I want to live a life of service.

Wouldn’t it be rewarding to go through every day trying to see how many people we can serve, to spend our days not looking to be served ourselves, but seeking to meet the needs of others? 

My husband is a great example of this quality.  So often he puts fulfilling mine and our daughters’ desires ahead of his own.  Just this weekend, when I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, he helped me with several household chores.

In Galatians 5:13, the “brethren” are instructed to “by love, serve one another.”  This command is followed by a reminder in verse 14 that “thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”

Sometimes it’s easier to do service that is visible – perhaps at church or in the community.  Yet for many of us, service begins at home.  It’s packing lunch for our husband, cleaning up after our children, or doing the family’s laundry.

I can be encouraged as I serve if I do it as unto Christ.  Whether my acts are large or small, even if they are seen by no one but God, my attitude should be to bring Him glory.

I feel like I fail so often, losing focus on others and wallowing in the pit of selfishness.  However, I know that with the Holy Spirit’s help, I can follow in the footsteps of Christ and learn to be a servant.

Whom can I serve today?

“A truly rich person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.”  ~Gary Kunath in Life…Don’t Miss It.  I Almost Did

What do we need to make us happy?  A husband who adores us, uber-talented children, a new car, a large bank account, a popular blog?

Finding satisfaction in the little things in life leads to contentment and gratitude.  While there’s certainly no sin in being able to afford expensive items, it’s not a requirement for being truly rich.  Whether it’s possessions or relationships, we can learn to count our blessings, be they big or small.  Even the wealthiest person is not rich if they are always comparing what they have to what others own and becoming dissatisfied if they can’t attain more.

Am I content with what I have been given?  If so, then I am a rich woman.

I thank Thee first because I was never robbed before; second, because although
they took my purse they did not take my life; third, because although they took
my all, it was not much; and fourth because it was I who was robbed, and not I
who robbed.  ~Matthew Henry

In Matthew Henry’s quote we find I Thessalonians 5:18 in action.  “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  He took circumstances that we would all consider to be negative and found a way to be thankful in spite of them.

His fourth item of gratitude really speaks to me.  How often I fail to be grateful for the grace that brought salvation and leads me to walk in right paths.

After reading Ann Voskamp’s book One Thousand Gifts, I decided to begin my own list of gifts for 2013.  Each day I write down at least five things for which I’m thankful.  I know this will be a blessing for me to look back over in the coming years.  It’s almost a journal of what’s going on in our lives as it includes everything from small, routine moments to specifically answered prayers.

I am deciding how to incorporate this idea into our daughters’ lives.  I’d like to have a daily time when each girl can share at least one thing for which she’s thankful.  Doing this at one of our mealtimes may be a natural choice.

I hope that this exercise will cultivate a gratefulness in our family that will stand strong no matter the circumstances!

“Who can find a virtuous woman?  for her price is far above rubies.”  ~Proverbs 31:10

The e-book I’ve been working on for years (literally) and that I’m now in the process of editing is based on the series of posts I wrote regarding the Proverbs 31 woman.  There’s new material as well as application questions at the end of each section.

As I was seeking a title for the book, I did some research about rubies and discovered that they are one of the rarest and most expensive jewels. My heart was moved as I meditated on that fact.

As God inspired the writer of Proverbs, He purposely had him use the word “rubies.”  Just as with all of God’s Word, it wasn’t a random selection, but a specific word that was chosen.  God wanted us to understand just how valuable a virtuous woman is.  She’s not just an amethyst, certainly beautiful in its own right, but a ruby.  A man who has a virtuous woman for his wife – and children who have one for a mother – possess something unbelievably valuable, worth an extravagant sum.

No matter how you or I feel about ourselves today, when we seek to be virtuous women, God sees us as a priceless treasure!  As we go about our tasks for the day, may that encourage and inspire us when consider our worth in His eyes.

Impatience.

Do you ever battle that giant?  I do, often I’m afraid.

It usually arises when I’m in the middle of a project and a child that I thought would be busy with schoolwork for awhile interrupts me and asks for help.  Maybe it comes to call when I’m in a hurry and can’t get other family members to move at my speed.  Other times it’s when I feel that the cashier at the grocery store is spending too much time talking to the customers when she needs to be swiping the groceries.

Lately I’ve recognized how often I’m impatient and I want to find a way to fight against it.  In Colossians 1:10-11, I found the following words: “That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing…strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;”

This passage helps me in several ways.

• It reminds me that my impatience is not pleasing to the Lord.  After all, longsuffering is listed as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23. If I’m not producing that fruit, I’m displaying the fruit of the flesh.
• It is His power that allows me to win the battle over impatience.  I know all too well that I can’t overcome impatience in my own flesh; my selfishness is a natural reaction.
• My attitude counts.  I need to not only overcome my impatient reaction, but also respond with joy.   Sometimes I can control my outward response, but inwardly I’m still frustrated.  How wonderful it would be if I could truly be patient on the inside when interruptions or delays arise.

Sometimes I seem to forget how big my God is.

In Jeremiah 32:17, Jeremiah prays, “Ah Lord God!  behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee.”

It’s a truth I know in my head, but is it a reality in how I pray?  God has the ability to answer any request I bring before Him.  I may not see a way out of a situation, but He does.  His answer may be outside the realm of what I think is possible, but it can be done if He wills it.  Be it small or great, God can do anything.

We find nearly the same phrase in the story of Sarah in the Old Testament.  In Genesis 18:14, the Lord is speaking about Abraham and Sarah having a son in their old age.  After Sarah laughed at the thought, the Lord asked, “Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto
thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

Once again, in Luke 1:37, as the angel Gabriel addresses Mary regarding the conception of Jesus, he says, “For with God nothing shall be impossible.”

There’s a certain situation with one of my daughters about which I’ve been praying. I’m not sure how God might answer it, but I am letting this truth sink into my heart.  He has the power to answer in ways I can’t even imagine – and I know that however He answers, it will be what’s best for her.

I’m also praying for wisdom in another area.  I don’t know how God will make clear the way to proceed, but James 1:5 tells me that, if I ask for wisdom, He will give it to me.

As I seek God in prayer, I want to live in faith and trust, knowing that God is all powerful and is able to do anything He chooses.

Praying what seems to you like an impossible prayer?  Keep praying; God can do it.

As part of my study on prayer this year, I have been reading the prayers of Bible characters.  Hannah’s prayer of thanksgiving in I Samuel 2:1-10 is full of praise to God.  She begins her prayer by saying, “My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord….because I rejoice in thy salvation.  There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.”  The passage continues with her describing God and His wonderful works.

From there, I moved to a prayer of David in II Samuel 7:18-29.  In verse 22, he says, “Wherefore thou art great, O Lord God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee.”  He goes on to say in verse 26, “And let thy name be magnified for ever,” and in verse 28, “And now, O Lord God, thou art that God, and thy words be true.”

What struck me about these prayers is their focus.  Both Hannah’s and David’s prayers are centered on God, not themselves.  Certainly we are told to bring our requests to God and that’s a large part of prayer.  However, I fear that I concentrate most often on asking for my needs to be met when I should spend more of my prayer time in worshipping and praising God.  As I recognize and name His attributes and recall what He has done through creation and in my own life, then I can move into my prayer requests with a heart already full of His glory and power.

May I learn from these saints of old to make more of my prayer about God, and less of it about me.

One of my goals for 2013 is to spend the first ten minutes of my daily devotional time in prayer.  I had been praying at the end of my devotions and found that I usually ran out of time.  This new plan is working very well!

We are told in I Thessalonians 5:17 to pray without ceasing.  What a blessing it is to know that we can pray anytime and anywhere.  Indeed, we should always be in an attitude of prayer.

However, in studying Bible passages on prayer lately, I’ve been motivated to look at setting more specific times of prayer.  David says in Psalm 55:17, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud…”  After learning of the king’s command that no prayers were to be offered except to the king himself, we read in Daniel 6:10 that Daniel “kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.” 

These men are an inspiration to me to set aside 3 times a day to pray.  I have the morning covered, but I would like to add a few minutes to pray in the middle of the day, perhaps right before or after lunch.  That part of our day tends to be busy, so I will have to be purposeful in making this happen.  I also want to add a time of prayer just before I fall asleep. 

At each of these times, I want to pray for specific needs.  In the morning, it’s my family and friends.  At lunch time, I can pray for missionaries and our country.  In the evening, it could be for our church, its ministries, and the needs of fellow members.

Strengthening my prayer life is a focus for 2013 and I hope that establishing this habit will help in that area.

Do you have any other suggestions for setting specific prayer times?

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As I mentioned in my 2013 goals post, I want to focus on strengthening my prayer life this year.  Each Monday for the next several weeks, I’ll plan to share what I’m learning as I study Bible passages about prayer.

II Chronicles 7:14 is a fairly well-known verse.  The verse begins with the following phrases:  “If my people…shall humble themselves, and pray….”

Praying is an act of humility.  If I am coming to God and asking for His help, I am admitting that I am insufficient to meet the need.  This is the case with salvation – we, as sinners, come to God in prayer, admitting that we cannot save ourselves from our sins, and asking Him to redeem us.

So it continues as we walk through the Christian life.  I must be humble enough to realize that I cannot fight Satan’s temptation alone, but need the power of Christ to overcome.  I cannot make wise decisions regarding marriage, parenting, work situations, or anything else without God’s direction. 

As I bring my requests to Him daily, may my state of mind be one of humility, recognizing my own weaknesses while acknowledging God as the all powerful One who has the ability to answer my every prayer.

I love new beginnings.

From a fresh start every morning to the first day of a new year, I welcome the chance to evaluate where I am and make plans for where I want to be. 

Along with the excitement however, can come a tinge of apprehension, wondering what lies ahead.

As we step into 2013 today, I find the words of this hymn particularly comforting.

Be Still My Soul

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear
patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and
provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy
best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful
end.

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as
He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now
mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds
still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.

~Katharine von Schlegel

Praising the Lord for His blessings in 2012, thanking Him for His grace and protection, and looking forward to seeing His plan unfold for our family – and yours – in 2013!