How long will we wander, before returning to Him?

Posts tagged ‘time’

110) Tangible Hope

Stepping Up Beth MooreAhhhh, the Psalms of the Ascents. I know I reference Beth Moore time and again, but the studies the Lord creates through her are amazing and so relate-able.

I have previously studied the Psalms of the Ascents (Psalms 120-134) in the Beth Moore study, Stepping Up, and her insight into them is so wonderfully in-depth.

Today, we are going to study some of those Psalms and it’s going to be like going home for me. I hope you each enjoy today’s scripture reading as much as I do, or MOORE! ;-)

Today’s scripture passage: Psalms, chapters 121, 123-125, 128-130

I lift up my eyes to the hills– where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. (121:1-2, NIV)

In the Stepping Up study, Beth (yes, I pretend that we are on a first-name basis) gives a ton of historical background information, which is not only exciting but really opens up these scriptures in a whole new way. I’m not even going to venture into an attempt to retell all of the information she shared, because I know I would not do it justice, except to say that these Psalms were written as songs that were sung by these groups of people on the road to or from pilgrimages. They are prayers for protection, they are songs of revival and rejoicing, they are songs for inner peace and inner strength through He who leads us all. These are powerful Psalms!

He will not let your foot slip–he who watches over you will not slumber. (121:3, NIV)

Does anyone else out there ever fall asleep while trying to pray? I don’t know how many of my bedtime prayers I actually get finished with “Amen” before I fall into a peaceful slumber, but let me admit right here and now that the odds aren’t good. Maybe there is just something that comes over me, such a peace that sleep is really the only natural thing to do…even if it does come in the middle of prayer. I console myself with the knowledge that I pray several more times each day, both formally in quiet time and informally more in conversation mode with my best friend, but still, falling asleep during prayer isn’t something to brag about.

Our Lord never sleeps, though! He watches over us, lives with us, dwells within us every moment of every day, without fail. Isn’t that an amazing, wonderful, overwhelmingly cool thing to let sink in? It’s like sometimes I know that and sometimes I know it. Sometimes, His Presence hits me and I can’t do a thing but smile and kind of hug myself, and in hugging myself, I am hugging Him. It’s just cool.

The Lord will keep you from all harm–he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. (121:7-8, NIV)

I realize that people in this world view what I am about to say from so many different angles that I can hardly even fathom all the reasoning, but I believe this is a great scripture to share this belief with you. I believe that the Lord does not cause bad things to happen to those of us who believe in Him, but He is not going to allow something bad happen without using it to further His kingdom in some way. Death happens all around us, every day, and each of us are effected by it. We’ve all lost loved ones to sickness and death, we’ve all known tragedy, but it’s how we react to those times and grow from it that makes all the difference in His world. There are people I have lost, dear wonderful loved ones, and just when I get sad and down in the dumps because they’re not here to share this life with me any more, I take solace in the fact that 1)They’re in heaven, and 2)I got to know them when they walked the earth. My life was better from knowing them, and hopefully my life can be a better influence on someone else, as well.

Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until He is gracious to us. (123:2, NASB)

God does not clock in and out by human standards. Our time is not His time, so we must look to Him always with patience. We know not His plan. We know not His timeline. We look to Him and as we do, in His time, He reveals His plan for each of our lives one step at a time.

Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (124:8, NASB)

Isn’t it a wonderfully beautiful thing, this timeless gift of the Living Word of God? As relevant today as it was in the time of David.

Those who trust in the Lord as as Mount Zion, which cannot be moved by abides forever. (125:1, NASB)

mt fugiDon’t you just love that imagery? My faith in the Lord makes me like a mighty mountain, unmovable and under His protection.

Do good, O Lord, to those who are good and to those who are upright in their hearts. (125:4, NASB)

I wish sometimes that people could see more of what’s in my heart than what I wear on my sleeve. Sometimes, my natural human response is so much harder and colder than my inner heart response is to a person or situation. Can anyone relate? My heart overflows with love and compassion, but my logical mind takes over oftentimes before my generous heart can over-ride it. I want to live upright in heart, but I also want to show more of that uprightness (I’m just making up all kinds of words today) in my outward self, as well. I’ll have to really work on that one; the “softer side” of Marilyn.

Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord; that walketh in his ways. (128:1, KJV)

YOU are blessed, my friends! I am blessed. We have a healthy fear of the Lord that keeps us in His Word, that keeps us in prayerful conversation with Him, and that keeps each of us on the straight-and-narrow looking to Him for guidance and protection. We look to Him with faithful expectation, and for that we are blessed.

I would like to close today’s thoughts with rereading the final Psalm in the King James translation. Psalms 130:

Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O lord.

Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope.

My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

Let Israel hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption.

And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

We cry out to Him and He hears our every word. Without Him, there is no hope. With Him, we have everything. We have hope!

Although I am not really an evangelical person, scriptures like today’s passages make me want to get out and help others find hope who may not know Him otherwise. There are so many who do not know how tangible hope truly is, but in knowing the Lord, we know all that can be and is through Him who gives hope and mercy all the days of our lives.

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Tomorrow’s scripture reading: 2 Samuel, chapters 1-4

The blessing of the Lord be upon you; we bless you in the name of the Lord. (129:8, KJV)

Category:

Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Faith, Hope, Perseverance, Prayer, Psalms, Trust

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102) Without Him, I Am Nothing

My friends, I have to admit something to you: I am writing right now to avoid watching a doomsday movie with my man. Steve is watching 2012. I tried to sit through it, but just couldn’t. I’m a little Pollyannaish, I suppose, but that’s mighty fine with me. I know the world as we know it will come to an end in the Lord’s time, but I do not want to plan for it or fear it. Period. I don’t want to watch movies about it. I don’t want to hear news speculations or sermons on the subject. I want to do my human best to live as God teaches us to live and know that when the time comes to call me home, I will be ready.

I just had to get that off my chest…because I can still hear the crashing and screams of the TV screen from five rooms away and it kind of makes me want to crawl out of my skin.

Day 102  reading: 1 Samuel, chapters 15-17

kings crownThen the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, “I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the Lord all night. (15:10-11, NASB)

I always find it interesting when our Lord and Creator goes the human route. He knows all, foresees all, and has since before any of us were even created, yet He says He regrets making Saul the leader of His people. They asked for a king because He wasn’t enough in their eyes, and they got what they asked for. He knew all along how things were going to turn out, yet He allowed it to happen.

So many times I have thought, ‘Lord, you won’t regret freeing me. I’m going to do all you want me to do and then some.’ Then what happens? I slip. I slip and slip again and every time I get back up with the Lord’s grace and often times I make more promises. How many times can we slip up and be rescued by Him before we actually make a difference in our own lives to truly serve Him and not slip any more? Is it possible to live a slip-free existence from this day forward? Jesus Christ was the only perfect human; all the rest of us are severely flawed. Thank God for His grace that covers us, but can’t we really start to put forth an effort right now, right this second? YES! I do not want the Lord to regret putting me in the position He has, and I don’t want that for any of you, either. Let Him use you, and put everything you have into fulfilling the job He has given you.

Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.’ Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”

“But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” (15:17-21, NIV)

How often do we do what we think God wants us to do, but end up really fulfilling our human versions of the Lord’s wishes for our lives? How often do we follow the path He has laid before us so clearly, but as we reach the end, we begin to stray a little bit for our own human gain? How often do we keep the choice plunder instead of fully destroying it all, like we are told? How like Saul are we, really?

The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart. (16:7, NIV)

I DO NOT WANT MY CHRISTIAN WALK TO BE ONE OF SHOW, BUT OF HEART.

I DO NOT STUDY AND CONTEMPLATE AND WRITE AND CORRESPOND WITH YOU FOR APPEARANCES, BUT WITH PRAYERS TO REACH YOU IN ANY WAY I CAN.

I AM NOT A GREAT SPEAKER, BUT I HAVE A GOD-GIVEN PASSION FOR WRITING AND FOR STUDY, SO THIS IS THE WAY I GET MY PASSION OUT TO YOU.

I LOVE THE LORD AND I PRAY HE SEES IN MY HEART AND IN YOUR HEART A REFLECTION OF HIS LOVE.

WITHOUT HIM, I AM NOTHING.

Part of me hates to close this posting without discussing David and Goliath, but we all know it and I feel it best for each of us to contemplate His love for each of us and the ways we are each living today. Is it reflecting Him all of the time, some of the time, only when other’s are present, or absolutely never? I cannot be satisfied with my human life if I am not fulfilling the most important of my duties to Him, which is to reflect His love for the world.

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Day 103 reading: 1 Samuel, chapters 18-20 & Psalms, chapters 11 and 59

Category:

1 Samuel, Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Creation, Eternity, Faith, Forgiveness, Healing, Quiet time, Rules worth LIVING by, Seeing God, Service, Trust

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101) Nothing can hinder the Lord

Day 101 reading: 1 Samuel, chapters 13-14

Here’s another cool thing about having a parallel Bible to study from:  Not only can I see how the wording is a little different from translation to translation, but in the very first verse of today’s scripture passage, all four translations in my Bible actually look quite different. The change from translation to translation isn’t critical enough to rock my faith, so don’t even begin to allow non-believers or questioners use my words as a way to poke holes in the Living Word of our Lord and Creator. But this is an interesting little aside, that I thought you would find interesting, as well.

1 Sam 13

KING JAMES VERSION, 13:1

Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel

AMPLIFIED BIBLE, 13:1

Saul was [forty] years old when he began to reign; and when he had reigned two years over Israel

*footnote: The complete numbers in this verse are missing in the Hebrew. The word “forty” is supplied by the best available estimate.

NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, 13:1

Saul was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty two years over Israel.

NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, 13:1

Saul was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned over Israel forty-two years.

*footnote: Hebrew does not have thirty; See the round number in Acts 13:21, Hebrew does not have forty

Isn’t that cool? Many of those I admire most began their ministries in their early 30′s, and I suppose because I am in that generation of my life right now, this age range pops out at me from the pages. However, then I noticed that the Amplified notes Saul as 40 years old and the King James (which is apparently the nearest English translation to the original Hebrew text) does not mention his age at all. I just thought I would share that as an interesting aside.

Saul remained at Gilgal, and all the troops with him were quaking with fear. He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering and the fellowship offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.

“What have you done?” asked Samuel.

Saul replied, “when I saw that the men were scattering, and that you did not come at the set time, and that the Philistines were assembling at Micmash, I thought, ‘Now the Philistines will come down against me at Gilgal, and I have not sought the Lord’s favor.’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering.”

“You acted foolishly,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” (13:7-14, NIV)

Sometimes it is difficult not to act in haste; sometimes, in our human nature, it is difficult to wait for the Lord. I am certainly guilty of trying my hand at rushing things along, just as Saul acted in haste, don’t we all act the same at times? It is situations like the one Saul was in at the time–the enemy closing in around you, your allies scattering like flies–that test our faith and try our patience the greatest. Those are the times that truly decide whether we are, indeed, after God’s own heart.  But our favor lies in waiting for the Lord and doing only as He commands.

And it is in those times when we act too hastily and refuse in our human independence to wait for the Lord’s go-ahead that we are left ready to fight with nothing to back us up.

“Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.” (14:6, NIV)

My friends, I know that none of us want to be among those standing unarmed for battle against the enemies that attack from every side. Our Lord doesn’t act on our time line, but we must act on His.

jonathan-and-armor-bearerI thought this image I found on the internet of Jonathan and his armor-bearer was lovely and, along with the following scriptures, summed up so beautifully Jonathan’s great faith in the Lord.

So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer, “Climb up after me; the Lord has given them into the hand of Israel.” (14:12, NIV)

In that first attack Jonathan and his armor-bearer killed some twenty men in an area of about half an acre. (14:14, NIV)

Jonathan acted based on the Lord’s will for his life, which is in great contrast to his own father, Saul’s, behavior.

And Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first altar that he built to the Lord.

Then Saul said, “Let us go down after the Philistines by night and take spoil among them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” So the priest said, “Let us draw near to God here.” (14:35-36, NASB)

Or, as the NIV states: “Let us inquire of God here.”

Although Saul built an altar to the Lord, he did not take the time to pray, worship, or listen to the Word of the Lord. Saul’s first instinct was to go through the motions, but act on his own human will. It took the priest to stop him and help bring him back to center. “Wait,” the priest told Saul, “Let’s see what the Lord wants us to do first.”

I am finding that the deeper I get into this journey through the Bible in a Year with you, the better I am at putting my human will on pause long enough to consider that my plan may or may not be in line with God’s plan for my life. It is my basic nature to act now then ask questions later (which, yes, has gotten me into some real pickles over the years). But I have honestly found that things go so much more smoothly and have so much greater purpose when I stop and call on the Lord for guidance.

My friends, let us all continue to stop ourselves from our human do-it-yourself nature and call on Him for the answers. God is able! As Jonathan said, “Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few.”

Make it a great day,

Marilyn

Day 102 reading: 1 Samuel, chapters 15-17

Category:

1 Samuel, Bible in a Year-Chronological Study, Faith, Prayer, Seeing God, Service, Trust

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Calling All “Plugged In” Kiddos!

Completely unrelated to any other sort of Road Signs to Him Ministries article before, I wanted to send a holla out to all of you other mothers (or dads…or grandparents…or aunts…uncles…well, you get it) of small children. As with everything else I write about, this will require a bit of back story…

SANYO DIGITAL CAMERAA few months ago, while reading a bedtime story to Charlotte (5 yrs old), I thought of how cool it would be to video record me reading her stories, so that nights when she wanted to play her iPod at bedtime, or nights when I am not available, she could still enjoy bedtime stories. Soooo, I created her own little YouTube account, which is totally private. On it, I uploaded story reading, as well as other fun family videos so that she would always have some fun stuff to watch without (and this is key since her iPod is just the 8GB variety) taking up her precious memory space! YouTube to the rescue!!!

After a little time, this got me thinking…there are tons of kids toting iPods, iPads, and other gadgets and gizmos these days, and they might enjoy some story time, too. I didn’t want to publicize Charlotte’s account, so I formed another: KiddoStoryTime on YouTube.

What you’ll find on KiddoStoryTime (YouTube account):

Nothing fancy! It’s just the pages of the book, while myself or one of my older children read the story. There are no faces, no acting out, just reading…just like my kids really get when I read them books. This is meant to be a calming, winding down for bed time, so it’s not going to be stimulating the way that so many kid-driven videos tend to be.

So, please feel free to subscribe to the KiddoStoryTime YouTube channel, so that those nights when you’re in a crunch at story time you have a back-up plan. This is also good for road trips, long waits in doctors offices, or any time when the kiddo would be “bored” without something entertaining. Consider this your Ace In The Hole!!!

*DISCLAIMER ONE: This channel will be geared toward books for preschool through about 1st or 2nd grade. I have been trying to identify the books by age group as I post them, to help parents and kids sort through them more easily. Right now there are just a handful uploaded, but I am working through some great lists of books and hope to have quite an online library for you to scan through shortly.

*DISCLAIMER TWO: I do not have any claim to any of the stories read here on this page. This is similar to going to a library and hearing a story-time lady reading to your children. I receive no compensation from the reading of these children’s books; this is simply a way to share my love for books with my own children, and–in turn–with yours.

Make it a great day,

Marilyn Horton

Category:

Blessings, Children, Gifts & Talents, Service, Venture Out!

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Tuning Out

During the holidays it seems most difficult to stop, relax and enjoy. I know Cary and I have been jumping through hoops to get everything taken care of in our retail-based careers this holiday season. It’s ironic, really; my family’s small jewelry making business is enjoying record-breaking success this year and all we can think is: Sell! Produce! Deliver!, while in our personal lives we are grasping at straws to try to get some down time to chill and tune out of the materialism and noise that goes with this time of year…every single year.

The other day I was sitting in a waiting room. There was ambient muzak playing over the speaker system at a much louder volume than is usually acceptable. There were flat-screen televisions hanging here and there, each on different stations and each blaring talking-head chatter about this disaster or that tragedy.  Meanwhile, in a day and age when none of us seem to respect one another enough to turn down our constantly beeping, buzzing, and ringing do-everything-phones, there they went beeping, buzzing, and ringing all around me. People call, people text, we answer, which precipitates more calls and texts,  and the cycle goes around and around. Most in the waiting room would answer their phones and at least try to keep the conversation abbreviated, but one woman in particular was enjoying a very lengthy, unbelievably loud personal discussion about some cousin who was causing all kinds of family drama. And there I was, drowning in chatter and racket, wishing like crazy that there could just be true moments of silence every now and then.

I decided then and there that my ears and my mind needed a break. This time of year above all others people talk about slowing down and remembering the “Reason for the Season,” but how many of us truly, truly, TRULY go through with the slow-down? How many of us talk the talk and hope that counts as walking the walk? I decided to take a month off from excessive television, radio, facebook, movies, video games, computer time, and any other kind of media that seems to assault my senses whether I want them to or not.

Can anyone relate to just needing some real peace and quiet?

I live in a household with a television in almost every room, and with a husband who thinks that at least half of those televisions should be on at all times (not muted, mind you), lest he miss something. But, I am going to do my best to escape the incessant noise in the coming month, even if it means I have to step outside or take solace in my bedroom (there’s a television, but thankfully it is not hooked up!). I am going to be that person who goes around turning televisions off when they’re not actively being watched and muting them if the pretty flashing picture is absolutely necessary but maybe the sound is not. Oh yeah, I’m going to be that person!

I also live in a world where I spend easily ten hours a day at the computer. I earn my living designing jewelry on my computer, designing our business’ print advertisements on my computer, communicating with customers on my computer, and doing essentially anything else that could possibly need to be done for our business on my computer. Then, I come home and I may have a thought I want to share with you gals on my computer, or I want to post some new pictures to facebook on my computer, or any number of other things that we all find ourselves doing 24/7 on our computers. For the next four weeks, I am going to eliminate any excessive computer time. If it doesn’t have to be done on a computer, I’m not going to do it on a computer. Does anyone else find that when they actually have to write something…like with a pen…their hand starts to cramp in very little time? It’s scary how much time and energy is spent sitting and staring at this screen all day and night. I need a break…or as much of one as I can get, and I’m taking it now.

I am also going to tune out from the constant old-fashioned FM radio, satellite radio, elevator music, Christmas jingles, and any other forms of the music that on its own is fun, uplifting, soothing, and even mellow, but when we really pay attention, find that it adds up to one more layer of noise in an already noisy world. I am not going to turn on the radio in my Jeep while I’m tootling around town. I am not going to have Pandora up on my computer while I work. I am not going to play CD’s or fire up my MP3 player (no, I have not joined the iPod revolution…I know…I know) while I am exercising or cleaning house. For the next month I am going to encourage quiet in my little world, and I am going to enjoy hearing myself think.

I am also going to tune out from my phone. Just because we have cell phones doesn’t mean that we have to be readily available to anyone and everyone who has our phone numbers at any time of the day or night. I have downloaded a soothing ocean waves ringer on my phone…if I can’t hear it ring, then I will see later that I missed a call and call back. But, I am also not going to check it constantly or feel pressured to return calls immediately. That’s the joy of voice mail: you leave me a message and “I’ll get back to you…” on my time. I am going to mute my text message alerts, my picture mail, my sync’d-up email alerts, and any other sounds that my phone makes on a constant basis to remind me that my time is not my own but actually belongs to anyone who is trying to get in touch with me in that instant. I am going to take my time back.

My friends, I know this isn’t much of a Bible lesson, but I want to encourage you to take your time back, as well. ‘Tis truly the season to step back, slow down, not worry about how much you can spend, but think of how much you can give. We cannot effectively give of ourselves when we have so many distractions pulling us away from those who matter most in our lives.

Take this challenge with me. Go all-in, or take one action and own it. I dare you to take a break and enjoy the holidays. I dare you to play an actual board game instead of Angry Birds or Wii. I dare you to listen to your child read a story instead of watching Charlie Brown Christmas for the 100th time in your life. I dare you to write an actual letter and mail it with U.S. Postal Service stamps instead of an email. I dare you to join me in doing whatever you realistically can to step back and tune out…and enjoy the quiet.

Peace and love and joy to you, my friends.

~Mari!yn

“For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;
And the government will rest on His shoulders;
And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,
On the throne of David and over his kingdom,
To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness
From then on and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.”
(Isaiah 9:6-7, NASB)

Category:

Isaiah, Quiet time

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10% of Me~The Firstfruits

“‘But nothing that a man owns and devoted to the Lord–whether man or animal or family land–may be sold or redeemed; everything so devoted is most holy to the Lord.’” (Leviticus 27:28)

I believe in tithing. I believe that God instructs us to tithe 10% of our earnings and also give offerings of ourselves above and beyond our tithe in accordance with our faith.

Malachi 3:10 tells us that God will “throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

That sounds pretty awesome to me! I think the rub happens in the questions: Really??? Do I have to??? How much? How much money? How much time? Where does the tithing begin and where does it end?

Through the inspired word of the Bible, we are told, “Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the Lord your God.” (Exodus 23:19)

We are to tithe our money based on our gross earnings, our “firstfruits,” as calculated before the government has taken its share. When I write that check to our church home each week, I feel a great sense that I am honoring my end of the bargain with God and helping to further His word. I also feel a wonderful feeling of stewardship when giving to a few select charities and non-profit organizations that are close to my heart.

Even if you are not a member of a church or religious organization, tithing of yourself and your time to causes that you deem noble is a healthy practice. I would much rather have so much blessing that I don’t have enough room to receive it all than the alternative. Wouldn’t you? After all, Romans 8:31 reminds us that “if God is for us, who can be against us?” For me, that is such a refreshing thought that it makes me excited to do my part.

In all of my thinking on tithes, I believe there is no limit to the 10% God deserves from us. He deserves 10% of my monetary income, that’s a clear. But He also deserves 10% of my time. There are 1,440 minutes in every day;10% of that is 144 minutes, or two hours and 24 minutes. Just like calculating monetary tithes from the firstfruits, or the gross income, we must also figure our tithe of time from the firstfruits; not just the hours we are awake every day, but all of the hours we are given in a day.

When I did the math, I realized that I generally spend anywhere from no time to about an hour a day staudying God’s word, either through reading the Bible itself or commentaries on the Bible, writing my own thoughts on God, and in prayer to Him. Even my peak hour a day fell short of my 10% time tithe, so I began to reschedule a little so I could spend more time devoted to Him. I don’t set and alarm clock to measure the 144 minutes exactly, but I do shoot for two-and-a-half hour time frame over the course of the day. My true goal every day is to make that time my “firstfruits,” when I am first beginning my day, before the busyness of life crowds in and takes its share, I want to first give my time to my Lord. I enjoy spending my 10% with God, and feel blessed for being an obedient child of His.

What other areas of our lives can we give 10%? I can devote at least 10% of my writing to Him, His teachings and lessons. Though only a casual gardener, I can give at least 10% of my fruit and vegetable harvests to someone who would enjoy them. Our opportunities to give to God by giving of ourselves are as impossible to count as the sands on the beach.

Today, I challenge myself and all who read this to give your 10% and then give a little more. He has given us so much, and all He asks in return is 10%.

Make it a great day,
Marilyn

Category:

Exodus, Leviticus, Malachi, Romans

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Healing Rain

I was driving home from work last week, on a day like many others. The rain was falling, I was feeling like I had a lot to do and too little time, and I was listening to the radio. A song came on that I know and love but on that day it struck me in a way it never had before.

Healing Rain, one of the many moving songs by Michael W. Smith, played and I felt all of my worldly worries wash away, right then and there. It was as if time had ceased to exist as I watched individual raindrops roll in slow motion down my windshield and the words he sang went straight to my heart. Tears of joy, and tears of shame are washed forever in Jesus’ name.

These words pierced through me and I was overcome by the times in my own life and in the lives of countless friends and family in Christ have been hit by such a force that only heaven’s healing rain could truly fix the problem. Sometimes life take a miracle, yet we see them everyday when we look through God’s eyes.

When pains and sorrows seem to suck the life out of our days and we have no words to speak, the Holy Spirit is there with us, guiding us, promising and comforting us. The sun of righteousness will rise with healing (Malachi 4:2). Isn’t that a beautiful image? A breathtaking sunrise that will wash away the pains after the rain has fallen in our lives. Glory!

The face of the matter is that things happen in each of our lives that we don’t want to happen, we have to deal with stuff we would rather not, and sometimes life can be overwhelming, at best. But friends, even in these times when all our natural instincts tell us to run away from the pain, God is speaking softly in our ears, reminding us that we can run into His arms.

David wrote in Psalms 62:8, Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. He is there, He knows our best, our worst, our weakness, and our strength, and like a patient grandparent, God is waiting with open arms for you to come and gather at His feet for protection, guidance, and healing.

Oh Lord, have mercy on me; heal me, for I have sinned against you (Psalms 41:4). It is no secret that human nature is more inclined to evil than to good. We see the painful evidence everywhere we turn. Some faces hide the pain better than others, but it is still there, just below the surface. The perfect news is this: that Jesus bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed (1 Peter 2:24).

Isn’t that wonderful?! Isn’t that marvelous news?! Isn’t it such a relief to know that all of our sins, all of our cruel deeds, all of our hurts and pains, all of our natural imperfections are not tallied up against us? I am constantly amazed and blessed by this realization as I go through my daily life, sometimes letting my worldly nature get the better of me.

By faith in God, through Jesus Christ, His son, you and I can put down our pain and allow the healing rains pour down on us like a fountain from heaven and wash us clean. God made a covenant with Noah after the great flood that Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy life. (Genesis 9:14-15) Although God was referring to actual floods destroying the earth, through Jesus’ sacrifice, we are also protected from the storms of life destroying us.

We have trials and seasons that test us, mind and body, but we are never given an undertaking that we are not also given the strength to overcome. I believe it was Mother Teresa who said,I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much. Isn’t that the truth, friends? But when the storm clouds gather, as they will, respond with prayer.

Pray, have faith in Him, and know that you are loved and that no one, least of all God, wants to watch you be destroyed by the floods in your life. When we have faith, even in the midst of life’s storms, all can see and feel it, just as the crippled man in the book of Acts. Paul was teaching and could see just by looking into the face of this crippled man across a crowded roomthat he had faith to be healed (Acts 14:9) and was healed by his faith.

Our faith outshines the storms and even as we are walking through our darkest hours, if we do so with faith in God on our side our hearts will, indeed, be washed in the healing rains and we will emerge singing His praises.

And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. (Romans 5: 2-5)

Friends, are the tears falling in your world right now or do you have some old wounds that cut so deep they just don’t seem to be healing? There is healing in God. God is like the kindest of parents, He loves us whether we acknowledge Him or not, but when we do, He rejoices! When we have been battered or have fallen, all we have to do is go to Him, pray to Him, show Him our pain and watch as He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds (Psalms 147:3).

Healing through Him is available to all, no matter the circumstances. Whether you were raised knowing Him or were raised to loathe Him, He has loved you since the beginning of time and rejoices when you allow Him into your heart. Call out and feel the healing rains fall.

Category:

1 Peter, Acts, Books of the Bible, Genesis, Healing, James, Malachi, Psalms, Romans

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