Prayer

Empty

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Romans 5:3-5

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Recently, Doug opened the cover on our hot tub to do some routine maintenance and found that it was almost completely empty! Perplexed, he began checking everything in and around the tub to determine what may have caused it to drain on its own. After a thorough investigation, he refilled it.

The next day when he went back out to check the status, it was empty again!

This time, both of us became detectives; tightening knobs, changing the settings and searching for evidence of a leak. After we surveyed almost every inch of the hot tub we refilled it…again.

The next day, when I went out to check the status, it was empty….again!!!!

Disappointed?

Yes.

The weather had just begun to approach the freezing mark– the perfect dichotomy of extreme temperatures to enjoy lounging in the hot tub.

After much frustration and troubleshooting, I did what any self-righteous Christian woman would do: I threw a hissy fit. Recalling all the problems and trials we’ve had with that electric water box just further infuriated me. Eventually, however, I came to my senses and began praying. Then my daughter and I went to work…determined to find the problem— and fix it!

After locating the drain plug (hidden behind the stairs, pressed against the upper deck) we laid down on our bellies straining to reach it. After a few turns, we realized it was loose! Wet boards (hidden by autumn leaves and fallen pine straw) further confirmed our suspicion- the water had, in fact been leaking out of the drain.

After re-tightening the plug, refilling it … again, and waiting a day for the water to reach 102 degrees, Doug and I were finally able to enjoy using the hot tub for its intended purpose; to relax and enjoy one another’s company after a long, hard day.

A week later, after re-hashing the problems with God, He showed me yet another life lesson:

Just like that electric water box, I was designed with a purpose. In order to fulfill that purpose, I must be filled with His living water. But occasionally, unbeknownst to me, my drain plug becomes loose and His water begins to slowly seep out- leaving me feeling drained. If I remain empty for too long, my motor will over heat and destroy my circuit board. In an attempt to save myself, I may panic and shut the breaker off, leaving myself without power…..

Fortunately, unlike our water box, I can rejoice when I face problems and trials of any kind. For I know that God loves me and I am free to ask Him at any time, during any season of life, to show me any leaks that are hidden. After I acknowledge my faults and ask for His forgiveness, He refills my water box….again, and through His power, I can fulfill my intended purpose.

Jeremiah 2:13

13 “For my people have done two evil things:
They have abandoned me—
the fountain of living water.
And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns
that can hold no water at all!

John 7:38

38 Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”

Fog

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Mark 16:5-6

5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, 6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body.

Sometimes there are seasons in our lives when our soul becomes empty and our relationship with the Lord no longer feels “life giving.”

Although we may know that Jesus was crucified and died for our sins, when the circumstances of life become unbearable with feelings of grief, anger, jealousy, injustice, unforgiveness….and our prayers seem one sided, we begin to believe that “He isn’t here.” If we continue to give way to these emotions instead of seeking the One who is always present, the more dense the fog becomes and the more hopeless we feel.

Fortunately, for us, our Father is not intimidated by the low lying clouds in our mind, will and emotions. He patiently waits, showing His love for us in subtle ways (which we often fail to see because we are blinded in the fog by the enemy). Until, in desperation we come crawling back to Him, begging for the clouds to evaporate into life giving water.

When we are able to push past our emotions and allow the Holy Spirit to dig down into the depths of our soul, we find that the emptiness isn’t a result of Him, but of us. In that moment, as we re- encounter our risen Lord, we are consumed by His love and in His presence we are compelled to pour out all our sins at His feet. As He whispers “you are forgiven” a mighty surge of living water consumes our soul and we are filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, which once again compels us to, “go into all the world and preach the good news to everyone.”  Mark 16:15

And at last I see the light

And it’s like the fog has lifted

And at last I see the light

And it’s like the sky is new

And it’s warm and real and bright

And the world has somehow shifted

All at once everything looks different

Now that I see you

-I See the Light, from Disney’s “Tangled”

Not Offended

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Colossians 3:12-13

12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13 Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.

During a recent walk with my neighbor, I was shocked when out of nowhere she blurted out, “Jodie- I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but you don’t work? You need to make some money so you can take care of yourself and your children. What if Doug runs off with another woman? What would you do?” “Well,” I quickly replied “I trust God and I trust my husband so I have no need to fear.” As she continued to plead her case, my mind began to wander…….

“dang! this woman just insulted my worth as a stay at home wife & home-school mom AND she’s accusing my husband of wanting to be unfaithful!!!”

But then the Holy Spirit gently interjected “she does not know me….she does not trust me…”

As my mind re-engaged in the conversation, my friend said again, “you know, Jodie, I don’t want to hurt your feelings…I just don’t trust NO ONE, not even my husband.”

DING, DING, DING- there it was, blinking like a neon sign right in front of me, exactly what the Lord just revealed: she trusts NO ONE.

Fortunately, instead of reacting in anger and becoming greatly offended by her false accusation the Lord poured out His Spirit and allowed me to show mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience towards my new friend. It was also God’s perfect timing because it was only the day before that she confessed that she was lonely- and needed a friend. It was only the day before that she wept, telling me that her beloved dog had just passed away. It was only the day before that she shared about her belief in Buddha- and that she was trying so hard to be a “good person.” It was only the day before that my heart ached and my eyes filled with tears as I realized how lost she was. It was only the day before that I told her about Jesus- the greatest friend she could ever know. It was only the day before that I asked God to continue to use me to draw her to Himself.

Every day, God gives us the opportunity to love our “neighbors”….whether its our spouse, our children, our extended family, our co-workers or those that live next door or down the street. The question is: will we be offended by their words or actions towards us, or will we allow the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit to help us love them?

Luke 7:23

And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

Thief

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John 10:10

10 The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.

During a recent trip to Lowe’s Home Improvement, I decided to buy a new bird feeder to replace our broken hummingbird feeder. While looking through the various designs, our son offered a bit of wisdom “Mom, you need to get that cone thing like Mema & Papa’s so the squirrels don’t eat the food!” “Nah,” I replied “we don’t need that…I’ll just hang it somewhere they can’t get to.”

Lesson #1: Don’t ignore a warning

Yesterday morning, as I gazed out our kitchen window I watched in horror as an obese squirrel hung upside down from the branch of our dogwood tree, eating all the bird seed out of our new feeder!!! “UHHHH!” I yelled. “That dang squirrel has stolen all the food!” Maguire confidently replied “I told ya Mom…you need that cone thing. I already scared ‘em off 3 times this morning.”

Lesson #2: Don’t be naïve to think that you can avoid a thief

After Doug went out and chased that pesky squirrel away, he didn’t come back for quite a while. In his absence, the hungry little birds, whom the feeder was intended, darted back and forth for a few nibbles of food. Eventually, however, their enemy returned. By the time he was finished stealing all the seed, his belly was so full he could barely climb down the tree!

Lesson #3: You can’t chase an enemy away a handful of times and think he’ll stay gone

After watching the scenario between the squirrel and the birds unfold before me, the Holy Spirit whispered “this is exactly how the enemy works in your life.” My loving Father provides me with all the seed I need to sustain not only my physical body, but my soul and spirit as well. All I have to do is flap my little wings over to His feeder and gulp Him in through worship, prayer, bible study, etc…and I have a rich and satisfying life. BUT, if I make the mistake of ignoring His warnings about the enemy I open myself up to being robbed. Then, if I choose to pretend he’ll leave me alone, He’ll take even more from me. If I finally face my fears and boldly stand up to him, he’ll flee…but he won’t stay gone for long. For his sole purpose is to steal, kill and destroy my life because he hates the One who feeds me.

1 Peter 5:8

8 Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Thankfully, all I need to do is return to the feeder for strength to fight my great enemy- for the battle is the Lords…and HE will save me from every attack.

2 Timothy 4:18

18 Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely into his heavenly Kingdom. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.

Endurance

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Romans 5:1-5

5 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. 5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

I’ve had the undeserved privilege of snorkeling in the waters off Maui, Oahu, The Bahama’s and The British Virgin Islands. My first attempt was on our honeymoon and the seas were especially rough that day. I struggled to learn how to breathe only in and out of my mouth and forcefully blow air out of the snorkel to expel water. Early into our excursion, waves began crashing over my heard and I began to panic, feeling like I was going to drown. After swallowing too much water I was forced back to the catamaran while Doug dove to the depths, petting sea turtles and snapping pictures of exotic fish.

Having snorkeled a handful of times since then, I felt confident that I would thoroughly enjoy 6 days of exploring the uncharted waters off Peter Island, but my maiden voyage was cut short. On our first full day on the island, Doug and I strapped on our flippers and facemasks and dove into the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean, swimming towards the rocky edge of White Bay. In the first few minutes I saw more fish then I had on all my other snorkeling adventures- combined! I was stoked. But then…we entered deep waters with powerful waves that continued to pull me towards the gigantic boulders on the coast. As salty water continued to pour into my snorkel, I tried and tried to remember to do as I had been taught, but I quickly began to panic. I surfaced multiple times, asking Doug for help and he patiently re-iterated what I needed to do. “Relax, Jodie…blow in and out of your mouth (not your nose) and when water comes in your snorkel, blow out….hard!” After a few more failed attempts, he even switched masks with me- thinking perhaps it wasn’t user error. It was. Switching back to my original mask I stuck my face back in the water, determined to see more fish.

Gurgle, gurgle, choke….swim to the surface…..spit.

I was exhausted, my stomach hurt and I was DONE. As I made my way back towards the beach I asked the Lord to help me relax and be able to enjoy snorkeling with my husband for the remainder of our trip.

Two days later, we donned our snorkel gear again, jumped in the water & headed towards the rocky coast of Honeymoon Beach. This time I rode the waves – just like a professional. I encountered schools and schools of beautiful fish and dozens of exquisitely designed coral. Reveling in my new found freedom to roam the seas, I began asking the Lord “would you pleeeease let Doug and I see a stingray?” Three days later, while riding the waves on my 2nd attempt to stand up on a paddleboard in Dead Chest Bay, I caught a glimpse of a moving rock. It was a stingray!!! I yelled at Doug on the shore and he quickly ran to grab our snorkel masks. Both of us were able to follow (at a safe distance!) that extraordinary creature and watch him glide across the bottom of the sea. The following day, I swam across a starfish in the same area. Bonus!

When I began feeling like I was drowning in my marriage a decade ago, I clung to God’s promise of restoration and redemption to endure the fierce waves. Even when the waters continued to pour over my snorkel and choke the breath out of me, God was developing strength of character in me. Even when Doug continued to disappoint me and our lives felt like we were being smashed against the gigantic boulders on the shoreline, God was developing confident hope in me.

When we had 4 children under the age of 7, with 1 of them labeled “special needs,” I clung to God’s promise of training them in the way they should go to endure the fierce waves. Even when the waters continued to pour over my snorkel and choke the breath out of me, God was developing strength of character in me. Even when I would have to discipline our children over and over and over again for the same defiant, manipulative, deceitful behavior, God was developing confident hope in me.

Now, as I look back over those years, I realize every problem and every trial has helped me develop endurance, strength of character and a confident hope in the only One who offers salvation from the fierce waves. And I can honestly say, I have not been disappointed.

 

 

 

Be Fruitful & Multiply

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Genesis 1:28

Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply…

After creating everything in the universe, God proclaimed it “good”- until He formed man. He knew that it was “NOT good” for him to be alone. So, as only God could do, He created a helper that was suitable for him; spiritually, emotionally & physically.

Far too often, couples find it difficult to be fruitful & multiply in all 3 of these areas.  To further complicate matters, when the physical union of the relationship is broken, it can greatly affect the spiritual and emotional aspects of the marriage as well, making it almost impossible to become one.

1 Corinthians 6:12-20

12 You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. 13 You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies. 14 And God will raise us from the dead by his power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.

15 Don’t you realize that your bodies are actually parts of Christ? Should a man take his body, which is part of Christ, and join it to a prostitute? Never! 16 And don’t you realize that if a man joins himself to a prostitute, he becomes one body with her? For the Scriptures say, “The two are united into one.”[a] 17 But the person who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with him.

18 Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. 19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

The enemy is crafty. He beings to prey on us when we are young, tempting us to submit to the yearning of our flesh, instead of the yearning of our soul. The fact is, God created us to express our love in a physical manner with our spouse, but our bodies begin to prepare themselves- as He designed- years before we say, “I do.” Satan knows that sex can be a powerful form of worship between a husband and wife who are submitted to God and one another. Therefore, he will do anything he can to ensure we never experience the euphoric union that God intended for us to share with our spouse. Unfortunately, his schemes have worked on far too many couples, leaving them feeling numb and full of spiritual, emotional and physical scars inflicted by sexual sin.

-Pornography

-Masturbation

-Fornication

-Adultery

If we want to live fruitful lives and multiply our descendants and disciples we must allow the Great Physician to gently pull back the scars, carefully clean out the wounds and lovingly heal our mind, body and soul.

God offers redemption and restoration for every person- every couple, if they will trust Him and submit to His commands. Only then can we experience true oneness, as God intended, with our spouse. And that my friends, is GOOD.

“Father, I repent for engaging in pornography & masturbation. I ask that you break the “oneness” with every image/person I’ve seen and fantasized about.”

“Lord, I repent for engaging in (any form of) fornication with _____________. I ask that you break the “oneness” between us.”

“God, I repent for breaking my marriage vows by engaging in (any form of) adultery with ____________. I ask that you break the “oneness” between us.”

Jeremiah 31:3-6

3 Long ago the Lord said to Israel:
“I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
    With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself. 4 I will rebuild you, my virgin Israel.
    You will again be happy
    and dance merrily with your tambourines.5 Again you will plant your vineyards on the mountains of Samaria
    and eat from your own gardens there.6 The day will come when watchmen will shout
    from the hill country of Ephraim,
‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem[a]
    to worship the Lord our God.’”

In the Light

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1 John 1:5-10

5 This is the message we heard from Jesus[a] and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. 6 So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. 7 But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.

8 If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. 10 If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

Upon my salvation, I believed God forgave ALL my sins; past, present & future. Although this is true, as a new disciple, I was inadvertently taught that I didn’t need to repent -ever again.

Romans 3:23-24

23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24 Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.

By God’s grace, I HAVE BEEN SAVED from eternal punishment and my destiny in Him is secure! And now I know that when I repent, it is not to re-secure my spot in heaven, but to re-open the door to God’s light in my life. Choosing to rest on the laurels of praying the sinner’s prayer 14 years ago does not exclude me from living in darkness today. To pretend that I have not sinned since that day is foolishness. When there is unconfessed sin in my life, my relationship with God is hindered. The only way to uncover that darkness is to penetrate it with His light. As I pause each day and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal those places in my soul (some of which I may be completely unaware of because I am being deceived by the enemy), He is faithful to answer:

-judgment

-unforgiveness

-complacency

-doubt

-fear

Then, instead of offering a “blanket” apology, I repent in detail for these things:

REPENT = to feel or show that you are sorry for something wrong that you did and that you want to do what is right (Merriam-Webster)

-“Lord, please forgive me for judging ________. You know their heart, and you will judge according to your perfect will, not mine.”

-“I choose as an act of my will, to forgive _________. They owe me nothing.”

-“Father, remove the complacency from my soul. Help me to run boldly after you to further your Kingdom on this earth.”

-“God, forgive me for doubting that you are good- and that you will provide for me.”

-“Lord, please show me the root of this fear. I repent for being bound to my circumstances, instead of trusting in you.”

A “blanket” repentance can be likened to a “blanket” apology after a fight with my spouse. In the beginning, Doug and I were ok with just saying “I’m sorry…” to one another. But, as our relationship has deepened and the light has pushed the areas of darkness back, our souls long for greater oneness. Now, when we repent to one another, we are specific:

-“I apologize for yelling and disrespecting you in front of the kids…I wanted you to do what I wanted.”

-“Would you please forgive me for disregarding the budget you set in place? I made a hasty decision to buy what I wanted.”

-“I’m sorry I didn’t consult you before making plans with friends. I was only thinking about what I wanted to do.”

When we confess our sin- in detail- the other person knows the sincerity of our heart. It also shows that we desire complete restoration for the relationship. A quick “I’m sorry” is usually expressed to just get ourselves out of trouble, so we can move on with what we want to do (take the kids to their activities, watch the big game on TV, go shopping, have sex….). But our spouse is not fooled- and neither is God. He knows our hearts intent, even before our lips utter a sound. If we truly want to live in the light and experience a redeemed and restored relationship with Our Father, sincere repentance must be a daily act of submission for us.

The beauty of our willingness to humble ourselves before the Creator of the universe is that He is always faithful to forgive- and embrace us with open arms.

Luke 15:11-32

11 To illustrate the point further, Jesus told them this story: “A man had two sons. 12 The younger son told his father, ‘I want my share of your estate now before you die.’ So his father agreed to divide his wealth between his sons.

13 “A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living. 14 About the time his money ran out, a great famine swept over the land, and he began to starve. 15 He persuaded a local farmer to hire him, and the man sent him into his fields to feed the pigs. 16 The young man became so hungry that even the pods he was feeding the pigs looked good to him. But no one gave him anything.

17 “When he finally came to his senses, he said to himself, ‘At home even the hired servants have food enough to spare, and here I am dying of hunger! 18 I will go home to my father and say, “Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, 19 and I am no longer worthy of being called your son. Please take me on as a hired servant.”’

20 “So he returned home to his father. And while he was still a long way off, his father saw him coming. Filled with love and compassion, he ran to his son, embraced him, and kissed him. 21 His son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against both heaven and you, and I am no longer worthy of being called your son.[a]’

22 “But his father said to the servants, ‘Quick! Bring the finest robe in the house and put it on him. Get a ring for his finger and sandals for his feet. 23 And kill the calf we have been fattening. We must celebrate with a feast, 24 for this son of mine was dead and has now returned to life. He was lost, but now he is found.’ So the party began.

25 “Meanwhile, the older son was in the fields working. When he returned home, he heard music and dancing in the house, 26 and he asked one of the servants what was going on. 27 ‘Your brother is back,’ he was told, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf. We are celebrating because of his safe return.’

28 “The older brother was angry and wouldn’t go in. His father came out and begged him, 29 but he replied, ‘All these years I’ve slaved for you and never once refused to do a single thing you told me to. And in all that time you never gave me even one young goat for a feast with my friends. 30 Yet when this son of yours comes back after squandering your money on prostitutes, you celebrate by killing the fattened calf!’

31 “His father said to him, ‘Look, dear son, you have always stayed by me, and everything I have is yours. 32 We had to celebrate this happy day. For your brother was dead and has come back to life! He was lost, but now he is found!’”