Christmas Break - "God 'REST' ye Merry Gentlemen"!

Holy Spirit revealed this short devotional message, as I was on Christmas break from work. Amidst all the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, God is still there. God is not the God of chaos but of peace. When we need to stop and 'rest', God is there. He is the "I am" for whatever we need. At the Christmas season, people get burdened down and weary very quickly and don't know what to do. Some get overwhelmed with emotion and it can lead to meltdowns or breakdowns if they let it get too far, and sometimes even worse. The cost of items at Christmas time for presents, dinners, family outings, travel expenses, accommodation costs, food costs, etc and the family dynamics/relationships can lead to even more times of chaos and unrest. At times like these when we let stress get its foot in our 'door', we can call on the name of the Lord and He will save us. I am so thankful that our God is there at the mention of His name.

Sometimes, however, I find that when I rest, I am more tired. When I have a nap in the middle of the afternoon for example, I am then awake later in the night, and have trouble falling asleep, so I end up going to sleep later than desired. But, we must remember that 'rest' is good for our bodies physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually. Even God rested. (Day 7 of creation) It says in the Bible that God gives His beloved rest (Psalm 127:2), and that God never sleeps (Psalm 121:4). So we can leave all our problems in His hands, and He's got everything in control.

As Christmas 'vacation' is coming to a close, and a New Year is close at hand... (less than 24 hours and we will be in 2017 - Lord willing of course) take this time to make a commitment to God, to grow in relationship with Him. End the old year, and start the New Year with a BANG. "This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (2 Corinthians 5:17 NLT) Ask God to forgive you of your sin, and take a step in the right direction. I pray that you will make this important decision to let Him be Lord of your life. Then you can lay all your worries at the feet of Jesus and 'rest in Him'. It's NOT religion its a relationship.

In Exodus 33:14 it says, "The Lord replied, 'I will personally go with you, _______________ and I will give you rest --- everything will be fine for you." The space actually contains the name of Moses in the NLT version, so I took his name out so that you can declare this verse and put your own name in! It's just another promise from the Bible that you can claim and declare in your own life.

"Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest!' Psalm 55:6 NLT

Be blessed to be a blessing,

Awe-full or Awful... I wonder where our wonder went...

This 'study' and blogpost has taken a couple turns from where I began... originally it was going to be a post on the 'Fear of the Lord' as I didn't really have an acceptable answer to give to our Junior Youth group at church about a month ago. We had discussed the fear of the Lord, and they all thought it was to be fearful or afraid, but I was explaining it was a reverent fear, like a holy respect, and that answer was ok for the time, but a couple mentioned they still didn't get it. So I have put it off, but have been reminded by Holy Spirit to 'study' this topic for myself as well. Because I can have a faith to believe it, but I do need to know why I believe it, so that I can reveal it to the next generation as well, so they can then share the truth with others too. Good leaders lead people who lead people... Good teachers teach people who teach people...

However, through the study of 'fear' and 'reverence' came along the words 'wonder' and 'awe' which took me down a whole other path or 'bunny trail'. (and it has taken a bit to finish this blogpost)

Starting out, the definition of 'fear' is; (taking the definitions apparent for this study, not the view of being afraid)
* reverential awe, especially toward God:
* a feeling of respect and wonder for something very powerful
* profound reverence and awe especially toward God

We don't actually fear God out of the emotion of 'being afraid' (as in Adam and Eve's example in Genesis 3:10, they hid in 'fear' of God because of their shame. They did honour Him as God, but they were terrified of what was going to happen. They could no longer stand in God's presence because of their sin, and they felt shame. We are to 'fear' Him out of respect and reverence for His character, His holiness, and His love. Perfect love casts out fear (1 John 4:18), which is why we are not 'afraid' if we walk in His love.

We have the 'fear' of eternal separation from Him. We, in our sin, cannot truly enter into His presence, nor can He enter ours fully. (This was another topic of discussion at Jr Youth, so the two answers will tie in nicely together). His presence is with us daily, and Holy Spirit walks with us and guides us in our daily journeys. However, the manifest presence of God (as in the account of Moses at the Burning Bush, or on Mt. Sinai) cannot fully come into glory. We need to understand how much God hates our sin. We need to 'fear' His discipline in the case that He is the 'loving father wanting to discipline us if we walk in disobedience', not the 'scary judge waiting to punish us because He knows we have done wrong'. Too often we do not 'revere' WHO God is. We need to show Him the respect and honour that He deserves. He grants us so much in His grace, that we don't even deserve, yet we even struggle to give him one hour a week.

Here are some verses regarding ''fear of the Lord" and "awe"...
Proverbs 1:7 -"Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline."

Psalm 111:10 - "Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!"

Psalm 34:9 - "Fear the Lord, you his godly people, for those who fear him will have all they need."


Proverbs 8:13 - "All who fear the Lord will hate evil. Therefore, I hate pride and arrogance, corruption and perverse speech."


Jeremiah 5:22 - "Have you no respect for me? Why don’t you tremble in my presence? I, the Lord, define the ocean’s sandy shoreline as an everlasting boundary that the waters cannot cross. The waves may toss and roar, but they can never pass the boundaries I set."

Psalm 119:38 - "Reassure me of your promise, made to those who fear you."

Proverbs 2:5-6 - "Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God. For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding."

Acts 9:31 - "The church then had peace throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria, and it became stronger as the believers lived in the fear of the Lord. And with the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it also grew in numbers."

Psalm 128:1 - "How joyful are those who fear the Lord— all who follow his ways!"

Proverbs 14:26-27 - "Those who fear the Lord are secure; he will be a refuge for their children. Fear of the Lord is a life-giving fountain; it offers escape from the snares of death."

Ephesians 5:21 - "And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ."

1 Peter 1:17 - "And remember that the heavenly Father to whom you pray has no favorites. He will judge or reward you according to what you do. So you must live in reverent fear of him during your time here as 'temporary residents'.”

Psalm 118:4 - "Let all who fear the Lord repeat: 'His faithful love endures forever'."

Proverbs 19:23 "Fear of the Lord leads to life, bringing security and protection from harm."

Deuteronomy 10:12; 20-21 - "And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases him, and love him and serve him with all your heart and soul... (v.12) ...you must fear the Lord your God and worship him and cling to him. Your oaths must be in his name alone. He alone is your God, the only one who is worthy of your praise, the one who has done these mighty miracles that you have seen with your own eyes." (v 20-21)

Deuteronomy 5:29 - "Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands! If they did, they and their descendants would prosper forever."

Hebrews 12:28-29 - "Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. For our God is a devouring fire."
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To fear is to;

• Respect
• Obey
• Submit to Discipline
• Worship in Awe - reverential awe

To be in Awe is:
A reverential state or condition of the mind and heart that results in a respectful fear or genuine wonder.

Hebrew word (one of them) is 'yare' -- to fear, be afraid, to revere, stand in awe, to have a deep respect/honour

reverence -- to approach cautiously
awe -- to take a step back

Are we AWE-FULL or are we AWFUL? Where did our WONDER go? Have we become too complacent in our walk with God? Do we experience a loss of mystery or a neglect of His divine nature/character? Are we over familiar with God, Jesus and/or Holy Spirit? Do we have Man-centred worship? Are we a part of casual or complacent environments? Have we let our selfish pride step in and seek to glorify ourselves instead of glorifying God in all that we do?

We need to put aside our selfish & fleshly pride and come back to the Father with the awe and wonder of when we first became saved. However, now we have more faith to believe that God will do what He says He will do. Although God's miracle power is still a mystery to us, we can understand more about His divine nature. We need to cast off complacency, and seek His face. He is a God deserving of our worship and praise. He is worthy of our obedience, and above all worthy of us (as a whole), as a creation that was made to praise Him. We can no longer live in a casual environment, knowing that God has it all in His hands, so we just go about our daily lives. We need to be in AWE of the wonderful things that He does for us. (Especially the things unknown to us!)

It has been said that we need to come to the Father with a 'Childlike faith', this is one full of awe and wonder. It is one that cannot be explained, as by science or anything else. We just believe because it is. Beth Moore in 'To Live is Christ' said "When her daughter was frightened of a thunderstorm, she pointed out the verse which declares the Heavens reveal the glory of God. When another storm occurred, her daughter ran to the window, 'Mommy, God's really showing off today'!" Once the truth was revealed to her by her mother, the little girl was no longer 'afraid', but was now in 'awe' of what God was doing. We need to allow God to reveal His truth to us, so that we can be in 'awe' of what He has done, and will continue to do.

The first time the church was 'in awe' is found in Acts 2:42-27; "All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer. A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity— all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved."

The 'church' was formed from the first believers in the Upper Room found in Acts 1 and 2. Unfortunately, some of those present in the Upper Room grew casual and complacent. Maybe they had 'work to do', or they had 'other things to get to', or grew bored and tired of waiting. They didn't remain in 'awe' of what God was going to do. Jesus had made them a promise that He would send the comforter, Holy Spirit to come and guide them and be with them in His absence. The ones who grew tired of waiting left and didn't receive the promised gift at that time. However, the ones who were in the room received the gift and more that day. They grew in faith and in numbers. Because of their faith, a 'deep sense of awe' came over them all and they performed signs and wonders (as Jesus had promised them previously as well, that they would do even greater things than He). WOW!

Is this what the church today is lacking??

Why are we seeking after the 'signs and the wonders' instead of the one who creates/performs them? Why do we seek the 'healing' instead of the 'Healer'? Why are we seeking after money and finances, instead of the 'Provider'? Why do we seek after created things rather than the Creator who is forever praised? Romans 1:25 says, "They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshipped and served the things God created instead of the Creator Himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen." Too often we get stuck in the world and start to believe what it is saying instead of going to the Truth. Jesus said "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." Too often we let the worldview come into play, and they try to leave Jesus out. They say things like 'he is just an ordinary man like Elijah or Moses', or he is 'just a prophet like Mohammed'... but we need to remain in "awe" of the truth, of the One who was, and is and is to come. We need to seek the "I am" alone. He was, is and is to be the ONE that we need. The one and only true God.

Embrace the WONDER again! Make your life AWE-FULL not AWFUL!

Be blessed.

What are you HOLDING ONTO?

What (or WHO) are you HOLDING ONTO?

In good times and in bad times, we face moments when we need to HOLD ON to something. It's been around a lot, but there's that old saying, If there was a huge fire at your home (or disaster of some kind that was going to destroy EVERYTHING), and you could only take ONE thing, what is the ONE thing you would take?

Why do we always focus on the bad times? Why do we only seek to cherish things in the bad times? A loved one who's health is failing, and everyone is around them, but where were they in the 'good times'? Times are tough and times are hard, let's call on 'God' to help us, oh but He's not answering, so let's focus on our other 'gods' to help us... drinks, drugs, sex, addictions of other kinds, etc...  but what does this say about where our faith stands in the 'good times' and the 'bad times'?

What are we HOLDING ON to? I would hope that you are holding on to GOD. The one true God, not our 'gods'. There is only ONE God, and we are to worship Him alone. Other addictions that can get in our way become like our 'gods' & make Him a jealous God. He is the one we will be answering to on our 'last day'. Booze, drugs, porn, sex, food, shopping, etc will be no more. They are not important, and they will fade away. The only thing that will last is the LOVE of God. 

He is NOT a wrathful God, just waiting for us to screw up so He can send His wrath and punishment. He is a loving and caring God who wants what is best for us. He has GREAT and AMAZING plans for us, but if we walk away from Him, we cannot fulfill any of those plans. We are all given gifts and talents, in the physical as well as in the spiritual world. Sometimes those two collide and that's when God can do the amazing and unbelievable. You don't have to spend every waking hour in a church, YOU are the church. When you believe in a power that is WAAAAAAY greater than you, and 'know in your knower' that God is a good God, He is what you will want to hold on to.

It reminds me of the little story I love about the child walking with their Dad, (we use Dad as in the picture of our Heavenly Father).

 A little girl and her father were crossing a bridge.
 The father was kind of scared (for his daughter's safety) so he asked his little daughter: "Sweetheart, please hold my hand so that you don't fall into the river." The little girl said: "No, Dad. You hold my hand." 

"What's the difference?" Asked the puzzled father. 

"There's a big difference," replied the little girl. 
"If I hold your hand and something happens to me, chances are that I may let your hand go. But if you hold my hand, I know for sure that no matter what happens, you will never let my hand go." 

 In any relationship, the essence of trust is not in its bind, but in its bond. So hold the hand of the person whom you love rather than expecting them to hold yours...

So, who are you holding on to? Or should I say, who is holding on to you?

We've all heard the statement, 'carrying baggage'... We can get extra 'baggage' of things that we are holding onto. Not all of our 'baggage' is bad, but if we put it ahead of our relationship with God, then it can be. For example picture with me, a busy Mama who finally has some time to go grocery shopping alone (crazy I know). She is tired from a busy day with the kids, maybe she works at home; maybe she goes off to work, maybe she had to make dinner... maybe she had to leave the kiddos with a sitter waiting for Dad to come home... maybe she's a single Mom... anyway... now that you have the image... picture her with her bags and bags of groceries. She is too tired to take more than one trip so she is carrying all her 'baggage' in one trip. She is 'bogged down'... and there's no room to hold anything else... Do you get my picture? 

Here's a visual for those who aren't as visual as I am...

What is she holding onto? BAGGAGE. Who is holding onto her? As pictured, nothing we can see. (But yes God is). Can she hold onto anything else? Now add a child in there with her... can she hold on to him? NO. She would put the baggage in a cart, or she would carry less... or yes, she would use a THIRTY-ONE tote (LOL!) (Hopefully she wouldn't just let him run beside her.) There's no room for her to hold onto anything else, unless she puts something she is holding, down. She would take the hand of her child first, as he is most important! Do you get my analogy?

Too often we are holding onto 'baggage' (good or bad)... and we cannot let go (or most often will not let go) to hold onto God. Thankfully He has us in His hands. But God doesn't want us to be overwhelmed. He wants us to rest in His hands, while He carries us! 

Picture with me again, we're going on a trip. We have to take a plane to a far away warmer destination. Super fun eh? How about just you... since I might not know you well enough to take a trip with you. You are so excited. A far away destination for fun, sun and more. (Maybe you're family is going too -- picture it however you want -- it's your imagination after all). You want to pack one suitcase each (crazy and probably won't happen), so what are you going to take? What do you pack for your week of fun away? 

Some people don't pack much, as they will purchase stuff there. Some people pack for a month (ha ha like me) so they have 'choices' of what to wear. You have to 'stuff' everything in, and hope it closes. Maybe you have to sit on it to close the zipper. (ha ha! there's a visual for you). What's so important that you have to take? Clothes, toiletries, Bible, book, etc. (NO ITS NOT A BUSINESS TRIP). Hmmm... but there are some things that you just might want WITH you. So thankfully you can have one carry-on each. In there, you can put your passport, purse or make-up (if a female), a snack(s), a book you're reading, pens, paper, kleenex, any meds, hobby items (crocheting, etc), and extra set of clothing (incase your other luggage gets lost - eek), things for your child, a neck pillow, your phone or laptop (& charger), camera, gum, music/iPod/mP3, Bible, notebook, etc... What is most important to you on your trip that needs to be on your person? Maybe a picture of your family (if you're going alone), maybe a keepsake of some kind to remind yourself of family or good times... You CRAM WHAT YOU CAN into your suitcase and especially into your carry-on. Unfortunately, there are luggage limits to what you can bring. So you have to alter what's in there... or move stuff from your luggage to your carry-all... etc. Frustrating I know! (Ha ha! After a trip to Kigali Rwanda and having to change over luggage items a few times!) What are you HOLDING ON TO? What is a NECESSITY that needs to be packed into your luggage that now sits in the luggage compartment on the plane --trusting it to an unknown luggage guy? What is IMPORTANT enough to pack in the carry-on that sits in the compartment above your seat (or part of it with you in your seat) that you have control over? What are YOU holding on to?? Why is it so hard to give our 'baggage' to an unseen God, when we freely give our luggage to the baggage compartment, which indeed has a record for losing our luggage? God wants us to 'lose' some of our baggage too!

God wants your 'baggage' in life to be 'unclaimed baggage'. Put it down, and never pick it up again!

Unfortunately, the world has also seen fit to pick up others baggage and re-sell it (sometimes good, and sometimes not so good). (The store idea is a great one, don't get me wrong. Literally, 'you never know what you'll find'. I'm talking spiritually. The world throws our 'baggage' back in our face, and others can get a hold of our old 'baggage' & get bogged down along with their own baggage!)

What BAGGAGE are you HOLDING on to? Are you LOST IN LUGGAGE?

My primary love language is PHYSICAL TOUCH {See http://www.5lovelanguages.com/ and read more about Gary Chapman and find out your top love languages - and those of your close family and friends, if you don't already know.} So songs or quotes, or stories that involve 'touch' really touch me (pun intended I guess); which is part of the reason I am choosing to write this devotional. Being a 'teacher' and having to hold the hand of a lot of children (& youth) I totally understand this thought too. (Having amazing parents helped that too of course!)

There is an amazing worship song called "My Anchor" by Christy Nockels. It is on the new PASSION album 'Even So Come'. The bridge part says "I hold on to You. You hold on to me" -- and I just love it! Such truth in two simple statements. Even when/if we don't believe (when we're not holding on to Him), He still is holding on to us! (This is a truth that the WORLD needs to know -- another reason to share this devotional.) Even though there is trials or suffering, and even in the good times, God is there! He is holding on to us! What a PROMISE to HOLD ON TO!

Here's a link to the song: My Anchor, Christy Nockels (will open in a new window, so it can play in the background while you read the words). 

Here's the words; read them and let it sink into your soul. Who is the ROCK you stand on? Who is holding on to You? Who or what are YOU holding on to?

    You're the Lord Almighty

    Your every word is sure

    And in Your love unfailing

    I'm safe when oceans roar

    Yes I'm safe when oceans roar.

    (Chorus)

    My anchor forever

    My shelter within the storm

    You're my Deliverer,

    You never falter

    Yes, You're the Rock

    I stand on.

     Here within the struggle,

    Oh and every crashing wave

    You are more than able, and

    Your hand is strong to save

    Yes I know Your hand is strong to save.

     (Chorus)

    (Bridge)

    I hold onto You, and

    You hold onto me, Jesus

    I hold onto You, and

    You hold onto me, Oh Jesus

    I hold onto You, and

    You hold onto me, My/(Oh) Jesus

    I hold onto You forever, and

    You hold onto me!

    'Cause You're my (Chorus)

    My anchor, forever

    My shelter, within the storm

    You're my Deliverer

    You never falter,

    Yes, You're the Rock I stand on

    You're the Rock I stand on.

Hebrews 6:19 says: "We have this HOPE as an ANCHOR for the soul, firm & secure!"

Be blessed today, as you let Him HOLD on to YOU, and hopefully you have LET GO of a lot of things so that you can HOLD ON to Him! Praying with you as you read these words inspired by Holy Spirit, and listen to this song. May you drop your 'extra baggage' that is not important (As Elsa sings, LET IT GO... LET IT GO!), and hold on to that which is important!