by | Faith Lived Out
Yesterday I discussed God’s mercy and today I want to touch on it a little more. This time I want to add a dose of judgment to it.
I’m a judge. I have judged others, and unfortunately, I find my flesh still doing it. I am human. But as I said yesterday, I thank God that his mercies are new every morning.
I love to give my opinion. I am a strong-willed person, and if not careful, can quickly find myself turning that opinion into quick judgment of someone else. I am thanking God that He is growing me in this area.
I quickly caught myself sitting in the seat of judge the other day. I sat down for breakfast with my mom at my favorite cafe in downtown Branson with the daily paper in hand. I was skimming through the pages and saw a headline that read, “Weiner Resigns”. The headline obviously caught my attention.
I try to avoid the news as much as possible. It helps to keep one more negative thing this world has to offer out of my head. And I figure that if it’s important enough someone will tell me about it. I decided to read the small article. As I read out loud to my mom, judgment immediately rose up in my heart. What a pervert!
I was gearing up to give my opinion when God quickly stopped me. He is my child and I created Him. Remember that He, like you, can be given a second chance. Then these words were on my heart: Prayer instead of judgment. I was convicted. I was preparing to condemn a man for his actions without even knowing the whole situation. I was judging him without even knowing his heart.
It was hard for me to get to the veggie omelet I had just ordered over the ginormous plank that was sticking out of my eye. So thankful for Jesus’ teaching in Matthew about judgment.
Joyce Meyer says, “Mercy doesn’t judge what it sees, it goes deeper than that.”
As Christians can we judge the actions that this man took? Yes. Should we judge the man that committed the actions? No.
I thought about it for the rest of the day, wondering what was in his heart that caused him to take the steps he did. I prayed for him. God’s mercy is still offered to him, regardless of his actions, just as they are mine.
- God’s mercy was available to me for the pack of cigarettes I stole from a convenience store in high school.
- His mercy was available to me for driving drunk at 19.
- His mercy was available to me when I disrespected my boss.
- His mercy was available to me when I had sex outside of marriage.
His mercy is never ending. Thanking God for reminding me that no sin is worse than another. Thanking Him for reminding me that He can make all things new. Thanking Him for every second chance He gives me. Thanking Him for His undeserved favor, known as grace.
Reminding you to pray for Anthony and his family, and thank God as you pray that you have been forgiven for all your sins.
by | Faith Lived Out
I was listening to Joyce Meyer the other day talking about mercy.
In Matthew 12, Jesus told the story of David entering the house of God and eating the consecrated bread. That was against the law. The bread was only to be used for the priests. But David was starving and so he ate the bread. Did God strike him down? No. Did God condemn him? No. He gave David mercy though he didn’t deserve it.
Oh how I would be lost without the mercy and grace of God. Every day I wake is a new day to receive His mercy. Lamentations 3:23 reminds me that His mercies are new every morning.
God showed mercy to Moses after he killed a man.
He showed mercy to David for his adulterous ways.
He showed mercy to Jacob through all of his disobedience.
Does this mean that we receive mercy and never pay for our sins? No.
Joyce gave a great description of this:
Your child has a list of things to do. Clean his room. Do the dishes. Take the trash out. Feed the dog.
Then something happens. The neighborhood bully steals his ball and throws it in the sewer. He immediately comes running, crying out to you. What is the first thing you do? Check his list to make sure he’s done all the required tasks? No. You immediately run to him and make sure everything is ok. That doesn’t mean they won’t still have to do the things on their list and that they won’t be held responsible, but mercy comes first in their time of need.
God is like that with us. He doesn’t go over a checklist to make sure we’ve done our Bible study 30 minutes every day before he picks us up when we cry out. His mercies are new EVERY morning.
When Jesus picked his disciples do you think he went through a check list of qualifications they had to meet before he would let them follow him? If Jesus were hiring 12 men to follow him today, those disciples would hardly qualify.
- Simon had a temper and was emotionally unstable.
- Andrew had no qualities of leadership.
- John and James placed personal interest above company loyalty.
- Thomas demonstrated a questioning attitude.
- Matthew was blacklisted with the Better Business Bureau of Jerusalem.
- James and Thaddeus were manic-depressive.
The only disciple who would qualify would be Judas.
Why does God pick messed up people? Because they can have mercy on other messed up people.
George the attorney, Bob the dentist, and Charlie the airline pilot didn’t fit the mold. That doesn’t go to say that George, Bob, and Charlie couldn’t affect the Kingdom with their testimonies, but you catch my drift.
Thanking God today for his mercy instead of what I really deserve.
Click here to view Joyce’s complete broadcast on Imitating God’s Mercy.
Share something merciful God has done in your life.
by | Faith Lived Out
From Sundi Jo: This is a guest post by Jennifer White. Jennifer lives in Branson, Missouri with her husband David. She works for New Leaf Publishing Group, a Christian publishing company. She is an intercessor, enjoys serving others, loves cooking, and has a passion for sharing Christ’s message with others. You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.
How could God call you to lead others while you are suffering? Shouldn’t a leader be stronger than those she leads? Doesn’t she have to be able-bodied, completely whole, modeling a perfect life? How could He use you to lead from a place of such pain and discomfort?
Who told us we have to be physically, emotionally and spiritually complete to lead? Perhaps it’s a lie and distraction from our enemy. The one who saved us from our sinful selves suffered. The leader we are to follow was mocked and beaten.
Jesus suffered. He did not deserve it. He even knew it was going to happen. He begged for it to be removed from his path. And he ultimately said yes, I will suffer for you Father. I will endure this because I trust your outcome.
Jesus did not lose heart. He was facing death, wasting away at the hands of people who did not love him. But His spirit was winning. The outcome for Him was an unending fame and indescribable power to help those in need.
The truth is this! That same power in Jesus lives inside of each person who believes in Him. And when we are weak, He is strong (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
- Paul wrote much of the Bible from a prison cell.
- Joyce Meyer and Beth Moore are both victims of childhood sexual abuse.
- Joni Erikson Tada has been shining the light on Jesus for decades from her wheelchair.
- Stormie O’Martian has written books of powerful prayers regardless of childhood neglect and abuse.
Not one of those listed above deserved the weakness they found themselves in. But the same God who used words to create all of creation used/usesthese faithful ones to help countless people experience His love.
Your situation may be more difficult than any of these. It may be dark and lonely, but it is putty in the hands of the Creator. Watch Him use you to build a generation of believers.
Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
by | Faith Lived Out, Life Application
From Sundi Jo: This is a guest post by Bianca O’Brien. Bianca is a newly wed Navy wife and a transplant to the Sunshine State of Florida (for now). She enjoys volunteering and serving others, baking and cooking and she has a passion for sharing the gospel with her words and actions. Bianca writes about memories, experiences, lessons learned, food & cooking, crafting and plenty of other facets of life on her blog. You can also find her on Twitter and Facebook.
Recently I was talking with my best friend about a concept quite foreign to both of us: rest. As avid lovers of the Lord we are continually in the mindset of serving with a “go, go, go!” attitude. That got me wondering, “Is there such thing as being too busy working for God that you actually can miss out on God himself?” I think I might be on to something here.
From the moment a new believer accepts Christ in to their lives the list of to-do’s begin. Read your Bible everyday. Go to church. Get an accountability partner. Join a small group. Lead prayer times. Go on a mission trip. Serve in local outreach. Get discipled. The list goes on and on…
Even if it’s with good intentions that we steer Christians toward this mentality of doing and not being, we are still doing them tragic harm. At that point we are subliminally, if not overtly, teaching them that the Christian life is not about God, but rather it is about us and how are doing with our to-do list.
“And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)
If Christ, who is our Example, had moments of solitude and rest as He walked on earth, then how much more should we, flesh-battling sinners do the same? We are always plugged-in, turned on or broadcasting our cause; we are always pouring out. But what about being filled up; what about resting?
One of my struggles is finding approval in others and in what I accomplish. This often manifests itself in my to-do list. For years I’ve struggled with balancing my time in a way that best keeps me filled with the qualities of Christ that I seek to pour out. I was fortunate because recently I got married, moved to a new state where I knew no one and started a new job working from home. Instantly my schedule was wiped clean! Almost overnight I had a chance to start new – without hurting anyone’s feelings. This time I took my schedule more seriously. I guarded my free time and just as feverishly as I used to pencil in activities and coffee dates, I’ve been protective over my valuable alone time. My husband and I are in a small group, we do attend church regularly and we do serve. But we also have days where nothing is planned. And the reason we do that we are free/available for God to do something in our lives. Sometimes it’s a phone call from a desperate friend needing guidance or prayer, sometimes its’ baking sweets to share with the maintenance man of our apartment complex and sometimes it is a night alone, to rest in silence and meditate on God’s truths.
God is sovereign and I believe wholeheartedly that no matter what I might have going on in my schedule – He could interrupt it to achieve His purposes. However, there is something deeply satisfying when I choose to let go of my to-do list, when I choose to make room for Him to move. In being obedient to resting, I make time with God what I treasure above all else. Don’t make God an interruption; make him a your first choice – a prized treasure in your life.
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19-21)
Check your motives – why do you stay so busy? Do you live for the accolades? The acknowledgement? Turn off the computer one day. Silence your phone. Empty your calendar and retreat to a place of solitude to spend time with your Maker. Be still and listen – hear a word from the Lord.
Photo Credit: iStockphoto
“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.” (Psalm 37:7)
A friend of mine recently went to the hospital for stress-related issues. As a full time ministry worker she’s pressed on all sides for her time and it’s taking a toll on her not only spiritually, but physically too. As a result of this wake up call, and fervent prayer, she decided to step back from ministry for a season to rest and refresh. Would it take a hospital visit to make you stop and rest? Is an IV the only thing that could hold you down right now?
Sometimes the Lord intervenes on our behalf to save us from our own stubbornness: our own pride that won’t let us slow down.
Do you recall when Jesus was in the garden the night before his arrest? Was he planning an escape? Was he still actively ministering? Was he conversing with the disciples?
No, He was seeking the Lord in prayer.
Alone.
In the darkest hours, and even in the mundane ones, it’s crucial that we stop and realize our greatest need isn’t time. It isn’t resources. It isn’t pity. It isn’t even friends or family.
It’s God.
“If you love me, obey my commandments.” (John 14:15)
The fourth commandment is “observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy…the seventh day is a day of rest dedicated to the Lord your God.” (Exodus 20:8)
Let me encourage you that saying “no” to things that are not the best use of your time is not sinful. Make it a habit to never agree to anything right away – but buy yourself time to pray and consider your time before you commit. Make it a practice to give God your first fruits, not your tired, 5-minutes-to-spare leftovers.
What things can you let go of to give yourself more time alone with God? What things are you holding too tightly that perhaps you now realize you should let go of and entrust to Him? Will you practice obedience and allow Him to quiet your heart and help you focus on His direction for your life?
I can’t promise what He will do for you, or tell you your life will be at its fullest, but I can promise you with complete certainty that He is all you need. Christ is the greatest treasure.
by | Faith Lived Out
The first time I remember being introduced to The Shriners, besides seeing them drive little motorized bikes wearing funny hats in the parade, was after taking my little cousin to the circus a few years ago.
I walked away still clueless as to anything regarding the organization, but thought they produced a pretty good show. That was my last thought, until recently.
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by | Faith Lived Out
Do you have unanswered prayers? Wondering when God will take your pain away?
We all have days when we are trying to understand. When the end of the day comes we’re not any closer than we were the day before. Our hearts break and we ask why. The tears flow and we seek answers.
Though we may never understand or get the answers we so desparately want, God is always there. I’m so thankful!
I ran across this song a few weeks ago and it just spoke to my soul. I wanted to share it with you.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlL8LayF0uw]
Yesterday I discussed God’s mercy and today I want to touch on it a little more. This time I want to add a dose of judgment to it.
