Remember the story of Moses freeing the Israelites from slavery? It was by the burning bush that God first spoke to Moses and told him to do this. And how did Moses respond? He gave many excuses, one of which was that he was not a good speaker. He asked God to please send someone else to rescue His people. God was a little angry with him! After God gave him some miraculous things to do, and said He would allow Aaron to speak for him, Moses finally agreed to do God’s bidding.

We see a stubborn, reluctant Moses eventually become a willing servant of God. Not only did he lead the Israelites from slavery, but he also received the ten commandments from God and wrote the first five books of the Bible. If you fast forward to the end of Moses’ life, you see how changed Moses was from the resistant shepherd that God first spoke to, into a prophet that seeks God’s favor and does just what God tells Him to. In Exodus 31, Moses is at the end of his life and, despite him saying he was not a good speaker in younger years, he was very willing at age 120 to tell the Israelites every single thing God told him to. Did you know that the whole book of Deuteronomy is a speech by Moses with what God told him to say?

Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel: “I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you.” Deuteronomy 31:1

“The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Deuteronomy 31:8

I find it ironic but beautiful that Moses tells the people that God will be with them and never leave them. He tells them not to be afraid, as he was. Many years ago, at Moses’ first resistance to God’s command, God said to him, “I will be with you.” Exodus 3:12 What Moses needed to hear earlier, He was now telling God’s chosen people! After forty years in the desert with them, he knows they will probably stray from God in the future, plus God confirms it. Even to his last breath, he painstakingly details what God expects from them. With his heart that has loved and served God for a lifetime, he writes down laws and gives them as much detailed direction as he possibly can. He does it willingly, fervently and without questioning God at all. How different is Moses now than he was as a younger man! He is a man of God with all faith in the faithful God. His heart was changed!

The book of Deuteronomy really grabbed my heart. It is all about blessings and curses from God and obedience and disobedience toward Him that brings it. Moses did not think He could speak well without God’s help and Aaron’s help. He was actually right in a way. We are right when we know that we cannot do anything on our own that will count for God. When God calls us to do work for Him, He is the One who will make it possible. We just need a willing heart.

Dear Father,

Like You told Moses, You tell us today, You will never leave us. Thank You for staying with us while we work Your plan for our lives. We want to please You with our willing heart that obeys Your commands. Like You did for Moses, please continue to work through us, all the days of our lives. You are God and Holy and we can do nothing without You, but everything is possible with You. We love You so much! Amen

Have a great Tuesday! Love and prayers for you all:)

Just me. Just His. Is there anything better?

Tina

Don’t you just love makeover shows? I do! It is amazing to see what can be done with a little hard work in the right direction. King Hezekiah, in Chronicles 29, was in a makeover mood! His father, Ahaz, had just died so Hezekiah became king. He was ready to makeover the temple. Why? Because his father, King Ahaz, had turned away from God and Hezekiah was determined to purify the temple and set things right with God. Hezekiah, instead of following in his father’s footsteps, chose a different role model to emulate. He chose to pattern his life after David, a King of Israel from the early years.

He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done. Chronicles 29:2 NIV

Hezekiah got right to work. He repaired the temple doors, then gathered the priests and Levites, his team of makeover workers, and explained the project. They were to consecrate themselves and the temple, because God’s anger was on Judah and Jerusalem for turning their backs on God. Their parents and ancestors had desecrated the temple and Hezekiah was determined to start new with a purified temple and people. He knew that doing this would bring God’s favor back. Look at the difference between what was done under Ahaz’s reign, compared to what Hezekiah intended. A vast difference!

7 Our parents were unfaithful; they did evil in the eyes of the Lord our God and forsook him. They turned their faces away from the Lord’s dwelling place and turned their backs on him. Chronicles 29:7 

10 I intend to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger will turn away from us. Chronicles 29:10

A huge renovation was about to take place! Look how cool this is! Hezekiah was King of Israel but God was King of His heart! The renovation would be according to God’s Word, our King! Hezekiah ordered the workers to take out unclean things from the temple. They did so as

“the king had ordered, following the Word of the Lord. Chronicles 29:15

The priest and Levites followed Hezekiah’s word which was God’s Word. What significance! The workers could not have done better than to follow a man who was following God’s Word. Is that not like us following the word of our pastor who follows God? It is a special relationship of love and honoring God’s message that comes from the pastor’s mouth. I digress a bit, but the Lord led me down that path. Back to Hezekiah…Just as Hezekiah chose the first day of the first month of the first year of his reign to start a renewal of Israel’s relationship with the Lord and a consecration of God’s temple, we can do the same! What better day than the first day of the week to set things right!

Our heart is God’s temple in which to reign. Does it need a makeover? A renewal? Do we have any extra habits, attitudes, any turning to the way of the world, the reigning culture, that we can take out of our heart, God’s temple? Does God fully reign there? Has the world snuck things in that aren’t God- honoring? Lets treat His temple with the purity that it deserves.

Let’s honor God by starting today, to give His temple a fresh coat of His Word, His will, His way. Let’s take stock of the project (God’s mission for us to do) that needs to be done and begin by ask Him to purify our hearts, renewing us with His passion for people! Today can be the start of a new reign in a beautified temple!

Dear Father God,

Sometimes, for me anyway, it is hard to talk to You because You are so holy and righteous and our words are so, well, normal. But You know what we are trying to say when we ask for more of You. We want to start our week with a renewal of our hearts. May it lead to revival in our churches as we let our hearts draw closer and closer to You. Do work in us that we cannot do ourselves. Make the temple of our heart fully Yours and draw others to You through us. It is such an honor to be a servant and child of Yours. We love You so much! Amen

May you all have a blessed sunshiny day in the Lord. Happy Makeover Monday! Love you!

Just me. Just His worker,

Tina

Today’s devotion comes from something the Lord is urging me to explore in my own life. I hope it speaks to you as well. The Christian life is all about being led by the Spirit. When we ask God to lead us, we do so because we trust His guidance more than our own. We know He knows best. We know He wants our best. We know He can do all things that we cannot. We know He answers every call to Him.

But still, we try to lead ourselves. Why do we do that sometimes? When I am writing, my deep desire is to be led of the Spirit. There is just something special about letting God give you words and ideas. But sometimes, I go off on my own “great” idea, only to delete the whole thing and start over because it was all me and not what God led me to. Who do I think I am anyhow?:) A successful writer or successful Christian life depends hugely on daily seeking God’s influence. I say this often and mean it. I am only what God makes me. We cannot be what God makes us if we have already made ourselves. He wants in on the project from the get-go.

We need to be led because that is what God wants. When we submit our life to Him, we are giving Him full control of our lives and saying, “God lead me.” Simply put…we crave to be led by Him whom we love with our whole heart. From our perspective, we think we can make pretty good plans on our own, but we need to want the future that God wants for us. We see around us and we see the visible. God sees every direction and the invisible and even into our future. He is perfect, so asking for and following His lead will take us exactly where He wants us to be, to do what He wants us to do. And He can do way more than we can even imagine!

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,  to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Ephesians 3:20 NIV

The more we let Him, the more He will lead. It really is up to us, trusting Him enough to let Him lead,, more and more and more. Because we are human, we do not always get it right, but constant time in the Word and prayer…God honors that seeking time and guides us. He desires for us to keep seeking Him and desiring Him as leader, day after day, year after year. It honors who He is. Our leader is the Holy, all-powerful, all-knowing, eternal Father who created us! That still blows my mind! He, God almighty, knows us!

This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you,  who directs you in the way you should go. Isaiah 48:17

We need to be led so God’s will gets done. Do we want the very best life we can live for Him? If so, that means letting go of our will and purposefully, daily, asking Him to lead us to His will. Whatever we can accomplish for Him, He will lead us to it. Not only that, He will give us what we need to accomplish it. He will equip us to do His will. He will give us a passion to do His will. That’s how I think pastors thrive in a very tough calling. God gives them His passion for people and and equips them with all they need for building His kingdom. That’s so cool! They depend heavily on God, as we should.

So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 NIV

Doing God’s will is more than just saying the Lord’s prayer or going to church several times a week, soaking in wisdom. (as I used to think!) It is a constant, daily, earnest grappling with the amazing reality that God knows our name, abilities, desires, habits, everything. And He wants to use all of us to further His kingdom. He wants to use His creations, that He made for a specific purpose, for that purpose. If only us humans would stop more often and marvel that the one Holy God can use us. It is a very humbling reality and an amazing one.

Dear Father,

We love You. We want Your will more than we want ours. Show us where we are doing well and where we need to submit more in our lives. It’s hard being human and lining up to meet Your will, especially when we have certain ideas of how our future should look. Work on us, Lord to become purer and more like You. We ask that You do that work in us because we can’t do it ourselves. We are only what You make us. It’s all You, Lord, and that’s okay with us. We give You all the glory! Amen

Love and prayers to all,

Just me. Just His.

Tina

Happy Wednesday! It is a poetry day!

Have You ever wondered what God’s plan is for your life? Have you, like me, wondered if you are becoming the real you He meant you to be? Reading the Bible and praying is the best place to meet God to talk to Him about it…or…to LISTEN to what He speaks into your heart. My husband and I are joining our church soon and we are so excited for the future of the church and our roles in leading others to Christ. We wonder if we are fulfilling our purpose for God already or if He has something else for us.

 For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Philippians 2:13 NIV

One thing we do know…before we accept what God wants me to do, we have to choose what kind of person we want to be. Despite a painful past or ongoing trials, we have a choice to make. Do we want to be positive or negative? If we are psoitive, how can God use that for His good and the good of others? This is a poem about deciding to be a Positive Me. The power of our choice can determine our entire future.

Positive Me

I am more than what happens to me.
I absorb pain and see healing,
but I am neither a sponge,
nor am I a doctor.
I am more or less
who I choose to
be inside.
I am
me.

I am less than what I want to be.
Though I reach up and travel far
I am neither a ladder,
nor am I an airplane.
I am more or less,
who I choose to
be inside.
I am
me.

Life’s ups and downs may toss me around
but once I’ve landed, I can choose
to what extent it shapes me.
I choose the better path.
I will be God’s child,
positive, kind.
I will be
grateful
me.

Dear Father,

You made us and know us better than we do ourselves. You think we are capable of things we have not even realized yet and may never realize without Your help. We are Yours; we want to be what You can make of us. Please shed light on what You want us to be, even if it is something uncomfortable or scary. We know that in You, we can do amazing things that reach other people. Guide us to be more others minded with a focus on how we can lead them to You. We ask these things in You most precious and holy name. Amen.

Love and prayers to you. Have a great Wednesday!

Just me. Just His.

Tina

Isn’t it the cutest thing when you see a baby taking his or her first steps? Even as they wobble unsteadily, trying so hard to master walking and they fall a time or two, a parent is still proud of each step. It shows they are growing stronger and wanting to be more independent. It is a milestone that is the beginning of other milestones. The child will continue to learn new ways of moving and exploring, but all within the care of the parent, less they get hurt trying to do something they are not ready for yet.

I love the beautiful relationship between a loving parent and child. It is so precious a bond with endless possibilities for adventures and memories. Our relationship with our heavenly Father is like that! He is so happy when we take our first steps towards Him. Just like a parent, He is waiting for us to walk to Him on our own and then grabs us with all of His love and hugs us for a job well done. He is excited for our adventures and memories to come.

He knows what we are capable of and what we are not. He will steer us, if we let Him, away from harmful things, but will also lead us onto areas where He knows we will be okay by leaning on Him. As His children, we trust Him to lead us safely. We know He loves us. We may go through times where we are TOO independent and want to do things our way, but He is always there, giving us the choice of asking Him to help us. And you know what? He always loves for us to ask for His help!

For we rejoice when we ourselves are weak but you are strong; this we also pray for, that you be made complete. 2 Corinthians 13:9

Today, though we are adults, I think it is helpful to remember that we are God’s children, not fully mature but always growing into ourselves that He wants us to be. We will have many adventures, good and bad, but He is always there to go through every single day with us. What a Father! It makes me sad that some do not know the Father and feel very alone. It is our job to tell them about how great our Father is and what He does for His children. He never leaves His children. We have nothing to fear!

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 13:6

Just as we are happy to see our own children mature, we still love when they need us, reach out to us, ask our opinion on something. The Lord is no different. He loves when we reach out to Him it acknowledges our dependence on Him. He also knows our future and wants to help us mature into it. Comparing our own parent-child relationship to ours with the Father, makes me love Him even more! He takes such good care of us:)

Dear Father,

Thank You for reminding us that You are doing for us what we do for our children. We love You for how You parent us. You are our cheerleader for things we are doing for You, our comforter when we go through trials and our fount of knowledge and wisdom on how to mature in You. You are our everything and we love You! Please, as You guide us, give us opportunities to reach out to others who need You. Give us courage and words to say that will be what they need to hear. Help them to see where our hope lies and want that too. We ask these things because we know You will help us accomplish Your will as You grow us up into maturity. Amen

Love and prayers to all!

Just me. Just His.

Tina

Normally, I wake up wondering what God will show me, but today is different The Lord has already laid something on my heart awhile ago and I will try to express it in a way worthy of Him. I have been thinking it is a tough thing to write about and have honestly avoided it! Three things about sin…

1.Anyone can sin and has sinned. We are not immune just because we are Christians. Yes, we are a holy people seeking after God, who alone can keep us holy, but we have a selfish nature that, when fed, can lead us into sin. I can sin. You can sin. The pastor can sin. People sitting in church can sin. If we love God, we are a target of the enemy! We need to know it is possible for Christians to sin, so that we will not choose selfish paths that the enemy suggests to us.

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. James 1:14 ESV

2. The enemy tells us what we want to hear. He will tell us we deserve more than what we have. We will be happier if we have more. We deserve more attention, more freedom, we deserve more power and the list goes on. Because more will always make us happier, right? Nope! It is a lie. Every day we need to be on guard because one thing is for sure. He will lie to you today.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:10-12 NIV

3. Less is more. When it comes to staying holy, like Jesus, less is more. The enemy says, More is more, but it is a lie! A life with Jesus is all about surrender, because if we surrender more, we have more room for Him! Unknowingly the world’s view and desires and habits can stick to us. We sometimes don’t know we are carrying those things, so we need to surrender daily to the Lord, asking for His protection and guidance in our day. Less of the world is a good thing. Less really is more, because God has a surrendered heart to work with.

We are more than what we can purchase or make ourselves. We are what we allow God to make us.

When we learn that God allows what He allows in our lives, for His own good and perfect reasons, we become unburdened of expectations and labels of the world, and our striving is only toward Him.

Dear Father,

We can be stubborn sometimes, especially me, and it takes us awhile to realize just how much You love us and plan things for our own good. Help us to see that all things are Yours to control and that trusting You, no matter our circumstances, brings true peace. Make us into what You would have us be. Disciple us so that we can help others live a holy life in this world. We certainly have no hope of doing that in our own strength. We love You and ask these things so we can honor You more and guide others to You. Amen.

Thank you for reading. This was a tough write. It’s taken me years to understand some of these things, and I have more to learn. Aren’t you glad God takes the time to hear our prayers, teach us and Father us, for years and years? He is truly a GOOD Father! Love and prayers to you all. I pray you have a great week in the Lord!

Just me. Just His.

Tina

Who doesn’t love new clothes? When our old clothes have faded or torn or do not fit anymore, and we are the most in need, we appreciate getting new clothes. Sometimes our clothes represent our culture or personality. Sometimes we wear very bright colors and festive outfits. In other countries, the clothing can make people look very different from us. In America, anything goes, so at times we all look very different. At other times we may look very much the same as someone else because we are wearing the latest trend. Sometimes we choose mew clothes just because we want to look different, better.

We choose a clothing of sorts when we choose Christ. We want something better than value in outward appearances. He changes our inside appearance and makes us a new person with a fresh start! As Christians, we put on faith clothing! When we come to Christ, we become a daughter or son of the King so we put on faith that identifies us as His child. I love this verse that tells us who we are in Christ:

Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe—Christ’s life, the fulfillment of God’s original promise. In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ’s family, then you are Abraham’s famous “descendant,” heirs according to the covenant promises. Galatians 3:25-29

We adopt a new faith based on how the Lord has changed us, not on the outside, but on the inside. We look like our brothers and sisters in Christ because we wear the same faith clothing. We have a relationship with the King now! We are His family and each other’s family. We are inheritors of the promise to Abraham. We are all connected!

Don’t you love meeting new brothers and sisters in Christ? I do! One of the reasons I find it so special is, I realize we are not as different as we appear outwardly. We are not as different as the world would have us believe. Matters of fashion or outward appearances start to matter less and less, because we connect at the heart. We are unified by Christ and with Christ and in Christ. We are one.

Dear Lord,

You are such a good Father. In so many ways, You let us know how loved we are. Thank You for Your plan to make us Your sons and daughters. As we meet other sons and daughters, let us truly treat them like family, because they are. As usual, You have shown us something so precious today. Thank You for each new day that we can learn or re-learn something valuable in Your Word. We are only what You make us. We love You so much! Amen

Love and prayers to all! Have a great Monday!

Just me. Just His.

Tina

I jotted down this little poem/song after church one day because I was so moved that Jesus saves us and renames us as His. When we ask for forgiveness, He makes us a brand new creature in Him! I feel like this is what He says to us:) Verse: Bring to me your broken self, sick and ill of heart. Bring to me your sin, But don’t come to me in part. Give me all of you, everything you hold. Bring me all you’re tired of. Come into the fold. Chorus: And I will make you new, take away your burdens and your sin, make in you my likeness deep within. And I will restore you. I implore you. Broken’s not your name anymore. You’re a bloom and you are mine to adore. Dear Lord, You still do miracles every day. Help us not to forget the miracle You did in our lives, many years ago, for some of us. Renew our hearts with that fervor for You. Help us to reach out to those around us that feel broken. Give us words and love that they need from us. Help us point them to you, like someone did for us.We want to do Your will, no matter what it is. We love You so much! Amen Love and prayers to all, Just me. Just His. Tina

Just a few lines that came to me one Sunday when I was thinking of how Jesus loves us when we come to Him with all our brokenness and admit we need His help.