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Archive for the ‘Spiritual Strength’ Category

Knights in Daze

Posted in Armor of God, Devotional, Encouragement, Endurance, God's Provision, Preparedness, Spiritual Strength, Victory on June 1, 2011| Leave a Comment »

Photo: © Jørgen Erik Christensen

Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand (Ephesians 6:13).

Like any good soldier, I put my armor on daily –at least most of it- but this old armor is dented, scratched and tarnished from battle. Come to think of it, so is my husband’s. I can only look back with amusement to those long-ago days when I, like most foolish schoolgirls, dreamt of my very own knight in shining armor whisking me away to the land of happily ever-after.

My knight did finally come along –and he was tall, dark and handsome- but his armor was certainly not fancy or impressive. Truthfully, I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Yes, I could have settled for some dazzling knight in shining armor. Nevertheless, by the time my would-be husband entered my life I had matured enough to realize that true warriors were experienced in battle and their armors were well-worn. The Lord had sent me a man who was quiet and unpretentious on the outside but spiritually robust inwardly. I knew that whatever battles we would face in life, my rugged knight would be up for the fight.

That is not to say, however, that we have never been injured in battle. The Bible says that we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). Therefore, the battles we face are often arduous and exhausting, leaving us battle-weary and dazed.

Consequently, putting on the full armor of God is absolutely essential if we are to overcome these forces. Scripture instructs us to put on the armor so that we can withstand (resist) in the evil day, having done all, to stand. The Greek word for stand, pronounced his’-tay-mee, is speaking of abiding in steadfast faithfulness.

In other words; if we clothe ourselves in our spiritual armor each day -which is truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation- we will be equipped to overcome every battle –never faltering in our relationship with the Lord and never retreating from His service.

The whole concept of medieval knights has been greatly glamorized over time, but in reality the average knight, although well-respected, rarely achieved the fame and status that modern legend has portrayed. Though born of nobility, they were very hard-working soldiers who were trained in battle from the earliest days of their youth. They devoted their entire lives to serving their lords and protecting the general populace, laying down their own lives when necessary. The knights of old, like soldiers of Christ, never retreated from service.

Furthermore, the average knight rarely wore a shining, unblemished armor. Those who did were generally the lazy, uncaring men who flaunted their wealth and self-professed superiority. These men loved to don their most elaborate armor and participate in exhibition events. Not much has changed. There are a lot of folks walking around in shiny spiritual armor. They may look the part, but I would much rather be surrounded by the soldiers in God’s army whose armors show signs of use.

Why? Because there are times when I need other warriors to fight on my behalf. Sometimes “I drop my sword and cry for just awhile, ‘cause deep inside this armor, the warrior is a child. Unafraid because His armor is the best, but even soldiers need a quiet place to rest…” (Twila Paris song, The Warrior is a Child)

What about you? Do you feel that life’s battles have left you battle-weary and dazed? Jesus lovingly admonished: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

The seasons of rest we now enjoy may be temporary, but always remember, someday soon the Lord will return to whisk us all away to the land of happy ever-after. I can hardly wait. Till then, I plan to keep this battered old armor; it has served me well.

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How Sweet Thy Word

Posted in Devotional, Faith, Guidance, Obedience, Purity, Religion, Spiritual Strength on May 23, 2011| 1 Comment »

photo: alternativeconsumer.com

I’ve often wondered why some folks buy healthier, sugar-free cereal yet dump two or three teaspoons of sugar on it before eating it; that defeats the purpose doesn’t it? True, I did the same thing when I was a kid but that is only because I learned by example. As an adult, I wanted my family to be as healthy as possible so I bought whole grain cereals and we ate them without added sugar.

Besides, sugar tends to cover-up the real taste of food. For the most part, our human nature likes it that way, even though our bodies don’t. The last time I was in the cereal aisle at the grocery store, I was amazed at how many varieties we now have to choose from. I was able to find a few boxes of plain, single-grained cereals scattered amongst the plethora of boxed breakfast foods but they were few and far between. Most of them had all kinds of ingredients added to make them more appealing to the masses, even though many of those additives, especially the artificial ones, are often harmful to a person’s health.

Truthfully, I find the same trend amongst many churches today. There are so many church “flavors” to choose from these days, and most of them have one thing in common: the modern church has added lots of enticing programs and practices in order to make it more appealing to the world. This strategy has certainly worked. I wonder, though, are we guilty of taking the purity of God’s word and sugar-coating it?

Don’t get me wrong, I am thankful for good church programs, especially those that are truly evangelistic in nature. However, I fear that the church, in its zeal to bring people in, has dropped her guard and added too many secular ingredients. These enticements might make the church more palatable to the world, but in the long-run they can be quite harmful to everyone’s spiritual health.

Let’s be honest, what does martial arts classes or punk rock have to do with the gospel? Yet these kinds of things -and more- are gaining popularity in our churches. Yes, these “seeker-friendly” enticements might bring people into the church, and they might even say the sinner’s prayer but are their lives truly changed after they are saved, or are we instead breeding a new generation of believers who try to embrace both the godly and the secular? Jesus said we cannot serve two masters.

He also said that no one can come to Him unless the Father draws him. Therefore, it really doesn’t matter how comfortable our building is or how awesome our programs. If the church maintains her foundation, staying rooted in the purity of God’s word, His kingdom will grow no matter what –and lives will be transformed.

We’ve all heard the proverbial saying “If it aint broke, don’t fix it!” The prophet Jeremiah would agree and we can learn by his example. He wrote:

This is what the LORD says:
“Stand at the crossroads and look;
ask for the ancient paths,
ask where the good way is, and walk in it,
and you will find rest for your souls. (6:16)

My friends, we don’t need to sugar coat the gospel nor God’s instructions. Rather, we need to embrace them as they are and taste of their fullness!

How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (Psalms 119:103)

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Chicken Feet

Posted in Bread of Life, Devotional, Emotional Healing, Encouragement, God's Provision, Healing, Spiritual Strength on May 10, 2011| Leave a Comment »

What happened to spring? I guess I’ve been so busy with all the extra tasks of preparing for summer that it just crept up on me without noticing –until the blast of triple digits hit me in the face that is.

No matter how hot it gets though, I just can’t bring myself to use Chicken Poop™ on my lips. Granted, this oddly named lip balm doesn’t really contain any barnyard waste, but the name itself is a bit of a
turn-off. Obviously, you can’t judge a book by its cover but still….

I’ll let you in on a little secret. Although my face scrunches at the thought of putting Chicken Poop™ on my lips, I can’t help but enjoy the expressions on my dinner guests’ faces when they find out I use chicken feet in my matzah ball soup. Apparently, the thought of a chicken’s feet is nearly as distasteful as the thought of its poop.

So why use them? “Chicken feet – gnarly, repulsive and disturbing – make for the very best stock. Devoid of little else but tendons, bone and cartilage (sound appetizing yet?), chicken feet produce a fine golden broth that’s rich in all those obscure nutrients that make a good stock so nourishing: glucosamine chondroitin, collagen and trace minerals…” and “an excellent source of
calcium …” (Nourished Kitchen).

Additionally, chicken broth made with the feet is tastier! If you’re like most, that statement leaves you a bit skeptical, but the proof is in the pudding -or in this case the broth. You’ll have to try it for yourself. Most importantly, it is well-known that chicken broth has natural healing properties.

Today I plan to make soup for dinner because some members of my household are dealing with sinus infections and we always try the natural remedies first. However, we would be greatly amiss if we did not prioritize our healing efforts with the most natural and most essential medicine of all – the word of God.
Whenever anyone in my family is sick, I like to open the Bible and digest some “Gos-pills,” which is my pet term for all the Scriptures which promise physical healing -there are tons of them!

However, it is not only the healing scriptures that we must dwell on but rather the Bible as a whole. There is much instruction given for our spiritual health as well as our physical:

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them, and health to all their flesh (Proverbs 4:20-22).

The Bible is replete with God’s promise of healing-both spiritual and physical! Yet I know several people who claim they don’t read the Bible because it is nothing more than an unsavory list of “Thou shall not(s)!” While it is true that there are some of those in the Bible, there are also a lot of “Thou Shall” instructions also. Either way, some of these instructions are a bit like chicken feet – a bit repulsive to our way of thinking. Like chicken feet, however, many of these instructions are loaded with nourishment (for our souls.) Once we give them a try, we quickly learn that they are not as distasteful as we initially presumed; they are rather pleasing and satisfying instead.

I share this with you because like the Apostle John, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul prospers (3 John 1:2). Dear reader, if you have hesitated to read the Bible because you are apprehensive about what might be in there, remember, you can’t judge a book by its cover.

Having said that, maybe I should throw some Chicken Poop™ on these chapped lips after all, then go make that soup.

Postscript: In case you were wondering (I was), Chicken Poop™ is made of Soybean Oil, Beeswax, Jojoba Oil, Lavender Essential Oil, Sweet Orange Essential Oil –sounds like good stuff.

(1) Nourished Kitchen @ http://nourishedkitchen.com/ 30 November 2009

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“Self, I said…”

Posted in Devotional, Encouragement, Faith, Spiritual Strength on February 10, 2011| 1 Comment »

Genevieve was without a doubt one of the most eccentric characters I had ever met. This Seventy–year-old woman would frequently recount details of her past exploits, which were every bit as strange as she. Every now and then she would tuck tufts of bleached-blonde hair back into the nest piled atop her head then gently reshape it. Heaven forbid she should recap an adventure without looking as august as possible.

There was nothing stately about her voice though; it grated on me. She spoke with the hoarse voice of a smoker and her laugh was just as raspy. Even so, her stories always amused me, especially the parts in which she began with the words “I said to myself –Self, I said…”

At this point she always waved her quellazaire slightly as though she were a Hollywood celebrity. I never actually saw her inhale smoke from the thin brown cigarette it held, but I must admit, this little ploy did add to the dramatic effect and held my attention. I was always interested to hear what she said to herself and how those words impacted the decisions she made in the midst of her then current exploit.

Truth be known, I never considered her talking to herself to be one of her eccentricities. I do it all the time. (I even answer myself, but don’t tell anyone). It’s true I occasionally mumble to myself about trivial stuff but mostly I encourage myself in the Lord. Hey, King David did that, so I figure I am in pretty good company (I Sam 30:6).

There is little doubt the Apostle Paul did too. In fact, he told us to be filled with the Holy Spirit — Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19). He goes on to say that we should always be giving thanks. Elsewhere, he says to rejoice always. I don’t know about you but I do a lot of that out loud.

The general populace might think I’m a bit crazy but I’m not always talking to them anyway so what does it matter? Sometimes I am talking about them though. For example, “Bless that person Lord,” or “Praise God, it is so good to see someone with such good manners in our day and age!” They don’t usually seem to mind that sort of thing.

Let’s not forget that the mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life (Proverbs 10:11). That being the case, perhaps we should all talk to ourselves (and to others) a bit more. We should be reminding ourselves constantly about what God’s word has to say. After all, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 10:17).

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe said, “All truly wise thoughts have been thought thousands of times; But to make them truly ours we must think them over again honestly (and long enough), until they take root in our personal experience.”

I don’t know about you but I learn the written word best by hearing it, which is why I read my Bible out loud and/or listen to the Bible on cassette. I even pray better out loud. I agree with von Goethe’s statement though I prefer to hear what I am thinking.

You should try it sometime. These days you don’t even have to feel like a nut to do so. If you are in public and a scripture or a prayer comes to mind, don’t be afraid to say it out loud, people will just think you are talking on some kind of hands-free device or something anyway. I do recommend, however, that you not answer yourself in public — that might draw a stare or two.

Finally, here is a fun little perk for you to try the next time someone asks you something like, “That must’ve been awful. How did you manage to get through it?” Look them straight in the eye, smile and say “I said to myself –Self, I said….”

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Elbow Grease and Head Cheese

Posted in Devotional, Guidance, Spiritual Strength on December 13, 2010| 3 Comments »

I was about seven-years-old when I first learned that elbow grease is not stored in the garage and head cheese is definitely not a dairy product. For the record, head cheese is hardly my idea of food. This nasty lunch “meat” is actually made from the flesh of a pig’s head, tongue, and other gross body parts. Why they call it head “cheese” is beyond me even today, so you can certainly understand why I was confused as a child.

Finding out the meaning of ‘elbow grease’ was really no big deal; I had been using it for years even if I hadn’t known it. Adversely, I nearly vomited when I learned the truth about head cheese the hard way -by tasting it. What kind of adult gives one of the world’s biggest cheese lovers a slice of this nasty stuff (which looks nothing like cheese) and let’s them stick it in their mouth thinking that if it has the word cheese in its name it must be good?

Speaking of cheese, my mother’s heart compels me to share a humorous memory with you. After the birth of my second daughter, my son decided he didn’t want grilled cheese sandwiches anymore. I was a bit puzzled because this was his favorite food at the time.

“Really? Why don’t you want a grilled cheese?” I asked quizzically. “You love those.”

His response made me laugh out loud.

“I don’t want no more girled cheese sam-iches, I want a boyed cheese one.”

I still get a kick out of that when it comes to mind. Then I wonder, how many times have I misunderstood my Heavenly Father while He was “feeding” me His Word?

The apostle Paul wrote: When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. I Corinthians 13:11

Studying the Holy Bible is unquestionably one of my all-time favorite things to do. However, I learned a long time ago that some parts of Scripture are far more difficult to understand than others. Consequently, they can be easily misunderstood. How then are we to mature in the faith if we don’t understand some of the more obscure passages? Commentaries are wonderful resources, but ultimately they are just another man’s opinion, which may or may not be as enlightened as our own. It is very important that we read the Bible with the correct understanding.

Our Father made it easier than we think. He inspired the apostle John to write:

But the Comforter, [which is] the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:26)

But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things, and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will[a] abide in Him. (I John 2:27)

I am certainly not minimizing the role of pastors and teachers. These were given by God for our benefit (Ephesians 4:11) and we most assuredly need them, but I am encouraging us all to begin EVERY Bible reading by inviting the Holy Spirit’s wise instruction. Each time we open the Bible, let us pray that the Spirit would help us to correctly read God’s words, setting aside any preconceived notions, personal biases or false teachings- anything that would hinder our understanding.

The first time I did this, it was as though I was reading Scripture for the very first time. I truly began to understand many passages far more clearly, and I believe, more accurately.

Growing in Christ is a life-long process, one that we toil at daily. I pray, therefore, that our spiritual appetites become insatiable, and that the spiritual “meat” we consume is pleasant and nourishing. No spitting this stuff out.

“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth.” (Psalm 119:103)

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Frogs in the Water

Posted in Spiritual Strength on October 14, 2010| 5 Comments »

photobucket.com

I am still praying for my youngest daughter to be completely healed. She is a beautiful, talented young woman who is normally cheerful, but she has a physical condition which causes her to suffer clinical depression. I praise God that she has felt great for the last few months, but her medications began making her quite ill so she quit taking them until she is given a new prescription. Consequently, she has really crashed this week.

There is no question in my mind that the Lord God can heal her, but she sometimes struggles with her faith. As I was praying this morning, I was reminded of the fresh water spring that we drew water from during my childhood. The water was always cold and refreshing; and it tasted far better than any other water I was accustomed to drinking.

For those of you raised in the city you might find this repulsive, but we always had to push frogs out of the way before dipping our bucket in the spring. We never bothered to boil the water or anything before drinking though. Good spring water is healthy and pure even if critters went swimming in it. (If this grosses you out, I won’t remind you that the pioneers and settlers used to drink straight out of the rivers-yuck).

The problem with my daughter is that she has frogs in her water. The Lord Jesus taught that He (His word) is living water, and whosoever drinketh of the water that I (Jesus) shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14)

My daughter knows this in her heart, but she tends to rely on her friends to meet her emotional needs instead of the Lord. And when they let her down, as they did this week, she has difficulty handling it. That, coupled with a lack of her medication, has caused her to plummet into the depths of despair. She needs this living water more than ever, but she is so consumed with her problems that she can’t see the forest through the trees, or in this case the water through the frogs.

I’ve explained to my troubled teen that other people can easily hinder us from partaking of this living water if we are not careful. They don’t always mean to do so, but if we are focused on them instead of the Lord, we don’t always realize how parched we have become.

Perhaps you, dear reader, are in need of spiritual refreshing but a friend or loved one is hindering you. The Lord entreats us, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. (John 7:37). Gently push the frogs out of your way if need be, but why not let them stay in the spring. Remember, they need the cool refreshing water too. They won’t contaminate the water, but the water might just purify them.

Thank you to those who are praying for her. Life is very difficult for today’s teens.

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Walking Upon Impossibilities

Posted in Devotional, Encouragement, Spiritual Strength on September 29, 2010| 2 Comments »

“Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak.” Thomas Carlyle, Scottish Historian.

Sitting in a crowded waiting room this past week, I watched a very young girl make her way slowly across the room. Tears pooled in my eyes at the thought that this crippled child would have to use crutches for the rest of her life. But she wasn’t the least bit sad. From the sweet, careless smile which lit her innocent face, it was quite obvious that she didn’t give her legs a second thought.

I was reminded of William Pitt the Elder, a British Politician, who was an extremely influential figure during the French Revolution. What Pitt lacked in physical strength, he more than made up for in determination. The concept of limitation was a foreign one to him.

Though he rarely delegated duty, he had at some point during the war given a direct command to one of his officials. When the man balked at the impossibility of the task, Pitt reprimanded him by pointing to his crutches and confidently declared: “Sir, I walk upon impossibilities!”

There is no question that all of humanity is currently facing difficulty and hardship. The future holds many uncertainties and without God, I believe, little hope. With God, however, there is much hope because with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26).

Whatever you are going through right now, dear reader, remember that we may all lose a few battles, but we will most assuredly win the war. Now is not the time to give in to discouragement; there is too much work to do. It may be difficult, but let us all rise to the challenge.

Marie Currie, French physicist and Nobel Peace Prize winner summarized this well. She said “Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that…. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.”

It is far too easy to allow circumstances to cripple us. And when they do, we can choose to accept them as insurmountable, henceforth hobbling on emotional crutches. Or we can look them squarely in the face and declare, as Mr. Pitt did, “I walk upon impossibilities!”  Let me remind you again, with God nothing shall be impossible (Luke 1:37).

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“Danged ole Yankees”

Posted in Devotional, Faith, Spiritual Strength, Victory on July 28, 2010| 1 Comment »

civil war canon

“It’s them danged ole Yankees,” he grumbled while passing the phone to his “maw-ma.” Yankees? I was fairly certain we had just crossed the state line, but apparently we had involuntarily slipped into some kind of time warp in which the young man was arrogantly stuck more than one-hundred-twenty years in the past. Someone needs to inform him that the war is over and the slaves have been set free.

Come to think of it, some of us need to tell our adversary -that nasty, vindictive devil- the same thing. The war over humanity has already been won and we, his slaves, have already been set free.

Nevertheless, the devil and his cohorts refuse to acknowledge defeat; they are somewhat like the relentless kamikaze pilots of World War II. It has been said that even after proclamation of the war’s end, the kamikazes continued their suicide missions and destroyed several more Allied warships, with full knowledge that their country had already been overthrown and they had been ordered to stop attacking.

Indeed, the whole host of evil has already been defeated, yet they continue to attack humanity on every front. This accursed enemy, driven by fierce anger and hatred, unleashes their fury unceasingly against mankind despite this defeat. At present, God is allowing the adversary this latitude, but He has fully equipped His children to victoriously overcome every difficult challenge or circumstance that comes our way and to prevail over every attack of our dreaded foe.

Even so our faith, like a pendulum, often swings back and forth in the winds of adversity. One day we leap effortlessly over giant obstacles as if they were only small hurdles, only to stumble the very next day over the slightest uncertainties. Aware of our propensity towards weakness and inconsistency, our adversaries are lurking in the shadows, eagerly awaiting any, and every opportunity to kick us while we’re down.

We know in our hearts that God will never leave us nor forsake us for any reason. Still, if we’re not careful, we can sometimes allow circumstances to beat us down and weary us until we lose sight of the fact that God has already provided the way out. All we have to do is utilize it.

World War II provided an interesting example of this mental bondage. While the kamikazes were busy blowing-up ships, the Nazis were busy destroying lives. The concentration camp prisoners were so horrifically abused that they couldn’t grasp freedom even when offered. As part of their psychological studies, the Nazis placed some of the prisoners in front of a door which led to an open field and offered them the opportunity to walk through it. There were no guards behind the door, they said. And anyone who chose to walk through the door would continue on to freedom with absolutely no penalty; they would not even be pursued.

Of course the prisoners believed this was just another sadistic trick. Certain that they would be mowed- down by gunfire outside the door, the prisoners, like statuary, stood frozen in fear. In reality, the Nazis had told the truth. They were willing to allow prisoners to go free, but only because they were fully convinced that none would be brave enough to walk through that door.

Similarly, it is reported that many of the southern slaves were offered freedom towards the end of the Civil War, but like the Nazi’s prisoners, they were also mistrustful and therefore chose to continue in the confines of their slavery as well. I sometimes wonder how many of them gazed at some of their would-be liberators and quietly cursed those, “danged ole Yankees” because their minds had been poisoned by their cruel masters.

That’s a good picture of how the devil works. He poisons our minds with doubt. We know in our hearts that God is our liberator, but too often we allow overwhelming circumstances to deceive us into hopelessness. As a result, we fail to enter into the freedom that God has made available to us.

Nevertheless, presence of doubt doesn’t necessarily mean that we are without faith; sometimes we are simply in a season of weakness. In those times, when you can’t quite muster the strength to fight life’s battles on your own, it is important to seek others who are willing to stand in the gap – those who will go to battle for you. Likewise, if you are in a season of strong faith, please encourage your fellow man and spiritually fight on his or her behalf. We need each other.

Toward the end of the Civil War, President Lincoln gave an address to the nation. Though it was delivered to the battle weary citizens of 1865, we would do well to heed his advice. He said:

“With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan-to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”– Abraham Lincoln
Second Inaugural Address March 4, 1865

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