Guidance

Pinnacle Peak, Scottsdale, AZ

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.

Prov 3:5-6 (NLT)

As you look forward to the New Year, perhaps, you are wondering what direction your life will take.  One of the tremendous benefits of our personal relationship with God is that he is very interested in every aspect of our lives and desires to guide us along the best path.  This is a tremendous comfort for me because I am often indecisive, not knowing which way to go and so, not moving at all. 

There is nothing too small or big for God.  He cares about every detail of our lives and delights when we ask him for his guidance in everything.  It is a good idea to make a habit of asking for his input at every point of decision no matter how large or small.  This is a protection for us, to keep us from impulsively going our own way which often results in missteps and delays.  God has a wonderful plan and path for us to follow if we will only open our ears and hearts to listen.

You may be afraid about a big decision you need to make.  Recognizing that you need his guidance and asking for it is the best safeguard.  He has an amazing way of causing circumstances and "chance" meetings to happen.  He brings the right people into our path at just the right time.  Look for him at every turn and he will direct your steps.  Don't be afraid.  Even if we step off in the wrong direction, he will guide us back. 

As the new year approaches, let us be open to new and greater things.  We need his courage to get out of our comfort zones, to get out of our restrictive boxes and stretch ourselves to greater heights and experiences.  I know God has great plans for us and I want to be open to receive all that he has in mind for me.  How about you?

 Now to the one who can do infinitely more than all we can ask or imagine according to the power that is working among us—

to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations,

forever and ever! Amen.

Eph 3:20,21 (ISV)

 Show me the right path, O Lord;point out the road for me to follow.

Psalms 25:4 (NLT)

Lights of Winter

 Because of the tender mercy of our God, a new day has dawned on us, to shine on those who sit in darkness and in death's shadow, and to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Luke 1:78-79 (ISV)

I so enjoy the lights of winter when the days are short and cold. The twinkling lights cheer my spirit and remind me of the light of the world who came to bring light and warmth to a world of darkness.

The thing about light is it instantly fills up the darkness.  One little candle can dispel all the darkness in a room.  That is the power of light.  Jesus, the light of the world, fills everything with his presence.  

And yet, he goes un-recognized.  When that bright light of creation came into his creation in human form many did not recognize him.  Yet, when we do recognize him and open our hearts to the light, he comes in to dispel our darkness and give us new life.

In him was life, and that life brought light to humanity.

And the light shines on in the darkness,

and the darkness has never put it out.

John 1:4-5 (ISV)

 He came into the very world he created,

but the world didn’t recognize him. 

He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. 

But to all who believed him and accepted him, 

he gave the right to become children of God.

John 1:10-12 (NLT)

Gifts

Every good and perfect gift is from above,

coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights.

James 1:17 (NIV)

How I have enjoyed all the wonderful blessings and gifts of Christmas!

Our children and spouses, 

Conversation and laughter, 

Beautiful scenery, 

Fresh air and sunlight,

Peace and harmony,

Food and feasting,

Simple gifts,

A meal beautifully prepared,

A warm fire,

Lights shining on the tree, 

Love.

                                    

All of these are the gifts you have given. How rich we are, how blessed. 

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

2 Cor 9:15 (ISV)

Don't trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, 

who gives us richly all things to enjoy.

1 Tim 6:17 (KJV)

Praise

The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen.  Luke 2:20 (NLT)

The lives of the familiar cast of characters in the Nativity story were suddenly interrupted by an astounding message - the message of a special baby coming into the world. 

Mary and Joseph perhaps thinking of their up coming wedding were visited by an angel, their plans suddenly drastically altered.  Zechariah going about his priestly duties, as he had done many times before, suddenly interrupted by a startling message.  Elizabeth in her old age finding herself unexpectedly expecting a baby.  The shepherds simply watching their flocks, as they did each and every night, interrupted by the angel chorus. And sky watchers from the East, in their nightly star gazing, noticed a star they had never seen before. Each one, when they heard and understood the message, were overcome with joy and responded with an overwhelming desire to praise and worship God.

What was so startling about this baby to be born?  It was no ordinary babe, but one born as a deliverer to save his people from their sins.  What other response could there be but praise for such a marvelous plan.  Sin, that damaging and destructive cancer that held the world long captive was about to meet its match in this tiny baby.  We, too, are held captive until we come to see in that baby the one who can save and deliver us.  When we think of all that was accomplished by the entrance of God into the world in the guise of this tiny baby we too will be filled with praise and thankfulness.  The realization that he has forgiven all of our sins, set us free and brought us near to God is cause for worship this Christmas and every day. 

Let God interrupt our unthinking Christmas routines and bring us suddenly to our knees to worship.  Let us join the chorus of praise, thanking God for this incredible gift. 

They entered the house and saw the child with his mother, Mary,

and they bowed down and worshiped him.

Matt 2:11 (NLT)

Mary

 Mary as played by Keisha Castle-Hughes. The Nativity Story

 

 

And Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord;

be it unto me according to thy word."

Luke 1:38 (KJV)

I am struck by the beautiful response of Mary to the incredible news that she would become the mother of Jesus, the son of God - a startling and unbelievable word which she accepted, after a brief explanation, immediately and completely.  With incredible strength and determination she said, “Look at me. I am the Lord's servant. Let all that he said to me come true.” 

She becomes for us a picture of God's choice of the humble and lowly whose hearts are open to receive.  God delights in paradox.  In his kingdom up is down and down is up, the weak are strong, the poor are rich. And so the King of Kings was born not in a palace but in a stable to a humble peasant couple.  

When Mary visits her cousin Elizabeth, who is also miraculously pregnant, they rejoice together over the wonderful things that have happened.  Mary bursts out in a song praising the God who exalts the humble and brings down the proud. 

  

The Magnificat: Mary’s Song of Praise

“Oh, how my soul praises the Lord. 

  How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! 

 For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, 

and from now on all generations will call me blessed. 

 For the Mighty One is holy, and he has done great things for me.   

 He shows mercy from generation to generation

to all who fear him.   

 His mighty arm has done tremendous things! 

He has scattered the proud and haughty ones.  

  He has brought down princes from their thrones

and exalted the humble. 

   He has filled the hungry with good things

and sent the rich away with empty hands. 

He has helped his servant Israel and remembered to be merciful.   

 For he made this promise to our ancestors, 

to Abraham and his children forever.”

Luke 1:46-55 (NLT)

The weak inherit and the strong lose out.  Those who are hungry, he fills. When we declare our low estate and trust God to fill us with good things, he comes in. Let us respond like Mary, “Here I am.  May all your desire for me come into being.”

Dealing with Depression

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

Psalms 139:11-12 (NIV)

Even in our times of darkness, discouragement and depression God faithfully stands by to help us through.  He never abandons or condemns us when we are suffering in low times.  This is what we need to keep in mind when dark and negative thoughts flood our minds.  As we mature and grow we realize that these moods are not the final state and these thoughts do not define the ultimate reality of who we are.  The more we can hold onto God's truth and his word the sooner we will rise from our despair and the more comfortable and accepting we will feel as we are going through it.

So many successful people have admitted that they were subject to down times of discouragement and doubt. (Picasso, Van Gogh, Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill.) 

Amy Grant in her book, Mosaic, writes: 

Whenever I am in a bleak mental state, I think about these people whom I admire and realize that this condition is not unique to me.  

Probably my age and the circumstances of my life have softened the downward spirals for me, but winter is still a struggle every year.  Maybe subconsciously that is part of the reason I've made so much Christmas music - to focus on hope and joy and store up a lot of good thoughts for the dark months ahead.

What I've learned so far is that depression can be, but is not necessarily, about circumstances or about a particular event.  It is physical.  It is hereditary.  It is cyclical.  Its onset is like traveling down a road and suddenly hitting a patch of deep sand, wheels spinning and no visible forward motion.

The good news is, I've learned to recognize it and not be ashamed of it.  I know as surely as it comes, it will go.*

Perhaps, during this darkest time of the year, you are suffering with depression.  Don't be down on yourself.  Remember there is no end to God's faithfulness.  He never changes. The light of his love shines continually as bright as the sun no matter how cloudy your day may seem.  Encourage yourself.  Even if you feel discouraged and sad, put your hope in God.  He will lift you again and restore you to the joy of his presence. 

 

Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God!

Psalms 42:11 (NLT)

So be strong and courageous, all you who put your hope in the Lord!

Psalms 31:24 (NLT)

Listen to Amy sing Breath of Heaven
http://youtu.be/6RVTZDgcpqM

*Grant, Amy, Mosaic:Pieces of My Life So Far (New York: Doubleday, 2007), pp.167-168.

Snow

Snow in Tonto Hills, Arizona

 “The rain and snow come down from the heavensand stay on the ground to water the earth.They cause the grain to grow,producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word.I send it out, and it always produces fruit.It will accomplish all I want it to,and it will prosper everywhere I send it."

Isaiah 55:10-11 (NLT)

God's ways are so much greater than ours; his plans so much higher.  He has things in mind for us that we can't even imagine.  He can bring good to every situation, no matter how evil.

Our pronouncements of what should happen or what should be done have little power and often have a negative effect bringing the opposite result of what we wanted.  But, God's word goes forth with great power and accomplishes exactly what he sends it forth to do.

Lord, expand our minds and our vision to see what is possible because we put you in charge.  As we make you Lord of every situation you bring new, creative and powerful ideas for solving every problem.  Let us wait on you and your word.  Give us words to speak that will accomplish your good purposes.

"My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NLT)

Our snowy backyard.

Growing In Knowledge

Put on your new nature,

and be renewed

as you learn to know your Creator

and become like him.

Col 3:10 (NLT)

Growing in our knowledge of God yields great benefit to our lives.  As we learn more about him, as we see him in action, as we spend time with him, a spiritual transaction takes place, his nature rubs off on us and we become more like him. Our new nature is continually being renewed and changed into his likeness as our knowledge grows.  God is love.  The more we grow in love the more like God we become.

Knowledge of truth sets us free.  Ignorance or misconception keeps us in bondage. Lord, help us to learn.  Help us to grow.  We ask for right knowledge of you.  Shine your light into our hearts so that we may see and know you as you really are. Correct our thinking where we are in error so we may be transformed and changed into your very likeness.

Then you will know the truth,

and the truth will set you free.

John 8:31-32 (NIV)

 

Dwelling Place

St. Stephen's Cathedral, Vienna

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,

to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.

 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle

and set me high upon a rock.

Psalms 27:4-5 (NIV)

God’s house is a glorious place, shining with transcendent beauty, full of perfect peace and joy. As we dwell there, experiencing the pleasures of his presence, our soul finds fulfillment and satisfaction.  As we gaze upon his beauty all the blessings of his house surround and fill us up.  We were made for this house. 

From this our home base, our shelter, our place of security we are strengthened to face the frustrations and difficulties of life.  From this place, the problems we face here below seem small and insignificant, light and temporary.  The beauty of his house and his presence far outweighs any trial we may face.  We are concealed in his home when trouble comes.  We are hidden and yet we are present.  It is not an escape from reality, but a living in the glorious reality of God’s presence.   

You will show me the path of life;

in Your presence is fullness of joy,

at Your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.

Psalms 16:11 (AMP)

Abundance

“I am the LORD, I am the LORD, the merciful and gracious God. 

I am slow to anger and rich in unfailing love and faithfulness. 

I show this unfailing love to many thousands

by forgiving every kind of sin and rebellion.”  

Exodus 34:6,7 (NLT) 

As we sit down to the abundance of our Thanksgiving table, we are reminded of the riches and abundance of God’s love. 

  

If God were to write his own resume the bullet points would look like this:

• Merciful and compassionate 
• Gracious
• Long-suffering, patient and slow to anger 
• Abundant in loving-kindness and goodness
• Faithful and trustworthy 

This is God’s description of himself.

Lord, we thank you for who you have declared yourself to be.  We thank you for your abundant pardon, your unfailing love and companionship, your never ending generosity and inexhaustible grace.  You are our God, our loving and attentive father. 

As we partake of the turkey and dressing, the mashed potatoes and gravy and the pumpkin pie let us also feast on your abundant love and spread it to all around our table.  And let us remember the poor.

May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. 

May you have the power to understand 

how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is. 

Eph 3:17,18  (NLT)

Turn

And when I wake up, you are still with me!

Psalms 139:18 (NLT)

So the Lord must wait for you to come to him

 so he can show you his love and compassion.

  Isaiah 30:18 (NLT)

When I wake in the morning, I look, and there I see God waiting for me.  As I turn to him he responds with his loving attention.  He longs to bless me today, so he waits for me to awaken my eye to see and my ear to hear encouragement for the day ahead. 

As the day heats up, I turn toward him.  As noise and confusion swirl around, I take a moment to turn and find him waiting with his gracious gifts of peace and quietness in the midst of chaos. So, he grants strength to deal patiently with everything.

In the evening, when I am overcome with drowsiness, I turn in thankfulness for he has faithfully kept me through the day and I rest secure that he will again be waiting for me when the day dawns anew. 

It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,

 your faithfulness in the evening,

Psalms 92:2 (NLT)

Light

The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light. 

And for those who lived in the land where death casts its shadow, 

a light has shined.”

Matt 4:16 (NLT)

Moses prayed:  If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor.   Ex. 33.13 

Solomon prayed:  Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?” 1 Kings 3.9

The recent sex abuse scandal at Penn State University clearly demonstrates the devastation caused by individual moral failure.  The consequences of violating God’s system of morality are far reaching, damaging our own souls and hurting those in our circle of influence.  Whatever is done in secret will one day be exposed by light.

If we jump off a building, we will fall to the ground and get hurt even if we do not believe in the law of gravity.  So it is with God’s moral laws.  Even if we do not accept or understand or are ignorant of God’s laws, we will still suffer the consequences if we disobey them.  His laws are woven into the fabric of the universe. 

Our minds can be so dark and confused.  We can excuse our bad behavior in so many ways if we think it is to our benefit.  The leaders of Israel knew they needed God's help so they asked for understanding to discern good from evil so they could govern wisely.  We, too, need to pray that God would enlighten our minds to see and understand what is really going on.  It takes God given wisdom and courage to know what to do when we discover evil in ourselves or others.  

Lord, grant us understanding hearts.  If our minds are in darkness, send your light to shine on them so that we can discern right from wrong and have the power to stand up against evil where ever we find it.

Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. 

  Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. 

Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord,

and you will gain knowledge of God.

For the Lord grants wisdom!

From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest.

He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.

He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.
  Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair,

and you will find the right way to go.

For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy.

Wise choices will watch over you.

Understanding will keep you safe.

Wisdom will save you from evil people,

from those whose words are twisted.

These men turn from the right way to walk down dark paths.

They take pleasure in doing wrong, and they enjoy the twisted ways of evil.

Their actions are crooked, and their ways are wrong. 

  Prov 2:3-15 (NLT)

  

Joyful is the person who finds wisdom,

the one who gains understanding.

For wisdom is more profitable than silver, and her wages are better than gold.

  Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing you desire can compare with her.

She offers you long life in her right hand, and riches and honor in her left.

  She will guide you down delightful paths; all her ways are satisfying.

Wisdom is a tree of life to those who embrace her;

happy are those who hold her tightly.

Prov 3:13-18 (NLT)