Author: jamie

By Posted on Posted in suffering 1 Comment

I couldn’t help but pass this on. It’s from my favorite daily devotion, Streams in the Desert, compiled by L.B. Cowman. This particular entry is written by Laura A. Barter Snow:


“This is my doing…”  1 Kings 12:24

My child, I have a message for you today. Let me whisper it in your ear so any storm cloud that may arise will shine with glory, and the rough places you may have to walk will be made smooth. It is only four words, but let them sink into your inner being, and use them as a pillow to rest your wear head.  “This is my doing.”

Have you ever realized that whatever concerns you concerns Me too?  “For whoever touches you touches the apple of [my] eye” (Zech. 2:8].  “You are precious and honored in my sight” (Isaiah 43:4).  Therefore it is My special delight to teach you.

I want you to learn when temptations attack you, and the enemy comes in “like a pent-up flood” (Is.59:19) that “this is my doing” and that your weakness needs My strength, and your safety lies in letting Me fight for you.

Are you in difficult circumstances, surrounded by people who do not understand you, never ask your opinion, and always push you aside?  “This is my doing.” I am the God of circumstances. You did not come to this place by accident–you are exactly where I meant for you to be.

Have you not asked Me to make you humble?  Then see that I have placed you in the perfect school where this lesson is taught.  Your circumstances and the people around you are only being used to accomplish My will.

Are you having problems with money, finding it hard to make ends meet?   “This is my doing,” for I am the One who keep your finances, and I want you to learn to depend upon Me.  My supply is limitless and I  “will meet all your needs” (Phil. 4:19).   I want you to prove My promises so no one may say, “You did not trust in the Lord your God” (Deut.1:32).

Are you experiencing a time of sorrow? “This is my doing.” I am “a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering”  (Is. 53:3).  I have allowed your earthly comforters to fail you, so that by turning to Me you may receive “eternal encouragement and good hope” (2 Thess. 2:16).  Have you longed to do some great work for Me but instead have been set aside on a bed of sickness and pain?   “This is my doing.” You were so busy I could not get your attention, and I wanted to teach you some of my deepest truths.   “They also serve who only stand and wait.”   In fact, some of My greatest workers are those physically unable to serve, but who have learned to wield the powerful weapon of prayer.

Today I place a cup of holy oil in your hands. Use it freely, My child. Anoint with it every new circumstance, every word that hurts you, every interruption that makes you impatient, and every weakness you have.   The pain will leave as you learn to see Me in all things.

By Posted on Posted in service 3 Comments Tagged with ,

I was reading today in Acts 6 about the early operations of the church.   Christ had already ascended into heaven, leaving His 12 disciples to lead the believers in Jerusalem. Every day, new believers were being added as the disciples taught and shared what they had seen during their time with Jesus.

In Acts 6, the body of believers became so large that the disciples needed to start delegating.  There were some problems with their daily food ministry that fed those in need, especially widows.  The disciples decided to appoint seven men to run this food ministry, while they themselves continued in prayer and teaching the word.

At first read, it sounds like the teaching and prayer ministry was elevated above the food ministry. The scriptures refer to the ministry as “waiting on tables”.  I’m feeling a little like these seven delegates… assigned to serve in a daily food ministry.  To make meals for my family. To clean up their messes. To wash their clothes while they continue to perpetuate more laundry. To tend to their needs…. to even anticipate their needs. Lord, is this really all that you have for me?

The Lord began communicating to me through Acts 6 as I continued to read.  Look at the description of Stephen, who was first chosen as one of the leaders:

“a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit…”  Acts 6:5

Would a man such as this be limited to waiting tables??  Look at the other things that were said about him:

“Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.”   Acts 6:8

“Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen…these men began to argue with Stephen, but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.”  Acts 6:9-10

When he was falsely accused of speaking against Judaism…

“All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”   Acts 6:15

Here is a man who loved the Lord, who radiated grace, and was overcome by His Spirit.  It didn’t matter where he was assigned to serve.   God used him in amazing ways wherever he went.

Am I assigned to my full time daily food ministry because I don’t have the gifts or the spirituality to do other things?  Am I excluded from doing front line ministry because most of my time is devoted to my homestead and those that live there?

God’s word tells me, through the life of Stephen, that I am NOT exempt from participating in wonders.  Signs.  Speaking irrefutable wisdom.  Engaging in spiritual warfare.  Do you see the key to being a vessel of wonder as Stephen was?

THE HOLY SPIRIT.

Stephen’s face actually had the appearance of an angel… as if He had been to heaven and soaked up some of the heavenly light. But we know he hadn’t been to heaven yet.  The secret?  He invited heaven into his life.  Into his heart. Into his mind.  He sat before the Lord daily and soaked up God’s Spirit and His light.

I want to glow like Stephen.  God will use me as a vessel of wonder if I seek Him and sit before Him daily.  I’m going to soak Him up and then see what He will do in and through me.  Bring on the wonders… both at home, and out there in the world!

By Posted on Posted in direction 2 Comments Tagged with ,

We’re all going places.  We all have a destination in mind.  Me?  I dream about Hawaii or visiting the Holy Land or taking my kids to the Grand Canyon.

Today,  I’m thinking about life destinations.  Where am I going in my life?  I think it changes over time.  Right now, these are some of the destinations I’m looking ahead to:

  • The delivery of my son before June 1, 2009.
  • Financial freedom
  • Celebrating my 14th wedding anniversary on March 11th with joy and passion.
  • The day that my younger daughter finally gets a B (or better) on her applied spelling test.
  • The future (unknown) ministry that God is preparing me for.

How am I going to get there?  I know that I won’t arrive without God’s help.  I do have choices when it comes to life destination transportation, and I choose to be led by my Father God. Listen to what He told the Israelites after he had led them out of their slavery in Egypt:

“You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings…”   Exodus 19:4

God wants to carry me to my next destination.  He wants to carry me on eagles’ wings. How effortlessly I will arrive if I choose to let Him swoop me up and bear my burdens.  The catch is, He has His own destination in mind. Read the rest of the verse:

“…how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.”

He wants to bring me closer to Him.  We are always focused on getting to the other side of our trial.  Making it through the current test.  Arriving in the land of plenty.  Being released from slavery to something. We have our eye on a destination that is probably directly linked to our personal comfort.  He has His eye on a destination directly linked to our transformation and more intimacy with Him.

I ought to let Him choose my destination. Not just ask Him to get me where I want to go.  How often does my destination of choice take me farther from Him rather than to Him?