Resolve to Love

I hope everyone had a great celebration with Jesus on his birthday. We should celebrate him at all times, but Christmas is a special season to meditate on and rejoice in his miraculous birth and  sacrificial love. 

 As the calendar year draws to a close, this is also a season of reflection on the past few months. How have I seen God working in my life in the past year? How have I grown in intimacy with my Lord? For what specific attitudes or actions do I need to ask forgiveness? What areas do I need to work on surrendering completely to him? I know I have certain habits and attitudes that do not honor the Lord. I appreciate how God has spoken to me through conversations, sermons, songs and this Love Revolution to reveal my own pride, selfishness and timidity. On my knees I pray through Psalm 139:23-24. "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." 

Reflect, rejoice, repent. And look forward.

This morning I turned to Jeremiah 29. Verse 11 is a hall-of-famer, but God shares great promises throughout the chapter. He will respond when I am faithful in prayer and seeking him. "I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise...I will listen to you...I will be found by you... I will gather you." I must live in the promise that God has a hope and a prosperous future for me. 

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:14 & 16

By being more deliberate about praying through my passion for him this Love Challenge has had an impact on my personal relationship with Jesus. But there is so much more to experience!

Father, thank you for your gracious promises. I long to love you more, Lord. This is the year that I will find you like never before. I will see you in all areas of my life, in all relationships and in every decision I make when I surrender completely. O Lord, you have searched me and you know me; you created my inmost being. You are too good to me, and all I can do is bow before you. I long to worship you with my life. God, I PRAISE YOU for all that you will reveal and pour out in the months to come. Starting today, I resolve to love you more.

He is Here!

Last night, I went to visit my best friend Megan in the hospital after giving birth to her first baby. Noah Woodson Rathbone is as perfect as they come. He is absolutely beautiful and quickly captivates the hearts of everyone he meets.

On my drive home, I couldn’t stop thinking about how precious he is—his tiny fingers, his little coos, his big yawns, and his bright eyes—he is truly something special. Watching Megan sit in her chair and hold her sweet baby boy was an incredible sight. After nine very long (and sometimes very difficult) months of waiting and preparing, Noah is finally here!

There is incredible excitement and anticipation surrounding any birth, but especially surrounding the birth of Christ. The long awaited Messiah has arrived and He brings tremendous hope, joy, and freedom. After so many years of eagerly waiting, the Savior of the world is here!

One of my favorite Christmas songs sings,

"Come, Thou long expected Jesus
Born to set Thy people free;
From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee.”

Lord God, how I thank you for the incredible gift of your Son! Thank you for the hope, freedom, and peace that we now have because of Christ. I am overwhelmed by your love and faithfulness and I pray that my heart will be so mindful of Your incredible gift to the world. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light…For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:2, 6

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

the Joy of Waiting

I'd say a devotional from Elizabeth based on hunting is a bit of a curve ball, but it's a beautiful thing how the Lord can nudge us with truth through any situation. From responses to the posts and talking with friends, I get the feeling that many of us are going through a period of uncertainty. The unknown can cause discomfort and even pain, but every season has its purpose.

A verse that his been a staple for me in the past few months is Romans 12:12.

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

At first glance Paul's succinct instruction may seem like an impossible suggestion. Like an illusive 'be happy, don't worry' that would be much easier to sing about than actually practice.

But Paul clumped those ideas together for a reason. Looking at the verse as a whole gives insight into how we can embrace the call to patience.

Matthew Henry's concise commentary says "Those that rejoice in hope, are likely to be patient in tribulation. We should not be cold in the duty of prayer, nor soon weary of it." Praying continually is related to our ability to be patient in trial and look forward to God's promises. We can't endure trouble if we don't see a reason to fight or cry out to God in prayer.

In my Bible this section of Romans 12 is titled 'Love.' In the verses preceding 12:12, Paul calls us to a sincere love, to be devoted in brotherly love and to keep our spiritual zeal in serving the Lord. Trials are a part of life. They can depress and crush us if we lose sight of our hope in Jesus and get disconnected from the True source of strength. Or, they can be an opportunity to practice Love.

Early on in my ACL rehab I wrote ¨Romans 12:12¨ on my knee in permanent marker as an encouragement and reminder. Both of my physical therapists saw it the next day and I got to explain the verse and why I needed to remember it. It has opened the door for conversations about the Bible, which is answer to prayer and a source of hope. I still struggle in rejoicing through the slow post-surgery recuperation process, but God is helping me find contentment in his presence- wherever I may be.

Oh Father, you are all I need. You are everything to me, and for that reason I can rejoice at all times. You have a perfect plan for me, and for that I have hope. You are omnipotent, and for that I can trust in your timing and direction. The doors you open no man can shut, and the doors you close guide me to goodness and peace. You hear my prayers and respond to the cry of my heart. I rejoice in you. Joy to the Lord!

Waiting in the Duck Blind

I so resonate with Meg’s last two posts and I love the idea of proactive, productive, and prosperous patience. As some of you know, I only have 1 ½ more months with my current job and then it’s on to the next thing…I wish I could tell you I knew exactly what that was, but at the moment I’m left without clear direction. I’m not so much worried, because I know God has a plan, but I am slowly growing impatient. I’m ready to have everything figured out.

This past weekend, I spent two days hunting with my family. I had never been hunting before and I had no idea how much sitting around and waiting was involved. On Thanksgiving morning, we rose at 4:30 am, ate breakfast, and were out the door. For two hours we sat in the duck blinds, guns loaded, ready to go, and for two hours did not see one single bird. Did I mention how incredibly early it was?? After that we went to another spot which had a little more action, but I do mean little. In two more hours of waiting, I only shot my gun one time.

I may not have shot any birds, but I did learn a little bit about hunting. That morning, whenever the birds did come close, we had to sit extremely still, keep our heads down, and patiently wait for just the right time. When the timing was finally right, we made our move. As I sat, and sat, and sat, I couldn’t help but parallel my lessons from the duck blind with my growing impatient heart.

Be Still—when hunting, it’s imperative to stand completely still and not move for fear of making too much noise. As I’m trying to figure the next steps out, it’s so easy to grow restless and uneasy. It’s easy to forget the reality that God is here and He is in control; we need to be still and rest confidently in Him.

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

Keep my head down—unlike my brother, I wasn’t equipped with the oh-so-stylish camouflage face mask, leaving me with a whiter than white complexion. If I looked up, the birds could spot my bright, white face from above and wouldn’t come near us. When we’re in the season of waiting, bowing our heads in prayer is crucial. We need to be crying out daily and asking God to lead, guide, and direct us.

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

Jeremiah 33:3

Wait Patiently—it’s easy to grow impatient and not time things right when you’re hunting. As the birds approach, you have to wait until the caller (the guy luring the birds) gives you the go ahead to pop your head up. If you go too soon, the birds could see you and fly away. You have to be patient and trust the caller’s timing. Similarly, we need to wait patiently and trust the Lord’s timing.

“I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock; and gave me a firm place to stand.”

Psalm 40:1-2

“Wait for the Lord. Be strong and take heart, and wait for the Lord.”

Psalm 27:14

If you’re anything like me, you don’t like waiting. I want immediate answers and I don’t like the unknown. Rather than fretting about the future and growing impatient, take heart that we serve and love a God who has a plan. Even when we feel lost, confused, and directionless, He is able to guide us. Rest in the promise of Isaiah 42:16 when the Lord assures us, “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.”

Heavenly Father, thank you that you know my way. Lord, quiet my restless heart and teach me to wait patiently upon you. Today, may I rest in your promises. May this season of uncertainty draw me closer into your arms. Lord I pray the words of Psalm 143, “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 lift up my soul.” How I praise you for your incredible love, faithfulness, and direction!

Patience, O Heart of Mine

I am in a season of waiting. 

Life has presented some fairly important decisions lately in the areas of profession, study, romance, and location. I am praying through many options, and waiting on the Lord for direction. I am also waiting on the physical healing of my knee. Before my surgery I prayed for two things: the miraculous healing of my ligament and that God's will be done. I had a successful surgery on September 30th and have been adjusting to a level of physical activity much lower than what I'm accustomed to. I know that I went through surgery for a reason, and so I have been praying to take advantage of this time of physical rest and spiritual stillness. I have moaned my share of desperate and frustrated prayers, pleading for a quicker response, but God continues to give me comfort through His Word. 

Today, while lying on a magnetic therapy table at my rehab center I read John 15:1-12 (the Vine and the Branches), which gave me some insight into the process of having patience.

Proactive Patience

Remain in me, and I will remain in you.

There is always something we can be doing, even if we don't have clear direction in making certain decisions. We can remain. We must stay connected to the source. He chose us, and that leaves us with the option to choose him. To remain signifies an active pursuit of intimacy and development of relationship. His words stimulate growth and peace.

Productive Patience

If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you

I don't know where I will be 3 months from now, but right now I have a purpose where I currently work, worship and live. Yes, I would have preferred that my anterior cruciate ligament be healed without an operation, but I praise God that I had the opportunity to share my faith with the nurse at the hospital and my physical therapists, all of whom I met because I went through surgery. We have the opportunity to plant seeds daily by obeying God's command to LOVE. We must lift our eyes up, off of ourselves. I pray that we can look up and be active in loving whoever is near, wherever we are. Remaining connected to the source results in an overflow of life, love poured out on others through us.

Prosperous Patience

...ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples...If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 

As we keep our eyes on Him we can live in the hope and joy of His promises. How powerful is the promise in verse 7? Whatever we ask in the name of Jesus will be given! Do I believe that? The key is asking in the name of Jesus. Our true attitude in asking may reflect how strong our connection is to the Vine. If our truest desire is to bring our Father glory, to bear much fruit and show ourselves as his disciples, then that promise is limitless. 

Dear God Almighty, you rock!

Oh Giver of Life, you are the source of all life and joy. We can only be fulfilled and fruitful if we passionately remain in you. Give us the discipline and supernatural ability to obey your command. May we have the faith to pray in the power and authority of your name. In your Spirit we can practice patience. The fruit will blossom in time. The harvest is coming and your promises will be completed. 

We  pray for discernment of your timing and your direction.