The children of Israel were facing an impossible situation. They needed to cross the Jordan River in order to walk into God’s promise. Joshua 3:3 says, “…When you see the ark…then you shall set out from your place and go after it.” The ark represented the presence of the Lord.

Before, He led them by the cloud and the pillar. Now He was about to lead them in a totally different way. However, their way was blocked because the Jordan was overflowing its banks. Verse 4 says, “…that you may know the way by which you must go, for you have not passed this way before.”

Are you about to walk in uncharted territory? I am. I’m sharing my journal with you from my quiet time this morning. The priests were instructed to step into the impossibility. Joshua 3:13 says, “…as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests…rest in the waters…the waters of the Jordan will be cut off…” They had to obediently step in. Then the Lord transformed the impossible to take them through.

Here is another situation. Jeremiah had obeyed the Lord by buying a piece of land, even though Jerusalem was under siege. Then Jeremiah asked for understanding. Jeremiah 32:17-25 is his prayer. First he recounted who the Lord is. Verse 17 says, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.” Verse 19 says, “You are great in counsel and mighty in work…”

Jeremiah faced an impossible situation, yet he first aligned his thoughts with who God is. God answered him in verse 27. It says, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”

We do well to remember this as we face our own impossibilities. Like the two above cases, our impossible (to us) circumstance is an opportunity for God to show Himself strong on our behalf. He wants us to focus on Him and His ability, not the obstacles to His promises.

Psalm 25:4-5 is a great prayer for us. Verse 4 says, “Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths.” Psalm 85:13 says, “Righteousness will go before Him, and make His footsteps our pathway.” Righteousness is conforming our thoughts, purpose, and actions with His will.

First we need to align our thoughts with His will. Our impossible-obstacle is the very thing He wants to transform. It will become the prepared pathway we walk on, and into, for His provision and promise in our present situation.

I prayed this to align my thoughts with His will: Thank You Lord for this impossible situation. I’m totally and absolutely dependent on You. You are Ever Present. You are my Guide to take me through.

You can use your own words, but His will is to be thankful. As we thank Him for who He is, it puts our lives back into right perspective. He is Lord over all. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the cover and back cover of my book in process. I’m still paginating but thought I would give you a sneak preview of what is to come.

HeDrewMe_BC_eBook

 

 

Peter was addressing the Jerusalem council, telling them about the salvation of Cornelius and his household. Acts 15:9 says, “And made no distinction between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.”

Here is an redeeming verse. Romans 2:11 says, “For there is no partiality with God.” The Lord is impartial. He does not show favor to one and exclude another. We all have the same love, grace, blessings, and rich benefits of salvation. Equality.

We are to walk as the Lord walked. James 2:9 says, “For if you show partiality, you commit sin.” Partiality in the Strong’s means: favortism, distinction, bias, conditional preference. We can include the word prejudice.

James 2:12 Amplified says, “So speak and so act as (people should) who are to be judged under the law of liberty (the moral instruction given by Christ, especially about love).” James 1:25 defines the perfect law of liberty as God’s word.

We are to judge our thoughts and actions as we read His word. Here is a verse we can judge ourselves with. James 2:1 Amplified says, “My brethren, pay no serville regard to people (show no prejudice, no partiality). Do no (attempt to) hold (and) practice the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Lord) of glory (together with snobbery)!”

Philippians 2:3 is another verse we can use to judge our hearts. It says, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.”

I know of a person who told my friend that she was saved as a young girl. Then she went the way of the world. She has abundant visible large tattoos. She said to my friend: look at me. What church would allow me inside? Her question still rankles me because she is saying that Christians reject her because of her looks. Do we really do that?

1 Corinthians 4:5 says, “Judge nothing before it’s time…” The Amplified uses the words, “…hasty premature judgments…” I am guilty. I’ve jumped to conclusions multiple times before knowing all the facts. Have you?

Here is one of my governor verses. I use it to judge my own walk. 1 John 2:6 says, “He who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk just as He walked.” No prejudice. No contempt of another. No rejecting someone because they are not like we are. Humble. My we all walk with heart integrity, so that our message and messenger are the same.

I’m speaking this to myself. The Holy Spirit brought the word “distinction” to my mind this morning as I started my quiet time. As I looked into His word, I was convicted. That is good. I wanted to share it with you because Matthew 7:2 says, “For with the judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” We are called to be a blessing, and to love our neighbors as ourselves.

After I wrote my blog this morning, a friend sent me a picture from her trip to Egypt. I thought you would like to see it as well.

This morning the Lord reminded me of a verse that I want to share with you. Psalm 92:12-13 Amplified says, “The (uncompromisingly) righteous shall flourish like a palm tree (be long-lived), stately, upright, useful, and fruitful); they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon (majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible). Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of our God.”

Are you planted in a church body? It is the Lord’s design for our spiritual growth. I love the words: flourish, thriving, verdant. They are the opposite of dry, stagnant, declining. 1 Corinthians 12:18 says, “But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased.”

Every member is essential for the whole. Verse 22 says, “No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary.” Verse 27 says, “Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.”

Colossians 2:19 says, “Not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.” We need each other. As a predator likes to single out a weak animal and pull them out of the herd, so the enemy of our soul seeks to isolate believers to prey upon their lives. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

You knew I’d go to this verse. It’s a great reminder for all of us. Hebrews 10:25 says, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” United. Strengthened. Fortified. Growing. Fruitful. Flourishing. Verdant. Thriving.

When I was a young girl I had a Tennessee Ernie Ford record that I played over and over. One of the songs became my theme song–still is. I was an only child. I was lonely. Through this song I learned to reach out to others to lessen my loneliness. Listen to the words:

1-Lord, help me live from day to day, in such a self-forgetful way, that even when I kneel to pray, my prayer shall be for—others. 2-Help me in all the work I do, to ever be sincere and true, and know that all I’d do for You, must needs be done for—others. 3-Let “Self” be crucified and slain, and buried deep: and all in vain. May efforts be to rise again, unless to live for—others. 4-And when my work on earth is done, and my new work in Heav’n’s begun, May I forget the crown I’ve won, while thinking still of—others. Chorus: Others, Lord, yes others, let this my motto be. Help me to live for others, ,hat I may live like Thee.

Philippians 2:3-4 says, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”

The Amplified uses the true spirit of humility for lowliness of mind. The TPT says, “Possess a greater concern for what matters to others…” I was thinking about this in my quiet time this morning. Here are some questions I wrote down. They helped me define what I read.

What are their interests, priorities, values, unfulfilled desires? Do I know? Have I asked? To truly reach out to others requires a heart investment. I’m sure you have asked someone at church “how are you?” and they answered, “fine” when they were hurting inside.  Why do we stay in the surface of our relationships? Fear based roots often keep our heart closed.

I want to encourage you to stretch out. Ask questions that require your heart to give. It will open way for their heart to respond. Here are some suggestions: How can I pray for you? Do you have anything going on in your upcoming week that I could pray with you about? If you know something that they did, you could ask how it went. Invite someone over or out in order to have quality time together. Send a card to a shut-in or someone in a deep trial. To recap: invest your heart, and engage with what interests others. May the Lord give you wisdom to reach out to others in a meaningful way.

It is all about our thoughts. What we think about is what we focus on. A. W. Tozer wrote a great book called “Pursuit of God” which I highly recommend. I was so taken by his prayers at the end of each chapter that I made them my own. Words like: I long to long for You; I thirst to thirst for You more; I desire to desire You. They are words of passionate pursuit.

I read Zephaniah yesterday. These words captured me. Zephaniah 1:12 says that they were settled in their complacency. There is a note in my Bible that says: complacency is the enemy of spiritual growth.

It reminded me of Moab. Jeremiah 48:11 says, “Moab has been at ease from his youth; he has settled on his dregs, and has not been emptied from vessel to vessel nor has he gone into captivity. Therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent has not changed.” The Lord was using the words from wine that is not emptied from vessel to vessel. Settled wine becomes thick.

Are you settled on your dregs? The Lord uses trials to empty us from vessel to vessel. Each trial creates a new dependency. We are brought to the end of our own strength, and left with no ability to “fix” it. We either turn to a substance, a mindless activity, or we cling tenaciously to the Lord.

Abraham clung to the Lord. He continued to believe the Lord was able to fulfill His promise, even though circumstances dictated the impossibility. I love Romans 4:20 in the Amplified. They are words of clinging. “No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith AS he gave praise and glory to God.”

Unbelief, distrust, and wavering are thoughts. Here is the opposite. Rooted, built up in Him, established, steadfast, immoveable, grounded, focused, clinging, and perseverance. You can look up the verses I gathered these words from~Colossians 2:7, 1:23, 1 Corinthians 15:58. We strengthen our faith by rehearsing God’s truths though our thoughts. Faith is believing God’s word, and not allowing circumstances to dictate our thoughts and focus.

Hebrews 12:2: looking unto Jesus. Philippians 3:13: forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward. It is the forgetting that empowers us to reach! It is all though our thoughts.

We enter into a deeper faith and intimate communion with the Lord as we cling to Him through His word. Our circumstances are ever changing. It is essential to maintain our focus on Him. He is Eternal Truth that never changes.

Here is an interesting verse in Malachi 3:3. It says, “He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord, an offering in righteousness.”

1 Peter 2:5 says, “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

Our Refiner works through our fiery trials to bring up the hidden dross. Also to bring out the hidden benefit–our endurance. We are called to endure so that He will be glorified through our lives. James 1:3 Amplified says, “Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience.”

Here is a definition of a crucible: a situation of severe trial, or in which different elements interact, leading to the creation of something new. In the crucible of our trials, our Refiner melts the metal of our faith to prove it genuine. He strengthens it by using the crucible-fire to reveal the hidden dross so it can be removed.

I’m excited to tell you that the ebook for He Drew Me Our Of Deep Waters: encouragement for hard trials is in its final stages before publishing. Cover is being drawn and I’m working on the back cover. This ebook (paperback coming as well) is written from the inside of my crucible-trial. Stay tuned…

Do you ever make lists of things you need to do? I used to when I was younger. I loved to make lists. I would always do the quick and easy things first, just to get the satisfaction of marking them off. However, there was one activity that I never put on my list.

Our relationship with the Lord is not a to do list item to be marked off each day. In Him we live, and move, and have our being (Acts 17:28). The Lord is our very breath and sustenance. Colossians 3:3 says, “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”

Jeremiah 10:23 says, “O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man who walks to direct his steps.” We may think we are in charge of our lives, but anything we do independent of God is in our own strength. We know from John 15:5 that apart from Him we can do nothing.

David wrote Psalm 5. Here are two verses I would like to bring to your attention. Verse 3 says, “My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning I will direct it to You, and I will look up.” Verse 8 says, “Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies; make Your way straight before my face.” Both verses address our acknowledgement of the Lord as our priority.

Psalm 62:5 Amplified says, “My soul, wait only upon God and silently submit to Him; for my hope and expectation are from Him.” Since the Lord directs every step we take when we are submitted to Him, we do well to wait for His direction.

Here is one of my favorite ways to pray. It comes from Habakkuk 2:1. I see myself acting out this verse as I approach my quiet time. It says, “I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected.” Psalm 16:8 says, “I have set the Lord always before me, because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.”

We acknowledge Him by placing Him first in our thoughts. We breathe in His Presence continually because He is Ever Present. We verbally or mentally recognize His constant involvement and orchestration throughout our day. Thanking Him, asking Him for wisdom before we make a decision, and leaning on Him for inner strength are just a few ways. Remember, nothing in our lives is without His notice.

Here is another of my favorite ways to pray. Psalm 25:4-5 says, “Show me Your ways, O Lord; teach me Your paths. Lead me in Your truth and teach me, for You are the God of my salvation; on You I wait all the day.” May the Lord be your constant priority.

 

 

 

 

Isaiah 35:8 says, “A highway shall be there, and a road, and it shall be called the Highway of Holiness…” Verse 9 says that the redeemed shall walk there. Verse 10 says that His everlasting joy shall be upon their heads.

A highway is a thoroughfare or a main road. Consider the Highway of Holiness to be as intimacy with the Lord. It is an essential path of strength for the redeemed. I love the verse in Isaiah 30:21. It says, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it, whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.”

This morning the Holy Spirit showed me another aspect of this verse that I never thought about before. Read Joshua 1:7 with me. It says, “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.”

We are not to turn away from God’s word. It is our compass. Our intimate communion with Him is through His word. Psalm 1:3-4 says that when we meditate on His word, our way will be fruitful and prosperous.

Here is another verse to consider. 1 Samuel 12:21 says, “And do not turn aside; for then you would go after empty things which cannot profit or deliver, for they are nothing.”

Proverbs 4:26-27 says, “Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or to the left; remove your foot from evil.”

As we walk on His highway of intimate communion, He will speak to our hearts to give us clear direction. He will also check us in our walk when we start to turn off in pursuit of empty things. May your life be filled with the wonder of intimacy with the One who created you for relationship with Him. Please take a moment right now and tell Him again that you love Him.