November 21, 2024

16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 16 – Love Never Fails

November 22, 2013 by

16daylovechallengeneverfails

 

Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast; it is not proud.
It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking,
It is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the Truth.
It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Quite a list of accomplishments, wouldn’t you say?  Perhaps you might say to yourself, ‘Do you really think anyone can do that—love that way?’  Well, I DO know someONE Who can!  (You do, too!)  Our Father, Almighty God, the Great I AM…He can! And He does!

Here are a few verses just to remind us of God’s never failing love.

But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.
Psalms 13:5 and 6

I have loved you with an everlasting love….
Jeremiah 31:3

Psalm 136 tells us “Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good, for His love endures forever.” And this truth is reiterated in every single verse throughout this psalm…26 times!

As our study of the 16 Day Love Challenge: Matching our Words and Actions with 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 draws to a close, we look at God’s final statement in this passage about LOVE.

Love never fails.
1 Corinthians 13:8

It doesn’t say ‘almost never’ or ‘almost all the time’ or ‘99 out of 100 times’, does it?  No, ma’am…it says ‘Love never fails.’

never (adverb)

1. at no time in the past or future; on no occasion; not ever.
synonyms: not ever, at no time, not at any time, not once, ne’er.

2. not at all
synonyms: certainly not, not for a moment, under no circumstances, on no account

(and here are a few informal synonyms: no way, not on your life, not in a million years, when pigs fly, when hell freezes over.)

Can I tell you something?  I do know someone else, besides our great God who can love that way!  Really!  It is y.o.u.  Yes, my friend, you CAN love others in that same way!  Hey, now, no scoffing, no pshawing, no doubting—the Scriptures clearly communicate this!

…Because God’s love has been poured into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Romans 5:5

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another,
even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if You have love for one another.
John 13:34-35

This is my commandment: that you love one another as I have loved you.
John 15:12

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God
and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.
Anyone who does not love does not know God,
because God is love.
Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 John 4:7-8, 11

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God and God in them.

This is how love is perfected with us
so that we will have confidence on the day of Judgment;
because as He is, so are we in this world.
Verses 16 and 17

And He has given us this command:
anyone who loves God must also love their brother or sister.
Verse 21

God’s Word is Truth!  And so, we are what the Word of God says that we are!  We ARE able to love as God loves.  As we were reminded the other day by Cherie, truth is not determined by our experience but simply by the Truth of the Scriptures.

Try this! Read through these verses again (out loud, please!), inserting your name along with ‘love.’ Like this…

{Cherie’s} love is patient, {Rebecca’s} love is kind.
{Kim’s love} does not envy, {Cynda’s love} does not boast; {Rae Ann’s love} is not proud.
{Darcie’s love} does not dishonor others, {Jennifer’s love} is not self-seeking,
{Cyndie’s love} is not easily angered, {Clella’s love} keeps no record of wrongs.
{Beverly’s} love does not delight in evil but {Robin’s love} rejoices with the Truth.
{Shari’s love} always protects, {Chelle’s love} always trusts,
{Kristen‘s love} always hopes, {Aminah‘s love} always perseveres.
{Christi’s} love never fails.

Let’s Pray:
Lord, we are so thankful that it was Your plan for us to study together and to work the 16 Day Love Challenge together!!!  Our lives are forever changed.  We do so need Your help through the Holy Spirit that You have placed within us, Lord!  You know (we do, too) that there will be times we are tempted to think that we cannot love like this.  Help us to recognize that lie and to replace it with the Truth that we can love because You have placed Your love within us! Today may we reach out to everyone around us with Your love that is in our hearts!  Thank You, Lord!  It is only because of Your great grace and mercy!  We pray these things in Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 13 – Love Always Trusts

November 20, 2013 by

 

16daylovechallengetrust

 

I am trusting (a tiny pun!) that it is not just my heart that is stirred up thinking about this trust issue…yes?  But here is where I stand and I am not moving:  God is absolutely worthy of my completely and totally trusting Him with my life.  In her sharing of today’s chapter from The 16 Day Love Challenge, Rebecca makes a definitive statement that could not be any more true: “…God is perfectly trustworthy and He will never let you down!”  I love that!

Throughout the Scriptures, we find promise after promise as well as testimony upon testimony directing us to see His trustworthiness and faithfulness.  God’s people throughout time, have shown incredible faith and trust in their God.  The psalmist gives praise time and time again to the One to Whom he trusted with his life.  Psalm 40 contains some of my most favorite words of confession acknowledging my trust in our great God.

I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He drew me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay,
and set my feet upon a rock, steadying my steps and establishing my goings.
And He has put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.
Many shall see and fear and put their trust and confident reliance in the Lord.
Blessed is the <wo>man who makes the Lord <her> refuge and trust….
Psalms 40:1-4

As we read the Scriptures, they relate to us the confessions (both the praises and the struggles) of others who have gone before us who have made the choice to trust our God.

You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace
whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You,
because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You.
So trust in the Lord
(commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever;
for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].
Isaiah 26:3 and 4 AMP

Whom have I in heaven but You? And I have no delight or desire on earth besides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the Rock
and firm Strength of my heart and my Portion forever.
But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God
and made Him my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.
Psalms 73:25-26, 28

Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails.
Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.
Psalms 143:7-9

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5 and 6

Psalm 56

Listen to this, if you would, it is a beautiful song of trust sung by Mrs. Twila Paris.

 I sing that song, often, when I am tempted to waffle in my trust in my God.  It encourages me and spurs me on to stand on His promises and choose to continue to trust.

As Holy Spirit-led women, we strongly desire to obey God and put our hope/trust in Him.   We follow the example given to us in 1 Peter 3 of women who trust God:

Instead, it should consist of what is inside the heart
with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit,
which is very valuable in God’s eyes.
For in the past, the holy women who put their hope in God
also beautified themselves in this way, submitting to their own husbands,
just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord.
You have become her children when you do what is good
and are not frightened by anything alarming.
verses 4-6

In closing, here’s something to ask ourselves…”When others think of me, am I a woman whose life reflects a heart that trusts God? Is there an outer beauty that is the result of a submitted, grateful, yielded, trusting spirit what shows on my face? Or is it the ‘worry lines’ and chapped, bitten lips or nails that show the lack of resting/trusting in my God?”  Maybe you have an older woman in your life whose trust in God is ‘written all over her face.’  I would love it if you would share your thoughts….

* * * * *

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, You are…You ARE…YOU ARE trustworthy!  Please help us, Lord, to ‘trust in the Lord with all your heart…and in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”  We want to be known as women whose trust is in the Almighty God…not to bring attention to ourselves but to bring honor, glory, majesty to You!  May You be pleased, Father, by our sacrifice and our obedience—it is You and You alone Whom we trust with all that we are.  We will trust You, Lord…You never change!  Praise You, Lord!

Amen.

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 12 – Love Always Protects

November 19, 2013 by

16daylovechallengealwaysprotectsOn its face, it seems rather simple – we all want our loved ones protected, right?  I can definitely say that I am protective of my friends and family – physically and spiritually. But I have tried to take the “Love Challenge” outside of just my immediate relationships and think bigger each time, so it begs the question: if I am to be loving to everyone, how do I protect someone I don’t even know?

To make sure I understood what it meant to protect, I once again sought the definition of the word.  As I looked into its meaning, and tried to focus on how I could embody this characteristic in my life, I began to get emotional. To protect means “to keep safe from harm or injury” (Google Dictionary); however, another source says further “to keep someone from being harmed or lost” (Merriam–Webster Online Dictionary).  Synonyms of protect include: save, shield, hedge, shelter, guard.  Any of those words look familiar?  Perhaps because in many passages in Scripture, Jesus is described as being any and all of those things for us.  So, to get this straight – if we are showing love to others, we are to save them from being harmed or lost.  Sounds a lot like what is at the heart of the Great Commission, if you think about it. Love always protects.  To get to the meat of this one was actually a little challenging for me, sisters.

It still seems a bit hard to grasp…how can I protect the person that cuts me off in traffic? The person who is in front of me in line at the grocery store?  How can I protect the person at work who is intent on undermining me?

Here are a few things that I was shown:

  • Guard your tongue.  Proverbs 18:21 tells us that “the power of life and death are in the tongue.”  There are many more Scriptures about guarding our tongue and watching what we speak, but let me try to be more specific.  What comes out of your mouth when that person cuts you off in traffic? Be honest, sisters.  Are you speaking life or death over that person? I’ve started trying to pray in those situations that God will watch over the reckless driver and keep him from bringing harm to him and others on the road. What we say holds spiritual power, sisters!  Guard your tongue and choose to speak life over a situation or a person.
  • Intercede. Prayer seems to be a natural partner with guarding our tongues.  However, I am asking you to take prayer a step further.  I am suggesting that if you want to protect someone that you not just pray for them, you intercede for them.  To intercede means that you plead someone’s case – almost like a lawyer.  In Exodus 32 we see that Moses has been in the Presence of God for so long that the Israelites decided to worship a golden calf. God is so angry that He told Moses He was about to destroy everyone and start over!  However, the Bible says that Moses sought favor from God and pleaded with Him to spare their lives—and God relented. Live on a street with crazy neighbors?  Pray that God reveals Himself in such a way that they come to know God. Pray for our nation.  Have a friend or acquaintance that refuses to acknowledge God and ridicules you on top of that? Don’t be angry or offended – pray that they come to know the truth – you may be the only person praying on their behalf!
  • Be merciful.  There is a particularly sobering passage (at least it is to me) in Jude – in verse 23.  Jude says “Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them…” (NIV). Sisters, let me plead with you – show mercy to all. As believers, we have no right to be self-righteous – the only reason we are saved is because Jesus showed mercy to us – extend it to everyone. How can you practically show mercy? Can you donate to a food bank? Give a homeless person a blanket? Can you hold your tongue when you’d really like to give someone a piece of your mind? Can you forgive? Can you reserve judgment? Donate your time? Can you step out of your comfort zone and ask God to show you what it really looks like to be the “hands and feet” of Jesus – and then act that way?? Would you allow God to open your heart to love someone (anyone!) in such a selfless, potentially heartbreaking way that you “snatch them from the fire??”

Will YOU be protection from harm?

 

Let’s pray:

Dear God, I have been challenged so much and in so many ways.  Help me, God, to dig deeper. Help me to love more fully. Help me to see all people as You would see them. Thank You, God, for being my Protection, my Shield, my Rock and my Fortress. Thank You for sending Your Son to die for me to protect me from evil and your angels to stand guard around me. I want to live my life in such a way that I protect and guard not only those that I love, but those You put in my path. Help me to decrease so that You may increase in my life. Help me to walk in love all of my days!  I love You, Lord!  Help me show it. In your Son’s name we pray, Amen.

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 10 – Love Does Not Delight In Evil

November 15, 2013 by

Our chapter today was a tough one for me to write. I think it is the most vulnerable I allowed myself to be in this book. I was nervous sharing it because of what I admitted. If you haven’t read it yet, go read chapter 10, Love Does Not Delight In Evil and come back.

16daylovechallengenodelightinevil

Can you remember a time when my story was a reflection of your heart?  I think as we grow in our walk with God we should have the same desire David did when he asked God, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting”  (Psalms 139:23-24).  But sometimes the search reveals more than we want to know.

The day God revealed my heart I realized that I had lost sight of wisdom and chose to delight in evil…and it was ugly.  I was so ashamed of myself and yet I could not bring my heart to make it right.  My rights were at stake.  I felt I had a right to be “right!”  Then I read Psalm 139 and realized this isn’t even close to David’s heart—or God’s.  Every time I read this passage I missed a very important truth that I needed to understand.

“God already knows my heart!”

King David was asking God to search his heart, however the purpose wasn’t for God to find out what was going on. The purpose was so God could reveal David’s heart to him. God is omniscient!  He knows everything about us.  Nothing is hidden from Him because He is everywhere.  He is here with me, guiding me as I write to you.  And He is with you, speaking to you as you read.   Admittedly though, the following verses cause me to fear God in a respectful manner and bring great comfort to me.  They are a source of refreshing water to my dry and fearful soul.

Where shall I go from Your Spirit?  Or where shall I flee from Your Presence.  If I ascend to heaven, You are there!  If I make my bed in Sheol, You are there!  If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.  If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” even the darkness is not dark to You; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with You.

Psalms 139:7-12

I love this quote from Renee Swope’s book, A Confident Heart. She said, “God uses conviction lovingly, to show us our sin and lead our hearts to repentance. He does this to draw us away from destructive behavior that hinders our relationship with Him and others. His desire is to bring us out of the darkness of sin and back into the light, so that we can walk with Him in the freedom of forgiveness and the confidence of His love.”

I pray you will take today’s Love Challenge to heart.  God wants to reveal any wickedness that is residing within us for the purpose of transforming us. We can’t change something if we don’t know it needs to be changed, right?   His goal is that we would become an outward reflection of His inward Glory.  God’s inward Glory has a profound effect on our outward appearance.  “The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace; Her clothing is woven with gold” (Psalms 45:13).  This is another verse for you to consider. The inward glory of the King’s daughter originates in, and is the result of, her calling and being set apart for Him as royalty: “But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly” (Psalm 4:3).

God won’t reject us because we’ve made bad choices today.  We are His daughters and He loves us with an everlasting Love. Don’t be satisfied to walk with a heart that delights in seeing others hurt because they hurt you.  Though we fail, we know that we can find comfort in God’s Word.  No matter what we do or the choices we make, He is with us!

Father, thank You for Your loving heart to guide and direct us.  Help us to recognize when You are convicting us.  Lord, give us the courage to not only see the sin in our hearts but to repent and change.  Thank You for the Cross and the loving way You defend us.  Help us to recognize that You are not the source of condemnation but of forgiveness and love.  In Jesus name… Amen!

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 9 Love Keeps no Record of Wrongs

November 14, 2013 by

16daylovechallengenorecordofwrongsHave you ever played putt-putt golf?  Do you remember what the scorecard looks like? I’m thinking that it looks a little like the one we keep in our heads.  Who’s name is at the top of the scorecard?  Is it a husband, friend, sibling, parent or yourself?  Is it an ongoing score card? I know…I’m asking a lot of questions…but only because I’m concerned.  I, too, was a score keeper.  I had so many scorecards with so many names on them and I can tell you I didn’t let anything go.  No free passes and no excuses and not much grace.  I wanted grace but I didn’t give it.  Which brings me to the hard question that is in the book, “Would I want to hold another accountable for their small transgression against me and run the risk of having the Lord repay me for all of my sins?”

Hold on to that scorecard for a minute.  I want you to look up 2 Corinthians 5:14-21. “So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view” (verse 16).  “So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making His appeal through us. We speak for Christ as we plead, ‘come back to God.’  For God made Christ, Who never sinned to be an offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ” (verses 20-21).

Jesus tells us that because of His death on the Cross, we are a new creation.  We are never the same person that we were.  We are His ambassadors.  The way we do things and the way we see things has to be 180 degrees different than the rest of the world.  We are Christians and, as His followers, we do things a little differently.  So, if the rest of the world is holding grudges and taking other people’s inventory and suing his Christian brother, what are we to do differently?  I know, we are to go the extra mile for our neighbor. We are to love our enemies.  We are to wash the feet of those who have wronged us.  We are to remember that—just as our own sins were nailed to the cross all those 2,000 years ago—so are the people’s sins that are at the top of your score cards.

He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our sins…

Isaiah 53:5

 I feel that if Jesus were sitting right here today, He may just tell us to go ahead and rip up the scorecards.  To shred them into pieces and throw them away.  And He would speak words to us , maybe something like this…

“My child, I suffered evil, shame and wrong, yet I love all of you who brought Me pain.  I have never sinned, yet I gave up my rights for your sin and I was slain.  My love was rejected by sinful men, yet I loved expecting nothing in return.  I have been mocked and beaten, yet I forgave.  From me, and my example, learn.  Make my death count for something.  For when you keep a record of someone else’s wrongs against you, you are saying that my death wasn’t enough.  I ask you to love Me with everything you have—your heart, soul, mind, and strength—and second, love your neighbor as yourself.  Especially when they’ve wronged you.  And forgive, forgive, forgive and forgive again. And love, love, love them. For I love you and I forgave you and I erased your sins and the slate is clean. Remember, if you want to be My disciple…deny yourself, take up your cross and follow Me.”

Friend, have you been hurt?  Wronged deeply by someone you love and trusted?  Then may you ask for grace greater than all your sin and theirs because usually when we are hurt, we usually sin against the person that has wronged us.  Jesus wants you to know that He has overcome the world and, as His followers, we too will overcome the world. Freedom, my friends, comes from forgiveness.  The record of wrongs keeps us in bondage.  The person you are keeping record of usually has no idea.  It’s in our minds and hearts; and can become so big it stands in the way of our God.  Free yourself today by forgiving whoever you need to forgive and pray to your Father to fill you will such love for others that you will never be the same!  You will never be the same!

I leave you with this…Jesus praying for us and about us to His Father.

And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it,
that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.
John 17:26

* * * * *

Let us pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, You are our Maker, our Redeemer, our Provider, and You are full of mercy.  Lord, we come to You today asking for forgiveness for keeping records of wrongs made against us.  We keep score and pride slips in and makes us feel better or less. Lord, we are all sinners but You died to forgive us, You died so that we don’t have to carry the weight of our cross day in and day out.  Give us the strength to let it go, to lay the scorecards at Your feet forever and leave them there.  If we are tempted to pick them back up, help us to remember that You died for them too.  Give us a heart to respond to others and to pray for others.  Help us to know You better and to serve You with all that we have.  We love You and we thank You for what You are doing in each one of our lives. Thank You for freedom from these chains. For it’s in Jesus name we pray.  Amen.

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 8 – Love Is Not Easily Angered

November 13, 2013 by

16daylovechallengenotangryWhile studying for today’s lesson, I found this story (author unknown) that is just perfect to help teach us about this standard of “love.”

 A husband one day said to his wife,  “When I get mad at you, you never fight back.  How do you control your anger?” The wife responded, “I clean the toilet.”  He said, “How does that help?” To which she said, “I use your toothbrush.”

Ephesians 4:26 tells us:

In your anger do not sin; do not let the sun go down while you are still angry.

How many of us have done this?

How many of us let anger control us?

Anger does not happen easily…it creeps in on us when we least expect it; and the first little thing that someone says will upset us and then we explode.

I was called into my supervisor’s office last week for a special meeting and in the first two minutes of the meeting I was devastated with her announcement.   I was so angry that I could not even speak, and then my insides were ready to burst.

I wanted to get out of her office quick.   Instead of blowing up and shouting out, I began to cry and just told her, “I need to go. I can no longer talk about this subject.”

I left her office, went back to my desk and began to read a Scripture that I had posted on my computer monitor.

Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; Keep watch over the door of my lips.
Psalm 141:3

I sat there reading it over and over so that I did not get up and explode and do or say things that later I would regret.  The more I said the verse and talked with God the more amazed I was that God was helping me to change my thoughts, my anger.  God was providing me the fuel I needed to squash the anger.

Anger is powerful.   James 1:19-20 says:

Everyone should be slow to speak and slow to become angry,
for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

How will we ever be able to live a life that pleases our God if we walk around with this kind of anger inside of us and not deal with it.   It will be just like a mouse running around on a wheel in a cage, or also as Cherie stated “we will be stuck in a continual rotation of frustration with everyone and everything around us”.

How can we show God’s love to this world, if inside us we have anger that is built up and ready to be unleashed at any moment?  When we fail to release our anger it will control us; it will even be who we become.

Love does not do that.  Love seeks to draw others. Love can’t draw when anger is present.

Love looks over the small things that creep up but anger magnifies the small things.

Think of the times in your life recently when you became angry with someone, and that anger then brought you to remember every wrong that person had ever done or said to you.  Going through this thought process is not “love in action.”

 “Love seeks to bind and to mend”

 Many of our angers are petty or personal, so we must learn to bottle them up and deal with them only with Jesus and not others for love’s sake,  then we can fulfill the commandment of God, in 1 Corinthians 13,  to “love and not be easily angered.”

**********

Let’s Pray:

Dear God, I pray for each lady who has studied this devotion today.  I pray that as they sought You, You were able to speak to them and show them if they are carrying around any anger that has affected their witness of You to others.  Help all of us, Lord, to seek, find and then to squash this anger out of our lives so that we can begin to show love, not anger towards others.  Help us, Lord, to be patient when others show anger and help us not to get drawn into it.  Help us to seek Your love that overshadows anger and—as You show us Your marvelous love—help us to show the world.  In Your name I pray.  Amen!

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 7 – Love Is Not Self-Seeking

November 12, 2013 by

Hello, sisters!  Today, we are challenged with “Love is not self-seeking (selfish).”  That goes against the grain of this world, doesn’t it?  We are inundated with messages about looking out for yourself, improving yourself, taking care of yourself, making yourself look better.  Any bookstore or library will have a HUGE self-help or self-improvement section. We are constantly told, “You better watch out for #1!” or  “If you don’t take care of yourself, no one will!”  The message is almost everywhere, and unfortunately, sisters, we’ve bought into it.  MINE.

We learned that word as young children, didn’t we? My toys…my snacks…my food??  ME do it! As adults it looks a little bit more like my agenda, my life goals, my job, my money, my time, and my talents.  We often pride ourselves on our ability to work hard or on our achievements.  We’ve got it twisted, ladies, and God is calling us to change that way of thinking.  Not our agenda, our life goals, our job, our money, our time, our talents, but HIS. And here’s the kicker: they belong to Him anyway.  Ladies, let’s take a hard look  and examine ourselves. Are we being selfish…with God?

  • Are you looking to fulfill God’s interests first or your own?
  • Are you protective of your money? Or do you see it as belonging to God (ALL of it; not just what you contribute/tithe)?
  • Who has set the goals in your life?  You or God? Do you know what God wants you to do with your life?  Have you even asked Him?
  • Does God get your “prime” time, or your leftover time?

WHY are we so reluctant to give God EVERYTHING we are and EVERYTHING we have?  Why do we selfishly cling to what is ours?

Can I tell you a lesson I learned about God from interacting with my dog?  (Seriously.  God speaks to us in many ways.  I’ve even had a kingdom revelation while playing Candy Crush, but I digress….) I have a rescue dog, Dyson.  He is my “special needs” dog. Very shy, fearful, and mistrusting, even as a pup.  When Dyson is done eating, he will often pick up his food bowl and carry it around with him, crouching around it.  When I come to pick up his bowl to give him more to eat, he’ll often clamp down on it with his mouth and growl at me. I then have to do what I can to coax it away from him.  One day I was already frazzled, and Dyson and I start the “food bowl dance,” but Dyson was extra protective – he even snapped at me! My heart was broken; after all, I am his caregiver!  I broke down in tears and started telling Dyson: “Don’t you see that mommy would never hurt you?  Mommy will ALWAYS feed you!  Mommy will ALWAYS give you more to eat! Mommy LOVES Dyson! Mommy will ALWAYS take care of Dyson!”  As tears were streaming down my face, God gently touched me and said, “Don’t you see that I will never hurt you? I will ALWAYS feed you. I will ALWAYS give you more. I LOVE YOU!!  I will ALWAYS take care of you.”   The weight of what He said really sunk in.  Why do I hold back from God when He only wants what is best for me?  He wants to give me MORE.

Sisters, we live our lives like Dyson.  We protect what is “ours” because we don’t see the storehouse of blessings God has for us when our bowl is empty!  We mistrust God’s provision for us because we can’t physically see what is around the corner.  Dyson is always literally steps away from his reserve of food AND treats! We look to our own interests because we don’t believe God cares about them.  We are selfish with others because we don’t understand how freely and abundantly God gives to us. When we understand that everything belongs to God, then we realize He can replace whatever we give away!  The day I learned that I could trust God to supply for me even more than I could possibly supply for my dog was the day I became free of the bondage of selfishness.  God LOVES you!  He will ALWAYS take care of you!  He wants what is best for you!  You can trust God!

Will you be free from the bondage of selfishness today?  Give God your “bowl” today – he wants to fill it to overflowing!!

* * * * *

Let’s pray:

Holy God, I thank You that You are my kind and loving Father.  I thank You that You take care of my every need and promise to always take care of me in Your Word!  Forgive me, Lord, when I am selfish and look to my own needs instead of Your needs.  Help me to realize that when I seek You first, then You will supply all my needs through Your Son, Jesus.  God, I love You and I want to give to others as You have freely given to me.  Help me to live a selfless life!   In Your Son’s name we pray.  Amen.

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 6 – Love Is Not Rude

November 11, 2013 by

16daylovechallengeloveisnotrude

“Oh, dear Lord, please forgive me!” were my words when I looked at that list of adjectives that Rebecca used to define the word, rude. “Lord, I am so deeply convicted in my heart! Not only have at least one of those words been directed towards me but I clearly recognize more than one that can describe my behavior at times!  Please forgive me, Lord!  I so want to be loving…and that my love can speak of just Who You are!  And, Lord, I realize that sometimes I think these things in my heart—not necessarily out loud.  Please help me to not be a hypocrite.   Change my heart, please God…please help me to change my heart!  I need You…in Jesus’ name.  Amen.”

Love is not…rude
1 Corinthians 13:5

Well now, THAT had to happen first.  How about you?  Might I ask if any of you had a similar response of crying out to God, seeking His forgiveness, His mercy, His help as you recognized the sin of being rude?  Oh, how easily it happens…but that is not an excuse. We have the ability to love as Jesus loved.  Our Lord made it clear to His disciples (and us who followed!) that love was the standard.

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another:
just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.
By this all people will know that you are My disciples,
if you have love for one another.
John 13:34 and 35 ESV

And, Paul and John (both of whom clearly lived in submission to Jesus), themselves wrote about the need for Christians to love.

Owe no one anything, except to love each other
for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.
Romans 13:8

Little children, let us not love <merely> in word or talk but in deed and in truth.
By this we shall know that we are of the Truth and reassure our heart before Him;
1 John 3:18 and 19 <addition mine>

My granddaughter, Kaylie Joy, and I were talking about rudeness and what it means. After talking together and my relating to her a few Scriptures, she said to me, “TaTa, then being rude means not caring about somebody else’s feelings…and being mean, too!” There it is!  Rudeness thinks about me…while love thinks about others.  If we love others the way that Jesus loved while He was here on this earth then we will not be thinking about ourselves.  We will not be impatient, or unkind, or envious, or boastful, or proud—all the things we talked about last week.

I encourage you to take Rebecca’s challenge to heart today…perhaps right now. We have a loving heavenly Father Who never withholds His forgiveness when we ask. He will guide you and help you, giving you wisdom and courage to truly be loving and seek the forgiveness of others you may have sinned against by being rude. (And, if I can be of any help to you…perhaps pray with you as you handle this matter…please message me; I would love to walk through this with you!) <3

* * * * *

Lord, we thank You for the blessing of Cherie and Rebecca, and their obedience to the Holy Spirit in the writing of this beautiful book.  Thank You for working in them to hold a standard up to us that cannot be denied—all that LOVE truly is (and is not)!  We are so thankful for their willingness to write and say the hard things that would confront and challenge Your daughters who would read this book.  Bless them for their obedience, Lord!
And, Lord Jesus, please continue to work a work in our hearts to rise up to this higher standard of LOVE that You set for Your followers.  Father, we thank You for Your forgiveness where we have sinned; we thank You for Your help in changing our hearts. You are so good to us…we love You!  In Jesus’ name, we pray.  Amen.

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 5 – Love is not Proud

November 8, 2013 by

16daylovechallenge5fridaypride

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
1 Corinthians 13:4

In this verse, we are first told a bit about what LOVE is—LOVE is patient and kind. Earlier this week, our sisters Cherie and Rebecca (the authors of The 16 Day Love Challenge: Matching our Words and Actions with 1 Corinthians 13:4-8) encouraged us to honestly and bravely ask God to show us if we really are patient and kind women. We looked at the state of our own hearts to see how impatience had cost us in our relationships and if we were really willing to “be kind no matter what!”  I, myself, love these challenges; how about you?

Then we see two things that LOVE is not—LOVE does not envy or boast. Again, Cherie and Rebecca prompted us to search our hearts and seek God’s help in dealing with any and all areas of envy and boasting. Because they are sin…enough said, yes?

Now here we are at the end of Verse 4 where the Scriptures tell us “LOVE is not proud.” Now this is not talking about the kind of pride where a momma is ‘bust my buttons’ proud over the accomplishments of her little ones. Nor is it the type of pride that we are to sing “I am proud to be an American where at least I know I’m free!” Nor is it the kind of pride my young grandson has when he stands up during circle time and—from cover to cover—reads a book to his classmates without a stumble or a falter. Nor the pride we boast of when we proclaim and exclaim over the power of Jesus’ Cross.

No, this pride talked about in Verse 4 is NOT good. This pride is “the absence of love.” Wow! Not where we want to be, hmmm? As Cherie says to us, “…Pride has invaded your heart and separated you from your husband, friends, co-workers, neighbors, family members…” But there is great HOPE! Listen…

But He gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He shall lift you up.
James 4:6, 10

alright, quick now: what DOES humility mean?
From Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
Lowly; modest; meek; submissive; opposed to proud, haughty, arrogant or assuming. In an evangelical sense, having a low opinion of one’s self, and a deep sense of unworthiness in the sight of God.

So, to paraphrase, if one is humble or has humility, then they are modest, submissive, with a deep sense of unworthiness compared to God (and, to a lesser extent, compared to others also).

In closing, consider this section from 1 Peter 5:5-7:

You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.

From these verses, we see four motivations to be humble:

  • God is opposed to the proud. Could there be anything worse? God opposed to you? So don’t be proud.
  • God gives grace to the humble. Could there be anything better than to have your awesome God treat you so graciously. He does that to the humble.
  • God exalts the humble: Under His mighty hand, God will exalt you at the proper time.
  • God cares for the humble: So give to Him all your worry, care, concern, because He cares for you.

May I encourage you (me, too!) to be a humble person because, if you are proud, God will be against you in your pride; but if you are humble he will give you grace, exalt you in due time, and care for you along the way so that you don’t have to be anxious.

* * * * * * *

Here are a few other verses to help hide God’s Word regarding humility in your heart:

Proverbs 15:33   The reverent and worshipful fear of the Lord brings instruction in Wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

Zephaniah 2:3   Seek the Lord, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the Lord’s anger.

Ephesians 4:1-3 Therefore I, the prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, accepting one another in love, diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us.

Philippians 2:3   Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves…

Colossians 3:12 and 13   Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other;

1 Peter 5:5   Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

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16 Day Love Challenge: Chapter 4 – Love Does Not Boast

November 7, 2013 by

16daythursboast

Boast~ To puff oneself up in speech vaingloriously,vanity. To speak of or assert with excessive pride.

Then they said, ‘Come let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches the Heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the earth.’

Genesis 11:4

Why is it that we feel so inadequate?  If we are made in His image—and we are—and He created us to be exactly who we are, why are we not content?  The parable in the Bible that this book talks about could very well be modern day, in any setting, church, Bible study, or soccer field.  And as Christian women seeking God, we are not exempt from this.  The enemy loves nothing more than taking two strong women, who are leaders for Jesus, and dividing them against each other.  A house divided against itself will not stand. We easily forget who the real enemy is and we start fighting each other.

We start comparing ourselves: whether we feel better about ourselves and become prideful, or, we feel less than and retreat.  These thoughts are quiet at first.  But eventually we start living them out loud; and then we slip into a pit of self-pity that leads to self-destruction.  Friends, let’s remember who the real enemy is.  Let’s remember that when we become proud or boastful, we are no longer an effective warrior princess for the Kingdom of God.

Remember Gideon in the Bible?  We find his story in Judges starting in chapter 6.  At first he is a humble servant threshing wheat in a winepress, just doing his own thing.  He is staying out of the spotlight and trying to provide for and to protect his family.  The angel of the Lord appears to him and tells him that he is going to be a great warrior for Yahweh! And that he will defeat the Midianites and tear down the altar of his own father Baal. Gideon tests God several times before he actually believes God.  The prophecy actually comes true and Gideon goes on to defeat the Midianites and tears down the altar of Baal and defeats the enemy with only 300 men, clay jars, and lit torches.  He was humble… until he wasn’t.  Fast forward after he wins some battles, Gideon starts boasting and taking credit for himself.  He actually asks people for their jewelry to melt and make himself a form of an idol.  After Yahweh had given him all that he needed to defeat the enemy, Gideon forgets who deserves the glory and takes it for himself.  He goes on to live successfully for the rest of his life but he loses that contact with God that he had and he no longer hears God’s voice.  What a terrible place to be!

As children of the King, we are equipped and ready to do any task that God has set before us.  He has given each of us different gifts and talents to use in the life that He has planned out for us.  All of us are different…no two alike; aren’t we blessed?  When we place ourselves above others we are prideful, and when we place ourselves below others we are saying God isn’t enough.  Remember, His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).  He is weaving a beautiful tapestry in our lives, every one of us a new design of His glory.  He is the Master, not us.  He is the Creator, not us.  He deserves the credit, not us.  Your life in Him is the greatest story and being all that He created you to be is the greatest gift we can give back to Him!

We began today looking at Genesis 11:4…the Tower of Babel had just been built and the people were boasting about their creation.  Humans trying to hard to leave a mark of themselves on earth. Don’t you know that when you devote yourself to His glory you are leaving your mark on the world?  An eternal mark; don’t cheat yourself of the most glorious privilege of all, bearing the name of Jesus!!

Here are some verses in His Word about boasting:

Don’t brag about tomorrow, since you don’t know what the day will bring.

Proverbs 27:1

You are so proud of knowing the law, but you dishonor God by breaking it.

Romans 2:23

 People who boast  of  their wealth don’t  understand  they will die  just  like animals.

Psalm 49:20

Let’s pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, You are our Creator, our Master; and You are worthy to be praised.  May we never forget Who the Blesser is and may we never become too content to give thanks for all You have done for us.  Help our thoughts to stay focused on You so that we don’t get caught up in comparing ourselves to each other. Help us to remember who the enemy is and to put our energy into fighting him and not each other.  Lord, may we never take credit for what You have done in us, for us, and through us.  And when we become too proud, humble us even if it is painful.  For whatever you have entrusted to us can be taken away if not used for Your glory.  Forgive us for our pride and for boasting and stepping on each other to get to the top.  We love You and we ask that You continue to equip us for the task You have set before us.  In Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen

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