this pivotal concept of relationships and go right to the happily ever after portion of the story where God restores Job and doubles his original blessings. To what concept or truth am I referring?

FORGIVENESS.

Let’s face it, Job’s friends were horrible. They made the testing season more painful than it had to be.

·         They wrongfully judged Job.

·         They gave bad instruction and advice.

·         They put words in God’s mouth.

·         They condemned Job.

How could these words and actions not hurt Job or his relationship with them?

Job 42:10, After Job had prayed for his friends… God had confronted Job’s friends and had instructed them to take a burnt offering to Job and ask Job to pray for them. One good point for Job’s friends, they listened to God and obeyed. They had to humble themselves and go to Job and ask for prayer.

In real life, do we always hear an apology from the person who hurt us? No. But does God deal with them? Absolutely. You may never see or know, but you can trust God to work things out.

In Job’s life, his friends asked for prayer. Job had a choice. Did he have to pray for them? No. Proverbs 15:21-22, If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. If your enemy/one-time-friend asks for prayer or forgiveness, give it to them.

Forgiveness is not for their benefit. It is for yours.

If you never hear the words, “I’m sorry” or “Please forgive me,” you are still commanded to forgive. In the Lord’s prayer, we are to ask for forgiveness AFTER we have forgiven our debtors (Matthew 6:9). Forgiveness does not mean it was okay what the other person said or did. Forgiveness is not a sign of weakness. As a matter of fact, the greater and deeper the hurt, requires greater determination and strength in order to forgive.

You live long enough on this planet, and you will be hurt. You will be hurt by a parent, sibling, friend, coworker, spouse, and/or child. What you do with your hurt shows where you are in your walk with God. If you hold onto your hurt, anger and unforgiveness which turns into resentment and hate, then not only is your walk shallow but you cease to grow in your faith. If you learn to turn over the hurt and person who caused the hurt over to your Heavenly Father, then He can begin the healing process in your heart. There have been times I was hurt so deeply I had to turn them over to God too many times to count, but I knew I didn’t want to swallow the poison of bitterness, hate and resentment.

Let’s look at the last word of that phrase in the verse: After Job had prayed for his friends… His friends screwed up. They weren’t the best of friends, but even still Job called them friends. Forgiveness does not mean we have to continue a relationship with the one who hurt us, but if God leads you to do so, then do it. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to pray for the person who hurt you, especially when that person is close to you. Obedience to God on your part can bring restoration to broken relationships. He had done it more than once in my life. Job 42:2, I know that You can do anything, and no play of Yours can be thwarted.  There is nothing too big for God. He can help you forgive. He can show you how to forgive, and He can restore. Question is, Are you going to obey?

Let’s look at the rest of Job 41:10, After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his prosperity and doubled his previous possessions. The following verses read, All his brothers, sisters, and former acquaintances came to his house and dined with him in his house. They sympathized with him and comforted him concerning all the adversity the Lord had brought on him. The things Job craved from his friends when he was at his lowest, God provided in His timing.

God may have restored Job’s possessions, but Job would never have his children back. There was still grieving to be done, sympathy to be given, and comfort to be provided, and Job’s brothers, sisters, and others came to do just that. God did give Job more children, but it didn’t happen overnight. Restoration takes time. Healing takes times.

If you are going through a testing season, know God has not abandoned you. He will never leave you nor forsake you (Isaiah 42:16). But also remember restoration first requires you to forgive.

Job -- What comes BEFORE restoration?

Too often when Job is taught or read, people like to skip this pivotal concept of relationships and go right to the happily ever after portion of the story where God restores Job and doubles his original blessings. To what concept or truth am I referring?

FORGIVENESS.

Let’s face it, Job’s friends were horrible. They made the testing season more painful than it had to be.

·         They wrongfully judged Job.

·         They gave bad instruction and advice.

·         They put words in God’s mouth.

·         They condemned Job.

How could these words and actions not hurt Job or his relationship with them?

Job 42:10, After Job had prayed for his friends… God had confronted Job’s friends and had instructed them to take a burnt offering to Job and ask Job to pray for them. One good point for Job’s friends, they listened to God and obeyed. They had to humble themselves and go to Job and ask for prayer.

In real life, do we always hear an apology from the person who hurt us? No. But does God deal with them? Absolutely. You may never see or know, but you can trust God to work things out.

In Job’s life, his friends asked for prayer. Job had a choice. Did he have to pray for them? No. Proverbs 15:21-22, If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you. If your enemy/one-time-friend asks for prayer or forgiveness, give it to them.

Forgiveness is not for their benefit. It is for yours.

If you never hear the words, “I’m sorry” or “Please forgive me,” you are still commanded to forgive. In the Lord’s prayer, we are to ask for forgiveness AFTER we have forgiven our debtors (Matthew 6:9). Forgiveness does not mean it was okay what the other person said or did. Forgiveness is not a sign of weakness. As a matter of fact, the greater and deeper the hurt, requires greater determination and strength in order to forgive.

You live long enough on this planet, and you will be hurt. You will be hurt by a parent, sibling, friend, coworker, spouse, and/or child. What you do with your hurt shows where you are in your walk with God. If you hold onto your hurt, anger and unforgiveness which turns into resentment and hate, then not only is your walk shallow but you cease to grow in your faith. If you learn to turn over the hurt and person who caused the hurt over to your Heavenly Father, then He can begin the healing process in your heart. There have been times I was hurt so deeply I had to turn them over to God too many times to count, but I knew I didn’t want to swallow the poison of bitterness, hate and resentment.

Let’s look at the last word of that phrase in the verse: After Job had prayed for his friends… His friends screwed up. They weren’t the best of friends, but even still Job called them friends. Forgiveness does not mean we have to continue a relationship with the one who hurt us, but if God leads you to do so, then do it. Sometimes the hardest thing to do is to pray for the person who hurt you, especially when that person is close to you. Obedience to God on your part can bring restoration to broken relationships. He had done it more than once in my life. Job 42:2, I know that You can do anything, and no play of Yours can be thwarted.  There is nothing too big for God. He can help you forgive. He can show you how to forgive, and He can restore. Question is, Are you going to obey?

Let’s look at the rest of Job 41:10, After Job had prayed for his friends, the Lord restored his prosperity and doubled his previous possessions. The following verses read, All his brothers, sisters, and former acquaintances came to his house and dined with him in his house. They sympathized with him and comforted him concerning all the adversity the Lord had brought on him. The things Job craved from his friends when he was at his lowest, God provided in His timing.

God may have restored Job’s possessions, but Job would never have his children back. There was still grieving to be done, sympathy to be given, and comfort to be provided, and Job’s brothers, sisters, and others came to do just that. God did give Job more children, but it didn’t happen overnight. Restoration takes time. Healing takes times.

If you are going through a testing season, know God has not abandoned you. He will never leave you nor forsake you (Isaiah 42:16). But also remember restoration first requires you to forgive.

Facing the Enemy

My daughter was a page for three weeks this summer for the Louisiana House of Representatives. The first few days she got out of the car to go to her first official job as a 16 year old, she was quite nervous and anxious. I rolled down my window as she walked away and said, “Do your Beyonce’ walk!” Erin has this strut she calls the “Beyonce’ Walk” she pulls out when she needs to be all that and a box of chocolate. That girl makes me smile. So when I read, Exodus 14:8 where it says the Israelites left Egypt triumphantly. I wondered what that might have looked like, and I wonder how far that triumphant walk lasted.

We see in Exodus 13:17-18 God leads the children of Israel out of Egypt, and He leads them on a route the Israelites would not have chosen. It’s not the most obvious route. It’s not the easiest route. It’s not the shortest route. It’s not the route with easy access to food and water, but it is a route with fewer enemies and less opportunities for battle. This is God’s way of going before them smoothing out of the rough places and turning the darkness into light (Isaiah 42:16), but I wonder if they were still walking triumphantly.

Notice I said “fewer enemies.” We still have adversaries even when we follow the Lord. The difference is when we are following the Lord, they are His enemies not ours, and He will handle them accordingly.

In Exodus 14, we read how God led the children of Israel to turn back and camp in front of the Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. They camped in front of Baal-zephon facing it by the sea. This means the children of Israel would be trapped when the Egyptians pursued, and they did pursue. As a matter of fact that triumphant walk disappeared just as soon as they saw the Egyptians pursuing them. The Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt right then instead of dying in the wilderness.

Remember, if God leads you to a place then there is a purpose. If God leads you to face your enemy, there is a purpose. If God leads you out of bondage and into the wilderness, there’s a purpose. Look for Him. Seek Him.

In Exodus 14:13-14 Moses speaks to the Israelites. “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation. He will provide for you today; for the Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet.” Many Christians like to quote the last part of this verse because it brings assurance and comfort, but this is NOT the battle plan for every enemy and every situation. Think Jericho – NOT quiet.

But let’s look at the instructions for this battle.

1.       Don’t be afraid – So easy to say, but so hard to do at times. It requires faith and trust in an Almighty God we cannot visibly see but whose handiwork is visible. Sometimes we need to remind ourselves our God is bigger than any Goliath or enemy in our path. Our God is victorious and nothing will thwart His plan.

2.       Stand firm – Don’t run from the enemy. Don’t run back to where you were comfortable. There’s no growth there.

3.       See the Lord’s salvation – Keep your eyes open looking for God’s hand. This means you are expecting for God to show up, and this is why you are to look for the Lord’s salvation.

4.       He will provide for you today – You’ve heard the saying, “If God brings you to it, He’ll bring you through it.” Our God provides.

5.       The Egyptians you see today you will never see again – This is a bit cryptic if you think about it. They didn’t have the Scripture to know exactly what Moses meant. This could mean God was going to take them home, God was going to enable the Israelites to rise up and defeat them. Who at this point would have thought the Spirit would blow such a strong wind as to part the sea for the Israelites to walk through on dry land? That had never been done before.

So often Christians get an idea of HOW God should handle a situation and begin to “help” God to that end, and they miss the miracle God has in store for them. This is why it is important to listen to God and follow where He leads not where we think He’s leading.

6.       The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet. In this instance God didn’t need any help from the Israelites. He didn’t need their great ideas, their plans, or their strategies. He just needed them to be quiet. Gotta confess there are times during parenting when my kids try to help by giving their solutions when all I want is for them to be quiet. The kids don’t have the whole picture and have even less experience in life. Same goes for us. When God leads you to be quiet then ZIP YOUR LIPS!

What happens when you zip your lips? It frees you to hear others. Stop thinking about your way and listen. It gives you the opportunity to hear from God. It gives you an opportunity to use your other senses to experience God’s deliverance.

Oh the things we miss because we are so busy doing things our way. Oh the miracles we miss because we are helping God to deal with our adversary. Following God means doing things His way not ours. Are you ready to totally surrender your enemy, your adversary, your plans and ideas, your solutions to God? It’s the first step in facing your enemy.

http://biblegateway.com/

The Route from Bondage to Freedom

I saw a pin on Pinterest the other day, and it said, “God, why are you taking me out into the deep waters?” and God’s response was, “Because your enemy doesn’t know how to swim.”

Have you ever wished God would allow you to see the “big picture?” Have you ever asked questions like, “Why has God led me here,” “Where is He leading me because there’s a much better way I see that’s closer,” “When is He going to…?” It isn’t often God gives us a glimpse of what He sees much less His reasoning, but when He does, we really should take note. Often times, we don’t see His hand until we look back on a situation, a season, or a struggle.

 unIn Exodus 13:17-18 we read, “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them along the road to the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearby; for God said, ‘The people will change their minds and return to Egypt if they face war.’ So He led the people around toward the Red Sea along the road of the wilderness. And the Israelites left the land of Egypt in battle formation.” These two verses say so much about our Father.

Just want to clear something up before we go to deep. God is leading the Israelites out of bondage into freedom. They were in bondage because of a severe famine God had allowed, and the Israelites sold their land, their animals and themselves to Pharaoh just to survive. Some people are in bondage today because of poor decisions and sin in their lives and want God to deliver, so they suffer no consequence of their sin. That’s not how this works. God forgives sin, but there are still consequences.

In this passage, God didn’t lead the Israelites down the path or route they would have chosen. The shortest and common route out of Egypt was the coastal route, but Egypt would have military outposts along the way, and God knew the Israelites were not ready to face a battle. The Israelites might have looked like an army marching in battle formation, but they were no trained army. This road would have been easy and good with water and food along the way, but the risk of danger outweighed what many would consider to be good reasons to take that route.

For Christians who have been led by God into a time or season of bondage like the Israelites, I want you to see a few things.

1.       Pharaoh eventually lets God’s people go after the effect of all the plagues. What holds us hostage is under God’s control even the results of your sin, and He is ultimately in control as to when we will be freed. There is nothing and no one who can defeat God or thwart the will of God.

2.       God leads us out of bondage to freedom. He doesn’t just open the barn door and say, “Get after it.” God leads us. Do you have the faith to follow? It can be scary taking that first step out of the known into the unknown. You have to have faith.

3.       When God leads us anywhere, He goes before us making the rough places smooth and turns the darkness into light (Isaiah 42:16). We also know when we follow God that goodness and mercy follow us (Psalm 23:6), thereby hemming us in from the front and the back (Psalm 139:5). There is security in following God’s leadership.

4.       God does not choose the most convenient way out or the most obvious way out. Isaiah 55:8-9 tells us God’s ways and thoughts are not our ways and thoughts. His ways and thoughts are so much higher than our own, and we know from 1 Corinthians 1:25 that God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and His weakness is stronger than human strength. So when God leads you out of your bondage, and He chooses to take a path less traveled, TRUST HIM.

5.       “The people will change their minds.” He knows your thoughts and fears before you have them, and believe it or not, He goes before you to lead you down paths He knows that are best for you for where you are right now in your faith. Just like God knew the Israelites couldn’t handle a battle right after being freed, He knows what you can’t handle.

6.       “The Israelites left the land of Egypt in battle formation.” Always be prepared. God might have known the Israelites might have tucked tail and run at the first sight of conflict, but they were at least prepared. When you follow God out of what has held you captive, be prepared because the enemy does not give up. We don’t fight against flesh and blood but against principalities and powers of the unseen world.

Remember, God is in control. His timing is perfect. Have faith He will lead you the way you need to be led, how you need to be led, when you need to be led, and where you need to be led. And when God leads you out, remember He goes before you and He’s behind you – You are in the most secure place when God leads. Also keep in mind, He does things and will take you on paths you do not know, and that’s okay because He knows what is to come and He knows what is best for you. He also knows your thoughts and fears before you have them and makes allowances for them. And be prepared to follow God wherever He leads.

http://blueletterbible.org/

Are You Curious -- A Dash of Salt

I love studying women in the Bible, and Lot’s wife is no exception. I actually think more women today relate to her than any other woman in the Bible…which is rather sad. Her testimony is found in Genesis 19, and here are a few of the questions that came to my mind while reading and studying.

1.       She had to have observed her husband going out to confront the gay men in their community and see the angels pull her husband back into their home for safety. What did she feel? What were her thoughts on what was going on?

2.       When she heard the angels say they were going to destroy their city, did she start packing anything? Was she confused?

3.       Had she become blind to Yahweh’s values and accepted the sin going on in her city? Overlooked it? Did she accept it because she thought it didn’t affect her?

4.       Was she ever burdened for the lost in her city or had she acclimated to living in the city and being of the city?

5.       When the angel grabbed her hand and the hands of her family members and walked them outside the city walls, was it an uncomfortable grip because they had hesitated to be obedient to God?

6.       When she was told to run for her life, what were her first thoughts? Mine would be, “I am so out of shape, and you want me to run?”

7.       “Run for your lives! Don’t look back and don’t stop anywhere on the plain!” Instructions are important. We already have seen how Lot hesitates in obedience. Was she wondering what was going to happen to all her things she left behind? Was she thinking about the lost friends she was leaving behind?

What was she thinking?

8.       “Run to the mountains you will be swept away?” How did she process that? Be swept away by what? Did she want to know details?

9.       Was she relieved when her husband negotiated terms with the angels to run somewhere closer?

10.   They had been forced to leave early in the morning. Had she grabbed anything to take with her? OR did she think she would be home in a couple of days? What would I have grabbed?

11.   We know Lot’s wife turned around, but let’s think about why. It was raining sulfur, so the smell of rotten eggs had to have been overwhelming to the point of gagging her. There were asphalt pits all around and could have been ignited by the sulfur. Everyone and every living thing being burned alive. The sounds of their screams could have reached her ears. Ash would have risen worse than what was produced by the chimneys of Auschwitz. Then there were her thoughts. What was the first thing to penetrate her senses? What was the one thing that drove to make the decision to look back?

12.   In the split second she turned around and saw Sodom and Gomorrah, what did she see?

13.   The judgment for her disobedience was being turned into a pillar of salt, but in this judgment maybe there was also grace. What if the sight of what she saw would have haunted her for the rest of her life? She would have had no peace, no rest.

Do you see how doing a little research can change how you experience God’s Word?

Do you see how putting on the sandals of a woman in the Bible and walking in them might actually change the way you think about her?

So here are some questions, so you can apply this Scripture to your life.

1.       How blind are you to the sin going on in your community? Have you bought into the idea of “acceptance?”

2.       How concerned are you with those who are lost and going to burn in a sulfur based fire in hell?

3.       How absorbed are you with the materialistic things in this world? Does it override your desire to tell others about Yahweh?

4.       When God speaks to you, do you take Him at His Word or are you resistant and try to negotiate so you can be in your comfort zone? God has a way of making our comfort zone an unpleasant place.

5.       What would you have done if you had been Lot’s wife hearing the screams of burning people and animals, smelling rotten eggs, seeing the ash fall from the sky like snow? Do you have the discipline to stay focused on what is ahead or would you look to what was behind?

One of my favorite verses is

“I will lead the blind by a way they did not know; I will guide them on paths they have not known. I will turn darkness to light in front of them and rough places into level ground. This is what I will do for them, and I will not forsake them.”

— Isaiah 42:16

Leading, guiding is done from in front which is why there is light in front of you not behind you. If you want to go back to where you once were, then you will be going without God’s leadership. God was leading Lot and his family forward and the cost of looking back was her life. Are you like Lot’s wife living in the past or are you being obedient and moving forward?

http://biblegateway.com/

My Daddy's Hands

When I was in elementary, my daddy would ask me to give him a manicure. One time I tried to give him a pedicure, but his feet were harder and tougher than boot leather. Kid you not. His hands were not much better, but he would soak them in some warm water to soften them up a little before I applied the lotion to his hands and cuticles. His hands are easily identified.

I worked so hard to push his cuticles back and buff his nails smooth. I don’t know if he could tell a difference or not by the time I was done, but it was time we had sitting side by side.

My daddy’s hands would beat my behind like a drum when I was a baby because that was the only way I’d go to sleep.

My daddy’s hands put together a swing set in the candlelight in an unheated shed, so we would have a surprise from Santa when we got up on Christmas morning.

My daddy’s hands would teach my sister to fish and would hold my hands on a shotgun while I tried to aim.

My daddy’s hands would rub my back.

My daddy’s hands are the ones I would put my feet in and let him pump me up and down. Obviously momma wasn't home. Circus tricks were only attempted in her absence.

My daddy’s hands are also the ones who plucked me out of a church pew when I was misbehavin’ to go wear my behind out. His hands disciplined me on more than one occasion. He used to tell people the reason I didn’t have much of a behind is because of how frequently I received spankings.

My daddy’s hands would hold my hands when we had dates or anytime I rode next to him in the truck.

My daddy’s hands would open the doors for my mom and hold them for me when we had dates.

My daddy’s hands placed my hand into the hand of the man I married.

My daddy’s hands have rocked and played with my children.

My daddy’s hands garden and have the strength of a vice grip.

I know everyone doesn’t have a daddy with these kind of hands, and for that I’m truly sorry.

But we do have is a Heavenly Father who has something very unique about His hands, and it makes them easily identified.

Isaiah 49:16, Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;

your walls are continually before me. ESV

Some translations read He has inscribed or written us into the palm of His hands. Do you know what are in the palms of Jesus? Nail scars. As daughters of the One True King, we are written, engraved permanently in the hand of God. John 10:29, My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.

Whether you had, have or didn’t have a good earthly father, we have a wonderful Heavenly Father. So, Abba, Happy Father’s Day.

Our Father’s hands knitted and created you in your mother’s womb. (Psalm 139:14)

Our Father’s hands turns darkness into light and makes the rough places smooth. (Isaiah 42:16)

Our Father’s hands work to make His will known.

Our Father’s hands holds the world in space.

Our Father’s hands discipline us when we need it, how we need it, and how frequently we need it.

Our Father’s hands has prepared a wonderful place called heaven for you and me.

We have a pretty amazing Father.

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