I.   Every day is just today. Nothing more. Nothing less. We spend our lives looking forward to tomorrow, only to discover that when tomorrow comes it is just today, again. Perhaps this is why disappointment is too often our constant companion. We build into tomorrow all our great expectations. Then today shows up void of our expectations, and because our dreams do not meet up with our reality, we mourn over perceived losses, abandonments, needs, rejections, etc., etc., etc.

What would happen if we decided to trust God completely, regardless of our reality? What would happen if we really proclaimed that TODAY is the day the Lord has made, and determined to be glad and rejoice “in spite of”? What might happen if we just said, “Lord, you are my God, and I know that you do care for me each and every minute of each and every day.

Charles Stanley, in his study “Sharing the Gift of Encouragement”, writes that God loves us absolutely and unconditionally. This means that God loves us with no strings attached, and He loves us despite our imperfections. It also means that His promises are sure; He will never leave us nor forsake us. He is with us. Every day He is with us. He is with us TODAY!

Dear Father,

I sometimes find myself in places I did not expect to be; places that are hard and uncompromising. It is sometimes difficult for me to cope graciously with the hard places. I feel the pain and I see the need. When it seems to be more than I can bear, remind me that Jesus is well acquainted with the weaknesses of humans. I have read in your word that He was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. He knows what suffering is all about. Yet, He was willing to pay the price for my redemption, which now means that I can enter boldly into Your presence, bringing all my needs with me. I can trust you to perfect that which concerns me.

Thank you, Father, for shelter, comfort, refuge, and hope, especially when my TODAY is less than what I expected.

In the name of Jesus

Amen.

 

II.  God offers to each believer on the first day of each New Year a canvas upon which we can begin to paint the portrait of our walk with Him for that New Year. We should not fret over last year's portrait. Time is too precious for us to spend it mourning over yesterday's poor effort. God's mercy and grace is the new canvas upon which we can begin our new work. Forget those things that are behind and move forward in the hope of your calling. Begin your daily art sessions in the presence of the Lord. Ask Him about His likes and dislikes. In these sessions, present your preliminary sketch work to Him for approval (or disapproval). Begin your daily effort with broad strokes of obedience. Add in the bright colors of joy and thanksgiving, and don't forget those warm shades of reverence and awe. Remember, if you want a finished product that glorifies God, a portrait that proves His will is good and acceptable, you will have to work on the portrait daily. Do work on your portrait with fear and trembling. Should you make a mistake (which you will if you are human), be sure to show it to God right away. If you take it to Him immediately, He will use forgiveness to restore your work to its original state. If you do not take it to Him right away, you will begin to see only the mistakes in your portrait. Eventually those mistakes will turn into shadows of discouragement and despair, the two things that will slow down your daily progress. The longer you wait before you take your mistake to God, the longer it will take to shake the effects of those mistakes. Praise God that He is not like those art critics out there who lambaste an artist's work and destroy their careers. God wants us to succeed, so He provides every opportunity for us to succeed. In return, all He asks of us is to be responsible, and accountable, artists.

Jeremiah 29:11-13

Dear Father,

Thank you for the promise of your word, that having begun a good work in me, you will continue it until the day of Jesus Christ. Your expectation, therefore, is that if the work is to be completed in me, I must take the responsibility of presenting myself to you as a living sacrifice which is my spiritual act of worship. I understand worship to be the act of giving homage, reverence and honor to one who is worthy. I have heard that worship was once spelled “worthescipe,” so my offering of worship is the act of assessing value to that one who is worthy. You Father, are indeed worthy of my worship, and since I profess to value you highly, Father, I present myself to you; all that I am; all that I have, my time, my talent, my treasure. I acknowledge your greatness and I humble myself in your presence.

You are worthy to be praised.

In the name of Jesus.

Amen

 

III.  Every Christian must make the choice to follow Jesus daily. While this may sound like circular reasoning, it is a fact that Jesus’ edict of Luke 9:23 only becomes reality when the Christian consciously decides to take up his/her cross and follow Jesus 24/7. Still, even when our focus is on Christ, there are those times when we will falter, when we will stumble, when we will fall. The key to not being overcome by the frailties of our humanity is to leave today’s mistakes and omissions behind, and move forward to God’s promise of new mercy for tomorrow.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed
His compassions never fail
They are new every morning
Great is [His] faithfulness
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion
Therefore I will wait for Him.
Lamentations 3:22 – 24

Dear Father,

How gracious you are to your children. Morning by morning, you grant us new mercy. You provide grace for today, and grace for tomorrow. You never fail to generously dispense grace to your own. As I follow your Son, please remind me, daily, that He is the only way, not just to salvation, but also to joy, truth, and love. I pray this not only for myself, but also for my Church family. El Shaddai, you are more than able to meet all our needs. Thank you for loving all of us.

In the name of Jesus,

Amen.

 

IV.  Most people do not enjoy gray and overcast days. But, there are those individuals who love this kind of weepy weather. Such days, they declare, are days to take a long nap, or to open the curtains wide and read a good book. Still, whether sunshine or gray skies, we Christians have to agree with the Psalmist: “This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad.” We can choose to be glad, and rejoice in spite of the weather, or the circumstances of life. Life is all about choices. From the time we reach the age or reason, we begin to make choices:

We choose to laugh or cry
We choose to forgive or not to forgive
We choose to encourage or discourage
We choose to love or to hate

It is up to us. We can choose joy or we can choose the blues. We can choose light or we can choose darkness. But whatever the choice, consequences are sure to follow. To choose the positive is to edify and to be edified. To choose the negative can lead to destruction and bondage.

Finally brethren
Whatever is true, whatever is noble
Whatever is right, whatever is pure
Whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable
If anything is excellent or praiseworthy
Think about such things
Philippians 4:8.

Dear Father

I read in your word that I am chosen, chosen to bear fruit that will last. Help me to make fruitful choices, to always choose the positive, to consistently walk in the light.

I acknowledge that too often my choices are born out of anger, bitterness, and pride. I want them to spring out of my love for you. I recognize that my choices are not automatic; every decision is consciously made. If I think on your light, I will greet each day with joy. My prayer is that I, as well as my brothers and sisters in Christ, will always choose joy. Thank you, Father, for choosing us to be your own special treasure.

In the name of Jesus,

Amen

 

VI.  Jesus’ initial call to His disciples was not for them to be preachers, or teachers, or pastors, or any other designated place in the group. He called them (and eventually every follower) to be just like Him.

"If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me daily.”

Every believer must understand that the initial call is always to follow Jesus. If we do not get this right (as quoted above from Luke 9:23), then even though we will be able to function as preachers and teachers and pastors and all those other designated places in the church, we will do so without His power. We will forget about His glory, and claim it for our own self aggrandizement. Perhaps this is why some servants are miserable while serving God. They have forgotten the first call: "Follow Jesus."

Dear Father,

When my focus is more on what I want than what you desire; when I begin to think that it is through my own strength that I am able to do what I do; when I forget that the only reason you've given me spiritual gifts is for kingdom building rather than ego building, please rein me in quickly.

The call to service is a call to glorify you, to edify your people, to share the gospel with an unsaved world. If I think anything more than this, then I am functioning out of place. When I use words and do things (even in worship) that are more about me than you, please magnify those words or those actions so that I might see the error of my ways right away, and humble myself before you. Please remind me, daily, that it is in You alone that we should live and move and have our being.

In name of Jesus,

Amen

 

VII.  

Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.
No man hath seen God at any time.
If we love one another, God dwells in us, and His love is perfected in us.

As I read verses eleven and twelve of I John 4, I am struck by the declaration, "No man hath seen God at any time," for it seems to be out of place between the admonishment of verse eleven and the declaration of verse twelve. I think about what appears to be an anomaly in the middle of these two truths and the light bulb eventually comes on.

Verse eleven is probably one of the most difficult things for most Christians to activate in their daily relationships, to love others just because God loves us. Sure, we understand God's great love for us, and we understand that His will for us (because we are aware of His love for us) is that we ought to (should) love our brothers and sisters in Christ without reserve or condition. We know this, but it's just so hard to be consistent in that love when that brother or that sister is acting unlovely, or is unloving toward us, or they have said or done something that we find offensive, or hurtful. So, as we wrestle with this truth that gives us heartburn, God, through John, declares that "no man has seen God." But, exactly what does this declaration have to do with God loving us and our loving one another?

I believe that verse twelve ultimately reveals to us why this statement is sandwiched between the two; the only way any man, woman, boy, or girl, will ever see God in this realm is when Christians display the love of God in their relationships. Love, as defined in I Corinthians 13, can only come from God, and in revealing that kind of love in our actions and our words (agape), we are called to reveal God not only to the world (John 13:34,35) but especially to our brothers and sisters in Christ. If God dwells in us, then His love also abides in us, and His love is made complete in us when we love one another according to His guidelines. The question we must ask ourselves is "How complete is God's love in us?" We have only to look as far as to how we love one another.

Dear Father,

I know that because of your great love salvation is extended to all mankind. Because of your great love I am now accepted in the beloved. Because of your great love I am now a part of your family.

Now, all you ask of your children is that they extend the love that now dwells in them through you to their brothers and sisters in Christ. Help me to recognize when I fall short of that exhortation, when I function more in self than in spirit, for it is only through the connection of my spirit with the Holy Spirit that I am empowered to love as you command. Remind me that in me (in my flesh) dwells no good thing, therefore I must stay connected to you through your word if I am to truly walk in the newness of life. Your love has the potential to lift me above the pettiness of my old life, the meanness of my old ways, the entanglement of my old attitudes, but the only way I can remain free of these old habits is to always keep my eye on You.

I am yours Lord, but you can only use me to your glory when I remember I am absolutely Yours, and that I am called to love others as You have loved me.

In the name of Jesus

Amen

 

VIII.  I attended a women's retreat that was a five hour drive into the mountains of Cental California. I did not have a detailed map, only the written instructions provided by the camp site, instructions written by someone I did not know, and would never meet. Still, I followed those directions. We drove through one of the larger cities in that area to a back road that meandered through small farm communities I had never heard of, and will probably never see again. Eventually the back road led to a narrow, paved, circuitous, route through the mountains. It was a gradual climb, but the scenic vistas that kept looming in front of us, coupled with our ability to look down the sides of mountains as we rounded curve after curve, kept us aware that we were no longer in the flatlands.

As the driver, I had to concentrate on the route ahead. I had no time to look back and admire the view I had just passed. Nor did I have time to think about the curve behind me because there was always another curve just ahead. I had to concentrate on the route, a route I had never driven before, because there was no room for mistake or an erratic maneuver. I had to gauge my speed as I entered a curve; I had to gauge my speed as I came out of a curve. I had to keep looking ahead for the next curve, and I had to keep a watchful eye for signposts along the way so that I would not lose my way, miss a turn that could result in our getting lost. I had to do all of this while being aware of my fellow passengers who were absorbed in their own thoughts about this mountain terrain. Eventually, though each mile seemed like ten miles, we arrived safe and sound at the retreat camp.

Sometimes, it seems our lives as believers are a lot like that trip. Often we find ourselves on the back roads of life, challenged to climb to a new elevation of discipleship. The route ahead is one we have never traveled before; still, because we are committed to the route, we keep going, doing our best to navigate the curves that life throws at us while we keep our eyes on the prize, the finish line. We travel the narrow path, and must keep our focus on that path so that we do not get lost, or fall off into danger and harm. We cannot look back to admire the view we've left behind because there's so much more ahead for which we must be prepared; besides, looking back will only distract us from the ultimate goal, reaching the finish line. We also have to keep in mind our fellow believers, lest our maneuvers distract them and cause them extra pain and worry, or even get them off course. But, we are secure in the knowledge that we have the perfect map that, if followed correctly, will lead us safely through all foreign terrain. Unlike my secular map, we believers know the One who wrote the directions, and since we also know we can we can trust Him implicitly, we move forward.

I returned home from the retreat and traveled down out of those mountains. Our spiritual journey will not be so. As we move from glory to glory, as we move from faith to faith, we move up, until that ultimate day when we will reach the pinnacle of our hope, when we shall see Jesus as He is, and we will be like Him. Until that day, may each of us keep moving forward, looking up, always, unto Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of our faith.

 

IX.  

Count it all joy when you fall into diverse temptations,
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience,
But let patience have her perfect work,
that you may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
James 1

I walked back to my car in tears. This was the third service station I had stopped at to have a fuse replaced. I know it's a fuse because the same thing happened earlier this year. I cannot set my clock, the radio keeps losing its settings each time I turn the car off, and my horn won't blow. The time before this, after I explained the problem, the young man came out to the car, replaced the fuse, and all was well. This time, no one had time to help. One repairman even had the audacity to tell me that it would cost me $75 to even look at the fuse box. What?

I drove home deep in thought. Sometimes it's not the big things that are the greatest challenge in my new life these days; sometimes it's the little things like a blown car fuse. It is the little things that remind me how alone I really am. So, I have to figure out all of this on my own; it's a trial and error thing, on the job training. As the challenges appear, I know I will have to face each one, tears and all. As I meet each challenge, I grow, and as I grow, I learn how to face the next challenge. Tomorrow, maybe I will learn how to change my own fuses, or change a tire, or the oil. If it's going to get done, it's going to have to be me who is going to have to handle the job.

Still, I have the calm assurance that no matter what may come my way, my life belongs to the Lord, and ultimately, it is He who will decide the course of the rest of my life. Will there still be tears? Yes. Will I still have to face some challenges alone? Probably. But, since my life is in His hand, I can trust God to work everything out for my good, always.

Father,

It is easy enough to proclaim growth and learning as I study God's word, but growth and learning is only perfected in the trials and tests of life. If I learn the lessons of challenge, then I grow in patience and endurance for the next trial and test. Not a pretty thought, but it is the truth of God's will for my perfecting (maturing).

Lord, sometimes it is hard for me to fathom why your children must endure even the most minuscule of challenges. Why should we have to wrestle with blown fuses and flat tires and broken dishwashers? Can't our challenges be grander than missing keys and misplaced wallets? Why do I cry over spilt milk when the cow's been missing for a week?

I think I understand Father. Sometimes, You allow us the release of tears in the small places, to cleanse our souls for the bigger challenges that lie ahead. Life is taken in small steps, not giant leaps, and our life in you is a steady series of small steps toward growth and learning. So, after we cry over the spilt milk, we then go out to find the missing cow.

Father, Elijah killed the 450 prophets of Baal, then ran from the murderous ranting of Jezebel. Had he not fled to the wilderness, would he have learned to recognize your still small voice in the desert? Maybe our distress in the small places reminds us to keep our focus on you in everything, for without you we really can do nothing.

Father, you are indeed our hiding place, even in the small things.

In the name of Jesus,

Amen

 

X.  I wish I had some awesome revelation that would provide the exact answers for the challenges we face. I do not. Sometimes, we do just have to grit our teeth, trust God, and go through the challenge as though it does not exist. I know this is the most unpleasant route, but what is the alternative? To continue to mud crawl through our misery and grief, accomplishing nothing for our life or our Lord? Paul calls it our "light momentary affliction." Certainly we grimace at the thought that our challenges and stresses are light or momentary. To us they are weighty and go on forever. But, at some point, I think we have to think about the benefits of affliction. The benefits of affliction? Yes, the benefits of affliction. We read about such benefits in Romans 5, the things that are accomplished in us through suffering, through the enduring of afflictions.

But, what is the benefit of our afflictions for others? Well, how we handle our afflictions sends a message to the believer and non-believer alike. The way we respond to suffering, and the way we react to suffering, speaks to the way we trust God, how genuinely we believe His promises and understand that He is not out to break or destroy us, that all things (perhaps we should interject the adjective "challenging" before "things") will eventually work together for our good and His glory. In the matter of suffering, we have a choice. We can either play the hand God allows to be dealt to us, or we can fold, throw in the cards and retreat to our corner of misery. God knows I would not have chosen for myself some of the things He has allowed to transpire in my life (yet some of the things did happen because I chose badly). Yet, I can see that all of my life challenges have taught me valuable life lessons that I never would have learned without the challenge. The life lessons of the past are what keep me sane in the present. What is sanity for the believer?: To trust God when it does not make sense to trust Him; To keep our focus on Him when our lives lie in broken pieces around our feet; To get up each morning when there is no reason to get up; To laugh when there are good reasons to cry; To bear my burden in the heat of the day when no one comes alongside to help.

After having said all of this, however, it still boils down to one overriding rule. We choose our responses. We should try to look at our challenges from the same perspective Job had: "Shall we receive only the good from God, and not the bad?" There is this reality show on television about two rich girls, children of celebrities, who have had everything they ever wanted in life, but never had to be responsible for anything. They agreed to live on a farm for a period of time, to see the other side. Their behavior was atrocious. They were undisciplined and disrespectful; they did whatever they wanted when they wanted to with no regard to the feelings of their hosts. Their young lives of ease has made them self-centered and self-serving. What kind of Christians would we be if only received the good in life? Probably self-centered and self-serving. God has enough problems with our egos and our temperamental behavior now, even when suffering is a part of our lives. Man was created to glorify God. What greater glory is there than to not just say we love Him, but actually reflect that love for Him in our challenges. Submitting our lives to Him, we echo the words of Job, "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him." The choice is, and will always be, our individual response to a God who loves us more than we will ever be able to comprehend in this life.

Embrace Jehovah Shalom as your reality when all seems haywire; He is able to straighten everything out to our good.

 

XI.  I have walked the path of wondering how to establish a relationship with some women who appeared to want the friendship but there was always something out of place. It took me a long time to come to grips with the idea that things might never change, that there was something amiss, and it had nothing to do with me. I cannot speak to why people present false faces. We can surmise and assume, but unless they tell us why they are pretending to be what they really are not, we will never be sure. So, the first thing I had to do was free myself from accepting any responsibility for that doubt, that mistrust in my spirit. I had to believe that God has given me a discernment, His alarm about how to handle the relationship. Sometimes God gives us a heads up, but since we want to be right, we think that it's our negative thinking rather the reality of the situation. So, before I could find any peace about my "gut" feeling, I had to accept that all I could do was be myself, and leave the other person's cloaked attitude up to the Lord. I could also pray for them (not that they change) but that God would give them what they need that they might become all that God would have them to be. I know it is difficult to work with people whom you feel aren't on the up and up, so it must be done in the power of the Lord.

But, what would God have us to do about handling prickly relationships? The only way to find out is to ask, "God what shall I do about this person?" Allow me to share a story. It was my first quarter in grad school. I walked into the class and there was a young lady present whom I just knew, without being told, that she did not like me. When I spoke to her, she barely acknowledged my greeting. Well, that particular night the Professor decided to pair up the students to get to know one another and then present that information to the class. Immediately the Lord revealed to me that I was going to wind up with my "friend." Sure enough, we were put together, and she did not like it. It was all over her face. In that moment I had to decide how I would respond. I decided, and prayed, that I would be me, open and friendly in spite of her attitude. God moved in that little decision, and by the time we finished our five minute discussion, everything had changed. Today, we are friends, as much as a twenty something and an older woman can be. But, what if she had not responded positively, what would I have done then? I would have had to continue to be open and friendly, and when that “catch” in my spirit showed up, I would have had to just present myself to the Lord for strength and perseverance.

I guess that really is the message. When the flesh tries to dictate our thoughts and our actions, brought on by the attitudes of others, we just have to let the Holy Spirit override our natural responses. Besides, we never know what's really going on in the lives of others. Some people do live lives of quiet desperation, needs and stresses we know nothing about. Others struggle with their own insecurities, their lack of self esteem, so they channel that low sense of self into attitudes about those who seem to have it all together. Then there are those who are envious, jealous, who think they should occupy your space, thus the false fronts. Thank God that He only requires us to be accountable for ourselves, and I must admit that I have enough isms to keep Him busy. Finally, like it or not, just being the Pastor's wife makes us a target. The bottom line is to take the focus off what is wrong, and place it on what is right. A musician once noted that if he was playing to a group of a hundred people and three people out of that hundred were not connecting with his music, he would often spend more time playing to the three than appreciating the 97. His words often return to me when I'm focused on the one with whom I am not connecting, while there is the majority who are always encouraging. Connect with the encouragers, the genuine, and make every attempt to love those who may not be genuine. Leave the results to God.

Dear Father,

What a place, this place of Pastor's Wife. Couldn't you have included a book in the Bible for us, A book that would point out what to expect and how to react? You did? Where is it Lord? I've looked and I haven't found it. What? Proverbs 3:5, 6. What? Proverbs 18:10? What? Psalm 20:7? What? Psalm 27? What? Hebrews 10:35? What? Count it all joy? The Old and New Testaments? What? Jesus concealed in the former is revealed in the latter, and my life is to reflect His choices, His ways?

But Lord, most of these things I know, and those are scriptures for every believer, PW or not; I need something for me. What? The call to discipleship is not divided into categories, but as one you have put on the front line I will be accountable for the consequences of my actions? Alright Lord. I guess it's time to end the pity party, and rejoice in the trust you have placed in me to allow me to be a Pastor's wife. But, I know it's going to be tough so you can probably expect me to call on you more often these days. What? That's what you wanted all along? Sometimes, you just have to allow some things to happen in order to get our attention? Okay, thank you Lord, for caring enough to get my attention.

 

XIII.  The Pastor made a point in his sermon about Daniel in the Lion's den, and a thought came to me, "In the Lion's den, but not the Lion's dinner." How often have we rejoiced over Daniel's deliverance from death by the Lion's fangs without thinking about the fact that Daniel was potentially dinner for what was possibly a ravenous lion?

Imagine you are Daniel unceremoniously thrown into the dark damp abode of the Lion. You know there is a Lion present because you can hear its internal rumblings, perhaps even a roar or two; you can smell its hot breath. Your eyes, however, have not adjusted to the darkness so you cannot see the Lion; you can only gauge where it is by the sounds emanating from its powerful chest. Perhaps you, Daniel, expect to be pounced upon at any moment, a Daniel snack for the King's appointed feline executioner. Because you are human, Daniel, fear begins its chilling crawl down the back of your neck. You try to remain calm, but you begin to breathe the terrified quick breaths of hyperventilation. But you, Daniel, have a weapon for fear. You are a praying man, a prayer warrior we would say today. So, right there in the murky dankness of that Lion's den, in spite of the fear and the hyperventilation, you fall to your knees and begin to talk to the one you have talked to every day, at least three times a day. You are not sure of the direction of Jerusalem, but you know your Father will not chide you because you are not facing your homeland as you pray. You fold your hands, lift your head, and begin: "Abba Father, I have no doubt that you are in control of all things. You were in control of my life long before my captivity. You were with me when I was brought to this foreign soil as a youth. You gave me guidance to refuse when I was offered food from the King's table, and it was you who gave me an alternative plan. You gave me the answer to the King's dream when his magicians could not answer. You, O LORD, have been with me through the challenges of living in the midst of foreign gods and pagan rituals and enemies who have constantly sought my destruction. I know you are with me in this threatening place, and I will trust you. Amen." You awaken with a start, realizing that it is morning and your head is resting on a pillow. You begin to think you are in your bed, but as the fog of sleep gives way to the reality of morning you realize that you are not in your bed. You are still in the Lion's den, and that pillow is not a pillow. It is the Lion upon whom your head rests. You sit up and begin to praise God, for though you have spent the night in the Lion's den, you were not the Lion's dinner. And when the King calls, you respond, "O King, live forever."

What shall we say, then, to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Our lion's dens may not be as physically threatening as Daniel's, but they are probably just as challenging to endure. When was the last time you prayed in the midst of your Lion's den, trusting God for the outcome? Consider this: You just might awaken to discover that your problem has become your pillow.

 

CELEBRATION
by dmwilliams 9/17/03

In some ancient memory
I see ancestral sisters
dance around an evening fire.

Arms open wide to beckon the warmth
they undulate, weave in and out, back and forth
Expressive circle of unrestrained joy.
Joyous rhythmic expression at close of day
Brief respite from today's toil
Moments to embrace life in the bright glow of warm light.
They dance, these Sisters united
Linked together by love and trust.

In some ancient memory
I see ancestral sisters
dance around an evening fire.

Focus: How am I doing in my relationships with my sisters in Christ?

 

Email Donna Williams at - WilliamsNewDay@aol.com