Worship Archives - Page 2 of 29

Do You Have Fair-Weather Faith?

May 8, 2018 by Tracey 3 Comments

We’ve probably all heard the term “fair-weather friend.” Maybe you’ve even had one or two of these people in your life.

It’s a person who’s our friend when our lives are clicking along smoothly, and it’s convenient for them. However, they disappear at the first sign of trouble or when it’s no longer easy for them to be with us.

Sometimes as Christians we can have “fair-weather faith.” It’s a faith that loudly sings the words to “Trust and Obey” in a church service when we’re happy and circumstances are good. But when a trial comes along, it gets pretty quiet.

When we’re seeing prayers answered, we give a testimony about trusting God, and how He came through in our situation. Yet when we’ve prayed for relief from a hardship, and it hasn’t gone away, we may secretly doubt God’s faithfulness.

Is your faith only strong in the good times, or does it carry you through the hard days?

I see three men in the Old Testament who had genuine faith, not the fair-weather kind.

I’m sure you know the story found in Daniel 3. King Nebuchadnezzar tells Shadrach, Meshach, and Abenego that they’re going to be thrown into a fiery furnace. They’ve refused to obey the command to bow down and worship his idol. Death is imminent. I think this qualifies as a trial.

Yet their faith is not shaken.

“Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” ~Daniel 3:16-18

BUT IF NOT.

In other words, “God, we know you can deliver us. But even if you don’t, we’re going to keep on loving and obeying you.”

When a trial comes, we pray for deliverance. In our humanity, we pray to escape the trial as quickly as possible. And we have absolute faith that God can do that.

So, if you’re like me, we pray what we believe is best for us. I’ll take the shortest route through this difficulty, thank you very much. I think Cherie Hill says it well in her book, The Problem of Prayer and The Promise That Changes Everything.

“We want prayer to be our will that influences heaven, instead of praying that God’s will influences what happens on earth.”

And sometimes God answers that prayer, and we see a quick victory. But other times, our outcome may look like what happened to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

You see, before their faith was realized, they had to go into the furnace. God didn’t rescue them from being thrown in. He only delivered them after He revealed Himself to them in the midst of it.

God may not deliver us out of our trial, but He will deliver us through it. He wants to show us how to endure it as a good soldier. These three men submitted to God’s will regardless if it meant deliverance or death. And it’s through those kinds of trials that we will come to a deeper, sweeter relationship with Jesus Christ.

Neither you nor I are facing a heathen king or a fiery furnace. But maybe today we don’t have enough money to pay the bills or we realize a child is making bad life choices. It could be a cancer diagnosis, a spouse who’s grown distant, or seeing the chance we had at a new and better job fall apart.

Here’s another thought-provoking quote from Cherie Hill. “Sometimes, just as in the Garden of Gethsemane, our prayers will be crying out to God for help, and we’ll suffer through it, instead of being delivered out of it.”

If that’s where you are, hold on to your faith like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. It’s a faith that says, “I know You can…but you might not.” Ask God to give you a faith that walks into the fire, still trusting Him. Rest in His promise to never leave you nor forsake you. And you’ll grow a faith that keeps you strong, no matter what the weather.

On Trusting God’s Purpose When I Just Want an Easier Life

May 1, 2018 by Tracey 4 Comments

Happy May 1st!! I’m so thankful that God built “fresh starts” into the rhythms of our world. Whether it’s a new morning, a new year, or a changing season, it’s good to begin again with a clean slate. Glad to be stepping into the next month!

Here’s a question for you that I think I already know the answer to.

Have you ever wished for something to be taken out of your life? It could be a person or a situation, any thing that makes your life more difficult.

I was dealing with this last week. One morning I thought to myself, “If I just didn’t have to deal with this person any more, things would be so much better.” I was tired of interacting with someone I had a hard time getting along with.

Then this question popped into my mind. “Why do you not want to deal with this person any more?” The answer came immediately – because it would make my life easier.

And then I knew what the root of the problem was. It wasn’t so much about that person as it was about my selfishness.

There was no thought that morning for the other person. I hadn’t looked at him/her through the lens of how God might be able to use me in their life. Nor did I consider what God might be trying to do in my life through them. It was all about making life easier for myself by not having to deal with the conflict that person inevitably brings along with them.

This struggle may not always center on a particular person. It might be a situation that’s hard to deal with, like an illness, a failed relationship, a job loss, or some type of persecution.

This shouldn’t surprise us. Jesus said in John 16:33, “In the world ye shall have tribulation…”

I think of Paul’s thorn in the flesh mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12. Surely his life would have been easier if God answered His prayer to take the thorn away, but God didn’t. God had a purpose in allowing it to continue in Paul’s life.

So how can I think differently about this difficult person? Maybe God has this person in my life so I can be a testimony and a witness to them. Perhaps as they see the joy and peace I have through Christ, they’ll want the same for themselves. I have no idea how He’s working in their life, but maybe I can be just a small part of that.

And how about what God’s doing in my life through that person? I have my doubts that he/she knows or cares how they’re impacting me. So what is God trying to teach me about myself?

Obviously He’s already used them to remind me again of how selfish I am. Life is not all about how I can get by with the least amount of trouble or irritation. No, those difficult people and hard days are actually a big part of maturing me in my faith.

Is God growing my patience, teaching me self-control? Is He having me deal with this person because He knows that I’m going to be able to use this situation to help somebody else later on?

I’m reminded of the illustration of a weaver creating a beautiful tapestry. All I can see from my perspective here today are the tangled threads underneath the tapestry. It’s not attractive, looks mostly like a tangled mess.

But God sees it from the top side, a work in progress. He’s weaving the pattern that will produce the beautiful finished product. And parts of my life – like that person I’d rather not deal with – don’t make sense to me. Yet it’s all orchestrated by Him as part of His master plan.

I like this wording of 2 Corinthians 4:17. “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” When I consider eternity, this person or circumstance will just be a blip in the story of my life.

I don’t know if you’re dealing with a difficult person or a troublesome situation today. In our humanity, we don’t want to face either because it’s painful, exhausting, and hard.

But let’s try to look beyond how it makes us feel. Let’s move past our selfishness, and trust God’s purpose in it. Whether I can see it or not, God wants to use that person or that situation to grow me into being more like Him. He can also turn it into a blessing and use it to encourage others.

Let’s trust God for the grace to allow Him to accomplish His purpose through it.

Yes, It Really Is for Your Own Good

April 24, 2018 by Tracey 3 Comments

You may have noticed that doing what’s good for you isn’t always pleasant or easy.

Case in point. My family doctor wants me to eat a diet that’s low in fat to bring my cholesterol numbers down to where they need to be. In my head, I want that, too. But that’s not how I always choose to eat.

Sometimes the doughnut or the cookies ‘n’ cream milkshake or the baguette slathered in butter wins the day, because that’s what I want in the moment. Eating in a healthy way consistently isn’t always easy for me. But let’s move beyond food choices and my battle with choosing apple slices over chocolate chip cookies.

It’s also like visiting the dentist. During my appointment, it hurts to have the hygienist scraping my teeth. But I know that doing that on a regular basis is what will keep my mouth healthy.

Now let’s take something like gossip. It can feel good to share with a friend the lowdown we just heard about a situation. It makes us look “in the know” and feel important. But if what we’re passing on isn’t edifying – either for the person we’re sharing about or for the person we’re talking to – then it doesn’t need to be said. Reminds me of the old adage, “Is it kind? Is it true? Is it necessary?”

And while I know it’s good for me not to gossip, it’s not always easy to control my tongue.

Yet God gives us commands and principles in the Bible that we’re to follow. And according to this passage in Deuteronomy, His commands are for our good.

“And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?“ ~Deuteronomy 10:12-13

God doesn’t give us commands or “rules” because He wants to keep us from having any fun in life. He gives them to us because He knows what’s good for us. He knows that as we live according to His Word, we will gain what truly satisfies our souls and gives us lasting joy.

For example, God commands us to tithe or give money to our local church. Does God need our money? No. But He knows that as we give, we become generous. Generous people reflect Christ in a way that draws others to Him.

How about one of the original ten commandments, from Exodus 20 – don’t covet? God knows that if we get busy looking around at what others have, we’re going to become discontent and bitter. Do you know anyone like that, always complaining because someone else has better “stuff” than they do? Is that person fun to be around?

On the other hand, God commands us to be thankful. Why? Because then our attitude will be one of gratefulness for what we have. We’ll be content with God’s provision.

Every command of God’s is for our ultimate good, even those that we find hard to obey. Love and pray for your enemies, do all things without complaining, be anxious for nothing – yes, those, too.

And while we try to wrap our heads around this for ourselves, I think it’s also good to talk it through with our children.

Are they going to see that us saying “no” to something they want to do is for their good? Likely not in the moment. Nor are they going to necessarily be excited when we set certain restrictions on their tv-watching or what music they’re allowed to listen to.

But as they grow to know our hearts and sense our love for them, hopefully they’ll come to understand. And what a responsibility we have to seek God’s wisdom as we make those decisions in our homes.

So when you come across a command in the Bible that you think is going to be difficult to follow, remember that God’s given that command because it’s going to produce a good thing in your life. In the end, He’s seeking to conform us into His image. And that’s definitely a good outcome!

This Is What Our Souls Need

April 18, 2018 by Tracey 5 Comments

Worship.

Does your soul ever thirst for worship? Sometimes it can be the part of our spiritual life that gets overlooked. All too often we come into God’s presence with our list of needs and wants, in a hurry to get down to the business of asking for His help with our problems.

And He certainly wants to bear our burdens, give us guidance, grant us peace.

But how sweet it can be to take time just to be with Him. To set aside the prayer requests, and quiet our minds. To be still. To think about God’s greatness and His holiness, His love and His mercy.

That’s what I needed one morning last week.

One way I like to worship God is to take a Bible verse that’s full of praise, and meditate on it. The verse may talk about His mighty works, or it may describe one of His attributes. In fact, I wrote a whole post about that titled 10 Bible Passages of Praise for Worshiping God. You can read it here.

I also like to worship through music, and that’s what I chose to do last week.

Our daughters’ high school choir sang Only God in the recent state fine arts competition. I’d listened to it several times, and had it saved on my phone. In a quiet moment, I was able to really focus on the words. I was reminded again what a great and powerful God we serve.

Whenever I hear songs like this one, I like to imagine heaven filled with all of our voices lifted in worship. What an amazing sound that will be!

These verses go well with the song below.

“For you are great, and do wondrous things; you alone are God.” ~ Psalm 86:10

“O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.” ~ Isaiah 37:16

Here’s a recording of the song. I’ve included the lyrics below the video. [If you’re reading via email, you can click here to view the video on YouTube.]

“Only God can move a mountain; only God can calm the sea.
Only God can heal a wounded spirit–only God, only God!

Only God can hear my heart’s cry; only God my sin atone.
Only God can give us calm assurance–only God, only God!

Only God can be our Refuge; only God can be your Strength.
Only God will stand as our Defender–only God, only God!

Only God is the Power; only God in majesty.
Only God will reign as King forever–only God, only God!

God almighty! Most holy, wise God! You are the power and the glory, O God our God!”

While I’m on the subject, here’s another song of worship I’ve loved for a long time, Holy Is He. [Click here to see the video on YouTube.]

Holy is He and great is His glory
Holy is He and worthy of our praise
I stand in His presence amazed

And crown Him with worship and praise
Holy is He, Holy is He, Holy is He.

Who pardons my iniquities?
Who heals me from within?
Who lifts my fallen life
And sets me on my feet again?
Who leads me like a Shepherd
When I’ve gone astray?
My Lord, my God, my Jesus,
The One I praise today!

Holy is He and great is His glory
Holy is He and worthy of our praise
I stand in His presence amazed
And crown Him with worship and praise
Holy is He, Holy is He, Holy is He.

Who hears me in my loneliness?
Who finds me where I hide?
Who knocks outside my broken heart
‘Til I let Him inside?
Whose life deserves the honor
Laid before His throne?
My Lord, my God, my Jesus,
My Savior and my Own!

Holy is He and great is His glory
Holy is He and worthy of our praise
I stand in His presence amazed
And crown Him with worship and praise
Holy is He, Holy is He, Holy is He.

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty
All Thy works shall praise Thy Name
In earth and sky and sea
Holy, Holy, Holy, merciful and mighty,
God in three Persons, Blessed Trinity!

Holy is He and great is His glory
Holy is He and worthy of our praise
I stand in His presence amazed
And crown Him with worship and praise
Holy is He, Holy is He, Holy is He!

Holy is He! Amen!
AMEN!

~David Clydesdale, Word Music

Let’s make it a priority to spend some time just worshiping God. He is worthy of all our praise!

Share with me a worship song you love!

Don’t Let Fear Take You Here

April 11, 2018 by Tracey 5 Comments

Can you identify with the following incident I shared on the blog a few years ago?

Recently I was lying in bed envisioning an upcoming situation with one of our children and letting myself imagine how badly it might turn out. “What if this happens?” or “What if a person responds to her this way?” or “How will we handle this particular outcome?”

I tossed and turned as the possibilities went from bad to worse. Pretty soon I was practically panicked, allowing fear of what might happen to make me a nervous wreck.

Here’s what’s interesting about that story. I could have written those same words last Friday night. Yes, I was basically in much the same boat, just regarding a different situation (one still related to my children, of course!).

A number of times in the Bible, people are told to “fear not.” Maybe that’s because fear is an emotion that’s easy to give in to. It doesn’t take much for most of us to let our imaginations run wild with all the possibilities of bad things that can happen.

I like these words related to battling fear from Melanie Shankle’s book, The Antelope in the Living Room.

“Isn’t that what fear does? It grows and magnifies everything to the point where all rational thought is lost and we can only see the city limits of Worst Case Scenario, which borders Crazy Town.”

In both cases of mine above (plus many more times I won’t mention), that’s exactly what happened to me. Fear crept into my mind. It may have started as a small concern, but I allowed it to totally blow things out of proportion. Not only that, but I was fearful of events and reactions that might not even occur.

Fear can take us lots of places in our minds that we don’t need to go.

One of my favorite Bible verses on fear is II Timothy 1:7.

“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”

Any feelings of fear we have are not from God. His plan for us is that we trust in Him. His Holy Spirit gives us the power to have peace ruling in our hearts. We can rest in His goodness and faithfulness.

So what do we do when those middle-of-the-night fears start to come? How about meditating on Psalm 34:4?

“I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.”

Pray. God will hear. And He has the ability to deliver us from ALL our fears. There’s not a one that’s too big for Him to handle.

And Deuteronomy 31:6 reminds me that He’s not going to leave me in my fears.

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.“

I love that God wants to deliver us from our fears. Isaiah 41:13 says,

“For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.”

If I picture God holding my hand as I face my fear, and hear His voice saying He will help me, I can have the courage I need to send that fear packing.

Our fear will not accomplish anything positive. It will only make us citizens of Crazy Town! Let’s don’t let fear take us there!!

Have you struggled with fear? What helps you get through those times?

5 Tips to Keep You from Getting Your Own Way

March 27, 2018 by Tracey 3 Comments

How often do you want your own way? Whether it’s where to go on vacation, how to load the dishwasher, or what time to put the kids to bed, we each like to do things the way we think is best.

That makes us just like the Israelites in the Old Testament.

Each morning I read a Psalm as part of my quiet time. I just go through them in order, then start over when I get to the end of the book. I’m also working through Priscilla Shirer’s devotional Discerning the Voice of God.

One day last week, when the same Psalm I happened to read in my Bible showed up in the devotional section I was on, I figured maybe I’d better pay attention!

It was Psalm 81, and here’s the portion that grabbed my attention. It’s verses 8-16.

Hear, O my people, and I will testify unto thee: O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto me; There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.

I am the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt: open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

But my people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me. So I gave them up unto their own hearts’ lust: and they walked in their own counsels.

Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways! I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.

The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured for ever. He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat: and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

This passage describes the time when God brought the children of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt. When Israel refused to obey Him, God let them have their own way. Needless to say, it didn’t go well for them. They missed so many of the blessings that God had in store for them!

Since we can identify with wanting our own way, I looked for some warnings listed in this passage that we can apply in our own lives.

Keep strange gods out of our lives.

Usually “strange” gods would be those that other nations worshiped, or foreign gods. The Israelites were to be known as a people who worshiped only Jehovah God.

As Christians, I wonder if we often worship the same things our culture does. Are we worshiping the world’s philosophies, their entertainment, their materialism, or their politics?

God wants us to worship Him alone, and to give Him glory for what happens in our lives.

Don’t walk in our own counsel.

If you’re like me, we can get in our own heads and come up with some pretty valid-sounding reasons to do what we want to do. Anytime we have a decision to make, we need to pray and seek Godly counsel, both from God’s Word and from another respected Christian, if needed.

Listen for God’s instruction.

Verse 11 says “But my people would not hearken to my voice…” How are we going to hear God’s voice? Through His Word, the Bible. It’s a simple truth, but we need to read and study our Bible so that we will know what it says and can obey it.

Trust God to give us what’s best for us.

Too often I think I know what’s best for me, but, in reality, I don’t. I don’t see the whole picture like God does, nor do I understand what I need to draw me into a closer relationship with Him. He wants to subdue our enemies and feed us with the finest things, if we will only follow Him.

Realize that true satisfaction only comes as we walk with God.

Our husband, children, friends, ministry or career can’t provide us with what God can. If we’re looking for fulfillment from any of those things, we’re going to be disappointed. God is able to satisfy not only our physical needs, but our spiritual and emotional ones as well.

Here’s my prayer after considering what these verses say.

Dear God, show me any strange gods that are in my life, and help me remove them so that I worship only You. Keep me from walking in my own counsel. Don’t let me have my own way, but help me willingly yield to your guidance.

Let me hear You through Your Word, and then walk in your ways. Feed me in every sense with your best food, and satisfy me daily with your sweetness.

5 Bible Promises to Pray Over Your Life Today

March 13, 2018 by Tracey 5 Comments

“…What greater rebellion…or insult to God can there be, than not to believe His promises?” ~Martin Luther

Are you ever guilty of this, of not believing God’s promises? I know I am.

Or maybe it’s more that I just don’t make God’s promises a priority in my spiritual walk. I realize that the Bible is full of them. Yet how often do I look for those promises, and claim them in my life?

I like how E.M. Bounds talks about mixing prayer with the promises of God.

“Promises, like the rain, are general. Prayer embodies, precipitates, and locates them for personal use. Prayer goes by faith into the great fruit orchard of God’s exceeding great and precious promises, and with hand and heart picks the ripest and richest fruit.”

As I find a promise of God in His Word, I can take that promise and pray it back to Him. I can ask Him for faith to believe that He will fulfill that promise, because He is faithful and never changes. (Hebrews 10:23; Numbers 23:19)

Here’s five promises of God that we can pray over our lives today.

1. “For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” ~Psalm 84:11

If I am following God – with no known sin in my life and living according to the truth I know from the Bible – God will not keep from me anything that is for my good. He’s not holding out on me. Rather, He is blessing me in ways I see and in ways I can’t see with my human eyes.

Prayer: God, as I walk before you today, I’m trusting Your Word that You will not withhold anything from me that is good for me. I look forward to seeing all the good You have in store for my life.

2. “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering…” ~James 1:5-6a

I find comfort in this verse as we parent two teenagers! I’ve seen God directly answer this prayer. But the promise also applies to our marriages, our careers, handling our money…every area of our lives needs wisdom, and God promises it to us if we’ll just ask Him for it, and have faith that He’ll give it.

Prayer: God, I ask you for wisdom for this particular situation. Because You’ve promised to give wisdom when I ask for it, I believe that you will give me the words to say and show me the actions I need to take when the time comes.

3. “Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” ~Jeremiah 29:12-13

If I pray, God will hear me. If I seek God, He will reveal Himself to me.

Prayer: I want to know you better, God. I’m going to the Bible to read and learn more about You. I believe that You will reveal Yourself to me because You have promised that I will find You when I search for You with my whole heart.

4. “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” ~Philippians 4:19

We often think of this as a financial need, which fits the context of the passage. But God supplies all of our needs – physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual. His riches are not just monetary. He has riches of love, stores of grace, and an abundance of mercy.

Prayer: God, I have a specific need today. You have the ability to meet the need, and have promised to do that. Please let me see how You meet the need so that I can give you thanksgiving and praise.

5. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” ~Matthew 11:28

Some days we just need rest. Maybe it’s a physical tiredness or an emotional exhaustion, but either way, God promises to give us rest.

Prayer: I’m weary today, God. I’m burdened with many cares. You’ve promised me rest. Let me feel that rest down in my soul.

I’m challenged by these thoughts to begin noticing and marking God’s promises as I come across them in my daily Bible reading. I’d like to start a journal page where I can keep an ongoing list of promises to refer back to on a regular basis.

What promise of God could you pray over your life today?

Have You Been Good?

March 6, 2018 by Tracey 4 Comments

Did you ever ask this question of your kids when you picked them up from the church nursery, preschool, or a babysitter’s house?

“Have you been good?”

Now when we ask that question, what is it that we’re wanting to know? Basically we mean, have you behaved yourself properly, obeyed the rules, and acted in a way that you know is right. Sometimes the answer is yes…and if your kids are like mine, sometimes it’s no (ha!)

(Now I have to admit that I didn’t usually ask this question of my daughters. I figured if the adult didn’t mention some misbehavior to me, I’d take that as a good sign. I usually had enough to deal with just managing what went on when I was present!)

The fruit of the Spirit we’re looking at this month is goodness. Like I mentioned with gentleness last month, it doesn’t strike me as one of the most outstanding fruit of the Spirit. Yet I appreciate it because it’s one of my favorite qualities about God.

Like all the other fruit, God displays it perfectly. He is always good. God’s goodness is part of His nature, and it’s revealed in how He deals with us, His children

But what if we were to ask ourselves the question above. Have I been good? Much of the time, we’d have to answer no.

So what is goodness as it relates to the fruit of the Spirit? I found it defined at dictionary.com as excellence of character or behavior that shows high moral standards. It’s choosing to do what is right according to the Bible, and acting on the commands and truths found there.

Now in case I thought I could work up some goodness on my own, Paul put that idea to rest. We can all identify with his statements in Romans 7:18-19.

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.”

Only through the saving blood of Jesus and the power that I have through His Holy Spirit can I do anything that would be called good. Paul says there’s not one good thing that I naturally possess.

But as I grow in my Christian life, I have that “want-to” to do good. It’s then that the fruit of goodness can begin to be produced. I make a right choice, I answer someone honestly, I speak kindly to my family, I turn off that movie I don’t need to watch.

So while I realize that it’s the Holy Spirit who produces goodness, what can I do to cultivate that fruit in my life today? Here are 5 ideas.

1. Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any sin in my life. I can’t be good if I’m allowing sin to have control in some area.

2. View any lifestyle decision I make today through the lens of what the Bible says about it. If I don’t know a specific verse that relates to it, look for a Scriptural principle that applies.

3. Choose kindness when I don’t feel like being kind.

4. Do what’s best for the other person in a situation, not necessarily what most benefits me.

5. Meditate on Psalm 34:8. “O taste and see that the LORD [is] good: blessed [is] the man [that] trusteth in him.” Think of specific instances in the past when you’ve seen God’s goodness displayed in your own life.

Let’s go be good – with the Holy Spirit’s help – today!

4 Tips to Help You Count Your Blessings

March 1, 2018 by Tracey 4 Comments

Ready for some real-time authenticity and confession?

This has been a week of negative thoughts. Feelings of inadequacy, loneliness, and envy roll around in my mind. I stew on them, work up a little anger – or self-pity, depending on the moment. I know that I need to “take those thoughts captive.” I can even quote a Bible verse for each sin that’s tempting me to walk its way.

Have you ever had an hour – or maybe a day – like that? Our focus narrows to ourselves and we wallow in the pit of unhappiness.

There’s no better time to count our blessings.

I’ll admit, that’s not been my first response. But I see some encouragement in Deuteronomy 26. Here we find Moses instructing the children of Israel regarding giving a tithe back to God when they begin to prosper in the Promised Land. In verse 11, he describes the delights which await them.

“And thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee, and unto thine house….”

That Scripture teaches me several valuable lessons.

When you least feel like, you most need to do it.

1. Recognize every good thing.

In other words, count our blessings. I’m still writing in my 1000 gifts journal – I’m up to over 8,500 of them! And some mornings I can list five or six gifts/blessings from the previous day without hardly thinking about it. Other days, I struggle to come up with two. It’s not that God is “better” to me one day than He is the next. It’s that some days (too often!) I don’t recognize the good things.

2. Realize from whom every good thing comes.

It is God who gives me each one of them. There’s no fate involved, no luck that brings them, nor, though I love the word, any such thing as serendipity. Remember James 1:17?

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”

God is always good, and any good thing we receive comes from Him.

3. Rest in His provision.

God always provides. Philippians 4:19 says, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” So while I’m noticing the good things that God’s given in the past, I can trust that He’ll continue to bestow good things in the future.

And while we’re resting, let’s enjoy the good things. Yes, one day we might have more, but let’s be content with what He’s supplied today. As we live in contentment, we can also take great pleasure in the good things we have now.

4. Rejoice in every good thing.

Rejoice means to feel or show great delight. I know that I haven’t been doing much of that this week. I lost my joy.

Joy in my spirit, reflected on my face, is a way of witnessing to others – including my children – that my God is good. He has given me so much, beyond just meeting my needs. Like we enjoy blessing our children, I believe God likes to provide pleasures just for our enjoyment.

As I think about Moses’ command, I remember a part of the story that was still ahead of them. What else was going to happen in the Promised Land? There were going to be battles.

The Canaanites weren’t just going to lay down their weapons and surrender their land. Yet in the middle of working hard to gain victory, the Israelites were going to be surrounded by so many good things! In the same way, as I battle my thought life this week, God continues to surround me with blessings in abundance. How thankful I am for His faithfulness!

For what “good thing” are you rejoicing today?

Just a Fancy Way to Say We Need to Learn to Wait

February 21, 2018 by Tracey 4 Comments

Were you a fan of spelling bees in elementary school? I was. We’d line up in two rows on opposite sides of the classroom. The teacher would call out a word to the first person in line. If you got it right, you went to the back of the line. If you missed, you went back to your desk and sat down. I didn’t always win, but I usually made it through the first few rounds!

My younger daughter follows in those footsteps, and enjoys competing in spelling bees at the state fine arts competition. Helping her study the extensive lists makes me realize how many words there are out there that I’ve never heard of. I have a hard enough time pronouncing them, and certainly couldn’t spell them correctly, especially under pressure!

While listening to Jamie Ivey’s podcast The Happy Hour last week, I learned another new word. I think I could have spelled it, but had no clue what it meant.

The word was “liminal”, and it was used in the phrase “liminal space.” Jamie’s guest explained what it meant, but I wanted to dig into it a little more. Here’s what I found at inaliminalspace.org

“A liminal space is the time between the ‘what was’ and the ‘next.’ It is a place of transition, waiting, and not knowing.”

Ah, that I can understand. Alan Seale also explains the term well.

“The liminal space is a waiting space. You could land here for any number of reasons. Perhaps a particular event or circumstance has interrupted the life you were living and now everything is up in the air. Or maybe something is unfolding around you that will have a significant impact on your next steps, yet you have no control over that circumstance and its timing. Or perhaps you are clear about your next steps, yet somehow you sense that now is not the time to take those steps. And you don’t know when the right time will come.”

So I’ve been in a liminal space before and didn’t know that’s what it was called! I realized that there are a few ways this relates to the Bible truth of waiting on the Lord.

The term is liminal space. Just reminds me I need to learn to wait on God.

A liminal space is a waiting space.

Oftentimes, in our minds, waiting means there’s not much going on. It’s just downtime, with no action taking place. Yet just as we talked about last week, even when we don’t see outward progress, God is at work. So even in a season of waiting, much can be accomplished in our lives.

As I looked up Bible verses about waiting, I noticed how many of them are in Psalms. After all, David knew about waiting. Samuel crowned him king while he was just a shepherd boy. Even after he grew older, he was forced to wait again while a jealous Saul chased him down and tried to kill him.

He could advise us with confidence, “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.” (Psalm 27:14)

A liminal space is a transition.

Are you facing a transition in the near future? It could be a first child starting school, a last child starting school, an empty nest. Maybe it’s a move or a job change or just an adjustment to your daily schedule.

There can be a little bit of fear in transitions. Transitions typically mean change, and that can make us uncomfortable! Yet it’s often in the transition times that we grow. If everything always stayed the same, we’d be stagnant. We wouldn’t develop new skills, or expand in different areas of our life.

So when we’re in those transition times, let’s rely on God to help us through the changes. As the verse below says, let’s find our hope in His Word.

“I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in His word do I hope.” (Psalm 130:5)

A liminal space is the in-between.

Impatience can grow in the in-between We’re pretty much finished with one thing, but aren’t quite ready to move on to the next thing. We just want to hurry through the in-between.

This is a good time to remember Psalm 37:7. “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him…”

God has so much to teach us in the waiting spaces, the transitions, and the in-between times. It may feel like nothing’s happening. Yet God’s timing is always perfect.

“He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also He hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11)

God is faithful to reveal the next step when He has prepared us for it. Until then, we wait, we listen, and we trust, expecting our good God to guide us each step of the way.

“My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” (Psalm 62:5)