What are YOU looking at!?!

The day was finally here!!! Daddy went on a touring trip with some friends of ours and it was time to pick him up at the airport! We arrived on time and with each shadow peering around the gate, we stood on our toes for that shadow's face to appear and know if it was "someone's" Daddy, or our Daddy. One by one they filtered past and with each one, our shoulders dropped with a sigh, "Not him..."  Until...it was him!! We had locked eyes on him and watched him come straight for us. If the railing had not been there, we would have jumped on him no doubt!! It was sooo good to see him. He hugged each of us and we rubbed on his new "fluffy face" (beard) and began to walk with him along the rail towards the exit when all of a sudden a friend popped up out of no where! What?!?! He said, "Yes, and there's the rest of thr group that just walked past." What?!? I was in a state of shock at first because I was completely focused on him, then the fact that I didn't even see our other friends with him. There's one of them right there in the picture!! How bizarre!
Although I knew he travelled with a group of friends, it was my understanding they had separate flights from my man's. So, I wasn't looking for anyone else and then when we saw them, it didn't compute right away. We were so focused on what we knew- that Daddy was on his way, and that our minds were set only on him. We didn't see our friends because we were not looking for our friends. We planned on Daddy, we were looking for Daddy, we only saw daddy and we grabbed onto Daddy when he arrived. Of course, once "he" pointed out our friends, it was a double joy to get to welcome them home too!!!
God used this experience to remind me of what it means to fix our eyes on Him. To set our hearts and minds on Him alone. Being so intently focused on Him, that the world around us fades, and it's all about Him. We can get so easily distracted in this connective and politically correct culture that our hearts and minds can stay busy trying to analyze every situation, every word, that we take our eyes off Him, our Daddy!
Because it is through Him, that the rest of our life matters. If we look for evil: fear and approval of others and gossip and money and worry and sinful lusts, quick fixes, we are sure to see them. And the opposite is also true, if we look for good, we will find it: peace, strength, purity, hope, kindness, patience, joy, etc. When we seek first, The Lord, who is above all and over all, and in Him all things hold together (Col 1), setting our eager anticipating hearts on Him, there we will find Him and walk along the rails of our life and live it in whole-hearted devotion and focus on Him, towards the final Exit, taking in everything else. We see what we are looking for.
 I only love others well when I love my God well. I only live well and love well, when I live and love through Christ alone. God, help us to turn our eyes towards You. Click here for a 1 minute worship moment. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.

Proverbs 4: 25-27 "Let your eyes look directly forward, and your gaze be straight before you. Ponder the path of your feet; then all your ways will be sure. Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil. "  

 

Matthew 6:21-23 "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  "The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!"

 

Matthew 6:33-34 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."   

 

Welcome Home!!!   

 

Behind Closed Doors

What's going on behind closed doors? Well, the only people who really know are the people actually behind them. Behind closed doors, fun things can happen but so can ugly things. From the Price is Right, Door #3 to the doors of neglect, lots can happen behind closed doors. Blessings and curses. Smiles can hide pain just as a tear can represent joy.
A friend recently posted about asking for peace and while I turned the focus on Christ, His peace and all things happen for a reason, trust Him, everything has a purpose be it correction, refining, teaching or testing, someone else responded to the posts with "life is full of crap" sentiments. Hope, Peace, Strength, Patience, Grace. This is the difference between a Believer and a Non-Believer (aside from the Cross and Salvation of course.) As a Believer in Christ Jesus, I have Hope through my Faith that He is in control. He will provide and protect me. A non-believer hopes in self....self wishing, self doing, self religion. 
This post isn't about defining the differences between Believers and Non-Believers. I say these things to make the point that ALL HAVE SINNED and there is nothing on this earth untouched by it's destruction. Bad stuff happens to EVERYONE! Behind every closed door there is joy and pain. Some doors shield just how extreme it may be.
Just the fact that we are human beings living in community on this earth, should be enough to call us all to be kind, to protect, to help the weak, be good, do good. As Believers however, we are called to "love one another," "help those in need," "encourage," "intercede," "rebuke." All the things mentioned in the previous post last week. We are charged with caring what goes on behind closed doors.
So, what is my point?!? Because we cannot see through "doors," it is imperative that we listen for the discerning and tender voice of the Holy Spirit to call us over to knock on certain doors. No, not to be a busy-body, God wouldn't call you to knock a door to do something He wouldn't do. If you are a Christian, you are Christ-like, then you would go in the same heart and motive as Christ. To love.
Maybe there is a Joy to be shared! Maybe there is pain to care for. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit to lead you as His hands and feet. Don't hesitate for when we live according to His direction, we know there is a reason for everything and we cannot possibly know why or what. Our part is follow. It is God's part to know. We can't possibly have all the answers but we can be available, willing to be a vessel for God's reach. 
There are soooo many people hurting behind closed doors. May God find us faithful when He calls, knowing that He is in control, He will provide, He will lead, trusting that "for those who love God, all things work together for good." Romans 8:28 alongside the Saving Cross. May we rely not on our wisdom but on His wisdom to share in the sorrow and be the hands and feet of The One Who Loves unconditionally, Who Heals the brokenhearted, gives Joy to the grieved, Strengthens the weak. 
If you are the one sitting behind closed doors that is hurting, be encouraged knowing The Father above you sees you. You are not sitting there alone. He is your help in times of need. There is no one who loves you more that the Lord God. Do not conceal your pain. What is hidden in darkness leads to destruction. Reach out and open your door...put aside all that hinders- shame, pride, sin, guilt, fear, worry. Freedom is just on the other side of that door.
Whichever side of the door you find yourself, put your trust in the One Who is trustworthy. Go where He leads. Be encouraged....read Psalm 119 and remember this:

"When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3 For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush andSeba in exchange for you. 4 Because you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you, I give men in return for you, peoples in exchange for your life. 5 Fear not, for I am with you; I will bring your offspring from the east, and from the west I will gather you." Isaiah 43:2-5

What Spills Out Matters

OOOPPPS!!! TOO MANY THINGS IN MY HANDS!! I was carrying my Carry All bag, my purse, my sunglasses, my coffee mug and my Bible and as I leaned over to grab my keys, CRASH!! My Bible slipped out falling to ground and EVERYTHING fell out. UGH! Really, when is it ever a good time to drop something and have to spend time cleaning it up?!? I think...never!

Past church bulletins, children's color sheets, meeting notes, bookmarks, sermon notes jotted on a piece of paper when I had forgotten my journal. It all fell out. I've always held my Bible close as it was much like a Diary to me and the thought of someone seeing some of my personal notes would have been devastating. It wasn't until I noticed a friend of mine continually opening and sharing her Bible with others that God began to show me how my Bible was something I should be opening wide and not covering up before others. One day she asked me to look something up in hers and the thought crossed my mind how she must really trust me with something so personal. 

God used this "sharing your Bible" thing to teach me on a deeper level that although we should be clinging to and guarding the Word, we should freely give it and share it. Therefore, what's on the inside matters. Taking this to a deeper level...if I open my Bible, or my heart to someone, what will they see inside? What does GOD see inside? I pray goodness and truths and hope are found. Whatever spills out, I pray it's good. This means I must be careful with my choices, and choose wisely what I hold on to.

"For no good tree bears bad fruit, nor again does a bad tree bear good fruit, for each tree is known by its own fruit. For figs are not gathered from thornbushes, nor are grapes picked from a bramble bush. The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:43-45 

When you are knocked down, what spills out? Good or evil? Good fruit or bad fruit? What you hold onto in your heart matters. Although no one wants to admit that "evil" comes out of us, we must be honest and own our sin. Sin is evil.

"And He said, "What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person." Mark 7:20-23 

It is never a good time to get knocked down. But it's only we are put to the test and shaken that what's on the inside can be honestly revealed. When something doesn't go your way, or someone says something ugly or incorrect about you, or even when the warfare against you is strong, what thoughts burst from within your heart and mind...and mouth? Remember that we also have to clean up our spill. The messier it is, the harder and longer it will take to clean up. 

Obviously when we are hurt, we are going to feel hurt, say we are hurt and even shed tears from being hurt, but what is attached to that hurt as it comes out? Gossip, revenge, deceit, bitterness, hatred? Or does your heart immediately cry out to the Lord for Him to take a hold of it as it breaks? Falling at the feet of Jesus and letting Him act on our behalf, strengthening in us at the same time with peace, forgiveness, self-control.

Like the commercial goes, "What's in your wallet?" Today, we must ask "What's in your heart?"

Forgiving and Just God,

How I pray for a heart that pleases You. When life shakes me up, give me eyes to see what You see in me that I may get rid of all the evil inside as it oozes out and fill my heart and soul with all that is good. Guide me Holy Spirit in self-control to make daily choices that led me on a path of goodness and mercy, purity and peace. Help me guard the influences around me, turning from all evil and taking in what is Good. Open my heart Father God and pour into me Your goodness and mercy, Your compassion and love and may I be bolder in sharing it with others. Your Word is a light unto my path, healing to my heart. Help me to hide Your Holy Word, engraving it into the depths of my mind, heart and soul so I may claim it's promises and power and rebuke the evil that tries to penetrate within it. I pray that when it is broken that it bleeds Your Blood which covers all my sin. Thank You Lord for Your perfect love. Be the core of me. Amen.