The Secret Place

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall remain stable and fixed under the shadow of the Almighty [Whose power no foe can withstand]….Because he has set his love upon Me therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness – trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake him, no, never] Psalm 91:1, 14

Where is the secret place of the Most High? He doesn’t dwell in Temples made by human hands. He lives and moves over the earth but that isn’t very secret. He lives in heaven but right now we abide on earth. So I would guess that His secret place is my secret place, my closet, my most intimate place – my heart of hearts.

That’s where I can dwell and find safety and stability. I not only will be under His Shadow, which would strike fear in any enemy’s heart. I will be in His secret place where I can know Him. I can have a personal knowledge of His mercy, love and kindness. As He knows every tiny detail of me, the number of hairs on my head, I can begin to know details of Him…what breaks His heart, His tenderness for people, the wideness of the mercy that led Him to the cross. I love Him! I want to know Him.

I fall so short of dwelling in that secret place. I visit once in a while but I want to remain, abide, permanently plant myself there. There’s so much to know of Him and so much my heart needs to whisper in His ear. What better privilege in life is there?

Add a comment December 31, 2010

Light

Matthew 5:14, 15 You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a peck measure, but on a lampstand and it gives light to all in the house.

Christmas my two sister-in-laws and I were sitting in the living room enjoying the fire. It was cold outside and a little chill was in the house but by the fire it was warm. We had a couple of long conversations and just enjoyed being together.

The warmth of the fire, the light of a candle all have a beauty and a purpose. The flames warm or brighten the room. We can’t enjoy life as well without them. We don’t want to close them off or cover them up.

I want to be a warm fire that people can cuddle up by and find warmth…not physically but spiritually. I want grace and mercy to be such a part of me that people want to be near to get a little of it. I want to be a light that shows the way and bathes the room in a glow.

I have qualities in me that aren’t very light-like. I’m a sinner actually. But I also am a light. So it’s best I don’t hide under a basket. Jesus told us not to.

We each have a unique set of gifts that we should allow the Lord to use. He wants to shine through us, use us to light the way and warm the house. Imperfect as we are we need to allow the Lord to give light to other people through us.

1 comment December 30, 2010

Covered and Filled

In Chapter 6 of Judges Gideon was hiding from Midian, Israel’s enemy, threshing wheat inside a wine press. The Angel of the Lord, literally Jesus, came to him and said you’ll take Midian. It’s yours. Gideon said “My family is the least in the tribe and I’m the least in my family.” He was doubtful he had heard the Lord. So he said wait right here, I’ll be back with an offering for You, Lord. So he ran off, cooked some meat, bread and broth and took it back to Jesus and placed the meat and bread on the altar and poured the broth over it. Jesus set it afire and disappeared.

A few more incidents happened and the Midianites and Amalekites gathered. They were ready to take on Israel, so they thought. Then there’s a verse that is very powerful for when we’re called to a project or ministry. Judges 6:34 “But the Spirit of the Lord clothed Gideon with Himself and took possession of him, and he blew a trumpet and the clan of Abiezer was gathered to him.”

If I’m nervous or have fear I want to be clothed in the Spirit of the Lord. If I need wisdom or strength I want to be in possession of Him. Inside and out is the Holy Spirit. It must have given Gideon a feeling of power and peace. God was using a scared, little, uncharismatic servant making him not just a warrior but a leader of warriors.

Lord, may Your Holy Spirit clothe us so that we honor You with what we do. May You possess us so that we honor you with how we think, what we say and how we pray. Fill us and cover us in You. We love You, Lord.

Add a comment December 29, 2010

Keep on

So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. Luke 11:9

We’re not supposed to pray repetitive prayers without heart. A repetitive prayer is monotonous and meaningless. It has no love within it.

However, the heartfelt prayer of a righteous person will get somewhere. Asking God, with all our heart for something, is OK to repeat. We pray, sometimes beg, with a deep need and the answer doesn’t come the next day. So we keep praying with all our heart, bringing our deep need before the Lord.

He doesn’t withhold an answer just to mess with us. It’s to get us before Him every day because He wants a relationship with us. He wants to hear our voice. There’s nothing sweeter than my great-nephews voice, the way he forms his 5 year old words, the gentle way he talks to me. God loves to hear us and to speak back.

It’s to grow our faith. Faith that is answered over night is shallow and weak. Faith tested over time grows deep roots into Love, into Him. And He is a rewarder of those that seek Him.

It’s to make us serious about life and how we spend our time. Do we spend time in prayer each day or do we watch TV until we go to bed. TV and relaxation is good too, we just can’t leave out the prayer part.

So we need to keep asking, seeking, knocking with all our hearts. With everything we have within us we bring to Him our requests and He listens to our voice and deeply loves us. He longs for us to deeply love Him in return.

2 comments December 27, 2010

For Our Safety

For the rest, my brethren, delight yourselves in the Lord and continue to rejoice that you are in Him. To keep writing to you [over and over] of the same things is not irksome to me and it is [a precaution] for your safety. Philippians 3:1 Amp

Today is my thankful day. I’m going to take a day and be grateful for each loving, wonderful member of my family. We all sin and we all have our faults but that’s not what I’m focusing on today. I’m gazing on their good qualities. No petitions will be made, nor requests for change. It’s because I really love them each but it’s also a little selfish too. It cheers me up to have a thankful day. It raises my spirits and keeps me from the doldrums.

I’m also grateful for Jesus and who He is to me. I don’t even go to where I would be without Him. He is precious to me. I’ve got a lot of faults but He lives in me and fills me at no worthiness of my own.

Paul in Philippians says gratefulness and rejoicing is a form of defense against false religion. It keeps your mind on Jesus and off of something that would take you astray. It raises your spirits and keeps you from being discouraged in your service to the Lord.

And lastly, our Lord deserves it. When we enter His throne room it should be with thanksgiving, Psalms says. We owe Him thanks for all the good He has done and all the love He has shown, if in no other way than through His Son and the blood He shed for our cleansing.

4 comments December 26, 2010

The Message

“They hurried off and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby who was lying in the feeding trough. After seeing [them] they reported the message they were told about this child.” (Luke  2:16, 17) The shepherds obeyed the message they were given. They went to find Mary, Joseph and the baby. But after seeing them they could have just rejoiced among each other. But somehow they knew this was a message that needed to be heard. They couldn’t spread just any message but it had to be the one they were told and it had to be about the child.

We each have a different message in our heart that has been given us by God. I can’t tell your message except very clumsily and you can’t tell my message except clumsily. Our eloquence only comes from telling the message we were called to tell.

And there is a structure to this message. It should always honor the child. It should be structured by God’s word. But especially it should be honoring to Jesus.

I love this. I have a calling. You have a calling. There is meaning to our lives because we have a message that we were meant to give away. We may not have the exciting beginning to our message as the shepherds did in the angels. But we have a calm assurance that the Baby lives in our hearts and because He does we have a meaningful piece of a puzzle to give.

1 comment December 25, 2010

He Stood by Them

When I was working I always had bosses that I had good relationships with. I felt like their daughter more than their employee. If they would come in to talk to me they would sit across from me, putting me at ease as if we were having a father daughter conversation. They never belittled me or tried to intimidate me. I always loved them coming into my office or me going into theirs. Even so, there was a certain respect that this is the man I work for and I need to behave appropriately.

Our shepherds in Luke 2 had someone come and stand near them to assure them. This someone was an angel who by nature commanded more than respect, even fear. But he told the shepherds they weren’t in trouble,  the angel was bringing good news for them and for the world. They could relax.

And behold an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord flashed and shone all about them, and they were terribly frightened. But the angel said to them, Do not be afraid, for behold I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to the people. Luke 2:9, 10

I had one boss that brought me good news. I had a deep dark fear inside that I had never spoken. He wasn’t speaking to me but to a friend who was in the office with me. My boss told him that our pasts are negligible and we have a future as bright as the angel’s glory. The tears flowed and flowed in relief and joy.

Messengers can be wonderful people or angels. They bring us good news or news to assist us through life. And you feel kindred to them because they invade your heart with a message that is personal. And when it’s good news they invade your heart with joy and excitement like the shepherds experienced when the angel popped in on them.

Add a comment December 23, 2010

Giving

As the days on which the Jews got rest from their enemies and as the month which was turned for them from sorrow to gladness and from mourning into a holiday – that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days of sending choice portions to one another and gifts to the poor. Esther 9:22

The Jews celebrated something a little similar to our Christmas. The people of  Persia were going to kill them all until they prayed and Esther went into the king on behalf of the lives of her people. Once the king said yes to Esther, she could stop the massacre, the people began to celebrate.

The way they celebrated was by giving food to each other and gifts to the poor. What a beautiful way to celebrate a rescue by God – to give to each other. And not only that, they took care of the poor on this day. How it must please God for Him to see His people with generous hearts due to His power and might on their behalf.

Today we give gifts to each other and we buy a can of pumpkin or a turkey for a love basket to someone in need. It’s still pretty beautiful to me. I know it’s commercialized and they draw us in with their magnetic advertisements but we do the buying with love, we do the wrapping with love, we do the giving with love. And it’s all to celebrate a rescue by God.

He gave His Son, our freedom, on Christmas Day so that we would love each other. But the One we don’t want to forget is Him. There’s no way to give Him a card and a TV or a gift card to WalMart but we can take out a little time to remember Him that day. Just sit back in your room by yourself and think on how a poor baby came to love you. To save you. To talk with you. To be your Best Friend. Just worship a bit. And then go out and celebrate!

2 comments December 22, 2010

From the Heart

There’s a time to speak and a time to remain quiet. We need discernment from the Lord as to when our time is to speak. Christmas was exciting to the Shepherds and they told everyone. But there was someone in the forefront who quietly took it all in.

And when they saw it, they made known what had been told them concerning the Child. And all who heard it were astounded and marveled at what the Shepherds told them. But Mary was keeping within herself all these things (sayings) weighing and pondering them in her heart. Luke 2:17-19

How can you tell when to speak and when to remain quiet? For me if someone is hungry and asking questions I speak. If they don’t want to hear I don’t speak. But for you the answer may be different. That’s where discernment comes in and hearing from the Lord at a particular time.

When we do speak we need to speak with gentleness and respect. After Mary had treasured these things in her heart I can only imagine her speaking them quietly and maybe with tears of joy. They were processed by her heart, they would be spoken from her heart not her mind.

I want to be more like Mary. I need to ponder and weigh things before I blurt them out. I want to be more sensitive to when the Lord is leading to be quiet. When I talk I want it to be from my heart and not my intellect.

2 comments December 22, 2010

Peacekeeping Mission

Pictures of flowing gowns glowing and maybe a trumpet is how they picture the angels who announce to the Shepherds the birth of the Baby. And we always say they sing. I just assumed we were right. But this Bible, the Amplified, describes them in a completely different way. “Then suddenly there apeared with the angel an army of the troops of heaven (a heavenly knighthood) praising God and saying…” (Luke 2:13)

Why would God need an army on such a beautiful, glorious night? Well,  praising Him is often how the Israelites went into battle. There was a battle this night to keep peace. “Glory to God in the highest [heaven], and on earth peace among men with whom He is we pleased [men of goodwill, of His favor]” (Luke 2:14) Not to keep peace between nations but to keep peace in hearts of men. It’s something that takes a fight sometimes to keep the peace in our mind and heart.

During this Christmas season especially we get rushed and busy and there are so many things to put on our to do list. We lose our peace. But if we praise the Lord and call on His name and go back to the night that sweet Baby was born we can find our peace again.

I stand guilty of getting caught up in presents and family and friends which are all wonderful parts of the Christmas season. But i need to stop and take the time to find my peace…time to find the Baby, my Savior. And the angels are fighting on my behalf, on your behalf.

2 comments December 21, 2010