Sometimes you just need a simple, spiritual pick-me-up. Nothing too deep, nothing that demands too much of my already-diminished energy and brain power. Something encouraging, something positive, something uplifting, run-and-grab.
Singing With Our Hearts And Minds
For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unfruitful.
What am I to do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will pray with my mind also;
I will sing praise with my spirit, but I will sing with my mind also."
1 Corinthians 14:14-15
Music is powerful! God has included music in worship to Him from the beginning. When we sing to God and to each other, do we sing with our whole heart and mind? I personally believe that music moves and stirs us in a way that nothing else can. I've been pondering some words of songs we sing. Are they true? Are they my convictions? Do I live them out or are they just mindless words while I think about something else? Do I give my heart when singing, or do I let the worship team do the "work?"
Amazing grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I'm found. Was blind but now I see.
My chains are gone! I've been set free! My God, my Savior has ransomed me!
ARE my chains gone? Am I really living a life of freedom? Do I surrender everything so I CAN be free or am I holding back, holding onto things that keep me from true freedom?
Do I need to forgive? Am I angry, or critical, or numb? Do I give God my all out of gratitude for what He's done for me?
One of my new favorites stays with me a lot. Songs can be good that way!
All my life You have been faithful. All my life You have been so, so good!
With every breath that I am able, oh I will sing of the goodness of God!
Which songs, phrases or lines move your heart the most?
Let's think about our words as we sing to make sure we are singing with our minds as we give our hearts to God!
Gratitude
Around November each year, we are reminded of the importance of gratitude. What about the rest of the year? Do our lives reflect a daily heart of thanksgiving? How are we doing at keeping our gratitude at a consistent level? Much easier said than done!
Here are some Scriptures to remind us how we can be more like Jesus daily:
Always give thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:20
Did you catch those big words in there? Always. Always give thanks. For everything. WHAT?? Is that even possible? It's a daily quest!
What is it you are struggling to give thanks for? Try it and see what happens, no matter how hard it may be.
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
ALL. Sounds a bit like everything, doesn't it? It's in God's will for us.
But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere.
2 Corinthians 2:14
God is SO good. He leads us in triumph and through us spreads the knowledge of Him.
Everywhere. Are we busy spreading the news? God is WITH us, FOR us and IN us!
That's a LOT to be thankful for!
Thanks be to God!! For everything!
I Can Only Imagine
At just the right time Christ will be revealed from heaven by the blessed and only Almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
He alone can never die, and he lives in light so brilliant that no human can approach him. No human eye has ever seen him, nor ever will. All honor and power to him forever! Amen. 1 Timothy 6:15-16 (NLT)
A beautiful reminder for us of who we worship - the only Almighty God, the King of all kings and Lord of all lords!
Try to imagine the brilliance of light that can never be approached by a human. Do you ever just close your eyes and think about what it will be like to see God?
I love the song "I Can Only Imagine" for that reason. Will I dance? Be so in awe I can't move? Fall to my knees? Will I be able to speak at all?
It is good for us to be still, to meditate on our Father, the King, and to ponder what that day will be like.
The main thing is that WE DON'T WANT TO MISS IT! It will be the most amazing moment EVER.
What challenges do we have in this life that will just disappear? No sadness, no sorrow, no pain, no war, no conflicts, no fatigue, no disappointments, no fear -- all will be new. And it will be GOOD.
Let's encourage each other to stand firm, to look toward THE DAY with eager anticipation when we can bow before our Lord and be safe in his presence forever.
Where Does Our Trust Come From?
This is what the LORD says:
"Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD. But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.
Jeremiah 17:5, 7-8
Where is your trust? Are you allowing the choices of humans to pull your heart away from the LORD?
These are things I have to constantly consider in the world we live in. We need to constantly dig deep roots to stay faithful and fruitful because God is our hope. The world has, from just after Creation, been chaotic and evil. There was a brief time in the Garden where there was peace and perfection. But then sin entered. The choices of people - to eat some fruit, to take the life of a brother - swiftly changed that peace to chaos.
Two people living in Paradise, now given a life of hard work and pain.
A surviving brother on the run, fearful of what someone would do to him, now knowing the consequence of sin.
Men and women have always had to make the choice of whether to trust God and His goodness or to live in fear of what others might do.
Our own hearts are wicked and deceitful (vs. 9). Let's be careful about pointing fingers.
The world needs God. WE need God. We are sinners trying to show other sinners where to find hope.
God calls us to be the Light of the World! What a privilege!
Are we spreading that Light daily as we "Go?" "Go and make disciples." As we go. Let's pray and beg God to lead us to those with open hearts, with questions, those looking for something firm to base their life on.
Day after day, we hear terrible news, We never know when or where a tragedy will occur. Awful things happen in our own neighborhoods.
Let's be Jesus to our neighbors and friends, to those who walk in to worship with us each week, to our young people who struggle to process all that's going on. Jesus came to give peace, regardless of what the world is saying and doing.
Do you believe God is trustworthy? That He is our hope and confidence? Share it with someone who needs to know! It will make an eternal difference. Be blessed by trusting in the LORD and making HIM our hope and confidence.
Faith Or Feelings?
I wait quietly before God, for my victory comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken. Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. My victory and honor come from God alone. He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:1-2, 5-8
Is God YOUR refuge and fortress? YOUR rock and salvation? How do you view God, especially when those inevitable tough times come? That answer and response will be determined by how you SEE God and what your relationship is built on.
If we see God as the One who is in charge of giving us everything we want and making us happy and fulfilled, it's time to rethink our view.
God is AMAZING. He is LOVE and GOODNESS and LIGHT. (Followed by so many adjectives we don't even know where to begin!) He wants to be with us, to have a close relationship. (Not just to hand out "goodies.")
Do we believe He really knows what's best for us? Can we trust that?
Psalm 62 seems to be a song/prayer of David as he faced more than his share of enemies, spending years in the "School of Character Development" and fleeing again from those who wanted to kill him. (vs. 3-4)
How could David continually keep his trust in God when things went from bad to worse so many times?
Focusing on God's goodness and grace instead of circumstances can only come from knowing the truth of who God is and how much He loves us....EVERY ONE of us!
I pray that we will each examine our hearts to know if we are truly devoted to the God of heaven and earth, Creator of the entire universe, the One who made us in His image and loves us more than we can comprehend. Not for what we can get out of our relationship but to give Him the glory and praise He deserves. No. Matter. What.
That's where ultimate victory is found. In knowing God as my fortress, my safe place when the world feels chaotic. Not giving in to Satan's lies about unfairness, "feeling" unloved, doubts. If you don't know how to love God like this, please talk to someone and get some help in working through the doubts and fears. Fight using the sword of the Spirit - the Word of God for ultimate victory! Fall in love with God and His Word!
O my people, trust in him at all times. Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge.
Our King
How great is the LORD, how deserving of praise, in the city of our God, which sits on his holy mountain! It is high and magnificent; the whole earth rejoices to see it! Mount Zion, the holy mountain, is the city of the great King! Psalm 48:1,2
Recently, we lost a Queen who reigned over the Commonwealth realm for 70 years. Imagine that - 70 years of service to her people.
Some may not have thought much about it; she didn't represent "all of us" so there may not have been a connection.
Some may have felt very sad, as though losing a grandmother. Someone who's always been there, even though far away. A Queen, but still very human. Like us. I wonder how much we think about OUR King. THE KING OF KINGS. The One who reigns forever and ever.
The One who deserves praise and who never changes.
Because we can't see Him, does it seem difficult to connect? To comprehend? To give Him glory and praise?
I would encourage each of us to take time to meditate, to ponder, to think of the amazing things He has done. He SPOKE the entire universe into existence. He raised the dead, parted waters, closed the mouths of lions, made the blind see. It's good to reflect on who God is and what He's done. And what He continues to do. Do we limit Him because of our unbelief? I know I do many times. I WANT to believe, but how often do I try to go on my own power rather than getting on my knees and talking to my Father, the King? The One who can do ANYTHING and EVERYTHING?
We have a personal relationship with THE King. Imagine!
Imagine being at His table, talking, sharing what's on our hearts, laughing, singing, being filled so completely that we lack nothing.
What are some things we can do to lift our eyes to the mountains where our "Help" comes from? (Psalm 121:1)
For that [a fortified city] is what God is like. He is our God forever and ever, and he will guide us until we die. Psalm 48:14
Our King will never die! He is on the throne forever and He desires to have us close to Him and to be with Him forever! Don't take Him for granted. Keep building that special relationship with desire to understand who He is.
Let's worship, praise and glorify our King!
There Is A Time
For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to cry and a time to laugh, a time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. (Excerpts from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, NLT)
There is a time. For everything. What time is it for you?
Are you in a time of grieving? Maybe you've suffered a loss....or multiple losses and you aren't sure if you'll ever smile again, much less laugh, sing or dance. Maybe you're in a time of dancing. You've pushed through a tough time, maybe finished work for a new degree, or received a promotion, have a new love or it's just a joyful season for some reason.
Maybe you're in more than one season and feel contradictory emotions. It's okay to laugh and feel joy even when you are sad. Or to cry when others are rejoicing. There's no "right or wrong" way to go through the different "times" of life. We can put undue pressure on ourselves and find it difficult to be "in the moment" when we have expectations of how we should or shouldn't feel.
We can feel guilt if we perceive we are reacting in a "wrong" manner. What if we could somehow learn to just live in the moment? Feel what we feel? To know that it's okay to feel sad, happy, excited, mournful, quiet or silly? Are we more concerned with what others think of our response than figuring out what is real?
There's a very real war going on in Europe. Actually, there are many wars going on in this world, and many in our hearts. We have lost a LOT of loved ones and have had some very difficult things in our lives. It's a "time."
But other "times" will come. Let's not give up hope or lose heart. God said it would be this way; times come and go.
Jesus had His times, too. People praised Him one minute and wanted to make Him King, then tried to throw Him off a cliff the next. He lost His close relative, John, in a horrible manner and He wanted to be alone. Then the crowds found Him and He was able to meet their needs. Jesus had some "high" highs and "low" lows. God will help us go through the good and the challenging times. Just like Jesus, we can turn to God for strength and comfort and He will give us the ability to do His will.
One time, He will call us home and it will be glorious! No tears. No fears. No sorrows. It will all be worth it! Let's hold on through the ups and downs, through all the seasons of life until we see HIM in ALL HIS GLORY!!!!
Belonging To Each Other
Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach. If it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully. Romans 12:4-8
Isn't it amazing how each time we read a passage of Scripture, different things can stand out to us?
As I read this Romans passage recently, the part that jumped out to me was "each member belongs to all the others."
Do we believe this is how it should be? Do we ACT like we believe it and desire it? What would the body look like if each one of us practiced belonging to all the others?
For one, I think we would each be happy to do our part and not feel competitive or insecure that we don't have someone else's part. We aren't all teachers, worship leaders, etc. We're FOR each other because we belong to each other.
We all have a part in making the body complete. We serve. We encourage. We show mercy. We can all excel somewhere!
When we love the "whole," we rejoice with those who rejoice and weep with those who weep. We all feel WITH each other.
Imagine how happy this "family," the "body of Christ" would make our Father as we all become ONE.
Remembering that Jesus died for us to be forgiven and unified in His body should motivate us to put aside our own desires and become ONE. Each one belongs to all the others.
Wouldn't this draw others to want to be part of our family? What the world desperately needs is this type of love, unity, a place to belong. A place where EVERYONE fits in beautifully!
Lynn Overturf was born in Mobile, Alabama, and grew up in Alabama and Georgia, USA. She has a bachelor's degree in Music Education from Freed-Hardeman College. In 1984 she married Rick, and they have been involved in ministry in Lakeland, Orlando, and Jacksonville, Florida; Nashville, Tennessee; and Birmingham, Alabama; and they have now been in the Triangle area of North Carolina for 26 years. They have three adult children who are all married.
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