BLOGGER TEMPLATES AND TWITTER BACKGROUNDS

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

A Time For Purification

At first glance, today seemed like just another ordinary day. I took my boys to Vacation Bible school, played with my 2 year old, worked on laundry, and made a banana creme pie. As I sorted through tiny socks and character t-shirts, I began to quietly reflect on my days as a single mother. During that time in my life (it just seemed to drag forever), I carried around so many burdens. I worked from dawn until dusk to barely put bread on the table. I relied heavily upon my mother to pick up the slack with my own children... and I had a deep, deep longing to be loved & appreciated. I had not yet moved to the point of realizing Jesus was the only love I would ever need and the only One who would truly validate me.... and it wasn't until I finally accepted this truth that He gave me a wonderful husband. A husband that, although not perfect, fills my heart and is truly committed to our relationship. You see, God does have a perfect order for everything - and when we love HIM first, he will grant us the desires of our heart. You know why? Because when we relinquish control, His desires suddenly become our desires. I am totally convinced of this.

Sometimes, God will put us through a time of testing or purification so that His will may be done...to see us refined like gold. I believe this time of testing or purification is necessary in order to receive God's blessing and complete favor. All throughout the Bible, this is evident. It rained for 40 days & nights when Noah and his family lived on the arc. The Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years. Moses stayed atop Mount Sinai for 40 days. Eli led the Israelites for 40 years. Goliath came for 40 days before being killed by David. Jesus fasted for 40 days in the wilderness....and those are just off the top of my head. The list goes on. I thought about my own circumstances and wondered if there was a period of time in my life when God put me through the same thing.

So, I am realizing yet again just how much the Lord has transformed my life. I am pretty amazed at how quickly things have changed for our family. Lately, my mind has been set on Fall activities for my children and purchasing a home school curriculum. I am quickly moving into uncharted waters, so it's very easy to allow fear and uncertainty to set in. With our current schedule, I am beginning to wonder how I will ever fit everything into a 7 day week. I anxiously walked over to the calendar to count the days until we start. I think I must have laughed a little when I realized the number of days left....

Forty, to be exact.

May I embrace tomorrow with open arms. May I keep my eyes and ears open to everything God wants to show me. May I find the strength and courage to teach my children and lead them down a righteous path. May I move into full obedience to Jesus Christ, never compromising who I am. May the Lord purify my heart. May He refine it like gold.

Thursday, July 1, 2010

And A Wise Tongue Will Bring Healing

Today brought on a bag of mixed emotions I was unprepared for. I found myself struggling with feelings of anger, turmoil and unrest as I dealt with a business relationship turned personal that had actually soured. I know all too well anger is unhealthy, and God specifically warns us against this in the Bible. It is easy for our fallible nature as humans to succumb to this devastating emotion, and maybe even more so as Christians. The devil is constantly on the prowl for those who are seeking to live in the Light of God's word.

Today, I found the following excerpt on anger as I was having my Bible study:

Angry people usually justify their anger, saying it's someone else's fault they are angry. Yet the Bible repeatedly warns us against giving in to anger when we are upset by other people's words or actions.
There is such a thing as righteous anger. And sometimes we need to talk about problems or deal with dangerous situations. (Even at these times, we must exercise self-control.) Yet most of the time, our anger is not righteous. As James wrote, "Man's anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires" (James 1:20).


Furthermore, it says in Proverbs that 'a gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.' When we give in to anger, we often focus on our own welfare, comfort or happiness. Instead, we should be primarily concerned about other people’s welfare and being a good witness for God.

So, it begs the question... am I turning away wrath with a gentle answer or am I stirring up anger with harsh words? I knew in my heart if I examined this closer, the honest answer may find me guilty with the latter. In Ephesians, we are told to offer words that are helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And so I continued to read the words I know to be truths...

"Let your gentleness be evident to all." - Philippians 4:5
"And the Lord's servant must not quarrel; instead, he must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful." - II Timothy 2:24
"Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing." - I Peter 3:9

Wow. The Bible doesn't tell us to be gentle only to those people who we deem worthy, but it says be gentle to ALL. As servants of the Lord, we are to show kindness to everyone we come in contact with, without arguing, being able to teach through example, and abounding in love as Christ loved us and gave His life for us. Lastly, we are to repay evil with a blessing, for God has called us to be obedient and faithful so that we may receive His blessings – blessings of peace, joy, love and most importantly, eternal life.

Make my tongue wise and prevent me from wrong,
Be near me, Lord; help me be strong,
Expose my heart so others may see,
The Light of the World lives inside me.