Knowing God – Lent 2018

His joy is the kind that will come upon us, even when sorrow is deep. His joy makes the sorrow worth enduring. . . . Hang in there. Keep drawing nearer to Christ.

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning (Ps. 30:5, NIV.

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This is the God I know. The One who has adopted me, calling me His very own child. The One who takes a lonely woman and plants her in community.

⁵ A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows,
    is God in his holy dwelling.
⁶ God sets the lonely in families,
    he leads out the prisoners with singing;
    but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land (Ps. 68:5-6).

Each day, we are given opportunities to meet the Lord God and to see exactly who is He. This is why drawing nearer to the Lord is of such great importance. It is about our relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ. And the redemption and intimate Friendship only He can give to us.

Peace – Lent 2018

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6, NIV).

Our Lord Jesus, our reigning King of all, is declared our Prince of Peace. How are you in need of peace right now?

This devotional is perfectly placed in my life. Let me tell you about me: I just finished exercising, and have spent a considerable amount of time watching Girl Meets World lately. Finding myself wanting for my life to count, to mean something, to be of great significance.

I know, it is found solely in our Lord Jesus Christ. It is solely in Him, that I can find completeness, peace, and meaning. It is in Him that I can find fullness, and where I will not lack anything I need.

“Christ is the epicentre of shalom. It can only be found in [H]im, and [H]e offers it to us freely (from devotion’s day 15).”

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This thing I seek, can only be found in my Savior Jesus. Even though my life’s circumstances are not what I envisioned for my life, I know the Lord could change them – if He wants to. After all, He is my good good Father!

I need to trust Him, to talk with Him, and to allow Him to be the very One leading me! His peace is something only He can give me, and no amount of money, friends, or worldly success can buy this kind of supernatural peace – that intoxicates our souls.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful (Col. 3:15).

They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it (1 Pet. 3:11).

Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you (1 Pet. 5:7).

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7).

The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace (Ps. 29:11).

Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble (Ps. 119:165).

Reviewing Sabbath – Lent 2018

For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8, WEB).

Seems appropriate to talk about pausing yesterday, and now we move onto Sabbath. The emphasis is rest and meeting the Lord right where we are. Maybe, we aren’t in a good place – in life right now. The truth of the matter is – our great God, who sent His Son Jesus Christ to save us, is ready to sit with and be with us wherever we are! (And He is working in our circumstances, grieving with (or perhaps, over) us, and waiting for us to let Him in)

Sabbath is talking about the weekend, in particular (whichever day you “celebrate” it). For those in ministry, your set apart day of rest might even be Monday or Thursday. Whichever day you set aside, take that time away to be with the Lord, to truly rest, and enjoy His presence. Enjoy doing hobbies that relax you. Which might be golf or reading. Or something different entirely.

 

We need to enjoy the luxury of resting. The Lord didn’t need to rest, yet He still did!

. . .

Personally, I have a love // hate relationship with rest. Yet, this is what we are given and “achieving” through our. . . well, Sabbathing. The art of Sabbath is sacred rest with our aim to please God by doing as He instructs.

The goal of Sabbath is to keep us from constantly working and being bogged down by life. The Lord wants our souls and bodies to be refreshed, versus what so often happens when we don’t find ourselves allowing Sabbath to be a part of our weekly worship to our great God?

Friends, what kind of relationship do you have with keeping the Sabbath? Do you make Sabbath-ing a part of your worship? What are your favorite ways to spend this time?

. . .

A few years, or more than “a few,” I was blessed with the opportunity to spend a few days at a monastery. It was near perfection (although we might of gotten caught roaming part of the land we weren’t supposed to be near). But, it taught me a lot about Sabbath-ing. We learn a lot in cultures like that, about how we can truly get alone with the Lord – despite the busyness life wants us to partake in. We can learn a lot about the sacredness of being with the Lord and allowing Him to truly teach us about resting.

Maybe, it’s time we reviewed our view of the Sabbath. And, are we partaking in this beautiful gift? Or, simply trying to ignore it once we get in our cars after a church service?

In Him,
Stacey.

Pause – Lent 2018

⁵ I remember the days of old.
    I ponder all your great works
    and think about what you have done.
⁶ I lift my hands to you in prayer.
    I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain (Ps. 143:5-6, NLT).

When was the last time I stopped? Had a time to just “pause” everything? That’s today’s question.

“. . . pause and reflect. . . let your entire being soak in God’s presence.” (Day 13)

Restored Hope – Lent 2018

God offers us restored hope.

Just imagine how the Israel must of felt as they returned home to Israel after such a long time away. Or as they finally took their yearly journey.

When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion,
    we were like those who dreamed.
² Our mouths were filled with laughter,
    our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
    “The Lord has done great things for them.”
³ The Lord has done great things for us,
    and we are filled with joy. – Psalm 126:1-3, NIV

Let’s just keep drawing nearer to our Lord Jesus, so He can fill us up with His long lasting hope!

~ Stacey

From Darkness to Light – Lent 2018

I appreciate how today’s verse speaks about the transformation that happens. When we choose to place our hope in Jesus Christ and trust Him with our very lives, wonderful changes occur.

In Isaiah 9:2-6, we are given these words:

² The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light. Those who lived in the land of the shadow of death, on them the light has shined. ³ You have multiplied the nation. You have increased their joy. They rejoice before you according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the plunder. ⁴ For the yoke of his burden, and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as in the day of Midian. ⁵ For all the armor of the armed man in the noisy battle, and the garments rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire. ⁶ For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (WEB).

This is a testament to the work we receive through our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One who takes us from walking alone in utter darkness to finding ourselves walking where there is an abundance of light and joy – plus we are no longer walking alone. We have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit from the moment we first received our Lord Jesus Christ.

God reminds me that I am not in this journey alone. God is right here with me, and He is the One who will allow me to go from dark moments to joyfully light filled moments. While I may still face depression, even though I have received Christ, I am not in this battle alone. I can find joy infused moments through our great God’s presence, even though I am facing depression.

We are not in our trials alone, because we have received the light of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the One transforming us day by day. God will use dark days to remind us of His truth, hope, and light. Even though I may have rough days, where I am not joy infused or in a good place emotionally, our great God is still with me. God doesn’t leave us in a “coming and going” fashion, but He continues to “remain” with us. He chooses to become our Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God – among other things.

He continues to show us, we have been changed. Our Lord Jesus is changing me. His good work going inside of us never takes backspaces or removes His Spirit (the Holy Spirit) when we face difficult days where our minds and emotions are fighting against God. He stays with us, doing His good work, and teaching us to trust Him increasingly more – through all of our days. Not just the good days, we can experience more of our Lord with each day we are given.

In Him,
Stacey

Meets Me in My Brokenness – Lent 2018

Lately, I have been facing my own trouble. While I have not been writing or deeply studying much, I am learning how to draw nearer to the Lord. I have been mostly reading through the Psalms – as I work on a special project I hope to finish soon (then, I can gladly share more about it).

Even when depression and other things come into our lives, the Lord is still the One who is fully there for us. He is the One who is fully capable of caring for us – even when we have found ourselves in a place of darkness. I encourage you to look into Desiring God and The Gospel Coalition for resources that will lift you up (in any circumstance) and draw you nearer to the Lord. That’s been my “Facebook” for the most part lately. As I scroll, I am met with God’s Word and fierce encouragement. And, I don’t have to worry about being overwhelmed the longer I scroll. =]

Day 4 –

“I told you these things so that you can have peace in me. In this world you will have ·trouble [persecution; suffering], but ·be brave [take courage/heart]! I have ·defeated [victory over; conquered; overcome]the world.” (John 16:33, EXB)

Day 5 –

“I mean that [or For; Because] you have been saved by grace through ·believing [faith]. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. It was not the result of ·your own efforts [works], so ·you cannot [no one can] ·brag about it [boast].” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Day 6 –

Lord, please meet me. Wherever I am soul wise, just meet me. Thank You for doing this!

“All this is from God, who through Christ ·made peace between us and [reconciled us to] himself, and gave us the ·work of telling everyone about the peace we can have with him [ministry/service of reconciliation].” (2 Corinthians 5:18)

God is faithful to meet me in the middle of my mess, and offer me His abundance of soul calming peace! In the Psalms, we really get a handle on this “understanding” thing that – God is near the brokenhearted (see Psalm 34:18).

Brokenness from sin separates us from God, but our God chose to do something soo amazing – soo merciful! He sent His Son Jesus Christ to take our place. He took on all our suffering and punishment, dying on our cross (meant for us), and rose again on the third day.

He gives us unending life and purpose. He is choosing to give us peace and closeness to Him – despite everything we might have done.

God is the One who is faithfully fighting for us! Let’s keep drawing near whenever we have the opportunity to do so.

We can do this through:

• Spending time in the Word.
• Playing Christian music during the day.
• Taking time to pray.
• Listening to biblical sound sermons (thankful for the gift of technology, where we don’t have to wait until Sunday morning or Wednesday night).
• Reach out to a Christian friend who might need your fellowship and reminder of His hope.
• See where He is leading you to serve in the local church.

In Him,
Stacey

 

Full Restoration – Lent 2018

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, 13:11-14

Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice. Become mature, be encouraged, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of love and peace will be with you. Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the saints send you greetings. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all (2 Cor. 13:11-14, CSB).

In today’s devotional, they address reconciliation between members of the church body. This is a bold, yet important step – as we grow in Christ. We can experience reconciliation between ourselves and the Most High God. This is the most important form of reconciliation we could ever experience, but this is not all.

The Lord is sovereign and worship worthy. We can experience reconciliation in our places of church fellowship. Those broken relationships don’t have to stay broken.

Friends, we can truly know the power of Christ. Nothing is off limits for Him. Ephesians 3:20 teaches us that – our great God can do anything He wants to – in our lives. He is the reason for our hope and the extra load of joyful energy as we reach out to people we typically steer clear of.

Some questions –

•  How willing are we to pursue reconciliation inside the Church?
• Is some of that brokenness coming into the relationships due to poverty or injustice?
• How are we bringing this person or relationship to our Risen Lord?
• What practical step can we take, to pursue reconciliation? (Pray first!)

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The goal of today’s study, for me, is to think about restoration. God can restore broken relationships, and make even the “okay-ish” relationships a thousand times better – if left in His hands. 

This is a hard devotion to read and think on, but it is good in the long run that this is being addressed. It’s the pruning that makes things beautiful (see John 15).

In terms of my church relationships, I think I need to be better about how I respond to others’ words or actions. This would be the first step in terms of “what needs reconciliation?”

. . . I want to say “nothing needs reconciliation,” but the truth of the matter is – every church relationship stands in need of a touch from our Mighty Savior. This doesn’t mean that every relationship is a disaster, but it DOES mean I am learning more about the Holy Spirit’s power in our lives. He is able to make things just so much better than we allow. If only, we would surrender these relationships into His loving hands!

I don’t know which one needs complete reconciliation, but know they all need a “full restoration” by our Mighty God.

Living For Redemption – Lent 2018

. . . I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and great acts of judgment (Exodus 6:6b, CSB). 

Redemption is the opportunity to live freely and be reunited with our Lord God. I have been thinking on 2 Corinthians 5, which shares powerfully that we have this beautiful ministry of reconciliation.

How can we be reconciled with God? Because He has chosen to redeem us. Because He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for us and to be risen. While we have been separated from God due to our sins, we don’t have to stay separated from our Creator. This is why God has sent His Son Jesus Christ!

In Christ, there is true freedom. It isn’t a “short while” version of freedom, but it is the real deal! For those who have chosen to put their trust in our Risen Lord Jesus Christ, we are truly made free. We have been reunited with our great heavenly Father, and nothing can alter this freedom. It is a “forever” freedom!

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Today’s devotion redirects our attention to Romans 8:18-21. In this passage, we find this bold statement that resonates for many people.

in the hope that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children (Rom. 8:20b-21).

We need to live with this hope in mind. We will be set free! How are we allowing this hope to be the anchor of our lives? Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is our living hope and our anchor!

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because he has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek (Heb. 6:19-20).

Separation – Lent 2018

Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden at the time of the evening breeze, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. So the Lord God called out to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” (Gen. 3:8-9, CSB)

This couple, Adam and Eve, heard the Lord and ran. They tried to run from God, because of their sins. After the fall, where sin entered the world, our relationships with each other and God are scarred by separation.

I hadn’t really thought about the separation effect sin has on our relationship with one another. It puts things into clear perspective, though. As the human race, we are separated from one another – as a direct result of sin. This is the ultimate cause of why my relationships seem to be more known by this separation than togetherness.

It reminds me of the vast effect sin can have on my life and relationships. Sin affects everything. It doesn’t only affect my relationship with our holy God. It has affected everything.

. . . But there is more to the story, we can find redemption through God’s Son and our Savior – the Risen Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! ¹⁸ Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. ¹⁹ That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.

²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf: “Be reconciled to God.” ²¹ He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:17-21, Emphasis Mine).

~ Stacey