“For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.” Mark 3:35

As a mom, wife, daughter, church member and employee, people and projects clamor for my time. Jesus handled the demands of others according to each situation in a perfect manner (in the temple at age 12, to his family who demanded to see him while He taught, with the mother of His disciples who begged Him to let her sons have a position of power).

I know the things in life that I like: cobalt blue, apricots, green paint, biographies, mysteries, pens with blue ink and a fine tip, all kinds of well-performed music, pima cotton… So why don’t I know what I want? And does that even matter?

People circle around me, asking (and sometimes demanding) my time, energy, and resources. God gave me the time, energy and resources in order that I might serve the people He placed in my life. So what’s the problem?

God tells us that He created specific work for each of us before the foundations of the earth. Every child of the King lives with a destiny. The Bible also tells us that our Heavenly Father will give us the desires of our hearts if we just ask. There’s a catch though. God’s desires must be our desires. If I am so busy listening to everyone else, no matter how close, authoritative, holy and spiritual they are, I might miss God’s whisper to me alone. My most important role in this life is as God’s princess, His precious daughter. If performing as church member or child of earthly parents or wife overwhelms what God is saying, there is a problem.

In order to know God’s heart I’m going to talk to Him before reading the next article that gets thrown on my desk. I’m taking everything that I’m told, every suggestion with a grain of salt.

Oh, God, let my heart be attuned with Your heart.

Instead, they were longing for a better country-a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. Hebrews 11:16

Do you ever feel like the people that came before you; your parents, grandparents, spiritual giants experienced God in a way that’s impossible to you? It’s a lie that so many people of this era believe.

We know that our God is faithful. Or so we say. But when this comes to our own impossibility do we really trust God the way our forbearers trusted? The covenants and promises that God made to Abraham and Sarah were impossible. When Sarah laughed at the angels who prophesied her son’s conception, it was with bitter grief. Her body was dead to any advent of new life. Sons were a salvation of sorts to women. A son guaranteed a future without shame or poverty. So when this elderly woman gave birth to her baby boy, she named him “Laughter,” or “Isaac.” This time when Sarah laughed, it birthed the promised child.

We often forget that God kept personally visiting this family line. He even visited Hagar, the slave, in the desert. And she wasn’t a part of this particular promise. Isaac, Judah, David, and Solomon…They were a part of the covenant and God visited each. No matter how a sinful people interfered with the plans, God was faithful.

So what can’t you believe today? What is impossible for you? What makes you laugh bitter tears? The God of our spiritual fathers sees you. He hears your pain. God promised Abraham, thousands of years ago, that all nations of this earth would be blessed through him. That promise is for you. Father God was thinking of you as this patriarch tried to count the stars while smelling tired camels and lamb roasting on the communal fire. “For unto us a son is born.” Our salvation. Our guarantee. He’s here. And you can believe Him.

Heavenly Father, Forgive me for trying to syphon off my parents’ faith. Someday I will stand before you alone. Give me hope that You will make a way for my future. Amen

Journal

Read the accounts in Genesis when God spoke to Isaac and Judah.

What did God promise them? Where they always faithful?

 

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

Family is both the best and the worst part of Christmas. The presence or absence of our loved ones bring so much joy and so much pain, all in the same breath.

I am so beyond blessed to have three sides of my family when most people only have two. My mom and my dad gave me the Wyrtzen and Hewitt families. On top of that, I have my birthmother’s family. Three times blessed! That’s more than most people could ever wish for. And even though I am close to middle-aged, I love the feeling of being drawn in to the warmth of a hug by my mom and my dad. I will always be their girl.

So I’m thinking about Jesus leaving the warmth of His Father’s side over two thousand years ago. Perfect love. Perfect protection. Perfect peace. I wonder what the pain must have been like when Jesus chose, before the foundations of the world, to willingly come and die for us. He knew His Father better than anyone. Then one day, that perfect Father would turn His face away as His Son cried, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me!” He chose this, the worst of all heartbreaks, so that we would never be forsaken. Yes, He knew the end of the story, as do we. But that did not take away the pain of the thorns, the whip, the jeers, the nails, and the total, utter separation from all that was good. So if your Christmas is less than perfect, just know and understand that it was only meant to give us a “for-taste of glory divine.”

This is what God the Father gave us. Read this as if you’ve never heard it before. God gave us His son at Christmas to be rejected for us. So let’s give the praise and worship to the Father who gave the gift. Let ourselves weep over what the Son left behind for us.

Heavenly Father, I am blown over by what You gave up for us. You handed us Your Son knowing that we would mishandle Him. You knew that we would malign and murder Him. The love for us that would drive You to do that leaves me breathless. I love You. In Jesus Precious Name, Amen

 

 

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  John 1:1 and 2

Do you remember what it was like to wait for a specific Christmas present?  The suspense only lasted for, at most, a couple of months.  But what about the gift you might have to wait several hundred years for?  And once you begin to unwrap it, you realize that you can only do so in increments?

The Treasure that she, Israel, had been waiting for expectantly for over a millennia was born in the middle of the night.  He was unwrapped by His birth but then wrapped again, constricted straight as an arrow, in swaddling clothes.  Symbolically, this was an interesting picture because He would never turn to the right or to the left but would keep Himself from evil.  He was the Rock of Ages, the stone that the builders rejected; yet Satan tempted Him by telling Him to turn a stone into bread.  He was the Bread of Life, the giver of the blood that cleanses, but instead of being received, He was spat upon.  Coming with gold, frankincense, and myrrh, wise men would visit the Gift, yet when He was brutally killed, all that was left of value were His garments.

This Gift took thirty-three years to unwrap, but with a single word, the Word made flesh can create, destroy, and will call up His people to His side.  He was born in the dark, helping us understand that not all secrets are to be shared in the light.  As the sun rises slowly in the sky, so it took thirty years for the Son of God to be recognized as the Lamb of God.  We have to be clothed in His righteousness, cleansed by His blood, in order to stand before HIs Father and not be instantly destroyed.  How ironic that He is the Light of the world but most of His creation will choose the dark.

So, this Christmas, will we unwrap the perfect Gift that God the Father gave to us, or will we reject the One Who gave up everything to make us coheirs by His side?

Heavenly Father, thank You for this gift.  I am overwhelmed by the fact that You would give me Your Son to die for me.  You let Him be slaughtered as a lamb so that His blood could cover me.  This is what Christmas is about.  Help me to

never forget it. In Jesus most precious name, Amen

Journal

What do you want for Christmas?  How does the anticipation feel?

Write a thank you note, a love letter, or even a Christmas carol, to describe how you feel about the Gift.

I believe in God, the Father almighty,
      creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
      who was conceived by the Holy Spirit
      and born of the virgin Mary.
      He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
      was crucified, died, and was buried;
      he descended to hell.
      The third day he rose again from the dead.
      He ascended to heaven
      and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty.
      From there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
      the holy catholic* church,
      the communion of saints,
      the forgiveness of sins,
      the resurrection of the body,
      and the life everlasting. Amen.

Each believer in Jesus has specific areas in which it is more difficult to believe. Our own story distorts what is true. One of the tools that I use in building up my faith is to personalize the Apostle’s Creed. We speak it corporately when we engage in fellowship and that is a powerful experience but what about the doubt that plagues us during the week when we are alone? Here is an example on how to personalize it.

I believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Jesus, God the Son, was born to a virgin, so that He could reach me.

I believe He loves me and is interested in every part of my life.

Nothing is too small or mundane to bring before Him.

He knows it all anyway.

I believe He is good, even if He does not answer my prayers in what I would consider a timely manner.

I believe He is good even if He doesn’t answer my prayers in the way I want.

I believe God forgives me.

He sent His Son to bleed on a cross

So how can I not believe in that kind of love?

I believe He forgives my enemy.

Yes, even that one.

The one who should be in prison for life.

I believe He is the only righteous judge.

Therefore, I cannot condemn others, no matter how heinous the crime or black the heart.

I believe that Jesus came back to life on the third day and left behind His Spirit to empower you and to empower me in every good work that God preordained before the foundations of the earth were ever created.

Someday, our holy God will redeem and resurrect the bodies of believers who have fallen asleep. My friends and my family who I’ve said goodbye to I will see again. Instead of “goodbye” it should be “I will see you later!”

And Jesus will come back in all glory righting all of the wrongs.

Finally, we will be with Him, in His very presence, forever! Forever loved! Forever light! Forever His!

Heavenly Father, I believe You are preserving and keeping my faith. I long for the eternal inheritance that you have for me that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. Protect my heart and my mind from failing for fear.  In Jesus Precious Name, Amen

Journal:

Read the Apostle’s Creed again and then try personalizing for yourself.

Is there a part of it that is more difficult for you to believe? Why or why not?

 

For we have been sold, I and my people, to be destroyed, to be killed, and to be annihilated.  Esther 7:4a

Love covers, as the Bible says, but it does not cover up.

We usually hear about people either repenting or not repenting.  But what about the gray zone?  What about the times when someone admits they did do something wrong but then refuses to let the person wronged be upset about it?  Or the offender admits that they made a mistake but then refuses to admit that what they did was really a sin against God?  They fail to see their sin as God sees it, so we hear them minimize it.

Because each of us has our own story, we will have a more difficult time forgiving certain offenses over others.  For those things (and for each one of is it’s something different), it’s going to take more power than what we have inside. The sin committed against us calls out the flesh inside of us.  If painful enough, it will even call out the seed of hatred.  It will beckon to steal, destroy, and kill.

We see these kinds of words used to describe what Haman wanted to do to the Jews in the kingdom of Persia.  We also see these same words attributed to Satan’s intents against the children of God.  So, while we may not be dealing with a Haman, we are dealing with the author of death and destruction.   We have to wake up and realize that he desires to bring annihilation to every part of our lives.

There was an edict written in stone when Eve ate the fruit in the Garden of Eden. A spiritual curse went into effect and man could not reverse it.  However, God provided a secret codicil that allowed one sacrifice to change the end result.  The first edict brought death.  The second brought life eternal.  And while we still have sin, death, and pain, we also have a new destiny.  Our bodies will die and decay but they will be redeemed to meet our souls already in the care of our Creator.

In the meantime, what is terrifying is that we don’t always realize that the edict of death has crept into our hearts.  The hidden seeds of hatred and revenge threaten to destroy our legacy.  We can cover, but not cover up.  Each one of us must deal with the agony of being sinned against and face the challenge to forgive as we experience the consequences of someone’s actions against us.

Heavenly Father, Give each of us the eyes of mercy and grace.  There is no possible way that we can forgive on our own.  We don’t even know how to handle the repercussions of being sinned against. How we need your grace and spiritual power to forgive.  In Jesus Name Amen

Journal:

What is the hardest thing for you, personally, to forgive?  Why?

Besides forgiveness, how does God want you to handle the consequences of being sinned against?

Give examples from Scripture that outline the holy ways people responded when wronged by others.

Then what becomes of our boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? By a law of works? No, but by the law of faith. Romans 3:27

If you are anything like me, you can often catch yourself striving for God’s approval. But trying to gain worthiness is the way of Hell.

I am hard on myself, so much so that my friends and family worry about me from time to time. While I’m not nearly as hard on others, I hold myself to a ridiculously high standard. That is one of the reasons I believe that God has allowed an autoimmune illness to come into my life. It has been creeping in slowly, beginning with migraines at age two. I’ve never known what it’s like to not be exhausted and in pain. To compensate, I’ve pushed myself above and beyond to become an over-achiever. I do not have the time of day for laziness and whining. So, some of this is good. Very good, even.

But, do you smell the sulfur of legalism here? I do. I’ve lived it. Illness has forced me to be so dependent on God that I am daily aware that my heart can’t beat even once without Him. While my life didn’t turn out the way I thought it would, I have joy and know that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. There has been very little room for me to get off the right path, but there have been times when somehow I’ve managed to veer off anyway. Through it all, I have come to know that my Heavenly Father boxes me in out of love. I have nothing good to give Him. I have less than nothing because all I have is flesh.

I was grieving in prayer the other day that I didn’t have lovely things (like gold, frankincense, and myrrh) to give the Savior, the One who gave me everything. Then I heard the softest, sweetest reply in my spirit, “Just keep giving me what you have. Trade in and I will give you something better.” The point is that if we give Jesus the soul junk that we harbor, that makes room for His heart to connect with ours. The fact that we care at all means that we belong to Jesus Christ, the ONLY originator and definition of goodness.

Heavenly Father, I look up out of the mire to Your glory. I praise You and am so thankful that You clean me up to be shiny and new. You live in me, making me precious. Being unworthy makes my spiritual adoption all the more lovely.  In Jesus Name, Amen

Journal:

Do you have parts of your life that look holy but are just legalistic?

How do you discern the fine line between disciplined holiness and fleshy legalism?

Write out a prayer thanking God for His adoption, through Jesus, our big brother.

DO WE ABANDON SHIP?

Save others by snatching them out of the fire. Jude 1:23

Question~ What’s the difference between being longsuffering and suffering unnecessarily? Christian circles tend to swing the pendulum between the two. Where do we find balance? Some people believe that there is a point, when a ship is going down, when it’s too late to bail. They are pulled down into their watery grave because of the whirlpool effect. Quicksand may be an even better metaphor. There is a point of no return when fighting it just makes it worse.

Here’s the challenge. Many of us walk willingly into spiritual quicksand despite all the warning signs. Ownerless backpacks are lying around the hole of doom and serve as a warning. The stakes for making a solid decision are high, not just for us, but for the people who are following us; friends, family, and even other church people. So why do we continue in a bad direction?

I believe that we see other leaders walking into the trap and we say to ourselves, “They must know what they are doing. Certainly, they will change course before we all perish.” But will they really? Will they turn in time? These are necessary questions to voice.

One of the reasons we are tricked is because we can’t allow ourselves to experience another disappointment. It hurts to admit that we’ve been lied to whether by word or deed. It’s easier to just follow the leader, our spiritual Pied Piper, and deny the fact that the enemy is setting up our shepherd to skip and laugh us into captivity. Our leaders have feet of clay, as do us all, but some listen to the heartbeat of our Savior, Jesus Christ and know their weaknesses well. Many others follow the beckoning call of the enemy and ignore personal flaws that lead ministries downward.

When it’s time to make decisions for ourselves and our loved ones, it is imperative that we ask, “Will this choice lead my family closer to Jesus or to the ongoing damaging influences of the kingdom of darkness?”

Heavenly Father, I need Your wisdom. It is so easy to get sung to sleep by lyrics that I want to hear. Show me the truth, even if it hurts. And give me the courage to leap into the safety of Your arms. In Jesus Name Amen

Journal
Why did Lot’s wife turn around (Gen. 19:26)?
How can small choices destroy our future?
What is our spiritual responsibility to our loved ones?

It Starts With The Heart

“I am the LORD; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you…” Isaiah 42:6

The Bible says that “Job made a covenant with his eyes” so he purposed in his heart that he would never look at something unclean. He knew that he had to choose ahead of time to be holy before he was presented with temptation. We can learn from him to avoid falling.

If we say to ourselves, “I’ll wait until I’m out on a date with this guy and then choose not to have sex,” we are setting ourselves up for disaster. I’m finding that I always have to keep the knowledge of my sinful nature close. Yes, I’m a citizen of Heaven, but I still struggle with the ways of Hell. Forgetting this is what usually precedes a downfall. This is true for any Christian, whether a stay-at-home mom or a full-time pastor. If your occupation is in ministry, there is a bulls-eye target the size of the state of Georgia on your head. If you don’t believe me, just google “fallen minister” and see how much information surfaces. These stories have made, not just Christian headlines, but secular as well.

We can’t afford to believe the best of ourselves. I’m not talking about self-loathing, just self-honesty. Our time of prayer and daily repentance reveals secrets about our own hearts. God’s Word shines light on those dust bunnies of the soul that we’ve accidentally kicked under the bed. We won’t just fall into righteousness. We were called to it. Believe who you are called to be. Believe that when God sees you, He sees Jesus, our righteousness. So pray for yourself. Pray for the people around you. Pray for your family. Pray for your pastor. Pray for me.

Heavenly Father,

I choose to see You in all Your beauty. Heal the ugly, sinful places in me. Let me not be deceived.

In Jesus Most Precious Name

Amen

Journal

Read about Jesus early life in the Gospels. What and who did Satan use to destroy Jesus?

What strategies of temptation have been used against you?

What can you do to stand strong against sin in your life?

Uncertain Times, Steady Faith

There will come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt, but after them there will arise seven years of famine, plenty will be forgotten in the land of Egypt. The famine will consume the land… Genesis 41:29-30

We are living in uncertain times. We can’t even plan for the next year with so many unknowns. So what do we do?

Everywhere I go, someone is talking about the recent stock market plunge or of the inevitable judgment that is coming to our country because of our disobedience. I know people who are planning for the bad winter predicted by weather experts in case they lose power for two weeks. I also know people who are planting gardens and collecting seeds in case our government crumbles. While I don’t really know what to say about planning in regards to the physical world, I can tell you what God has been telling my heart in regards to the spiritual world.

Joseph, son of Judah, was placed in a position of power after years of slavery and prison. God had a purpose for him that would save His people from starvation. Pharaoh’s dreams were from God (dreams that Joseph interpreted), and spoke of storing up grain during times of plenty for the famine ahead. Here’s the spiritual application that’s been on my heart. I have been storing up God’s word in the well of my spirit and meditating on it for the hard times to come. We need to be spiritually disciplined like Navy Seals during these times of plenty so that our faith is firmly rooted in truth during the future. Rest and brain Sabbath are important, but they have to be intentional. Not just peace for the sake of peace, but times of refueling on the right things.

Mountain climbers intentionally gain weight for a tough climb so that their bodies have fuel for the challenge. They come back much thinner but still healthy because they prepared. Together, we can encourage each other to be purposeful with our families. We need to be fattening our interior with the riches of God’s word so we can have a steady faith in these uncertain times.

Heavenly Father, I need to know what to do. Guide my steps and fill my heart with this daily bread. I need water from the well that will never run dry. In Jesus Precious Name, Amen

Journal

Look up instances of famine. What does God tell His people to do?

What does God tell His people not to do?

How can you be proactive so that you will no be touched by a spiritual famine?