Let the Lord Be Your Defense

This is taken from the Joseph Prince "Destined to Reign Devotional"

Psalm 94:22 - "But the Lord has been my defense, and my God the rock of my refuge."

Imagine being a poor widow, a stranger in the land and holding one of the lowliest jobs in society. That was Ruth's situation, so it would have been easy for her to feel vulnerable and defenseless. But because she trusted the Lord (Ruth 1:16), He placed her under Boaz's protection.

Boaz, the owner of the field she worked in, commanded his young men saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her" (Ruth 2:15). What he was saying to his men was this: "She might be a gleaner, but because I care for her, treat her with respect and make sure she is not put to shame."

Boaz is a picture of our Lord Jesus. If you are feeling vulnerable and defenseless right now, imagine Jesus commanding His angels, "Watch over this one who belongs to Me. Make sure he is treated with respect and not put to shame because he is someone I love and someone whom I died for."

God's Word tells us that if God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31.) No one who has set himself against us can prevail because when God is for us, His protection is upon us. That is why I have never answered any of the poison email messages which I have received in the course of my ministry.

My attitude is this: Jesus is my defense. If He does not defend me, it means that there are things in my life that are not to be defended, and I would be glad to find out about them now rather than later. On the other hand, because I take the Lord as my defense, and He defends me, what can those who are against me do to me?

When you defend yourself, you have only your two hands and your own human resources. But when you let Jesus take up your defense, He defends you with His nail-pierced hands and His legions of angels! The results will be amazing.

Beloved, the Lord is your defense and refuge. Trust Him to defend and protect you!

Quit Trying to Please Everyone

The following is a repost of Rick Warren's blog:

“It is dangerous to be concerned with what others think of you” (Proverbs 29:25 GN)

When we worry about what other people think, we let them control us. We waste a lot of time and energy trying to figure out what other people want us to be. Then, we waste a lot of time and energy trying to become like that rather than just being what God made us to be. You're manipulated and controlled by somebody else. Worrying about what other people think is dangerous because we’re more likely to cave in to criticism. It means we don't always do the right thing; instead, we do the thing that everybody wants us to do. And we’re in danger of missing God's best because we're so worried about what other people what us to do that we can't stop to think about what God wants us to do.

• Fact #1: You cannot please everybody. Even God can't please everybody. One person prays for it to rain; another prays for it to be sunny. In the Super Bowl, both teams are praying that they will win. Who is God going to answer? God can't please everybody. Only a fool would try to do what even God can't do. You can't please everybody.

• Fact #2: It's not necessary to please everybody. There is a myth that says you must be loved and approved by everybody in order to be happy. That's just not true. You don't have to please everybody in order to be happy in life.

• Fact #3: Rejection will not ruin your life. It hurts, sure. It's not fun. It's uncomfortable. But rejection will not ruin your life unless you let it. Quit trying to please everybody! Remember that nobody can make you feel inferior unless you give them permission. The Apostle Paul says, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31 TEV) This means we can think like this: ‘God likes me, and I like me; if you don't like me, then you've got a problem. If God likes me, who cares that everybody doesn't approve of everything I do.’ Remember, nothing you ever do will make God love you less. Nothing you ever do will make God love you more. He loves you completely right now.

Dreaming Again

Many times, we get caught up in just doing life; going around just taking care of our responsibilities but not really living. I have gotten caught in that place at times. I get tied up in other people's problems, helping them, giving everything I can. I also realized that, at times, I have been just trying to get by. That was never the way God intended us to live.

We are here for a purpose. Each one of us has been put here for a reason - Jeremiah 29:11 says it best, "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."

The Power of a Lemon

I found this on the Real Simple website and thought you might find it handy.

Sure, there's a million-dollar industry that thrives on offering all-natural cleaning products for your home, but did you realize you could get one of the most natural cleaning agents in the fruit section of your local market? Lemons are acidic and packed with antibacterial properties; here's how to transform the fresh fruit into a universal cleansing solution:

Cut one lemon into two halves, sprinkling baking soda on the first half. Use the lemon itself to scrub dishes, countertops and sinks. Next, squeeze the second half into a clean bowl to mix with vinegar for a natural cleansing spray. Clean your appliances and wooden cabinetry with the solution.

When finished, simply drop both lemon halves down the garbage disposal for a fresh scent that will fill the kitchen. Amazing, right?

So, when life hands you lemons - clean your house:)

Believe the Love

Most of us know the verse John 3:16, but do we really understand the implications of that verse? "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." I also MUST include verse 17 - "God did not send His Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it."

Do we really understand how much God loves us? Oftentimes, we look at what is going on in our lives, and that causes us to question God's love for us. We must interpret God's love for us based on the cross and not our present circumstances.

We have to let the Bible shape how we view God and His love for us, rather than an event or a person's opinion. The Bible is FULL of verses about God's love for us. One great example is Ps. 52:8 - King David says that he will trust in God's unfailing love forever and ever. Unfailing means NEVER ending. God's love for us never ends, never gives up, never looses hope. That's how God sees it.

She's Singing the Song...

Kate loves her bath time. The other night, she was supposed to be cleaning up her toys in order to get out of the tub. I heard her singing the Barney "Clean Up" song, and just assumed she was doing what I had asked her to do.

When I looked in the tub, her toys were all still in the water. It hit me, that as believers, we are often "singing the song" but not living the life. We all know what we are supposed to say. It is so easy to talk about it, but the hard part comes in living it.

James 3:17 in the Message puts it this way: "Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor."

My Girl

OK, I realize I have been slack with my blog as of late. There has been so much going on these days, and I really need to tell you guys all about it. We'll just have to start with what is currently on my mind,and I'll try to catch all of you guys up in the next few weeks.

I just got back from dropping Caroline off at our church's youth group. Tonight is the first night that the rising 7th graders join the rest of Evergreen. I was not prepared for the flood of emotions I would experience today. I'm pretty sure I was more nervous than she. I was feeling the same way that I felt when I took her to kindergarten on the first day of school.

I mean, I know she'll be fine. She knows almost all the other kids, and she is the pastor's daughter - so people have to be nice to her. Right?!

I am just more determined than ever to enjoy every phase of my daughter's lives. I am realizing how quickly it all goes by.