Barely Surviving or Thriving

For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you," says the Lord. "I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land." (Jeremiah 29:11-14 NLT)

Walking with God is a beautiful adventure, giving our hearts to Jesus, doesn't mean we will always have an easy time at life or a walk in the park - it means that we will always have a guide, a defender, and a protector.  Not until we get to Heaven (our true and final home) will everything be perfect.

"...He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever." (Revelation 21:4 NLT)

Until we get to Heaven, we have to live here on Earth (our temporary home) and that means we are in enemy territory.  As a Child of God, you are an enemy to the devil and he will do whatever he can to keep you from receiving the blessings and favor that God has planned for you.

Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil.  He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8 NLT)

Our Earthly home holds many seasons for us, the key to not just surviving the seasons of life but thriving are found in our walk with God. How close do we cling to our guide - is it wholeheartedly? Or only when we encounter bad times?  Have you noticed that when life is going smoothly, no bumps in the road, no turbulent weather, we tend to drift on the path laid before us; sometimes to the left or to the right, not so intent on following closely to our Guide, our God - instead we're distracted by the buzzing around us and losing focus on the Light that has been shining on us. It's not until the clouds roll in, the conditions get harsh, that we notice we haven't been paying attention to our Guide, and have somehow gotten off path - then we call out to God, only to learn that He never left us, no matter how far we got off our path, He was there all along, waiting patiently for us.

Be strong, courageous, and firm; fear not nor be in terror before them, for it is the Lord your God Who goes with you; He will not fail you or forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6 AMP)

The enemy deceives, he entices, he lies, and uses our own pride (the very thing that got him cast out of Heaven) to convince us that we don't need God.  Sometimes the devil wants us to believe we've messed up too much to return to God, that He would never take us back, so we might as well continue with our diversions or maybe just figure out this problem on our own and the further we get away from God, the easier the lies are to believe and we become more like those who never knew God.

Satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don't understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God. (2 Corinthians 4:4 NLT)

Pride blinds - our pride tells us that we can fix it, we don't need anyone's help, we got ourselves in this mess, we can get ourselves out - God doesn't want our pride, He wants our obedience. When we make mistakes, He wants us to ask forgiveness, but He wants us to humble ourselves and acknowledge that He is God and that we NEED Him, not just to help us out of our problems, but that we NEED Him everyday in every situation. 

Know whom you're dealing with!

   God alone is powerful enough to create the earth.

He alone is wise enough to put the world together.

    He alone understands enough to stretch out the heavens. (Jeremiah 10:12 VOICE)

God isn't a 'Cure-All-Your-Problems' solution to be taken out only when needed, God is our Heavenly Father - He desires a relationship with us, He wants to be a part of our everyday lives, He wants to share in our joys and comfort us in our sorrows. God is the Almighty Creator of the Universe, we were each created for a purpose, we each have that stirring within ourselves that until we've fulfilled our calling will leave a void that cannot be filled. 

Before I formed you in the womb I knew [and] approved of you [as My chosen instrument], and before you were born I separated and set you apart, consecrating you; (Jeremiah 1:5 AMP)

We each have a purpose, we each were created by God - for God, we each have been given God's promises, we each have been given the opportunity to accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We can navigate this life blindly without our Guide and Light, or we can call upon our Lord and God and follow Him - follow Him ALWAYS, through the seasons of plenty and the seasons of plight, just barely surviving or thriving - the choice has always been ours. 

Darkness and the Light

Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evildoers.15 Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way.  Turn away and keep moving. (Proverbs 4:14-15 NLT)

What caught my eye here was verse 15 – Don’t even think about it! How many times do we let our thoughts drift off where they don’t need to be. Do you know that most sins don’t happen ‘out of nowhere'. A person has to give that sin a thought first, if we are not careful to push that thought out of our head, if we are not being defensive, that thought can setup in our minds. That’s how the enemy can gain a foothold on a person; giving into a thought, thinking about something/someone/someplace that doesn’t need to be thought upon. If you allow your mind to stay captive with the wrong thoughts, to prevent that foothold from becoming a stronghold, you need to get rid of the thought and replace it - replace it with the Word of God. That’s why in the rest of Verse 15, we are told, to ‘turn away and keep moving’. Don’t stop and think about it, get out – have you ever watched a movie and known the ‘bad guy’ was hiding in the dark room or alleyway, and you’re yelling at the TV for the person to ‘get out, why are you going down a dark abandoned alleyway, you know nothing good ever comes from that!’ it’s the same thing with us.

The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. 19 But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over. (Proverbs 4:18-19 NLT)

They don’t make many horror movies with scary scenes all in daylight for one reason, when the light is shining all around us, we feel safe, we tend to not dwell on thoughts we shouldn't. But when it’s dark and we can’t see where we are or where we are going, that’s when it’s dangerous.

One of my favorite songs based on Psalm 119:105 was ‘Thy Word’ by Amy Grant: (just a few lyrics)

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

And a light unto my path

I will not forget

Your love for me and yet,

My heart forever is wandering.

Jesus be my guide,

And hold me to Your side,

And I will love you to the end.

When I feel afraid,

And think I’ve lost my way.

Still, You’re there right beside me.

Nothing will I fear

As long as You are near;

Please be near me to the end

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

And a light unto my path

God’s Word is a light for us, HIS Words are instructions for us, teaching us how to navigate this life. We are spiritual beings in a fleshy body, with worldly desires and a mind that has spent more time being taught about the physical world than the spiritual world – so we are in desperate need for instructions on how to live in a world that is only our temporary home. It's like going to foreign country without a guide, a map or a translator - you will get lost, confused and frustrated and probably end up where you don't want to be. 

So many times I’ll find a million excuses not to read my Bible or spend time with God, but the second that I do start reading my Bible – I can’t put it down, it’s like that ice cold refreshing drink of water when you’re so incredibly thirsty, you can’t stop drinking it! The enemy knows we are stronger when we spend time in the Word, he knows that it is our greatest weapon and with it we not only can help ourselves, but we can help others as well. He will do what he can to keep us out of GOD's Word and with the modern day distractions, he doesn't have to do much work, lots of times we do the work for him.

I joke that I don’t have much will power any more and I’m serious when I say that, that’s why it’s so important to develop habits. When you do something regularly you are less likely to stop doing it, simply because its become a habit. I worked out every morning at 4am the last few years I worked, when I retired, I stopped waking up at 4am to work out, thinking I could work out anytime during the day – WRONG! Because I got out of that habit, I developed new habits to fill in that time and I’ve been struggling to get back into a routine where I am working out again. So make it a habit to pick up your Bible at a set time of day, in the same place in your home, something that will develop into a habit to where you won't have to think about it, you'll just do it out of reflex.

Some people need accountability, I’m also one of them! I follow our church’s daily bible reading plan on my iPad. Everyday, it pulls up the chapters I’m reading for the day and when I finish my daily chapters, I get a ‘check’ mark. This is ideal for me, I like to see a To Do list and I like to see it checked off as well, so this keeps me accountable. I might fall behind once or twice during the week, but I always catch up before the end of the week so I can see that lil' check mark with the percentage telling me how close I am to completing the Reading Plan. If accountability is what you need to keep you reading your Bible, find a Bible plan and start one. I use YouVersion's app on my iPhone & iPad, which also can be used on my computer, if you prefer the touch and feel of a Bible, there are plans you can print out as well. If you are new to reading the Bible, start with one of the first 4 Gospels of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John) and then go into Acts, Romans, and the rest of the NT (there's lots of ideas on what plan is best, I just think new Believers should start with the NT before they jump into the OT); the plan I'm following is Project 3:45 Plus.

My child, pay attention to what I say.  Listen carefully to my words.21 Don’t lose sight of them.  Let them penetrate deep into your heart,22 for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.23 Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.  (Proverbs 4:20-23 NLT)

You see, if we pay attention to the instructions we’ve been given in the Bible, it will bring LIFE and not death to us, it will cause HEALING – not just physically but emotionally, spiritually, and mentally. Let GOD’s Word sink deep into our heart, keeping all the worldly things out, and that's where we find LIFE. Because we must protect our heart, it determines the steps we take, so if we put the Word of GOD into our hearts, we will follow the path HE has for us, the path that leads to LIFE!

Look straight ahead, and fix your eyes on what lies before you.26 Mark out a straight path for your feet; stay on the safe path.27 Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil. (Proverbs 4:25-27 NLT)

Those detours of life, the ones that pull us away from GOD and the path HE has before us – they are a dangerous distraction that only leads to pain and destruction. No one likes to learn lessons the hard way, so don’t get off the path, stay on the path GOD has set out before you. Keep HIS Word in your heart, follow HIS instructions, keep yourself from unneeded pain and stay in the light where you belong – we are new creations in Christ, that is creations of the Way the Truth and the Life!

“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.  There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?  When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.   And you know the way to where I am going.” “No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.” (John 14:1-6 NLT)

We know The Way, we just need to follow The Way!

Stir Me Up Lord!

Have you ever gotten into a routine and found yourself lacking that ‘fire’ or ‘desire’ you once had? I had seemed to have gotten into a bit of a rut lately, praying for others, trying to encourage others, writing my blog and devotions for others, posting scripture for others…but forgetting about myself in the midst of all that. I don’t mean I was being selfless and not  praying for myself, I mean I was without passion, just praying the same prayers without any sincerity. Sometimes I get caught up in trying to be strong for everyone else, that I forget that I NEED Jesus to strengthen and encourage me too!

I can’t tell you how thankful I am to be able to attend a Ladies Prayer group, where I was able to fill myself up on prayers. Kind of like, a porcelin vase with a nice glaze finish on the outside, but if you looked inside it was empty, dry and cracked. Today's humbling experience showed me to receive the blessings HE has for me I needed to have someone else pray for me, I needed someone to stir me up. Because GOD didn’t empty me, I emptied myself, but GOD can take any mess we get ourselves in and HE can bless us beyond measure. HE wants us to be full of HIS Spirit, full of HIS love, full of HIS blessings, favor and grace. We just have to receive it and I am ready to receive again.

The reason I began this blog of devotions was to bless and encourage others, but I forgot I also need those blessings and encouragement myself.  I got the name, Stir Me Up Lord, from Haggai 1:14 (NKJV), “So the Lord stirred up the spirit ...of all the remnant of the people; and they came and worked on the house of the Lord of hosts, their God,”. This is a book of the Bible, I was not very familiar with before, but when I saw the words ‘so the Lord stirred up the spirit’ that spoke to me.  Stirred up means to rouse, awaken, excite, raise up; to incite; to arouse to action; to open one’s eyes. The Hebrew word used in the Bible, is actually ‘ur’ and this same word is used in Isaiah 51:9, “Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord!...”  Notice the example, arouse to action, to cause movement, to physically step out and cause an action. Our eyes can be opened and we can see the changes we need to make. We need to get fired up, awakened to GOD’s plan for our lives, and put those plans into action!

When we pray for GOD to reveal our purpose, HE will answer us, we need to pray to stay on the path that GOD has for us and to not stray from it. During prayer today, our Pastor’s wife spoke about John the Baptist and preparedness in Matthew 3:2-3 NKJV, “…”Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ “  And the part 'Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.'  jumped out at me. We need to prepare for Jesus' return, we need to be prepared, we need to be doing our 'jobs' our 'purpose' that GOD has given us. We need to keep ourselves in line with GOD’s word and will, keep our hearts tender and repentful before GOD, if we do this, our path will remain straight.  

In Haggai, the people of Israel had stopped GOD’s work and replaced them with their own worldly desires – they had a big problem, they had a developed a disinterest in GOD. They had just returned from captivity and instead of rebuilding GOD’s temple, they were putting themselves before GOD and only giving GOD what they had left, which ended up being nothing. “Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins? This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: Look at what’s happening to you! You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty. You put on clothes but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!” (Haggai 1:4-6 NLT). You cannot fill yourself with worldly and fleshy things, you will never get enough to fill the void that only GOD was meant to fill. If we keep ourselves stirred up for GOD, we will never know hunger or thirst; if we put GOD first we will always have plenty and never lack. 

The next problem in Haggai, is discouragement. You see the people that had been around to see the Temple of the Lord that Solomon had built, they knew the beauty and splendor of the past and could not ‘vision’ the future temple.  Sometimes, we get into a rut, we know how we were on fire with GOD in the beginning and and when that fire starts to burn cooler until its just a flame, we can't imagine that fire burning that bright again. GOD's people had this same problem, they needed to get from 'just getting by', to being stirred up again, so GOD encouraged HIS people and said: “…Be strong…Be strong…Be strong, all you people still left in the land. And now get to work, for I am with you, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. My Spirit remains among you, just as I promised….so do not be afraid.’…In just a little while I will again shake the heavens and the earth, the oceans and the dry land. I will shake all the nations, and the treasures of all the nations will be brought to this Temple. I will fill this place with glory says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies…The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. And in this place I will bring peace. I, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, have spoken!” (Haggai 2:4-9NLT). GOD’s got a plan for us, we need to be strong and we need to keep on working, because the splendor of GOD’s plan will bring glory and peace!! Don't stop, don't give up, keep on moving in GOD's direction, stay strong, you're on the right path now, just keep taking steps in HIS direction!!

The final problem was dissatisfaction. The people wanted to be blessed, they wanted to receive more than they had put into the building of the Lord’s Temple. “’Think back. Before you set out to lay the first foundation stones for the rebuilding of my Temple, how did it go with you? Isn’t it true that your foot-dragging, halfhearted efforts at rebuilding the Temple of God were reflected in a sluggish, halfway return of your crops-half the grain you were used to getting, half the wine?” (Haggai 2:15-16 MSG). If we only give GOD half our heart, if we only give GOD half of our efforts, we’re not going to receive GOD's full blessings. HE’s ready to give us an abundance, but we have to prepare our hearts, we have to follow GOD’s path for us, all the way! We can't give GOD our hearts and attention half the time; don't just follow GOD on Sunday morning, and then here and there throughout the week, we need to give GOD our hearts 24/7. Remember we don’t earn GOD’s blessings, we are graced with GOD’s blessings, although the people had just started rebuilding the temple, and after only 3 months, when they had neglected GOD for 16 years; GOD still blessed them; “…But from this day I will bless you.’ “ (Haggai 2:19c NKJV). My Bible says this about this verse, “Make the work to which God has called you a priority in your life. When you establish that as a foundation in everyday living, you will see the Lord’s blessing begin to flow in and through your life.”

When we keep ourselves stirred up for GOD, we can bless and encourage others. When we keep ourselves stirred up for GOD by giving HIM all of our heart, all of our efforts, we become a channel that allows HIM to pour out HIS abundance of blessings into our lives. "For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.  In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord.  (Jeremiah 29:11-14 NLT)