WiseHeart

"The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin."

~ Proverbs 10:17

I have to admit, when I first read this verse in my study I laughed a little. Why, you ask? Because it seemed absolutely preposterous to be able to over-talk the Lord. I mean, you would have to be talking exceedingly loud to not hear Him, right? And then I thought more about it--it's not so ridiculous a thing to happen after all.

This made me think of that passage about Elijah.

'Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heart it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. 

Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?"'

[1 Kings 19:11-13]

The voice of the Lord was not in the loud things of the world, it was a still, small voice. A whisper. When I thought of this, I stopped laughing. God doesn't always speak to us in the big things, sometimes He whispers in the day-to-day living.

When put into this context, it's not so hard to imagine speaking over that Whisper. It wouldn't be so hard to let the things of this world talk over the Lord because we get so caught up in deadlines and activities.

What does Elijah say to the Lord? He basically tells Him, "I've done everything You asked. And now I'm all alone and everyone is trying to kill me." (It's been a rough time for old Elijah.) So what does the Lord do? He sends him on another mission, so to speak. He tells him to go back the way he came and do a relatively long list of things. Among those things, He tells him to anoint Elisha, Elijah's successor for all intents and purposes.

Now, it's easy to say, "That was in the Old Testament, it doesn't apply to us today. God isn't going to speak to us in the same way He spoke to Elijah." We like those big moment revelations--those ones that you simply cannot ignore. And while I do think the Lord can speak to us in that way, I think there is a lot of merit in being still, and listening for the small things. We like to chatter and talk, but that is not always fruitful.

Proverbs 10 goes on to say in verse 19:

"When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise."

 Let's combine these two verses from Proverbs 10. "When words are many, sin is not absent, a chattering fool comes to ruin. The wise in heart holds his tongue and accepts commands." (I spliced those together because I think they compliment one another well, I do not think this should be done often with all verses, but I felt it served my purpose here.)

I would be lying if I told I was good at being still. The fact of the matter is that I like to be doing things, anything. I have a lot on my plate right now and there's been a lot of multitasking. I may not be verbally chattering a lot, but internally I am.

My new prayer for this week, and onward, has been, "Lord, give me a WiseHeart, and let my tongue be still. Let me not be a chattering fool." And then I listen. There is merit in silence, in the listening heart. I keep my heart open to His commands, whatever they may be.

WaterReady

"During the fourth watch of the night Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. 'It's a ghost,' they said, and cried out in fear.

But Jesus immediately said to them: 'Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid.'

'Lord, if it's you,' Peter replied, 'tell me to come to you on the water.'

'Come,' he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, 'Lord, save me!'

Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. 'You of little faith,' he said, 'why did you doubt?'

And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. Then those who were in the boat worshipped him, saying, 'Truly you are the Son of God.'" 

~Matthew 14:25-33

We're looking at a longer passage today, but I just couldn't think of a way to cut down the length without losing the beauty of the Gospel. And really, it's such a great scene, why make it shorter?

Now, most of the time we use this passage as a message of: "Get out of that boat of comfort and you can do anything!" At least, that's how I've heard it. Don't get me wrong, I don't think it's a bad way to look at it, but I think there are other things to consider as well.

A bit of what I didn't include in the quote is that the boat was being "buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it." (v. 24) So they weren't just out for a pleasurable ride--the sea was not still. I don't know how comforting a boat in that kind of weather would be. Granted, it would have been safer than being out in the waves themselves. If anything, we ought to talk about how this passage tells us to get out in the storm, even when we don't want to--like going from the frying pan to the fire.

I don't think any of us can blame the disciples for freaking out when the see Jesus walking on the water--it would be an incredible sight to see. But of course Peter needed proof that it was Him. Aren't we always seeking proof for things we can't explain? Now, if I were Peter I would have thought of something else to prove it was Jesus than going out on the water myself. I mean, really, he could have waited until He was in the boat; it would have been clear enough then. But no, he tells Him to call him out onto the sea. And so he goes. It's interesting, Peter must have believed it was the Christ because he does walk on the water for a time.

But what happens? He recognizes what he's doing and suddenly doesn't believe he can walk on water anymore--so he begins to sink. How often do we do this to ourselves? We feel called to do something (write a book, share the Gospel, be a missionary, ect.) and then we realize what exactly we've gotten ourselves into and we stop believing that we are capable. Perhaps this is because we believe we're doing it alone, that we don't have the support of God. Or perhaps we simply forget that we can't do much of anything well without Him. And then we see the metaphorical storm we've stepped into, and we lose faith.

We cry out, much like Peter, "Lord, save me! Help me to do this thing!" And Christ reaches out to lift us from the waters.

Imagine what Jesus is thinking here, "I was helping you to walk on water! Why would you lose your faith now? Why did you doubt that I would be with you? I love you! I would never forsake you..." As always, in the passage He asks one question, but it certainly is a poignant one. "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"

Woah. Why do we doubt? What is it that makes of lose our faith? We get so distracted for the storm around us that we lose focus on the most important thing.

When they get into the boat again, the winds died down. It was then that the disciples said, "Truly you are the Son of God." Now wait a minute....He was just walking on water, and it wasn't until the storm was calmed that you actually believed He was the Son of God? What?!? But really, don't we do this all the time? There is evidence of His glory all around us, but it's the big stuff that really catches out attention.

So my question to you is this: Are you WaterReady? And by that I mean, are you willing to step out into the water and lose control? In order to be truly WaterReady you must have complete faith in Jesus Christ. To quote a very popular verse, "I can do everything through him who give me strength." (Philippians 4:13) Rid yourself of doubt, and step out of the boat. When Christ brings you back to it, it will be in a better condition than when you left it.

ChristFollowers

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it."
~Matthew 10:37-39

It's been a big couple weeks. Big, but very good. This verse strikes me because of one of the biggest events --some friends of my parents (they're the parents of three of Josef and I's friends) have decided and felt called to move to Zambia in a year and be full time missionaries. And while we will miss them, we cannot tell them not to go because they're being called by God and we all know that this is important. It's good timing; all three kids will be out of the house after this school year and they don't have any grandbabies yet.

We've been able to see their struggle though. They are leaving family here--they're leaving everything. Really, they're picking up their crosses and they're following Christ. I am overwhelmed by the weight of their sacrifice. And while there may be tears, they are tears of joy and pride.

One of the hardest things for them is the lack of support from their parents. I pray that they read this verse time and time again. They are doing what Jesus called them to do. Isn't this the biggest test? Even though they don't have full support from their parents they are moving forward.

Now, I'm not saying that we should shun our parents, and that is not what these friends of ours are doing. No, we should still respect our parents (and our children). But we should be willing to put God above all these things. The list of our priorities should put God first and then family. How have you prioritized your life?

We should be ChristFollowers. So, I challenge you, are you willing to put your life aside to follow Christ?

WisdomSeeker

"Wisdom calls aloud in the streets, she raises her voice in the public squares; at the head of the noisy streets she cries out, in the gateways of the city she makes her speech:"
~Proverbs 1:20-21

Before I jump into the devotion, I have a couple housekeeping items to take care of.

First, there really is no good excuse for not posting in so long. I let a crazy-hectic semester get in the way of my God-time. I apologize to you for being absent, and I make the same apology to my Heavenly Father. This summer I intend to be more diligent in my posting (which involves overall study, as well).

Second, I'm doing a study of Proverbs with a friend. So, be ready for several entries on Proverbs. I think it will be time well spent. A lot can be learned from that book. That is not to say that I won't do other devotions as well.

Third, Proverbs 1 is awesome. I love the personification of wisdom. Now, I want to focus on the introduction of wisdom, as you see quoted above. However, I encourage you to go read her speech. It will make you think.

Now, for the main event...

A little background, a lot of the Proverbs were written by King Solomon. (The last couple were written by other kings.) It is fitting that Solomon write about wisdom--he was blessed with it, after all. He asked for wisdom, when he could have asked for riches. It is important to note that the wealth followed the wisdom.

I think there is significance in the way wisdom is depicted. Wisdom is feminine--I am not a Hebrew scholar, so I can't tell you if it is simply give a feminine pronoun because the word is feminine or if the writer was specifically trying to make a point. (I don't know if Hebrew assigns gender like that either, if any of you know, I would love for you to share.) I do think it is interesting though. Especially when one considers that in that culture (which I am not an expert on) women were not the ones that led the family. They were homemakers, and expected to be quiet (particularly when in public settings, I believe). So, there is a woman yelling in a public square, on the street corners, and at the gateways. She's trying, desperately, to get people's attention. But they ignore her. They ignore Wisdom. Maybe it's because she is a woman and they believe they know better than her. Maybe it's because all the surrounding noise is drowning her out. I don't know. But I know that she is being ignored. And I know that this is true of us today.

We let the voices of this world get so loud we can't hear Wisdom calling to us. We keep going through life oblivious to our mistakes.

(Let's be honest, we're all pretty good and making ourselves look like fools.)

Sometimes we don't want to hear her because we think we know better. For me, I let the craziness of the semester get in the way of the Word--the ultimate source of Wisdom.

I would get into her speech, but it's long. And I think you should have to do some digging and wrestling yourself. I'm going to let you be a WisdomSeeker, too. So, read Proverbs 1 (and beyond). Don't hide from Wisdom, and don't ignore her. Seek her out.

CharacterStrong

"Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."
~ 1 Peter 3:8-9

I don't know about you, but I really struggle with some of the characteristics listed above.

You may read that and say: "Live in harmony with one another? Is that the same thing as tolerance? Aren't we supposed to live in the world but not of it? How do these things go together?" Well, I think this passage is talking about within the church. As a church body we should live in harmony, and that just doesn't always happen. There is hostility between certain branches of the Body and that breaks my heart. Denominations like to pick out all the difference and just argue. Why can't we all just say, "We may have differences, but the heart of the matter is Christ, and because we have Him we are one in the Body." Paul wrote somewhere that different parts of the body serve different purposes but those parts have to work together.

Sympathy and compassions are pretty heavily ingrained. I am an empathizer, and because of this sympathy is not really a problem for me, and neither is compassion. We are called to help our brothers, and without these two things, we can't help others.

Love as brothers. This isn't always easy, but it ties in with the afore mentioned characteristics.

Be humble. Wow. This can be incredibly difficult. It's really easy to get into this mindset that we are better because we are Christians and we have a strong moral center. (Or we should.) It's important to remember that everything we have is from above and not of ourselves.

It's really easy to want to retaliate against evil and insult with evil and insult. We need to remember that Christ died because of us, because we are evil and we insulted Him, and so He should have repaid that death with death, but instead He gives us life.

We were called to be loving. We were called to be CharacterStrong. Our greatest blessing is the salvation we get from Christ.

ActionPrepared

"Therefore, prepare your minds for action: be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed."
~ 1 Peter 1:13

It's been crazy around here and it's late so this will probably be a short post, sorry about that.

We're nearing the end of 2010. Some people set resolutions for the new year, I've never really participated in this tradition. However, I think this verse is great for a "new year resolution."

This year of 2011, and beyond, I am going to prepare my mind for action and have self-control, and I would encourage you to do the same thing.

How do I plan to prepare my mind? The best way I can think of is by being in the Word every day, which seems to be a basic enough concept. If I'm being totally honest though, I'm not reading my Bible every day. So my goal is to be more diligent in studying God's Word.

Self-control. I don't know what it is you're struggling with, and I'm not going to tell you what my biggest issue is. There are some things that are just hard to say no to, but I encourage you to take back control from any addictions you may have. It's not an easy road, but it's possible, especially since you have God on your side.

We have so much hope in the grace that Christ has given us. Don't let your soul be downtrodden. Be ActionPrepared.

On a slightly unrelated topic, I'm going to be doing something else this year and I want you to be a part of it if you want. Check out my new blog here: http://christmasall365days.blogspot.com/
I'm not going to give you all the details here, but it has something to do with new year resolutions.

God Bless!

StrongholdProtected

"The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."
~ Psalm 18:2

Sometimes I like to flip to a random page in my Bible and see if there are any highlights on it. Well, earlier this week, I flipped to the Psalms, which are typically pretty marked up. There are two main reasons for this: I have had my Bible since I was thirteen and I went through this phase of reading the Psalms and highlighting all the verses that offer encouragement (which is the majority of the book) and because I just find the Psalms to be incredibly uplifting. This particular page of Psalms is no different then the others, but this was one of the passages highlighted, and it hit me just when I needed it to. God works in mysterious ways.

When I first read this verse I thought, "Oh cool, God is protecting me from life basically." And then I looked at it some more, and realized that God has built himself around me to be my refuge and my shield. And man, could I need a shield.

The "horn" reference threw me for a loop at first, but my footnote says that horn means strength in this context. God is not only my refuge and shield but also my strength. How incredibly true! If I didn't have God in my life right now I would be a mess. He is the strength of my salvation.

In the New Testament Jesus talks about being the rock after he tells the parable of the man who built his house upon the rock. The psalmist is saying that God his rock, his foundation, and I think it's important to keep that in mind as we go through our daily lives.

Now, when I start to read about strongholds and horns and shields my mind almost automatically goes to The Lord of the Rings (LotR). And then I started thinking about how I could compare the verse with the classic tale so eloquently told by Tolkien. One of the greatest examples of a stronghold or fortress in LotR is at Minas Tirith in the Return of the King. It looks like there is no hope and all is lost, but the enemy cannot get to the heart of the city. Now, in the movie the orcs get through the gate, but it took them a lot of work to get through! And even though they broke down the door, they didn't overrun the city. Just think, there's no way that God is shaken and He will not let anyone through his defenses. He is the ultimate fortress and stronghold.

You and I? We're StrongholdProtected. Don't forget that God has wrapped Himself around you and you can take refuge in that knowledge.

HopeBuilder

"...And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he was given us."
~Romans 5:2-5

I don't know how your month of November has been going, but mine has been difficult. November 1, I found out one of my favorite teachers from middle school was found dead in his apartment. I came home for the visitation and it was one of the most difficult things I have ever done--stand in a room and listen to everyone talk about how he died. The following week, I found out my dad very sick, my mom hadn't seen him so ill since he had his appendicitis attack when I was in eighth grade. The day after that, Mom called and told me my grandpa was in the hospital because of his heart condition. The next week, one of my friends from high school was in the hospital with appendicitis, the day he was having surgery his dad was also admitted to the hospital for kidney stones. Through all of this, my mom has been having serious problems with her right arm. Every week, there has been something new. Some new kind of suffering.

The good news that today brings, my dad is doing quite well, my grandpa is out of the hospital, my friend is recovering, and his dad is doing much better. Mom is still healing, but she's getting there. And my teacher...well, I pray he's in heaven.

This verse has been my motto whenever medical emergencies come up. Or really, when anything bad happens, I look back to Romans 5.

Now, this month, I have failed at rejoicing in my sufferings. While these things were not directly happening to me, they had a serious effect on how I was doing with my school work. We won't get into my emotional state other than it was pretty rocky for a while.

What does it mean to rejoice in our sufferings? I don't think that the passage is saying that the scenario should go like this: "I was just diagnosed with cancer. Woohoo! Let's go celebrate!" No. In fact, that's just ridiculous. I think that we can rejoice in our sufferings by simply reminding ourselves that everything happens for a reason and that something good will come from it. If anything, we gain hope in God.

From our sufferings we gain perseverance. If you wear a back brace for over two years and then find out you need to wear a brace on you arm for tendonitis or tennis elbow a few years later, the time you spend in the arm brace isn't going to seem all that bad at all.

Perseverance builds character. How many of us have heard our dad's tell us, "it builds character!" I know I have... and I know that he was right. I would not be who I am today if it were not for my time in a back brace or any number of other things that have happened in my life.

And because we have character we also have hope. Hope in our God and His faithfulness. As the passage says, "And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." (v. 5)

This passage is almost like a cycle. We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And we also rejoice in sufferings. Sufferings turn into perseverance. Perseverance turns into character. And character becomes hope. Hope. We rejoice in our sufferings because we have hope and we rejoice in it. Not only are you building character, you are a HopeBuilder.

When it seems like you're having a bad week, a bad month, even a bad year, remember to rejoice in the hope and the sufferings.

WorrySlayer

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?"
~ Matthew 6:25

First of all, I am sorry it has taken me so long to get up a new blog! These past couple weeks have just been crazy hectic and I haven't had a lot of time to write. I've been worried about finances, laundry, grades, homework...and Greek.

It's funny, I had this verse written down a long time time ago but found one that I "liked" a little better that I really wanted to write on. I was flipping through my notebook and found this one, and it really hit me.

I am a chronic worrier. There is always something that I'm worried about. It is so easy to let the things of this world pile up around my feet.

Christ said, "do not worry about your life." That's a hard commandment to follow. And "do not worry about your body" wow, tough order.

Jesus specifically mentions what we will eat, drink, and wear. I've listened to my mom fuss over what we will eat and I've worried about what I will wear. I think it's normal and "perfectly" human to worry about these things.

The passage goes on to say that the Father provides food for the birds and they don't farm or work, they don't try to store things up for later. Jesus said in verse 26: "Are you not more valuable than they?" God will provide food for us to eat because He loves us.

After that He talks about the lilies of the field and how the Father has clothed the fields. He says that not even King Solomon had garments like the fields. If God will clothe the fields we need to be confident that He will also clothe us.

We do not need to worry because God will provide for us. We are inclined to worry, but we need to be WorrySlayers.

FragilePottery

"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."

~ 2 Corinthians 4:7-9

This is a bit longer then the passages I normally choose, but it's so good! I was actually having a hard time picking a verse for this week, but my campus Bible study talked about this set of verses on Wednesday. 

I don't know if you've worked with clay, but here's the deal, it's fragile. My parents used to have their own business where my dad would make whistles shaped like animals out of clay and my mom would paint them. I remember having to be careful when they were around. Before they go through the kiln and they're still wet they're easily smooshed back into a lump. After they're dry, before firing, they are crumbly. Finally, after they go through the intense heating process, they are so fragile. Sometimes pieces will explode in the kiln--when this happens it can seriously damage the other pieces. Things made out of clay can be easily broken. 

Why would Paul choose to liken us to jars of clay? Doesn't he call us to be strong and stand firm in the faith? How can we stand firm in the faith if we are breakable? 

He's proving a point that we are nothing without God. Nothing. Without God we are breakable and fragile. We are FragilePottery. 

If you apply pressure to all sides of a jar of clay, it will succumb and crumble. But verse 8 says that we will be hard pressed on all sides and not be crushed. We won't be crushed because we have the power of Christ in our FragilePottery. He is our support system. 

How often do you get confused? I don't know about you, but there are somedays that I am just confused all the time, my brain just doesn't click things together. We can be perplexed, but we are not in despair because we have the hope of Christ in us. 

As Christians we face persecution, I think I've touched on this before. Paul knew what being persecuted was like. But we are not alone, we are not abandoned. Even when things seem to be at their darkest, we are not alone. 

If you strike a pot down, it will break, but we are not destroyed. 

How awesome is it that we have the best support system ever inside of us? We will go through trying times, but our FragilePottery will not be broken. 

God Bless

BeautifulFeet

"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaimed peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'"
~ Isaiah 52:7

I would just like to start off by saying that I love the imagery in this passage. In my mind's eye I can see a man standing on the top of a mountain with his arms thrown out wide and his head tilted up high. He's yelling at the top of his lungs, "Your God reigns!" Isn't that just awesome? And by "awesome" I mean filled with awe, not "that's awesome, dude!"

Now, I have never gone mountain climbing, and I probably never will. (Unless I marry someone who's really outdoorsy and makes me.) It's not because I don't think it would be fun or invigorating. I just know it's a lot of work...and I'm not sure how I would handle the altitude. That being said, if I were to climb a mountain, I would make absolutely sure that I had the best pair of hiking boots available. I use my feet a lot (I'm sure you do, too), and they're more then kind of essential. I beat them up enough without the help of a mountain.

There are two big things that stick out to me in this verse. First, Isaiah mentions how beautiful the person's feet are. I instantly think of my roommate who isn't a "foot-phobe" per se...but she's pretty close. They just gross her out, and I think beautiful is the last word she would use to describe feet. I don't think many would. It's not the first word that comes to my mind.

Think about this; they didn't have hiking boots back when Isaiah was writing. Woah. They had sandals. Yeah. Now, imagine how dirty and cut up and person's feet would be after climbing a mountain in sandals. Why on earth would Isaiah be describing them as beautiful? Because they carried good news! They didn't let the mountain stop them from bringing good tidings of salvation.

This leads into the second thing that stands out to me: the person climbed the mountain just to proclaim that "your God reigns." This in itself is beautiful.

I feel like today you and I make excuses to not share out faith. We wait for opportunities to enter our comfort zone, and even then we don't take them. And few of us go to other nations and climb mountains or cross deserts or swim rivers to proclaim the name of God.

The Apostle Paul quotes this passage from Isaiah in Romans 10:15. Paul was traveling all over to spread the good news and I imagine his feet were...beautiful.

I hope that you will have BeautifulFeet someday. Begin your journey today.

HeartLetter

"You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts."
~ 2 Corinthians 3:2

So, I'm an English major...and I really appreciate a good metaphor, a lot. The idea of being a letter is so appealing to me, so beautiful.

I love getting letters in the mail--and not just because it means my opening my mailbox had purpose. No, I love getting letters because they are personal and intimate. When you get a letter from someone you get a tangible piece of their mind, their thoughts, their feelings. Letters are written evidence.

Written evidence. Paul says that we are letters. We are written evidence. Evidence of what? Of God's saving grace. God has written on our hearts the salvation story. We are testimonies of His love. How awesome is that?

As such, we should make sure that we are letters worth reading. We should be living lives that are confirmation of what God has done.

Paul says that we are read by everybody. How true! As we go through our days we should remember that others are watching us and seeing our example. It's sad, but people will judge us and say things like, "Well, that wasn't very Christian" when we screw up, and when we do something right they'll say, "Well, they're a little extreme." But we should be known for our love and not for being hypocrites.

So, you are a HeartLetter. Through you, God will do miraculous things. It's almost like a really long chain letter that has been going on for decades and centuries. Don't forget what you are, and what you are testimony of, HeartLetter.

ImpatienceAssassin

"Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord."
~ Psalm 27:14

Wow. I don't know about you, but I am a generally impatient person. I get really frustrated when things don't happen in my timing. So often I find myself trying to bend events to fit my plan--this rarely turns out well, but I do it anyway.

Have you ever heard someone say, "It's all in God's timing?" I have, and I'm sure you probably have too. It's a lot easier to say than it is to hear. It's very true, but it's become a cliché.

When I think about what the psalmist, David, had to go through in his life it makes my problems seem pretty inconsequential. He had to run for his life, King Saul did everything he could to have David killed. David knew that he was anointed to be King. He knew the Lord was with him. He knew that one day he would be king, and dying before that day was not in the plan. If it would have been me, I would have been saying, "Okay, Lord, I'm ready for this whole king thing to work out now." But David said to wait, be strong and take heart.

This verse was posted in a friends' hall, right next to their door. I've been in their room several times and never even noticed it. This week has been another hard one for me. While I've been worried about my classes, the big problem I've had is dealing with timing. I feel so ready to be out in the world working with America's youth. There are so many things in my life that I would just love to skip ahead to. It's not that I don't love my college experience, I'm just ready to start making a difference. When I saw this verse, it hit me. I need to wait. I need to be strong. I need to take heart. I need to wait on the Lord.

I urge you, when you feel like skipping ahead in your life, read this verse. Remember that the things happening to you now are building blocks to your character. Every step you take is taking you one step closer to the rest of your life. Be an ImpatienceAssassin. When  you start to get impatient about timing, wait on the Lord.

HeartDefender

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life."
~ Proverbs 4:24

I should have this verse written all over my dorm room, all over my arms, all over my life. This is something I struggle with, and I think that most people probably do as well. It is so easy to get wrapped up in our lives and the people that play important roles in them.

The first application I think of is boys. Guard your heart against boys. (For you gentlemen readers, girls.) I am a hopeless romantic, always have been. As such, it is very easy for me to get my emotions and time wrapped up into one person. This poor heart has been through a lot because I am not very good at guarding it--or rather, in the past I wasn't, I'm working on it.

I realize that not everyone is a hopeless romantic. (Good for you!) There are other things to be on guard for. Sometimes non-romantic relationships can be just as dangerous. Anytime we put too much trust in one person, we are setting them up for failure and ourselves up for hurt. The only person we can fully rely on is God.

The verse directly following this one talks about keeping perversity and corrupt talk away from our lips. Perverse language is like a poison to the heart. If you listen to it for too long it will eventually make it to your heart. Your heart is your wellspring of life. In Luke 6:45 it says: "The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Defend your heart against evil, against sin. I am not saying hole yourself up in your room and never come out again. I am saying, be careful about how you perceive things. Do not become callous to certain issues.

What does it mean when it says your heart is the wellspring of life? Well, in the strictly biological sense, your heart is the muscle that make sure blood reaches all of your body to supply you with oxygen.  I've read several books where blood is called "life force." I like fantasy books, and sometimes blood is almost seen as sacred, as life itself. You and I typically see blood as more the oil for the machine--it has a particular function. Of course, we know the danger in having too little blood but we would not call it sacred. We know it is essential to live, but we would not call it life itself. The heart is the driving force behind the blood. We also connect our hearts to emotions, feelings. Some would say that without feelings it wouldn't really be life. The heart is what gives you life. Without a heart you wouldn't be able to live. So, it stands to reason that you should guard it.

Whether you're protecting against anger, foul language, flattery or falling for someone, be a HeartDefender. It's hard, and you may not always be successful, but it is your mandate.

God Bless!

ComfortWarrior

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."
~ 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

We've probably all heard the phrase, "Everything happens for a reason." I know I have. I hear it all the time--I even catch myself saying it. It's almost like an automatic response to anything that makes us feel slightly uncomfortable. Sometimes I say it without really thinking about it.

This year I learned the value of that statement. I did a Bible Study with one of my close friends over first and second Corinthians. When I first read the above verse I thought, "Wow, that is so cool. I worship the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort... that's really... comforting." (I know, how redundant.)

Shortly after that, a situation came up with one of my girlfriends. She was having a hard time with one of her other friends. It was because of a prior incident I had had several years before that I was able to relate to her and offer her comfort. The only comfort I had received was from God, and I was able to pass that on to her.

It hit me then that everything does happen for a reason. We suffer so that we can comfort others later. (There are other reasons too.) Sometimes it's hard to keep that in mind. When I realized the power of that, I became almost more accepting of suffering. I know that sounds strange, but if my brokenness can be some brightness to someone else, I pray that I might suffer and feel God's comfort so I can comfort others.

With that in mind, I say to you: be a ComfortWarrior. That sounds strange too, like an oxymoron. Think of it this way, warriors fight for others. They go on, even when they're hurt, because they have their hearts and minds focused on others. You and I, we have God there with us to patch us up as we go. It's because we have Him that we can comfort those to come. So be a ComfortWarrior.

God Bless!

GodServant

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."
~Colossians 3:23

This has been a rough week for me. I've been bogged down with homework. I'm taking Greek this semester and it is just taking everything out of me. I would really like to be working out too, but I drag my feet to do even that--and I like my work out program. I get done with classes and work and all I want to do is sit. Just sit and check my facebook. Pathetic.

I have not been putting my heart into my studies. Goodness, I've hardly put my head into my studies. So when I read this verse, it really struck me. I should be giving my all to my work because everything I do I do to the glory of God, not to my own glory, not to the glory of men.

Over the summer I worked two jobs. I worked in a restaurant, which at times could be very frustrating. I was a host, and while I liked the job and the people I worked with sometimes the customers I sat were just plain rude. (Please be nice to your servers when you go out to eat!) It was hard for me to keep a good attitude on days when it seemed like everyone was crabby. I worked with some of my close friends, and on two separate occasions two of them told me how they just tried to remember that they were serving God, not just the people around them.

My other job was far more labor intensive. I de-tasseled. That's right. Now, I don't like being dirty. I don't like being wet. I don't like waking up at five in the morning. I don't like being sunburnt. There really isn't anything about de-tasseling that I like. At least, it's hard to think of reasons. One thing I did like--I liked being out in God's creation, no matter how gross it tended to get. It was cool to be out in the fields when the sun was rising. It was easier for me to think of myself as working for God when I was de-tasseling then it was when I was working inside. I can't say that my heart was in it everyday. It's amazing how clear minded you can be when you're out in the middle of a cornfield. It was a lot easier for me to remind myself that I was working for the Lord, and I think part of the reason for that was because I didn't have a boss hovering over me all the time.

No matter what you do--whether you're in school with a heavy class load, flipping burgers, or working in the fields--do it for the Lord. You are a GodServant.

WonderChristian

"Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love."
~1 Corinthians 16:13-14

Some days, I feel like a wimp. I just quietly walk around and practically let people pick on my faith without much of a fight. I let relativism invade the way I live.

Other days, I feel like WonderChristian. I can tackle any obstacle that may come across my path. I have good arguments for my point of view. I know how to slam the Gospel in someone's face. If I catch someone slipping up, I can rebuke them with awesome force. I can really lay the Gospel-smack down.

Every once in a while, WonderChristian will come bursting out of my wimp mode. Those moments are kind of scary.

All three of these approaches to Christianity have problems.

We are to be on our guard. Against what? All manners of things. We need to watch out for sin, obviously. It can be so easy to fall into a bad habit or do any number of things. We need to be on our guard for those who would try to weaken our faith. Satan is very cunning and he knows what he's doing. It's not like he's a stupid devil that is easily bamboozled. Paul knows that Satan will try to get at us in any way he can.

Paul calls us to stand firm in the faith. No matter what Satan throws at us, we need to remember that God is bigger. Things will happen that will rock our foundations, but we need to stand our ground.

We are to be men [and women] of courage, to be strong. Sometimes the opposition will seem to be stronger than us. Sometimes the way will seem impossible. Paul knew that it would be hard, he lived through diversity like none we've ever seen. Still, we need to have courage. Take courage in the fact that Jesus is Lord and He conquered the grave. Don't give into temptations. You have the good guys fighting with you. Good always wins. Be strong.

Do everything in love. Wow. Now that's the hard part, isn't it? It's easy to look at verse 13 and think of a warrior Christian able to take out anything and anyone in their path. It's almost as if Paul knows that he is talking up a bunch of warriors and so he tacks on the end: "do everything in love." How does a warrior act in love? It's not easy, but it's necessary. Love is an essential element to being a Christian. Have you ever heard of the phrase "kill 'em with kindness?" It's kind of like that. We need to be like Christ and love everyone, even those that would seek to harm us.

So I say to you: Be strong! Be courageous! Be a WonderChristian! But don't forget that love is your everything. Love is what saved you, it's what will save others too.

A Beginning

Well, this is my first blog and I have never done anything like this before.  We all have to start somewhere, right?

In this blog I intend to pick a Bible verse and write a short devotional on it.  I don't know how often I'll get a new post up.  I'm hoping to get a new entry up every week.  I am just starting the semester though, and who knows how much time I will have to write.

The title of this page was inspired by a poem I wrote my senior year of high school.  I feel like "brightness in brokenness" has been the theme of my life and I know that others feel that way as well.  I am so broken and Christ has filled me with an overwhelming brightness.  I can only hope that others will come to know that kind of hope.

God Bless,
Anna Katrina