"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart"
I have found this to be so true today. I have been seeking everything but God the last few days. I have been living in my own self-indigence. I have been focused on what I want in life and not what God wants for me. I had realized that there was a problem and yet had let it all blind me so I couldn't conceive a way out.
Then I read the about the Group Challenge set forth by Shawn Blanc. God is so amazing that he sets things before us at just the right time. He draws us to him all we have to do is say yes! So that is exactly what I did, I said yes to God and set out my goals.
What a difference a day makes. God is so faithful that when we choose to seek him with all our hearts He allows us to find him! Today, God has shown up in so many different ways!
Really it started last night as I read another chapter in the book David, by Charles Swindoll. Once again what read was exactly what I needed to hear in that moment. This chapter was about how in the height of David's reign as King as the nation of Israel his greatest weaknesses were exposed. He listed that the three major failures in David's life were that he became so involved in public pursuits that he lost control of his family, he indulged himself in extravagant extremes of passion, and that he became a victim of self-sufficiency and pride. Swindoll also listed three lasting lessons that we can learn at David's expense; prosperity and ease are perilous times, not merely blesings; gross sin is a culmination of a process, not a sudden act; and confession and repentance help heal a wound, but they will never erase all the scars.
The second point of both of these lists spoke right to my heart. Though I wouldn't say I have been induging myself in extravagant extremes yet, it is the little stuff that culminates and opens the door to gross sin. All I could do as I read that was priase the Lord. He opened my eyes to see the path I was getting ready to head down if I didn't make some different choices quickly. I honestly took time to passionately seek Him in the word and He showed me himself.
Then today at school, I didn't get frustrated with my students behavior. When a child acted up I said a fast prayer before I let any words come out my mouth. The Lord was diligent to help me and give me wise counsel in how to handle every situation. God is so faithful!
During my planning time today I was having a hard time focusing on things that were good. These thoughts running though my head were complelty distracting me from my work and from hearing from God. So I said a prayer turned on the radio and worshiped right there in my classroom for 15 minutes. God showed up and the thoughts that had been running though my mind were gone. I was able to focus on the job at hand and Praise the Lord in my work.
God is so faithful! That is my phrase for the day. As Jeremiah 29:13 says when we seek Him with all our heart we will find Him. That is a promise and God never goes back on his promises. Praise the Lord for He is so good!
Showing posts with label The Impact of King David's Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Impact of King David's Life. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Saturday, March 31, 2007
What We Need, When We Need It!
I am always amazed at how God provides exactly what we need right when we need it. Last night I really didn't want to be around people. I wanted to be alone and shut myself off from the rest of the world. I wanted to crawl inside my own little emotional cave and not come out.
However, God had other plans this weekend. I had already committed to going to a cookout with everyone from my church on Friday night. There are only about 25 of us. I was dreading going and even cried before I went and on the drive there. I am a very social person and love the people at my church, it was just that I was not in a mind set to be able to be the lone single yet again, hanging out with all the married people.
Once I got there I enjoyed myself. And I ended up not being the only single because people had invited other friends to come as well. It was a good time of fellowship and a good distraction. It kept me from spending my entire Friday night wallowing in self-pity.
Then this morning I woke up in the same funk as before. I didn't want to get out of bed, really my ideal plan was to stay in my bed all day and not speak to anyone. But yet again I had already made plans from earlier in the week. I was going to meet up with a friend for lunch and then I had committed to singing at a worship service in Bentonville that was to last from 4:30 until 10:00.
So I stayed in bed until 8:00 and only got up then because I had my random urge to check my e-mail. See my habit stayed in tacked even though I didn't want to talk to anyone. Anyway, after messing around the house for about an hour I decided to go and read my book David. And yet again what I read was exactly what I needed to hear.
I was reading about the part of David's story when he literally ends up in a cave. He was hiding there, felt like his life was meaningless to everyone, didn't understand why everything was going down like it was, and pretty much wallowing in his own self-pity and loneliness. Yet in the midst of all of that his deepest desire was still to see the Lord glorified. To see the Lord's name be praised.
Psalm 142 was written while David was sitting in this cave. In the beginning he is crying out in dispare. In verse 4 he says "Look to my right and see, no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge: no one cares for my life." Verse 6 says " Listen to my cry, for I am in disparate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me." David is at his lowest point. He is physically and emotionally in a cave.
Yet in the same breath that he is crying out to be rescued he recognizes that even though he doesn't like what is happening God is still in control. Verse 3 "When my spirit grows faint within me, It is you who know my way." Verse 5 "I cry to you, O Lord: I say, 'You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.'" Verse 7 "Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me." David didn't want to be freed from this bondage for his own sake he wanted to be freed so that God's name would be praised. That everyone would see God's goodness upon David's life.
God didn't leave David alone in the cave. In fact he brought to him his family and 400 other people who were down and out. Even in this low time in David's life the Lord was training him to be a great leader.
As I read through this Psalm I began to realize that I had come to dwell in an emotional cave. I wanted to be alone, I wanted to wallow in my own self-pity for a while. Yet, like David my hearts deepest desire is not to be married and have a family it is for God to be glorified in my life. As I read through the Psalm I really began to relate to the cries of David's heart. That in that moment he felt so desperate and so alone yet he realized that only thing left to cling to was God himself the only true refuge.
The other thing I noticed about David was that after acknowledging he needed help, presenting his need before God, recognizing that God was the only real place he could rest, and wanting to be freed so that he could praise the Lord, he was still in the cave. There were things to be learned in that place. God knew that he was going to end up in that cave. God knew that David had to come to a point of complete brokenness before He could teach him what he needed to know.
So after reading all of this my heart was freed just a bit. I was able to worship tonight and during that time the funk lifted for a moment. I am not out of my cave yet, but instead of wallowing in my own self-pity like my flesh so desires, I am open to hear what God has to say and to learn what God has to teach me in this place. I don't have a clue what that is, but hopefully I will find out soon.
However, God had other plans this weekend. I had already committed to going to a cookout with everyone from my church on Friday night. There are only about 25 of us. I was dreading going and even cried before I went and on the drive there. I am a very social person and love the people at my church, it was just that I was not in a mind set to be able to be the lone single yet again, hanging out with all the married people.
Once I got there I enjoyed myself. And I ended up not being the only single because people had invited other friends to come as well. It was a good time of fellowship and a good distraction. It kept me from spending my entire Friday night wallowing in self-pity.
Then this morning I woke up in the same funk as before. I didn't want to get out of bed, really my ideal plan was to stay in my bed all day and not speak to anyone. But yet again I had already made plans from earlier in the week. I was going to meet up with a friend for lunch and then I had committed to singing at a worship service in Bentonville that was to last from 4:30 until 10:00.
So I stayed in bed until 8:00 and only got up then because I had my random urge to check my e-mail. See my habit stayed in tacked even though I didn't want to talk to anyone. Anyway, after messing around the house for about an hour I decided to go and read my book David. And yet again what I read was exactly what I needed to hear.
I was reading about the part of David's story when he literally ends up in a cave. He was hiding there, felt like his life was meaningless to everyone, didn't understand why everything was going down like it was, and pretty much wallowing in his own self-pity and loneliness. Yet in the midst of all of that his deepest desire was still to see the Lord glorified. To see the Lord's name be praised.
Psalm 142 was written while David was sitting in this cave. In the beginning he is crying out in dispare. In verse 4 he says "Look to my right and see, no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge: no one cares for my life." Verse 6 says " Listen to my cry, for I am in disparate need; rescue me from those who pursue me, for they are too strong for me." David is at his lowest point. He is physically and emotionally in a cave.
Yet in the same breath that he is crying out to be rescued he recognizes that even though he doesn't like what is happening God is still in control. Verse 3 "When my spirit grows faint within me, It is you who know my way." Verse 5 "I cry to you, O Lord: I say, 'You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.'" Verse 7 "Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness to me." David didn't want to be freed from this bondage for his own sake he wanted to be freed so that God's name would be praised. That everyone would see God's goodness upon David's life.
God didn't leave David alone in the cave. In fact he brought to him his family and 400 other people who were down and out. Even in this low time in David's life the Lord was training him to be a great leader.
As I read through this Psalm I began to realize that I had come to dwell in an emotional cave. I wanted to be alone, I wanted to wallow in my own self-pity for a while. Yet, like David my hearts deepest desire is not to be married and have a family it is for God to be glorified in my life. As I read through the Psalm I really began to relate to the cries of David's heart. That in that moment he felt so desperate and so alone yet he realized that only thing left to cling to was God himself the only true refuge.
The other thing I noticed about David was that after acknowledging he needed help, presenting his need before God, recognizing that God was the only real place he could rest, and wanting to be freed so that he could praise the Lord, he was still in the cave. There were things to be learned in that place. God knew that he was going to end up in that cave. God knew that David had to come to a point of complete brokenness before He could teach him what he needed to know.
So after reading all of this my heart was freed just a bit. I was able to worship tonight and during that time the funk lifted for a moment. I am not out of my cave yet, but instead of wallowing in my own self-pity like my flesh so desires, I am open to hear what God has to say and to learn what God has to teach me in this place. I don't have a clue what that is, but hopefully I will find out soon.
Saturday, March 17, 2007
Sing Unto the Lord!!!
My heart is refreshed and excited today. Tonight is our bi-weekly prayer and worship time up in Bella Vista. I have been so busy in the last month and I have truly missed this time of fellowship and intimacy with my King.
I have always felt that when we sing our spirit connects more deeply with God's spirit. There is something about abandoning your self in song before the one you love that draws us closer into intimacy with Christ. Sometimes I think this is only a reality for me because singing is what I love, but deep inside know that if we can get past all of the self-doubt we have when it comes to singing, this connection is true for us all.
Today I was reading my book David by Charles Swindoll and he addresses this concept of singing and intimacy with God. As I read the words my heart was filled with joy. It was a confirmation that we are to sing from our hearts unto the Lord.
I can't summarize what he had to say without taking away from it so I am just going to quote chunks of it.
"I don't think there can be genuine worship without those two elements blending together: the declaration of the doctrines that deepen our roots in biblical truth, and then the expression of our faith in melody as it flows from our lips and our voices in song."
He talks about how music existed before the world was created, in Job it says "The morning stars sang together." The angels were singing in heaven around the throne before the world began. In Revelation it seems we will all be singing around the throne yet again with "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain." Charles Swindoll says "Since there was singing before the earth was formed and there will be singing after the earth is gone, then it stands to reason there should be a lot of singing while we are on the earth, doesn't it?" Martin Luther even wrote these words "Next to the word of God, music deserves the highest praise."
I totally agree with this statement. We should be singing our praises all of the time. But unfortunately many of us only sort of sing along on Sunday morning and we never lift our voice to sing out any other time. "A Spirit-filled saint is a song-filled saint." I agree with this statement by Charles Swindoll every person I have ever met that is truly living a Spirit-filled life know how to abandon themselves in song. Whether they are highly trained like myself or can't carry a tune, they understand the importance of lifting our voice in song to our Lord. They truly have a song in their heart and aren't afraid to sing it out.
This all connects back to David because he was a musician. He was a singer and I don't think it is a coincidence that the longest book in the bible is a book of songs written unto the Lord. "The Psalms are for folks who have decided that music is an art that requires the discipline of keen thinking and a heart that is right before God. It is music for the mature. Is is not a superficial statement. There are a few, of course, that are very popular: Psalms 1, 23, 91, 100, and parts of 119. But for the most part, only the mature spend lengthy times in the Psalms."
As I have grown in my own spiritual walk I find myself spending more and more time in the Psalms. I find encouragement, refreshment, rest, peace, and many other things in the words of the Psalms. I find myself singing parts of Psalms as I go through out my day. As I become more and more mature in my walk I begin to see things and understand more of David's heart cry. I believe that is because it takes someone who is honestly seeking after God's heart to understand the heart of David when he was writing these songs.
"Never mind how beautiful or how pitiful you may sound. Sing loud enough to drown out those defeating thoughts that normally clamor for attention. Release yourself from that cage of introspective reluctance. SING OUT! SING OUT! You're not auditioning for the church choir; you're making melody with your heart to the Lord your God! If you listen closely when you're through, you my hear the hosts of heaven answering back for joy."
God longs to hear our voice. He longs to hear us sing to him. Sing Out! Sing Loud!Don't let the enemy lie to you and tell you that music doesn't matter. That it is just for entertainment. It does matter, music truly touches our spirits whether we choose to acknowledge that or not.
I have always felt that when we sing our spirit connects more deeply with God's spirit. There is something about abandoning your self in song before the one you love that draws us closer into intimacy with Christ. Sometimes I think this is only a reality for me because singing is what I love, but deep inside know that if we can get past all of the self-doubt we have when it comes to singing, this connection is true for us all.
Today I was reading my book David by Charles Swindoll and he addresses this concept of singing and intimacy with God. As I read the words my heart was filled with joy. It was a confirmation that we are to sing from our hearts unto the Lord.
I can't summarize what he had to say without taking away from it so I am just going to quote chunks of it.
"I don't think there can be genuine worship without those two elements blending together: the declaration of the doctrines that deepen our roots in biblical truth, and then the expression of our faith in melody as it flows from our lips and our voices in song."
He talks about how music existed before the world was created, in Job it says "The morning stars sang together." The angels were singing in heaven around the throne before the world began. In Revelation it seems we will all be singing around the throne yet again with "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain." Charles Swindoll says "Since there was singing before the earth was formed and there will be singing after the earth is gone, then it stands to reason there should be a lot of singing while we are on the earth, doesn't it?" Martin Luther even wrote these words "Next to the word of God, music deserves the highest praise."
I totally agree with this statement. We should be singing our praises all of the time. But unfortunately many of us only sort of sing along on Sunday morning and we never lift our voice to sing out any other time. "A Spirit-filled saint is a song-filled saint." I agree with this statement by Charles Swindoll every person I have ever met that is truly living a Spirit-filled life know how to abandon themselves in song. Whether they are highly trained like myself or can't carry a tune, they understand the importance of lifting our voice in song to our Lord. They truly have a song in their heart and aren't afraid to sing it out.
This all connects back to David because he was a musician. He was a singer and I don't think it is a coincidence that the longest book in the bible is a book of songs written unto the Lord. "The Psalms are for folks who have decided that music is an art that requires the discipline of keen thinking and a heart that is right before God. It is music for the mature. Is is not a superficial statement. There are a few, of course, that are very popular: Psalms 1, 23, 91, 100, and parts of 119. But for the most part, only the mature spend lengthy times in the Psalms."
As I have grown in my own spiritual walk I find myself spending more and more time in the Psalms. I find encouragement, refreshment, rest, peace, and many other things in the words of the Psalms. I find myself singing parts of Psalms as I go through out my day. As I become more and more mature in my walk I begin to see things and understand more of David's heart cry. I believe that is because it takes someone who is honestly seeking after God's heart to understand the heart of David when he was writing these songs.
"Never mind how beautiful or how pitiful you may sound. Sing loud enough to drown out those defeating thoughts that normally clamor for attention. Release yourself from that cage of introspective reluctance. SING OUT! SING OUT! You're not auditioning for the church choir; you're making melody with your heart to the Lord your God! If you listen closely when you're through, you my hear the hosts of heaven answering back for joy."
God longs to hear our voice. He longs to hear us sing to him. Sing Out! Sing Loud!Don't let the enemy lie to you and tell you that music doesn't matter. That it is just for entertainment. It does matter, music truly touches our spirits whether we choose to acknowledge that or not.
Sunday, March 11, 2007
What a Day!!
WARNING: THIS WILL BE A LONG POST!!!
Today has been an amazing day. God has opened my eyes to see so many things in a new way.
First of all I have been compelled to study the life of David over the past few weeks. I have been looking for a book to help me do a character study of David. My friend Tyler suggested that I read DAVID: A Man of Passion and Destiny by Charles Swindoll. Considering one of my bibles is the Living Insights Bible with commentary by Charles Swindoll I figured it would be a good read.
It is better than I expected. I have only read the first two chapters and I have already learned so much. Here are a few tid bits for you. David had three very big qualities that God was looking for in a Servant Leader. First their Spirituality, a person who's heart is completely His. Second is humility, a person who has a servants heart. Third is integrity. "He's [God] looking for deeply spiritual, genuinely humble, honest-to-the-core servants who have integrity." This is the kind of man God saw in David and why He called him an man after His own heart. These are qualities we should all seek to have in our own lives.
What stuck me the most was when he spoke of David's training. "His [David's] training ground was lonely, obscure, monotonous, and real." David was a Shepard boy, he spent most of his time in the fields alone, only the sheep and nature were his companions. He was the most unlikely person to be named the next King of Israel. His own father even overlooked him. He spent everyday of his life doing the same thing, watching sheep, with nobody else around to make sure he was doing his job. Though amidst that daily routine he had reality hit him in the face. When his sheep were in danger he knew what to do to save them.
I really related to these four ideas of David's training. It seems the last few years of my life have fit these categories well. Today I really contemplated the idea of solitude. Being a very social person, in the past the idea of spending a day alone and especially living alone scared me. If I was alone then I had to have the TV, music, or something happening so that I wouldn't feel so alone. However, I have noticed that in course of the last two years God has been teaching me the value of solitude. Now don't get me wrong I totally love being around people and I don't feel that God wants us to all be hermits. I do think that he does call us away from everything for a time being just to be alone with him with no distractions.
Just like when you first wake up and you turn on the TV in the morning it seems like it is blaring. It is at the exact same volume level you had left it at the night before but our ears are more attuned to the sounds around us in the morning because they haven't been bombarded with all of the noise and chaos that happens during the day. Our hearts are the same way, we need to spend time alone, in silence to get rid of all the noise and chaos in our minds. We need to give ourselves a break so that our hearts are more attuned to the still small voice of God.
In light of this new insight I really loved my time spent today with God. I didn't watch TV, didn't turn on the radio, I just stopped and listened today. When I went running it was amazing to hear the birds singing, see the flowers blooming, and know that through all of that God is creating me to be the woman he has called me to be. A woman passionately in love with my God.
Second cool thing about today actually relates to the first: In the second chapter Charles Swindoll listed three timeless lessons that we can learn from God's selection process of David. One: God's solutions are often strange and simple, so be open. Two: God's promotions are usually sudden and surprising, so be ready. Three: God's selections are always sovereign and sure, so be sensitive. In the light of being a single girl who longs to be married to an amazing man of God these three lessons really stood out to me. That in the light of all that is happening in my life right now I need to be open to even the simplest of things God brings my way, I need to be ready for anything to happen, and I need to be sensitive to the leading of the Lord. God wants his best for me and will let me know when that one comes around as long as I let him be in charge of the selection process. I was reminded yet again that
Third cool thing about today: I love when God uses us in unexpected ways to touch others lives. In short yesterday I gave my friend Tyler the book To Own a Dragon: Reflections on Growing Up Without a Father, by Donald Miller. Without saying to much this has been a difficult area of Tyler's life. Today he posted to his Xanga that God opened his eyes to see that he has always had a Father. Maybe not an earthly Father but a heavenly Father that loves him with a great passion. He said he stopped to watch the sunrise as he was driving to Kansas City this morning and swore that in that moment that sunrise was a gift just for him from his Father.
Needless to say as I read his blog I began to cry with tears of joy. My prayers for Tyler are being answered. Above all else I have prayed that God would shower him with His love and show Tyler that he is loved with a passionate love. Really that is my prayer for everyone. It is amazing that to know that God chose to give me the honor of being a small part of someone coming to know a deeper dimension of God's heart toward them.
So there were some other cool things that happened today too but this is already really long and these three were the biggest. All I can say is God is SOOOOOOO GOOOOD!! I am in love with Christ and there is no other that can ever take his place in my life.
Today has been an amazing day. God has opened my eyes to see so many things in a new way.
First of all I have been compelled to study the life of David over the past few weeks. I have been looking for a book to help me do a character study of David. My friend Tyler suggested that I read DAVID: A Man of Passion and Destiny by Charles Swindoll. Considering one of my bibles is the Living Insights Bible with commentary by Charles Swindoll I figured it would be a good read.
It is better than I expected. I have only read the first two chapters and I have already learned so much. Here are a few tid bits for you. David had three very big qualities that God was looking for in a Servant Leader. First their Spirituality, a person who's heart is completely His. Second is humility, a person who has a servants heart. Third is integrity. "He's [God] looking for deeply spiritual, genuinely humble, honest-to-the-core servants who have integrity." This is the kind of man God saw in David and why He called him an man after His own heart. These are qualities we should all seek to have in our own lives.
What stuck me the most was when he spoke of David's training. "His [David's] training ground was lonely, obscure, monotonous, and real." David was a Shepard boy, he spent most of his time in the fields alone, only the sheep and nature were his companions. He was the most unlikely person to be named the next King of Israel. His own father even overlooked him. He spent everyday of his life doing the same thing, watching sheep, with nobody else around to make sure he was doing his job. Though amidst that daily routine he had reality hit him in the face. When his sheep were in danger he knew what to do to save them.
I really related to these four ideas of David's training. It seems the last few years of my life have fit these categories well. Today I really contemplated the idea of solitude. Being a very social person, in the past the idea of spending a day alone and especially living alone scared me. If I was alone then I had to have the TV, music, or something happening so that I wouldn't feel so alone. However, I have noticed that in course of the last two years God has been teaching me the value of solitude. Now don't get me wrong I totally love being around people and I don't feel that God wants us to all be hermits. I do think that he does call us away from everything for a time being just to be alone with him with no distractions.
Just like when you first wake up and you turn on the TV in the morning it seems like it is blaring. It is at the exact same volume level you had left it at the night before but our ears are more attuned to the sounds around us in the morning because they haven't been bombarded with all of the noise and chaos that happens during the day. Our hearts are the same way, we need to spend time alone, in silence to get rid of all the noise and chaos in our minds. We need to give ourselves a break so that our hearts are more attuned to the still small voice of God.
In light of this new insight I really loved my time spent today with God. I didn't watch TV, didn't turn on the radio, I just stopped and listened today. When I went running it was amazing to hear the birds singing, see the flowers blooming, and know that through all of that God is creating me to be the woman he has called me to be. A woman passionately in love with my God.
Second cool thing about today actually relates to the first: In the second chapter Charles Swindoll listed three timeless lessons that we can learn from God's selection process of David. One: God's solutions are often strange and simple, so be open. Two: God's promotions are usually sudden and surprising, so be ready. Three: God's selections are always sovereign and sure, so be sensitive. In the light of being a single girl who longs to be married to an amazing man of God these three lessons really stood out to me. That in the light of all that is happening in my life right now I need to be open to even the simplest of things God brings my way, I need to be ready for anything to happen, and I need to be sensitive to the leading of the Lord. God wants his best for me and will let me know when that one comes around as long as I let him be in charge of the selection process. I was reminded yet again that
Third cool thing about today: I love when God uses us in unexpected ways to touch others lives. In short yesterday I gave my friend Tyler the book To Own a Dragon: Reflections on Growing Up Without a Father, by Donald Miller. Without saying to much this has been a difficult area of Tyler's life. Today he posted to his Xanga that God opened his eyes to see that he has always had a Father. Maybe not an earthly Father but a heavenly Father that loves him with a great passion. He said he stopped to watch the sunrise as he was driving to Kansas City this morning and swore that in that moment that sunrise was a gift just for him from his Father.
Needless to say as I read his blog I began to cry with tears of joy. My prayers for Tyler are being answered. Above all else I have prayed that God would shower him with His love and show Tyler that he is loved with a passionate love. Really that is my prayer for everyone. It is amazing that to know that God chose to give me the honor of being a small part of someone coming to know a deeper dimension of God's heart toward them.
So there were some other cool things that happened today too but this is already really long and these three were the biggest. All I can say is God is SOOOOOOO GOOOOD!! I am in love with Christ and there is no other that can ever take his place in my life.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)