A Week of Transparency

My church just finished a seven day fast that focused on transparency. It helped me so much and I really enjoyed it. Whoever chose to participate in the fast, decided what kind of fast they would do: whether to fast from food completely, to fast only certain foods, or to fast other things such as social media.

I wanted to share the topics we focused on each day and the scriptures that go along with it in case anyone reading was also interested in a seven day fast or the topic of transparency. 

Day 1: transparency with God. Psalms 139:1–18

How can I be more transparent with God?

Day 2: transparency with brothers. 1Sam 17:1–29

How can I demonstrate clarity in my motives?

Day 3: transparency with leadership. 1Sam 17:32–40

Who are you emulating?

Day 4: transparency to enemies. 1Sam 17:41–54

What do your actions show the enemies of your life?

Day 5: transparency with friends. 1Sam 20

Your friends are the ones to whom you reveal your true self.

Day 6: transparency in the church. 2Sam 12:1–13

I must ask God for forgiveness before I can be restored.

Day 7: transparency to yourself. 2Sam 9

What does your character reveal?

Fasting brings Clarity

I believe and have seen and experienced that fasting brings clarity. 

There were a few things that I felt unsure on and experienced doubt about, but fasting has brought about a clearer "channel", if you will, between God and I. I can hear Him clearer and feel like I have clarity where there was once confusion. I feel like I now have a solid truth that I can stand on that will help continue to guide me in the future. 

Hello

Just a note of transparency and honesty:

I'm behind on my Bible reading! :/ I'm trying to read the Bible in one year. 

Life gets so busy sometimes and the things I like doing the most get pushed aside when in fact they should be a priority.

It's not too late to read the Bible in one year. So I won't give up but I'll get back in there and keep trying my best. 

Be Still

Our church is just starting a fast and we are focusing on certain passages of scripture to study each day for the duration of the fast. Today's passage is, Psalm 139:1-18.

This passage really touched my heart and there was one part that made me want to study it more - Psalm 139:18.

"Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand— when I awake, I am still with you." (Psalm 139:18 NIV)

The last few words of this scripture made me wonder what David (the writer) meant by the words, "I am still with you". I thought to myself, Does that mean that when he wakes up that David is still with God because God never left his side? Or does that mean that David is still, at peace, trusting God to take care of him, not worrying, and not striving because He knows what a powerful God he serves? 

After studying it a little more I think he meant that The Lord never left him. Psalm 139:18 was cross referenced to a similar scripture Psalm 3:5, "I lie down and sleep; I wake again, because the Lord sustains me."

I also realized that both qualities are true about God: 1) He asks us to be still and trust Him and know that He is God. 2) He will also never leave us.

See supporting scripture below.

"He says, 'Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'" (Psalm 46:10 NIV)

"Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6 NIV)

Fear Snowball

Dave Ramsey is a well known author, financial expert, speaker, radio personality, and more. I have taken his financial peace class and have learned a lot. In the class, I learned about the "debt snowball". This means that you list your debt in order and start paying off the lowest amount of debt that you owe first. Once you pay that off, then you move to the next amount of debt (lowest to highest) until you've reached the top and are able to pay off the highest amount of debt you owe. When you pay off your debt this way, you earn confidence as you are able to witness your own progress.

I was thinking the other day, this could be a way to approach personal fears. (And of course face them with God too.) 

The Bible tells us not to fear and that fear is not from God. If we are scared of many things then we can start with our smallest and most silly fear we can think of. 

Think of that tiny, silly fear that almost makes you laugh and remind yourself of the truth. 

Find a scripture that helps you focus on the truth instead of what you are afraid of. A lot of times we scare ourselves unnecessarily and are afraid of things that "might happen" but never do. Sometimes fear clouds our thoughts and hinders us from seeing the truth. 

Meditating on scripture (truth) and applying it to life really helps to improve mental health and leads to peace of mind. 

Many times we are afraid of what we don't know or don't understand. Try reading a book about your fear and learn more about it. Seek the truth by learning and seek the truth in the Bible. 

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (II Timothy 1:7 NKJV)

"But if from there you seek the Lord your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deuteronomy 4:29 NIV)

Unconventionally Wrapped

I heard this on the radio recently and I wanted to share: Sometimes, the things that we are praying for and the things that we are believing God for don't always come in the packages that we expect them to. Don't dismiss the gifts that you might already have in front of you because you are looking for them to be presented to you in a different way. 

God is so good and He loves you SO much that He doesn't want to give you what you want - He wants to give you something even better. :) 

The Ability to Grow

One of the things I love about life is that we always have the chance to learn and to grow in wisdom and increase knowledge. Especially these days when information is readily at our fingertips via technogy. 

The Bible, and spending time with God, have been the best sources for me to grow in wisdom and maturity. 

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV)

"A wise man will hear and increase in learning, And a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel,

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:5, 7 NASB)

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." (James 1:22 NIV)

Doing good

A couple days ago I posted a poem called, "Be Kind Anyway". I wanted to re-post the following lines in the poem and just talk about it a little more...

"The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway."

People may forget the good we do, that's true, but God sees your heart and all the good that you do and He won't forget. :) When you get discouraged, remember that He sees all the hard work you do even when no one else does. 

"Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." (Galatians 6:9 NIV)

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." (Colossians 3:23-24 NIV)

Distractions

Do you ever feel distracted at the worst times? For example, being distracted while somebody is trying to talk to you? Or being distracted during worship at church? 

Sometimes I have so much going on that I need to remember or sometimes I have been so worried about something that it keeps coming to mind and I have to really fight to keep my mind focused on God. I'm just being completely honest and real. 

This used to happen to me so much. I couldn't stop thinking about something that upset me or I couldn't stop worrying about something that I thought that might happen. Therefore I couldn't fully press in to Him. I was consumed by several concerns and worries. 

This is not the freedom that Christ died to give us. We don't have to be slaves to anything because we are free! We don't have to be slaves to worry because God asks us to give all our concerns to Him. We don't have to be a slave to people pleasing because we are not a slave of man, we are a servant of Christ. We don't have to be a slave to the fear of man because we have the fear of God. 

I realized all these distractions are keeping me from fully experiencing Him and the more I hold onto them the less I focus on God. But the more I freely release them to Him, the more free I am. When I let go of distractions I can hear Him clearer and really connect during worship for a moving and miraculous experience. 

I know now that nobody else deserves more of my attention than My Creator. Nobody and nothing else is worthy of all of my attention and concentration than The King of Kings! 

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." (Galatians 5:1 NIV)

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." (2 Corinthians 10:3-5 NIV)

"Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10 NIV)

"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7 NIV)

"Be Kind Anyway"

The following poem is said to be written by Mother Teresa:

"People are often unreasonable and self-centered. Forgive them anyway. 

If you are kind, people may accuse you of alterior motives. Be kind anyway. 

If you are honest, people may cheat you. Be honest anyway. 

If you find happiness, people may be jealous. Be happy anyway. 

The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway. 

Give the world the best you have and it may never be enough. Give your best anyway. 

For you see, in the end, it is between you and God. It was never between you and them anyway."

I love the meaning behind this poem. I believe this is how God wants us to live. To give our best for Him regardless of the outcome and then ... keep giving our best even if things don't turn out the way we expected. 

God loves the animals

As an animal lover I find it very encouraging that God chose to create animals from the very beginning and that He also chose to save the animals from the flood. He could have just saved Noah and his family from the flood but He chose to save the animals as well. He cared enough to bring male and female pairs of all animals so they could multiply and continue to live on earth. That makes my heart so happy that God is loving to every living thing He created.

"You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you. Two of every kind of bird, of every kind of animal and of every kind of creature that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive." (Genesis 6:19-20 NIV)

A Time Before Rain

I always thought it was so interesting that there was a time before rain existed! Can you imagine? Although I really do enjoy thunder storms and wearing my rain boots. :) And would no rain mean no more bad hair days!?! This is how God used to water the ground...

"Now no shrub had yet appeared on the earth and no plant had yet sprung up, for the Lord God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no one to work the ground, but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground." (Genesis 2:5-6 NIV)

Something I learned in a sermon a couple years ago is that God asked Noah to build the Ark before rain even existed. Noah had not seen rain before but he was preparing and believing for the things unseen because God instructed him to. What incredible faith of Noah. I believe that the following scripture describes his faith exactly:

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1 KJV)

Noah's great faith is specifically noted in the book of Hebrews:

"By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith." (Hebrews 11:7 NIV)

As we continue with the story of Noah, God said,

"Seven days from now I will send rain on the earth for forty days and forty nights, and I will wipe from the face of the earth every living creature I have made.” (Genesis 7:4 NIV)

Noah believed God and built the Ark to save his family from the flood. He believed what God said even though he hadn't seen rain yet. He believed and had faith to do what he was asked to do. He saw The Lord's instruction as more important than what people would think. Even though he didn't understand or know what rain was he didn't let the unknown stop him.

"And Noah did all that the Lord commanded him." (Genesis 7:5 NIV)

I imagine that Noah and his family faced some form of mockery and that people questioned what he was doing. Noah however kept His eyes on God and did what was asked of him. 

I pray to have that kind of faith and to deepen my faith and trust God more. To do what He's asking me to do even if I haven't witnessed what God has asked me to do. Even if it's different. Even if I get made fun of. Even if people don't understand. 

I've decided that The Lord is more important than what people think of me. I have learned from some of my dear Pastors that sometimes being obedient to God will offend others. 

I close with a scripture that always helps me with the struggle of people pleasing:

"Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10 NIV)

*All bold emphasis mine. 

The Birth of Jesus

This blog entry starts off with a few scriptures that tell the story leading up to the birth of Jesus and a little bit after His birth. Then following the scriptures are a few of my thoughts and what I learned.  

"The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end." Mary said to the angel, "How can this be, since I am a virgin?" The angel answered and said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. 

And Mary said, "Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word." And the angel departed from her." (Luke 1:30-35, 38 NASB)

"Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 1:18 NASB)

"Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet:

"BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL," which translated means, "GOD WITH US." (Matthew 1:22-23 NASB)

(This scripture also found in Isaiah 7:14.)

So as we see Mary was first visited by the angel that told her that she would give birth to Jesus. It makes it clear in each of these scriptures that Mary was a virgin and even she asked how this could be? However, she consented and chose for God's will to be done and the angel departed from her. 

I know there is significance in everything that God does. As I re-read and studied this story (especially over Christmas) I wanted to learn more about the holy significance in God choosing a young virgin to give birth to His Son. 

I came across more scripture (from the Old and New Testament) that helped to answer this question:

"Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Sanctify to Me every firstborn, the first offspring of every womb among the sons of Israel, both of man and beast; it belongs to Me.'" (Exodus 13:1-2 NASB)

"And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, "EVERY firstborn MALE THAT OPENS THE WOMB SHALL BE CALLED HOLY TO THE LORD "),..." (Luke 2:22-23 NASB)

God chose a virgin because it was a fulfillment of the prophesy spoken by The Lord through the prophet and God always comes through with His word. As we see in the previous scriptures God also chose a virgin because God declares that every first born male from man that opens the womb belongs to Him. Jesus was that first born male and first in Mary's womb. Jesus was to be called Holy. God wanted to make it known to all that Jesus was His son. He gave Jesus identity and named Him even before His birth.

And that's how God gives you significance as well. He calls you by name. He knew your name before you were even conceived. He gave you an identity and He calls you His. You are loved. 

Finding rest, Finding faith

As I continue with the one year Bible plan, I come across the familiar story of God and creation.

Genesis 2:2-3 says, "By the seventh day God completed His work which he had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made."

This scripture made me pause and think about a few things: God and His word is a great example to us. In both of these scriptures it notes that God rested and I believe that there is significance in repetition in the Bible. I believe that God also wants us to know when to rest. There are times in life, in our busy schedules, that our work never feels completed or if we do complete it then we are too quick to go to the next task on the list instead of pausing like God did. He rested when His work was complete. 

Matthew 11:28 says, "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest."

I think that we can learn from God's example of rest and His invitation to rest. 

We were not meant to live stressed out, anxious, worried lives. There are times that we will be stressed and anxious yes, but we don't have to live like that all the time. It makes sense that God tells us time and time again in the Bible, not to worry, fear not, etc. Worry brings us away from faith but rest gives us time with Him. Rest helps us to pause from the busy day and enter in to His presence, give Him our concerns, and rest.

Matthew 11:29, "...YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS." (These words are also found in Jeremiah 6:16).

God has never let me down and He always proves Himself faithful. Over the past few years I have learned to worry less and trust Him much more. I'm done doing things my own way and I choose for Him to have the lead in my life. His will be done in my life because that's the best way, most exciting way, most fruitful way, most meaningful way, most joyful way for me to live my life. 

 

Happy New Year!

This is the beginning of a wonderful and beautiful year! I am starting a one year Bible plan and I hope to finish reading the Bible by the end of this year.

I read the Bible often and it's a big part of my life, however, to be completely honest, I've never read the Bible in its entirety. Gasp! 

So I'm here (once again) ready to pick up this beautiful word of God and read those passages that my eyes have never seen and that my heart longs to meditate on. I'm very excited and I am looking forward to sharing what I've learned and what I have found fascinating. I'll be posting these things right here in my blog.