Going Through the Door

 

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you

nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV)

 

I had a surgery scheduled to remove a small fatty tumor on the back of my neck. The doctor said that it was a minor procedure and he could do it in his office – no problem. He explained exactly what he was going to do and what he expected to find.

And yet, because it was on my neck, I was more than a little concerned. Yes, he’s a great doctor and no, he would not have said he could do it in his office if he could not. But I still had considerable apprehension at what was going to take place.

Oh, I prayed about the surgery but my prayers went something like this: "Lord, I am really nervous about the surgery on my neck. What if there is a problem? What if something gets cut that isn't supposed to? What if I can't stay still like the doctor wants me to?" and on and on and on. Can you relate?

And then one day, after a month of approaching the Lord repeatedly with my “what if” sessions, I think He felt He needed to reassure me. My Bible fell open to the Old Testament and I found myself reading Deuteronomy 31:8. It said ““The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

 “I am not going to leave you at the door of the doctor’s office and say “See you when you are done,” the Lord whispered to my heart. “I will never leave you – remember? I will walk through the door, be there through the surgery, and walk out through that same door with you. Just as I have always done. Always.”

I know. I know. How many hundreds or even thousands of times in the past had the Lord gone before me, making a path, and then stayed right by my side. And yet, here I was, facing the unknown and thinking that just maybe, on THIS journey, Jesus would decide not to go.

So let’s be honest: what “door” are you entering, afraid that the Lord will not go with you? Maybe it’s divorce or financial problems or a prodigal child. Or it could be health issues or broken friendships or the loss of a spouse.

Whatever it is, rest assured that just as Moses shared with the Israelites that “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you,” He will be with each of us, no matter what we face or what “door” we may be going through. Always.

May I share with you that Jesus did just as He said. He stayed with me and kept me calm and at peace. I talked to Him during the procedure and thanked Him when it was over. And once again, as has happened so many times before, I knew with all my heart that my Father was faithful. May you have that same conviction today.

Father, thank you for your faithfulness to stay right by my side, no matter what I have faced in the past or will face in the future. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

·         Have you ever been faced with a “door” that you were truly afraid to go through?

·         Did you realize that the Lord was at your side and would never leave you?

Apply

·         Journal some of the “doors” that you have gone through over the past few years.

·         Beside each one, write a sentence of praise for how the Lord stayed with you through each one and never left your side.

Power

• Deuteronomy 31:8 (NIV) “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

 

• Exodus 33:14 (NIV) “The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”

 

• Joshua 1:9 (NIV) "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” 

 

 

The Fragrance

 

“For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who

are being saved and those who are perishing.”

II Corinthians 2:15 (NIV)

 

I remember well coming home from a day spent with a good friend of mine. As I walked through the door, my daughter hugged me and said, “I know who you have been with today.” I smiled and said “Oh, really? How do you know that?” and it was her turn to smile. “I can smell the perfume she always wears,” she told me. And she was right. Even though I didn’t realize it, I had the fragrance of my friend’s perfume on me because I had been with her all day.

 In the same way, a week later I car pooled to an out-of-town meeting with a group of ladies – all of whom smoked. I changed my clothes when I got home and threw them in the laundry room. Later, as I walked in the utility room I thought “Where in the world is that cigarette smell coming from?” and instantly realized that it was my clothes from the drive that day.

 How do those two different “fragrances” fit with II Corinthians 2:15? If I am the “pleasing aroma of Christ” to the people around me, there should never be a single doubt that I belong to Him. The fragrance of love and mercy, compassion and forgiveness should cover me from my head to my toes.

 No one should ever be with me and ask themselves, as they walk away, if I am a follower of Christ. Conversely, if I live by a fragrance that is not of Christ but is of this world, will people know that, too? Sure they will.

 Just as I hadn’t even realized that I smelled like cigarette smoke because I had become accustomed to the smell after a day in it, I can get used to being angry or negative or prideful or jealous and that “fragrance” will be what people hear and see.

 My encouragement today comes directly from the above Scripture. We need to have the “pleasing aroma of Christ” whether we are stuck in traffic, standing in line at the grocery store or visiting our friends at church. And the only way to have that beautiful fragrance is to spend time in the presence of God, reading His Word.

 Father, teach me to be the pleasing fragrance of Jesus, no matter where I am or what I am doing. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 Reflect

• Can you think of times when you were not a pleasing aroma to the Lord?

 

• What do you think the people around you thought about your fragrance?

 

Apply

• Journal two columns labeled “pleasing fragrances” and “unpleasant aromas.”

 

• Now keep track of your conversations and actions for a week by placing them under one of the columns. Which column has more entries? Pray about changes you need to make.

 

Power

• II Corinthians 2:15 (NIV) “For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing.”

 

• Ephesians 5:1-2 (NIV) “Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

 

• Philippians 4:18b (NIV) “They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God.”

 

 

The Lesson about Gossip

 “They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows.

They shoot from ambush at the innocent man;

they shoot at him suddenly without fear.”

Psalm 64:3-4 (NIV)

 

There aren’t too many new gadgets or ideas that get my attention. I have always been a bit skeptical about most of them - that is, until a few years ago when I saw a shelf at a local store full of packages labeled “Bed in A Bag.” I couldn’t take my eyes off the photograph on each bag of a beautifully made bed without a wrinkle or pillow out of place.

 But what intrigued me even more was the fact that everything that made that bed beautiful – the comforter, bed skirt, the sheets, two pillow shams, two pillow cases and three throw pillows – ALL of it was in one bag!

 I could not resist and left the store with a king size purchase in shades of lavender and gray. I could hardly wait to get home and open it. I imagined the experience would be something like taking a dry, flat sponge and placing it in a sink of water: it would suddenly expand to 20 times its normal size in 5 seconds. I was right. But there was a problem.

As I unzipped the bag and the contents tumbled out, I immediately saw that my king sized comforter was actually a queen. Either the bag had been mislabeled or someone had switched comforters in the store. “Easy solution,” I thought. “I’ll just take it back and exchange it for the right size.”

 But as I began to put everything back into the bag, I could tell that it was not going to be as easy as I thought. I folded and pushed and shoved sheets and pillows but I could not get the entire contents BACK in the bag! I ended up with a broken zipper and a ripped bag. No matter how hard I worked, I could not put everything back like it was.

 Gossip is like that, isn’t it. We allow it to roll out of our hearts and off our tongues so easily, disguising what we say with “I’m telling you so you can be praying.” But just like the bed in the bag, it’s easy to speak out and much harder to take back. The end result? Lives get ripped apart and hearts broken from careless words and comments that do not need to be spoken or shared with anyone.

 Scripture is very clear on this issue. Proverbs 12:18 says that “Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.”  Ephesians 4:29 goes further: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths but only what is helpful for building others up . . .” That is not a suggestion, my friends. And it could not be any clearer. Let me share an example of “reckless words.”

There was a woman who went to her minister to confess gossip that she had shared. She knew it was wrong and untrue and yet that did not stop her. One day she saw all the damage that was done by the rumors that she had spread and she was broken. She immediately asked her minister how she could change what had happened to make everything right.

He responded by taking her to a hill and cutting open a feather pillow, which he shook in the air. Thousands of feathers were lifted up and twirled by a breeze and – within minutes – were scattered for miles. “Now,” he said, “try to collect all these feathers and put them back in the pillow, for that is easier than trying to reverse the damage that has been done by the gossip that you spoke.”

 The woman could only hang her head in shame because she knew that her task was impossible and the damage could never be completely reversed.

 I never did get all the contents of the “Bed in a Bag” put back where it belonged. And neither can we “put back” all the damage that is done when our hearts ignore the words of Jesus and we speak gossip.

             Father, so many times I have gossiped and called it something else but that is just what it was. Please forgive me for using my tongue to cut and slice reputations and lives and the very hearts of those around me. Help me to remember that I am your child and you desire me to build up and not tear down those around me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 

Reflect

• Think about the times you have shared gossip and followed it with “I’m telling you so you can be praying.” Is that always true?

 

• Are there times when information does need to be shared so people can be praying? Why or why not?

 

Apply

• Memorize 2 Timothy 2:16-17 and speak it to your heart when tempted to listen to and share gossip.

 

• Be on guard for those moments when someone wants to share gossip with you. Always be ready to encourage and build up rather than tear down.

 

Power

• Psalm 64:3-4 (NIV) “They sharpen their tongues like swords and aim their words like deadly arrows. They shoot from ambush at the innocent man; they shoot at him suddenly without fear.”

 

• 2 Timothy 2:16-17 (NIV) “Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. Their teaching will spread like gangrene…”

 

• James 3:5-6 (NIV) “Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”  

 

 

  

Standing Guard

 “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”  

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV)

When my oldest grandson was 11 years old, he and his mother went to the mall after his dentist appointment. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Noah quietly turn his head to the left as they walked by the Victoria’s Secret store on the right and not turn back until they had passed it.

They shopped a while longer and when they came back by that store from the other direction, Noah said “Mom, will you walk on my right side?” She responded “Yes, but why?” He smiled: “I want to look at something beautiful.” Noah was guarding his heart.
.
In Proverbs 4:23, Solomon speaks of that very thing. First, he says to guard your heart “above all else.” In other words, before you do anything, your number one priority should be to take care to protect it. Why? Solomon says it is because your heart “is the wellspring of life.” Everything about your character is determined by the condition of your heart.

See, Noah understood something at eleven years of age that many adults do not: what you allow your eyes to see will quickly travel to your mind and make its home there. And from the mind, those images will eventually create a path to dig deep into your heart.

We tell ourselves that just one look at an inappropriate magazine or website isn’t all that bad. And sure, maybe the movie has a few curse words or suggestive scenes but the theme is basically “good.”

What we are actually doing is removing the protection of our heart and asking the Holy Spirit, who lives there, to move over to make room for sin! What we should be doing is asking Him to put that guard back in place to keep the ugly of the world out.

Noah gets it. And I want to be found, as he was, standing guard.

Father, please help me to guard my heart so that there is only room for the Holy Spirit to guide me. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.


R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect
· Have you ever watched a movie or read something that you knew was inappropriate as a Christian?

· Were you able to completely forget it or did it find a way into your mind and heart?

Apply
· Keep a note card with Proverbs 4:23 written on it in a pocket, purse or beside your tv remote.

· When you are tempted to turn your eyes – and heart – toward something that is not appropriate, pull out the card, stand guard and pray.


Power

Proverbs 4:23 (NIV) “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.”


Luke 6:45 (NIV) “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”


II Timothy 1:14 (NIV) “Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you – guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.”

Called By Name

 

“The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice.

He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

John 10:3 (NIV)

 

Remembering faces has always been easy for me. Even faces that I haven’t seen for years. A student can move her kindergarten year from the school where I work and not move back until high school and I will see her and remember her from years before.

 

But remembering names is completely different. For some reason I struggle terribly when it comes to meeting people and keeping their names stored in my brain. I’ve tried all the helpful tips that I’ve been given, from saying the name the minute I am introduced to mentally rhyming it with something familiar or funny so it stays in my memory but nothing has worked.

 

As a new member of the work force, just out of high school, I learned an important lesson about remembering names. I worked at a savings association and it was imperative that we always remembered names when assisting customers with their accounts. We dealt with hundreds of thousands of dollars on a daily basis and were taught that acknowledging a person’s name helped the customer to see that we cared about their decisions and about them.

 

One particular elderly man – a frequent customer – came in to make a huge deposit of several thousand dollars . . . and I went blank. I recognized his face instantly but, as hard as I tried, could not remember his name. “Think quick, think quick,” I told myself and then it came to me. As I filled out the deposit slip, I smiled at him and said “I am so sorry, but I cannot remember how to spell your last name.” He smiled back and said “Oh, that’s okay. S-m-i-t-h.”

 

In John10:3, we read about a watchman who was hired to guard a sheep pen. In those days a watchman usually had several flocks in one pen at night. The walls of the pen were made of stones with a gate that was the entrance. When a shepherd came to the pen to collect his sheep, the watchman opened the gate. As the shepherd called his sheep, they recognized his voice and followed him out of the pen. He knew their names and they knew the voice of the shepherd.

 

How thankful I am that we worship a Father who not only knows our names, but calls us BY name as His children. We are not a number on a list or a face in a crowd to the Lord. We are loved by the Creator who knows the name of each one of His creations.

 

The gate is open. Are you listening for the voice of the Shepherd? He is calling you by name today.

 

 

Thank you, Father, for calling me by name and keeping my focus on you. Thank you for being my Shepherd and keeping me in your care. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 

Reflect

• Have you ever met an acquaintance and could not remember his or her name? How did you feel?

 

• Have you ever met an acquaintance who could not remember your name? How do you think they must have felt?

 

Apply

• Journal today’s Power Verses and replace “him” or “you” with your name.

 

• How does it make you feel when you realize that God knows you personally by name as His child?

 

Power

• John 10:3 (NIV) “The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”

 

• Isaiah 43:1 (NIV) “But now, this is what the Lord says – he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”

 

• Isaiah 49:16 (NIV) “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.”

 

 

 

 

Correcting Autocorrect

 

 “Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!”

Psalm 119:5 (NIV)

            My smartphone has autocorrect. It’s designed to help me when I am unsure about the spelling of a word or when I’m in a hurry.  I simply type a few letters and it “thinks” for me and finishes my words. That sounds great but there’s a problem: sometimes when it does that and anticipates what I am trying to text, it is not even close. It’s like autocorrect has a mind of its own.

            Need an example? I was texting a friend of mine named Linda. She is a fantastic wife and mother and I am in awe of how she balances home, career and family.

            On Linda’s birthday, I was texting “Linda, birthday blessings!” to her but my phone, for some reason, thought it knew better than me what I needed to text and it autocorrected to “Linda, birth control!” Now that may sound funny but here’s some additional information about Linda: she has ten children.

            Imagine my shock and embarrassment as I glanced down at my text just before I sent it! I quickly hit the delete button and made the changes immediately. Mercy!

            But it also triggered a thought in my mind. Do we ever “autocorrect” the Word of God? You know what I mean? We determine that what God says in His Word is not what He really means because it doesn’t match how we feel or believe so we “autocorrect” it to fit our lifestyle.

            Let’s see. Matthew 5:44 says to “love your neighbor” but we rationalize that God doesn’t mean MY neighbor so we autocorrect the word “love” to “tolerate.” After all, we tell ourselves, God knows how mean my neighbor is and He understands.

            What about Luke 6:28 where we are told “bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” No way we shout! You cuss at me – I’ll cuss at you!

Exodus 20:14 says “Do not commit adultery” but OUR interpretation of that autocorrects to “unless you are unhappy, unsatisfied or just not in love anymore.”

All I have to do is decide that God is only giving opinions or suggestions and not commandments. That gives me the right in my eyes to believe whatever I want to believe. Oh the foolishness of man!

God set in place His guidance for how we live our lives for a reason: to protect us. He wants to keep us from the harm that the sin of disobedience causes. We learn trust when we obey and do what God has told us to do. We understand mercy when we fall and we are forgiven. We learn that His promises are true and that He loves us with a deep love that we cannot earn because it is a gift to us.

We must all check our motives for changing the Word of God. When we decide to autocorrect His Truth, we are not worshiping the Creator. We are worshiping ourselves. That is a dangerous path that only leads to eternal death separated from Him.

Father, forgive me when I foolishly decide that I am more wise than you and rewrite your Word to fit my life. I truly long to see less of me and more of you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

Reflect

·         Have you ever “rewritten” the word of God to fit your lifestyle or beliefs?

·         What was your motive in doing that?

Apply

·         Study the Ten Commandments found in Exodus 20:2-17 (NIV).

·         Write each one in your journal and note whether or not you have ignored or changed God’s meaning to fit your lifestyle. Ask the Lord to forgive you and help you refocus on Him.

Power

·         Psalm 119:5 (NIV) “Oh, that my ways were steadfast in obeying your decrees!”

·         Deuteronomy 4:2 (NIV) “Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the Lord your God that I give you.”

·         I Corinthians 1:25 (NIV) “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”

 

Are You Going in Circles?

 

“Then the Lord said to me, “You have made your way around

this hill country long enough; now turn north.”

Deuteronomy 2:2-3 (NIV)

 

Finding the mall in a city should not be hard for any female with shopping on her mind. And not just one female, but three, bent on finding fantastic bargains for practically nothing. So my shopping trip began with my two daughters one Saturday morning.

 We didn’t get directions but were fairly confident that we could find the mall and scoop up one bargain after another. I am famous for getting lost everywhere I go (closets, bathrooms) but I felt certain that my daughters did not inherit that flaw. Wrong.

 After two hours of driving in the city, we decided that being “fairly confident” that we could find the mall was actually “overly confident.” Our conversations went like this: “Is that a prison?” “Yes. Wouldn’t it be scary to live in a city with a prison close by?”

 Forty-give minutes later: “Hey . . . isn’t that the prison again?” “It can’t be.” “Well, are there two prisons in this city?” “Not that I know of.” “Either there are two prisons or we are going in circles.” Silence. Then: “I vote for two prisons.”

 I understand Deuteronomy 2:2-3 completely. In the beginning of chapter 2, Moses reminds the Israelites about their years spent in the desert and the march to Canaan. Then he talks about journeying into the wilderness and around Mt. Seir for several days until the Lord says that they had gone in circles long enough and needed to change direction and go north.

 Moses also reminds them that, despite their complaining and disobedience, God had supplied their every need and had been faithful to His children every step on that journey.

 I could have been one of those Israelites. God has guidance and direction for my life but so often I think I can do everything on my own. So I travel in the desert, going round and round, never accomplishing anything and complaining every step of the way.

 Maybe my Mt. Seir is a disagreement with my husband over something he said or did. My arguing goes round and round when what I need to do is to “turn north.” In other words, take a deep breath and ask the Lord to direct my steps – and my tongue.

 I moan and whine when I step on the scales and see my weight. But I go round and round, hopping from one diet to another instead of seeking my Father’s face and asking Him to give me strength and will power in choosing my meals.

 Going in circles eventually leads to . . . nowhere! I encourage you to join me and decide today to stop wandering round and round, listen to the Lord and turn north.

 

Father, so many times I go in circles when I need to be listening to your voice and following a new direction. Thank you for being faithful and pulling me back to you. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

R.A.P. it up . . .

 

 

Reflect

• Have you ever had a situation that you tried to correct on your own without direction from the Lord?

 

• Did you find yourself going in circles with no solution in sight?

 

Apply

• Draw a circle in your journal. Write the situation that you are facing on the inside of the circle and around the outside, write the steps that you have taken so far.

 

• Now pray about the situation and draw a “turn north” line and write down the solution the Lord puts on your heart.

 

Power

•  Deuteronomy 2:2-3 (NIV) “Then the Lord said to me, “You have made your way around this hill country long enough; now turn north.”

 

• Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight.”

 

• Psalm 120:1 (NIV) “I call on the Lord in my distress, and he answers me.”