Tag: creator

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Enjoying Life’s Possibilities

krisshetter

It’s been a great adventure studying Ecclesiastes with you! I hope you have enjoyed it — please share the series with your friends or catch up on what you missed. Click here for all of the Enjoy Life: from Meaningless to Meaningful posts!

I’m going to be completely honest with you, my friend.  Today’s post was to be what the British call “a bit of a fob off.”  You see, I had always planned to write the last look at Ecclesiastes after I returned from a 10 day trip to see my daughter and grandkids.  With a five month old infant and a two-year old who is obsessed with every sport, it’s now too difficult to continue writing when I visit and take care of them for eight hours.  Let’s just say this 59-year old grandma (Guga as I’m affectionately called) passes out from exhaustion about 8:30pm each night after a day of bottles, diapers, up and down the stairs, laundry, baseball, football, golf, hockey, and little bits of quiet snuggling in between.  I love every single bit of it.

So here I was back home ready to jump in to the wise words of King Solomon.  And I started feeling ill.  After just a few days home I became so delirious and short of breath that I caused myself a full blown panic attack one night thinking I was dying.  My husband managed to get me to the doctor where I tested positive for Influenza.  I can’t remember the last time I had the actual flu.  A flu that then turned into pneumonia — which is why I didn’t seem to be getting better. My hopes of feeling up to writing even a few lines were put way, way back on the burner.

But through the blessings of the Lord, I was put on new medications just yesterday.  I now have a veritable neighborhood pharmacy on my counter.  And although walking from one room to the next still seems a bit like I’ve tried tackling the 213.7 mile John Muir Trail with my friend Betsy, I can feel my body recovering.  So instead of “fobbing off” and writing a placeholder, here I am through God’s providence, jumping into wisdom and life and the wonderful meaning of it all.

However, many years anyone may live, let them enjoy them all. But let them remember the days of darkness,for there will be many. Ecclesiastes 11:8

You see, even in my darkest moments when I was really sick I was remembering some important things about this life.  That I don’t know how it all works but God does.  Ecclesiastes 1 reminded us that although we are made in God’s image, He still is the ultimate creator and has more power and knowledge than we can ever hope to amass.

Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”? It was here already, long ago; it was here before our time.  Ecclesiastes 1:10

I also allowed myself to ask why God doesn’t fix things immediately at my whim or even pleading?  Which, of course, reminded me of the famous Ecclesiastes 3 scripture:

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens … a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, 3  a time to kill and a time to heal, Ecclesiastes 3: 1 & 2-3

After my 4am panic attack and my husband had calmed my breathing, I laid back in bed thinking, “Is this what it will be like in the end?  At my final moments?  Worried and panicked?  Clawing to hold on to one more day of this life?”  

When we looked at Ecclesiastes 9, we ran head first into the only truth no one can deny, no matter how hard they try.  “The same destiny overtakes us all.” (vs 3).  And yet we cling so hard and forget about the other truth the people of this world want to deny – we have hope for those who believe.  We have an eternal place where God has a plan for justice.  Where He has brought every single one of our loved ones, who also believe, to live with us forever and ever.  Nothing left behind but sin and strife and pain and death.

My friends, if we accept that death is our future and as Solomon told us in verse 9:12, “No one knows when their hour will come,” we must take all that he says in wisdom in his last chapters 11 and 12 to heart.

As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things. 6 Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let your hands not be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well. Ecclesiastes 11:5-6

It’s a message repeated throughout the New Testament.  Know God, love God, trust God, obey God.  We are not God and we can only know what is happening this very moment (and we can barely remember what happened yesterday!)  

There’s a trend on Instagram where very talented photographers stop every day looking strangers on the street and ask to take their picture.  The people (usually women) tell the photographer all the reasons why they are not worthy of having a photo taken of them.  One adult woman with fairly new braces said she would start smiling once her braces came off.  In what — two or three years?  And yet her braces-filled pictures were gorgeous! 

Are you waiting to smile until something better happens in your life?  Until the right person comes along?  The right job?  The right bank account?  That “happiness” seeking roller coaster that Solomon warned us about in Ecclesiastes 6.  It’s a joy killer.  It may look like seeking meaning but it all becomes so meaningless.

Follow the ways of your heart and whatever your eyes see, but know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment. 10 So then, banish anxiety from your heart and cast off the troubles of your body, Ecclesiastes 11:9-10

Solomon tells us, “go!”  Try that new hobby or skill.  Actively seek out new friendships and opportunities.  Tell your friend or family member how much God loves them – today.  Stop waiting until you get to the point where there’s no longer time, but also remembering all along who you belong to – our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Not hedonism as we looked at chapter 10 and the Right Side of Life.  That’s meaningless folly.  True joy, true enjoyment comes from knowing and listening to the Lord and stepping onto the narrow path.

I read a quote recently that went something like this:

Trusting God is like being married to adventure but if you are looking for an excuse, you will find one.”

In other words, if you truly trust in the Lord for His love and provision.  If you truly believe you are a beloved and beautiful daughter or son of God then He wants you to enjoy this short life He’s given you on this little blue planet.  

This ancient book of wisdom on the surface seems like the last place to go to for this inspiration.  I mean reminding us from beginning to end we will all die…a real party conversation killer.  But sprinkled throughout this truth are the six reminders to “Enjoy Life.”  Enjoy life while fearing the Lord and keeping His commands (Ecc 12:13).  King Solomon did a bit too much of the first and forgot the second until towards the end of his life.  He’s pleading with you hear his God-given words now.

I read this article by editor and founder Joanna Gaines in my most recent copy of Magnolia magazine.  I realized it was a great way to end this series studying Ecclesiastes and the meaning of life.  Especially for those of you who struggle with life’s changes, the good and the frequently not so good.  We may want to retreat, go back to the old.  We pray for God to remove the struggle and the pain.  And it might get us stuck.  Stuck in bad habits and bad relationships.  Stuck in not believing the God who created the heavens and the earth also has a plan and blessings waiting for you.  Stuck in the lie that your personal cycle of life will just keep plugging away, never changing and never ending.  Which keeps us far from the concept of joy and enjoyment.  Listen to this excerpt from Mrs. Gaines’ essay titled, “Space to See Possibility” (spring 2024).

When life swung, for the first time I didn’t hold my breath.  I stood tall.  I looked around.  I worried less what was changing now and instead looked forward to what it could give way to the next.  I asked myself, “What beautiful thing can come from this?  What did I learn that can carry me forward?  And I came to realize that it’s the aftermath that’s the most formative.  It was how we landed, how we let what was different be its own kind of beautiful.  It was how we reset, changed course, and believed in the goodness to come.”

As my head has started to clear from my illnesses – my dizziness is dissipating and my vision is clearing – I look back over how often I sought the Lord.  How often I thanked Him for seemingly endless boxes of Kleenex, soft sheets, a comfortable bed, doctors, pharmacists, drug inventors and scientists, friends, clean water, my husband and daughters, and more.  I pleaded but I didn’t know if I would be healed or when. I felt terrible yet, still I knew my life is good.  A life to enjoy even in the least enjoyable moments.  Because that’s what our faith gives us.  Head scratching, oppositeness from the world.  A life of meaning.

My friend, I hold out my hand to you asking you to join me on this great adventure called Jehovah, God, Jesus, Elohim, Holy Spirit.  Ask Him today, “What’s next?” and go enjoy.

Bible, bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian men, christian parenting, Christian women, Faith, god, Jesus, Jesus Follower, prayer, proverbs, religion, Transformation Prayer, Uncategorized, wisdom

Enjoying A Wisdom-Filled Life Part Two

krisshetter

Did you miss part one? Click here!

I knew the mistake as soon as I made it.  But it was too late.  I gave my consent and the ball began to roll.  I knew the mistake I had made because for the last few years I’d heard the advice I disregarded over and over in my church home group.  Ask God first.  Not during, not after, but first.  And here I was doing the exact opposite of that good advice.  I kicked myself for still being what is called a “baby Christian.”  Knowing the Word and knowing the wisdom dispensed therein but not living it out. 

I’ve mentioned this unwise situation in which I placed myself in past posts.  However, when I was pondering the “most unwise decision I ever made” this kept coming to mind.  Mostly because of the pain and suffering it caused me and my family, even to this day.  

You see, about 11 years ago, I begrudgingly agreed to be my kids’ elementary school PTA president.  For a year prior, I told the PTA board I would not be president.  It wasn’t my lack of ability that held me back because I knew I could do the job.  No, instead I warned the board that they weren’t ready for my leadership style.  Big changes were ahead for the school which meant big changes for the parent-teacher association.  We would need to adapt and change in ways I knew would make people very uncomfortable. 

At the time my Christian faith consisted of going to church occasionally, hosting a home group, and not much else.  I wasn’t closely tethered to the Lord.  I hadn’t gained the wisdom necessary to handle political and interpersonal conflict graciously and with self-control.  On the other hand, I was organized, comfortable with leading, and skilled at creative solutions.  I knew how to get things done.

As that year wound down and the nominating committee kept pestering me, I found myself resigned to being the only one willing to step into the role of president.  So, late one evening I heard my voice telling a person over the phone, “Yes.”  As soon as I hung up, I realized I hadn’t sought out the one opinion I needed most, God’s.

For the next two years my family’s life was filled with endless meetings, long phone calls, strife, and an absent mother.  When I wasn’t physically occupied with the details of this volunteer job, I was absent mentally.  At home, I cried frequently and raged about problem parents.  I’m sure there were some good times sprinkled in between.  But those memories have been squeezed out.

It’s not that I believe that had I prayed, the Lord would have told me “no.”  It’s that if I had gotten a “yes” after praying it would have put a completely different spin on the entire experience.  Had I taken all that wise advice I would have kept close to the Lord those two years and been at peace, even during times of trouble.

"Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way." Ecclesiastes 8:5

It’s one thing to seek wisdom, as we saw in the last post, but it’s another to actually use that wisdom every day in our lives.  What would it look like in your life to heed the advice of say a Christian whom you trust?  The advice of your pastor?  The advice given in your Bible study or devotional?  The advice spread throughout the Bible?

"Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. 5And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' graves, that I may rebuild it.” Nehemiah 2:4-5

Nehemiah was desperate to see to the rebuilding of the second temple.  A noble venture for sure.  Just like me stepping up to lead our PTA.  But, he also knew if he went behind the king’s back there would surely be trouble.  You can see tucked in the verse the most important step he took – “So I prayed to the God of the heavens.”  And the right words came out of his mouth to the king.

Some sources suggest that the average person makes an eye-popping 35,000 choices per day. Assuming that most people spend around seven hours per day sleeping and thus blissfully choice-free, that makes roughly 2,000 decisions per hour or one decision every two seconds. 

 Eva M. Krockow Ph.D., Psychology Today

Is it possible to ask God to impart His wisdom for each and every one of those seemingly small decisions? Maybe not, but we can wake each day and ask Him to direct our steps through the Holy Spirit.  He gives us that nudge, that convicting tap on our shoulder, that encouragement throughout our day.

Too often, however, when we seek to make decisions about life, we seek only knowledge.  And knowledge is not wisdom.  Knowledge is data, facts, numbers.  Wisdom is experience and life.  

“Our knowledge is a receding mirage in an expanding desert of ignorance.”

Historian Will Durant, Store of Civilization

One thing I always admired about the disciples is how many questions they asked Jesus.  Although Peter seemed to rely on his own knowledge so often, we get to see him use not only his experiential wisdom and the wisdom imparted by Jesus as he grew more and more faithful.  From Peter thinking he needed to defend Jesus in the garden by attacking the soldier, to denying his association to Jesus, he reflected us all.  We know better than the Almighty God.  We know how best to defend ourselves, how to protect ourselves.  When it all fails, we become destitute and hopefully turn to the Lord.

How many times have you found yourself spiritually or emotionally destitute because you didn’t heed good advice or even seek it?   Wouldn’t it be nice to turn to God first?  To hear the Holy Spirit whisper to us and heed the good advice? 

“For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter,
    though a person may be weighed down by misery.

7 Since no one knows the future,
    who can tell someone else what is to come? Ecclesiastes 8:6-7

Experiential wisdom is gained in its proper time and procedure.  Which is why we all should be leery when people say a young person has an “old soul.”  An “old soul” is one that has been on the battlefield of life and has come out with a few scars.  

I started paying attention to my own prayer life and the results thereof.  I went from praying after a decision for God to help it not be a bad one (like running the PTA) to praying in the midst of the process.  Finally, I’ve stopped myself so many times lately and said, “I need to pray first.”  It might be a quick prayer about something seemingly insignificant.  Or it might be a few days, seeking God’s counsel.  And surprisingly, this whole wisdom seeking works pretty good. I can now enjoy my decisions.

Friend, let’s be honest, we can never know all the “right answers.”  If we wait until we have them all you will never take any forward steps.  For some, that keeps them from putting their trust in God.  Because they haven’t gotten all the answers cleared up about the mysteries.  We have to be ok with trusting that God is the Almighty Creator and He hasn’t imparted us with all the facts He has about life.  We have to be ok with asking Him for help and being satisfied with what He gives us.

“.. then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out.” Ecclesiastes 8:17

Being ok with not knowing everything but acting wisely is not ignorance as some might accuse the Christian.  We can and should rest peacefully in knowing what we need to know.  And living our lives out with wisdom, peace, joy and goodness the information we do know — That God is a god who loves us and teaches us and will never leave us.  He is a god who seeks us and wants us to live forever in His Holy Kingdom!  

“Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with  those who fear God, because they fear before him.  13But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.” Ecclesiastes 8:12-13

When we first, seek God, then seek His wisdom for our life, and finally live out that wisdom each and every day “it will be well.”  We can watch and be at peace when the unwise, godless people around us make bad or even evil decisions.  We pray for them that they would know God, who can give them a new life.  

We all need wise people around us who fear the Lord first.  We all need to use their wisdom and our experiential wisdom each day so we can enjoy our life especially in times of trouble.  Let’s start by placing God as our most Holy Rabbi front and center. 

Bible, bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian men, christian parenting, Christian women, Faith, god, Jesus, Jesus Follower, prayer, proverbs, religion, Transformation Prayer, Uncategorized, wisdom

Enjoying the “Enough” Life Part Two

krisshetter

Did you miss part one of Enjoying the Enough Life? Click here!

Enjoyment without God is merely entertainment.  

Warren Wiersbe

No one on this great blue planet is without sin.  Without sinful desires and thoughts.  Without sinful emotions.  So, if we seek contentment, or unconditional wholeness solely from within what do we find?  Our sinful selves just like I did when I embarked on my happiness journey a few years ago.  And we turn back to the unfulfilling emotion of fleeting happiness.

What guides a person to being truly joy-filled or content in every situation? How do we achieve that “unconditional wholeness” researcher Daniel Cordaro mentioned after visiting that Himalayan tribe?  It requires something outside us to guide us through the ups and downs, the trials and tribulations of life.  It’s easy to enjoy a new car.  But what about when it breaks down?  It takes no effort to enjoy the birthday party at the park you so expertly planned but what happens when it rains?  Does your happiness bucket completely empty and you turn into Attila the Hun, raging at others?  Or you weep and sulk feeling the cosmos hates you?

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13I can do all things through him who strengthens me."  Philippians 4: 11-13

That strength to endure a peasant life that Tolstoy witnessed, a life of labor and toil, a life of disappointments and tragedy, and yes, even a life full of wealth comes only from God.  (Ecc 5:19 & 6:2) Through the Holy Spirit who comes to dwell in us when we say, “Yes!” to Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  It’s the fountain from which we draw on every single moment of every day to guide us and strengthen us.  Because my friends, you cannot find wholeness without Him.

Deep-seated in the American mind, for example, is the disastrous idea that we should pursue happiness. But what is happiness? And what are the realities through which one could achieve it? And how, practically speaking, does one pursue happiness? One might pursue happiness on the carpe diem principle. But that can be understood in many ways. It could endorse a sensuality of the present moment or endorse devoting the present moment to improvement of one’s character, to serving others, or to serving God. Usually in our times, however, it is some form of sensuality. Our choice between these options will have profound implications for our efforts to become a genuinely good person and to live harmoniously with reality, with how things really are.

Dallas Willard

My Bible study ladies are currently studying Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount by Jen Wilkins.  In the first week we read and discovered the messages behind the first 12 verses, also known as the Beatitudes.  Jesus’ goal in this sermon was to re-define for the disciples what not only the Kingdom of Heaven looks like but what its citizens look like.  The first four beatitudes describe the character of its citizens:

  1. We Are Poor in Spirit: accepting we are weak and sinful in need of a strength outside ourselves
  2. We Are Mourners: we recognize our sinfulness and weep over it daily.  Asking God for forgiveness for each time we act, speak or think (even feel) in opposition to God’s will for us.
  3. We Are Meek: in modeling Jesus’ submission to the Father in going to the cross for humanity’s sins and therefore suffering a terrible death, we too seek humility and submission to God. 
  4. We Are Hungry and Thirsty: not for earthly glory, praise and wealth but for our hearts and minds to be daily cleansed.  We constantly seek His will for our life so that we can glorify Him.  We cast off our old selves and thirst for the new bodies and New Eden to come.

These citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven?  They will be abundant with fruit and content in all situations.  The fruits of love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, patience, self-control and faithfulness can be seen by all around them.  They spread that fruit and His Word throughout our families, communities and the world.  We achieve the ultimate peace in the face of persecution.  Peace with God.  Our friction between us is gone.  We are made whole because He breathes the Holy Spirit into us, making us one with Him.

"And I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one… 22 The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, 23I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me." John 17: 11 & 22-23

One with the Creator of all things seen and unseen – Elohim, Jehovah.  What more could a tiny, sinful human want for all eternity?  All other pales in comparison!  No self-help book without God can help you achieve such gloriously contented status. King Solomon discovered that our sinful toil without God is usually for our own gain and our appetite is never satisfied on our own (Ecc 6:7).

"The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”
    They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds;
    there is none who does good." Psalm 14:1-2

I once saw an interaction with a non-believer and a street preacher.  The young, unbelieving woman stated, “How can you say I won’t go to heaven (which as a non-believer why would she care?) when I’m a good person.  I’m better than most Christians.  I don’t lie, cheat or steal.”  Yet, as Jesus reminds us further in the Sermon on the Mount if you even let your heart yearn to do any of those things you are guilty.  And I would bet all that I have she has, in fact, actually lied.  She has probably stolen something – maybe someone’s dignity by gossiping about them.  And cheating?  She might have thought that little deed or breaking some municipal law wasn’t that “big of a deal” but it’s still cheating.  She is at odds with God, broken and not whole.

It is only through the gift of reconciliation for our sins, no matter their size, of which Jesus Christ paid for, that we can come upright before the God of the Universe.  Where we receive mercy and forgiveness so we don’t have to live in shame and hurt, grasping for pleasures to dull our pain.  No, instead He brushes us off and clothes us in white garments.  He brings us into His family and calls us His sons and daughters.  He pours out His love and gives a piece of Him to live in us so we can have that “unconditional wholeness.” He gifts us with “enough” each day so that we may be satisfied.

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."  James 1:2-4

We are made perfect and complete, meaning made whole, when we face life’s trials and rely on the God who gives us strength and hope.  We are honed and shaped into the image of the only being that walked this earth who was sinless and fully content — Jesus.

Friend, if you want to get off the roller coaster of seeking “happiness” and then being brought low by trials, look to our All Mighty God and His Son.  He is our provider, our protector, our armor, our joy, our hope.  He has never broken a promise and He never will.  He promises you a new life at the end of the rainbow – not a pot of gold.  And with that promise and hope we can live a contented, meaningful life of “enough” in a world of chaos.

Bible, bible study, Christian, Christian Church, christian encouragement, christian men, christian parenting, Christian women, Faith, god, Jesus, Jesus Follower, prayer, proverbs, religion, Transformation Prayer, Uncategorized, wisdom

Enjoying The Surrender

krisshetter

Part One of our look at Ecclesiastes Two

A friend of mine recently surrendered a bitter, past hurt over to the Lord.  She started with obedience, albeit reluctantly she admits.  The pain caused by her last church has been difficult to overcome.  She told me she’s been praying one of the best prayers you could ever pray: “Help me imitate Jesus.”  As part of a study about revival we’ve been doing she’s also spent a lot more time just listening for God’s Word.  Not asking, pleading, telling, or even praising.  Just listening.  And He has spoken.

You see my friend used to love teaching children the Word of God.  At her old church she was deeply involved in children’s ministry.  After a tumultuous pastor change and the subsequent wrangling for top dog positions within the church, a few staff members were laid off without warning.  She was one of them.  She had given her whole heart over to the ministry and felt betrayed.  It caused her to pronounce she would never work in children’s ministry again, ever.  

And then in January we opened Pastor Robby Gallaty’s study on revival titled, Revive Us.  He encouraged us to spend time with God starting with just five minutes of quiet time.  We soon worked our way up to 15, then 20 and finally 30 minutes.  Over the course of the next two months, we shared what God showed us.  A word here and there, a vision of being loved, a message of strength, a picture of His majesty.  

For my friend?  After praying yet again on how to imitate Jesus, she found herself in her quiet time with a vision of a beach scene.  A man teaching little children at the edge of the sea.  Love abounded from child to teacher and teacher to child.  The teacher turned and looked at her and smiled.  It was Jesus.  She was overcome with tears; real tears streaming down her face in realization that to imitate Jesus would be to do the one thing she had refused.  To do the one thing she knew God had gifted her.  To teach the children.

So, although she had obeyed the week prior and told her new church she would dip a toe in to Sunday school the next week by “observing” she said it with trepidation.  That vision, given to her the day before she was to serve, filled her with love and joy.  When she walked into the children’s ministry department the administrator was so happy to see her – they were short leaders in Kindergarten.  “Would she take on the class?” she was asked.  Without any hesitation my friend agreed.  You should have heard the joy in her voice when she told us how she was immediately loved by the children, how she danced and sang, how she was filled with the Holy Spirit.  How she was healed!

"I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my labor, and this was the reward for all my toil. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun. " Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

Juxtapose my friend’s experience at Sunday School with King Solomon in chapter 2.  The richest man in the world at the time.  He had everything at his fingertips.  He built palace after palace.  He made large parks and orchards.  He had plenty of female slaves to do his every (and I mean every) bidding.  He had singers, dancers, gold, silver, food, drink – all the delights of a man’s heart (Ecc 2:8).  And he was miserable.  He was seeking meaning and purpose.  He tried buying it and building it and owning it.

The abundant life is to be found in “treasuring up for God” rather than for self.”

Kenneth Bailey, Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes

What did my friend have?  A humble servant heart, slightly broken and needing mending.  She didn’t seek to enrich her life.  She asked to serve the One True God, Jesus Christ.  So, He gave her 10 little, beautiful faces that Sunday.  Little children who were eager to be her new friend and to mend her heart.

I read once that we should look at ourselves as channels not reservoirs of joy.  Meaning we don’t store up all the blessing for ourselves but rather send them on to others.  Pastor Gallaty reminded us of this truth.  Through intercessory prayer and acts of service we become those channels.

If revival coming to your family or community depended on your prayers, would it come?”  

Pastor Robby Gallaty

When our prayer life and subsequent actions serve only to enrich ourselves, we find our situation mirroring Solomon’s.  Striving and chasing wealth, status, knowledge and even wisdom – with God as a supplemental figure or not thought of at all, really.  When our seeking pleasure or even “peace” is above all else we miss the beautiful work of God He wants to do in our life.  

"A person can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in their own toil.  This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment? To the person who pleases him, God gives wisdom, knowledge and happiness, but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and storing up wealth to hand it over to the one who pleases God. " Ecclesiastes 2:24-26

My pastor recently asked us if we are committing our lives to God or surrendering them.  What’s the difference you might ask?  I’m glad you asked! Join me for my next post Enjoying the Surrender Part Two! Click here.

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Treasures of God

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"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them." Genesis 1:27

Hello Friends! I’m currently working on my next series based on the book of Ecclesiastes. The idea was born of my word of the year, Enjoy. Enjoying every moment by seeking the Lord in every circumstance, whether good times or times of trial. 

In the meantime, I’ve joined a church Bible study group which will focus on the names of God. And as usual, the Lord is intertwining all my various times of study and prayer. The first name we looked at was Elohim, God the Creator of all things seen and unseen. In my longtime Bible study group we are digging deep into how our sins block spiritual revival. And lastly, in my devotional I’m learning how to grow in wisdom. Putting all these together I was struck with the concept that I need to remember who I belong to, who I was created by, and what my purpose is here on this earth. When I confess that I’m not in charge, God is, and when I remember that I was created in the image of God to do His will and give Him all glory, honor and power, it opens me up to spiritual revival.

Friend, you are a beloved son or daughter of God. You were created by Him through your earthly family. And even if that family has failed you we need to remember we are loved so immensely. None of us were created to go about our lives willy nilly placing our hopes and dreams in the idols of this world. When we realize that our sole purpose is to honor God the Creator, God the Sovereign Lord, we re-align our minds and hearts with the Holy Spirit.

I want to encourage you to sit in prayer during the next few days and ask God to reveal any roadblocks you have put up for receiving and surrendering to Him fully. Ask Him to help you remember who you belong to. Ask Him for a revival in your heart. Ask Him to make His will be done in your life. 

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." Matthew 7:7-8

One of the women in my church study group is a poet. She shared her amazing poem yesterday about being His beloved children. She gave me permission to share it with all of you. Enjoy.

Treasures of God’s Heart

By Jill Becker



I know I’m Your child, Lord, but what does that mean?

What treasures await me that I have not seen?

Many You’ve shown me, so many I know,

Others I let slip from my thoughts long ago.

You tell me of great things that You want to do,

Yet at times I take paths that I’ve chosen, not You.



Lord, since I am but clay, and You’re the wise Potter,

How could it be that You made me Your daughter?

You could have formed me into what I deserve:

A warped and cracked pot not even worthy to serve.

But You set me before You, Your grace made me able,

To be part of Your family and feast at Your table.



You sent for me Jesus, my Savior and Brother,

Who demonstrated love for mankind like no other.

He gave us His life, all that was heavens to give,

Then He sent forth His Spirit, so within me He lives.

Great riches He left me, those fit for a Royal,

No longer a pauper left to struggle and toil.



Amazing to me is what You’ve given beyond measure,

And more awesome than all is that I bring You pleasure.

You tell me I’m precious, the love of Your life,

A jewel set in this dark world to sparkle with your Light.

Lord, I know all that’s needed is mine for the taking,

To care for this beloved child of your making.



So, I’ll open the treasure chest to see what’s inside,

It is filled with God’s Word so I’ll grow and abide.

There are gems of Your mercy, Your faithfulness and more,

My heart and my mind can’t contain what’s in store.

For when I asked what it means to be a Daughter of the King,

My Father answered in one word, “O child, EVERYTHING!”
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The God of Rest

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For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. Habakkuk 2:14

Last night I woke up around 12:30 a.m. That’s not unusual for me or apparently most of my friends. As we have gotten older, a complete night’s sleep seems elusive for us. But last night when I awoke it wasn’t a bathroom run that was needed. No, when I am in writing mode I find myself thinking on God almost 24/7 — not necessarily a bad thing. 

As a laid there contemplating various post themes my mind became a jumbled mess. So I decided to employ my “back to sleep” technique I began a few years ago. It’s based on the children’s song B.I.N.G.O. and Psalm 46:10 — Be still and know that I am God. It’s a meditative method to focus my mind. You first repeat the psalm’s line a few times until you visualize only those words. Then you begin the B.I.N.G.O. part which goes like this:

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still and know that I am.

Be still and know that I.

Be still and know that.

Be still and know.

Be still and.

Be still.

Be.

Repeat over and over picturing each word. Next thing you know it’s morning! But here’s what happened last night. As I began repeating this psalm a thought struck me. How is it that knowing God helps me to be still? What about Him brings peace to my mind, soul and heart? And wouldn’t you know, the Holy Spirit said, “Yes! You finally got what I’ve been trying to tell you!” (I love when He does that)

By knowing his name is also meant an experimental acquaintance with the attributes of God, which are everyone of them anchors to hold the soul from drifting in seasons of peril.

Charles Spurgeon on the attributes of God

Omnipotent God: Almighty, having unlimited authority and influence.

What I love about this God is He can move mountains. He can set the world back into order. He performs miracles the world couldn’t even imagine. God the King, the Lord of Lords – it’s who we press our faces to the ground in submission as we seek His grace and deliverance. It’s who we offer the only true gift we have, ourselves, as we approach His throne.

Omnipresent God: Present in all places at all times.

I know a number of people who feel God’s presence constantly.  One woman, in her early 80s, told me He is always with her, like a friend.  She talks with Him throughout her day. He guides her with gentle touches.  He comforts her.  He is never far from her because she sees Him all around her – in nature, in people, in animals and in the every day.  The wonderful thing about this God is He never forgets me.  I am never lost.  He always knows where I am because I am always with Him. 

Omniscient God: Possessed of universal and complete knowledge.

My friend Betsy trusts God completely.  That’s because she knows God has a plan.  She knows deep in her heart that all things do truly work for our good and somehow, someday her prayers will be answered.  This omniscient God is above our thoughts.  He knows what we truly need, even when we think we know better.  This is the God who sent His son to teach us His ways because He knew we needed someone who had a “human experience” yet was without blemish.  Jesus intimately knows man’s ways and God’s ways.  God knows the ultimate outcomes. 

Immutable God: Not subject or susceptible to change.

Our lives seem every changing. We age, our families grow, jobs come and go, our health can change in an instant. Governments flip and loyalties dissolve. But God never changes. He is the same loving Creator who made us in His image and planted us on this earth. He didn’t change when Jesus came. Jesus was the next step in God’s plan to bring us back into righteousness for our eternal home. He won’t abandon us or forget about us. While our faith may wax and wane, His never will. He is ever faithful.

Infallible God: Incapable of erring or failing.

God’s Holy Word — the Bible — is inerrant. It has no errors. If we humans think there is a mistake or a contradiction it’s because we’ve brought or own interpretation to the text. Knowing that God is infallible is important because when we think He’s made a mistake it should cause us to seek Him and talk with Him in prayer. It should make us question our own motives, feelings or ways. When I have looked in the mirror with self-hatred I’m reminded that God loves me and finds me beautiful — and He never lies. When He asks us to take an uncomfortable step out in faith we must remember He has His reasons for doing so.

There is no one in our lives that can match the ways of God. He is our faithful and trustworthy partner in life. He is the father we can rest our weary heads upon. He is the King to whom we give all glory and honor to because He is our protector and our victor. The knowledge of all that is God allows us to rest each day and night in peace.

Soli Deo Gloria. Amen

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Known Hearts

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“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
    and gave him the name that is above every name,
 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
    in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
    to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:9-11

Have you ever been singing a song and someone points out to you that you’ve been singing the wrong lyrics all along? In the rom-com, 27 Dresses, there’s a scene where the two main actors battle it out over the actual lyrics to the Elton John song, “Bennie & the Jets.” It’s a hilarious take on something we’ve all probably done while singing our hearts out in the shower.

Well, while out on my walk this morning enjoying the gloriously crisp and clear Southern California day I was listening to my Christian playlist. The song “All My Praise” by Ryan Ellis came on and as I sung along I misheard the beginning lyrics which go, “Hallelujah, Christ is risen. Now every heart has a way.” Instead, I sang “now every heart has a name.” For the next half hour that oops of a line sat on my mind as I composed my Soli Deo Gloria post for today. How it’s so true that because of Jesus coming to tell the Good News, to not just Jews but every gentile, every heart could know God and be known by God.

"I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” John 17:26

That scripture is just a part of Jesus’ prayer to His Father telling of His love for us. Asking God to continue in His care for us when he departs. Do you realize there is no other God, no other religion that has this beautifully unique relationship with its believers?

When the Trinity created the world and universe — with God speaking the plan, Jesus enacting it and the Holy Spirit providing His hovering supervision — God didn’t suddenly leave us to our own devices. That’s what deists believe. That God is not working daily, loving us moment by moment while we reside on His earthly creation. It’s not a new idea, in fact U.S. Founding Father Thomas Jefferson was a famous deist. But that’s not the Bible. And to be honest, it’s not lived out reality.

I’ve mentioned before that the Christian faith is based on real people and real, historically proven events. Jesus was a real person. Fully man and fully God. Although people may wonder how that could be possible it doesn’t take away the fact that Jesus, Himself, made that fact clear over and over. If a God can create a universe then I figure He can do anything.

You have searched me, Lord,
    and you know me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;
    you perceive my thoughts from afar.
3 You discern my going out and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.
4 Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.
5 You hem me in behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
    too lofty for me to attain.  Psalm 139:1-6

Not only does God, throughout scripture show His continually loving care for us, He expresses His desire for us to know him inside and out. In fact, the Bible itself is not about a “people” or even about us. It’s an autobiography about God. It’s His way of telling us His character, His eternal plan, and most of all how much He loves us. He wants us to know Him as much as He knows us. A truly staggering idea when it comes to the concept of God and gods.

God delights when His people truly know Him, love Him, and enjoy the blessings of His faithful love, justice, and righteousness.

Thomas A. Tarrants, President Emeritus, CS Lewis Institute

God is a relational being. He exists in a relational setting amongst the Trinity. He loves the Son and the Son loves Him. They love the Holy Spirit and He loves them back in perfect unity and harmony. How could God not be the same with us? How glorious is it to know that the Creator of all things seen and unseen wants to love and be loved by us!

"If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” John 14:7

My friends, we should delight and give thanks each and every day that we are known by a God who loves. A God who sent the Son to live and breathe, touch, feel, cry and laugh, suffer and celebrate just like us. A God who wanted us to have a tangible relationship to reach for when in need. A God who we can call our King, Savior and our friend.

May all Glory and Honor be our God and Creator. Amen

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Glory to God Alone

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"For God knows that when you eat from it (the tree of knowledge of good and evil) your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.  When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it." Genesis 3:5-6
Then they said, 'Come, let us build ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens so that we may make a name for ourselves." Genesis 11:4

At the beginning of creation God’s desire for us was to shower us with all his heavenly glory. To have the blessings poured out on us be unimaginable. He created the magnificently endless heavens. He built the bountiful seas. He breathed life into our diverse and plentiful land. There was no lacking and no pain. We had companionship with both another human made in God’s image and with the varied animals of the land and air. “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Gen 1: 28) He went on to describe a created world so glorious that would live under man’s stewardship. We would live without shame, without fear, without anxiety and depression, under the watchful wings of God’s love. For what more could we have asked?

The first ones were given another gift — that of free will. God didn’t created a people who couldn’t make choices. He told Adam and Eve to not eat off the tree of knowledge. Notice He didn’t take away their ability to do so. It was up to them to honor the One who had given them everything they would ever need. Instead they were led to believe they could be like God. It wasn’t enough to have God’s glory on them. They wanted to know glory for themselves.

Fast forward a few thousand years and we come to the plain of Shinar. The people were blessed with an increased population, which infers a certain amount of prosperity in being able to feed, clothe and shelter themselves. They spoke the same language and therefore could easily work together. Instead of looking to their Creator and giving Him all thanksgiving and glory what did they desire? To reach the heavens and make a name for themselves. And I have to ask, how many times a month, a week or even a day do we seek to glorify ourselves rather than God? How many times do we take credit for even just a little bit of the work we’ve done — even in God’s name? When, in fact, God provided the bricks and mortar. He provided the time and place. He gave you the ability, desire, strength and knowledge. I know I struggle with this each and every day.

“Whenever he began a new piece, Johann Sebastian Bach bowed his head and prayed. “Jesus, help me show your glory through the music I write. May it bring you joy even as it brings joy to your people.” Without Jesus’ help, Johann knew he’d never be able to complete the task. Before writing even one note, Johann carefully formed the letters J J at the top of the page. With that, the music began to pour from his soul and onto the page. When he was finally satisfied, he wrote the letters SDG at the bottom of the page – Soli Deo Gloria – For the Glory of God Alone. He hoped that when the music was played, it would point toward God.”

The Life and Faith of Johann Sebastian Bach: ‘Soli Deo Gloria’ (To the Glory of God Alone), Christianity.com

Bach apparently didn’t have this same problem that so many of us believers do. When faced with opposition to his music style he simply stated: “The main purpose of my music is to glorify God. Some people do this with music that is simple. I haven’t chosen to use a simple style, but my music comes from my heart as a humble offering to God. This honors God no matter what musical style I use.”

When I was tasked by God to start this Christian blog back in 2019, I had the frame of mind that this too would be Soli Deo Gloria. And if just one person were to read a post that brought them closer to Christ that was enough. My flesh, however, had other ideas. After about a year I found myself constantly checking the daily readership stats. Disappointed if the numbers were low or even at zero. I wrote a few series where I couldn’t feel His presence guiding me — not that the series were inappropriate or even non-biblical. They just weren’t led by the Spirit, but instead by me.

Earlier this year after the end of the Spirit-led study of the Fruit of the Spirit: Living a Full Christian Life, I listened intently for the God’s direction. And He was quiet. So I decided, instead of glorifying me through writing something on my own, I would be patient in prayer and thanksgiving.

The Lord continues to prune, change and reveal new things in my life, as He does in all believers. We can look at these times as painful and with anxiety or depression. Or we can find Him lovingly at work making us more like Him. This morning as I went out on my daily walk I turned on a podcast I regularly tune in to and its topic was Soli Deo Gloria. In God’s beautiful way, He also gifted me with a sermon yesterday on John 13:31-38 which begins: 

"When he (Judas) was gone, Jesus said, 'Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him.  If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in himself, and will glorify him at once." John 13:31-32

You see my friends, Jesus led a simple life. One whose only ambition was to glorify His Father. By loving others, even the “unloveable,” by teaching others about the Father, by living out the Law perfectly, and ultimately giving His life for us to save us from our sins, Jesus gave all glory to God. Each and every day. With each thought and action. Not one bit was held back.

The Lord has taught me along this sanctification journey to not give in to the idea of coincidence. But instead watch and listen for His Word to light my path. So today I took to the electronic “pen and paper” to being a new 30 day series: Soli Deo Gloria: To the Glory of God Alone. I have written a 30 Days of Glory to God series which had a bit different focus. This new series will be a personal journey each day to remind me and us to not hold anything back. To not even stand in the corner of the spotlight, rather to turn its full brightness on the One who deserves it all. Our Creator, our blessing pourer, our provider, our strength and our life source. And it seems fitting to begin this the month we look forward to celebrating the great act of love by God — sending His Son to live among us.

Lest we think God is in need of our praise, however, I remind you that He doesn’t. The Triune God is complete. Which should make us love and appreciate Him even more. He didn’t have to. He wanted to love us. He chose to create us and provide for us. He has promised to never leave or forsake us. Thank you, Almighty God. May all glory and honor be given to you.

Note: When I was first directed to start this blog I wrote each day on its own and posted it immediately. I let the Holy Spirit lead my words each time. I plan to do the same with this series which means the posts will occur at different times of the day.

SERIES BEGINS DECEMBER 1-30

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Selfishness vs Selflessness

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I recently heard a riff off of Martin Luther’s theology of baptism: “I was drowned in the water of baptism but that sucker can float.”  Picture your selfish flesh coming up like a zombie out of the water each morning.  The battle of being fully sinful and fully cleansed commences.  A battle that will not be won until the day Jesus returns and raises us from the dead.  Sounds a bit disheartening doesn’t it? 

Each day we face the prospect of allowing the world to take control of our thoughts and actions.  Our desire to be vengeful, a worry-wort, greedy, immoral, and selfish sits at the end of the bed beckoning us like a zombie siren song.  

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12

When I was a child, our cartoons frequently portrayed this great battle.  The everyday man, when faced with even everyday choices found a little devil and little angel sitting upon his shoulder.  So often the devil would seemingly win.  Why? Because he brings the shiny things.  The opportunities for immediate gratification, fame and glory.  What the cartoons also portrayed is the angel’s way always wins in the end.  The gratification of self always led to some sort of personal destruction.

For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice. James 3:16

The problem with the cartoons was it showed “obeying” the angel as less fun and satisfying.  Isn’t that what so many of us really think when we talk about obeying God?  Removing the fun out of life.  Becoming monk-like in our ways.  James describes disorder, lack of peace, lack of love.  Those don’t actually sound like fun while the opposite does.  So I harken back to the previous post’s question, “Who do you love and admire?”

When we honestly answer that question we can then get to the root of our desires.  As a professing Christian our desire for “the good life” should come from a desire to selflessly love and worship God, not ourselves. 

How great is your (God) goodness that you would choose us, and predestinate us to be conformed into the image of your Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren, and we the happy brethren who should be transformed into his likeness!

Charles Spurgeon

We are God’s chosen.  He brings you out of the water cleansed every morning, ready to put on your full armor of God (Eph 6).  Ready to please and love God, not the water zombie at the foot of the bed.  We stay close to Him by soaking ourselves in His Word.  Watering our roots deeply so our branches grow strong.  We talk to Him throughout the day in prayer so the Holy Spirit can guide us in our fruit production.  We thank Him at every possible turn so our good fruit can bless others.

We humans know, it’s implanted in our hearts and souls, that our selfish ways are destructive.  But the pull is so great.  It can only be counteracted by turning our face toward our Creator.  Relying on Him as the broken, sinful people we know we are.  To become selfless we need to be less of ourselves and instead more as people yearning to grab ahold of God’s saving mercy and grace pulling us up from the waters into His arms.

Coming up: The result of goodness

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31 Days of God’s Wisdom

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“Love the Lord with all your minds heart and soul.” Matthew 22:37

It seems when we Christians talk about our faith these days it’s so frequently focused on feelings, emotions – “from the heart.”  And while Jesus will ultimately be the judge of our heart’s true commitment, He also asks us to use the rest of our bodies to honor God.  It’s not enough to feel God we need to know and obey God.  Why? Because His Words are designed to guide us through this temporary life as best possible.  We want to become skillful not just at making a living but in making a life that is in line with our Holy Father.  Many of us have experienced life outside those guardrails – sometimes on a daily occurrence.  When we are rash with our decisions or emotions, quick to be angry, quick to take up the latest idea or get rich scheme, quick to enter into relationships without good judgment, we easily find ourselves outside God’s protective ways.

The words “wise” and “wisdom” are used 125 times in the 31 chapters of the book of Proverbs.  It sounds as though someone might be trying to get a point across to us!  Wisdom literature in the Bible includes Proverbs, Job and Ecclesiastes.  But for this series I’ll be focusing only on Proverbs.  You’ll notice there’s 31 chapters – perfect for a one month study of God’s messages to us about living life in His guardrails.  

But first and foremost, we need a right relationship with our Creator. Meaning we accept God in His three persons (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) as one God who created the universe and everything in it.  And that Jesus came as fully man and fully human to be the final, complete sacrifice to cleanse us of our sins.  In this way we may come before God, our King, as righteous.  He is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent in our lives.  There is one way on this path and that one way is open to everyone who believes in Him.

Second, we have an assertion of a moral law operating in the world and there will be divine justice.  None of which has to do with IQ, wealth or even education.  There is an expectation by God to follow His moral laws.  And everyone, believers and non-believers, will be judged upon their death.

If we do not have these two foundations, then the seeking of wisdom has no foundation itself.  Without a moral King to guide us then we are guiding ourselves.  And we know how well that usually turns out!  Our selfish souls seek ease, seek comfort, seek pleasure above all.  Without an understanding and acceptance of a final, universal judgment then what does it all matter?  If you read back into ancient history, peoples without God sacrificed children to meet their desires.  They performed all sorts of sexually immoral acts (especially on women) to please their desires.  Murdered without out conscience.  It was the formation of God’s people through Abraham and Moses that brought God’s moral law back down to earth.  Setting us back on the path toward God’s future Eden on Earth.

And so, through people like King Solomon He spoke.  The king had asked God for wisdom and it was granted (1 King 3:5-14).  It is believed King Solomon spoke 3,000 proverbs during his reign.  The beauty of the proverbs selected for this book is that none of them are in conflict.  All cultures have their sayings – quick summaries of lessons.  But many times, they conflict with each other!  (“Look before you leap!” vs “He who hesitates is lost.”) God’s words are never opposed to each other.  

Toward the end of his reign, King Solomon turned to the folly he so frequently spoke to avoid and disregarded his own wisdom – proving we need to stay close to God at all times. In fact, God warned him when He gave Solomon this gift: “And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will enlighten your days.” A good reminder to never take a day off from following God.

Proverbs are not promises.  They are generalized statements of what is usually true.  So, if you find a proverb that you want to disagree with first remind yourself that we humans are sinful people.  And second, God seeks to bring us into His ideal world.  We are practicing to live in our final home – the New Eden.

If you haven’t signed up to receive your 31 Days of God’s Wisdom, make sure you subscribe today!  After entering your email information below, check your inbox for your confirmation link.  Thank you for joining me on this journey and be sure to share with your friends, neighbors, co-workers and family! Blessings to you for wisdom, Kris