Tag: #devotions

A Year of Promises!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 
Welcome to
another new year, friends! I hope you’ve enjoyed your Christmas holidays.
Followed through with old traditions, made new ones. Enjoyed our wonderful
Savior.
 
Instead of
saying HAPPY new year, I’ll say something else. (I have said Happy New Year and
begrudge no one the saying, I’m making a point.) You see, some woke up this
morning still in physical and emotional pain, still struggling financially,
still grieving lost loved ones, still afraid or uncertain of the future. What I
will say is, here is to a promising new year. Here are just a few of those
promises. Happiness may not come, but the joy of the Lord is deep and abiding
even when things aren’t happy.
 
“If
you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My
Father’s commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you,
that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” John
15:10-11
 
“For
I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I
will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry
wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19
 
“No
weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against
you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the
Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.” Isaiah 54:17
 
“All
praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with
every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with
Christ.” Ephesians 1:3
 
“May
God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and
whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming
of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable.
If he said it, he’ll do it!” 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
 
“If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
 
“…nothing
can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels
nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even
the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above
or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to
separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our
Lord.”  Romans 8:38-39
 
“And
be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Matthew 28:20
 

 

Which of
these promises spoke to your heart most? Or if you have a promise you plan to
“stand” on this year, feel free to share it! 
 
Also, Happy Birthday to my mom today! I love you, mom! Here’s to a promising new year for you!

Keep It Humble Part 8: Don’t End up Grazing

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 
 “Be of the same mind toward one
another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do
not be wise in your own opinion.” Romans 12:16 NKJV
 
 
Today we’re finishing our
series on humility according to the passage here in Romans. I hope it’s
benefited you and you’ve applied it in your own life.
 
When the new year rolls
around, I’m sure we’ll talk more about humility and pride. It’s something everyone
wrestles with.
 
To be of the same mind, according to the Greek word, means to be
of the same mind i.e. agreed together, cherish the same views, be harmonious
 
Spend time with those who
cherish the Lord as you do and are of low esteem—humble. Not 
too big for their
britches.
 
You become who you spend time
with.
 
It’s true.
 
Why do you think God wants your
time so badly? So you’ll become more like him.
 
Do not be wise in your own
opinion. In the KJV it says, “Be not wise in your own conceits.”
Conceits…conceited. The Message
says, “Get along with each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with
nobodies; don’t be the great somebody.”
 
The truth is, without Christ,
we are nothing. We can do nothing. We need his grace. His mercy. His
forgiveness.
 
People who live this lifestyle,
they are the ones we should be spending time with. Associating with. You and I?
We don’t have it all together. We don’t know it all. And the moment we think we
do, we could end up growing hair all over our bodies while our nails shoot out
like claws and we settle for grazing in pastures!
 
Remember, King Neb? From the
book of Daniel?
 
“But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was
hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his
glory from him. Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made
like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with
grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that
the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He
chooses.” Daniel 5:20-21
 
I’d kinda like to get a handle on pride now, as I’m not a
fan of pastures or dew. Or grass—of any kind.
 
“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,
that He may exalt you in due time.” 1 Peter 5:6
 
I’d much rather God raise me up than to do it myself and
have Him bring me low. Amen?
 
Life
Application: Spend some time asking God to search your heart
and help you to see if you think you might be too big for your britches.
Evaluate your friendships/networkings and ask God to reveal to you your motives
behind them. If it’s about what they can do for you, how they make you look, if
it’s about the value they bring to you based solely on who they are…you might
want to pray through that. Who do associate with?

 

 
Prayer: God,
we ask for a clear picture of our motives. Bring light to areas that are
darkened by deceit and denial. Help us to learn to humble ourselves through
your word—by being more than hearers but doers—so that we don’t have to be brought
low through hard experiences. Give us grace when do have to. Teach us your
ways. Guide us into truth. Let it illuminate each step we take. For your glory,
In Jesus’ name, amen.
 
“Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for
dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love
deeply; practice playing second fiddle. Don’t burn out; keep yourselves fueled
and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don’t quit
in hard times; pray all the harder. Help needy Christians; be inventive in
hospitality. Bless your enemies; no cursing under your breath. Laugh with your
happy friends when they’re happy; share tears when they’re down. Get along with
each other; don’t be stuck-up. Make friends with nobodies; don’t be the great
somebody. Romans 12:9-16 MSG”
 
Have you ever been humbled by God? What did you learn from that experience?

Keep It Humble Part 7: I’m Not Feelin’ It

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

Mind your own business. Keep to yourself. Deal with your own
problems. Meet your deadlines. Taxi the children. Cook dinner.


“…rejoice with those that rejoice and weep with those that weep.” Romans 12:15, and our verse for today as we continue through our series. 

We live in an inward-focused world. The enemy has done a
bang-up job of seeing to that. Eat your meals fast. Pray fast. Be out of church
before your stomach growls. Leave before the closing prayer, get a jumpstart on
your real day. Small groups take too
much time away from me. An hour for MOPS meeting cuts into my laundry time.
It’s no wonder we don’t rejoice when others do or weep when
they weep. We’re too busy. We care, but
not to the extent of action. A quick, “I’m praying!” on Facebook is all we
have time for (not that there is a thing wrong with that!) But do you pray? Do
you set aside time and actually feel for that person and what they’re going
through? Okay, great! You do. Now think about the one you only know in passing
from online? Do you have the same heartfelt sympathy for that one as you do the
one you know intimately?
Tough questions today, huh? Not a single one I haven’t asked
myself. I have not liked some of my answers.
Let’s look at how far we’ve come in our journey through
Romans 12:9-21, in the context of humility.
“Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to
what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in
honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in
spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing
steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to
hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” Romans
12:9-14
I hope you’re applying these verses to your life and I
believe if you are, you’re seeing a heart difference.
Rejoicing for those who are rejoicing can be tough when we’re
faced with the green-eyed monster. We may want the same things that brother or
sister in Christ receives. We can put on our Oscar-losing face—you know the one
actors show when they lose at the awards show. A smile, a nod, a proper
applause. Inside, they’re not feeling it. We do the same, don’t we? Sometimes
it’s genuine and other times, it’s words on a page or spoken from our lips.
But God wants us to rejoice! To be glad. I think it’s normal
for us to have feelings of jealousy. I think that’s when we take it to God and
voice how we feel, then instead of having a pity party, ask him to fill us with
true gladness for our family member.
Weeping. It’s easier to actually feel sympathy as we all
have been hurt or lost someone, but how often do we actually mourn with someone
in our church we don’t really know? What if we actually have time to attend a funeral for someone’s loved one (I
realize we can’t go to every single one) and we don’t? Why? “I don’t really
know them or the member of their family they lost. But I’ll pray for God’s
peace and comfort.” While praying is good, do those family members in Christ
not need our physical support whether they really
know us or not?

Inward-focused
world. Inward-focus is rooted in pride. Pride is the opposite of humble.
How moved are you? How moved am I?
“Jesus went to the village Nain. His disciples were with
him, along with quite a large crowd. As they approached the village gate, they
met a funeral procession—a woman’s only son was being carried out for burial.
And the mother was a widow. When Jesus saw her, his heart broke. He said to
her, “Don’t cry.” Then he went over and touched the coffin. The pallbearers
stopped. He said, “Young man, I tell you: Get up.” The dead son sat up and
began talking. Jesus presented him to his mother.” Luke 7:10-12
He was visiting the village and saw her. And he stopped.
Took time to feel her pain and was moved to action.

So how
do we overcome obstacles that keep us from rejoicing? And overcome our own
business and insensitivity for those who weep?
The video on Monday hinted to it. I think it boils down to
this verse (and ones like it).
“I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right
hand I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My
flesh also will rest in hope.” Psalm 16:8-9
When we spend intimate time with our Lord and set him before
us always—before our to-do list, and our self, when he’s close enough to lace
his invisible fingers into our right hand, though we don’t see them, we can
feel the strength and love—the squeeze—the perfect fit, we will be filled with
gladness. With joy. With the love of Christ and the more Christ’s love consumes
us, the easier it is to rejoice with others and weep in sincerity.
Will we have moments of jealousy even when we’re deeply
rooted in Him? Yes. But they won’t last long. Conviction will swiftly come. And
His love will move through you to act with sincere rejoicing.
Time with him humbles us. Remember, “And if one member
suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the
members rejoice with it.” 1 Corinthians 12:26

Life
Application: If you have someone that is rejoicing, but you
haven’t been able to rejoice with them, sincerely, pray that God will give you
the grace and power to do so, then do something nice for them. Send them a
handwritten card, a treat, take them out for coffee if they live nearby and
watch God give you the supernatural ability to rejoice as you act in obedience.
If you need to focus more on others who are weeping and hurting, ask God to help
you see past you and take specific actions to show sympathy.

Prayer: God,
we want to love like you. We want to be moved as you are moved. Forgive us for
not seeing past our nose and making excuses to keep us from loving hurting
family members as well as truly rejoicing with them as well. Give us strength
to spend more time soaking in your word, in your love, in your presence so we’ll
have your grace, love, and mercy to pour out on others. We give you glory! In
Jesus Name, Amen.

Have
you ever had a hard time rejoicing for someone?

 How did you work through that?
photocredit: freedigitalphotos/davidcastillodomincia

Wake Me Up Before…

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

…I become too distant. Admit, you were thinking, “you go go…don’t leave my hanging on like a yo-yo.” 

Wednesday, we’re going to look at some wonderful examples of weeping when other weep and talk about how we can rejoice when others rejoice. 

Don’t you love how the left side of this photo has a blooming flower, rejoicing as it looks on to the single tear drop about to fall? Maybe it’s part of another sunflower that hasn’t quite bloomed. Or maybe it’s the same flower. We rejoice. We weep.

We’ll unpack this verse in further detail in the context of humility. I hope you’ll join me as we move on through Romans 12:9-21. 

I’m keeping it short so you can pause before hopping to you next blog, and take a minute to let the Son shine on you. I hope today is one of blooming, but if it’s not, if it’s one of weeping, I’m praying for you. If you’d like to share your request, please email me.

If you’re a busy mom, especially, this song is for you and it’s a key factor in what we’ll talk about on Wednesday. 

What do you think is easier: Rejoicing or weeping with others? Why?

Old Dreams and New Dreams

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 
 
Everyone, welcome back Melissa Tagg! And Happy Halloween tomorrow–or Happy Fall if you don’t celebrate it! Take it away, Melissa!
 
I’ve written about the main
characters in my debut novel, Made to Last, quite a few times around the
blogosphere. Miranda and Matthew—I sorta love them. Okay, I really love them. And Blake, too. I love
him so much I gave him his own book, which comes out next spring.
 
But I haven’t written as often—or
possibly at all—about one of the book’s side characters: A guy named Jase.
 
Jase was one of those subplot guys
who sneaks up on you. Writers know what I’m talking about. We may not actually
all that fully plan out the character’s role in the story, but once he waltzes
his way onto the page, we discover he has a history and maybe even a little
story arc all his own.
 
Thus, Jase.
 
Jase is the brother of my hero,
Matthew. Turns out he went down to Texas a few years ago, acted as visiting art
professor at a college and came home a semester later with a wife and
stepdaughter. The stepdaughter, Cee, is deaf—a result of meningitis—and is part
of my hero’s motivation. See, a whole backstory that just sort of ambled its
way into existence as I wrote. (AH, I love being a writer!)
 
Anyway, there comes a point about
two-thirds of the way through the book when Matthew finds out Jase is facing
his own sort of mini-crisis. The photo gallery he opened in Minneapolis is
going under. Financially, it’s not supporting his soon-to-expand family
anymore. So he’s closing up shop and going back to teaching. And as he tells
Matthew about his family’s upcoming changes, Matthew starts thinking…about how
Jase was letting go of one dream, his gallery, in order to support his new
dream, his family. The mental journey had all sorts of implications in
Matthew’s own life.
 
I never really expected that scene
in the book to affect Matthew—or frankly, me—so much. But it did. Because
suddenly I was thinking back on my own life. On dreams and how they’ve changed
and how they’ve stayed the same. On how sometimes we have to let go of an old
dream in order to make room for a new one.
 
And here’s the point in this post
when we take a little back step to one of the more un-fun seasons in Melissa’s
life:
 
I had this dream once I was pretty
certain about. Things were working out. It seemed right. That is, until the
year everything changed. Oh. My. Word. I was not a fun person to be around that
year. That dream was slowly ripped away, and life became an emotional roller
coaster that I pretty much wailed my way through. I put on a good face now and
then, but the people who knew me best saw through pretend happy Melissa.
Honestly, I’m a little amazed they stuck by me through my pouting!
 
But I will never forget the day I
decided to let go. Finally. Completely. No more white-knuckled grasp on a thing
I knew God was saying “no” to. And here’s the verse that buoyed my hope that
day:
 
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it
springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and
streams in the wasteland.” –Isaiah 43:19
 
Doesn’t that verse just set your
mind spinning with awesome could-bes and might-bes? I love it. But it’s even
better when you go back and read it in context. I love how The Message
paraphrase puts it:
 
This is
what God says,
    the God who builds a
road right through the ocean,
    who carves a path
through pounding waves,
The God who summons horses and chariots and
armies—
    they lie down and then
can’t get up;
    they’re snuffed out like
so many candles:
“Forget about what’s happened;
    don’t keep going over
old history.
Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something
brand-new.
    It’s bursting out! Don’t
you see it?
There it is! I’m making a road through the
desert,
    rivers in the badlands.
Wild animals will say ‘Thank you!’
    —the coyotes and the
buzzards—
Because I provided water in the desert,
    rivers through the
sun-baked earth,
Drinking water for the people I chose,
    the people I made
especially for myself,
    a people custom-made to
praise me.
 
 
So. Good. But did you catch that
part about forgetting what’s happened, not going over old history? I don’t know
that we actually forget-forget. But
we do choose where to focus our thoughts. We choose whether to be present
today, focused on whatever new dream has replaced the old one. Or maybe we
don’t know what our new dream is yet, but just thinking about what it might
be…that’s fun. That’s the stuff of hope and excitement and newness.
 
And the crazily cool thing is, when
we really believe God is at work,
constantly doing something new in our lives, always with a plan and a purpose,
it gets a little easier to let go. A little easier to move on. And a little
easier to trust that it’s going to be worth it.
 
Have
you ever had to let go of a dream? How did you move forward? Do you have a new
dream now?

 

 

visit Melissa Tagg!
 
Here’s what Made to Last is all about!
Miranda Woodruff has it all. At least, that’s how it
looks when she’s starring in her homebuilding television show, From the
Ground Up. So when her network begins to talk about making cuts, she’ll do
anything to boost ratings and save her show–even if it means pretending to be
married to a man who’s definitely not the fiance who ran out on her three years
ago.

When a handsome reporter starts shadowing Miranda’s every move, all his digging
into her personal life brings him a little too close to the truth–and to her.
Can the girl whose entire identity is wrapped up in her on-screen persona
finally find the nerve to set the record straight? And if she does, will the
life she’s built come crashing down just as she’s found a love to last?

Keep it Humble Part 5: A Little Something Called the Love Factor

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 
So let me ask you: Have you been
using the life applications each week and trying to keep it humble with each
verse we’ve traveled through? How hard has it been? Has it been a piece of
cake? Yes? Then you aren’t doing it. Ha!
 
This week, we’re camping on verse
13, but let’s recap.
 
“9 Let love be without
hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.10 Be kindly
affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to
one another;11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in
spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient
in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;” Romans 12:9-12 NKJV
 
Check it in the Message version. I love it.
 
“Love from the center of who you are; don’t fake it. Run for
dear life from evil; hold on for dear life to good. Be good friends who love
deeply; practice playing second fiddle.  Don’t burn out;
keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully
expectant. Don’t quit in hard times; pray all the harder.” Romans 12:9-12
If you want to catch up on the series so far, you can here:
 
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, 
 
Today, let’s jump into verse
13: “distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.” NKJV and
here it is in the Message: “Help needy Christians; be inventive in hospitality.” 
 
Remember, this passage is about believers and how we treat
other Christians. I loved Monday’s YouTube video by Christy Nockels. They
(unbelievers) will know us (believers) by our love. Our love for who? Them but…
 
Jesus said in John 13, “Let me give you a new command: Love
one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how
everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you
have for each other.” (verses 34-35 MSG)
 
If we can’t love one another and be hospitable to our brothers
and sisters in Christ, how does that make us any different than any
non-believer in Christ? And I don’t just mean in our local body—I mean even
those who don’t agree with all your doctrine and say you are of the devil. Or
those who you think are of the devil lol! Can’t we all simply love Jesus and
get along?
 
But this isn’t about doctrine today. It’s about hospitality.
 
We have wonderful examples in the Old and New Testament. People
brought strangers into their homes and fed them, sometimes not realizing they
were entertaining angels. Now, I’m not saying drag every stranger in your home,
we have to use discernment and be safe. But I think we need to be open to the
leading of the Holy Spirit, in case he does have us pull over on the side of
the road or do the unusual.
 
The word hospitality in the Greek is philoxenia and it means love to strangers,
hospitality It comes from the root word philoxenos which means hospitable,
generous to guests
So maybe you don’t pull in every
person off the street, but does that mean you can’t pay for a stranger’s coffee
in front of you? Buy the meal for the table next to yours? The Message version
says, “be inventive in
hospitality.” 
 
How can
you get inventive?
 
What does it mean to distribute to the needs of the saints?
Well, who are the saints? Saints mean most holy thing.
 
Have you ever thought of yourself as a “most holy thing?”
 
Neither have I.
 
But if you believe in Christ, you are indeed a saint. A “most
holy thing” to the Lord. “ A most holy man or woman. I have a hard time looking
at myself as God does. He sees me through the pure and holy blood of Christ. I
see me as simply me. Flesh. Rags. A vapor in the wind. A struggler in so many
areas.
 
But I
am a saint. Most holy to God. Set apart. Precious. Worth dying for. Beloved. Beautiful.
 
And so
are you.
 
Funny but when we read the word “distribute” we think of
giving. However that Greek word is koinōneō and it doesn’t mean giving in the sense you may think it does. It means
to enter into fellowship, join one’s self to an associate, make one’s self a
sharer or partner
 
And to be given to it. Given,
meaning to pursue it eagerly. Ever heard of a small group? Church events that
are surrounded around fellowship and food? Spend time with other believers. It’s
important! We need each other.
 
“Now all who believed were
together, and had all things in common, and sold their possessions and goods,
and divided them among all, as anyone had need.”  Acts 2:44-45
Preachers should stop hammering tithing and teach
this! They didn’t give a tenth. They
gave all they had and used the money to help each other according to their
needs.
 
“So continuing daily with one
accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their
food with gladness and simplicity of heart,  praising
God and having favor with all the people.” Acts 2: 46-47
 
They ate together, laughed
together. Based on their common thread. A scarlet thread. Jesus 
Christ. Out of
gladness and joy. With praise.
 
They had favor with all people.
 
What was the result of this
unity? Of humbling themselves, giving of themselves sacrificially, centered by
the love of Christ?
“And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being
saved.” Acts 2:47
 
And they will know us by our love
for one another. Like the video sang this past Monday. The whole point of this life called Christianity is to glorify
God, to snatch souls from the fire and to show the world his love.
Hard to do when we’re at each
other’s throats and slinging messages of hate through the venue of freedom of
speech. I’ve seen saints more hateful on facebook than anywhere else. 
And I’ve
seen non-believers scoff and unfriend us. On facebook. And in their hearts.
 
I’ve known Christians who are the
stingiest, self-absorbed people on the planet.
 
I’ve been that Christian, too.
 
Wanna be humble? Love the saints.
Give to the saints. Give to the scoffers. Be eager to do it. 
 
Love with all you
got. Because at the end of the day, you aren’t taking a thing with you. And you
will stand before the King.
 
“For the Son of Man will come in
the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according
to his works.” Matthew 16:27
 
“Our only goal is to please God whether we live here
or there, because we must all stand before Christ to be
judged. Each of us will receive what we should get—good or bad—for the things
we did in the earthly body. 2 Corinthians 5:9-10
 
 
Life Application: This week make it your mission to do one thing to show hospitality to a saint. And then do one thing to show your love to an unbeliever. 
 
Prayer: Lord, thank you that we are holy to you. Set apart to bring you glory and honor. Give us the strength and supernatural ability to love, to be hospitable, to give. Open our hands to let it go so that you can fill it with every good thing spiritually. Let us reap our good deeds in the spiritual bank, in our hearts. In our relationship with you. Fill us with all joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen
 

 

Let’s get inventive together. How can we show
others our love? Let the creativity and ideas begin!

Keeping it Humble Part 4: Don’t Stop Believing

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 
Hey everyone, today we’re breaking down a tough verse, not
that they haven’t all been tough. Let’s recap what we’ve worked through so far:
 
“Let love be without
hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly
affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to
one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit,
serving the Lord;” Romans 12:9-11 NKJV
 
If you’re just joining our series on keeping it humble you
can catch up here:
 
Part 1
 
Part 2 
 
Part 3
 
Part 4
 
We’re tacking on verse 12 to our passage.
 
“…rejoicing
in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;”
 
Let’s dig into each phrase, breaking it down in the Greek for
a richer meaning, then apply it to ourselves in the context of humility.
 
Ready?
 
Rejoicing means to be exceedingly glad and to thrive or do
well.
 
In hope…what is the hope that we are to be exceedingly glad
about and thrive in?
 
The Greek word for hope is elpis and it means joyful
and confident expectation of eternal salvation; the author of hope, or he who
is its foundation
 
You and I have a reason to thrive and do well, we have a reason
to be exceedingly glad. The author of our hope has defeated death, hell, and
the grave. He has rescued us from eternal damnation. Our hope is forever
salvation and all the freedom that it brings. We have a firm foundation to rejoice
upon, it’s Jesus Christ!
 
And the reason this phrase comes first, I believe, is because
we need to remember first and foremost that we have something and Someone to
hope in.
 
Why?
 
Tribulations are coming. 
 
And it will require patience. It’s
during these times we need to remind ourselves to rejoice, to be glad, because
hope is not lost.
 
The word patient in
the Greek is hypomenō and it means to preserve: under misfortunes and trials
hold fast to one’s faith in Christ; to endure, bear bravely and calmly: ill
treatments
 
I’m reminded of David. He’d been anointed king in private
but instead of ascending to the throne, he served, humbly, a king who came to
despise him through jealous eyes. Many years David ran from Saul. He hid in caves.
He had no rest. And many of his Psalms were written during this time.
 
In Psalm
25 David pours out his heart: “Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me,
For I am
desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have enlarged; Bring me out of
my distresses! Look on my affliction and my pain, And forgive all my sins. Consider
my enemies, for they are many; And they hate me with cruel hatred. Keep my
soul, and deliver me; Let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in You. Let
integrity and uprightness preserve me, For I wait for You.” Verses 16-21
 
I see
tribulation. And I also see while he shares his trouble with the Lord, he
trusts Him and ends here with the fact he will wait for God.
 
Will you?
 
The phrase
continuing steadfastly in prayer in the Greek is proskartereō and it means, to
persevere and not to faint; to show one’s self courageous for; to be steadfastly
attentive unto, to give unremitting care to a thing
 
Prayer
takes courage, doesn’t it? It means you believe you’re being heard by the
Almighty. It shows vulnerability and trust. Sometimes, we don’t see our prayers
answered right away. Sometimes after five, ten, fifteen years, we have yet to
see the pain taken away, the dreams fulfilled fill-in-the-blank.
 
And we get
tired. We grow faint. We stop praying. Maybe, just maybe, we stop believing.
Cue Don’t Stop Believing by Journey here. Susan Tuttle, my iTunes hit was just for
you.
 
We have to
travel back to that first phrase. Rejoice in hope. And you and I both know at
times, rejoicing has to be a choice. Especially when we’re experiencing
tribulation.
 
We can’t
give up praying.
 
Again, I’m
reminded of David. After he and Bathsheba committed adultery, their child died.
God had already told David this was going to happen. Yet, David fasted and wept
and prayed because he said in 2 Samuel 12:22, ‘Who can tell whether the Lord will
be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ “
 
It isn’t
over until it’s over. 
 
Yes, David’s son still died. And that’s a hard pill to
swallow, but God had just told David after he repented, that his sins would be
inked out. Forgiven. But with sin comes consequences (I am not saying that
children’s deaths are linked to sin. I’m talking about David’s personal case
here) and I like to see this as a picture of grace and mercy. Because that is
Who God is.
 
For one
man to live, a son had to die.
 
For you
and I to have the hope we do, a Son had to die.
 
 
Hezekiah
prayed to the Lord when he was sick. And God gave him fifteen years more on his
life.
 
We can’t
give up praying. We must persevere and be brave. Stay calm and trust God to do
the right thing, to allow the right things, even when they feel wrong to you and
I.
 
Prayer is
humbling. Especially when we’re in situations we can’t control. And I think it’s
fair to say we can’t control tribulations. When we rejoice in hope and meditate
on that hope, it is humbling. We can’t save ourselves. We can’t control every
single thing. We must be dependent on Someone else. And we have to be
vulnerable and trust.
 
Praying
continually keeps us low and brings God high. Rightfully where He belongs.
Rightfully where we belong.
 
“But,
beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a
thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack
concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward
us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”
2 Peter 3:8-9
 
“If you
are trying hard to do good, no one can really hurt you. But even if you suffer
for doing right, you are blessed.
 
“Don’t be
afraid of what they fear;
    do not dread those things.” (reference: Isaiah
8:12–13)
 
But
respect Christ as the holy Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to answer
everyone who asks you to explain about the hope you have, but answer in a
gentle way and with respect. Keep a clear conscience so that those who speak
evil of your good life in Christ will be made ashamed.  It is better to suffer for doing good than for
doing wrong if that is what God wants.  Christ himself suffered for sins once. He was
not guilty, but he suffered for those who are guilty to bring you to God. His
body was killed, but he was made alive in the spirit.” 1 Peter 3:13-18 NCV
 

 

 
Life Application: If you have given up praying for something, start again this week. Today! Make a conscious decision
to rejoice and when those around you ask why you can be exceedingly glad when
your life is falling apart at best and at the very least, you have some
annoyances going on, you can answer them and tell them about your hope. About
Who your foundation is built upon. Take time to pour your heart out to the Lord. Be
honest and vulnerable before Him. Trust Him to know best.
 
Prayer: Lord, we love you, honor you, trust you,
respect you. We rejoice and give thanks for the amazing rescue of our souls.
For taking our place, for becoming our sin and giving us a eternal hope. Thank
you for never leaving us or forsaking us, even when we feel alone and isolated
and destroyed. We know that we are not. We may be struck down, but never
destroyed. Lord, help us to grasp that things really do work together for good
to those who love you. Let us not grow bitter and see that as a platitude with no
power behind it, but as hope for our future. A good one. One that will indeed
prosper us. Lord, forgive us for dropping the ball in prayer regardless of our
reasons. And strengthen us to continue in it because, Lord, we truly never know
when you will show grace and mercy. And it is not over until it’s over. In Your
precious name, Jesus, Amen.
 
How can I pray for you
and with you? If you want to email me privately, go to my Connect page. Now, what
is one thing you can rejoice about today?
 
 photocredit: freedigitalphotos/BJWOK
photocredit:freedigitalphotos/jscreationzs
photocredit:freedigitalphotos/davidCastillodominici

It Takes Courage to…

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 

…to pray at all times. And it takes faith like a child. 

We’re going to unpack this verse in depth on Wednesday as we continue our series in humility based on Romans 12:9-21. Join me and isn’t this the sweetest picture you’ve ever seen? Feel free to pin it on your Pinterest page.

But now, take a few minutes to worship before moving on to your next blog post. The song gives us a hint into the lesson. Keep it classy i.e. humble!

What else does it take courage and childlike faith to do? 

Keep it Humble Part 4: I Like to Move it!

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch
 
How
did your last week’s challenge/life application go? Did you give honor to those
in high rank i.e. every believer? Was it difficult? I’d love for you to share
about that in the comments or email me privately.
 
This
week, we’re moving on. With two challenges under our belt, it’s time to step it
up. Literally. But if you’d like to catch up:
 
Keep it Humble Part 3
 
Let’s
look at Romans 12:11 “…not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit,
serving the Lord;” NKJV
 
The
verse before that is about showing genuine affection to our brothers and
sisters in Christ.
 
I
want to look at this verse in the KJV because I like the wording. Here it is:
“Not
slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;”
 
How
does this apply to us in the context of humility, in keeping it classy i.e.
humble?
 
Let’s
break down the words in the Greek and then put them together for richer meaning
and application:
 
Look
at the Greek word for slothful. Oknēros. It means, sluggish,
slothful, backward. Oknēros comes from the root word: okneō to
delay, hesitate
 
The
Bible has several things to say about being sluggish and slothful. Let’s peek
at just a few scriptures.
 
“And
they said, Arise, that we may go up against them: for we have seen the land,
and, behold, it is very good: and are ye still? be not slothful
to go, and to enter to possess the land.” Judges 18:9
 
This
verse comes right off the end of the twelve spies getting a good look at the
land God promised to them. Promised Land. It was a place that flowed with
abundance and it was a gift God wanted them to have. They had work to do to get
it. They had to partner with God. Trust Him to go before and fight their
battles, but they were going to have to do a little sword raising themselves. We too have to raise our swords–the Word of God–to fight, but Jesus Christ has
gone before us!
 
Only
two out of the twelve wanted to go in. Joshua and Caleb. “Let us not
hesitate! Let us not delay! Let us not move backward, but go in and take what
rightfully belongs to us.”
 
You
and I have “land” to possess. Dreams to fulfill. Promises given to us
by God. Family members who need saved, reconciliation, freedom from sin,
weakness and addictions. Don’t delay. Don’t hesitate! Go in. Raise your
“sword” and possess what God has already given. ALREADY.
 
But
what does that word business mean? In the KJV, the word is diligence.
Not lagging in diligence.
 
 That word (business/diligence) in the Greek is
spoudē and it means earnestness in accomplishing, promoting, or
striving after anything; to give all diligence, interest one’s self most
earnestly
 
It
comes from the root word speudō which is probably strengthened by this
Greek word: pous, pronounced pooce, meaning a foot, both of men or
beast; often in the orient, one put his foot on vanquished; of disciples
listening to their teacher’s instruction are said to be at his feet
 
The
minute I read this phonetically and read the definition, I made a connection.
Have you?
 
In
essence, Stop pussy-footing around!

 
Donna Pyle, I think this is your cat! For real. 
 
 The definition of pussyfoot is “to
refrain from committing oneself; to avoid making a definite decision or stating
a definite opinion because of fear, doubt, etc.
 
Isn’t
that exactly what the Israelites did? Pussyfooted around and never got to see
their Promised Land, never had the chance to live out the God-given promise.
Fear. Doubt. Uh, yeah, giants lived in the land. But God is much bigger than a
giant. And He had already promised them. He is faithful to keep His word.
 
How
often have you missed out on God’s promises and blessing because of
pussyfooting around?
 
Let’s
look at one more example of being slothful/sluggish and then we’ll connect it
to staying humble, if you haven’t already.
 
“By
much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of
the hands the house droppeth through.” Ecclesiastes 10:18 KJV
 
Here
it is in an easier translation:
“Because
of laziness the building decays, and through idleness of hands
the house leaks.” NKJV
 
 Obviously if you don’t keep maintenance on
your home, it’s going to leak and decay.
 
But
what about your spiritual home? “Or do you not know that your body is the
temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not
your own?” NKJV 1 Corinthians 6:19
 
 
What
happens when you become slothful with that? Same thing. Prepare to decay and
leak if you aren’t caring daily for your home. Feed it. Part of maintaining a
healthy functioning home is renewing daily in the Word. We learn to imitate
Christ through His Word. We learn humility through knowing Him.
 
But
let’s go one step further and finish out Romans 12:11.
 
“…fervent
in spirit, serving the LORD.”
 
We’re
back to loving with zeal what is good. Remember the first part of this passage,
“abhor what is evil; cling to what is good.” Fervent means to
love with zeal what is good and serving the LORD, it means in a good sense, to
yield obedience; to be a slave, serve, do service; devoted to another to the
disregard of one’s own interests
 
When
we, as His disciples, sit at His feet (studying His Word), bank on Him asking
us to serve. Sometimes, it may seem like too much. Too hard. Too exhausting.
Too big. Giant-sized. We may entertain the idea of pussyfooting around, thanks
to fear and doubt and etc.
 
But
we are commanded to not be lazy, hesitant or to delay. We are to serve with
fervor–with zeal and love for what is good (and what God asks of us is always
good) and we are to serve the LORD in this manner. To yield to obedience,
devoted to Him and not our own interests. To think of others first.
 
And
this, my friends, will humble us. The fact that God wants us to fulfill our
destinies–that He’s even mapped out a wonderful destiny for each of us alone
should drop us to our knees in humility–He wants us to do incredible things
for others. It’s humbling.
 
 Love without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil and
cling to what is good. Give honor to those who have been bought with a price
and see them through the blood of Christ. And stop pussyfooting around, raise
your sword, slay giants. Don’t hesitate.
 
Move
it! Move it!
 
“Look,
the Lord your God has set the land before you; go up and possess it, as the
Lord God of your fathers has spoken to you; do not fear or be
discouraged.’” Deuteronomy 1:21
 
“And
the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not
leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” Deuteronomy 31:8
 
Life Application: This week I challenge you to find ways to serve in your local body, to serve another believer in Christ. And I challenge you to spend time daily in your Word, in order to maintain your spiritual home. If God has been nudging you to obey in a certain area…move it! This week! Today!
 
Prayer: God, we love you. We thank you for gracing us daily with the opportunity to sit merciful at your feet to learn, to be filled with Holy Spirit as we search your treasure trove of scriptures and as he guides us into all truth. It is a privelege to daily serve you. Give us the strength, help us to cast off all fear and doubt–to settle into the peace of knowing that you go before us. You are faithful to accomplish everything that concerns us. You never leave us or forsake us. We are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ. May our hands never be idle, never lazy. But alert. Full of zeal, passion, and gratitude. And may we be humbled as we serve you wholly. In Jesus’ name, amen! 
 
Why
do you think serving others promotes humility?

PS I’m over at the amazing Married…with fiction blog today talking about my critiquing services and common mistakes I see. Come on over and say hi! And if you need someone to partner with you, see my critiquing/editing page!

 

Working Hard for the…

Posted on by Jessica R. Patch

You immediately thought money, didn’t you? You know you did. 

Working hard for…the Lord! 

On Wednesday, we’ll unpack this verse using the KJV translation. Here it is for you to meditate on or post to your Pinterest board:

“…not slothful in business, fervent in spirit; serving the Lord…”

I’ve kept it short you so you can have a couple minutes to worship before moving on to your next blog post! I love this song by Kari Jobe. I love the lyrics even more.

Do you ever find yourself lagging in serving the Lord? Why do you think we lose our zeal? How do you think we can rekindle the fiery passion that used to burn?  The video below hints at our lesson on Wednesday and how to serve with zeal, not lagging.