Jesus in the Psalms

I have come to terms with the fact that my computer is most likely gone for good (though I will keep an eye on Craig's List and eBay for the next few weeks to see if it shows up) and have been praying about what I should do about it next. The Lord continues to remind me that my wisdom is limited and that I need His direction in every area of my life...including this one.

I just finished a book on prayer by Tom Elliff called A Passion for Prayer. The Lord had pressed upon my heart a while back my need to grow in this discipline. I got this book for free at one of the chapel services last semester and knew it was the Lord's way of pushing me in this area. It was a great and challenging read. It always amazes me how the Lord uses books like these to speak to specific circumstances in my life. This past week, I went back and re-read the portions I had underlined in the chapters "Praying for the Grace to Forgive" and "Praying During the Hard Times of Life." The Lord is gracious is giving me the grace to forgive the person who swiped my computer. Forgiveness usually has to do with restoring broken fellowship, but in this case, it was a matter of me letting go for my need for revenge, trusting God to be my vindicator and not holding bitterness towards the thief. Easier said than done, but, like I said, God is gracious and gave me the strength to surrender the situation to Him. God is a just God so I can take rest in the fact that justice will be done - whether in this life or the next; whether in Christ (if the thief comes to salvation) or out of Him (in judgment).

All that I have in Christ is more than I could ever imagine or comprehend. I was thinking about the Psalms and how they are a collection of prayers (I have been reading and praying through them). I was also thinking about how God hears and answers all the prayers of His children. When I was considering how God answered the prayers of the psalmists, I realized that they all found their answer in Jesus Christ. Prayers for forgiveness - answered in Christ. Prayers for vindication - Christ. Prayers for provision - Christ. Prayers for justice - Christ. Prayers for guidance - Christ. Jesus Christ is the answer to our every need. In Him, we are forgiven. In Him, justice is served. In Him, we are given everything we need. That is why the Bible tells us to seek God's Kingdom above everything else and to live righteously because God knows our every need and provides for us (Matthew 6:31-33).

So, the lesson of the past few weeks can be found in this one theme: trust God and wait on Him. I feel like I am in a period of waiting in several areas of my life. God has given me hints as to what is ahead, but I must be patient and trust Him as things unfold. This waiting time is also a time of preparation for what is in store. Satan knows this and has been throwing his fiery darts my way with a vengeance. As I have committed to developing a deeper prayer life, am preparing for ministry and trying to seek the Lord above all else, I have caught the enemy's attention. Even in this, I need not fear for "greater is He who is in me than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4).

On Mountains High

God You are the God of all created things
Before the worlds were formed You knew who I would be
Your ways are higher than the ways of man
So help me trust Your heart as You hold my hand

On mountains high, I'll praise Your Name
In valleys low, I'll do the same
And as the river runs to find the ocean blue
My heart will always run to find You

Looking for the Silver Lining...

I try to make it a daily habit to submit my plans to the Lord. I am a planner, so I have a general idea of what I will be doing each day, but I always want to be open to what the Lord is doing and what He has in store. Today's plan: work, clean apartment, do laundry and read. Work - check. The other things - not so much. My day was altered when someone decided to break into where I live and steal a few choice things (namely my laptop). I spent an hour after work talking to both Dell and the police and asking for prayer. Now, I know there is some sort of lesson in all this. I don't see it now, but the Bible says that God causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). I believe with all my heart that this is true. What is the Lord up to? I am not sure. Maybe the Lord is proving my devotion to Him. Do I really treasure Him over all things like I claim I do?

When it is all said and done, it is just a computer and the pictures and data that were on it won't matter much in eternity. Not that I am giving up hope. I am very much an optimist and believe in the power of my God to bring my computer back to me WITH all my data on it. :)

Now to that last thing on today's agenda - reading.

This Valentine's Day...

For those of you who are thinking about taking advantage of the plethora of chocolate available this time of year or who are planning to buy some for that special someone, consider buying fair-trade chocolate this Valentine's Day. Many of the brand-name chocolates we are used to (Hershey's, Nestle, Dove, Godiva, etc.) do not monitor or make publicly available information regarding their cocoa suppliers. This means that many of these sweet treats are tainted by child labor. So, what is a chocolate lover to do? Buy fair-trade chocolate! Here are a couple of links to help you discover how your favorite chocolate company stacks up and to learn more about The Dark Side of Chocolate:

http://free2work.org/companies?search=&country=&industry=20&cats

http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/action/student/chocolate/

Over the last several months, I have been doing a thorough study of 1 Corinthians 13:1-8a (known as the "love chapter"). In this chapter, the Apostle Paul gives a beautiful description of what love looks like. I have been breaking down the verses one by one to discover what the rest of the Bible has to say about each one (using cross-references and key words). My focus hasn't been on people per se but how this passage applies to God. The Apostle John says that God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). If God is love and if 1 Corinthians 13 is what love looks like, then what is true of love must be true of God, right? That has been my assumption and so far it has turned out to be true. I am nearing the end of my study and plan to post some of my results soon.

Tell Me to Slow Down...

The title of this post is drawn from Third Day's song Slow Down. Lately, I have felt like I cannot keep up with my own pace of life. Ministry, work, relationships and the like are all making demands that I cannot give. Last week was a good week, but it was also a rough one for me spiritually, emotionally and mentally as I have struggled with doubts, fears and feelings of inadequacy. The Lord is so incredibly gracious, though, and met me in my downcast state this morning at Rolling Fields. Today, the message was about Lord's sovereignty. I was reminded to treasure Christ above all things. When I am tempted to sin, shrink back, be lazy in my faith or give up, settle for anything less than Christ or selfishly cling to my life instead of surrendering it to Christ, I need to remember to treasure Christ as Lord (the Sovereign Lord). I have been tempted in each of these ways this past week and gave in to many of them. I wasn't treasuring Christ. Instead, I was believing the lies of the enemy, focusing on my shortcomings, giving into my fears and clinging to my comfort zone and free time. I wasn't focusing on the Sovereign Lord Jesus Christ who is in control of all things and always keeps His promises.

I didn't realize it until today, but I have been under attack from the enemy. I have been doing things that greatly irritate him - sharing the Good News of Christ, seeking to grow closer to Christ and do His will - and, in doing so, have created a spiritual bull's eye on my back. The Lord is allowing me and calling me to be part of some great things He is doing. He allowed me to be a part of someone coming to faith in Christ. He is allowing me to intercede in prayer on behalf of the unbelievers He has placed in my life. He is calling me to surrender my time and step way outside my comfort zone to reach people far from Him through both Rolling Fields and another local ministry. I am once again reminded of my limited wisdom and strength. I can only do these things with His power. Please pray for me as I seek to do His will. I have been especially praying for wisdom and discernment in how to use my time, which believers and unbelievers to invest in the most and what ministry opportunities I should pursue.

How I use my time is an area that the Lord has asked me to surrender to Him. I didn't realize it, but I was clinging to "my" time and was afraid to give it up when considering the above ministries. The Lord reminded me today that it really belongs to Him. He wants me to give up everything for Him, including how I use my time. So, even though it is hard, I am letting go and embracing all that Christ has to offer. I am trading in my fool's gold for immeasurable riches of Christ. "Lord, Your treasure's much better than this fool's gold of mine" (1000 Years by Third Day).

The Lord also reminded me how much I need to rest in Him.

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

In order to be fruitful and to endure in ministry, I must spend time with my Savior in order to refuel, be refreshed and become more like Him. I was able to spend the majority of today communing with the Lord through worship at RF, small group, reading His Word, prayer and journaling. He gave me the rest that my spirit was crying for. If I do not spend extended time with the Lord like this regularly, I am going to quickly burn out and give up. Pray that I will be able to guard this precious time with Him. "I'm coming back. I'm turning back to you. You loved me first and now my soul thirsts for You...alone" (I'm Coming Back by Sojourn).

PSALM 16

Preserve me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
I have no good apart from you.”

As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones,
in whom is all my delight.

The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply;
their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out
or take their names on my lips.

The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup;
you hold my lot.
The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

I bless the LORD who gives me counsel;
in the night also my heart instructs me.
I have set the LORD always before me;
because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;
my flesh also dwells secure.
For you will not abandon my soul to Sheol,
or let your holy one see corruption.

You make known to me the path of life;
in your presence there is fullness of joy;
at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Side note: Exactly a year ago from last Thursday, I left for South Asia.

Wisdom and Planning in Light of God's Providence

The Lord's lessons are not sporadic. He is the perfect Teacher. I have said this and witnessed this first-hand numerous times. Yet again, I find it to be true. I have this small card with a verse on it that I have used as a bookmark this past year to mark the reading plan I have been using in my Bible. I read it sporadically when I moved the card out of my way, but last night I really read it. The Lord by His Spirit used it to grab my attention and heart. It reads:

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and all your plans will succeed. Proverbs 16:3

I started thinking about the store where I work and all the dreams that my boss and I have for it. I then thought that this would be a perfect verse for us to use for the business side of the store. Instead of hoping in our own plans and ideas, we should pray over them and commit them to the Lord. Sounds like a no-brainer, right? For some reason, it never occurred to me. Pray for the store, yes. Pray for good sale days, yes. But pray about our marketing, sales and managerial plans...

Anyway, today I worked my first bridal show on behalf of Papers Unique. It was a great way to meet future brides (and potential customers) and network with other businesses. Since I was unable to attend RF this morning due to the show, I went to one of the Sunday night services at Sojourn Community Church. And just what did the sermon "happen" to be about? Wisdom and planning from Proverbs 16. Yep, that's right. I took notes like a mad woman and cannot wait to share them with my boss.

I am a planner by nature so the sermon was good for me on many levels. There are too many times when I trust my own plans instead of submitting them to the Lord and fully trusting Him and His plans. God is in control of all things and all of His plans are good...and much better than my own.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Furthermore, I was reminded of God's amazing grace. His grace covers our mistakes, failed plans and bad decisions. His grace also gives us freedom. We plan by grace. We don't plan under the burden of performance. He gives us freedom to make decisions by following the principles He gives and committing the decisions we make to Him. When we fail, we need not despair because we are living for something more than our own plans - His Kingdom.

I guess that means I need to commit my goals for 2011 to the Lord, huh? :)

By the way, Papers Unique has been nominated again for WHAS11's Best of Kentuckiana in Invitations. Help us keep our title and vote for us by clicking here.