Honest Reflections

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: Psalms 78 GW

God can!

Psalm 78 is a “maskil” psalm because of the wisdom found within its verses.  Written by Asaph, a Levite singer in David’s court, he was the son of Berechiah.  In the second-longest Psalm in the Bible, the author reminds us of the miracles God performed in the past.  Asaph reminds his readers, even though God provided food for the Israelites in the desert, they complained.

Throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites are constantly flip-flopping.  One minute they are in awe of God’s mighty power because of what He does for them; the next minute, they doubt God will provide for them.  

Even after acknowledging God brought water from a rock, causing a minor flood, they question whether He will feed them.  Really?  You witnessed water come from a rock, but you don’t think God will give you food.  Dumb questions come when we ignore what we know.  And God was angry:

“When the Lord heard this, he became furious. His fire burned against Jacob and his anger flared up at Israel because they did not believe God or trust him to save them.” (Psalm 78:21-22 GW)

Believe God can.

Faith believes God can.  The reason the Israelites asked a dumb question was that they ignored what they knew.  Instead of trusting a God that brought water from a rock, they doubted Him.  

What more does God have to do to prove He will provide?

We’re the same as the Israelites.  Even though God delivered us from storms we faced in the past, we don’t think He will get us through the current one.  We doubt God’s ability to “fix” the next crisis.  Instead of trusting God, we ask, “Can God do this?”  The answer is always, “Yes, He can.” But how God performs the miracle is up to Him.

No one expected the water to come from a rock (Exodus 17:1-7 NIV), the Red Sea to part (Exodus 14:21 NIV), or a burning bush to talk (Exodus 3:1-17 NIV), yet they did.   How God meets your needs, only God knows.  But can He, absolutely.

Lord, thank You for Your provision in our lives.  Forgive us for doubting You and forgetting so quickly what You’ve done for us in the past.  Help us today trust You more.  Remind us of how You’ve delivered us in the past.  Give us confidence. You can help us again.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What miracles have you seen God perform?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading:  Psalms 117-118 GW; 2 Chronicles 35-36 GW

Trust God, not man.

Psalm 118:8 is the middle verse of the Bible.  Buried in the heart of God’s word is this gem.  Place your expectations on God, let people off the hook.

We all share a common problem.  Instead of expecting God to meet our needs, we want people to do it.  When people disappoint us, which they always do, we get mad.  But the truth is, we’re not to expect from people; God is where we are to look.

Unrealistic expectations of people set them up for failure.  If I expected my husband to fill the void in my heart only God can fill, he’s going to fail. Even the most trustworthy person on the planet will break your trust.  Part of the human condition is imperfect relationships with others.  No one on earth is as trustworthy as our Father in heaven.

God is dependable.

Just because God doesn’t run the world the way you think He should, doesn’t mean He’s not dependable.  God has the bird’s eye view we don’t possess.  He knows the beginning, middle, and end of the story.   No one else but God is trustworthy to do what He says He will do.  Humans will fail, but God never does.

“Never make a principle out of your experience; let God be as original with other people as He is with you.” Oswald Chambers

Lower your expectations of people, raise them of God.  Allow God to work in others’ lives as He wishes.  Don’t try and make everyone the same.  Don’t place unrealistic expectations on those you love.  Allow their lives to unfold as they will, realizing, God’s purpose is different for each of us.

Letting people off the hook brings freedom to your relationships.  Instead of living in constant disappointment, you can enjoy your loved ones for who they are.  Place your trust in God; allow people their imperfections.  God is your hope.

Lord, thank You for Your trustworthiness and dependability.  Forgive us for placing expectations on the people in our lives they can’t meet.  Help us let people off the hook as we put our hopes and dreams in Your hands.  Meet our needs today.  Help us love people well without expecting anything from them.  In You, we place our trust.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

Who are you placing unrealistic expectations on today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Chronicles 33-34 GW; Psalms 16 GW

God knows what’s best.

People like to pick and choose pieces of the Bible to follow.  Guidelines they don’t like, they ignore.  For instance, premarital sex.  God sets a boundary line for us on our sexual activities. 

“But if they cannot control themselves, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.”  (1 Corinthians 7:9 NIV)

Why does God set this boundary?

As an individual who did things my way during my 20’s, completely ignoring God, my answer to this question, God’s commandment protects you from heartache.  When I was single, engaging in premarital sex, my heart took a beating.  Time and again, I was the one left picking up the pieces of what I thought was a relationship, but in reality, it was just sex.

Finally, after having my heart returned to me on a platter by someone I thought I would marry, I realized I needed to change my ways.  Raised in the church, I turned back to what I knew, God.    And I learned, God isn’t a party pooper. He’s a party maker.

Accept God’s invitation.

Turning back to God meant changing the way I lived my life.  No more premarital sex.  God’s word is clear on this point; I decided to apply His commands to my life.  The first man I met in church pressured me heavily for sex.  When he realized I was serious about my commitment, he informed me of the other women who were happy to sleep with him.  God’s rules protected my heart.

Now, 20 years later, I’m in a pleasant place, married to the love of my life.  Our relationship started on a tennis court and developed over time.  Our first kiss was 11 months after we met; we married less than a year later.  He’s my best friend; every day together is a gift for which I praise God.  Never did I imagine life as it is.  Only with God did I find my way here.

Place God’s boundary lines in your life.  You will grow in ways you can’t imagine. God will lead you to pleasant places.

Lord, thank You for your guidelines.  Forgive us for not following the ones we don’t like.  Help us today, put Your word into practice in our lives.  Lead us to pleasant places.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

Which of God’s boundaries are you not keeping?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Chronicles 31-32 GW; Psalms 112 GW

Good manners bring light.

Growing up, I heard my mom say on many occasions say, “You don’t have to be mean.”  Only in therapy in my fifties is understanding dawning.  My mother was telling me, I had a choice in how I respond to situations.  When things didn’t go my way, I became angry and somewhat challenging to deal with at times.  Growing in Christ teaches me to respond differently.

Jesus helps you realize; you’re hurting heart isn’t permission to mistreat others.  Trouble in life is something we will experience:

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 GW)

Whatever storm we face, Jesus overcame it for us.  Accepting the trouble that comes our way means trusting God to get us through it.  Why?  Because of Jesus, He overcomes the world with His death and resurrection.  In Him, we have His eternal light shining through us.

Bring the Light

When we choose courtesy towards others rather than justice for ourselves, we’ll bring light into our lives.  God’s economy is counterintuitive.  Instead of hurting those who hurt you, love them.  Practice the fruits of the spirit in all of your relationships:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22-23 GW)

To receive God’s gifts from the Spirit, you must give them away.  If I had listened to my mother and “not been mean,” I would have a much better relationship with my brothers than the one I currently have.  When they hurt me, I was mean back to them.  Who wants to spend time with someone who isn’t nice?  No one.

Jesus wasn’t mean.  People flocked to Him because of His kindness.  In all He did, Jesus was a gentleman.  

Don’t make the same mistakes I did.  Choose kindness instead.  Light will flood your life.

Lord, thank You for giving us, Jesus.  Forgive us for the times in our lives we’ve been mean.  Help us to forgive ourselves and start again.  Let Your light shine through us to the dark world around us.  All the glory is Yours.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What relationship do you need to invest in today?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Chronicles 29-30 GW; Psalms 95 GW

Thankful hearts are joyful.

Beside my bed lays a gratitude journal.  One of my closest friends and I are intentionally taking five minutes out of our day to answer three questions:

• What was the best moment of your day?
• What was the worst moment of your day?
• What are you most thankful for today?

Typically, I do mine in the morning when I make the bed.  Since we started doing this in March, I’ve come to a realization.  My life isn’t as bad as I thought.  Taking time to answer question number two with intention, the worst moment of my day impacted my life.  Why?  Because I can’t come up with a “worst moment” on many days, and when I do, it’s lame.  

However, I have yet to struggle with the best moment of my day.  Every morning I wake up is a blessing.  Having the ability to walk and talk, engage in physical activity, cook dinner, spend time with my Honey, all things make me come into the Lord’s presence shouting happily with praise.

Answer the questions.

If you want to cultivate an attitude of gratitude, try what my friend and I are doing.  Answer three questions each day for a month.  Your mindfulness will help you realize where you are focusing your thoughts.  

For me, I started practicing gratitude years ago.  My “formula” for beginning my morning prayer is from Philippians 4:6:

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” 

Each morning, I thank God for something before I request anything.  Instead of focusing on what I don’t have, this helps me remember all the blessings I enjoy—thinking about my “worst moment” accents the positive, giving me more opportunities to praise God.

Create a thankful heart with gratitude.  Become intentional about your day.  Write down the highs and lows, then thank God for His presence in both.

Lord, we come into Your presence shouting praise.  Forgive us for thinking we had nothing to thank You for today.  Help us become more mindful of Your presence in our lives.  Cultivate in us a thankful heart as we move through our days.  All glory is Yours.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What was the best moment of your day?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Chronicles 26-28 GW; Psalms 2 GW

Fear is a form of respect.

Healthy fear is recognition that someone or thing has power over you.  When I was in sixth grade in the late 1970s, my teacher was Mr. Morgan.  Tall, he had dark hair, sparkling eyes, and a rolling laugh.  Always quick with a smile, I forgot he was in charge.  One day, acting like a clown, I went too far.  Mr. Morgan’s reprimand was paddling in front of the entire class.  My stinging butt reminded me who was in control.

God is the same.  Our Creator, against who no ruler or army can stand has His limits.  If we refuse to submit to Him, He’ll let us have our way:

“Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves,  because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” (Romans 1:24-25 NIV)

Serve with fear.

Don’t get caught up worshipping your creature self; worship your Creator.  He formed you in your mother’s womb, don’t forget His power. 

God is sovereign over all things of the earth.  Every breath we take, God provides.  When we have victory, the glory is God’s.  Without God, we can do nothing.  If you can’t breathe, you can’t live.

Serving God with fear means caring more about what God thinks than people think. 

You do things because you find direction in God’s word.  Forgiving, loving, helping, serving are all things God calls us to do.  Following God requires effort.  We’re not to sit idly by while the world passes us.  No, we’re to engage with the world and love them like Jesus.  When we do, we will rejoice with trembling.

Lord, thank You for helping us understand a little better what serving You in fear means.  Forgive us for not respecting Your sovereignty in our lives.  Help us today serve You well.  Give us boldness to do what You want us to do and not succumb to the world’s temptations.  Help us rejoice with trembling as we serve you.  All glory is Yours.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

Do you serve with fear?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Chronicles 24-25 GW; Psalms 106 GW

Doing what is right leads to blessings.

In my 52 years on earth, I’ve done a lot of things wrong.   Poor decisions lead to all kinds of troubles: financial, relational, physical.  Every day we live, our activities of today impact our tomorrows.  We have a choice whether we do what is right or what is easy.  Typically, the correct steps are more complex than the incorrect ones.

For instance, swiping my credit card is easier than paying cash.  Going into debt is much quicker than coming out of it.  Living within your means, the amount of money you have, is much more complicated than living beyond them.  But when you handle your finances with Biblical principles, you’ll experience blessings far more meaningful than money.

When I was single, I remember my sleep immediately improved when I paid off my last credit card.  A weight lifted from my shoulders.  Living within my means became more manageable as I learned to budget.  Tithing became the priority, then saving.    Now, when something unexpected happens, we have an emergency fund to meet those needs.  Learning to live on what God provides brings innumerable blessings.

Take the stand.

Defending justice is doing what is right.  We are to help those who can’t help themselves:

“Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights of all who are destitute. Open your mouth, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy.” (Proverbs 31:8-9 NIV)

When someone needs an advocate, meet the need.  Speak up for them. 

Coaching tennis camp this summer, one of the students arrived on his bike with training wheels.  Not realizing he was asking an inappropriate question, another student asked the boy why he still was using training wheels?  Instant embarrassment swept over the young man’s face, his expression showing he didn’t know what to say.  So I stepped into the conversation and spoke for him, defending him to his young friend.  The blessing came in the form of peace.

Following God is challenging by times.  Doing the right thing, defending justice for others takes effort.  But doing the hard thing today will create better tomorrows full of innumerable blessings.

Lord, thank You for defending us.  We’re grateful for Jesus, who set an example for us of doing the right thing.  Forgive us for taking the easy way out.  Help us today to do what is right.  Let us find the blessing of defending justice for those who can’t.  Draw us closer to You in all we do.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What right thing do you need to do today?

2 minute read.

God’s work brings joy.

Recently, a friend asked me if I believe in coincidences.  He was talking about times when you run into people randomly.  My response was, “I call those divine appointments.”  To which he promptly replied, “I don’t believe in those.”  

If we are going to find joy in God’s work, we must first believe He is working.  Wherever you are today, God’s destiny for your life is unfolding. The people you interact with are God’s children; every single one of them matters to the Heavenly Father.  Whether you call them coincidences or divine appointments, all of them are orchestrated by God.  Each interaction you have is for a reason, what exactly, only God knows.

Belief leads to joy.

Christ followers base their belief on God and His existence.  Laying our sinful ways at the foot of the cross means receiving God’s grace and mercy for us.  Freedom comes in understanding God designed you for a purpose, loves you completely and wants an intimate relationship with you.  God’s wifi network is Jesus, connecting to Him connects us to God. 

Belief starts with Jesus.  First we trust in the Prince of Peace, then we find His joy.  Jesus died so that we could have eternal life, joy everlasting with Him.  Our sins washed away by God’s Son.

First believe, then see.  Start looking for ways God is working in your life.  Notice the “coincidences” that happen. People God places in your life at the perfect moment for you.  Someone who offers a kind word that keeps you going or listens when you need to vent.  Someone whose love and kindness towards you affirms God’s affection for you.  

Coincidences are one way God works in our lives and bring us joy.  God operates in mysterious ways and is always up to something.  His efforts producing joy in our lives.

Believe, find joy through Christ.

Lord, thank You for Your constant work in our lives.  Forgive us for thinking You aren’t involved or active in our situations.  Give us divine sight today to see the efforts of Your hands as they participate in our lives.  Help us find the joy that comes only from You; no matter the circumstances, You have a plan.  Let us believe today.  Give us faith to persevere.  Let us receive Your joy.  IJNIP.  Amen

Question for reflection

What coincidences has God used in your life lately?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Chronicles 19-20 GW; Psalms 48 GW; 2 Thessalonians 3 GW

God directs love.

Receiving instructions from God has to do with one of two things, loving Him, loving people (Mark 12:20-31 NIV).

The Ten Commandments are some of the best-known scriptures in the Bible.  Summarizing the top ten rules from the Big Guy, we find the list of relational guidelines in Deuteronomy 5:6-21:

1. No other Gods before Him
2. Do not worship false gods
3. Do not take the Lord’s name in vain
4. Remember the Sabbath
5. Honor Father and mother
6. No killing
7. No adultery
8. No stealing
9. No lying
10. No coveting

Every single one of God’s commandments is about relationships.  When God directs us, it’s relationally.  Our three primary relationships are with God, others, and ourselves.  God’s word is full of how we are to handle those relationships.  Surrendering our lives to God means showing affection to a world that desperately needs it.  Jesus paved the way with His actions on the cross.  He illustrated the lengths God is willing to go to have a relationship with us.  When God directs, He directs with love.

Persevere in love.

God’s love perseveres at all times, good and bad.  No matter what our feelings try to tell us, God’s affection for us overrides any lies we believe.  Recently, in a Daily Devotion from Rick Warren, he talked about forming our lives around lies we believe.  For me, I created my life around the lie that I am worthless.  Misinterpreting signals as a child led me to the wrong conclusions.  Now, as an adult, God’s persevering love is revealing His truth to me and healing me of those lies.

Depending on which version of the Bible you use, the word “love” appears on average 610 times.  Every book in the Bible talks about God’s love in some form or fashion.  The thread that ties everything together is love.

Wherever God is directing you, you can believe, He’s calling you to love.

Lord, You rock.  Your love for us is something our minds have difficulty understanding, but we know You do.  Forgive us for not loving well, You, others, or ourselves.  In whatever area we’re struggling to show affection, help us do better.  Especially with ourselves, Lord, help us truly believe You love us unconditionally.  Let love become our calling card in all we do.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

What area do you need God’s help to show His love?

2 minute read.

Daily Reading: 2 Chronicles 16-18 GW; 2 Thessalonians 2 GW

Hearing introduces people to Jesus.

My first recollection of Jesus came from my mother.  She would read Bible stories to us at bedtime.  Listening to Biblical tales helped me know Jesus.  As we grew older and attended church, I learned more about Jesus, listening to the pastor and Sunday school teachers.  Now, I engage in Bible studies that help me know even more about Jesus.  Listening to God’s word and His people will lead you to Jesus.

Recently, I finished a Bible study on Revelation.  At the beginning of that book, God makes a promise:

“Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.” (Revelation 1:3 ESV)

Listening to God’s word impacts your life.  My friend and I, who completed the study, read aloud the entire book.  We studied a chapter a session, each reading half of it aloud.  Something happens when you read God’s word aloud.  The peace that transcends all understanding leads the way as God reveals truths about our lives through His word.  

Listening deepens faith.

Engaging in conversations with fellow believers about how Christ is working in their lives will grow your faith.

One of my young friends battled a rare intestinal disease.  Only 15 when the fight began, we had many times we thought the Lord was taking her home.  Her faith in Jesus led the way in the battle.  In her darkest moments, she talked about how Jesus kept her going.  Whether through a person, or a spiritual experience, Jesus helped her persevere.  Today, I call her a walking miracle.  Because of her, my faith in Christ increased.

Listen to people talk about Jesus.  Share what God is doing in your life with others.  Hearing the Good News draws people to Jesus.  Talk Him up today.

Lord, thank You for Jesus.  Thank You for the people in our lives who talk about Jesus with us.  Forgive us for not sharing with others what Jesus does for us.  Help us today talk up Jesus.  Let others know Him because of what we say.  All the glory is Yours.  IJNIP. Amen

Question for reflection

How can you talk about Jesus today?