Tag Archives: faith

My Way or God’s Way

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ – to the glory and praise of God.
Philippians 1:9-11, NIV*

Right now what stands out to me is the prayer to “discern what is best.” To choose God’s way even in the small details. My way may be good or not so good, but His way is best. That’s a fact of life. God, who is all-wise, will see what is best, while my clouded vision can’t guarantee the same.

Instead of spinning in circles because I have more to do than time to do it, I need to commit each day to God and asking Him to help me see where I should choose to spend my time. I get distracted so easily it isn’t funny, and then stress sets in because things pile up.

I’ve also been taking God’s Girl’s words to heart about following His way in even the trivial things. It’s amazing how many of these little things that seem so innocuous are really “my way or God’s way” choices. No wonder I’ve felt out of sorts.

Discerning what is best can include not only the best use of time and resources but the best response to a given situation. My friend Elsie wrote about this the other day, and it really hit home: will I “live under the influence of the Holy Spirit and behave like Jesus, or … ignore and neglect Him and do my own thing?” You can read her whole post here.

When a comment or situation triggers an automatic hurt or anger, I want to stop and ask myself how Jesus would respond. Well, sometimes he showed righteous anger, but He never pouted, sulked, or snapped back a cheap insult. His identity was secure in the Father, and He chose not to give in to those irritants that we can take so personally.

This is hard work, but it’s getting my focus off myself and onto God and others. My spirit feels better, too.

Father, please grow my love for You and dependence on You. Deepen my knowledge of Your ways…to Your glory and praise, and for my own peace of spirit.

Our song this week gives us perspective: Robin Mark singing “All for Jesus.”

Glad in our King

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Let Israel rejoice in their Maker; let the people of Zion be glad in their King.
Psalm 149:2, NIV*

“Let the people … be glad in their King” – not just praise who He is, but be glad in Him – be confident in Him, sure of His power, glad that He has rescued me and adopted me into His kingdom. Not repressed or fearful because of my circumstances or limitations, but vibrant and secure because of the character of my God.

Praise God salvation is more than just going to Heaven when we die – it’s also the joy we can have with Him on the journey.

Father, please forgive us for the times we take You for granted. May You fill our hearts, souls and minds with the light of who You are, and teach us to be truly glad in You.

Let this week’s song be our prayer: “You Are Everything,” by Matthew West.

God’s Reign is Eternal

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Your throne was established long ago;
you are from all eternity.
Psalm 93:2, NIV*

I wonder what the psalmist was thinking when he wrote Psalm 93. In just five verses, he contrasts God’s majesty and sovereignty with the full power of the sea, and he concludes that God’s rule – and His holiness – will endure for endless days.

Had he seen a miraculous deliverance? Or was he reaffirming his faith in the midst of an overwhelming situation?

The ocean in destructive mode is awesome and terrible. Think of a hurricane making landfall, a tidal wave, or a mid-sea storm devouring a boat. But the psalmist affirms that no matter how bad things get, nothing can shake God’s throne: His authority, strength and rule. Whether we see Him or not, He hasn’t disappeared.

Scripture often uses the sea as a metaphor for the nations who don’t know God, and perhaps that’s what the psalmist meant. Israel saw enough attacks from their enemies.

At our time in history, although there are Christ-followers all around the earth, the world seems made up of “the nations” who don’t know God. Including my own Canada and the United States, which were founded on Judeo-Christian principles.

Godlessness is on the rise, and I don’t mean “people of a different faith than mine.” I mean a system of belief that tries to deny any deity or higher authority. A system that discards morality and holiness.

That may be what prompted the psalmist to meditate on God’s power and to write these verses. The psalm ends with this:

Your statutes stand firm;
holiness adorns your house
for endless days.
Psalm 93:5, NIV*

Natural sea waves don’t ever threaten to bring down God’s rule. Godlessness, either through direct attack or subtle erosion, do.

Father, thank You that Your statutes stand firm. You are eternal and so is Your rule over the earth. You are our Creator King. Please help me keep my eyes on You and my confidence in You, and not be terrified by the waves. You are God, You are at work, and someday the whole earth will see Your glory.

This week’s song is Phillips, Craig and Dean singing “You Are God Alone“:

Fit for Faith interview

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Over on the Fit for Faith blog, Kimberley Payne is interviewing “average jills” about their fitness habits. Today was my turn, and you can read the interview here. I think this is going to be a neat series. Reading about uber-fitness-types doesn’t inspire me, but reading about people more like me—but more successful in meeting their fitness goals—can inspire me to persevere. A good thing, after all the ice cream I ate on vacation.

Rescue

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Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.
Proverbs 3:5-6, KJV*

For we walk by faith, not by sight.
2 Corinthians 5:7, KJV*

David Crowder talks about “living the rescue” in his book, Praise Habit: about how accepting God’s gift with open arms, embracing it and living it, is praise to the Giver. (page 40)

As I was praying this morning, it seemed to me that when I live confident in God, that’s praise, because it’s a testimony to His trustworthiness and power. That was how the God wanted the people of Israel to live, in the Old Testament. And its how the early Christians lived: openly dependent on God. If He let them down, they’d fall. Of course, He didn’t. But the point is, they were living examples, testimonies, God’s “Exhibit A”.

God has been reminding me that I need to see what He does, and to praise Him with my words, both private and public, spoken and sung. Today I’m realizing that public praise may not involve words.

If I’m living confidently, secure in God’s hand, that says something. I can tell people who ask (“always be ready to give the reason for the hope that is within you,” says 1 Peter 3:15) and I can speak naturally about God, but it’s the living by faith – calm and at peace – that’s going to demonstrate God’s power. It’s living proof of God’s goodness.

Father, please help me understand this and apply it even in the deepest levels. Help me walk by faith, trusting in You with all my heart, and help me not lean on my own understanding. Help me to acknowledge You in all my ways. Thank You that You will direct my path – please help me walk in it by faith, not by my limited sight. Because of Jesus, who rescued me. Amen.

Let’s make this week’s song our prayer: Walk By Faith, by Jeremy Camp.

*King James Version (KJV) Public Domain

Praise the LORD

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Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! … Extol the LORD, O Jerusalem, praise your God, O Zion.
Psalm 147:1, 12 NIV*

Verses 2 – 6 say, “The LORD builds… gathers… heals… binds up… determines… names… sustains… casts down.”

Our God is worthy of praise. Something within us needs to praise Him—was made to praise Him.

We need to praise Him privately, adoring Him and growing our trust and confidence in Him.

But we also need to praise Him publicly. We need to tell others what He has done, because

He deserves it,
it strengthens other believers’ faith,
it shows His reality to those who don’t believe, and
it strengthens our own faith as we re-tell what He has done.

Sometimes church feels to me like a spectator sport. I go, reminding myself “let us not give up meeting together…” (Hebrews 10:25, NIV) but I wonder: are we meeting together? Exchanging stories to encourage our faith? Sharing and bearing one another’s burdens? Or are we putting on our nice faces for a visit to our faith club, then going back into our world powerless and unchanged?

LORD, I need to praise You more, to build my trust and confidence in You by thinking and talking about what You do. Help me see Your hand at work around me, and help me share it with others. I’m not the only silent one. Please wake Your body and loosen our tongues to declare Your glory.

Lots of artists have sung “God of Wonders,” written by Steve Hindalong and Marc Byrd, but my favourite rendition has to be by Third Day:

A Life of Praise

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I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.
Psalm 145:1-2, 21 NIV*

The active words in this psalm include “tell, speak, commend, meditate, proclaim, celebrate, sing, praise, extol.” And it’s all about God: His works, splendour, majesty, goodness, righteousness, graciousness, compassion, faithfulness, love, help, nearness, justice….

King David says he’ll praise God every day and declare His praise for ever and ever. The Apostle John says if we tried to write down everything Jesus did on earth, the world couldn’t hold all the books. (John 21:25)

This psalm first caught my attention before we went on holiday, and I was glad to find a copy of David Crowder’s book, Praise Habit, in a New York City Borders. More about the book later, but this is what he says about praise: “We have put on Christ. We are found dressed in His rescue, redemption, and righteousness and, aware of this rescue, we spew forth praise. We wear this very rescue into our relationships, into our interactions….”**

That’s how I want to live. Thanking Him for my daily food, enjoying solitude with Him, are part of it but not enough. I want to not only meditate on what He has done, but tell others—and hear them tell me what He’s done in their lives. That encourages our faith and invites others to trust Him.

Father, I don’t praise You enough. Please forgive me and change me. Please help me focus more on who You are and what You do—and help me share You with others. Open my eyes to see Your touch around me. Give me a delight in You that is natural and irrepressible and contagious. And bring glory to Your Name through the praise of Your people.

This week’s song is “Be Unto Your Name“, written by Lynn DeShazo and Gary Sadler and performed here by Robin Mark.

**David Crowder, Praise Habit, TH1NK Books, 2004, page 38.

Not Forgotten

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I, Peter, am an apostle on assignment by Jesus, the Messiah, writing to exiles scattered to the four winds. Not one is missing, not one forgotten. God the Father has his eye on each of you, and has determined by the work of the Spirit to keep you obedient through the sacrifice of Jesus. May everything good from God be yours!
1 Peter 1:1-2, MSG*

How many believers were scattered during the persecution? How many of us feel scattered or alone today?

Not one of us is missing or forgotten. There’s no one falling through the cracks with God. He has His eye on us, He has plans for us – including plans to help us fulfill His plans.

He hasn’t sent us out on assignment with only our wits and resources. Remember, He’s given us the Holy Spirit as Counsellor, Comforter, Reminder of His Word.

The one thing I find lacking in this translation is it omits what the NIV** renders “sprinkling by [Jesus’] blood.” Speaking only of “the sacrifice of Jesus” misses a reference to the Old Testament priesthood.

The priests were sprinkled by the blood of the sacrifice as part of their commissioning. If we’re sprinkled by Jesus’ blood, not only are we cleansed, but we’re consecrated into the holy position of priests.

We’re to be the go-betweens for Jesus and those who don’t know Him yet. Peter comes back to this: The Message puts it “Chosen for the high calling of priestly work… God’s instruments to do His work and speak out for Him, to tell others of the night-and-day difference He made for You—from nothing to something, from rejected to accepted.” (1 Peter 2:5, MSG)

So no matter how I feel today, I am not alone. I’m not lost or forgotten. God has a tender eye on me—He is “most careful with” me.

He has plans and a purpose for me, and as I follow Jesus’ example of being “content to let God set things right” (1 Peter 2:23, MSG) I can rely on His Spirit’s help in fulfilling my role of “priestly work… to tell others of… the difference He has made…” (1 Peter 2:5, MSG)

Father, I praise You for Your love, mercy and power to save. It’s comforting to know You see us all – not one is hidden or forgotten. And how could You forget us? You’ve engraved us on the palms of Your hands. What love – what an amazing God You are! Help me give my whole heart to You in trust, confidence and love.

Our song this week is Jeremy Camp’s I Still Believe. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNqw2ssYXC8]

What if I’m the Offender?

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Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you’ll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want.
1 Peter 4:1a-2, MSG*

Last week I wrote about our call to be a blessing to others, and followed it up with a comment about an experience I’d had with someone who was not a blessing to me. The LORD used that experience to show me how important it is to be a blessing.

Silly me, thought I got the message. Until that very evening, when I still hadn’t had time to do some writing I’d wanted to finish the day before… and not one but two people I care about wanted to spend time with me.

I remembered Peter’s words about trusting everything to God to work it out in His timing (1 Peter 2:23). But I didn’t really let it go, and as my frustration grew, I definitely wasn’t a blessing to anybody.

God proved His grace to me and got me back on track in the way these people (who are two of the sweetest folks I know) each showed extra care to me as my frustration grew. For once I readjusted quickly and didn’t spoil the whole evening, but I did miss out on some quality time. God is growing me, but it sure is a slow process.

Next morning I went back to the blessing verses again, to make myself feel worse or to find help I don’t know, but it did both. 1 Peter 3:15a says, “Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master.” MSG*

I read on into chapter 4 and found the verses above. “…free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want.” This is exactly the opposite of what I experienced: the frustration of not getting to my agenda. God wanted me to work on relationships, but I wanted to work on writing.

Father, Help me commit this day to You, to follow Jesus’ example and trust Your leading. Help me keep my heart at attention, in adoration before Jesus Christ, my Master, and to live free to pursue what You want instead of being tyrannized by what I want. Thank You for your grace and forgiveness.

Sometimes we all need Bebo Norman’s “Disappear” to be our prayer.

Blessing

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Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.
1 Peter 3:8-9, MSG*

Our job is to bless. And we can only do this in the power of the Holy Spirit, as He enables us to follow Jesus’ example and commit our lives to the God who judges justly.

No victim mentality or martyred airs—living confident in God, with our hope securely in Him.

Peter says then people will wonder how we can carry on so well in life’s stress. When they ask the reason for our hope, we can gently tell them how Jesus sustains us.

Father, please help me fix my heart on You, live confident in You, and live to be a blessing.

I love the way John Waller articulates the choice between blessing and cursing in his song, “The Blessing.”

Janet Sketchley

Writing Christian Mysteries & Suspense

Tag Archives: faith

My Way or God’s Way

Glad in our King

God’s Reign is Eternal

Fit for Faith interview

Rescue

Praise the LORD

A Life of Praise

Not Forgotten

What if I’m the Offender?

Blessing