Music

Psalm 50

What brings you joy? Are there things that you love being in your life? I am talking small things. I know my relationship to the Lord is top – then my family. I am so grateful for Mr. Joe Perry. But I am talking the everyday small things that you don’t think about.

Today – God used music. I love it. I always have – in fact… I was a music major in college. Intricate patterns, melodies and counter-melodies have long been a second language to me. But I have to tell you, I love to get lost in music – and the Lord knows it. He has used so many songs to speak to me to lift me up, to amuse me – or to satisfy that tune in my head that I can’t get rid of until I play it.

This may seem trivial to you – but I want you to think about something. Have you stopped to think about these small things that God uses to delight you? It may be a sunrise or sunset. It may be nature – or star gazing. What brings you joy?

While I was pondering – it hit me that God was doing that just for me. I realized I let life, worries, busyness and quite frankly ‘noise’ capture and hold my attention. The big sounds were drowning out the quiet voice of God. I then knew it was a choice. I choose to hear noise, worries, and stress. He lets us choose if we want to hear Him or not. The sad thing is – He puts things out there all the time for us, even when we don’t have time for Him.

I want to offer a challenge to you. Start marking down the small things – delights of God. What does He do for you every day?

Maybe if we focus on that – our attitudes might change a little.

This is the month for Thanksgiving – let’s be thankful! What do you have? Clothes? Shoes? (An abundance of shoes?)

The Bible tells us in Psalms 50:14 ‘Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,’

I went to read that verse, and ended up reading Psalm 50 in entirety. (It’s good to always see what verses surround the one you are thinking of – so we don’t take things out of context.)

Well – the Psalm reflects on what people have done for years. We work so hard to please… to be ‘holy’ and work for God – that we forget to be thankful.

You should read the entire Psalm – but I pulled out this segment:

Psalm 50:7-15

7 O my people, listen as I speak.
    Here are my charges against you, O Israel:
    I am God, your God!
⁸ I have no complaint about your sacrifices
    or the burnt offerings you constantly offer.
⁹ But I do not need the bulls from your barns
    or the goats from your pens.
¹⁰ For all the animals of the forest are mine,
    and I own the cattle on a thousand hills.
¹¹ I know every bird on the mountains,
    and all the animals of the field are mine.
¹² If I were hungry, I would not tell you,
    for all the world is mine and everything in it.
¹³ Do I eat the meat of bulls?
    Do I drink the blood of goats?
¹⁴ Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God,
    and keep the vows you made to the Most High.
¹⁵ Then call on me when you are in trouble,
    and I will rescue you,
    and you will give me glory.”

God tells us so many times that he will rescue us – should we not be thankful?

Take a few minutes to think of all the ways God delights you. Choose today to spend time with Him – and be thankful for all He does.

‘What if…” A Change in Heart…

Matthew 7:7 ‘Ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock, and the door will be opened unto you.’

What comes to your mind in a ‘what if?’ scenario? Judgment, accusations, pain, injury, fear? How many times do we play the ‘what if’ card – only to leave ourselves beaten, bruised, and lying in a heap of anxiety? This often comes to no achievement of anything but non-peace. The opposite of faith, and the word.

I was doing my Bible study homework and it was on prayer. Now as a firm believer in prayer – I tend to nod and amend a person on what I already know… Well – that’s just tacky of me. What do I know? And - with the knowledge I have, what do I practice?

Sometimes we need a slight, swift kick in the pants to remind us where we are with God. We can be full of the knowledge of God, faith, and peace. But do we live in that knowledge, or do we live in sight?

Today – I realized my problem. I have become lax in prayer life due to circumstances. Nothing bad – just a change routine. But that ‘lackness’ of putting up my shield of faith, has let all kinds of arrows come looming in at me. These arrows are the kind that have been hurled at me since I was a small girl. These arrows have nothing to do with my Father – these come from the father of lies.

And what do these arrows bring? This time –they bring more ‘what ifs’ then I want to count.

So going back to today’s lesson I was reading… What exactly was it talking about? 

Receiving.

Matthew 7:7-8

Ask and it shall be GIVEN you

Seek and ye shall FIND.

Knock and the door shall be OPENED unto you.

For everyone who asks RECEVIES.

Everyone who seeks FINDS

And to everyone who knocks – the door will be OPENED unto him.

I love the NLT – it says… 'Keep on asking.'

Do you find yourself worrying about asking God for the same thing over and over? Well, rest assured. There is plenty of scripture telling us to keep on asking.

Luke 18:1-8, Mark 11:24, John 15:7, Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9-13

The Lord has been telling me about receiving. He just wants me to receive – and I want to think it comes with a cost – but I’m wrong. Do you hear me on this? It is so hard to think God may just give us something… or it is for me at least.

Let’s go back to this ‘what-if’ game. What is really going on? God wants me to play ‘what-if’ with Him. But it looks a little different…

If I play ‘what-if’ with confidence, then I’m not looking at ‘what-if’ the bottom drops out… I’m looking at ‘what-if’ God decides to bless, to give, to grant to do the things His word says? Like ‘Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires you’re your heart.’ (Psalm 34:7) or ‘May He grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans succeed.’ (Psalm 20:4) ‘May the Lord answer all of your prayers’ (Psalm 25:5b)

I ask you… “What-if” He does? What if He comes through? What if He provides that money? What if He answers that prayer for a job, for a car, for a bill? What if?

Who is He? I am reminded of a word He keeps giving me.

As Moses speaks with God about the Israelites in Numbers 11, God asked Moses ‘Is there a limit to my Power?” (Verse 23.) Let me go ahead and tell you the answer is no - and I don’t think we want to test Him on this.

I do think we should look at one more conversation of Moses and God. The first recorded one… The one where God was speaking out of a bush ablaze with His glory… In the words of God –

“Take off your sandals, for the place you are standing is holy ground.” (Exodus 3:5)

So I ask one last time - ‘What if…?’

A bout with fear.

Psalm 56:3 'What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.'

Do you ever get paralyzed by the unknown? You hear something, think something, dream something, and boom. You think the worst. Your heart stops and you’re in a panic.

What does the Lord say?

Psalm 34. 'I will praise the Lord at all times. I will constantly speak his praises. I will boast only in the lord. Let all who are helpless take heart.

Come let us tell of God’s greatness let us exalt his name together.

I prayed to the Lord and he answered me. He freed me from all my fears. Those who look to Him for help will be radiant with joy. No shadow of shame will darken their faces.

In my desperation I prayed and the Lord listened, he saved me from all my troubles. For the angel of the Lord is a guard; he surrounds and defends all who fear him.'

The enemy wants to stop you in your tracks. He is the father of lies. The Lord wants us to be confident. I believe the antidote to all of this is to stay humble and walk with Him. 'The name of the Lord is strong tower, the righteous run into it – and they are safe.' (Proverbs 18:10)

So – an attack comes, what do you do?

            1. Go to the creator, cry out to Him for help.

2. Recall all the scripture He has given you. Some of my favorites are the Psalms… 34, 37, 20, 21, 4 & 5.

3. Ask Him to free you from the worry. His word is full of scripture about worry – and why we shouldn't.

4. Praise Him for taking you out of your misery, for protecting you, and for sending people along your way to encourage and uplift you.

He has you. He is protecting you. So who are you going to believe? God of grace and love, or lies of the enemy. The choice is yours. How long do you want to stay miserable?

Here are the scriptures He has given me in various anxiety battles. Learn them and keep them close to your heart.

Matthew 7:7 –'Ask and it shall be given you, seek and ye shall find, knock and the door will be opened unto you. For he who asks, receives. He who seeks finds, and he who knocks, the door will be opened unto him.'

List of Psalms:

34, 37, 20, 21, 4, 5, 91, 46

I had to write out the entirety of Psalm 91 –

Psalm 91 (NLT)

¹ Those who live in the shelter of the Most High
    will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.
² This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
    he is my God, and I trust him.
³ For he will rescue you from every trap
    and protect you from deadly disease.
⁴ He will cover you with his feathers.
    He will shelter you with his wings.
    His faithful promises are your armor and protection.
⁵ Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies in the day.
⁶ Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness,
    nor the disaster that strikes at midday.
⁷ Though a thousand fall at your side,
    though ten thousand are dying around you,
    these evils will not touch you.
⁸ Just open your eyes,
    and see how the wicked are punished.

⁹ If you make the Lord your refuge,
    if you make the Most High your shelter,
¹⁰ no evil will conquer you;
    no plague will come near your home.
¹¹ For he will order his angels
    to protect you wherever you go.
¹² They will hold you up with their hands
    so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.
¹³ You will trample upon lions and cobras;
    you will crush fierce lions and serpents under your feet!

¹⁴ The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
    I will protect those who trust in my name.
¹⁵ When they call on me, I will answer;
    I will be with them in trouble.
    I will rescue and honor them.
¹⁶ I will reward them with a long life
    and give them my salvation.”

Fresh Perspective

Genesis 41:1 ‘Two full years later…’

Has God given you a fresh perspective lately? I’m not talking a new outlook or a new determination… I am talking – perspective.

I have been studying Joseph in Genesis – and God has me right in between Chapters 40 and 41. That may not seem like much… but it’s the two years that span between the time Joseph interprets the dream for the chief cup-bearer and the dreams for Pharaoh. So much changed in that time, but not much happened…

‘What do you mean?’ you ask… Let me tell you.

Joseph is in prison for a crime he did not commit…Before that he was sold into slavery and right before that, Joseph’s brothers had betrayed him, thrown him into a well and told his father he was dead.

Poor, poor Joseph (that’s from Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat – for all you musical theater buffs…)

But that really was a long line of tough situations. Have you been there? Walking roads that just don’t seem to end?

Well – as I said – Joseph had been in prison. He had been there a while when he got the opportunity to interpret a dream for the Chief Cup-Bearer and Chief Baker (who were also in prison). Joseph used the opportunity to ask the cup-bearer to remember him when he left the prison. I often wonder if this was a desperate action of a man who had lost hope, and was seeing if man could help him, since God hadn't gotten him out of the situation yet. I’ve been trying to look at this from Joseph’s perspective. He had two dreams at age 17 about his brothers, and parents bowing down to him. Joseph had been waiting a while to see this dream come true… but how in the world could it when he is in prison for a crime he didn't commit? I would say he felt at the end of his rope. He’s using his talents and gifts for God, and he’s succeeding, but he’s still in a prison.

So after his attempt to get the cup-bearer to remember him, it failed. The word tells us that he forgot all about Joseph. So Joseph is back to waiting. Waiting for hope, waiting for change, waiting.

What does God do in the waiting? Sometimes I wonder if He is waiting for us. Waiting for us to realize who is really in control. Waiting for us to let go of the reigns. Waiting for us to realize the best way to the next chapter of life is to let God have ultimate control. Let Him shape, let him lead. See – I have been in that two years. I believe God gave me a moment of an open door, and I didn't like the instructions of how to walk through that door. He gave me clear directions – run and jump on (that moving train I talked about in the last blog.) However, I wanted another way to get onto that train. I tried several options instead of running alongside and jumping. Well – I never got on. And here we are… two full years later – with the same instructions.

What’s difference between now, and two full years ago? My perspective. Why would there be any better way than God’s way?

I needed a little humbling. I needed the last few inches of my stubborn will to finally give and say – Ok Lord… You are God. I am sorry for doing things my way, and just pouting about it. What do you want me to do?

Well – he used a friend to bring back the exact same instructions I received before –  a quick kick in the pants and now- I’m running to jump on the train.

So back to Genesis Chapter 40 - Joseph is in the waiting… Completely forgotten by the cup-bearer.

But that next chapter, chapter 41, it happens.

He gets a call to come interpret a dream. But not just for a cup-bearer. (Don’t we think too small?)

This dream was for Pharaoh himself. God was opening that door.

What changed? You got it. Perspective. We now have a fully compliant, obedient Joseph. The kind of man that is needed to be second in command under Pharaoh. The Joseph from two full years earlier wasn't ready.

This Joseph is.

So I ask. Do you have a fresh perspective?

Now.

Have you ever come to the moment where the thing you've been wanting is almost there? That answer to the prayer you have prayed for years - It’s at your fingertips and the only thing holding you back is you?

I had a friend speak truth to me. She said… “God wants you to do this, and I think you are running from it.’

Wow – a lifelong dream – and I am standing in my own way.

The Lord is giving me confirmation through His word - and I bet He is for you too. I love 2 Corinthians 6:2. In this verse, Paul is reminding us about what God had previously done in the time of favor and is saying ‘now’ is the time of favor again. 

2 Corinthians 6:2 (NLT) For God says, "At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you." Indeed, the "right time" is now. Today is the day of salvation.

Knowing this is the right time gives us confidence to move into what God is doing.  But if you need an extra little push - like my friend gave me - read this verse in 'the message ' translation.

2 Corinthians 6:2 (MSG) Well, now is the right time to listen, the day to be helped. Don’t put it off; don’t frustrate God’s work by showing up late...

Wow - what better way to put it then saying ‘don't put it off.’  God is moving now and we can choose to jump on board or watch the train go by.

I have recently been reading an incredible book about choices in life. Without trying to restate the book- just know that the lead girl is watching a group of brave people travel around - they travel by train- jumping off at their stop and jumping on when leaving; however, the train never stops. They have to run up to speed of the train and then jump on or off while it's moving.

I kind of see this as how we participate in God’s work. It's moving fast and when the time comes for us to join - we must run alongside and jump on. It does require a sense of fearlessness and courage. And sometimes - no looking back.

The question becomes - what do you want to do? Jump on a moving train to the land God is placing before you? Or, do you sit and watch it go by until you are comfortable with jumping on? (Which I don’t know if we’ll ever be comfortable with that…)

I say jump.

What have you go to lose?

Treasure Box...

Today I was in my office and noticed a sold sign on my trunk in the corner of my office. I had purchased the trunk and never had removed the sign – even though I had been using the trunk. Upon looking in the trunk I ran across a plethora of items. Some treasured items I wanted to keep in a safe place; some items I needed to stick somewhere in a hurry. I found some items that I put in there for later that I thought was important. And I found some items that are just trash that I hadn’t taken the time to go through.

Then it hit me….

Our Treasure boxes (trunks) are like our hearts. It’s a place to keep things – many things. Some valuable, some trash – our job is to keep our hearts ‘cleaned out’ just like our trunks. It’s easy to drop things in our trunk, to keep out of the way, or to save for Later.

What is in our hearts? The good, the bad and the ugly.

Have you had a heart cleanse lately? I don’t think we realize the magnitude of what’s in our hearts. Past relationships, past hurts, promises unfulfilled, dreams, passions, Episodes of our favorite TV show. What is littered in our hearts?

I went to the Word of God to find out a little more about the subject. Here are the verses that came up…

Luke 2:19 ‘But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.’

Luke 6:45 ‘A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.’

Psalm 119:11 ‘I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.’

Proverbs 4:23 ‘Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.’

Matthew 6:21 ^‘For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.’

Do you see that what’s in your heart, is what comes out of you? If you pondered and kept the word of God in your heart – imagine what would flow forth? You would have wisdom for your daily circumstances. You would have peace knowing who has it under control. You would have words ready for friends in need. You would have knowledge of a Heavenly Father who loves you.

Imagine this knowledge at your fingertips – instead of fleeting knowledge of the world that can be taken away.

I leave you with this thought… Whatever is in your heart – your treasure box… your life – it may be a great time for a spring cleaning.

Matthew 6:19-21 (KJV)

¹⁹ Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

²⁰ But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

²¹ For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.