Month: April 2022

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you with My eye upon you.

Psalm 32:8

So often I return to this Scripture to be reminded of the truth!  As we walk through our daily lives, there are so many choice points along the way.  It’s easy to get distracted by all the choices that need to be made.  So how do we decide?  Certainly, there are really big decisions – like possibly changing jobs, or moving to a different state or a new home.  But there are also the daily decisions about how to spend our time each day.  It’s not usually a choice between doing something bad or something good.  But if we are walking with the Lord, we can be assured that He knows what is best.

            Psalm 32:8 reminds me that the Lord will instruct and teach me in the way He wants me to go.  My part is to be walking with Him in a personal relationship, asking Him to show me, and faithfully following where He leads.  Many other Scriptures tell us that He is our Shepherd and He cares for us as His sheep.  He knows us each by name and knows where we are and what we are thinking every moment.

            The Psalms are filled with verses that encourage us to call out to Him because He hears us and knows what is best for us.  When we seek Him, He answers – not always immediately as we want Him to, but always in the time which He knows is best.

            The last part of Psalm 32:8 is especially meaningful to me.  The Lord says, “I will counsel you with My eye upon you.”  He sees me at all times.  He knows me better than I know myself and better than anyone else knows me.  Another favorite verse is 2 Chronicles 16:9 which says “The eyes of the Lord search to and fro throughout the earth, seeking to strongly support those whose hearts are fully committed to Him.”  He delights when we look to Him for direction and help!

            Here are just a few verses that help me to wait for the Lord’s direction.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord…

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.

Psalm 37:7

Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him…  (Notice “wait patiently!”)

This morning our pastor prayed the following Scripture over us at the end of his sermon.  It is a prayer that I want to remember to pray for myself and for others I know who need the Lord’s direction:

… we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…Colossians 1:9-10

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Where do you need the Lord’s instruction, direction, and counsel in your life at this time?

Which of these verses has the Lord encouraged you with today?

It may help to write out your prayer, and then look back later and see how He specifically answered your prayer.

Worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers.  God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.

John 4:23-24

As I came to my office this morning for my time alone with the Lord, I started my prayer with a desire for a deeper heart of love and worship.  There are times that I feel I am just “going through the motions” out of habit or duty.  I’m not satisfied with that, and I’m sure it can’t be pleasing to God if I come to Him with that attitude.  Right away this Scripture in John 4:23-24 came to mind.  It’s a familiar verse to me, but I asked God for a fresh understanding for what it means to “worship in spirit and truth.”  These are the thoughts He brought to mind, and I wrote them in my journal:

Truth is what I know about God from His Word, to know His character, to know what He has done for me by giving His beloved Son Jesus to die on the cross for the sins of the world – for my sins!  To remember who He is, to praise Him, to follow Him.

It is possible to know all of that, and even be doing all that out of obedience.  But God wants my spirit to be connected to Him through the Holy Spirit who lives in me.  I can be doing all the things He has called me to do – writing weekly Bible studies and posting devotional messages.  But if my heart attitude, my spirit, is not aligned completely with Him, it cannot be pleasing to God.  And to me it can become a burden to fulfill the assignments and lead to anxious thoughts about meeting a weekly deadline.  Even Bible reading can become something to check off my to-do list if I am doing it without desiring a true connection with the Lord in my heart and spirit.

            I definitely needed a “heart check-up” today.  I’m so encouraged to read in John 4:24 that God seeks true worshipers.  So, He is initiating that desire in me for deeper worship.  He is calling me to that!  As I ask Him to create in me a deeper heart of worship, I know that is a prayer He will answer!

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Can you identify with the need for a “heart check-up?”

Since God desires true worshipers, we can ask Him often to renew that heart of worship.

You may want to write your own prayer expressing your heart attitude, and your desire for a renewed love and worship if you feel the need for that.

Matthew 27:46

Because I grew up in a family that attended church every Sunday, I have known from a very early age about Jesus dying on the cross.  And I memorized John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”  But at times, the familiarity of the story can dull the deep heart-felt gratitude I should have for the sacrifice Father and the Son were willing to pay for my salvation.  As we are nearing the Easter celebration of Jesus’ resurrection, I have been asking God for a fresh awareness of what Jesus’ death on the cross means for my life.  I’m asking Him to break through the familiarity and give me new spiritual eyes to see and understand and respond to the amazing truth of His death on the cross for my sins and the sins of the whole world.

Why did the Father have to turn away from His beloved Son Jesus as He was crucified?  Jesus was the perfect sinless Son.   Why was Jesus, the Creator of the world and everything in it, willing to allow Himself to be nailed to the cross as if He were the vilest of criminals?  Jesus had told His disciple, Peter, when Roman soldiers had come to arrest Him, “Do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?”  Jesus was willing to carry out the plan that had been set in motion even before the creation of the world – He knew that He would sacrifice His life as “the Lamb of God” to take the sins of the world on Himself.  He was willing to be separated from the Father who could not look on sin.  He was willing to be unmercifully beaten, scorned and mocked by those who witnessed the crucifixion – those He had come to save.  He was willing to die in our place to pay the death penalty for the sins of the whole world.

He was forsaken for me! For you! And because He was willing to sacrifice Himself for our sins, we can receive God’s forgiveness.  God will never turn His back on those who have received the salvation He offered through Jesus’ death on the cross.  We are assured of His promise in Hebrews 13:5 “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (NIV).  “I will be with you always, even until the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20).  We never have to experience separation from the Father here on earth.  And because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, we have the promise of eternal life with Him if we have received His gift of salvation through faith. 

Thank You, Lord, for answering my prayer for renewed gratitude for what You have done! Thank You for being willing to die so that I, and all who receive You by faith, can be forgiven and live with you forever!

PERSONAL REFLECTION

Can you identify with being too familiar with the truth of Jesus’ death and resurrection?

Will you ask the Lord for a fresh understanding that will touch your heart in a deeper way?

Set aside some time to thank Him for His willingness to die on the cross and be resurrected so that you can have eternal life.

Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to You I cry all day long.

Psalm 86:3

As I read David’s words to God in this verse, the phrase “all day long” really made an impact on me this week.  I often have to fight the temptation to give in to anxious thoughts in the morning, especially if I have a busy day ahead.  Or a busy week.  Or if there is a deadline to meet for the weekly Bible studies and devotional messages I write.  I’m thankful for the progress I’m making, but I still struggle at times. The Lord is teaching me how to fight that battle, and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who needs to be reminded of His battle plan against our struggles. I need to remember to walk with the Lord “all day long,” not just during my early morning quiet time with Him, but throughout the whole day.

Here’s one thing I have learned. Making time alone with the Lord first thing in the morning has become my highest priority.  It is the quietest time of my day with the least distractions.  I have a room where I can go to pray and spend time reading God’s Word.  I have learned the importance of not just talking to God, but to take time to listen to what He wants to say to me! It helps when I write in a journal.  I love looking back at what I’ve written and am so encouraged as I remember the things I was asking God about and see how He has answered.

            One of the most important things I am learning is to recognize my complete dependence on the Holy Spirit to accomplish what God has called me to do.  I know for sure that, for this season of my life, He has called me to write Bible studies for my weekly women’s group and post devotional messages on my website.  I claim the Scripture that says “I am the vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5).

God’s Word tells us to “cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares about you.  Be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.  So resist him, firm in your faith” (1 Peter 5:7, 8).  God is greater than our enemy!  The Holy Spirit lives in those who are followers of Jesus.  He gives us everything we need to fight the battles we face, and is the power source to accomplish God’s will. He is available at all times and ready to help when we come to Him and ask.

Knowing God’s will each day, and trusting Him to accomplish what He calls us to do, in His time, is the foundation for a peaceful attitude – no matter what comes.

The following quotes are from two of my favorite devotional books.  Each of them speaks to the same issue of trusting God for everything, every day:

JESUS CALLING (March 26):

Waiting on Me means directing your attention to Me in hopeful anticipation of what I will do.  It entails trusting Me with every fiber of your being instead of trying to figure things out yourself.  Waiting on Me is the way I designed you to live: all day, every day.  I created you to stay conscious of Me as you go about your daily duties….  Waiting on Me enables you to glorify Me by living in deep dependence on Me, ready to do My will.  It also helps you to enjoy Me; in My Presence is fullness of Joy.

AWAKEN, a book of devotional messages by Priscilla Shirer:

In one of her messages, Priscilla reminds us of the pressures experienced by Jesus during His time on earth.  People pressuring Him into conforming to whatever mold would meet someone else’s particular time line, purpose, or agenda.  But “He was here on assignment…So instead of allowing others to drive His progress and priorities, the Son diligently asked the Father what His assignment entailed for Him in that moment, and then He stuck to that plan and did only those things the Father showed Him.  … He only did the things assigned to Him.” 

PERSONAL REFLECTION

What do you struggle with in your life right now?

Are you trusting God for His will throughout each day?

What specifically can you do to fight the battle with the enemy who would keep you feeling anxious and distracted instead of enjoying God’s peace as you go through each day?

Thank God for being available when you come to Him for help in whatever you need.