Looking to the Lord for Fulfillment

At the end of chapter three in our text, we find a lie that we must consider before proceeding to chapter four. The lie is, "I should not have to live with unfulfilled longings."

We will counter this lie with the following Scripture that speaks of our future glory with Christ. This is Romans 8:22-25 and we will read it the New Century version:

"We know that everything God made has been waiting until now in pain, like a woman ready to give birth. Not only the world, but we also have been waiting with pain inside us. We have the Spirit as the first part of God's promise. So we are waiting for God to finish making us his own children. I mean we are waiting for our bodies to be made free. We were saved, and we have this hope. If we see what we are waiting for, then that is not really hope. People do not hope for something they already have. But we are hoping for something that we do not have yet. We are waiting for it patiently."

Don't you see that we want God alone to be the object of our deepest longings? In the flesh, we see something that we must have, and then we find ourselves striving toward the goal of obtaining it. Our desires, our wills, and even our prayers are directed to fulfilling this particular longing. When we cannot achieve it, when our prayers go unanswered, then we become disappointed, disgruntled, and depressed.

I like to think that when I asked Jesus into my life, He came to dwell in my heart. When I asked Him to be the Lord of my life, then He sat on the throne in my heart. As I bow before Him as His servant, He maintains His rightful place in my life. Then, I find that there are times when I shift my focus to myself. I care only about my needs, my wants, and my own unfulfilled longings. Do you know what has happened then? I took the Lord's place on the throne! What happened? Where is the Lord? Well, He is still there in my life, but not where He should be. It is then that I stand, turn around, and kneel before the throne and ask Jesus to be Lord once again.

The Lord Jesus Christ points us toward our future home, where we will never be disappointed. People and things will fail us, but our Lord will not. It is true that our very insides groan as we wait for the purposes of God to be accomplished. Our challenge is to hold on and be patient as we give the Lord all of our expectations. "...you should try as much as you can to add these things to your lives: to your faith, add goodness; and to your goodness, add knowledge; and to your knowledge, add self-control; and to your self-control, add the ability to hold on; and to your ability to hold on, add service for God." 2 Peter 1:5-6.

God has a purpose for everything He allows or does not allow, including not giving us every heart's desire. He is doing something much greater in our lives, and we must learn to trust Him for it. He is building character and guiding us to be more Christ-like.

Thank you, Lord, for building into my life the qualities You know that I need. Thank you for pointing me in your direction, and give me the grace to always focus on You. Please take your rightful place in my life, and help me to look to You only to fulfill my longings. I love You, Lord. Amen."

Love, Karen

The Allure of Outward Beauty

The Word of God has much to say about a woman's lasting beauty. Let's take a look at some of the verses and take heed of the instruction.

1. Proverbs 31:30, "Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."

2. 1 Timothy 2:9-10, "in like manner also, that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing."

3. 1 Peter 3:3-4, "Do not let your beauty be that outward adorning of arranging the hair, of wearing gold, or of putting on fine apparel; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible ornament of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

The Bible teaches women to show moderation and not to be extravagant in their appearance, whether in their hair or clothing. In this world, we are surrounded by the lies "shouting" out to us that we must conform to the "perfect" standard of outward beauty. This outward beauty comes by way of the right hair product, diet, clothing style, cosmetics, and expensive jewelry. A great deal of time and money can be spent on maintaining this ideal, but, you see, it is all temporary. It does not last, and as the flower that fades in the winter, so does this kind of beauty.

What is this inward beauty that we have read about? It comes from an inward strength of character that we have already defined as meekness. The beautiful glow of a countenance comes from the transformation and the renewing of the mind. When we know our identity in Christ, we are secure and have nothing to fear, and it shows in the very expression on our face.

As women who want to learn more about the Truth of God's Word, we must reject the extremes of the world around us. Satan hates our bodies because they are created in the image of God. Our enemy wants to destroy us, and he always lies to us first and tries to deceive us into believing that we are ugly, or that we do not fit in because of our outward appearance. He convinces us that we must correct the way we look, and as we know, some have taken that to extremes.

One Truth that we must face is that our bodies are dying. These "tents" of ours are temporary and are not eternal. However, our spirits and the Word of God will last forever. As we feed our spirits with the Word, God will adorn us with incorruptible character that is precious to Him. And if we know we are beautiful to the Lord, we are at peace within. Just like Moses, others can tell when we have been with the Lord, and it is a beautiful sight.

May we spend our time with the One Who loves us.

Love, Karen

Time to Set Our Eyes on the Lord

Romans 12:3, "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God as dealt to each one a measure of faith."

This Scripture cautions us not to spend a lot of time thinking about ourselves, but when we do, we should have a sensible estimation. We have learned that the Lord thinks highly of each one of His children. He also thinks of us often, views us through eyes of love, and even guides us to success. If God thinks in these ways about me, then why do I concentrate so much on myself? Aren't the Lord's thoughts enough for me?

Pray This Prayer
Lord, may I use the measure of faith that You have given me to trust you with my present and my future. Please take my hand and walk with me. Teach me about what is important to you, and help me to recognize the lies that have held me back. Show me Your Truth and guide me as I commit to walking in them. Help me focus on You alone as I take my eyes off of myself. Thank you, Father, for Your grace and love.

In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Love, Karen

To Be a Living Sacrifice

In our weekly meetings, we are constantly reviewing Romans 12:1-2. These verses are the main theme of our study, and as we meditate on the passage, the Lord enlightens us with deeper meaning. The following is the J.B. Phillips translation of these verses:

"With eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I beg you, my brothers, as an act of intelligent worship, to give him your bodies, as a living sacrifice, consecrated to him and acceptable to him. Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould, but let God re-make you so that your whole attitude of mind is changed. Thus you will prove in practice that the will of God is good, acceptable to him and perfect."

In ancient Bible times, the priests would place the sacrificial lamb on the alter. He would kill the animal, and blood flowed freely as atonement for sins was made. You see, the Hebrew law stated that the blood "covered" the sins of God's people and made them clean once again. They were forgiven their sins. This ceremony had to be held often, because the people would sin more, which made them dirty again.

Then, at the appointed time, something marvelous happened. God sent His only Son to earth to live among us. The full intention was that, again at the right time, Jesus would die on the cross and shed His blood one time only for the sins of the people of the earth. The Son of God, pure and sinless, came to be a sacrifice for you and me. Because of Him, all of our sins -- past, present, and future -- are forgiven, and we are made clean before the Father. Before we claim this truth for our own lives, there is one thing we must do: we must receive the Lord as our Savior. We must realize our need and we must ask Him to come in to be the Master of our lives.

What we see today in Romans 12 is that now the Lord, through Paul, is imploring each of us to place ourselves on the alter; but, you see, it is so different from ancient times! Since we are a living sacrifice, we can jump right down from the alter, if we want to. It is as if Paul is begging us to stay because he knows, through Christ, that it is the very best place for us. When we give ourselves fully to the Lord, we are in the hands of the Almighty.

The choice, then, is ours. Will we be squeezed into the mold of this world? Or will we let God re-make us and change our minds so that we can view life from God's perspective?

God has a plan for our lives. He has always had a plan. It is never too late to turn our lives over to Him. There is no bondage in Christ; there is only freedom.

Love, Karen

Gaining Abundant Peace

Psalm 37:1-11
Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness.
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.

Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.
Cease from anger, and forsake wrath;
Do not fret -- it only causes harm.

For evildoers shall be cut off;
But those who wait on the Lord,
They shall inherit the earth.
For yet a little while and the wicked shall be no more;
Indeed, you will look diligently for his place,
But it shall be no more.
But the meek shall inherit the earth,
And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

Each one of us has a tendency to look at those of the world and to be drawn to their prosperity. We may find ourselves imitating their ways that we, too, may gain wealth or renown. The psalmist calls them "workers of iniquity," and because God knows their end, He kindly warns us against joining ourselves with them.

Instead of fretting, which causes extreme uneasiness in our spirits, the Lord encourages us to look ahead in faith. He then commands us to rest in Him and be patient. Yes, it is a command. This contentment will lead to a secure place where He promises to care for us.

Again, we are looking at more ways that might have made us to be conformed to this world. Remember, deception is a lie that has blind-sided us. It is subtle and camouflaged as truth. Have you picked up the habit of fretting over others? Do you realize that as a result you have become discontent with your own life? Allow the light of God's Word to shine as you examine your situation.

Prayerfully, commit your way to the Lord and trust Him. Commit your way to the One Who loves you with perfect love. Ask your Heavenly Father for His abundant peace and be wholly at rest in Him.

May you know deep joy as you delight in your Lord.

Love, Karen

Meekness is Gentleness of Strength

I have been reading in our text and particularly in pages 73-76. I am convinced that the "I-have-my-rights lie" has performed its work on Christian women today. Many of us have an attitude that speaks boldly, "Don't violate my rights!" Some of us are searchers, keeping a look-out for potential rights violators so we can pounce first. This takes a lot of energy, creates suspicion, and keeps us on the verge of anger, just in case it is needed! As I search the Scripture, I find the Truth that I need to refute this particular lie. It is found in James 1:20, "For the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God."

So, it is clear that wrath does not produce God's righteousness, but what does? Instead of my insisting that I have rights in any particular area of my life, the Bible teaches me to give up, or yield, my rights to God. He is the One Who ultimately holds all rights.

Here is some more Truth: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" Matthew 5:5. My commentary tells me that Jesus is the One speaking here in His Sermon on the Mount. He specifically chose the word meek in this verse to denote gentleness of strength. We have found the answer to our question, then. Gentleness of strength will produce the righteousness of God. We are happy and blessed when we are meek, but we are moody and depressed when we hold on tightly to what we think we deserve.

The Lord Jesus is doing great things in our hearts. He is opening us up to trust Him more, and He is showing us how to walk according to His ways. He wants the very best for our lives, and He is teaching us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.

Love, Karen

Walking in Godly Counsel

The Lord is equipping us in one major way as we continue our involvement in this Bible study. He is teaching us the importance of filtering everything we see, hear, or read through God's Word. We must remind ourselves again that the ruler of this world is the father of lies. His only interest is to deceive and destroy God's children, so it is vital that we know how to distinguish the difference between a lie and the Truth.

Psalm One gives marvelous insight as we endeavor to learn more of God's ways, "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish."

God gives no allowance for his daughters to walk in the counsel of the "pretty good guy that mostly has it all together!" We know of "Christian" counselors who will give advice such as, "you have to love Number One," or "take time to pamper yourself." We are to be very cautious of partial truth in counseling, because we know that there is only one Source of spiritual truth, God's Word.

Galatians 5:7b-9 asks a question and then gives a warning, "Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion does not come from Him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump."

The essence of the Christian life is not to focus on "self" at all. We are to be vessels and channels that the Lord might love others through us. Resist your "pity party" and allow the Lord to love you, and to be your caretaker, and then use your energy to serve Him by loving others.

Isn't that a challenge for the week!

Love, Karen

The Good Shepherd Looks for Us...

...Until He Finds Us.
Have you believed the lie that you are of no value to God? Let's to go back to the Bible again and read what Jesus Himself has to say about the subject. We're in Luke Chapter 15:

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the niney-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance."

We can identify with the lost sheep in this parable because we have all wandered from the flock at one time or another. We wander because we are attracted to an area where the shepherd is not leading. We might be lured by the looks of the lush grass or the cool shade tree. Just like Eve, we are first tempted to believe a lie, and then we forget about the One Who loves us, and finally, we cannot find our way back on our own. But wait, the main focus of the story isn't the sheep! Instead, let us concentrate on the Man Who is the Good Shepherd. The Shepherd leaves the ninety-nine sheep so He can rescue the straying one. He looks for him, finds him, and carries him home on His shoulders. In fact, notice the pleasure He takes in bringing back that lost lamb. He truly rejoices in His treasure and even calls to friends and family to join in the celebration.

As we apply this great teaching to our own lives, we realize that each one of us is of great value to the Lord. He wants us back. He wants us to reject the lie that has deceived, and He wants us to walk in His Truth. He knows that when we return, we are able to enjoy fellowship with Him and with our brothers and sisters once again.

May you find tremendous comfort in the Truth of God's Word.

Love, Karen

My Father Knows Me and Loves Me

This is how the Lord regards you and me:

"O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before, and laid Your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it."

David goes on in Psalm 139 as he prays to the Lord, "For you have formed my inward parts; You have covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them."

Because the Word of God is Truth all on its own, it does not require your believing it to make it Truth. However, you must accept it as Truth for your life. If you choose not to, it will be impossible for you to know the freedom that the Lord has for you.

We should all meditate on the rest of the passage. It is as if David cannot contain himself any longer. He must praise God for this wonderful reality! "How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You."

May this new, or re-newed, Truth sink deep into your heart and carry you. May the knowledge of His intimate love for you cause a response of praise and worship as you go about your day today.

Love, Karen

Time to Make it Personal

As we close another week of intense reflection (Bible study comes tomorrow!), we will be completing Chapter 2 in our books. On pages 60 and 61 in the texts, we are challenged to take what we have learned thus far and make it personal. We all agree that we have at sometime in our lives believed one or more lies about God. Let's take some time now and respond to the Truth in five different ways:

1. Agree with God.
What lies have you believed about God? Perhaps you would like to read once again one of the past posts that ariculate the specific lie that you have believed. Perhaps you know the lie now without having to go back. Pause for a minute now and agree with God that you have believed it.

2. Accept responsibility.
How has believing the lie(s) manifested itself in the way you live? Perhaps you have noticed an attitude of ungratefulness toward the Lord. Perhaps because of this attitude you have stopped reading your Bible. If this or something similar is the case, it would be good for you to confess this to God right now.

3. Affirm the Truth.
The best way to affirm God's Truth is to read it and embrace it.

Psalm 100:5: "For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endures to all generations."

Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anount my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

4. Act on the Truth.
What specific action must you take to align your life with the Truth you have seen about God? The Scripture exhorts us to, "..be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." Don't you see that if you don't take action after knowing the Truth, then nobody deceives you but yourself?

5. Ask God to help you walk in the Truth.
When you humble yourself before the Lord, you will experience a closeness with the Him. He waits for you to talk to Him, and He loves you very much. You can trust Him.

Matthew 5:3, "Blessed are the poor in spirit (humble), for theirs is the kingdom of God."

James 4:6, "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'"

As you receive God's grace to humble yourself, your eyes will open to see a new perspective of Him. The "fresh vision of God" will then produce hope in you, the hope that you can experience freedom from deception. We must keep walking toward that freedom because there is Christ, the Hope of Glory! God bless you.

Love, Karen

With Wisdom Comes Understanding

One definition of wisdom is seeing life from God's perspective. I know that God is way ahead of me in this area. First of all, He is God and knows all things. He knows what is behind me and He knows what lies ahead. The Lord understands woman because He lovingly fashioned her for His good pleasure. God knows me and comprehends my needs; therefore, He also knows, in His great wisdom, what is the very best for me.

Still, the Lord admonishes each of His children to gain wisdom. Read with me exerpts from Proverbs 3:

"Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding; for her proceeds are better than the profits of silver, and her gain than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies, and all the things you may desire cannot compare with her. Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her. And happy are all who retain her.

The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding He established the heavens; by His knowledge the depths were broken up, and clouds drop down the dew. My son, let them not depart from your eyes -- keep sound wisdom and discretion."

What follows here is a question that we should all be asking ourselves: How do I gain this wisdom, this ability to see life from God's prospective? The answer is found in James 1:5-7, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

From this Scriptural rationale then, we understand why God sometimes allows us to experience an unanswered prayer, problems and trials, even pain and suffering. Wisdom tells us that what we want may not always be what is best for us. We must pray that the Giver of all good things will continue to grant us the wisdom to accept what He is not giving us, trusting that He knows what is best. It becomes apparent then, that we also must accept the Lord's perfect timing.

A double-minded man is attracted to the world and attracted to the Kingdom of God. He has one eye on the things of God and the other eye on worldly desires. He is truly unstable in all his ways. As daughters of our Heavenly Father, we must look only to Him, eager to know His character and at peace as we view the path ahead.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths." Proverbs 3:5-6.

Love, Karen

It Truly is for Our Own Good

"'And the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day. Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the Lord our God, as He has commanded us'" (Deut. 6:24-25).

Look at what we've just read! God commands us nothing but what is really for our good. It opens our eyes to the nature of our Heavenly Father when we understand that it is in our interest to walk in righteousness. The enemy deceives us into believing that obeying God's law is too restrictive and burdensome; but, in this passage, we are enlightened to the truth that obedience brings blessing.

The Spirit within you is bearing witness right now to these words. When you delight in the law of the Lord, when you receive the implanted word with meekness, and when you are not a forgetful hearer, but an obedient doer...you will blessed in all that you do. These are promises from our Heavenly Father.

As we summarize some of what we have studied so far, we know that God is good; we also know that God is loving; we know that He loves us with a perfect love; and we know that God's perfect law brings freedom.

Then why do we do what we do?
If we know the above to be true (and it all is true), why do we continue to hold on so tightly to the things we think will make us happy? We hold on because we believe the lie. It is interesting that maybe one particular lie really makes us miserable, but it's familiar, and it's always easy to go back to the familar, even when it makes us miserable. Besides, someday maybe we'll be happy with it. Isn't that a crazy way to think? It's not logical. I am certain that it takes faith and courage to completely let go. But we can do it! We can release the sin that has entangled us. We must refuse the lie that keeps coming to our minds, then refuse it again. It takes practice. Always remember that we can do all things through Christ Jesus Who gives us strength.

As we meditate on these truths, may we find our Father's heart and receive His limitless grace to obey His Word.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Love, Karen

Is God Enough for You?

Let's take some time right now to read Psalm 78.

Now, I would like you to read verse 3 again, "For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked."

The psalmist begins his writing by declaring the goodness of God. However, he admits in the third verse that when he looks around at the people of the world, he sees their wealth and is envious. They seem to have it all together, and are prospering and the evidence is their possessions. On one hand, he looks at the Lord and knows His goodness, but on the other, he's wondering if maybe he could just have something more to add to the Lord, then he could prosper just like the world. He complains that he follows the Lord for no profit whatsoever. In fact, the writer has fretted himself into a downward spiral and has even called his life plague-filled.

Then, he enters the sanctuary of the Lord, into God's very presence. There, he worships and in pain lifts his condition to the Lord of mercy. God opens his eyes, and he begins to understand the consequences of those who trust in their possessions. He recognizes his sin of coveting and ungratefulness before the Lord and confesses his foolishness and ignorance. The Lord forgives the repentant man, and then he comes full circle. He looks to the heavens and praises the Lord with the following words, "Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever."

The writer concludes his psalm with verse 28, "But, it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Your works."

The Lord is enough; the Lord is more than enough. Because He is good and because He loves, He will also make sure that His children have everything they need. This is the truth for us to dwell on as we continute our studies.

Love,
Karen