cathsblog.com

Today I read Acts 2:1-13. What stood out to me was how the disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit and the result was that the Spirit is the one who gave them the words to say. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we are controlled and empowered by Him instead of self. We might think of it as though we are handing the keys of the car of our life to Jesus and say, “Lord, You do the driving. Take me anywhere you want to go and do whatever You would like in and through me.” I love that picture and it helps me to rely on the Spirit of God to strengthen me for the tasks at hand. I’ve been thinking about this verse all day and it is especially applicable to any who write or speak. He will give you the words as you are filled (controlled and empowered) with the Holy Spirit. Today, let’s hand the keys to the Lord, be filled with the Spirit, and let Him do the driving.
Lord, today I ask you to fill me with Your Spirit and I rely on You to give me the strength and everything else I need to accomplish the tasks you have assigned to me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Today I read in Acts 1, Daily Light, and My Utmost For His Highest. All three took me to the subject of faith and caused me to look at my own exercise of faith in those things that God has called me to do. I read 1 Timothy 6:12 “Fight the good fight of the faith. take hold of the eternal life to which you were called.” Oswald Chambers says that walking by faith is a fight always, not sometimes. In Acts 1:24 the disciples prayed, asking the Lord to show them what man among them should take the place of Judas, thus becoming one of the twelve in the early church. Prayer is always an act of faith, a leap at times, trusting that God hears, and God answers. And then, they made the choice, trusting by faith, that God was directing them.

And so, I ask myself today, “How am I doing in my own walk of faith?” Am I stepping out by faith? Sometimes even leaping, by faith? The leap comes when the task is impossible, so big in fact, that failure is certain unless God does a mighty work. Some in the past have referred to a leap of faith as almost a blind faith. For us, having the incredible gift of God’s Word, it’s an objective faith. So for me, the leap of faith is a boldness based on what God says in His Word. The opposite would be timidity and fear, failing to launch out on the promises of God. I want instead to trust Him with all my heart, press through to such a great faith in His Word that I literally leap into His plan and purpose each day, following Him every step of the way.

Oswald Chambers said today: “Jesus Christ demands of the man who trusts Him the same reckless sporting spirit that the natural man exhibits. If a man is going to do anything worth while, there are times when he has to risk everything on his leap, and in the spiritual domain Jesus Christ demands that you risk everything you hold by common sense and leap into what He says, and immediately you do, you find what He says fits on as solidly as common sense. At the bar of common sense Jesus Christ’s statements may seem mad; but bring them to the bar of faith, and you begin to find with awestruck spirit that they are the words of God. Trust entirely in God and when He brings you to the venture, see that you take it. We act like pagans in a crisis, only one out of a crowd is daring enough to bank his faith in the character of God.”

Lord, today as I work on the project you have assigned to me, I am banking my faith on Your wisdom, brilliance and power to accomplish all in the power of Your Holy Spirit. Help me to take that gigantic leap of faith, trusting what you say more than how I feel or what I see. And may You get all the glory. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Today I am beginning a new section in my Bible reading plan as Encounter With God has us in Acts. By the way, I love Encounter With God put out by Scripture Union (at scriptureunion.org). Their reading plan gives you a smaller portion of Scripture each day (10-20 verses) and takes you through the Old Testament once and the New Testament twice in five years. I use this reading plan in addition to any studies or other resources I use in my quiet time. Now, back to the reading today. I was SO into David in 2 Samuel I was not sure I wanted to move to Acts. But I am trusting the Lord to lead and guide me, and speak to me in His Word. In fact, I can always be confident because of Isaiah 55:10-11 that God has something to teach me, something to say to me. God promises that His Word that comes from His mouth “will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” Those are powerful words! I count on them today and always - what encouragement to open our Bibles day by day and moment by moment.

Now, back to Acts. Today I read through Acts 1:1-14. For me, verse 7 leaped off the page today. Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, He answered some of the disciples’ questions about when He would restore the kingdom to Israel. And don’t we ask the Lord those same kinds of questions? “When Lord? When is it going to happen?” Even David asked, “How long, O Lord?” (Psalm 13:1). Here’s how the Lord responded: “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority” (Acts 1:7). Oh what important words for me to hang on to today. Here’s what I learn. God is in charge of timing, not me. That relieves a lot of pressure and eases a lot of worry when things just don’t come together as fast as I’d like. And then, I learn that not only do I not need to know the timing, I am not to know the timing. Jesus says it, not me - “It is not for you to know times…” This changes my focus completely in terms of working on the ideas and goals and projects that the Lord gives me. I ask the Lord to guide me and help me prioritize. I give each assignment from Him my very best. I work towards goals. But ultimately, the Lord alone knows the when and the how of the results. Timing is in the hands of the Lord and His timing is perfect.

Lord, today I give you all the hopes and dreams that burn in my heart. Help me exercise wisdom in all you call me to do and keep my eyes fixed on you. I trust You with the timing of everything You have planned for me. And I thank You for the promise that You will accomplish what concerns me (Psalm 138:8). In Jesus’ name, Amen.

When God said no to David’s request to build the temple, what did David do? He immediately sought the Lord. Instead of running away from God, David ran to God. In 2 Samuel 7:18 we see that “David the king went in and sat before the Lord”. David is my great example for quiet time with my Lord. Every day, I want my habit to be finding a quiet place and sitting before the Lord. This morning, as I read about David, I was so moved by all that happened as a result of David’s quiet time where he “went in and sat before the Lord.” First, he saw reality - the reality of who he was and who God is. He said, “Who am I, O LORD GOD…?” We need to adopt this regular phrase of David’s: “Who am I…” Those words keep our feet on solid ground, preventing pride and arrogance, and turn our eyes to the greatness and glory of God.

Then, when David sat before the Lord, he realized the activity of God in His life, and appreciated God’s promises to him. In verse 19 David said, “You have spoken also of the house of your servant concerning the distant future.” When our eyes turn to God’s promises, we will be strengthened and comforted in our current difficulty or challenge, whatever it may be.

David’s time with the Lord gave Him a greater sense of the Person and Presence of his God. He said, “Again, what more can David say to You? For You know Your servant, O LORD GOD.” To know He knows is one of the greatest truths you can ever experience in your walk with God. Knowing He knows brings front and center the reality of God in our lives. Walking down the hallway at the office where we work, knowing He knows assures us we do not walk alone. Feeding our kids in the morning, knowing He knows assures us of His constant protection and provision. Sitting in the hospital when a loved one is ill, knowing He knows assures of we do not face our trauma alone, and that we are in His watchful comfort and care. Take comfort today in the truth that He knows. And such truth becomes more apparent to us when we follow David’s example of going in and sitting before the Lord.

When David sat before the Lord, his view was filled with God, and he gained a greater vision of God. He said, “You are great, O LORD GOD, for there is none like You, and there is no God besides You, according to all that we have heard with our ears” (2 Samuel 7:22). Do you need a greater view of your God? Then, go in and sit with Him for awhile, open the pages of His Word and live there for a bit, and see if your view of God doesn’t increase! It will. Just this time with the Lord this morning has been such a blessing for me and has increased my view of Him.

When David spent time alone with the Lord, he realized God’s purpose and power in his life. He realized God’s redemption of His people, making them His people forever and becoming their God. We need a renewal of understanding God’s purpose in our own lives. That renewal fuels the fire of our devotion to the Lord and our commitment to serve Him. Where will that renewal come? In our quiet time alone with the Lord.

In his time with the Lord, David was given a new appreciation for God’s Word, and realized the value of His promises personally in his own life. He said, “Now therefore, O LORD GOD, the word that You have spoken concerning Your servant and his house, confirm it forever, and do as You have spoken.” Here David pleaded the promises of God for himself and his family. We must learn to do the same. I need to remember to find those promises, embrace them, trust them, and then live them out in my own life. Our quiet time will help us realize, as David did, “Now, O LORD GOD, You are God, and Your words are truth, and You have promised this good thing to Your servant” (2 Samuel 7:28).

David’s passion for God was increased once he went in and sat before the Lord. He told God that he wanted God’s name to be magnified forever (verse 26). It’s an incredible day when your passion for God is set on fire. You will develop a zeal for the Lord and you will shine for Him. I remember many years ago, when I first got involved with Campus Crusade at Arizona State University. I was just beginning to study the Word and learn what it meant to follow Jesus. And I can just say that the Lord set my heart on fire. I saw that there was nothing so exciting as seeing lives changed for Christ, including my own. And that passion increases through time alone with the Lord.

David’s prayer life got deeper and more powerful as a result of his time with the Lord. He said, “Your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you.” Have you found that new courage to pray to the Lord? I have found that when I sit with the Lord I have a new boldness to talk with Him and ask Him for great and mighty things. I’ve been asking Him for some pretty big things lately - it’s kind of scary but still I’m going for it. I’m adopting the attitude of David seen in Psalm 5:3 “In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.”

Finally, as a result of David’s time with the Lord, he was led to renew his commitment to serve the Lord forever and to ask for something BIG - God’s blessing forever. With eternity in view, may I faithfully serve the Lord, and may He pour out His blessings on all of us. God bless you and to God be the glory both now and forever (Eph 3:20).

This morning I read about an event from David’s life that was a huge encouragement to me. In 2 Samuel 7:1 we see that David was experiencing “rest on every side from all his enemies.” I love that word “rest.” And I think one thing we see in David’s life here is that our pilgrimage with the Lord includes times of rest. We are uncomfortable, though, at first when rest actually comes upon us. We’ve got to “do” something. It seems utterly extravagant to sit and enjoy the moment. But Jesus encouraged His disciples to “come away with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and rest a little while” (Mark 6:31 Williams Tr.). So let’s not be afraid to rest and use that precious time to “Reflect on Every Spiritual Truth”.

In David’s time of rest, he got a big idea. He told Nathan the prophet that he wanted to build a house for God where the ark of God could reside. Nathan thought it sounded like a good idea and encouraged him to “do all that is in your mind, for the LORD is with you” (2 Samuel 7:4). But what we learn next is very important for us to remember - not all good ideas are God’s ideas. The Lord came to Nathan and told him that David was not the one who would build a house for God, but that it would be his descendant. God said no to David. But when God says no to one thing, He says yes to something else. And in David’s case it was a huge yes to the promise of God’s presence with David wherever he goes (2 Samuel 7:9), the promise of rest and protection from enemies (7:11), the promise that the Lord would make a house for him (7:11), the promise of His lovingkindness forever (7:15), and an eternal reign (7:16). In this covenant, ultimately God was promising that through David would come One who would reign forever - Jesus, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Alan Redpath says, in his book The Making Of A Man Of God: “If God has said “No!” to you, with your back to the light in your failure to understand, the situation looks so dark. But if He has not already done so, perhaps as you meditate on these things the Lord will take you inside His heart and turn you around so that you may face the light and see the glory of His will. The most important thing is how you react when God says “No!”…the vision need never have been in vain, even though it remains unfulfilled, for God’s refusals in life are loaded with immeasurable possibilities of blessing. It all depends, however, on whether at the moment when God has said “No” you sulk or you seek - if you seek, you will find that God is right there with blessing such as you have never experienced before…Notice one further thing that David learned as he faced God’s denial of his great purpose. He was brought to a place where he really began to claim God’s promises for himself, personally…There is not a need of any one of our lives but is covered by a promise from the Word of God. He has put it into our hearts to ask because first of all it was in His heart to give. And when God has said “No” to the ambition of your life, to something that is very precious to you, He brings you close to His heart and shows you that every need of your soul is met by His promises. He wants to teach you, in the face of His negative answer, to learn to make your own every possible promise in the Book” (p. 170-174).

I am encouraged today to not be afraid when God says no and instead, to look for His yes in His magnificent promises. “For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us” (2 Corinthians 1:20). Two promises I take comfort in today as a huge YES, are Psalm 31:15 “my times are in Your hand” and Psalm 138:8 “the LORD will accomplish what concerns me”. And then, as always, Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us” Thank You Lord, for all the times you have said no, only to say yes to something better. May I trust You today to accomplish what concerns me, and keep my eyes ever on You! In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Today my Bible reading using Encounter With God (by Scripture Union) took me to 2 Samuel 6:1-23, one of my favorite passages of all time. But I saw something in David’s character and actions I have never seen before. When the ark was brought to Jerusalem, David “was dancing before the LORD with all his might.” Oh I love that phrase “dancing before the Lord.” Oh how I long to always dance before the Lord, no matter what trials come my way. The Lord reminded me today to keep dancing. But then, He showed me the secret to help me always dance even if I am enduring a particularly difficult trial. When David came home, his wife challenged his dance before the Lord. She thought his dance was foolish. And here is where we learn something very important for our dance. When it comes to dancing with the Lord, He must fill the whole landscape of our view. In other words, when you dance, don’t look to the right or the left, keep your eyes firmly fixed on Him. When you do, He will fill your view, He will be everything you need, He will satisfy your heart, and friend, you WILL dance! But that’s not yet the secret I learned today.

David responded to his wife Michal with his resolve, a conviction established long before he came to Jerusalem as king. He said to her, “I will celebrate before the Lord.” There’s his resolve to dance. What he was saying was that his priority was his intimate relationship with his Lord. David loved the Lord and would dance with Him regardless of what others might have on their agenda. And so, we must all resolve to dance with the Lord. Lean into His embrace and follow His lead, even if everyone around us is going in another direction. And now, here is what I saw today. I’ve always focused on the resolve. But then, in the next verse (v.22), I saw how David could dance so well. He said “I will be more lightly esteemed than this and will be humble in my own eyes, but with the maids of whom you have spoken, with them, I will be distinguished.” Let me just say right now, I love this verse. God shows us David’s heart and why David was a man after God’s own heart. David was saying that he saw himself as a dancer with the Lord, period. He let God be in charge of his reputation instead of himself (with the maids…I will be distinguished). When David said “I will be more lightly esteemed than this and will be humble in my own eyes” he was saying that he may be king, but before the Lord he is a dancer, he belongs to the Lord, and ultimately, the Lord is KING, and he would worship the King, the Lord of hosts! This is such a secret for those who would have hearts that dance with the Lord. Don’t get caught up in externals i.e. what do people think of me?, what will this do for my reputation? Instead, focus on God as your audience and just dance with Him. Leave the results to Him. He is surely more than enough to handle whatever you face today. What a good reminder especially if trials or troubles are attempting to keep your heart weighed down. Today, with eyes fixed on my Lord, I’m dancing. What about you?

Today I read Psalm 104:1-35 in my quiet time - a very powerful psalm and so appropriate for the journey I’m taking through the book, Trusting In The Names Of God. Psalm 104 is a great description of the works of Elohim, the one true God who is our Creator. In Psalm 104 we see that God is clothed with splendor and majesty, covers Himself with light, stretches out heaven, makes the clouds His chariot, and walks upon the wings of the wind. Could anything be too difficult for the Lord? I am just overwhelmed at how great God is and how small at times my trust is. How great is our God!! I loved the conclusion of this psalm and it’s my response today: “I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being. Let my meditation be pleasing to Him; As for me, I shall be glad in the LORD” (Psalm 104:33-34). I love those words “As for me”. When God fills the landscape of your life, nothing else is visible, and it matters not what everyone else chooses. As for me, I choose the Lord and I will be glad in Him!”

I am learning more and more to slow down and listen to God. The more time I spend with the Lord in His Word, the more I recognize His voice, His ways, and how He works. Of course, you can not put God in a nice, neat box and say “this is how God always works.” Just when I think I know what God is going to do, He leads me in a new direction or does something surprising and unexpected.

One verse that has been on my mind quite a bit lately is Jeremiah 33:3. Some have called this “God’s phone number” - Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know. I wonder what would happen if we all answered the call of these words? Just imagine-God wants to tell us great and mighty things which we do not know right now! How amazing is that!!

A good example of this is Cath’s Community. I have been praying for some time through some specific requests. I had thought God would answer one way, but He answered in a completely different way. Instead of specifically doing what I thought He would do, He gave me the idea for Cath’s Community. I honestly don’t know what He is going to do here at Cath’s Community, but I knew I had to design this place for all of us to meet and share. I designed it as it was in my mind and heart to design.

I don’t think we can know all God is going to do in advance. I think we must be obedient to His direction in our lives and then leave the results to Him. That’s why I love David’s words in Psalm 5:3 so much. He says, “In the morning, O LORD, You will hear my voice; In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.” I don’t know about you, but I want God to be the One at work in my life, doing things only He can do. I love “eagerly watching” to see what He is going to do next.

May we all learn to listen, pray, and eagerly watch to see what God is going to do!