What Pleases the Lord? (Part 2)

“and find out what pleases the Lord.” Ephesians 5:10

As we continue on in our treasure hunt in searching out what pleases the Lord I would like to refer you to Part 1 of this series if you have not already read that before continuing on with us in Part 2. Otherwise, welcome!

Obedience

But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices  as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22

“If you love me, keep my commands.” John 14:15

Obedience to our Heavenly Father and His word is one of the simplest ways to please the Lord. However, there are times when obedience feels as if it is one of the hardest things to do. Especially, when we are caught between doing what is right and doing what we want (what feels good). Obedience isn’t always easy, but it is always right. Take for example Abraham with his son Isaac. I have no doubt that Abraham had thoughts of disobeying the Lord. What parent in their right mind would want to kill their own child? Abraham had to struggle between what was right and what felt right. God honored Abraham’s obedience by sending a ram as a substitute sacrifice instead of Isaac. Are we willing to obey even when it doesn’t make sense? Are we willing to obey when it goes against everything within us that “feels” right?” Like Abraham, are we willing to obey when it “appears” to go against God’s promise over our life? There are times when our obedience will be tested. How will our obedience measure up when the testing comes?  

Giving of our lives

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1

“Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.” Hebrews 13:15-16

The fruit of our lives often speaks louder than our words. Are we bearing fruit that is tender and sweet or is it bitter and tart in the mouth of others? The people around us should be able to taste and see that the Lord is good. If our lives are not visibly showing Christ, then we can not possibly please the Lord. Hebrews tells us that we should be continually offering praise, the fruit of our lips should speak of His name. If we are not speaking about our Savior and all He has done in our lives, how can we possibly please God? Our lives are a walking, breathing, speaking, living testimony of God’s amazing grace. If we do not speak of this, who will? When we give our entire life, everything we do and say to the Lord as a living testimony for the world to see, hear, and taste, this pleases our Heavenly Father. By walking our lives this way we will stand before Christ and hear “well done good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:21)

Humility

“For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory.” Psalm 149: 4

“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” Psalm 51:16-17

Our humility is the key to God’s heart. Our Heavenly Father delights in a heart that is humble and broken before him. If our hearts are not in a place of humility the Lord is not obligated to move on our behalf. His heart is moved by our humility. Our humility pleases the Lord. Think about how much easier it is to work with others who are humble and teachable as opposed to those who are arrogant and unyielding. Our relationship with God is no different. When we keep our hearts humble before Him, He is able to do so much more in us and through us then when we are puffed up with arrogance and pride. Our humility will become our crown of victory. How humble we are will determine the size of our victory crown. A heart full of humility the Lord will cherish.

Righteousness

“The Lord detests those whose hearts are perverse, but he delights in those whose ways are blameless.” Proverbs 11:20

“To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” Proverbs 21:3 (ESV)

The Lord takes delight in us when we walk in righteousness, when our ways are blameless. I think the best way to put this into perspective is to relate it to the parent/child relationship. When our kids are being respectful, honoring and obedient with no malice or bitterness in their hearts, then we as parents can delight in them. On the flip side of that, if our children are rebelling and doing all they can to disassociate from us, then our hearts can not fully delight in them. This does not mean that we do not still love them, of course we do, but we will inevitably find ourselves frustrated and worn out by them during these times. I believe in some small way our Heavenly Father is much the same way. He never stops loving us no matter how far we push Him away, but I believe His heart can not fully delight in us when we are not walking in righteousness. So, if we want to make the heart of the Lord smile, we should walk righteously and blamelessly before Him. 

Grace

“Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister. I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean. If your brother or sister is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy someone for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and receives human approval.” Romans 14:13-18

I realize this is a long section of scripture, but I felt the need to include more than just the emphasized section so that you had an understanding of what was going on. Paul was addressing the Roman Christians (as well as us today) that we need to be willing to extend grace in some areas and not be so legalistic. In the transitioning between the old covenant and the new covenant Paul realized that there would be Christians at various stages learning how to function under a new way of interacting with the Lord. He was encouraging them to extend one another grace as they learned how to make this transition. We too need to become a people of grace. New believers are not going to understand everything that a mature Christian might. We can let righteousness, peace and joy flow out of each of us and by doing so, grace will be there as well to understand that God is working on each heart in His own way and in His own time. If we try to become legalistic about all of it we become no better than the pharisees and sadducees, and we all know how Christ felt about them.

Call to action

Today we discussed five things that please the Lord. We talked about our obedience, the giving of our lives and the fruit we are producing, our humility, walking in righteousness, and extending grace. All of these things bring a smile to the face of our Heavenly Father when we put them into practice. I realize this list may seem overwhelming, but I want to encourage you today to choose one of the five things we discussed and make a conscious effort to make that a priority. Take one thing and please the Lord with that one area this week and watch how God’s heart will delight in you because of your diligence.

Sweet Father, I thank you that you have given us keys to your heart in your word. Thank you that you have shown us the very things that please you. I pray that you give us each a drive to work on at least one of these five areas this week so that we can bring a smile to your face and in turn become a witness to the world. We pray this in your precious name.

What Pleases the Lord? (Part 1)

“and find out what pleases the Lord.” Ephesians 5:10

When I came upon this short verse in Ephesians chapter 5 it’s as if the rest of the chapter seemed to disappear. "Find out what pleases the Lord." The things that please the Lord are like a treasure hunt. These things need to be searched out, sought after, and pursued. These are hidden things that take a lifetime of curiosity to unveil. I am completely convinced however, that when we set our minds to pleasing the Lord, by seeking first His kingdom and righteousness, then He will keep His word and “all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33) When our minds are focused on pleasing the Lord all of our needs will be taken care of. I’m not saying we will get everything we want, but the Lord will certainly give us everything we need when we need it. I invite you to join me on a treasure hunt as we search scripture to discover what pleases the Lord.

 

Faith

“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hebrews 11:6

Hebrews tells us that it is not even possible to please the Lord without faith. Faith by definition means to have confidence or trust in the Lord, to believe with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. So, when we lack the confidence, trust and belief with our innermost being, and our faith is non-existent, then pleasing the Lord is absolutely out of the realm of possibility. Faith is the foundation by which everything else in our relationship with Christ can stand. If we have not laid the foundation of a firm and established faith, then we can be assured everything else we try to build in the kingdom will also be weak and unreliable. Faith is the starting point for the Lord to do the unimaginable. I love that the Lord does not expect our faith to be huge. Scripture tells us that if we have faith as small as a mustard seed we can move mountains. (Matthew 17:20). Nothing is impossible to those who have just the smallest amount of faith in their Heavenly Father. What confidence that gives us as believers! 

Fearing the Lord

“the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.” Psalm 147:11

The Lord delights, He takes joy in, it makes His heart happy to see those who stand in awe of Him. That word fear doesn’t mean to be scared of God, but rather to be awe struck, to be so overwhelmed by Him that you are without words to describe how wondrous and glorious He truly is. Do we walk in such a way that our reaction to God being God is nothing short of being totally and completely mesmerized? Are we so wrapped up in His breathtaking nature that we can do nothing more than sit in reverent silence because there are no words to describe Him?  Are we truly fearing the Lord? I don’t know about you, but I fall short on this front for sure! I take God for granted in so many ways and forget to just sit back and stand in awe of Him. This is such a challenge to my spirit right now. I can definitely spend more time admiring the God who created the heavens and the earth, who puts each breath in my lungs and life in my bones. Wow! The Lord delights in me when I take the time to admire Him.

Trust

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Much like faith, trust means to have confidence in, and to rely on. We are to have confidence, without hesitation or hindrance in our Heavenly Father with everything that is within us. Once we have placed our uninhibited trust in the Lord then, and only then can we count on our paths being made straight. I know for me, I often want the Lord to make my path straight before I commit to trusting in Him wholeheartedly. It is not pleasing to the Lord when we don’t completely put our trust in Him and His ways. In fact, it breaks His heart because He can see our past, present and future. He knows our beginning and our end. He knows our comings and our goings. So, when we refuse to trust Him it only grieves His spirit because He has the ability to keep us on the straight and narrow path, safe and secure in His steadfast love. When our trust is placed in other things outside of the Lord we will only reap a path of turning and twisting. I wonder if this is why we sometimes feel as if we are going around the same mountain time and time again. Could it be that we are not trusting the Lord with all our heart? May we learn to place our complete trust in our Heavenly Father so that we can walk on the straight and narrow way rather than walking in circles and wondering which way is forward.    

Loving the Lord

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” Matthew 22:36-38

Jesus tells us that loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength is the greatest commandment. It pleases the Lord to have His children loving and adoring Him unhindered and unabandoned. Every parent desires for their children to love them. I don’t believe that most parents desire a broken relationship with their children. Our Heavenly Father is much the same way. It warms His heart when His children desire to have close intimate fellowship with Him, to seek after Him, His kingdom and His ways. I suspect that if we just get this one area right, of loving the Lord with our entire being, with every heartbeat and every breath in our bodies, that pleasing the Lord will simply fall into place. 

If we continue on in Matthew 22 we will find the second greatest commandment.

Loving others

“And the second (law) is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:39-40

Our Heavenly Father's very identity is love, so it is no surprise that He desires us to not only love Him with our entire being, but to love others. I believe that He wants us to love others with as much zeal and fervency as He is asking us to love Him with. Let’s just think about this for a minute. If we truly love the Lord completely and utterly unhindered then our natural tendency will be to overflow that same kind of love to every human being that God created in His own image. The question remains, do we zealously love the Lord so much so that it overflows onto others? Or are we secretly hoping that we don’t need to put the amount of effort into our relationship with God to see that kind of love become a byproduct of our time and efforts? Love takes work. No matter if we are loving the Lord or others. Far too often we as human beings become lazy in our relationship both with God and with others. We assume that we can just float through life and that loving God and others will just happen. I wish that were the case. I wish we could just snap our fingers and love would just ooze out of me. Unfortunately, it is not automatic. God created us to work at loving Him and loving others. Let’s challenge ourselves to keep our eyes focused on God so much that loving Him and loving others becomes just a bit easier because we are unwilling to be distracted by the cares of this world.

Heavenly Father we thank you for the treasures found in your word. We pray that we can continue to search out the things that please you. Your word tells us that when we seek we will find. Help us to find out what pleases you and apply those things to our lives. Increase our faith, our fear of you, our trust in you, our love for you and our love for others today. We know that these things please you. We know that these things bring delight to your heart. We pray that you write these things on our hearts and help us to purposefully put them into practice. We pray this in the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Stepping Off The Cliff

I frequently hear people say “God is never going to give you more than you can handle” when I have faced an overwhelming circumstance. All I can say is “hogwash!” More often than not, God has allowed things to enter my life that I could not remotely handle. I also have plenty of friends who would say the same thing with the circumstances they have faced in their lives. I’m sure each one of us can relate, at least to one degree or another. We all have had occasions in our lives that we have felt like we were drowning. I truly believe that God allows our worlds to “fall apart” just so that we come to the end of ourselves and to the beginning of Him.

I was thinking the other day about how God has asked my family to step off the cliff (spiritually speaking). In the natural, selling everything we owned, leaving a steady job, being forced to rely on the generous giving of others each month for our survival, and uprooting our entire family to one of the poorest countries in the world was God’s way of saying “step off the cliff.” It’s as if the Lord’s voice echoed “I dare you to leave everything sensible in this world and take a leap of faith that will cause you to be completely out of control. Yes, it will absolutely be more than you can handle, but watch what I can do with the things you can’t do.” 

When God called us to Liberia, there was no promise that my kids would not get sick and die, there was no promise that money would keep coming to sustain us, there was no promise that things were going to be okay. In other words, when God called our family to step off the cliff, He did not give us a parachute or a harness and rappelling ropes for us to bail ourselves out. There were no safety nets under us or helicopters standing in the waiting for our rescue. When God called us to step off the cliff, there was no turning back. The Lord dared our family to step out knowing that we had no chance of stepping back onto the safety and security of our comfort zones, aka, the cliff in which we we had left behind.

Two years after stepping off this cliff, our family would absolutely say that there have been many times we felt like we were free falling out of control. But, even in the midst of the falling, we are continually reminded that our lives are not falling apart, but rather falling into place. Stepping out when the ground beneath is unable to be seen is a scary place. But we have learned that when the Lord calls us to step off the cliff, it absolutely will be more than we can handle, but it will never be more than God can handle. And that my friend, is all the safety net we will ever need!

Call to Action

What is God calling you to step into and leave behind? I encourage you today to seek the Lord and find out what step of faith He is calling you into next. May the Lord birth in your heart the desire to step off the cliff of faith and never look back.

Heavenly Father I thank you for calling us into places of unknown, places that require us to take leaps of faith, to step off the cliff and give surrender some things in our lives. Show us the cliff you have for each of us to step off of in your kingdom. Fill us with the faith that draws us to the end of ourselves and into the beginning of you. We pray against the temptation to stay in our comfort zones, but to step out and free fall into your perfect will for our lives. We ask this in the precious name of Jesus Christ.

Respecting Leadership

“In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.” Exodus 16:2

“Moses also said, “You will know that it was the Lord when he gives you meat to eat in the evening and all the bread you want in the morning, because he has heard your grumbling against him. Who are we? You are not grumbling against us, but against the Lord.”Exodus 16:8

Not grumbling 
Moses and Aaron did nothing more than deliver the very words of God directly to the people and yet they chose to complain rather than yield. The truth be told, when we choose to gripe and complain about our leaders when they are simply delivering the word of the Lord, we are doing nothing more than opposing God Himself. By being a constant critic of our leadership, we are essentially telling God that He is not big enough to work through our leaders to teach and strengthen the body. In other words, our grumbling screams directly into the ear of Christ that we know better than He does about what is best for His flock and for us. Ouch! I don’t know about you, but when I see the kind of collateral damage that a grumbling spirit can do, it makes me want to keep quiet, sit back and watch what the Lord is going to do as He speaks through those in leadership positions. Please don’t misunderstand me here, I certainly am not expecting those God has placed in leadership to hear His voice with 100% accuracy all of the time. However, if the hearts of our leaders are submitted to our Heavenly Father and they are submitted to others out of reverence for Christ, (Ephesians 5:21) then we can walk in a greater confidence knowing that our leaders truly have heard from the Lord. It is an entirely different can of worms if our leaders will not submit to others. However, my desire for this post is to point our hearts to the correct response towards our leaders when they line up with God’s word. It is in this vein that I want to take a closer look at our responsibility in respecting leadership.

I love how Paul puts it plainly for us…

“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.” Hebrews 13:7

Remember your leaders
Paul first off reminds us not to forget our leaders. When was the last time we told our pastor “thank you” or wrote them a note of appreciation? I don’t know about you, but that thought pierces straight through my heart! We seldom remember just how much work our leaders do to keep watch over souls. Being a shepherd  is no little task, take it from someone who actually raised sheep! (I grew up on a farm.) This is serious business here. Our spiritual life in many ways is in their hands and a pastor who understands the depth of this responsibility deserves a “thank you” from time to time! 

Consider the outcome of their way of life
Paul tells us to take a look at the fruit their life is producing, consider it, ponder it, study the fruit. We would be wise to plant the seeds from the Godly fruit we see flowing out of our leaders directly  into our hearts so that we too can produce a Godly fruit. What types of “fruit” am I talking about here? 

Let’s take a look at Galatians 5:22-23. 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23

When we see love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control flowing out of our leaders, it is always in our best interest to learn how to have those very same things flow out of our hearts as well.

Imitate their faith
I love how Paul tells us to imitate their faith, not imitate them, their behavior, their actions or their personality. I believe Paul was very intentional about choosing faith as our target for imitating. Faith can be played out through a myriad of people, actions, behaviors, and personalities. Our Heavenly Father has created each and every one of us in a very unique way. He did not design us to be carbon copies of each other. He designed us to be uniquely and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). We are designed to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1) not imitators of man. So, when Paul chose this word “faith,” he chose it specifically to direct us to emulate the God within our leaders rather than our leaders themselves.  

“Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.” Hebrews 13:17 

Be a joy
We are sometimes quick to forget that our leaders carry a heavy responsibility set upon them by the Lord himself to keep watch over our souls. If we can remember the severity of this responsibility we will inevitably do a better job of  submitting to their leadership. When we are able to submit to their leadership with a peaceful heart, it will allow the weight of their responsibility to be lightened. However, when our mouths are quick to grumble and complain it increases that weight of responsibility upon their shoulders causing their job to become a burden. It amazes me how the very attitude of our hearts can change the atmosphere of the workplace for our leaders. Let’s be quick to check our hearts to make sure we are being a joy not a burden.

“Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other.” 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

Respect and honor
This entire post has been showing us ways in which we can respect and honor our leaders. 1 Thessalonians reminds us once again to hold our leaders in the highest regard. They truly carry a weight much heavier than we may ever know. May we remember the magnitude of the responsibilities they chose to pick up when they accepted the beckoning of Christ’s call. Let us not forget that they are keeping watch over our souls, a responsibility that we can make a joyful one or a burden.

Call to Action
Take a few minutes this week to write a note of encouragement to your pastor. It doesn’t need to be anything formal. It can be something as simple as a text message letting them know that you are praying for them and you appreciate all they do. Find a way to let your pastor know that you are thankful for the work they do for the kingdom. Be an encouragement to your leaders this week!

For more reading on this topic read: Submission

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the leaders you have placed in the body of Christ who tend to our very souls. We may never know the extent to which they toil and labor in the kingdom, but help us to honor and respect them, be a joy to them, imitate their faith, remember to encourage them, and most importantly not become someone who grumbles against them. Help us to keep our hearts with all diligence in regards to our leaders. We desire to be a joy to them and not a burden. Show us today the very things we can be doing to bless those you have placed in our lives who are called to watch over our souls. We pray this in the precious name of Jesus.

The Still Small Voice of God

“The Lord said, “Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.” 1 Kings 9:11-13

Several things came to Elijah while standing on Mt. Horeb. The first was a “great and powerful wind that tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks,” but the Lord was not in the wind. Next came an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. A fire came last, but the Lord was not in the fire either. The sound of the Lord’s voice came as a gentle whisper. If Elijah would have not had his ears ready he would have missed the Lord’s voice entirely. This story got my mind wondering how many times I am looking for God to speak in this thunderous, earth shattering, electrifying voice, that I completely miss the subtle whisper of his sweet beckoning. Is it me, or does anyone else expect God to speak with a flashing neon sign that says “this is the way, walk in it” (Isaiah 30:21)? I think sometimes our expectation of God’s voice is so far from reality we completely miss the still small whisper that He so desperately desires for our ears to be attuned to. 

“Then the Lord called Samuel. 
Samuel answered, “Here I am.” And he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
But Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.
Again the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
“My son,” Eli said, “I did not call; go back and lie down.”
Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord: The word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him.
A third time the Lord called, “Samuel!” And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.”
Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 So Eli told Samuel, “Go and lie down, and if he calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”
Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:4-10

Samuel was a young boy of about 11 when he heard God calling to him in the midnight hour. During this time it was rare to hear the voice of the Lord (1 Samuel 3:1). This was largely due to the fact that the prophets had stopped listening. They had rebelled, allowing sin to be their lifestyle rather than the ways of the Lord. Sin blocked God’s voice from entering their ear. This didn’t mean that God had stopped speaking, it simply meant that they had stopped listening by allowing sin to dam up the channel for God’s voice to travel freely. Oh, how this resonates with me! How many times have I dug my heels into the ground of “being right” and in the meantime missing the sound of my Father’s gentle calling. Oh, how sin can easily dam up my ears from that sweet voice. Is anyone else like that, or am I the only one in this boat?

Since Samuel was young and still largely uninfluenced by the rebellious nature of the prophets of his day, he was able to hear the voice of the Lord for himself. However, having no experience in hearing the sound of God’s voice he assumed that it was Eli calling for him. Once Eli realized that it was the Lord, he instructed Samuel to attune his listening ear to what God had to say to him. “Speak, for your servant is listen.” 

How many times do we miss the Lord’s still small voice all because we do not recognize that it is the Lord speaking? I know I am guilty of missing the gentle proddings of God's tender words. Sometimes, I just wish the Lord would scream, shout or yell to get my attention. But I heard it said somewhere that the Lord is a gentleman. His character is not one that will back us into a corner. We will always have the choice to listen for the whisper. But like so many other things in kingdom living, attuning our ears to the sound of God’s voice takes practice, patience, and a willingness to wait. God doesn’t usually speak on our time table. We need to foster an attitude of waiting for His timing.

“ Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him…” Psalm 37:7

“He says, “Be still, and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10

“Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.” Psalm 27”14

I truly believe that God is speaking to us all of the time, but somewhere between the distractions of life that cause us to take our eyes of Christ and the sin that so easily entangles us (Hebrews 12:1) blockages are happening. We get so busy with the cares of life, we forget to just be still and wait patiently.

Call to Action
Keeping an attitude of repentance and learning to be still before the Lord will go a long way in helping us to free up any blockages that may occur in our hearing. By allowing the Lord to work in our heart to show us any areas that need adjusting and then making those changes will free up our ears to hear His still small voice. However, this is a practice that we need to continually return to each and every day. This takes time, but God's voice will become clear and frequent when we are diligent in these areas. I want to encourage each one of us, myself included, to humble ourselves before the Lord and work on keeping an attitude of repentance today. Let's also set aside at least 10 minutes of uninterrupted time today to quiet our hearts before the Lord and just listen, not pray with a list of requests, but with no words, be still, quiet and wait. I'm not saying God will speak in those 10 minutes, but if we get ourselves in the habit of doing these things each day, the Lord will meet us!

Heavenly Father, I pray for ears so finely tuned to your voice that when you whisper we will hear it clearly. Help us to keep our hearts humble and in a place of repentance so sin is not blocking your voice from reaching our ears. In all our distractions, may we take the time to be still and quiet our hearts and minds before you. We pray for a greater attentiveness to your still small voice. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. 

To Be Known

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.” Psalm 139:1

What comfort it brings my soul to realize that I am known. The Lord knows me. He knows every intricate detail about me, things I don’t even know about myself. Be assured that the Lord knows you too!

“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10:14-15

“My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27

In my heart of hearts I can honestly say I am one of His sheep. Knowing this, allows me to lean on the assurance found in these two verses in John chapter 10, that Christ knows me! That word “know” used in both of these verses is the same Greek word (ginosko), meaning to know through personal first hand experience. Christ is saying that He knows His sheep in a very personal first hand, face to face kind of way. He is not saying that He knows us from afar. So often I think of Christ that way, that He loves me from a distance. But that is not what this is saying here. He knows me, up close and personal in a face to face, hand in hand, heart to heart, an intimate relationship kind of way. What a comfort!

“But whoever loves God is known by God.” 1 Corinthians 8:3

And again, that’s me. I love God! So, therefore I can be assured that I am known by God. As in the last two verses, it is the same Greek word "ginosko". I am known in an up close and personal way. In a way that requires a first hand relationship. 

“But now that you know God—or rather are known by God—how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable forces? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?” Galatians 4:9

Paul is correcting the church in Galatia for not keeping themselves free from the things in their old nature. Since I know God and He knows me (as Paul says here) I should desire to keep myself walking in righteousness. However, just like the Galatians, I too find myself “turning back” when I should be fixing my eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of my faith (Hebrews 12:2 ASV). I find myself “enslaved” when I should be walking in freedom. Because whom the son sets free is free indeed (John 8:36). Paul also uses that same Greek word here we have been talking about for the word known. 

I am known by Christ. Not in some small, superficial, surfacey kind of way. No, God knows me in a face to face, hand in hand, heart to heart, deep and intimate kind of way. In a way that I don’t even know myself, but I can trust that the one who created me and knows every minute detail about me will slowly but surely reveal to me just how fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) I really am. I thank God for the journey. Sometimes I wish He was quick to reveal His secret truths to my heart, but I somehow have a feeling that if He poured them out all at once instead of one by one, I would not be able to hold them all and most of them would fall through the cracks of my forgetfulness. So, in His amazing graciousness He slowly and methodically reveals one truth at a time so that each truth becomes part of my identity and I will no longer question who I am, but will rest in who's I am! 

Call to action
Let’s write these verses on the walls of our hearts so that we can rehearse them in our moments of doubt. May we learn to rest in the assurance that our Heavenly Father knows each one of us so intimately and completely. Let’s take some time each day this week to rehearse Psalm 139:1, John 10:14-15 and John 10:27. May the Lord reveal to our hearts how intimately, passionately and deeply He knows each one of us this week.

For more encouragement read: You Are Royalty, Masterpiece (Part 2), You Have Purpose, Love Series

Heavenly Father, I thank you that you know us. Thank you for knowing us on the deepest level possible. Thank you for not being afraid of the secrets we keep hidden and locked away in the inmost parts of our hearts where no person could ever possibly visit if they tried. But you’ve been there and seen every hurt and scar and you’re not surprised by any of it. Thank you for knowing each one of us face to face and heart to heart. We pray that you help us to believe you when you tell us that you know us. Help us to write these verses on the walls of our hearts so that they can become part of our identity. We pray all these things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior.

Who Am I Lord?

“But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?”  Exodus 3:11

Who am I that I should go?

 The Lord does not make mistakes in His calling of anyone and Moses was no exception despite his feelings of inadequacy. In fact, it is in the very moments of inadequacy, fear, doubt, and insecurities that God can truly use us the most. At one point in time, Moses had all the qualifications of a confident leader. He had power (being adapted by the Pharaoh’s daughter). He had acquired an understanding of the Egyptian culture and the inner workings of their court. Moses had been raised in the Egyptian customs for 40 years. It was all he had ever known. He could have weaseled the Israelites right out from under the hand of Pharaoh. However, God doesn’t work that way. He will consistently use the weak to bring down the strong, the foolish things to confound the wise (1 Corinthians 1:27) and meek to inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). God moves no differently in the life of Moses. He could have easily used Moses when he was in a predominant place of influence and power, but he chose to wait until Moses found himself in a place of humble position. By the time God calls Moses to deliver His people, Moses had spent 40 years in the desert laboring as a shepherd and raising a family. 

I can only imagine what was going through Moses’ mind...

“But Lord, I am a man who was forced out of my country in Egypt into exile in a foreign land for 40 years. I am a poor shepherd of which the Egyptians find detestable (Genesis 46:34). Yes, there was a time when I was known to Pharaoh, dwelt in his court, and had great influence and authority in that place, seeing that I was adopted as a son to the king's daughter, but now I am completely unknown in Egypt. Besides, the current Pharaoh has tremendous power, possesses an immense army, and will surely prevent me from walking the unarmed, defenseless Israelites out of his country. What the heck am I supposed to do with that Lord?!?”

“So He said, “I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” Exodus 3:12

I love God’s response… “I will certainly be with you.”  If God had said nothing more to Moses, that would have been more than enough assurance for Moses to move forward on God’s commission. However, Moses continues…

“Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you’?” Exodus 4:1

Moses still doesn’t believe that “I will certainly be with you” is enough. I heard it said one time that when we say “what if” it’s like saying I FEAR. (The IF stands for I Fear) In other words, Moses is saying "What I fear is that they will not believe me or listen to me. I fear they will tell me the Lord did not appear to you.” 

Isn’t that just like us? Instead of trusting God when He says “I will certainly be with you” and taking him at His word we reply back with “Who am I Lord” or “I fear…” 

God continues to show patience with Moses by showing him the weapon He has placed in his hands. God points out to Moses that his staff will be used to show Pharaoh and all of Egypt God’s supernatural power. (Exodus 4:2-9)

Again, Moses still full of fear and insecurities replies… 

“Moses said to the Lord, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” Exodus 4:10

Moses replies this way as if to say again “Who am I Lord?”

Finally equip with his brother Aaron, his staff and most importantly the Lord who had promised “I will certainly be with you”, Moses went to Egypt.

Talk about a man full of fear, doubt and insecurities! But as I have read this story of Moses, I have only found myself penciled out in the pages of scripture. A woman full of fear, doubt and insecurities. "Who am I Lord? What if… I have never been eloquent in speech, Lord." Yes, those phrases seem to repetitively echo in my ears. Those phrases have kept me awake at night. How ironic it is for a woman like myself to be sent to “Egypt” (aka Liberia) to free God’s people from their bondage. How ironic it is for a woman full of fear, doubt and insecurities to find herself smack dab in the middle of Egypt. I have to chuckle sometimes at God’s sense of humor. How funny it is to use the insignificant in very strategic ways. When God uses people who ask the question “Who am I Lord?” we can rest assured that it is God’s hand doing the work and not our own. Praise God for that! So, just like Moses, we can stand back and watch the Lord do the supernatural through an unqualified people.

For more reading connected with this topic read: Believe and Not Doubt, Who Am I?

Dear Heavenly Father, how humbling it is to know that in the face of all our weaknesses and shortcomings, you can still use each and every one of us. Thank you for showing yourself faithful. I pray that each one who reads this will see that you desire to use them in a mighty way to showcase your glory in and through their brokenness. Thank you for using our weaknesses to bring down strongholds, our foolishness to confound the wisdom of man, and our meekness to inherit this earth and grow you kingdom. We pray that you use each one of us to make your name famous. In your precious name we pray. 

Taste And See

“You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices.” Leviticus 18:3

God was specifically calling the Israelites out of and away from Egypt. They were not to take “Egypt” with them. For the Israelites, Egypt was both a land of physical bondage as well as spiritual bondage. God was calling them not only out of their physical captivity, but He deeply desired for them to have freedom spiritually. It was His desire to have a relationship with His children. He was calling them into a land of spiritual liberty, a land far from the clutches of Egypt. Or was He? Let’s take a look at the second part of Leviticus 18:3 again. “You must not do as they do in the land of Canaan.” The reality that the Israelites faced in Canaan was no different than Egypt. The level of evil was just as twisted and perverted. If you need proof of this, feel free to continue to read on in chapter 18 of Leviticus or head over to chapter 20. God lays out a very clear list of “don’ts”. Why would God give them such an exhaustive list before they ever set eyes on Canaan? These very things listed happened to be the exact behaviors that were taking place in their beloved promise land and it was God’s desire to forewarn them of these harsh realities so they knew exactly what to do when faced with them. Have you ever found yourself in a situation that you only wish someone had given you a heads up so that you could plan better, but instead found yourself completely blindsided with no idea how to handle it? The Lord wanted His people to be prepared to fight the spiritual battle that lay ahead of them. He didn’t want them to be caught off guard. 

While God gave the Israelites plenty of warning about what lay ahead of them they still managed to adopt many of the detestable practices of both Egypt and Canaan. There were times when the Israelites had assimilated so much that they were virtually unrecognizable as God’s chosen people. The Israelites broke God’s heart time and time again. The Lord would plainly lay out His expectations only to find His people worshiping other gods (2 Kings 17:7), rejecting His law (2 Kings 17:15), and imitating the nations around them (2 Kings 17:15). For a more detailed list of the ways the Israelites evoked God to anger read 2 Kings 17:1-17.

Like the Israelites, we too are called to “come out from among them.” (Isaiah 52:11, 2 Corinthians 6:17). We are aliens and strangers in this world (1 Peter 2:11). We are called to be in this world and not of it (John 15:19). We are to be the salt and light of the earth (Matthew 5:13-14). So, here is the question...do we have enough “God” in us that people around us can actually taste and see that the Lord is good? (Psalm 34:8) If the people around us can not taste the goodness of God, or see the light pouring out of us, then something is amiss. The Israelites had looked so much like the nations around them that when those nations looked at God’s chosen, they saw nothing different. They could not taste the salt in their lives. Salt has the ability to make a normal run of the mill fruit or vegetable become savory, making it more desirable. It creates a craving in people to want more. Can people taste the savory flavor of Christ, or are we leaving them tasting nothing different then the rest of the world has offered?

Just as we are called to be the salt, we are also called to be the light (Matthew 5:14). We are not to be hidden (Matthew 5:14). We are to let our light shine before others, that they may see our good deeds and glorify our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:15). Can people actually look at our lives and physically see that we are one of God’s chosen, or do we blend in with everyone else? There is a Newsboys song entitled “Guilty” and every time I hear that song I find myself asking the question… “Is there enough evidence to convict me of serving God?” Is there enough visible, tangible, hold up in the court of law evidence to convict me beyond a shadow of a doubt that I serve the Lord? Can people physically taste the salt and physically see the light to the point that it could put me in prison? These are tough questions. How about you? Can people physically taste the salt and see the light in your life? Would there be enough evidence to convict you of serving God? 

Call to action
I leave us with this today, let’s spend some time praying that the Lord puts His finger on the very things that are dimming our light from people seeing God’s goodness and stealing our salt from people tasting that the Lord is good. What a rejoicing there will be in heaven when those around us come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ (Luke 15:10) all because we made a stand to come out from among them (2 Corinthians 6:17) and be the physical, tangible palatable salt and light of the earth (Matthew 5:13-14).

For similar posts visit: Being Ready and Where is Your Heart?

Father, I thank you that you ordained us to be on this earth for such a time as this, to be the salt and light, for others to see our good deeds so they can glorify you. We pray that you begin to place your finger on the very things that are hindering others from tasting and seeing that you are good. We lay our lives at your feet, to be teachable and pliable so that our loved ones who do not know you will come to the saving knowledge of your son. We pray this in the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

the Joy of Testing (Part 2)

Last week we looked at the way the Lord tested different people in scripture. I would like to continue in this same vain and discuss ways in which the Lord tests us personally and how our painful trials can bring eternal joy.

The Mind
"I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give to each man according to his ways, According to the results of his deeds.” Jeremiah 17:10

Last week we looked at Abraham, Philip and the Israelite children. In Abraham’s case God tested actions. In Philip’s case He tested his response through words. With the Israelites God tested both their obedience in action as well as their response in love. Now, let’s move to us for a moment. In Jeremiah God is testing our mind, our thoughts. Before we can ever be obedient in action our mind has to first line up with God’s word.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:15

We must test our thoughts to make sure they line up with God’s word. If they do not we are called to take those particular thoughts captive, to lock them up and throw away the key. We must make our thoughts obedient to Christ, knowing that he will test our minds.

Our Hearts
“On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts.” 1 Thessalonians 2:4

1 Thessalonians Paul says, God tests our hearts. Obedience first starts in the mind, then settles in the heart before it turns into action. “For out of the overflow of the heart, the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34) In other words, God will test our hearts to see if what we have stored up inside will come out as a blessing or not.

“For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver.” Psalm 66:10

I love this test, "refined us like silver". Silver is only refined (made pure) one way and that is through the fire. Each time through the fire the impurities float to the top and that layer gets scraped off. Each time through the fire (the testing) we are losing our impurities and keeping the pure heart that God has given us. Our fires are not meant for harm, but for good. They are meant to show us the sin we need to purge so the righteousness can shine.

“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” 1 Peter 4:12-13

Peter reminds first off, that we should not be surprised when we go through the fire and are tested. This is going to happen. It is part of God’s refining in your life. Peter also instructs us to rejoice when those testings come by doing so we are taking part in Christ’s walk to Calvary. We are picking up our cross of the testing just as Christ has picked up the cross of His testing. 

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:2-4

Like Peter, James also reminds us to consider our trials and testing joy, but James uses a stronger language here. He says, consider it pure joy. James also goes on to tell us why we can have the ability to consider or testings pure joy. Our testings produce perseverance and when we persevere through the entire test we will be made mature and complete, not lacking anything! How exciting is that! To be able to look back on all of the trials and testings in our lifetime and say that we are now mature and complete, not lacking anything. What an amazing perspective.

“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28

Knowing what we have just seen from Paul and James, this is how we can see God working all things together for our good. The trials and testings are not fun, they are not pretty and sometimes we would even say they are not fair, but what are we learning as we are walking? If we look at the chaos of everything happening around us we will inevitably become discouraged. However, if we take our eyes off the chaos and fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), we will be able to say that our faith has been made mature and complete, not lacking a single solitary thing (James 1:2-4)! Now that is pure joy!

Heavenly Father, I thank you that you test us in our hearts and minds so that we can come out refined like pure silver. Help us to remember that in the midst of our trials you are forming us into your likeness, making us mature and complete not lacking anything! Thank you for working all things together for our good, because you love us. We know that our trials, while painful at the moment, will bring pure joy if we allow you to teach and mold us to become more like you. Continue to have your way in our lives and help us to find the joy in the midst of the testing. We pray this in the name of Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. 

The Joy of Testing (Part 1)

My heart continues to come back to a particular topic that I have shared before, but for some reason I can’t seem to let it go. As we all face a world wide trial, we can all relate to the pain that comes along with walking through tribulation. No one could have possibly predicted that almost every country in the world would be facing the same crisis at the same time, but here we are, wrapped up in a painful trial that is beyond anyone’s comprehension. 

Abraham
I was reading in Genesis about Abraham and in chapter 22 and the first verse states:

“Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.” 
Genesis 22:1

We all know the story of how God called Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, which is the test being referenced here. However, for some reason the words just seemed to jump off the page and burn deep in my spirit like a fire that could not be extinguished. “God tested Abraham.” Let’s take a look at some other places in scripture where God tests.

Philip
“When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.” John 6:5-6

The Lord targeted Philip to test him and see what he was going to say, how he was going to respond. Would he respond in faith, or would he doubt. The excerpt is taken from the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand. How would you have responded to Jesus, in faith or in doubt? Philip failed this particular test because he responded this way, “It would take more than half a year’s wages to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!” John 6:7 Quite honestly, I would have had the same response. Thank goodness the Lord is patient with us.

Israelites
“Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning.” Exodus 20:20

Moses is telling the Israelite people that God has come to test them. Moses even goes so far as to give them the reason for the testing. So that the fear of God will be with them and keep them from sinning. I find it interesting how our tests can bring us closer to God, provided that we run to him instead of from him. It is in that closeness that there will come a desire not to sin. My son put it best when he told us that he respects us as parents so much that he desires to do what is right in order to keep our relationship with him in a place of peace and joy. He told us he doesn't desire to do anything that would break that trust he has with us as parents.

Our relationship with God should be so deep and close that we desire to do things that bring our Heavenly Father joy. Anything that brings God joy will always be in the opposite direction of sin. All that to say, if we allow it, the tests will bring closeness to our Heavenly Father and out of that closeness brings a desire not to sin so that His name can be glorified.

 “...The Lord your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.” Deuteronomy 13:3b

This verse falls behind Moses telling the Israelites that they should be aware of prophets who speak of following other gods. Moses says that when (not if, but when) this happens, they are to know that it is a test from the Lord to see if they truly love him with all their heart and soul. Oh, how timely this is for us today! Especially in light of the world’s race-car pace brought to a screeching halt due to covid-19. How many idols/other gods can no longer function and operate now that we are isolated to our homes. Let me give you just two examples. The idol of sports, can no longer be played. The idol of the entertainment world, can no longer continue to produce their ungodly movies, TV shows, and music. The Lord is using this time to  test us to find out whether we love him with all of our heart and soul. Well, do we? We certainly have the time now to ponder this question and the time to search it out for ourselves. We have the time to make an educated, informed decision as to which side of the fence we are going to live our lives on. I find this time we are in to be fascinating. 

Please don’t misunderstand me here, I’m not saying covid-19 is from the Lord. But, can’t God use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise? (1 Corinthians 1:27 KJV) Can't God work all things together for good? (Romans 8:28) There is always going to be the opportunity for joy to shine forth in our pain if we give God that opportunity. We don’t always look at our trials through a kingdom lens, but what if we did? What if we stop to smell the roses in the middle of the city dump? What if we fixed our eyes on Jesus when the wind and the waves were trying their hardest to take us out and the rest of the world with us? (Matthew 14:28-32) 

What if?

Oh, Lord, in these uncertain times may our pain be turned into joy because we have taken this time to fix our eyes on you rather than the swirling chaos around us. Thank you for putting our faith to the test, knowing that on the other side of it our faith and love for you  will be stronger because we put our trust in you. We pray that through the test you will show us your joy. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. 

Voice Of Victory

“God put the victory in our voices.” 
For whatever reason, this phrase kept resounding over and over again in my mind as the heaviness of my eyelids began to squint at the morning sun beaming through my bedroom windows. Like many mornings I woke up with something stirring in my spirit, but this one seemed urgent. 

As I began to think about scripture, I was reminded of Joshua’s commissioning to bring down the walls of Jericho with an army of trumpets and voices. Joshua knew the plan for victory was going to be birthed through the power of the obedience of the Israelites and their ability to use their voices. As Joshua was giving the Israelites their battle instructions, he specifically told them not to make a sound until he said to (upon the long blast made on the trumpets - see Joshua 6:5). 

“But Joshua had commanded the army, “Do not give a war cry, do not raise your voices, do not say a word until the day I tell you to shout. Then shout!” Joshua 6:10

“When the trumpets sounded, the army shouted, and at the sound of the trumpet, when the men gave a loud shout, the wall collapsed; so everyone charged straight in, and they took the city.” Joshua 6:20

The obedience of the Israelites with their voices brought down an entire city and its “impenetrable” walls. These were not just any walls here. The city was surrounded by two walls. The first wall, began with a retaining wall which stood at the base of an embankment, standing 12-15 feet tall. On top of the retaining wall stood a mud brick wall 6 feet thick and between 20-26 feet high. The second wall stood up the embankment and towered an intimidating 46 feet from ground level. (Facts taken from: answersingenesis.org) 

Now, imagine you are an Israelite for just a moment. The city of Jericho stands majestically on a hill high above you, in fact so high you are unable to even evaluate what exactly you are fighting. Just the combined height of the walls alone rises 78-87 feet above your head, this does not include any increase in elevation caused by the embankment in between the two walls. It’s no wonder the Lord told them to be silent for the first six days of marching. This gave them time to pray and meditate upon the magnitude of what God was about to do through their voices. 

Can you even imagine the excitement in the air when they saw the first brick shatter? I can hear the voices increase with the drop of each brick as if they believed that the intensity of their voices was literally what was demolishing these monumental walls brick by brick. The atmosphere must have been sheer electrifying! What do you think the talk was like around the dinner table that night? That next day? That next week?

 “Shouts of joy and victory resound in the tents of the righteous: “The Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!” Psalm 118:15

“Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.  For the Lord Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth. He subdued nations under us,  peoples under our feet. He chose our inheritance for us, the pride of Jacob, whom he loved. God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.” Psalm 47:1-5

A dear missionary friend of mine once told me to “use my voice” when I was struggling with things. She went on to explain that by doing so it would not only build up my own spirit, but I would cause the devil to flee. The reality is, I am not the only one listening to the sound coming out of my own mouth. Our enemy prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). And make no mistake, he is listening! Our voices become our weapons in our times of struggle. 

Sometimes we just need to hear ourselves speak victory over our situation. We need to physically say the words out loud so our ears can hear them. Jesus told us over and over again in the gospels to “say” to this mountain go, and it will go! (Matthew 17:20, Matthew 21:21, Mark 11:23) He didn’t say “think” about this mountain going. He specifically used the word “say.” In other words, speak out loud, tell the mountain, yell at it, scream at it, shout at it, use your voice!!!!! We can not fight our battles in silence. God did not give us the sword of the spirit to hold. He gave us the sword of the spirit to swing at the enemy. This only works when the word of God is spoken. 

Call to action
Like the Jericho wall, I have mountains in my walk that at times seem impenetrable. I would like to encourage us do a Jericho walk around our mountains. Let’s pick a specific mountain we are struggling with and spend the next six days praying about that specific thing. Then on day seven, let’s be sure to open up our mouths and speak to that mountain, yell at it, shout at it, scream scriptures at it. Use our voice!  I am not about to make any promises that our mountains are going to crumble right in front of us, but maybe, just maybe we will see God move through the sound of our voices speaking life, truth and the word of God over our situations. God has put victory in our voices. Let’s use them, stand back, and watch what God does.

Father, help us to speak out the word of truth over our mountains. Help us to use the voices you have given us to usher in the victory you so desperately desire us to walk in. Like the Israelites, give us a steadfastness to walk around our Jericho, use our voice and watch what you will do. We pray that you will open the floodgates of heaven over our situations, even if that simply means that you allow us to see our mountain with your eyes. We pray these things in the precious name of Christ Jesus.