Am I a Jonah?

Jonah was given the gift of prophesy.  "The word of the LORD came to Jonah" (Jonah 1:1).  He was quite happy using his gift as long as he could utilize it where he wanted to.  As soon as God asked him to go to a different place (Ninevah) and a different people, he ran from God.

How many of us are like Jonah, at least for a time?  I loved my ladies' Sunday School class.  I loved teaching them.  I loved what I was doing, but God drew me away from there.  I was very comfortable sharing what God had taught me.  The fact is, I was very attached to my class.   For a time, I think I was very much like Jonah - I ran from God's calling.

God was calling me out of my comfort zone.  I love teaching women, but I wondered how will the couples' class respond to my teaching?  I didn't have to spend three days and nights in the tummy of a big fish, but I wonder if God had that ole fish ready for me.

Our gifts are from God.  "Each man has his own gift from God; one has this gift, another has that." (1 Corinthians 7:7)  They are to be used where and when He chooses and will often be out of our comfort zone.  We must surrender to God's call and then trust Him to provide,  Don't be a Jonah!

Why Forgive?

Why should I forgive?  They really do not deserve it, do they?  They haven't asked for forgiveness or even admitted they hurt me or wronged me, so why should I forgive?  The answer is, because Jesus did.  "Jesus said, 'Father, forgive them, for they know not what they are doing'." (Luke 23:34)

If we truly want to experience freedom in our lives, we must forgive.  Some of us need motivation to live out some of God's command.  Here is the motivation - "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sin." (Mark 11:25)

Forgiving others, especially those who do not deserve it, cleanses us from within.  Great freedom comes from allowing God to heal the hurt and help us forgive the one who caused the hurt.  Forgiveness brings release from negative emotions and the root of bitterness will find no place to grow.

Is it your desire to be more Christ-like?  When we forgive the undeserving, we may look more like Jesus than at any other time in our lives.  Ask God to help you forgive the underserving (aren't we all) and then experience the freeedom He gives.

Remember When

At our recent class reunion, there were a lot of conversations that began with "Remember when . . . . . ."  These words can be made in the form of a statement or a question.  How great to remember all the fun times we had together and to be reminded of some we had forgotten!

The Bible uses the word remember numerous times throughout Scripture.  Many times God is telling us to remember what He has done in our lives in the past.  "Remember the wonders He has done, His miracles and the judgments He pronounced." (1 Chronicles 16:12)  It is beneficial for us to remember what God has done in our lives through the years, so we can see His faithfullness.

Sometimes God wants us to remember something we did that was not pleasing to Him so we won't repeat the behavior.  God does not want us to remember something from our past to put us on a guilt trip but to keep us from taking the same trip again.  In Ezekiel 16, the Lord said  His people had broken His covenant, but He would remember His covenant (v. 60).  In verse 63, He told His people that they would "remember and be ashamed."  We need to remember bad behavior (be ashamed) and never repeat the behavior.

While it is fun to remember our high school years and reminisce with friends, it is of much greater importance to remember what God has done in our lives.  Remember your day of salvation.  Remember His faithfulness and provision in your life.  Take a trip down memory lane and praise Him for His faithfulness..

How Are You Feeling?

How are you feeling about your life?  Did you know that how you feel starts in your mind?  "If we don't start thinking differently, we will never feel differently." (Beth Moore, When Godly People Do Ungodly Things, page 71) 

Philippians 4:8 tells us "Whatever is true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report, . . . . . . think on these things."  Be careful what and how you think.  It will change how you feel.

In Mark 12:28, a teacher of the law asked Jesus which commandment was the most important.  Jesus answered, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind." (Mark 12:30)  It all starts in our minds.

Loving Jesus with all our minds will change how we think and how we think will eventually change how we feel.  Take a little inventory of your thought life.  What are you spending most of your time thinking about?  Is it true, honest, just, pure, etc.?

Let's change how we think by loving God with all our hearts, souls and minds and saturating ourselves with God's Word.  We will feel much better than when our thoughts are more focused on self.

Be a Little Kinder

A few days ago in my Quiet Time, a sentence jumped out at me.  "Today, be a little kinder than necessary to family members, friends, and total strangers." (365 Devotionals From Psalms for Women, page 169)

"Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32)

God has called us as believers to be different.  What if today - this week - we tried to be a little kinder than is necessary to everyone with whom we interact?  I think people would notice and wonder why.  It is easy to be kind to those who are kind to us, but not so easy to those who are unkind.

Let the love of Jesus overflow from your heart to others.  Be a little kinder than is necessary and everyone will be blessed - most of all you!

My Deliverer, the LORD

In Psalm 18, God had delivered David from his enemies - Saul being one of the chief persecutors and pursuers of harm to David.  David's response to God's deliverance was thankfulness.  He recognized the fact that it was the LORD who delivered him.  "I love You, O LORD, my strength.  The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer, my God is my rock in whom I take refuge.  He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold." (Psalm 18:1-2)  Notice David's use of the personal pronoun my.

Many times difficulties in our lives draw us closer to God.  We realize we can't handle the big things without Him.  (In reality, we can't handle the small things either.)  Our response should be one of praise and thankfulness when we realize God is our strength, rock, fortress, deliverer, shield, stronghold, salvation and much, much more.  He truly is All-Sufficient.  Let's depend on Him for deliverance and strength.  Let's make Him our refuge and be grateful.  God is a very personal God.  He is my God, my deliverer.  If you are His child, He is your God and your deliverer.

Delight Yourself in the Lord

"Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart." (Psalm 37:4)  I love this verse!  Think about what it means to delight in something.  When we delight in something, it gives us great pleasure, joy and satisfaction.  I delight in my family, my friends, a delicious meal, completion of a project or task, a clean house, weeded flower beds, etc., etc.

Do I delight in the Lord?  Yes!  Maybe not as consistently as I should, but yes, I do delight in Him.  When you delight in Him, He gives you a promise - "He will give you the desires of your heart."  What a great promise!  The crux (heart, truth) of this verse is when we truly delight in Him, our desires change.  His desires become what we desire.  It is not about getting what we want.  It is about the changing of our hearts and minds to align with His.  When we delight in Him, we have right/righteous desires.

"Delight yourself in the Lord,." and watch your desires change.

Serving Him,
Kay Martin