After a promising message in Day 1, today may be seen as discouraging, or even threatening. But let's look at this message through the eyes of our Lord and Savior!
We have been anointed with the Holy Spirit, fully equipped for supernatural success through the Lord. And this is the truth we need to stand firm in when we read from 1 Peter 5:8.
"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
And then from John 10:10a.
"A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy."
The rest of John 10:10 however reads. "I have come that they may have life and have it to the full."
You see, the enemy, the devil, will attack. He will attack everyone, but we, as the anointed, are able to stand in Christ's victory and resist. We know how the story ends, and while there may still be battles here to fight, we know who reigns victorious when the battlefields are empty.
The greatest thing that we can do is be ready. "Stay alert!" The more God-conscious we are, the more we will be aware of the enemy's attempts to sneak in and tempt us, fill us with fear, and tell us lies.
Last week I had a great week with the kids. I was mothering in patience and love. They weren't perfect children, don't get me wrong, but I was able to handle things peacefully and gently. And then Thursday after school things started to fall apart. I was busy. I had so much to do. And the enemy crept in. I lost my cool and wasn't such a patient gentle mom. Had I been on alert, I would have realized this would happen. You see for me, he creeps in when I am tired, busy or hungry. (He especially likes it when I am all three!) Some times I can't avoid these circumstances, BUT, I can "get ready for battle" as David did when the Philistines were after him. How different could things be if I cried out to the Lord before the attack?
Where does the enemy creep into your life? How do you respond to his attack? What can you do to, as Priscilla so clearly put it, "walk in full confidence that he is already defeated and your victory is already guaranteed"?
"Thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:57
2.10.2012
Anointed,Transformed,Redeemed:Week 2, Day 1
Anointing. We've been reading about David's anointing by God, through Samuel, but have we truly grasped the impact of that word yet on our own lives?
Priscilla suggests that having the Lord's anointing on our lives enables us to complete regular tasks, and to face natural events, with supernatural success. We are watching David's story unfold and beginning to see the different examples of supernatural success in his story as a result of his anointing. It is becoming more clear with every page turn that David's role as king was to accomplish great things in the name of the Lord and that God equipped him to do just that.
So what does anointing look like in our own lives, and how do we become anointed?
Paul spoke to this in 2 Corinthians 1:21-2.
"Now it is God Who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."
Ephesians 1:13-14 adds,
"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory."
Did you see that? "When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit." Believe...receive. As Believers in the Gospel of Salvation we are anointed with the Holy Spirit and therefore set apart, much like David was, for God's purposes in our lives. We already have access to supernatural success in the Lord! We just have to rely on His power in us!
Ok, so what does that look like? If we aren't teachers and preachers of His Word in church and we aren't missionaries in other countries sharing the Gospel, what kind of supernatural success could He possibly accomplish in us?
When your kids were goofing around this morning and almost missed the bus, how did you react? Did you have the patience that you teach them of and the gentle kind words that you tell them they should use?
When your best friend wore a great new sweater this weekend from White House Black Market, how did you feel? Was your heart content in how the Lord has blessed you and your family even though your husband's hours have been cut and the mortgage still needs to be paid (and you are still wearing that sweater you bought on clearance last year from Old Navy?)
We often forget that even though we may not feel like we are doing big things in the name of the Lord, He has anointed us for His purposes. The world is watching how we live our lives. We have children to raise up in His name. We have friends to reach with His love. We have neighbors to touch with His grace. Living out the Gospel in our everyday lives is living with supernatural success.
As we wrap up Day 1 of this second week in David's story, I want to challenge you with two questions.
Are you anointed? As we read in Ephesians, have you listened to the message of truth, the gospel of salvation, and believed, knowing Jesus as your Savior?
And if you are, are you living each day as an anointed child of God?
We do a lot of things in this life that may appear to make us look successful in the eyes of the world. But without the Lord's anointing, these things become empty. Let's not forget to live in light of our anointing, today, and everyday!
Priscilla suggests that having the Lord's anointing on our lives enables us to complete regular tasks, and to face natural events, with supernatural success. We are watching David's story unfold and beginning to see the different examples of supernatural success in his story as a result of his anointing. It is becoming more clear with every page turn that David's role as king was to accomplish great things in the name of the Lord and that God equipped him to do just that.
So what does anointing look like in our own lives, and how do we become anointed?
Paul spoke to this in 2 Corinthians 1:21-2.
"Now it is God Who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He anointed us, set His seal of ownership on us, and put His Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."
Ephesians 1:13-14 adds,
"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory."
Did you see that? "When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit." Believe...receive. As Believers in the Gospel of Salvation we are anointed with the Holy Spirit and therefore set apart, much like David was, for God's purposes in our lives. We already have access to supernatural success in the Lord! We just have to rely on His power in us!
Ok, so what does that look like? If we aren't teachers and preachers of His Word in church and we aren't missionaries in other countries sharing the Gospel, what kind of supernatural success could He possibly accomplish in us?
When your kids were goofing around this morning and almost missed the bus, how did you react? Did you have the patience that you teach them of and the gentle kind words that you tell them they should use?
When your best friend wore a great new sweater this weekend from White House Black Market, how did you feel? Was your heart content in how the Lord has blessed you and your family even though your husband's hours have been cut and the mortgage still needs to be paid (and you are still wearing that sweater you bought on clearance last year from Old Navy?)
We often forget that even though we may not feel like we are doing big things in the name of the Lord, He has anointed us for His purposes. The world is watching how we live our lives. We have children to raise up in His name. We have friends to reach with His love. We have neighbors to touch with His grace. Living out the Gospel in our everyday lives is living with supernatural success.
As we wrap up Day 1 of this second week in David's story, I want to challenge you with two questions.
Are you anointed? As we read in Ephesians, have you listened to the message of truth, the gospel of salvation, and believed, knowing Jesus as your Savior?
And if you are, are you living each day as an anointed child of God?
We do a lot of things in this life that may appear to make us look successful in the eyes of the world. But without the Lord's anointing, these things become empty. Let's not forget to live in light of our anointing, today, and everyday!
2.07.2012
Anointed,Transformed,Redeemed:Week 1, Day 5
Day 5 really pulled it all together for me. It is the fuel I need to get
my fire going. It is the purpose I need in the mundane. It is the
passion I desire in the busyness.
Our days are full of to-do's. In order to continue checking things off of that never ending list, we just hop from one task to the next. We allow ourselves to get wrapped up in the task, sometimes at the expense of relationships.
What if, as we started our next task, we paused to ask ourselves, "Who am I serving in this task?" When you are folding laundry, are you really doing that for the shirt in your hand or are you doing it for the child who will wear that shirt tomorrow? When you are making the bed in the morning, are you doing it for the comforter or are you doing it so your husband has nice smooth sheets to climb into after a long day at work? When you are serving pizza at school or working on the next big PTO project, are you doing it merely as a task or are you caring for the students and teachers at the school?
Much like God called David to be king, not just to enforce laws, but to lead the people of Israel in God's way, there is a greater purpose in all that God has enlisted us for. I love how Priscilla wrote, "Mothering is not the ultimate goal of being a mom, revealing Christ to the children is." Wow. Is that what our mothering is doing for our children?
It is so easy to get wrapped up in the Martha side of tasks and forget to be like Mary and sit down with Our Savior and allow the relationship to be the priority. God sent Paul to rescue the Gentiles. He sent Esther to save the Jews. Abraham was sent to create a nation-including Jesus! And Jesus of course was sent to save us all! Who has the Lord entrusted to you?
Consider the tasks that consume your days. Are you living with the task as the purpose or are you living in light of the grace God has given you, so that through these tasks others will see Jesus and His love reflected in you?
Consider His purpose in you today.
Our days are full of to-do's. In order to continue checking things off of that never ending list, we just hop from one task to the next. We allow ourselves to get wrapped up in the task, sometimes at the expense of relationships.
What if, as we started our next task, we paused to ask ourselves, "Who am I serving in this task?" When you are folding laundry, are you really doing that for the shirt in your hand or are you doing it for the child who will wear that shirt tomorrow? When you are making the bed in the morning, are you doing it for the comforter or are you doing it so your husband has nice smooth sheets to climb into after a long day at work? When you are serving pizza at school or working on the next big PTO project, are you doing it merely as a task or are you caring for the students and teachers at the school?
Much like God called David to be king, not just to enforce laws, but to lead the people of Israel in God's way, there is a greater purpose in all that God has enlisted us for. I love how Priscilla wrote, "Mothering is not the ultimate goal of being a mom, revealing Christ to the children is." Wow. Is that what our mothering is doing for our children?
It is so easy to get wrapped up in the Martha side of tasks and forget to be like Mary and sit down with Our Savior and allow the relationship to be the priority. God sent Paul to rescue the Gentiles. He sent Esther to save the Jews. Abraham was sent to create a nation-including Jesus! And Jesus of course was sent to save us all! Who has the Lord entrusted to you?
Consider the tasks that consume your days. Are you living with the task as the purpose or are you living in light of the grace God has given you, so that through these tasks others will see Jesus and His love reflected in you?
Consider His purpose in you today.
2.06.2012
Anointed,Transformed,Redeemed:Week 1, Day 4
In Day 4's lesson, Priscilla points us towards 2 Corinthians 2:5.
"It is not that we are equipped to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God."
Phew! What a relief. I am not sure about you, but more times than not I feel quite inadequate in what I am doing. And I am reminded in this lesson that God doesn't call the equipped, but He equips the called. If we could do everything on our own, where would God shine through? And would we even need Him at all? Paige said to me last night, "I'm glad that I sin, because if I didn't, I wouldn't need Jesus." Out of the mouths of babes.
So, what is one thing in your life right now that you feel least equipped to handle? Your family? Your husband? Your job? Here's what I wrote:
"My children. They are complicated, emotional and difficult. I am also complicated, emotional and difficult. I need to teach them to be what I am not. Gulp."
Amidst this feeling of inadequacy however, I need to remember 2 Corinthians 2:5. HE WILL equip me! He does everyday! I just need to lean on Him as my source and sustainer. I need to be more God-conscious. And I need to trust Him.
Did anyone in the Bible feel absolutely secure in what God was calling them to? Mary? Moses? Jeremiah? Jonah? Solomon? David? I think the list could go on and on. But, if we are obedient and trusting, we will get see His great works through us!
My friends, you are each one of God's incredible masterpieces. Now let Your Creator continue to work on His great handiwork in you!
"It is not that we are equipped to do anything on our own. Our qualification comes from God."
Phew! What a relief. I am not sure about you, but more times than not I feel quite inadequate in what I am doing. And I am reminded in this lesson that God doesn't call the equipped, but He equips the called. If we could do everything on our own, where would God shine through? And would we even need Him at all? Paige said to me last night, "I'm glad that I sin, because if I didn't, I wouldn't need Jesus." Out of the mouths of babes.
So, what is one thing in your life right now that you feel least equipped to handle? Your family? Your husband? Your job? Here's what I wrote:
"My children. They are complicated, emotional and difficult. I am also complicated, emotional and difficult. I need to teach them to be what I am not. Gulp."
Amidst this feeling of inadequacy however, I need to remember 2 Corinthians 2:5. HE WILL equip me! He does everyday! I just need to lean on Him as my source and sustainer. I need to be more God-conscious. And I need to trust Him.
Did anyone in the Bible feel absolutely secure in what God was calling them to? Mary? Moses? Jeremiah? Jonah? Solomon? David? I think the list could go on and on. But, if we are obedient and trusting, we will get see His great works through us!
My friends, you are each one of God's incredible masterpieces. Now let Your Creator continue to work on His great handiwork in you!
2.05.2012
Anointed,Transformed,Redeemed:Week 1, Day 3
Day 3 is all about control. Wow. I guess God had my number on this one!
There are so many pieces in life that we as mothers need to coordinate. And I guess for me, the key word there is coordinate. Why? Because it is so easy to feel like we have to CONTROL these pieces. And if we are trying to control our children and they don't act as our pawns, we become frustrated. And when we try to control our husbands and they don't respond as we had planned, we become irritable. And when we attempt to control the outcome of every situation to no avail, we become anxious.
Now, I don't know about you, but if I, like David, was quickly being surrounded by the entire Philistine army, I would be VERY anxious! I would probably cry out to God, but it would sound something more like "SAVE ME!" as I ran somewhere to hide, rather than words like David's, "Shall I go up against the Philistine's? Will you give them into my hand?" I'm not saying David wasn't at all nervous...that's a tough one to believe. However, I do believe that God's Word is truth and that if anxiety dominated his being at that time, this part of the story would have read something more like, "David, consumed with great fear of the Philistines asked the Lord, 'Must I go and attack the Philistine's all alone? How could I possibly be victorious against ALL of the Philistines?'"
So how do we begin to live lives that are characterized by trusting the Lord rather than trusting our own control? After identifying areas in our lives where we find the most anxiety (top of page 22) Priscilla then challenges us to identify just ONE thing that we would normally seek to control today, just one. So, pick one thing. Next pray that God will take that burden from you today. Finally, determine what you can do (or not do) to show that you are trusting God with it today.
For me, I am NOT going to try to control my daughter today. I am called by God to love her, teach her and discipline her in love when necessary...not to control her. I prayed with her before school and asked God to take care of her today. I will show her love this afternoon. I will be constant for her if she is emotional or dramatic. I will discipline her calmly, in love, only if she truly needs it, i.e. not if she is just on my nerve because she is not acting as I had planned for her to act.
What are you trying to control in your life? What will you give to the Lord today? HE can handle it. He wants to handle it! Just start with one thing.
There are so many pieces in life that we as mothers need to coordinate. And I guess for me, the key word there is coordinate. Why? Because it is so easy to feel like we have to CONTROL these pieces. And if we are trying to control our children and they don't act as our pawns, we become frustrated. And when we try to control our husbands and they don't respond as we had planned, we become irritable. And when we attempt to control the outcome of every situation to no avail, we become anxious.
Now, I don't know about you, but if I, like David, was quickly being surrounded by the entire Philistine army, I would be VERY anxious! I would probably cry out to God, but it would sound something more like "SAVE ME!" as I ran somewhere to hide, rather than words like David's, "Shall I go up against the Philistine's? Will you give them into my hand?" I'm not saying David wasn't at all nervous...that's a tough one to believe. However, I do believe that God's Word is truth and that if anxiety dominated his being at that time, this part of the story would have read something more like, "David, consumed with great fear of the Philistines asked the Lord, 'Must I go and attack the Philistine's all alone? How could I possibly be victorious against ALL of the Philistines?'"
So how do we begin to live lives that are characterized by trusting the Lord rather than trusting our own control? After identifying areas in our lives where we find the most anxiety (top of page 22) Priscilla then challenges us to identify just ONE thing that we would normally seek to control today, just one. So, pick one thing. Next pray that God will take that burden from you today. Finally, determine what you can do (or not do) to show that you are trusting God with it today.
For me, I am NOT going to try to control my daughter today. I am called by God to love her, teach her and discipline her in love when necessary...not to control her. I prayed with her before school and asked God to take care of her today. I will show her love this afternoon. I will be constant for her if she is emotional or dramatic. I will discipline her calmly, in love, only if she truly needs it, i.e. not if she is just on my nerve because she is not acting as I had planned for her to act.
What are you trying to control in your life? What will you give to the Lord today? HE can handle it. He wants to handle it! Just start with one thing.
2.04.2012
Anointed,Transformed,Redeemed:Week 1, Day 2
I've heard someone ask, "Why can't foresight be 20/20 like hindsight?"
As we look back over our lives, the pivotal times (good and bad), we can
often see the hands of God through it all. In the midst though...do we
see Him then?
While we are not always meant to know the entire picture on this side of heaven, I do believe that God wants us to recognize His presence not only through the major events on the timeline of our lives, but in the moments as well. David recognized the presence of the Lord in His life, and allowed that presence to greatly influence the decisions he made and the way he lived his life.
Today's study challenges us to reflect on some of the pivotal times in our own lives and God's presence during those times. Looking back, do you see God's fingerprints on your life? Did you see them then?
So what do we do today to become more aware of God's presence in our lives? We make decisions everyday. Many seem so trivial that we simply make them without any consideration of His presence. If we are honest though, allowing His presence into not just our days, but our moments, will significantly influence our decisions. And if we become aware of Him in the moments, how much greater will we be aware of Him in our next PIVOTAL moment?
On page 17 our assignment is to write down 5 decisions we will make this week. Next we are to write down what our typical response would be followed by our response if we are allowing God's presence to influence us. Take some time to do this activity. Then pray that God makes you aware of His presence through the week.
While we are not always meant to know the entire picture on this side of heaven, I do believe that God wants us to recognize His presence not only through the major events on the timeline of our lives, but in the moments as well. David recognized the presence of the Lord in His life, and allowed that presence to greatly influence the decisions he made and the way he lived his life.
Today's study challenges us to reflect on some of the pivotal times in our own lives and God's presence during those times. Looking back, do you see God's fingerprints on your life? Did you see them then?
So what do we do today to become more aware of God's presence in our lives? We make decisions everyday. Many seem so trivial that we simply make them without any consideration of His presence. If we are honest though, allowing His presence into not just our days, but our moments, will significantly influence our decisions. And if we become aware of Him in the moments, how much greater will we be aware of Him in our next PIVOTAL moment?
On page 17 our assignment is to write down 5 decisions we will make this week. Next we are to write down what our typical response would be followed by our response if we are allowing God's presence to influence us. Take some time to do this activity. Then pray that God makes you aware of His presence through the week.
2.03.2012
Anointed,Transformed,Redeemed:Week 1, Day 1
As I completed Day 1, I was thankful that we were given an application
for the week. Sometimes we can read and answer questions yet it is
difficult to know how to put it to work in our daily lives. On page 13,
Priscilla asks us to rate ourselves in four areas, and then identify
specific things we can do this week in each area so our life becomes
more reflective of these things. They are:
Trust God
Prioritize Intimate Times of Quiet With God
Pursue Holy Living
Grateful
What area do you struggle with the most? What will you do this week in this, and the remaining areas, that will help you to grow a heart more like His?
There is so much to learn from the life of David. And I find it such a blessing to be reminded that David was not a greater man that you or I. He simply allowed God to work in his life...and we can too! Who will be our Goliath? What will become our Philistinian Army? And will we stand before them and say, like David did, "I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty" ?
Trust God
Prioritize Intimate Times of Quiet With God
Pursue Holy Living
Grateful
What area do you struggle with the most? What will you do this week in this, and the remaining areas, that will help you to grow a heart more like His?
There is so much to learn from the life of David. And I find it such a blessing to be reminded that David was not a greater man that you or I. He simply allowed God to work in his life...and we can too! Who will be our Goliath? What will become our Philistinian Army? And will we stand before them and say, like David did, "I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty" ?
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