Tag: blessings

Patiently Persevering is Worth the Wait

Confession time: I can get frustrated when things don’t happen when and as though I think they should. I abhor waiting. I thrive on instant gratification. If there’s anything I like less than waiting something out its giving up or giving in. I’m sure you can see that herein lies a great source of tension: I often refuse to fold, but waiting for a full hand to be played makes me want cry out in frustration as I not-so-patiently bide my time.

Can you relate at all to any of this? Maybe you don’t know what the next season of life holds for you? Maybe you are desperate to see a change in your child’s behavior? Maybe you long to have your spouse to go to church with you? Maybe there’s a habit you want to change in yourself, but you made the same poor decision yet again this week. Maybe you are getting tired of waiting it out and you want to see results now. Not tomorrow, not this month…but now.

I get it.

Allow me to speak some encouragement into your situation today. It’s never too late for a breakthrough. Cultivating the patience necessary to wait it out is well worth it. As I’ve already shared, this is not something which comes naturally to me, nor am I as patient as I ought to be for much of the time….but now I have a visual to remind me to practice patience: an old potted plant on my back deck. Let me explain incase it can help you, too…

As you’ll learn as you spend more time with me, I absolutely adore making spaces feel like home. My old office cubicle? Homemade bunting draped across the carpeted walls. My makeshift basement gym? An accent chair and a plant take up space like they have every right to be in that cinder-blocked room. I cherish moments spent getting our church spruced up for each changing season.

You get the idea.

Pinterest would have been a small miracle if it was around when I planned my wedding and decorated my first nurseries.

I share this just to set the stage for what’s to come in this little story. Also, I’m about to get dark for a few moments, but I promise I won’t stay there for too very long! After all, this is meant to be encouraging!

Just about 3 years ago my sister and I lost our mom to a VERY short bout of cancer. I’ll revisit this season in our lives throughout other posts, but for now let’s just focus on the activities known as “the arrangements.” My sister is just as in love with interior design as I am, and we really wanted mom’s services to feel like “us”….the three of us…and how we have our own homes decorated.

Unfortunately, that is really hard to accomplish when florists only offer tremendous sprays and displays filled with flowers that we would never have on our own tables. Needless to say, through a remarkable series of events, also known as God’s hand (wink wink), we had an idea to skip the florist all together! There! I said it! We skipped the obligatory florist hired for funerals! Gasp!

Do you know what we did instead? We scoured the lengths of Long Island for ball-based Dogwood trees and Japanese Willows. It was the first week of June, and they were in full bloom! We added in some white hydrangea, a flower mom always had in her kitchen, and baby’s breath. I hit the springtime décor jackpot when I found dozens of white tulips in Trader Joes (the florist said they would be impossible to find).

With a few potted plants, wooden crates, and Hobby Lobby signage thrown into the mix, one could have easily mistaken the viewing room for an event space holding a bridal shower of the modern farmhouse variety.

Now, back to the trees. Not only were they a beautiful addition to such a bittersweet time in our lives, but my sister and I were able to take one of each kind home with us. We planted them in our yards. Or rather, we each planted the dogwoods, and only my sister planted the Japanese Willow…while I foolishly left mine in the pot.

I don’t have a green thumb. In full disclosure, I should also mention that the plant I mentioned “living” in my basement is actually totally fake and totally from IKEA.

Needless to say, my perpetually potted willow eventually turned into nothing more than dried up sticks in the overly dry dirt. I put the pot outside for “fresh air”, but the Pocono winter did absolutely nothing for my revival efforts. In fact, as I’m sure you could imagine, the winter made matters worse. So, there it was…this plant, long gone and covered in snow…and just within view of my kitchen window on the back patio.

Even though it completely died in the pot, every time I looked out the window I kept on wondering if it would ever bloom the next spring. I wish I could say it did, but it didn’t…not in that Spring, at least.

I almost finally tossed the batch of brittle twigs where Christmas wreaths and Autumn mums meet their final resting place out back when I noticed the FOLLOWING summer that new shoots were growing!  Take a look at this pic I grabbed from my social media account after I first noticed the new growth.

Whatever your struggle is now, don’t lose faith. If I had tossed the willow out seasons, months, weeks or even days earlier, I never would have known that flowers would eventually come, all those seasons later. There’s life after death, and God can make all things new! We don’t know all the plans laid out for us or our loved ones, but God does, and we will discover them in His perfect timing!

This is a concrete example of life after death, rebirth, and deliverance. Scriptures are full of examples as well. What if Joshua’s army quit circling Jericho after 5 days? What about if Noah felt too defeated to go on after 39 days of nonstop flooding? The entire story of Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead only happened because Lazarus was allowed to die first.

Sound familiar? Easter Sunday only occurred because God allowed His son to die first. It was all part of His perfect plan for the redemption of humankind, and in His timing there was new life and deliverance.

Again, do not lose faith. Be patient. Even if it seems as though all redemptive chances have come and gone…and come and gone again…He who redeems can bring any situation through to fruitful completion. If you are waiting for the next mile marker to reveal itself, trust in His timing. God is neither late nor early. He is always right on time.

Allow Him to cultivate patience in you as you wait on His timing. You truly never know when what you are seeking, or something far better, will come to fruition!

Did you catch all of the Be Still Series? Here it is!

  1. Discipleship 101
  2. Simply Still Series: Top 6 Stillness Verses
  3. Simply Still Series: How to Forego What is Better for What is Best
  4. Simply Still Series: Tired of Being Tired?
  5. Day 21
  6. Prodigal Series Day 20: Good Father, Wrapping Up
  7. The Prodigal Series Day 19: Good Father, Our Father
  8. The Prodigal Series Day 18: Good Father, An Open Invite

Be Still Series: What can we Learn from Children about Rest?

As we wrap up this series, I want to accomplish 3 things: briefly summarize previous posts in the series; leave you with a gentle word of caution; and, finally, impart final words of encouragement.

Now, here’s the simplest part.  Lets review the topics covered in each of the 6 parts published so far (all are hyperlinked for easy reference):

Part 1

An Introduction to Being Still explored how being still is an imperative from God. In this way, being still isn’t a form of weakness; there is boldness in the obedience and stillness.

Part 2

Emptying Our Plates provided some advice on how to go about emptying already full plates. How can we be still if we are too busy to be still? Remember, we will be able to accomplish infinitely more for those entrusted to our care and for the kingdom if we surrender to God’s will for our lives. Sometimes less is more!

Part 3

Living it Out attempted to put my own advice and the Word of God into practice. Instead of spending more time on writing than I reasonably had to give during the busy holiday season and while my family quarantined; I opted to share some of the best content ever created: Scripture. Verses focusing on the need to rest were highlighted as I took a step back for a few days.

Part 4

Saying No offered additional examples of life application as related to being still, specifically on how to say, “No.” The latter skill is key if we want to keep our schedules balanced once we get them to where God would like them to be.

Part 5

Is Keeping the Sabbath Still for Real? established the Sabbath rest as part of God’s design for creation. God set the standard and the example for us, his creation, when he, the Creator, rested on the 7th day. Creation was incomplete until it encompassed the act of resting.

Part 6

Finally, Resting Better suggested an antidote to our restlessness: trusting in the Lord more during the times when we are asked to slow down. A biblical example from Exodus set the backdrop for this important and sometimes sensitive discussion.

Now, speaking of sensitive discussions, here is that promised word of caution I mentioned earlier: be wary of keeping “sabbath” rest for purely legalistic reasons.  While I understand we all have seasons where we need to “fake it until we make it,” Sabbath rest should be more of a mindset than something we feel obligated to squeeze into our schedules.  Once rest becomes something else to check off we are missing the point. Yes, we are to be obedient and be still, but its a heart change as much as it is either a scheduling or cerebral change.

The essence of the Sabbath (and being still) is to cease, stop striving and trust in Him.  As long as you are doing this intentionally out of a pure heart, you are doing just fine! Do not get hung up on the exact day you are keeping your Sabbath.  Doing so can push up against some dangerously legalistic territory!

Now that we have recapped the series as a whole and have received our loving dose of caution, let me share some final words of encouragement.

But first…

Do me a favor, and scroll up for a quick second.  See that picture?  That’s my 8-year old daughter, Kaleigh, laying on my lap during church two weeks ago.  Do you know what else she is resting on?  There’s something between her head and my lap…My Bible! The Word! She is literally and figuratively at rest on and in the Word during a worship service! 

Next time I need to be grounded and be still, I’m going to think of the simultaneously simple yet profound truths portrayed in that picture. The Word is around her; she’s soaking it in as she peacefully listens to the message. The Word is in Her. She loves Jesus, and the Holy Spirit is alive in her! The Word is touching her. She is literally touching it, but it is also moving her heart! This 8-year old had not a care in the world that Sunday: she just needed to be still while existing and absorbing His Word.

After looking at the picture some more I started to wonder what light a childlike faith could shed on the idea of resting on God. It is that simplicity and pureness of heart I’d like to leave you with today, which is why I asked each of my three children what resting on God meant to them. Here’s what they said:

Following what He says.

Kaleigh, age 8

Believing in God and putting faith in God.

Keira, age 10

Relying on His Word. Relying that He is there when you need Him the most. Relying that he is just there.

William, age 14

Right out of the mouths of babes, am I right?! Do you have a child in your life you could ask the same question to? See what they say! Perhaps their answers, lacking any pretense whatsoever, will provide you with a refreshing perspective: a perspective that can’t easily come from many well-read or even well-intentioned adults.

Friends, although I’ve now spent several weeks recounting scriptural truths and practical how-to-style advice, please know that resting on the Word of God doesn’t have to be difficult; but it does take our willingness.

As our pastor pointed out this morning during service, “we need to step back and step toward God.” Go to Him…be still…and find rest. It will change you.

Please be sure to check out the blog’s fb page for this 40-day posting eggtravaganza!

Also this week we reached 400 followers on fb! I’m doing a giveaway to celebrate! Leave a comment on the giveaway post on fb by 7pm to enter!

Be Still Series: Resting Better

When last I shared here, as far as the Be Still Series goes, I suggested that some of us struggle with resting well. Although there could be many reasons for this, today we are going to focus on one reason in particular: perhaps, just maybe, our ability to truly rest is lacking because we lack a deep enough trust in God to provide for us while we attempt to press pause in any real meaningful way.  Do you think this could be true for you?  It can be for me.

What if I miss that deadline?  What if I don’t have time to give all the kids baths later? What if someone has to cover for me?  What if….? 

Here’s the thing:  although I am guilty of not always putting the Lord first, I have never put the Lord first and been short on time because of it. As we learned elsewhere in this series, if we rest the way the Lord has designed us to rest, we are following a part of His will for our lives.  Therefore, we can have a blessed assurance that by resting in such a way we will still be able to accomplish everything we need to accomplish on any given day.  We may not get to everything we want to complete on our self-fabricated to-do lists.  But, in such cases, rest assured those tasks bypassed for another day or season wouldn’t be essential to that day in question anyway. He always provides what we need.    

One of my first blog posts was on the lesser known names of God.  One of those names is Jehovah Jireh, the God who provides, and it applies to the 16th chapter in Exodus, which is where we are going to spend some time today.

Exodus 16 tells of a time when the Israelites were instructed by God to go out into the dessert and gather food (manna) for one day; none was to be saved for the next day. Think: you get an allowance each day, but then also have to spend down to zero each day, trusting you will have another allowance out of nowhere in the morning. I can feel my anxiety rising just thinking about it!

The Israelites continued in this way for just about a week. On the 6th day, however, they were to gather twice as much so as to last for the next day as well. Why? Because God instructed them to rest on the next day…the 7th day. Sound familiar?

And just like that, we can clearly see the nexus between trusting God while also honoring His command to rest a Sabbath’s rest.

The Israelites needed to trust in Him, that He would provide, and that they would not go hungry. They needed to practice a daily dependence on their God…our God. Then, they needed to do all this while they were “left” of the sidelines, allowed to rest, but not to gather any sustenance for an entire day.

Do you know what happened to those Israelites who took it upon themselves to harvest on day 7? They couldn’t harvest. There was nothing there for them. They could not get any additional nourishment that the Lord did not already provide. Verse 29 says:

Bear in mind that the Lord has GIVEN you the Sabbath; that is why of the sixth day he GIVES you bread for two days.

Exodus 16:29, emphasis mine

Do you see? The sustenance and the sustaining rest are BOTH gifts to us from God. Who are we to manipulate such a divine plan for humanity?…especially one which commands rest?!

Can you think of a time when you were stretched beyond thin and yet you got through it all in tact?  That was God.  Can you think of a time when you didn’t know where the next paycheck was coming from but your bills still got paid?  That was God.  What about a time when you were so sick that you couldn’t bring yourself to sign into that zoom or drive for your turn in the carpool?  Did everything work out? I thought so!

Friends, don’t wait until you are forced to stop from pure exhaustion, sickness or anxiety attacks.  Even if you don’t get that far, I’ll bet none of us are all that pleasant to be around when we don’t press pause as we ought to.  By obediently adhering to His commands and trusting in his provisions, you are proactively protecting your relationship with Him and others. 

Pray:

Father God, Jehovah Jireh, you are so reliable!!  You conjured manna out of nowhere…in the middle of nowhere!  Of course, you will provide for me and your church as I take a day to rejuvenate and focus on you alone.  Remind me of that as often as I need to be reminded of it! Forgive me for being so stubborn and still wanting to get in all the things, especially in the time that really isn’t mine to begin with.  Let me rest so you can provide and be glorified.

In Jesus’ Holy & Precious Name,

Amen.

Be Still Series: Living it Out

Yesterday was Christmas, as I am writing this, and we had a relaxing day, just the five us us at home. Yet, so much goes into the day ahead of time, I can’t help but feel that a good, soulful rest is in order.

In this brief season between Christmas and New Year’s I’m going to follow my own advice. How hypocritical would it be if I wrote about being still if I did not also live it out?! Thank you for extending some grace while I, myself, rest and re-focus this week!

Although I am leaving you with very little content today, in many ways it’s all that you need: God’s own Words. Here are some verses to pray over which reinforce the biblical imperative to be still:

Be still, and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Exodus 14:14

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Psalm 37:7

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.

Psalm 23:1-2

There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his.

Hebrews 4:9-10

Now then, stand still and see this great thing the LORD is about to do before your eyes!

1 Samuel 12:16

The Lord continues to do remarkable things, just as He did in the time of Samuel. Awe-inspiring works in those around us and in you. Follow me this week in being still and let’s see what divine works we can notice! What may He change or soften in us?!

As as a closing devotional, here is a Jesus Calling reading from this week which seems to be especially relevant to the Be Still Series:

I AM PREPARING YOU for what is on the road ahead…Take time to be still in My Presence so that I can strengthen you. The busier you become, the more you need this time apart with Me. So many people… live and work in their own strength–until that becomes depleted. Then they either cry out to Me for help or turn away in bitterness.

How Much better it is to walk close to Me, depending on My strength and trusting Me in every situation. If you live in this way… Your unhurried pace of living will stand out… Some people may deem you lazy, but many more will be blessed by your peacefulness. Walk in the Light with Me, and you will reflect Me to the watching world.

Jesus Calling by Sarah Young, December 27

Be Still Series: Emptying our Plates

In a short video for my first post, I mentioned how I didn’t want to start this blog unless I knew that God willed me to write it.  Over the years I learned that one of the biggest contributors to burnout is piling responsibilities on top of responsibilities, without ever consulting if said commitments were actually willed by God to be a part of my life at that time.  Of course, we will experience burnout if we fill up our time with things that were never meant to be there to begin with!

Therefore, today’s post in the Be Still Series will focus on shifting away from being overcommitted. If you didn’t check out the first post in the series from last week, please be sure to do that!

Here’s a gentle warning: even commitments which are “for God” or which are “good” and “healthy” are generally not worth the trouble if they are not aligned with God’s will for our lives at that point.  That means praying through some hard choices.  It also means possibly foregoing what is good for what is best. 

If you struggle with being overcommitted and a general lack of stillness, there could be a number of contributing factors.  Maybe there is a value system which does not prioritize time and resources they way God would prefer? Maybe there is apprehension around saying, “No.”. The possibilities are endless, none are mutually exclusive, and I have been guilty of most!  Regardless of why you are overextended, today, I’m going to offer two pieces of advice on how to reduce your current commitments:

1st Piece of Advice

Make a list of everything on your plate right now.  What can you outsource (i.e., shoppers at the grocery store or pick up options)?  What can a spouse or significant other do or be taught to do?  An older child?  What can you do away with all together? What needs to be put on hold for a period of time? Sometimes seeing things on paper can help make sense of what stays and what goes.  Of course, pray on it!

2nd Piece of Advice

If you are really struggling (or even if you are not), consider clearing as much as possible from your schedule. This may sound like a silly or extreme idea, but I LOVE doing this each winter.  We live in the Poconos and although I love looking at the snow, I don’t necessarily love being in it.  It also gets dark very early in the winter…very, very early. 

Needless to say, winter in the Poconos really lends itself very well to a homebody seeking to lessen their load.  Also, with all the hustle and bustle of beginning a new school year finally far enough behind us, it really is an opportune time to deliberately press pause on activities. 

Maybe those expensive gymnastic lessons lose some appeal after taking a break from them?  Maybe that ministry you are serving in will be able to open the door for someone else to come in and serve in your absence? Only move toward reintroducing or introducing a commitment once you are certain it is meant to be there. More on this in a future post!

Now, as I’ve mentioned in other posts, I will never offer advice that I don’t follow myself or that is not a product of my own experience.  Here is one example of how God worked through my commitments, or lack thereof, a few months ago. 

As some of you may know from reading other blog entries, I am in school for my doctorate.  This Fall I was originally signed up to take 3 courses.  The more I prayed about it, the more I realized that committing to three courses in one semester was more of me imposing a vigorous workload on myself as opposed to God leading me there. 

Ultimately, just before the semester started, I dropped all but one course which was especially compelling.  I told God I didn’t know why I was led to do less, but my time was His with the “new-found” time that I was able to create margin for.  Within a few days I had an informal discussion with my pastor about possibly serving through writing.  This was his idea, but the more I prayed on it, the most convicted I was that he was right.  Within a few more days I began planning for Living Simply With God.  None of that would have ever happened with the pressure of 9 credits weighing on me! 

Our stories will look different, but there will be a common dominator between you and I:  we will both be able to accomplish infinitely more for those entrusted to our care and for the kingdom if we surrender to God’s will for our lives.  Sometimes less is more!

Don’t get me wrong, I can still overcommit, but I am getting better about consulting with God while I decide what to take on. 

Now that we have reviewed some ways to think about and actually create more time in our busy schedules, we will spend the next posts delving into some ideas around how to keep our schedules manageable.  Without that, we will be back to square one in no time.

Pray:

Father God, in your infinite wisdom, help me to discern which responsibilities are really mine and mine alone.  I feel comfortable when I am in control so I don’t delegate as often as I should, but I know this is not your desire for me.  It can’t be!  Trusting you is more than enough. When I feel led to transition out of participating in an activity in some capacity, I will trust that you know what is best for me and the others around me.  I will humbly follow where you lead.

In Jesus’ Holy & Precious Name,

Amen

Be Still Series: An Introduction

 “Come rest your eyes on the King…Jesus our Heavenly King.”  These lyrics are filling my church’s sanctuary right now. Lights are dimmed, but the glow of Christmas Trees fills the front of this sacred space. The Chosen’s Christmas Special, The Messengers, is livestreaming for those who are yearning to focus on the true meaning of the season, and I’m sitting back by the sound board, putting the finishing touches on this week’s post. 

Today’s post will be the first in the Be Still series, a series which will take us into the New Year.  Fitting that as I begin to wrap up the first installment of the series I should be listening to “Come rest your eyes on the King…Jesus our Heavenly King.”  Don’t you think?  I love how God works like that. 

Over recent weeks I have had different versions of the same conversation with various friends.  These conversations are what prompted me to address the topics we are covering over the next few weeks together. “I just don’t know how to say, ‘No’,” said one.  “I am completely depleted,” said another.  As recently as this morning, I was rushing to not one but two gas stations before church because the first station was just like my car: practically out of gas and waiting to get more. 

Why do we let ourselves run so ragged? It’s clearly not God’s intention for us.  He could never want this lifestyle of perpetual exhaustion and restlessness for us, His children whom He delights so much in.  In fact, we know from David that our Almighty Father desires the complete opposite for us:

Be Still and Know I am God. 

Psalm 46:10a

Be Still. This is not just a mere suggestion. It’s an imperative straight from the Lord, calling upon us to take up stillness as a part of our very being. This is more than acting still or desiring to be still, or thinking about being still.  It’s actually a state of being.  A state of being still. But how to we get there?

I don’t pretend to know all the answers, or even a fraction of the answers.  However, I do know what it is like to experience burnout and have nothing left for the people I should have the most for. I know what it’s like just going through the motions, too worn and defeated to even know I was worn and defeated.    

I know what it’s like to try and remedy this imbalance on my own.

Once I got clued in that my body was keeping the score, I knew some changes were in order.  I read the books.  I did the things (think yoga, breathwork, and other practices).  None of these are bad things! In many ways, they are quite helpful, especially when they promote self-healing. However, they won’t sustain us, and they shouldn’t be done apart from a larger framework defined and ordained by God.

I also do not pretend to live the most balanced life at all times. Nonetheless, by the grace of God, I also know what it’s like to surrender a worn-out body and mind to Him. This allowed Him, not I, to re-prioritize how I spend my time and who I spend it with. 

The Lord had a great deal of heart work to do within me (and he still does). That is not something anyone but God can do for you, and will only come from abiding in Him. That said, I also learned a lot along the path toward balanced living where the Lord is prioritized above all else. When doing so, believe it or not, I still had more than enough time and energy for anything which followed Him.

Over the next few weeks, as we turn our hearts and minds to the miraculous yet simple coming of our King incarnate, let us also seek out simplicity.  We will explore priorities, commitments and boundaries so that we may be obedient in Being Still.    In doing so we will be set free from what we were never intended to take on to begin with. Is there a bolder way to enter the new year than declaring that our time and priorities are His?  Don’t be fooled!  There’s boldness in the obedience and stillness. 

Pray:

Father God, Help me to slow down.  I am tired of doing things my own way.  Literally tired. Mentally tired.  Spiritually tired. At times, I have nothing left for my family, myself or you.  I know there must be another way. I know you desire me to be still.  Can you help me with that, please?  You are far wiser than I, and I seek to do your will! 

In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name,

Amen.

              

8 Useful Tips for Meditating Biblically (Part 3 of 3)

Before we get started with some really simple, practical tips to encourage your biblical meditation practices, let’s recap what we have covered so far.

Part 1, available here, offered a real general overview of what we mean by the term biblical meditation: it’s not quite prayer and it’s not quite bible study: its a bridge between the two.

Last week, Part 2, available here, provided one example of what a full biblical meditation practice might look like. It was broken out into 6 easy-to-follow steps and was an adaptation of a much more complex method which has been around since the 6th century!

This week I am going to share tips I have found beneficial in my own prayer life and in studying/meditating scripture. Remember, I’m a working mama of three kiddos, ages 8-14, and a doctoral student so please know I wouldn’t suggest anything that I didn’t find viable enough to work into my own hectic schedule!

In no particular order, here’s my list!

Tip 1

Make an appointment with yourself to meditate at some set interval that seems manageable in your current season of life. This might be weekly? Maybe more? Maybe less? If you really feel too strapped & overwhelmed, try going to the Lord in prayer and asking where you might find some margin in your life to incorporate regular meditation practices. He’ll create the space for you!

Tip 2

Build meditation into what you are already doing. For example, if you read a devotion each morning or evening anyway, try blocking off a good hour on your calendar at whatever interval you chose for tip 1 (weekly, biweekly, etc.). In doing this, you are merely periodically extending the time you were already spending in His presence to begin with!

Tip 3

Whether or not you have regular time with God already part of your routine, you can certainly try pairing meditation was an activity you already enjoy. Like to walk? Enjoy audio versions of scripture while you get in that workout or enjoy nature. Love sipping on a hot cup of coffee? Incorporate your meditation into the time you spend with your favorite mug in your favorite spot of the house. You get the idea! Find an activity you enjoy and that you do often (or would like to do frequently) and do in conjunction with meditation. The only rule is that the activity should not distract from your time with the Lord!

Tip 4

Find a brother or sister in Christ who can hold you accountable. They do not need to meditate at the same time as you. They just need to know what your intent is so they can help encourage you and follow up. Best case scenario: your accountability partner will also be interested in this practice and you can hold one another accountable!

Tip 5

Choose a bible translation that you can easily understand, but be mindful that not all translations are created equally. Some versions are truer to the actual inspired Word of God than others. Personally, I alternate between the New International Version (NIV) and the English Standard Version (ESV). Both are in plain language and are widely used in bible-teaching churches. Alternatively, if some verses still stump you or you are new to reading the Bible, The Message by Eugene Peterson might be a great option for you: it reads just like a story!

Tip 6

Download a bible app such a You Version or access one such as Bible Gateway in your web browser. This will allow you to effortlessly switch between translations when needed for extra insight. No need to keep multiple translations around the house unless you want to!

Tip 7

Since it can still be helpful having a hard copy of the Bible around, consider one with room in the margins to write and/or one with footnotes. The Life Application Bible (available in different translations) has some very helpful footnotes which can help you glean more from the text. The best way to pick one out, in my opinion, is to devote some time flipping through the pages of different versions at your local bookstore. Are you comfortable with the font size? Weight? Do the extra content offerings hold any utility for you? Do you prefer having some pictures and photos? Having a Bible in a version and translation that you are comfortable reading will surely enhance your meditation practice.

Tip 8

After you meditate several times, you may find yourself particularly gravitating to a specific part of the practice. Push into that inclination and spend some time there. This will make the practice that much more enjoyable as you establish a habit since you are spending time doing an activity you naturally enjoy!

There you have it! Eight ideas which can be acted on as soon as today! I’m sure you may have some thoughts of your own how to better incorporate biblical meditation into your everyday lives.

Now, although these tips were created with biblical meditation in mind, feel free to generalize them to any activity at all which will bring you into the Lord’s presence more regularly. Desire more prayer time? Want time for listening to devotions…or a podcast…hint hint ;)? Yearn for more time in scripture? Any of the above tips can be applied to each of these scenarios as well!

I firmly believe that each person is EXACTLY where they are meant to be in their walk with the Lord. Wherever that is for you, try using these suggestions to get one step closer…with the help of the Holy Spirit of course!

Pray:

Farther God, thank you for allowing me to live in such a time when your Word is so incredibly accessible! I know I have no excuse for not spending time with you each week or, better yet, each day. Your Word is there…on bookshelves…in apps…on the internet! I can waste so much time doing things that don’t really matter of such little consequence. Stir a hunger and thirst in my heart so that I seek to replace those times of empty solace with you and you alone. You are so worthy of my praise and adoration! Thank you for not giving up on me and still pursuing me. I am humbled, grateful, and truly yearn to spend time more wisely in your presence.

In Jesus’ Holy & Precious Name,

Amen

How to Meditate Biblically in 6 Simple Steps (Part 2 of 3)

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Last week, a general overview of biblical meditation was provided. This week, we are going to go a little deeper and explore a simplified version of a specific method of meditation. Next week I’ll provide some practical tips on how you can make margin for everything you’ve learned over the last two weeks.

The method I’m sharing with you actually sounds more complex than it is, but only because the name is in Latin. It essentially means “Divine Reading”, and it has been around since the 6th century!

There are 6 basic parts to this version of the Lectio Divina: Silence, Read, Meditate, Prayer, Contemplation and Live it Out. There….not so scary, right?!

I really appreciate how the C.S. Lewis Institute‘s modified form of Lectio Divina can help us absorb the important teachings of a particular text. Here are the core components as the C.S. Lewis Institute describes them:

Step 1: Silence

Take time to be silent: prepare to communicate with God as He expresses Himself to you in the passage of Scripture you have chosen. After a period of quiet, ask God’s help as you enter this session of meditative prayer.

Step 2: Read

Read a short passage of Scripture aloud several times slowly. Allow its words and meanings to sink into your soul.

Step 3: Meditate

Meditation is like chewing. It is slow and thorough. (We learned this last week.) Write notes about what you see in this passage. Make connections between the various sections. Ask yourself, “What do these words from God say?” “What do they mean?” Place who you are and what you do next to this passage and ask God to examine you. Continue to write your findings.

Step 4: Prayer

Pray using the passage as an outline for your prayer. Read the passage phrase-by-phrase, responding to God after each phrase or verse.

Step 5: Contemplation

Wait in stillness once more. Ask that God bring to your mind any areas of your life that you need to shape more closely to His design as revealed in this passage. Contemplate God’s love and power as it is revealed here.

Step 6: Live It Out

What precisely ought you to be believing, thinking, and doing as a result of this passage? Make notes about how you hope to bring these words from Jesus into your current practice.

While it may be unrealistic to incorporate all six steps each time you sit down to read Scripture, call to mind Timothy Keller’s description of meditation from last week as being “not quite bible study and not quite prayer, but a bridge between the two. Therefore, there is a place for meditation just as much as there is a place for reading and prayer. That said, the first will greatly enrich the second and third actions when you have time to do so.

Also, since meditation methods aren’t necessarily “prescribed” in the bible, you should feel free to go wherever you feel led to while practicing this or any other method. I know you may be tempted to “get it right”, but I promise that the Lord does not want time with Him to cause undue stress. If the Spirit is leading, and you are following, you can never be wrong!

As I mentioned, next week I will offer some tips on how to incorporate this Divine Reading, or any other biblical meditation, into already full schedules. It is totally possible! The tips aren’t some set of bullets I found on the internet, but are actual real pieces of advice from my own journey and experience. In the meantime, attempt to complete these 6 steps, or as many as you can, at least once between now and when you read next week’s post. See how you do! I’d love to hear about it in the comments!

Pray:

Father God, I know I can and should spend more time in your presence. Help me find one hour this week that I can dedicate only to you. I want to use this time to get deeper into your Word, more so than I usually do. This is especially important as the hustle and bustle of holidays draws nearer. I can get so easily distracted at this time of year. The last thing I want to to be too busy for you. You’re the reason we have this busy time of year to begin with! Just one hour. That’s all I ask today. Help me find it in my schedule or clear something unexpectedly from my plans so I may use that hour just for you. Thank you!

In Jesus’ Holy & Precious Name,

Amen.

12 Verses to Give Thanks & How to Meditate on Them Biblically (Part 1 of 3)

In light of tomorrow being Thanksgiving, I thought I would share some Bible verses you can meditate on that highlight giving thanks to our God. However, before I do, I want to explain what it means to meditate biblically. 

Instead of reinventing the wheel here, I’m going to draw on what some of my favorite pastors and theologians have to say on the subject of biblical meditation. The latter is a bit different than what is traditionally considered to be Eastern meditation, or what you might do during a yoga practice.

I personally love turning to Timothy Keller on matters of Christian beliefs and practices.  He is a pastor in New York and has authored several of the books most dear to my heart.  Keller defines Christian meditation as:

‘Not quite Bible Study and not quite prayer, but a bridge between the two’…If prayer is to be a true conversation with God, it must be regularly preceded by listening to God’s voice through meditation on the Scripture…Meditation then, is a kind of super listening in, a close reading (after the first one) that sits with the text long enough to have not just penetrating insights but a shift in our inner being, in our hearts.  

When meditating biblically, it is asking yourself, ‘How would I be different if I took this theological truth seriously? How would it change my attitudes and actions if I really believed this from the bottom of my heart?’

Timothy Keller

While prescribed meditation techniques exist, if you are incorporating the above aspects into your reading of Scripture, you are very much meditating.  

Before wrapping up this general overview of biblical meditation, here is a beautiful illustration from a seventeenth-century church leader, Thomas Brooks:

Remember that it is not hasty reading but serious meditation on holy and heavenly truths, that makes them prove sweet and profitable to the soul. It is not the mere touching of the flower by the bee that gathers honey, but her abiding for a time on the flower that draws out the sweet. It is not he that reads most but he that meditates most that will prove to be the choicest, sweetest, wisest and strongest Christian.

Thomas Brooks

Now, keeping the above in mind, find a quiet place and set aside enough time to meditate on at least 2 or 3 verses that really speak to you from the 12 verses below.  Since any time spent in God’s word is worthwhile, you’re invited to meditate on any other verses you feel led to as well. 

1

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”

Colossians 3:15

2

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Colossians 3:17

3

Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.

Colossians 4:2

4

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

5

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Philippians 4:6

6

I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 9:1

7

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

Psalm 28:7

8

I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving.

Psalm 69:30

9

Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

Psalm 95:1-3

10

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Psalm 100:4

11

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Psalm 107:1 & 1 Chronicles 16:34

12

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Psalm 150:6

To be sure, Scriptures are filled to the brim with verses on giving thanks and adoring our God.  The Psalms are especially good for reading up on praising the Lord.  If you have a long weekend for Thanksgiving, try spending some time in them as well, as you meditate.  If you open up to anywhere even remotely near the middle of your Bible you will open up to Psalms every time!

Next week we will do a deeper dive into biblical meditation. I will be sharing a simplified version of a millennium’s-old method you may wish to incorporate into your prayer life.

As always, thank you for choosing to spend your time here!  From my family to yours, have a very Happy Thanksgiving and happy meditating! 

7 Truths for Enduring Unrelenting Trials

Have you ever felt so hopeless in a situation that you wondered when or if relief would ever come?

I’d like to share about a time when I fell to my knees in despair and wept out for the redeeming power of God’s hand.  God gave me the very words to cry out to Him with, tenderly received my anguished plea, and responded with more grace than I could have ever fathomed. 

My prayer was prompted by a biblical narrative found in Daniel: 3.  The general gist of the story goes like this:  Three men refused to bow down and worship a king.  The king was none too happy about this public display of defiance.  As such, the three men were to be thrown into a fiery furnace as punishment.  They declared that their God was powerful enough to save them from the fire, but even if He didn’t, they still would not worship the king since their God alone was good and worthy of their praise. 

Several years ago, within a very short timeframe, I kept on hearing this story again and again. Sometimes it popped up in my morning devotions.  Other times it was mentioned in a podcast or sermon.  There was even a graphic tee with the words “Even If” printed across the front that kept on popping up in my facebook newsfeed.

Concurrently, during this same season, I was feeling utterly defeated. I was playing a hand I had never asked to be dealt, and I just wanted to fold. I felt even less than hopeless. Days were like dark nights, and both felt too long.  Nonetheless, I clung to my Bible like never before. 

What was God trying to tell me? Clearly, the Holy Spirit was trying to get my attention by emphasizing the same message so repeatedly.  There was a link between my struggle and these few verses, but what was it? 

In sheer despondency, long after the kids went to bed one night, I collapsed to my knees next to our fireplace. The fire set the dark living room aglow with its dancing flames. Yet again, I was reminded of the fiery furnace. I implored God to reveal whatever was in this story that I needed to understand.

Immediately, the clarity I sought after came. The words I needed to pray also came all at once, and I fervently meant every one of them.  I professed three intermingling ideas that miraculous night:

  • I trusted Him with my situation and how it would unfold, even though it was likely going to get even worse before it got better, and I had no idea what any of that meant for my family.
  • If it was God’s will to change my circumstances, I would need His strength to endure the trial that would be my testimony.
  • God alone had the power to change the circumstances AND He would still be worthy of my praise, even if the redeeming work I was so anxious for didn’t actually happen on this side of heaven.

Even if.  Three syllables.  Two words written two thousand years ago, and just as relevant today as they were back then. 

I now know that on that very night he was already putting events into motion which would ultimately lead to that prayer being  answered less than a month later. It did get worse before it got better, and I did receive the strength I prayed for to get through it.   

Although that was one of my last prayers in that season of life, it was not my by any means first. I prayed to be delivered from the turmoil I was in HUNDREDS of times and over several years leading up to that point.     

Here are 7 Lessons from during this time of suffering, waiting and redemption:

1

The prayers up until my “Even If” prayer were not wasted.  Each whispered request cultivated an ongoing relationship with God, turning to Him every single time the thorn in my side was too much to withstand.

2

I would have been unable to grasp the severity of His awesome power and my ultimate dependence on Him if the first feeble attempts at praying my reality away were immediately answered.

3

He alone has the sovereign power to save. Even if He does not do so, we must recognize that our understanding of any given situation is affected by a bounded rationality of what we perceive to be possible.

4

He is working all things together in ways we can’t even begin to grasp. His character is consistently good through all of it. He alone is worthy of praise, even if petitions may seem to go unanswered.  

5

We never know when the offered prayer will be the last one needed of its kind.  Until then, we are being refined and investing in a relationship with our God. Such time is never wasted!

6

Any trial is only temporary.  The battle has already been won on the cross.  God doesn’t have to win again.  The evils of this world have been defeated.  We can know that whether on this side of heaven or not, one day we will have neither pain nor suffering. 

7

We are not alone.  Not on nights we pray on our knees and not the hundreds of times we prayed before that.  There is another in the fire, right there with us the entire time.

Pray:

Father God, There is nowhere else I’d rather be than in your protective care, in the middle of your will.  Thank you for knowing what’s on my heart when I’m too exhausted to even speak the words. Even if you do not remove the burdens of the day, I still love you and praise you because of who you are.  Let me have patience as I wait for deliverance in your perfect timing.

In Jesus’ Holy and Precious Name,

Amen.