Walking In Your Own House?

Is your house dedicated to the LORD? How do you walk in your own house? What kind of friends do you 'hang' with or take 'counsel' from? All grammar errors aside, I was pondering this Psalm in the light of those questions for myself today. Sometimes the hardest place for us to walk blameless [upright] is in our own house. How about you?

• Psalm 101:1-6

Of David. A psalm.

1 I will sing of Your love and justice; to You, O LORD, I will sing praise.
2 I will be careful to lead a blameless [upright] life— when will You come to me? I will walk in my house with blameless [upright] heart.
3 I will set before my eyes no vile thing. The deeds of faithless men I hate; they will not cling to me.
4 Men of perverse heart shall be far from me; I will have nothing to do with evil.
5 Whoever slanders his neighbor in secret, him will I put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, him will I not endure.
6 My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; he whose walk is blameless [ upright] will minister [counsel] to me. [emphasis mine]

Choosing JOY,

Stephanie

Please Be Seated!

After spending the last two hours in God’s Word, I am back at the place of this one verse that the LORD is speaking:

• Psalm 46:10

"BE STILL and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

The best way to be attentive to the LORD – is to be still. I am to be still for at least another week. My own thoughts at this hour, however, are to plunge into an idea that I have had. I’ve thought it was a good one – with right motives – with a right heart – and yet I hear God saying, “Be still, Stephanie, sit down and listen, and LET ME ACT on your behalf.”

Look who gets fed or blessed or taught here in this passage:

• John 6:10-11

Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. 11Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish. [emphasis mine]

I wonder, on that day, did the disciples ever eat any of that food? Or were they so busy distributing [even doing good] and picking up crumbs that they might never have been fed by the Master?

Our first thought – or our first reaction to something – may not always be God’s intention or even His move. Being ‘still’ for a time - sitting down – can show us if it was or it was not.

So I am choosing to be still and listen attentively, and wait first!

LORD, I’m sitting at Your feet, waiting and listening to Your voice.

Choosing JOY,

Stephanie

Commissioned Oak

Psalm 46:10

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Isaiah 61:1-3
The Year of the LORD's Favor

The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on Me [Christ], because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them [us] a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They [we] will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of His splendor. [notes and emphasis mine]

Romans 8:35, 38-39

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Choosing JOY,

Stephanie

Sore Thumb?

Do you stick out like a sore thumb? Does the life you live for Christ contrast that of the world? God calls us to holiness - to be set apart for Him. That looks quite different from what the world tells us life should be. Sometimes reading a paraphrase can put it into the context of our world. I don't do this often [ use a paraphrase ] but this one really helped me to grasp what this passage says. Actually, reading both make it really clear.

• I Peter 3: 13-18 NIV Translation

13 Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? 14 But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened."15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, 16 keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. 17 It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil. 18 For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. [emphasis mine]


· 1 Peter 3: 13-18 The Message [a paraphrase]

13-18 If with heart and soul you're doing good, do you think you can be stopped? Even if you suffer for it, you're still better off. Don't give the opposition a second thought. Through thick and thin, keep your hearts at attention, in adoration before Christ, your Master. Be ready to speak up and tell anyone who asks why you're living the way you are, and always with the utmost courtesy. Keep a clear conscience before God so that when people throw mud at you, none of it will stick. They'll end up realizing that they're the ones who need a bath. It's better to suffer for doing good, if that's what God wants, than to be punished for doing bad. That's what Christ did definitively: suffered because of others' sins, the Righteous One for the unrighteous ones. He went through it all—was put to death and then made alive—to bring us to God. [emphasis mine]

In all that we say we must say it with utmost courtesy, gentleness and respect. But it's OK to stick out like a sore thumb to the rest of the world. We're supposed to!

Choosing JOY,

Stephanie

Into HIS Presence - 1 Year

At 6PM on October 19th, 2006 - one year ago today - my husband, Bob, entered into the Presence of His Savior Jesus Christ! We celebrated his home-going then - as we do now - with JOY. Bob was blessed by our 3 children and their spouses and the 5 grandchildren - all of which he was able to hold in his arms before entering the gates of heaven. We celebrated 34 years of marriage in August of last year as well!

I am posting this picture of the two of us because I wanted to stand with Bob one more time in remembering Who God is - and what God did for him those last 124 days of God's sufficient Healing and Grace in Bob's life.

• 2 Corinthians 12:9

But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Oh, how Christ's power rested on Bob those last days! As we honor his life of integrity, his gifted singing abilities, and his love for Jesus, we also bring glory and honor to the Father who saved him and chose him and allowed him to be called 'a child of the King'!

We cannot honor Bob - or the LORD more - than to print out his favorite passage from scripture which became his 'theme passage' after being diagnosed with cancer so many years ago. The cancer that he endured did not win out - God did!

• 1 Peter 1:3-9

Praise to God for a Living Hope

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls. [emphasis mine]

Earth is not our home - we are only passing through! Bob received the ultimate goal of his faith!

Choosing JOY,

Stephanie

Awaiting His Presence

• Isaiah 55:8-9

8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Yesterday... turned out to be quite a different day than we had all anticipated. I taught a Bible study in the afternoon in another's home and had expected to find my daughter and her whole family to have arrived from Florida - waiting for me when I returned to my house that afternoon. The only one there was my son-in-law, Rob.

My grandson, Drew, had gotten terribly ill in the airport when they arrived - throwing up all over so much that they had to throw away his clothes and even some of Rob's clothes that he was wearing. Becky and Rob are missionaries and were coming in to speak at my church on Sunday - as well as be home for the celebration of the 1 year marker of Bob's home going to glory. Becky had to turn around and drive home with the kids while Rob boarded the plane for NJ without any of them.

All week I have written about how God had brought me to a place of worship with Him - like I have never known. With that phone call I didn't feel much like worship.

When I got the call just before leaving to teach that Bible study... the Lord spoke to my heart saying, "Just this morning you were praising Me for the promise of GOOD in your life. Did I change after that phone call? Am I still good? Do I still promise good to you, Stephanie? Do you still believe I AM WHO I say I AM?"

I answered, "You are still Good, Lord. Nothing has changed. I am very disappointed that they will not be here with me - but You already know that. And yes, LORD, You are still good, and You have still promised good to me."

Lastly, the Lord spoke again to my heart, "Will you still worship Me as you have all week?

At that moment I realized that true worship of Jesus Christ rests on Him alone and has nothing to do with the circumstances in my life or my feelings which change moment by moment. So... I ran to the Word - the only place I know for healing and comfort.

The Lord had given me a new song (Jeremy Camp CD - STAY) the day before which sing these words:

I Still Believe

I've never felt so torn before , seems I don't know where to start.

But it's now... that I feel , Your grace fall like rain,

From every fingertip, washing away my pain.

'Cause I still believe in Your faithfulness.

I still believe in Your truth.

I still believe in Your Holy Word.

Even when I don't see --- I still believe.

• Isaiah 55:10-11

10 As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
11 so is My Word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it. [emphasis mine]

I still believe... You are Who You say You are... and I will still worship You alone!

And Lord? Thanks for wiping my tears with Your fingertip!

Choosing JOY,

Stephanie

Anointed Worship

John 12: 1-3
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus' honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus' feet and wiped His feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. [emphasis mine]

Jesus is being anointed by Mary [a woman] here in complete abandon of worship! Oh, that we might worship like this! I continue to feel like the LORD has been anointing me this week as He has cared so tenderly for me in drawing me close to Himself all week!

What a Savior, What a Friend, we have in Jesus! ...I Praise You LORD!

Choosing JOY,

Stephanie