Living The Redeemed Life™

April 30, 2018

You Are God – Alone

Hello God – Are You Out There?

Is God losing control of things? We are living in times that can make you go “hmmm…”. Times that can leave you guessing where the parents are in some communities, countries, and nations. Times where boundaries are continually tested and in some cases even torn down. Now, in some cases, this is not a bad thing. As one whose parents grew up during the civil rights era, I know there are times when the rules at hand need to be revised and the only way to do it is to question the applicability and rationale in place when they were created. Using the litmus test of the Bible on how we should love and live together that was a no-brainer but some days I look around me and wonder – what is going on?!

I was recently involved in a discussion with friends and we began to talk about ‘wars and rumors of wars’ similar to the scripture Matthew 24:6. What I found interesting was the somewhat casual talk about ‘if we are involved in a nuclear war this is what I would do’. Huh? Thankfully, I have not been involved with this in my lifetime but my thoughts drifted to wondering who would even be around to tell their survival story if it did happen? The discussion was almost as casual as running out of milk and needing to go to the store to replace it after the impending hurricane has passed – get my point? These topics can make you anxious and scare you. My pre-teen daughter even stated to me after a recent newscast “I want to live to be an adult so I hope we don’t have a nuclear war”. Believe me, this led to a long discussion about faith and tomorrow not being promised but ugh…not a great topic to have with my beloved child.

The Sovereignty of God

This brings me to what has become one of my favorite verses in the Bible, 2 Chronicles 20:6 –

⁶…“Lord, the God of our ancestors, are you not the God who is in heaven? You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations. Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.

It reminds me that God is fully aware and in control of all things that happen around us. God ‘rules over kingdoms [physical and spiritual] and nations’. This scripture lets us all know that even the most unpleasant things in this world can lay the groundwork for His glorious plan. Yes, evil exists – and because of the free will God has given us, not everyone is going to do righteous things – but God is still in control and has not abdicated His authority. God is sovereign. Some things may be difficult to watch or experience and some things are unto death – this is sad but true. God is still God and He implores those of us that are still standing to love our way through and to seek His love and guidance. That is what I told my daughter. Yes, it can be a bit scary but if you know Jesus, there is nothing to be anxious about (Philippians 4:6). Since we have the Bible (and the New Testament) we know how this story ultimately ends.

So when those scary thoughts creep in or the events around us make no sense at all – Live your life and love!

Thank you, Lord, that You Are God – Alone!

April 27, 2018April 27, 2018

Warning – Single Lane Ahead!

Single Lane Ahead – Now?!

Change and discipline never seem to come at the right times in life. I feel the same when I am riding along, headed to work or home and suddenly approach a “Single Lane Ahead” sign that indicates I’m getting ready to have my commute impacted. This sign is meant to be both a warning and guide. It lets us know what is coming ahead while at the same time giving us guidance so we don’t drive off the road because we’ve suddenly found ourselves on the shoulder. It is an especially important warning if there is no shoulder to drive on or, far worse, to keep us from driving in a lane with oncoming traffic! It is not meant to harm but to help and give us information to protect our safety.

This sign reminds me of many of the principles of the Bible but in a positive way. The Bible is sometimes seen as a book of ”don’ts” and many believe the Christian life is one of restriction and blandness. On the contrary, it is meant to guide us, so we can live with a sense of awareness of what could be ahead. Biblical awareness actually gives us freedom – because we know what the boundaries are. When we know the boundaries, we don’t have to worry about the consequences of going out of bounds – like driving on that shoulder or down an embankment. We can focus on living life. When we live without boundaries, though it may be fun for a moment, we risk running out of roadway and having an accident. I think about those construction zones where we are warned of the upcoming lanes narrowing to one – if we kept driving in the affected lanes we could drive right into a catastrophe which could harm us or even worse, take our lives. Living life is no different.

Abundant Living is Free Living

In John 10:10, Jesus reminds us that He came to not only give us life but one that is abundant. It is abundant – with boundaries. It is abundant with seasons of great highways (I live in the Washington, DC area so I envision the Capital beltway) but there are times God has to put single lanes ahead of us so we can focus. ‘Single Lanes’ also provide discipline as He prepares us for blessing and purpose. They can also protect us if life begins to get unruly and needs repairs (like that construction zone). You determine which way God is guiding you by praying, listening to the Holy Spirit and studying the Bible.

The next time you see one of those ‘Single Lane Ahead’ signs, heed the warning and ask God if He is trying to tell you something.

#LivingTheRedeemedLife

April 12, 2018

God Uses You Right Where You Are

God Can Use You

Here, I sit in my favorite coffee shop, journaling about my day and life and my current focus on God’s movement in the desires of my heart. As I write, I speak to God about using me and opening doors and getting me ready for my next season. I jot down all the things I want to do and, out of habit, I start outlining the steps to get them done. I get a bit anxious when I get to the steps that may require more resources than I currently have but keep writing and put an asterisk next to those bullet points trusting God will provide whatever I need. Suddenly, I hit a wall where I could not focus. As I try to write my thoughts down I become increasingly distracted. What was this about? I like the white noise of this space and can usually focus (I pretty much wrote my first book in this same coffee shop) so why is my mind wandering all over the place?

God, Was That You?

Then I have a BAM! moment – I feel this deep conviction in my spirit telling me ‘I want to use you right where you are’. Is that you speaking to me God? I stopped, looked around and then focused on my coffee cup. At that point, I understood what I was being told.

See, all of my ‘planning’ was so forward thinking it was as if I couldn’t do anything until some other event occurred. For example, I ‘will’ set up my sewing machine to make hats for sick kids once I get some additional resources (e.g. money) to get the fabric and ultimately the time to do it. As I contemplate the topic for my next book, God was telling me “I’ve already given it to you, so get started on the outline”. This was true but for some reason, I was waiting for some event – like the words being carved in stone from a lightning bolt before I actually sat down to start writing. In other words, I already had what I needed to get started so I shouldn’t plan as if I needed to acquire something else before I could move. I already have a ton of fabric in my basement to get started on the hats so what was I waiting for?

Watch For the ‘Pot Holes’

Procrastination, disguised as planning, can be a tool the enemy uses to keep you from your goals, dreams and, more importantly, God’s purpose in your life. We sometimes ‘wait’ out of fear when we really need to be moving because of faith. Now, I am not saying you should just move without any forethought on the plans of your life after all the Bible says ‘the people perished due to lack of vision’ (Proverbs 29:18) but there is a point where you have to trust God for the provision for your dreams and direction. In business, there is a term called ‘planning paralysis’ where you can plan so long you end up doing nothing. In life, sadly, this can have an end result of you never experiencing what a great God can do if you just let Him move.

Jeremiah 29:11 says:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

So today, as you look ahead in your life, prayerfully seek those areas you have been holding onto or even ‘holding out’ on and trust God to provide. You already have what you need to prosper and that is your faith. God is our dream giver and provides for whatever you need – right where you are.
#LivingTheRedeemedLife

April 3, 2018April 3, 2018

You Are Bad But I Love You

You Are Bad but I Love You

What Is That In Your Mouth?

As I yell, “Drop it!”, I once again find myself looking into the woeful eyes of my 7-month-old puppy. She has chewed up her latest random sock stolen from a laundry basket, full of clothes waiting to be washed. I look at her, feeling of both love and frustration. As I pick her up, ready to berate her for continuing to chew on things when she has so many ‘chew toys’ to chew on, the only thing I could come up with is “You are bad but I love you.”

Stop That!

Really? That is the best I could do? No wonder she is the perpetual ‘sock monster’. But, there was something about the innocence in her eyes that said I’m sorry that served as a reminder to me that she recognizes the error but just couldn’t help herself as she walked past the temptation of another sock dangling from the basket – she is, after all, a puppy. I remembered my older dog having the same ‘temptation’ when she was a puppy and knew that eventually this phase would pass (hopefully) and socks around the world (or my house at least) will be free to live good long lives.

This incident also reminds me of God’s love when we mess up. He probably looks at me many times and says “You are bad but I love you”. Actually, the Bible tells us that God sees the best in us – always. He knew (and knows) we are going to fall, mess up and be tempted by the very things we know we shouldn’t do and reminds that 1) we really do have the strength to resist and 2) even when we fall, He is like a caring Father with big, loving hands extended to help us up. He dusts us off, checks to make sure we are okay, and sends us on our way.

I Love You

Daniel 9:9 says –

⁹The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him;

The wonderful thing about God’s love in this verse is He doesn’t focus on the mistakes we make. God says to us, “You were bad, I may need to discipline you but remember it is only because I love you and need you to learn the path to righteousness. That is what is best for you”

In some respects, I guess that is what I want for my puppy – I don’t want to her to choke on the lint balls from the socks or get sick from possible dirt on them, so I discipline her to keep her safe.

Isn’t love grand? Even better, isn’t God’s love for us grander? So much so, He sent His only begotten Son in Jesus to die for us to have life (John 3:16)!