Week Forty-Eight - Thanksgiving Eve

Tomorrow is the big day. Some of you will enjoy a huge meal with family surrounded by love and thankfulness. For others, you may be alone, have no family, no big meal, and be surrounded by nothing but your personal effects, but it is still an important day. Every day is important, with turkey or without, because it is a gift of God to be received with thanksgiving.

Usually, I host 40+ colleagues and enjoy their fellowship, but this year I am in Virginia with my daughter and her family. We have voted for steak instead of turkey and banana pudding instead of pumpkin pie, and are looking forward to football, falling leaves, and family time.

If you follow me on Facebook, I began this week with a challenge not to count your blessings but to turn your heart to praise. On Sunday, praise the Lord with your church family. On Monday, praise God for His greatness and sovereignty. On Tuesday, praise God for His entrance into your life. On Wednesday - today - praise God for His beauty and wisdom. Then, tomorrow, praise God for His abundant blessings.

I took the praise approach to Thanksgiving this year because I began seeing how self-centered my thankfulness had become. I reveled in all God had done for me, all I had, and the beauty around me but failed to revel in who He was. As I meditated on praise in place of thanksgiving, I recognised how praise lifts the mournful spirit, puts pride in its place, heals the wounded heart, fosters forgiveness, and creates understanding.

Praise means to show reverence, honor, and adoration to God, acknowledging His greatness, character, and actions. It is an act of love and humility that brings the soul to peace and submission, and ultimately, to resounding thankfulness.

One of my favorite ways to study the Bible is by words, and there are at least sixty verses in the book of Psalms that say, "I will praise." If you Google that phrase, you will find it throughout God's Word. And if you only look at the word praise, you will find an encyclopedic number of references. "He is greatly to be praised." "Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord." "Praise ye the Lord."

So tomorrow, when you begin counting your blessings, remember to praise the One who gave them, for that is what the Great Physician ordered throughout His Word. You'll find praise and thanksgiving heal many wounds and create a more gentle and loving spirit within you.

Why not sit down tonight, on Thanksgiving Eve, and without counting your blessings, focus a while on His praise alone?

Week Forty-Seven -Bitter or Better

The other day, I caught myself complaining at other drivers, muttering under my breath, speaking aloud of their poor driving skills and how they inconvenienced me. And several times, the Holy Spirit spoke to warn me of my complaining. Don't get me wrong - the other drivers were crazy, but He was calling me to account for my reaction that revealed my heart of impatience and pride.

He and I had a discussion on pride and impatient comments, and I had to agree. I was not showing grace or mercy or love. Though I was the only one in the car, I was still accountable for my words and thoughts. 

Would I want them to hear me? No, not really. 

Were my comments making the driving experience better? No!

Was my distraction with the driving of others putting me in any jeopardy? Probably, because if I'm not paying attention to my own driving, busy judging others, I could have an accident. And that would most annoy me!

I'm sure we are all guilty here at times, and it is good to face our pride and impatience with a dose of spiritual reality and accountability. But let's leave driving and move on to other areas where our pride and impatience force us to consider our words.

What about at the check-out? Or waiting at a long light? Or even while we are on hold, listening to repetitive, annoying music? Does our mind start spouting complaints? Does it affect our attitude?

You bet it does! Any time we entertain negative, complaining thoughts, we are affected. It might be short-lived, but there is still an effect.

Ask yourself this: "Will my response to an annoying situation make me better or bitter?"

This is a simple way to correct myself. I don't want to be bitter and angry or be known as a complainer or unsympathetic judge of others, do you? So it is for my benefit that I rope in those hateful thoughts and weigh them by grace and mercy.

Do I make mistakes when driving? Of course I do, and so do you.

How would I want others to respond? With road rage or polite forgiveness? And shouldn't others expect the same from me? What response will make me better?

Forgiveness and grace demand I extend a measure of grace to others, even on, and especially on, the road of life.

Bitter or better? Think about that next time you're driving and see what the Holy Spirit tells you.

Week Forty-Six - Elements of Prayer

This year, I have been reading one chapter of the Bible each day. I'm recording a truth from each chapter, and then writing a short meditation. 

At the time of this writing, I've gotten as far as 2 Chronicles 6, where Solomon prays his consecration prayer for the temple, which has just been completed. He gathers an assembly of elders and chiefs, along with the Levites, who bring in the Ark of the Covenant and place it in the Holy of Holies with singers fully dressed in white linen, accompanied by trumpets and cymbals following the procession, proclaiming the goodness of God.

Solomon publicly acknowledges the hand of God in the building of the temple, as well as the preparation and the heart of his father, David. Then, he kneels down before all the congregation of Israel, spreads his hands toward heaven, and begins to pray. It is a beautiful prayer; you should take time to read it. (Verses 14-42)

Solomon's prayer blends elements such as praise, humility, honesty, hope, and even an acknowledgment of the inevitability of failure as he places the people before God, pleading for mercy and forgiveness. He asks God to forgive the people's future sins five times, and the pinnacle of the prayer is found in verse 31, where he asks that God forgive because His act of mercy will help the people to remember to "fear thee, to walk in thy ways."

So here is our challenge. What do our prayers look like? Or rather, what do they sound like? Are they mixed with elements of praise, humility, honesty, hope, a plea, and even an acknowledgment of our expected failures, along with a request for God's forgiveness in advance? 

Or are they prayers done by a list of needs with no personal empathy or emotional attachment? Are they short and lifeless? Are they full of repeated phrases or platitudes that have long lost their meaning?

Most of us know the Lord's Prayer, and that is a great starting point for learning to pray; however, we must move beyond this initial form to a heartfelt relationship in prayer. Solomon's humble recognition of God's greatness and activity is his way of saying, "Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name." His requests and hopes are pinned solely upon the goodness and mercy of the great God he serves. His prayer is a humble act of recognition and thanksgiving, marked by submission to God and a recognition of His sovereignty, as well as by Solomon's understanding of his privileged position. 

This type of vivid prayer opens our eyes to God's activity and leads us to live in sincere reverence for God and a more obedient walk. So, what do your prayers look like? Are they lively or limp? What do they sound like? Full of praise or full of complaining? 

God loves to hear from His children, so whether your prayers are accompanied by great fanfare or confined to the secret place, may they be prayers full of praise, humility, honesty, and hope leading you into a deeper love and a more steadfast obedience to God.

Week Forty-FIve - You Can't Say Can't

"I can't" is a common response when people don't want to do something or feel inadequate to the task. I used to tell the college students that "I can't" means "I won't" because we can do all things through Christ. (Philippians 4:13)

Granted, there are some things we can't do, like jump over the moon or swim the Atlantic, but when it comes to life's challenges, God will prove Himself capable of helping us do things we never dreamed we could do.

Let's look at 1 Corinthians 10:13 in light of this idea of saying we can't. The scripture reads, "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able: but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

This verse tells me that no problem is unique. We all face common challenges. We are all tempted to lie, cheat, or even steal, but we don't have to yield to these temptations. We can rise above the temptation. We can do all things through Christ. Seeing others who have successfully faced and overcome these same temptations gives us hope and encouragement, showing us that we, too, can achieve victory.

Our tests and temptations are tailor-made, and God is the Tailor. He gives grace for trials when we need it. And the promise of this verse is based on God's faithfulness and ability, not our own. To deny God's power is to rebel or call God a liar. He says we can, so we can!  

An attitude of can't influences our thinking, attitudes, and behavior; it inhibits our potential. It says God is unable to help us. Nothing could be further from the truth. God is at work in the lives of His children at all times, and especially when we face challenges. He isn't intimidated. He loves to take these challenges as opportunities to reveal Himself. He loves to help us succeed.

By accepting God's promise, we rise to growth and hope. It places the focus off ourselves and onto God, where the impossible becomes possible and the can't becomes can!

With every trial, God promises a way of escape. The end of a problem is just as sure as the start because God is there all the way through, and His promises never fail.

Next time you hear yourself saying, "I can't," ask yourself if that is really true! Because you can do all things through Christ, and God's promise of faithfulness means you can.

Week Forty-Four - Enjoy the Ride!

I find it hard to enjoy the ride when I don't know where I'm going. Consequently, when my husband makes a few wrong turns or takes a different path to a known route without warning me, I become unsettled and start to question. One day, he instructed me, "Just enjoy the ride," and it has since become a byword for us.

A few years ago, I took a trip to China with a dear friend, and several times, my husband, knowing I'd be challenged by the uncertainty of the experience, texted, reminding me — once again — to enjoy the ride. And I did!

As I thought about that advice, I saw parallels in the Bible: Bible characters whose journeys required this attitude.

Abraham, out looking for that city whose builder and maker was God, needed it. David, hiding in caves and running for his life, needed it. Peter, as he queried John's path in life, needed it.

The attitude of enjoying the ride doesn't mean always seeing life as rosy. It is not absenting ourselves from involvement or protecting ourselves from harm. It is a walk of faith that says, "My heavenly Father is right here beside me. I can rest in Him and not worry about the events of the path because I know and believe He is in control."

Enjoying the ride means that even when unexpected turns come or a detour takes longer than planned, there is no need to panic; continue living and reacting in faith.

Enjoying the ride means letting go of being the planner or navigator and embracing the role of a passenger. You aren't driving. God is. Giving Him the wheel relieves the pressure and stress of trying to be in control.

Enjoying the ride means taking time to see the beauty of life; to enjoy and appreciate all the tangible and intangible things as gifts from God. This increases your thankfulness and makes life much more beautiful.

The interesting thing is that everyone's path is tailor-made. No two paths are exactly the same, yet our paths crisscross and intersect throughout our journeys.

Even the paths of husband and wife, though running parallel, are not exactly the same. God so designs each path to meet the desires and needs of the individual, bringing glory to Himself and fulfillment to the individual.

The journey of life has similarities, too — birth, youth, adulthood, etc. —but these are only skeletons on which the journey is built. We don't need to get hung up on these. There is so much more to life than age.

As I look back, I see more of my journey each day. It falls into categories by decade, and each decade is marked by life's events, but one thing remains the same. My successes and failures in each era are marked by my attitude on the journey. In joys and in sorrows, when my attitude was one of faith, the ride was much more positive, strengthening, and strangely enjoyable. The places where I kept my focus on life as a walk of faith proved to be places of growth, whether the way had been hard or easy.

We read the stories of persecuted Christians and notice their intense joy and peace amid pain and suffering. How can this be? Surely they have learned the secret of enjoying the ride. I'm sure they would tell us of a walk of faith that does not demand to know what is around the next bend or grows uncomfortable and unsettled just because a plan doesn't come together.

I think they, too, would remind us to settle back and enjoy the ride because "It is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure." 

Week Forty-Three - Seven Reasons Not to Worry

I remember a time when I was overwhelmed with worry. We were struggling financially, and I feared what would happen. Now, decades later, I barely remember the actual events. What I do remember are the Scriptures God used to help me overcome my worry. And they are still powerful today. 

Oh, don't get me wrong, I still fall into worry, but it doesn't get such a hold on me anymore. Even when things are tense or scary, worry can only go so far because these same scriptures pop into my mind and return my peace.

Let's look at seven reasons not to worry from chapter six of the book of Matthew. These are the verses I memorized years ago.

1. The same God who created life in you can be trusted with the details of your life.

Matthew 6:25, "Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?"

God knows what you need. He designed your body to need food and water. He also knows you need clothes. He designed every detail of your life, and He is meticulous. 

Oswald Chambers said, "God is my Father, He loves me, I shall never think of anything He will forget, why should I worry?" So give no thought to the basic needs of life —just don't worry about them. Be thankful and content instead of grasping for more or worrying where it will all come from.

2. Worrying about the future hampers your efforts for today.

Matthew 6:26, "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns: yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

Aren't you? Yes, you are. God loves the birds and takes care of them, but He never calls them His children. They have no promise of eternal life. You, on the other hand, are His child, and He is intimately interested and involved in every detail of your life. Take one day at a time and stop worrying about tomorrow.

3. Worry is more harmful than helpful.

Matthew 6:27, "Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?"

Worry makes one unthankful. We fail to see God's goodness because we judge what we have as not being enough. Desiring more, we discount what we actually have.

4. God does not ignore those who depend on Him.

Matthew 6:28-30, "And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?"

The beauty of the world declares God's involvement. Look at the magnificence of His creation and think, "If He is that involved with rocks and trees, how can I doubt He would be even more involved with those created after His image?" Discounting your worth before God is treasonous!

5. Worry shows a lack of faith and understanding of God.

Matthew 6:31-32, "Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink?         or, Wherewithall shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek: for your                 heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."

Worry means we don't trust God to provide, understand, or care about our needs. Even the Gentiles, the unbelievers, need food, clothing, and raiment, and God provides for them. Why would we ever doubt that God didn't know we needed them as well? Do we believe Him to be a God who doesn't care about His children? That is what worry is saying.

6. There are real challenges God wants us to pursue, and worry keeps us from them.

Matthew 6:33, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall     be added unto you."

Hebrews 12 tells us to keep our eyes on Jesus. When we worry, our eyes aren't looking to Him; they are looking around at everything else, and we often miss blessings and opportunities because worry has us bound and blinded. Get your eyes back on God and thank Him for giving you what you need.

7.  Living one day at a time keeps us from being consumed with worry.

Matthew 6:34, "Take therefore no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof."

We can't do anything about tomorrow, and we cannot change the past; we can only deal with what is in front of us, one day at a time. This takes such pressure off when we adopt this philosophy, giving us great power because we know God meets our needs and takes good care of us each day. Sufficient to the day - enough is all that matters. 

Worry heaps more than is necessary into the day, so why not chop your day down to size and take it as a single day's dose! God's not worried, why should you?

        

Week Forty - Two - Pushy Kids

Charles Stanley said, "A child needs the security of a parent who can't be pushed around." I'd have to agree. After raising five children myself, I've come to realize there just isn't the option of being pushed around if we want a happy home and successful children. When a parent yields to the demands of their children, structure breaks down, and the child, although they may never put it into words, feels insecure and unsafe. They need the parent to be the parent in the situation. Let's push some preferred Ps!

Parent - the responsible adult in the home, the one who answers to authority, be it to God or man, for what happens within the home.

Principles - the guidelines and rules for acceptable behaviour within the home, set by the Word of God and upheld by the authority of the parent. Principles must be understood by the entire family, and each member must be held accountable to fulfill them.

Pattern - the manner in which daily life happens. Every home runs differently, depending on work schedules, schooling, and the interests and activities of its members. Without a consistent pattern to life, a schedule of some sort, things get overlooked, people get disappointed, and hurts come. Generally, kids feel more secure when there is order in the home.

Perseverance - being the parent isn't always a pretty picture. Sometimes we must persevere when kids try to push us around. They need to know we will stick by our principles and strive to maintain a pattern of order in the home; no amount of their screaming or wailing will change that. The Bible even tells you not to be swayed by their crying - be the adult in the situation and stick to your guns.

Prayer - you will need the strength of the Lord to be a good, strong parent, so go to the source of strength. Bring your home and family before Him. Pray for that pushy kid and look for ways to create understanding and calm in your home. Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). I think that verse was put in the Bible for parents!

Praise - don't forget to make more noise about the good things than you do about the bad stuff. Look for ways to give praise. And praise the Lord before your children. Help them see that you are relying upon the Lord, looking to Him for answers and help, and thankful for His love for your family.

Plan - don't try to parent without a plan. What do you want your home to be like? What would you describe as acceptable behaviour? Draw your plan from the Word of God and be consistent. Hope, pray, be the example, build your home using wisdom, understanding, and knowledge (Proverbs 24:3-4). Then, there is the promise of precious and pleasant riches, children that rise up and call you blessed (Proverbs 31:28), and the desires of your heart being met (Psalm 37:4).

Power - all of this equals power to parent! Kids don't come with an instruction book; we just have to do on-the-job training, but we are not without power when we parent using God's instruction book. There is power in the Word, power in prayer, and power in trusting God, our heavenly Father, the best parent anyone could have!

Promise - we all need a promise. Here is my favorite promise for parents. Psalm 115:14, "The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children." So, be the parent in the situation. Don't let them push you around. Hold true, and God will be true to you.