Joy and Strength (Christian life and music)

This morning during my quiet time with the Lord, I had a revelation.  I feel like I may have already known this on some level, but it became clearer to me. The revelation is that I do not have to wait for a location or place to "enter in" to the Promised Land.  Yes, Joshua and Caleb entered a physical, literal land.   But I believe that our "wilderness" is not always due to our circumstances, no matter how abysmal.  I believe we can know and live out God's promises for us anywhere and in so doing, we "leave" the wilderness and enter in to His bounty. That's what the Promised Land was - it was rich agriculturally, filled with life. This is more than "positive thinking."  So much more! This is taking each promise that the Lord has given us in His Word and actually believing them! Did you know that you can know something without really believing it?  I know plenty of Bible verses by heart, but when I live in doubt, fear, worry, anxiety, and

Did you know that you can work against God's working in your life? Jesus Himself said that you are either for Him or against Him.  No neutral ground there. I read in one of my devotionals this morning about how we can either work with God, or against Him.  I wanted to know how I can better work with God, so I asked Him how to do so. He gave me a short, simple list: 1. Always forgive 2. Keep smiling 3. Keep trusting Me 4. Always be thankful 5. Do not  limit Me! Ahh.  This list refreshes me.  It restores my soul.  How?  First off, it is not complicated.  Each of these is doable! If I had to say which one is hardest for me, it would be #5.  I'm sure I limit God in many ways and areas of my life.  Typing these words makes no sense as I see them written out!  I mean, I know that God is infinite.  I know that He can do anything, including the impossible.   I know these things in my mind.  Yet, when I ask of Him certain things, in my mind I cannot see how He can answer me!  There are

Some Christians are concerned that when they're not sure of God's will, if they do something anyway - even if it is a good thing - that they will be out of His will. God knows our hearts.  He is fully aware when we behave out of willfulness and when it is our desire to do His will and not our own. But discerning God's will can be tricky. There is His overall will for each of us, and that never changes:  that we know Him. Problem is, we've confused doing  with being  We want to know what to do  for God, when all along He is after our being  first and foremost. So what about when we are being who He calls us to be to our utmost and we're still vague, or even clueless, as to the doing part? We wait. We wait on God. Remember, He has all eternity and if we only surrender to it, so do we! That means that perhaps we will not get to do it all here and now.  In that sense, none of us ever finishes our work here.  Yes, we finish what He gives us to do on earth.  But wait!  Th

The last concrete "to do" I received from the Lord was about two years ago.  "Write a blog." That's all He needed to say - I was on it! But there are times and seasons for everything.  And lately, what once came so easily for me - only because God was in it to enable and empower me - is starting to become stale to me. Every day, as I sat down to write these blog entries, I never knew what I was going to write about.  I simply started typing and the words came to me.  This is how I know it was a God thing. I don't even consider myself a "real" writer.  It is simply something I enjoy doing.  There are those who are far better at it than I. My training was in music.  All my life, practicing the piano, or later in life writing songs, or singing, or what have you.  But God moves in us and changes our desires for His purposes, His seasons for us.  We need to be willing to listen, trust, and obey Him. And I was willing to go on forever writing this blog f

God is at work in the world.  He has many ways that He gets His work done.  God does not "need" our help.  God is God! But one of the way He chooses to accomplish His will on the earth is through us.  Yes, us!  Weak, fallible, messed up humans.   God partners with us to get His work done in the world. Now His work is not only outer accomplishments.  Does He want us to feed the poor, heal the sick, feed His sheep, and so on?  Yes. But there is a deeper work that God is about doing: heart work. God is in the process of transforming our hearts so that we may glorify Him.  We have nothing to offer in and of ourselves.  When we are born again, at least we have a chance!  How?  It is through the supernatural power and work of the Holy Spirit that resides in us who gets all the glory, all the credit, for any holy work that we do, outer and inner. I have seen and learned that the outer work is the easier of the two.  People can pretty much make their minds up to go about doing good t

Oh how I love words.  They have such power.  We all know that they can be used for evil or good.  And We all know the saying, "The pen is mightier than the sword."  What a gift God gave us in words!   Spoken words have power.  But words we read are just as powerful. The Lord always, without fail, leads me to just the right word that I need for whatever situation I face. His Scripture holds the most powerful of all words, as it is "living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword." (see Hebrews 4:12)  The Bible is alive.  It's words contain past and future events, words of comfort and healing, words of truth and light, words of wisdom - it's all in there! There is a reason why the Bible is the best-selling book of all time.  Yet some are foolish enough to never read it!   Just recently I found a gem of a book on amazon,  Trust God's Plan  (affiliate).  In it are words of gold that the Lord knew I needed for such a time as this. It is a short read bu

About 10 years ago, I was in line at Ralphs in L.A. waiting to checkout my groceries.  Since it's been a while, the details are fuzzy.  But I remember feeling compelled to talk about the Lord with the fellow waiting in line behind me.  Let's just say it didn't end well! Everything in his words and actions were actually proving the Bible!  When I told him so, he cried out loud,"She's preaching to me!" as if I'd committeed a felony.  No one came to his rescue.   Are we coming to a place in history when sharing the gospel with someone will be outlawed?  This is nothing new in communist countries. But what about on our own soil?  I believe those days are right around the bend. So I say preach while we are able!  As the Spirit leads, of course. Throughout the ages, men have vehemently opposed the gospel and did not want to hear it.  Why?  Because it convicted them of their sin and they wanted to continue in their sin and not repent.  Some things never change. J

We all need direction in life.  We want to know the future, our destination, where we are going. What better help could we ask for than an all-knowing compass in the Holy Spirit?  The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity and is equal to God and Jesus.  They are one and the same Being. So how are we led by the Holy Spirit?  We let Him!  To be a follower, we must be willing to be led.  It may seem a simple explanation, but unless we lay down our "rights" and also the belief that we know best, we cannot truly follow Christ via the Holy Spirit. The Spirit testifies to Truth.  Always.  He will never steer you wrong. But how do we know when it's the Holy Spirit leading us, and not someone else or even ourselves? Practice. As we listen to the Holy Spirit, at first it may be hit or miss.  And that's ok.  You hear among Christians all the time, "I thought God told me..."  I'm not sure why this happens.  To keep us humble?  To make sure we keep listening

Everyone wants to know why they were born, for what purpose.  Most see their purpose as a job to do, an assignment to complete, or a role to play.  But these are the outcome of a deeper purpose. We were made for God.  And if we are carrying out any sort of purpose, no matter how grand or "famous," which excludes Him, without knowing Him, it is of no import at all in the end. Our truest purpose is to know God.  He wants to be known by us!  Can He ever be fully known this side of eternity?  No.  But we can get to know Him as much as is possible for now until we see Him in all of His glory and splendor and majesty and power. Why is getting to know God so very crucial?  Because that is our purpose!  We find ouselves in His Presence.  We are found.  We finally know true peace, love, joy, and contentment because we know Him. And out of that connection, that seeking Him daily, flows His living water from us that will nourish those around us, in whatever sphere of influence He has de