As I read the Word today, like many days, I come across passages of Scripture where I pause and something in my spirit quietly whispers "insert your name here".
The beauty of being in Covenant Relationship with an omniscient, omnipresent and sovereign God is that ALL of His promises are Yes and Amen. While teaching the other night on this topic, the Spirit impressed upon me that God is the one who says "Yes", but we are the ones who respond with "amen". In other words, we must AGREE with the Word of God. It must become our thoughts and our speech and actions. It is a transformer of our lives. As we allow it to penetrate the dark areas of our heart, it reveals itself in our speech and then becomes our actions.
There is something quite powerful in putting my name in the Scripture passages I read. It allows me to process the Word in a more personal way. It reminds me that this Word is for me and that the God who spoke it through the writers is an intimate God. He had me in mind since the beginning of time ; eternity past, present and future. It also holds me accountable; it asks the question "do you believe Me." And it reminds me of His faithfulness to all generations. He never changes. His love endures forever. Inserting my name in certain passages awakens my soul, my very being, to the reality which is Christ.
This morning, I am reminded as I read in the book of Genesis, 18:17-19, that because of the Covenant God has made with me, he listens to my prayers and requests. I can come boldly to His throne and plead my case before Him, just as Abraham did for his family. Listen to God's response to Abraham. Listen to His response to us... Vs 17: And The Lord said, "shall I hide from Abraham ( Claudia) my friend and servant, what I am going to do...vs 18: for I have known, chosen and acknowledge him (her) as my own, so that he (she) may teach and command his (her) children and the sons of his (her) house in the way of The Lord and to do what is just and righteous, so that The Lord may bring him (her) ALL that he has promised him (her). "
Covenant requires a commitment from both parties. I can tell you through experience, that God holds the majority of it. I fail, I fall short. Apart from Him, I can do nothing. But God... he even accounted for my failures. In Christ, I have a new Covenant. I am fully covered by His righteousness and grace. All of His promises are Yes and I agree. AMEN!
Friday, June 6, 2014
Sunday, May 11, 2014
How do you know? A Mother's Day tribute
How do you know your children will walk with The Lord ? The question came, but what they really wanted to know was " why are you confident and at peace in the midst of the nightmare ?" The answer truly lies not in how I know, but rather in WHO I know.
As my journey with The Lord continues and as I grow in faith, what I realize more and more clearly is that God is everything He says He is. Now I know that sounds like a simple, cliche statement, but what I mean is that each day God reveals Himself to me personally and demonstrates His character and His nature in a deeper, more meaningful way, which causes me to trust Him and rely on Him More than I did the day before. His Word says that when we search for Him, we will find Him.
Years ago, I searched for His blessing: His provision, His protection, etc. I sought out the hand of God for my life. I didn't do this with a malicious heart. I didn't do it because I couldn't be bothered learning the nature of God. I simply did not know better. I did not know or understand the heart of God. It's similar to other relationships; when they are new, we learn about each other in a 'what's on the surface' type way. As the relationship grows and matures we dig a little deeper and discover the other persons values, what is important to them, and so on. We then decide if this is a relationship we wish to pursue on a deeper level. If we do, then we make choices to spend more time with the other person. Or, we may decide that this is a person we would like to keep at arms length. We are satisfied with the depth of the relationship as is. We make all the same decisions in our relationship with Christ.
Ephesians 3:18-19. My paraphrase: I pray that you will have the power to come to know, practically through experience, the height and the depth, the breadth and the width of the love of God for us who are in Christ. That you would be filled to fullness with the Presence of God... This is the prayer my mother prayed for me. I know this because after she went home to be with The Lord, I read it numerous times in her prayer journal with my name written in the place of the "you". She prayed it for me and I pray it, names inserted, over each of my children. I continue too, to pray it over my brother and sisters, as she asked me to do on the night she died. She left this earth in the knowledge that God answers prayer for those who are in covenant with Him. She, like Moses, didn't get to see the fulfillment of all of her children walking by faith, but she left this place in the hope that on the other side of Glory, she would meet all of her children. She had Faith, not only that her prayers would be answered but also, and most importantly, She had faith in God, for no other reason than He is God. She believed in Him and she believed Him--every word.
So, How do I know? Because I know the One who formed them. I know the One who created each of them for His Glory. I know the One who is a Covenant keeping God, who calls Salvation a household word, who completes Every good work He begins, and who does it all for His Name's sake. He has marked my children, of this I know, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them. They may kick and squirm, but as the master potter, His hand never comes off the clay until the vessel He creates is prepared and ready.
I got a Mother's Day call today from my youngest. Some will say he is my prodigal son, some say he will never come back, he is too far gone. But I agree with what God says. "My children are mighty and blessed on the earth. My God will pour out His Spirit upon them and they will say of themselves, "I am the Lord's". My children will walk in the fullness of the love of God for them. They will know and obey His voice. They are blessed to be a blessing and they will finish the faith race strong and hear the words of their God saying, 'Well done my good and faithful servant, come, enter into my rest.'
My God is always at work. He never sleeps or slumbers. His hand is not too short to save. His heart overflows with compassion for His creation. He intercedes for the rebellious. His mercies are new each morning and His incredible love never fails. Amen. Do you know Him? I invite you to get to know Him through His Word, the Bible.
As my journey with The Lord continues and as I grow in faith, what I realize more and more clearly is that God is everything He says He is. Now I know that sounds like a simple, cliche statement, but what I mean is that each day God reveals Himself to me personally and demonstrates His character and His nature in a deeper, more meaningful way, which causes me to trust Him and rely on Him More than I did the day before. His Word says that when we search for Him, we will find Him.
Years ago, I searched for His blessing: His provision, His protection, etc. I sought out the hand of God for my life. I didn't do this with a malicious heart. I didn't do it because I couldn't be bothered learning the nature of God. I simply did not know better. I did not know or understand the heart of God. It's similar to other relationships; when they are new, we learn about each other in a 'what's on the surface' type way. As the relationship grows and matures we dig a little deeper and discover the other persons values, what is important to them, and so on. We then decide if this is a relationship we wish to pursue on a deeper level. If we do, then we make choices to spend more time with the other person. Or, we may decide that this is a person we would like to keep at arms length. We are satisfied with the depth of the relationship as is. We make all the same decisions in our relationship with Christ.
Ephesians 3:18-19. My paraphrase: I pray that you will have the power to come to know, practically through experience, the height and the depth, the breadth and the width of the love of God for us who are in Christ. That you would be filled to fullness with the Presence of God... This is the prayer my mother prayed for me. I know this because after she went home to be with The Lord, I read it numerous times in her prayer journal with my name written in the place of the "you". She prayed it for me and I pray it, names inserted, over each of my children. I continue too, to pray it over my brother and sisters, as she asked me to do on the night she died. She left this earth in the knowledge that God answers prayer for those who are in covenant with Him. She, like Moses, didn't get to see the fulfillment of all of her children walking by faith, but she left this place in the hope that on the other side of Glory, she would meet all of her children. She had Faith, not only that her prayers would be answered but also, and most importantly, She had faith in God, for no other reason than He is God. She believed in Him and she believed Him--every word.
So, How do I know? Because I know the One who formed them. I know the One who created each of them for His Glory. I know the One who is a Covenant keeping God, who calls Salvation a household word, who completes Every good work He begins, and who does it all for His Name's sake. He has marked my children, of this I know, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them. They may kick and squirm, but as the master potter, His hand never comes off the clay until the vessel He creates is prepared and ready.
I got a Mother's Day call today from my youngest. Some will say he is my prodigal son, some say he will never come back, he is too far gone. But I agree with what God says. "My children are mighty and blessed on the earth. My God will pour out His Spirit upon them and they will say of themselves, "I am the Lord's". My children will walk in the fullness of the love of God for them. They will know and obey His voice. They are blessed to be a blessing and they will finish the faith race strong and hear the words of their God saying, 'Well done my good and faithful servant, come, enter into my rest.'
My God is always at work. He never sleeps or slumbers. His hand is not too short to save. His heart overflows with compassion for His creation. He intercedes for the rebellious. His mercies are new each morning and His incredible love never fails. Amen. Do you know Him? I invite you to get to know Him through His Word, the Bible.
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