Joy and Strength (Christian life and music)

Is it hard for you to trust God?  To believe that He has your best interest at heart?  To be able to bear what you thought you never could because He allows certain trials to go on and on?  None of us knows the future, no not one.  But God does.  He knows the beginning from the end.   A friend once told me that all of the chapter titles in the book of our lives have the same title:  Trusting God. The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I believe what she said. The trick is to make sure that we are trusting Him and not only in what He can do for us. Yes, He is our Provider, Deliverer, Protector, and so much more.  But when we trust Him for the provision, the deliverance, the protection by looking to those things rather than Himself, we will get tripped up.  Why?  Because the provision rarely comes as we’d anticipated.  The deliverance rarely happens as quickly as we’d like.  And all kinds of stuff still happens to us that we f...

Many people are devoted to a cause, or to service, or to their families.  All good devotions they. But as Christians, our devotion is to Christ.   Our devotion is to a Person. This makes all the difference because it places the cart where it belongs, after the horse, not before it. It is easier, in some ways to be devoted to events, things, happenings, service, and so on. Why?  Because these are tangible and measurable.  "I give to the poor."  "I tithe 10%."  "I go to church every week."  Good deeds all are these. But it makes me wonder why Jesus turns some "do-gooders" away in the end?  It's a frightening Scripture, for sure, if Jesus is talking to you. "Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’" Matthew 7:22-23 Jesus is speaking to those who...

Suffering. That is the number one thing that makes me feel closest to Christ. Surprised?   We feel close to someone when we feel we can relate to him or her.  We understand someone better when we have experienced even a little of what he or she is going through.  We empathize with them. Jesus was a man of sorrows.  He was despised and rejected.  He came as the Savior to His chosen people, the Jews, but they rejected Him.  That hurts.  Deeply.  He was a threat to the political "powers" of His day.  He was wrongly accused of evil doing by the Pharisees and eventually was crucified because the people could not bear His goodness, power, and truth.  They preferred darkness over light. So when I have received but a taste of that same sort of rejection, I get a feel for what Jesus must have felt.  It's certainly no fun.  But it is precisely during those times that I feel a kinship with Him.  It is during those moments when H...

One of my favorite things about belonging to Christ, having an intimate relationship with Him, is that He totally "gets" me. I never need to explain myself to Him. He already knows. He knows why I behave the way I do - all of the back story. He knows what I'm made of because He made me. He absolutely and thoroughly understands me. And He loves me one million percent. This kind of love is a foundation. This kind of love and acceptance and belonging is found nowhere else. That is why I cling to Him so. It is all there, in Him. All of the love, mercy, compassion, understanding, belonging, and fulfillment I could ever want are all found in Him, the Lover of my soul. He "gets" me. He knows where I've been, how I've been treated - even mistreated because of my love for Him - and He is preparing countless rewards for me in Heaven with Himself. But all the blessings in the universe cannot even come close to the blessing of His Presence, fellowship with Him. Matc...

A prayer I wrote on Day 3 of my fast: O Lord, I want to be more aware of Your Presence with me. Please show up in a more tangible way, Lord Jesus,  Holy Spirit, I want to be close to You, sweet Lord.  Please be close to me. Take my thoughts, reasonings, etc., and get me to a simple place!  Simply resting in Your Presence as I go about my daily routine. I invite You, my Lord, into all of it!  Where I have kept You at arm's length, I now say I want You closer, in all of it.  Everything!  In every relationship, in my work, in my music, in how I treat You and others, O Lord, take me higher with You!  More with  You.  More aware of You! I feel I am more aware of You during this fast, but not as much as possible.  Not as "cloud 9," but a simple and pure awareness - Your love and joy and peace always around me, with me, in me. I don't know how else to pray, Lord!  But I just want more of You!  More of You, sweet Lord!  And if thi...

As Christian's, we want to know God's will for our lives.  We are eager to learn our purpose and place in this world, what He would have us do.  And there's nothing wrong with that. The trouble comes when we put our thirst for knowing God's will above our hunger for knowing God.  Do we only want to know what we are to do  for Him?  Or do we want to know  Him? These are not the same desires.  Wanting to know a person is quite different from wanting to get advice from him.   I have been guilty of this - wanting to know my purpose more than wanting to know God.  I want to be of use to Him, and that is a good thing.  But wanting to work for Him and wanting to cultivate a love relationship with Him are two very different animals.   It is enough to obey His revealed will.  Are we even doing that?  Love each other.  Forgive each other.  Keep no record of wrongs.  Give thanks always.  Rejoice always....