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Category: God’s word

By Posted on Posted in God's word, hearing God 2 Comments

Well, I thought this post would have gone up last week. I did host a 10 year old slumber party last Friday. There’s my excuse….

I shared last time about one of the two most important things I have learned to do in my Christian life. Again, I’ll say…  it’s not the action that has any power, but it is what God does when I keep up this habit. He uses it as a tool to speak to me and to pour out His love and grace.

The first habit is visualization during prayer and worship. The second one is the personalization of scripture. I’m sure you would agree that the Bible is God’s communication to the world. There are different kinds of literature within the pages, as well as many writers with different points of view. However, God is the inspired author of the entire book, and each page has a message for you, for today.

What the Lord has taught me to do is to take every passage, no matter the tense, the pronouns, or the audience, and make it a personal message from Him. Here is an example of a personalized passage originally from the Amplified Version of the Bible:

Psalm 23

I am the Lord your Shepherd.

I will feed you, guide you, and shield you.

You shall not lack any good thing.

I will lead you to lie down in fresh, tender, green pastures.

I will lead you beside the still and restful waters.

I want to refresh and restore your soul.

I will lead you in paths of uprightness and right standing with Me.

You cannot earn it or find it on your own.

I do this for My own name’s sake.

Yes, though you walk through the deep, sunless valley of the shadow

of death, you will fear or dread no evil, for I am with you.

My rod will protect you and My staff will guide you.

Take comfort in this.

I will prepare a table before you in the presence of your enemies.

I will anoint your head with oil, so that your brimming cup runs over.

Surely goodness, mercy, and unfailing love shall follow you

all the days of your life, because I go before you and behind you.

Through the length of your days,

make My presence your dwelling place.

I was reading the psalm, and as I rewrote the words, I allowed God to lead me. He inspired me to change the pronouns so that it would be His voice speaking to me. The truth of the passage is still intact. He also suggested to me the added details which you will not find in the Bible passage.

The purpose of this would be to transform my regular Bible reading into a personal exchange. Often, I begin my study & prayer time with the Lord by running at the mouth. Sadly, in that case, our time begins in a tone that reflects my attitude, my emotions, my shortcomings. However, if I begin by reading His word and letting Him personalize it for me, then our time begins on His terms. According to His love and care.

By no means am I suggesting that we can take scripture, add words, and twist it to suit our wants and needs. I am simply suggesting that we personally receive the message that God has spoken in the pages of the Bible. This practice has allowed me to hear God more clearly as He speaks softly in my spirit.

This habit also provides the opportunity to learn to pray more effectively. The Lord has shown me that I can personalize scripture and make it a prayer to Him. I’ll take the same Psalm and show you what I mean:

Lord, You are My Shepherd.

I don’t need anything else but you, Lord.

Thank you for providing green pastures for me to rest in.

Help me to follow Your leading to quiet waters.

You have restored my soul, Lord.

You guide me in paths of righteousness… Help me to follow.

You lead me according to what will bring glory to Your name, not what will make me happy and comfortable.

When I walk through the valley, I won’t fear, Lord.

I know You are with me. I know that You never leave me.

Your rod of correction and your staff of guidance bring me comfort.

Help me to surrender… instead of resist them.

You have prepared a table to honor me and provide for me.

I know that the enemy will come and try to steal from the bounty you have provided for me.

However, You have anointed me. Your covering is over me. I belong to You.

My cup overflows because You have provided so perfectly for all of my needs.

I am confident that goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life.

I cannot wait to dwell with you forever in heaven.

Maybe the Word of God has become dry for you. It’s possible that you are reading it because you’re supposed to… but you aren’t allowing yourself to receive anything from it. I challenge you to find a journal and start writing out passages of scripture in a personal way. Let God speak to you and love on you. It will change you forever!

By Posted on Posted in God's word, motherhood, parenting 1 Comment

If I had a warning label… it would say “Beware! Chronic high expectations.”  Not only for others, but the truth is that I am foremost tremendously hard on myself. I think it comes partly from being a first-born, and partly from a desire to perform and earn approval from others…beginning at a very young age.

The Lord is on a mission of late: to convince me of His love and His unending grace for me no matter what. Today, my children slept in and provided the peace and quiet I needed to read my bible and hear a little bit from the Lord. I was reading in psalm 127 & 128 and came upon this:

Blessed are all who fear the LORD, who walk in his ways.

You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;
your children will be like olive shoots around your table.

Thus is the one blessed who fears the LORD.  Ps. 128:1-4

Immediately after reading this, the Holy Spirit brought to my mind a couple of recent events. My oldest daughter is volunteering at VBS this week, paired up with another mom in the craft area. This sweet woman was so taken with my daughter that she went home and told her husband all about their time together. This same daughter has been helping my 70+ year old neighbor navigate her computer and the internet at home. 12 year olds today are so tech-savvy! Our beloved Miss Pat from two doors down never tires of singing the praises of my oldest. The Lord also stirred up a memory from yesterday’s trip to Knott’s Berry Farm. The kids and I arranged to meet a dear friend and her kiddos. I was reminded of the loving words and embraces that this mom extended to all three of my children. As He connected the bible passage and these recent interactions with others, the Lord was definitely speaking to me this morning:

You are blessed. Because you have been walking in My ways, you will eat the fruit of your labor. The fruit is so sweet… watch how others love your children. Listen as others praise your girls. You are blessed to mother them and watch them grow. You are a fruitful vine:  as a mother, as a home maker, and as a wife. Your children are growing and maturing before your very eyes. Your hard work is paying off.  You often grow weary of caring for them day after day and dealing with their faults and weaknesses, but today, enjoy the fruit of your labor!

Do you find yourself keeping distance from the Lord because you fear that He is displeased with you? I find that every time I press into Him and listen, I hear words of love, affirmation, and grace. Will you press in and listen? Receive the affection your Heavenly Father wants to share with you.

By Posted on Posted in endurance, God's word, homeschooling No Comments

What a striking contrast between last week and this week. I felt better, loved better, taught better, and ate better last week. I made a conscious effort to read my devotion and the bible first thing each morning. This week, I was more hit-and-miss…. mostly miss.

I really felt the difference! I was frustrated, impatient, emotional, and I ate like crazy this week. My prayers were mostly composed of whines and demands. Why? I was empty, but yet I was running around trying to do life without the proper perspective and preparation. Clear as day, once again I was able to see the difference in my life when I put God first each day.

The icing on this dismal cake came last night. My oldest daughter informed me at just past 6:30 pm that she had math homework, and she needed my help. (She takes 6th grade math on campus through our homeschool academy.) While trying to teach her how to solve percentage equations, my nearly 11 month old was hollering about the dinner I gave him.  My blood sugar was low because I hadn’t slowed down enough to eat my own dinner.  Time was ticking by, and the start of my husband’s home bible study was quickly approaching.

Pressure. Hunger. Fussing baby. Loud TV from the other room. Percentages. Blank stare from 6th grader. I lost it. I threw the calculator that was in my hand and walked toward the kitchen to find some kind of food that would silence the grouchy baby boy. On my way, I saw it.

The red bucket.

It sat on the floor, full of toys. It wasn’t bothering anyone, but oh my word, everyone was bothering me!!! So I kicked the hooey out of it. Apparently, when you pay $5.99 for a plastic bin in the seasonal department at Target, you don’t get a product of the highest quality or durability. The poor thing shattered into a dozen pieces and toys rocketed in all directions.

Boy, it felt good…. For about 10 seconds. Then I felt embarrassed for losing my cool. (Yet remarkably grateful that it was a bucket and not one of my precious children.) Of course, the entire family had to come running to see what happened. Oh, the look of horror on each face was priceless. I think they realized…even the baby… that they had pushed this momma too far.

Yet, it was MY responsibility to keep my cool. It was MY responsibility to make sure that I was sane enough to handle the challenges of the day. That morning had come and gone without time set aside to read my bible and pray in a focused manner. I was reminded again that I had been coasting on fumes that day instead of soaring in the power of God. I hadn’t bothered to connect to my power source.

I kicked the bucket… and it woke me up from my deadly slumber. A hunger for God’s presence and His Word burst into flames within me.

This morning, I was a few hours into my day when I finally opened up my devotion and bible… but I got there!

“Though the LORD is on high, he looks upon the lowly,
but the proud he knows from afar.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life;
you stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes,
with your right hand you save me.

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your love, O LORD, endures forever—
do not abandon the works of your hands.

Psalm 138:6-8

When I read this passage, I knew that God was speaking to my heart. He said, “Jamie, I am not done with you yet. I am going to fulfill My purpose in you. I love you.”

And that was all I needed.