Church went down like this for me last Sunday...
It was pretty much like a conversation between me & God simultaneously happening at the same time as a conversation between me & Satan. I pictured it much like God sitting on my right shoulder dressed in the purest white robe and Satan on the left shoulder draped in black and smelling pretty gross.
Anyway, the praise team busts into "I See Heaven."
"I see Heaven invading this place..."
I start to open my mouth to sing praises to God and I'm met with that ugly voice from the smelly guy on my left (and I'm not talking about Mr. Fulmer who happened to be sitting to my left and doesn't stink).
"You've done so much for God and people and have gotten no where. Everyone just uses you, even God. You don't matter to Him anyway... He just wants you to work your butt off for Him and that's it... no reward for you."
And my sleep deprived new momma self just agreed. I just pretty much lost my desire to sing anything then.
Funny how a simple suggestion of defeat and uselessness from the enemy can just make you feel that way.
"I see Glory falling in this place
I see hope restored, the healing of all disease
I sing praises, I sing praises.
I give you honor worthy Jesus..."
At this point my lips are moving and I'm swaying to the music because let's face it, our band and praise team rock... and I'm kinda hoping all the music and swaying will help my baby fall asleep since she had a melt down on the way to church.
Then God...
I'll finish the sentence about what He did, but first just let it sink in that "then God..." He always let's His presence be known in my situations.
Then God spoke. "I see you," He said. "I know what you have done and what you will do. I know the lives you have touched and I know the ones you will in the future. You are a special part of my plans and I won't leave you alone here to listen to the lies of our adversary in your moment of weakness. I have a direction for you, a path, just be patient and I will reveal it to you."
Whoa! What a word from the guy on my right (and I'm not talking about my handsome, stud hubby who happened to be sitting to my right). God knew just what I needed to hear and FEEL.
I find myself in a place that feels uncomfortable for me, but one I know is necessary. I know this time is about to come to a close, but I know God has a couple more things to teach me in this season of my life. I have always, always been heavily involved in some sort of ministry within the churches we have attended.... and I'm not right now. Sometimes I feel guilty. And that's where the smelly guy comes in telling me all kinds of lies to try to drag me down.
But I realized something important Sunday morning when the daughter of the unsmelly guy to my left (Mr. Fulmer) got up and blew "How Great Thou Art" out of the water. Mrs. Fulmer looked at her daughter with the sweetest smile on her face and I thought, "How proud they must be of her."
It came to me, I AM a mom. It is a ministry.
And it's beautiful and great that God gave me this chance to impact lives so deeply for Him. This is my calling.
I know that God will place Matt and I in a ministry soon within our church or another He may need us to be at, but for now He is using this season to teach me how to minister better to my own children... and I don't have to believe Satan when He tells me I'm useless or that God won't reward me for my labor in His kingdom. I have three little blessings with red hair and blue eyes... I have a good relationship with a husband who tries his hardest and works 12 hour days for us. I have been rewarded.
I write about all this today because I know there are other moms in the same season as me. You feel overtaken by diapers and dirty clothes. Maybe you even feel like you have no purpose in God's kingdom. Please know that you have purpose... and if you look, you will see it in the eyes of your children. No job you hold in your workplace or position in ministry in a church can compare to the importance of the position of mom in your family given to you by the Big Guy himself.
Lift up your head... even if it needs a haircut and hasn't seen makeup in days. Sing praises to God for this ministry He choose for you.
Believe me when I say that I know there are days you feel like you get nothing done but holding a fussy baby or refereeing a sibling arguement. And days when you have to clean all day just to have a big ole mess made of everything in minutes.
I know there are days, mom, when you just cry.
I know.
And I understand.
But I also know that I am a special part of God's plan. And I will not belittle the ministry He has placed me in during this season of my life.
Rock on Moms! We are designed for this job in it's high points and it's low points. Hang on to God when the dishes overflow the sink and the kids ask "why?" ten times in an hour. Teach them about God and show them how to live a life sold out to Him.
You don't have to be perfect at it.
Just be their mom.
Jan 28, 2013
All growl... a scared lion!
It's been an interesting 24 hours.
I went from bragging on God's goodness to my husband in teaching him to play the piano in an amazing way on an old piano that no one wanted, to sitting in the ER with him waiting to see what had happened to his right thumb… yeah, a thumb needed to play piano for the glory of God. (It's ok, because God's gonna use this for Matt's good… read on)
A host of other little things happened as well. You know, just the kind of things that satan likes to throw into the mix when you're feeling a little discouraged just to make sure you know he's still there.
I woke up this morning with a mess of things going "wrong" and really just thought about taking Maddy to school and then just going back to bed. But instead, I thought on God for awhile. I thought on the amazing church service we had yesterday morning.
Then I remembered a few things our Pastor said while preaching his fourth sermon in a series called "The Movement" about Daniel. Pastor Nick shared that he had once heard another pastor say that the devil may be a lion roaming to and fro, but he's a lion without teeth. Basically, all growl and no bite. He might be able to bite down and "gum" you but he can't really bite you. I thought on this for a little while this morning as I was eating my oatmeal.
I literally felt like my heart was thumping out of my chest with pride as I thought about what "satan lion" really looks like to me this morning because God and his army (that's all of us who believe and follow Him). It's much different than what I had pictured before.
For some reason, I pictured him as a strong, healthy lion with muscles and giant teeth that he flashed at me all the time to scare me and keep from doing what God wanted. Here I am this morning, though, seeing satan as a pretty beat up beast….
I see him with no teeth; no way to tear me apart.
I see him with spots of hair missing; hair that I have pulled out as I yanked him off of my family through prayer.
I see him with swollen black eyes; the eyes I punch when he's throwing out his lies to my face.
I see him limping; limping from the church knocking his legs right out from under him by joining in corporate prayer to see healing and restoration to those he has attacked.
I see him skinny with his ribs showing; so frail from the lack of a feast of victory because God always wins. Period.
The Bible tells us in James 4:7 to resist the devil and he will flee. I don't think I have ever really grasped the power in that verse until now. It tells us to submit ourselves to God and then when we resist the devil, he's gonna leave…. FLEE. What does flee mean? Merriam-Webster defines it this way: "to run away from danger"… ha! Just picture it! You have the ability by submitting yourself to God and His ways to make the devil run, not casually walk away from, BUT RUN because he senses danger… just by resisting him!!! That's a beat up, scared lion running away from you!!!!!!!!!
I say this with warning though. Satan is a sly guy. He wants to attack our minds and get our focus off of submitting to God. Remember if you are submitted your gonna be able to make him run away scared and not allow him to stay around filling your mind up with filth and feelings of worthlessness and doubt. Don't let your guard down just because he's a pretty weak, sad looking, already defeated foe. He wants to distract us so that we don't work to win anyone else into God's kingdom… he might be beaten up but he keeps fighting for that losing case of his.
BE ON GAURD! STAY SUBMITTED AND AWARE OF GOD'S DIRECTIONS!!! RESIST HIM SO HE WILL FLEE!!!
And remember this last little bit of goodness from Pastor Nick's sermon: Daniel's enemies thought they were setting him up for death and defeat by having King Darius sign a decree banning Daniel from praying to his God. They thought they would do away with him. But all they did was set Daniel up for prosperity and a promotion. Daniel stayed submitted to God. Daniel 6:28 tells us that Daniel prospered! Not only that, but King Darius made a new decree declaring his kingdom was to reverence and fear the God of Daniel.
As Pastor Nick said, "It's a set up!! God's plan is always victorious!"
Remember it's a set up of a different kind. Satan thinks he's setting you up for failure and defeat. But really, he's setting you up for the miracles of God to be performed so that you can prosper and grow.
I hope you are encouraged today to stop picturing yourself as the beat up warrior and instead see satan as a beat up lion who runs scared when you resist him and call upon God! I know that some days it feels like we are nothing more than satan's chew toy, but remember the decree (a good, true revelation) that King Darius had…
"…For He is the living God,
And steadfast forever;
His kingdom is the one which
shall not be destroyed,
And His dominion shall endure to the end.
He delivers and rescues,
And He works signs and wonders
In heaven and on earth,
Who has delivered Daniel
from the power of the lions." -Daniel 6:26-27
I went from bragging on God's goodness to my husband in teaching him to play the piano in an amazing way on an old piano that no one wanted, to sitting in the ER with him waiting to see what had happened to his right thumb… yeah, a thumb needed to play piano for the glory of God. (It's ok, because God's gonna use this for Matt's good… read on)
A host of other little things happened as well. You know, just the kind of things that satan likes to throw into the mix when you're feeling a little discouraged just to make sure you know he's still there.
I woke up this morning with a mess of things going "wrong" and really just thought about taking Maddy to school and then just going back to bed. But instead, I thought on God for awhile. I thought on the amazing church service we had yesterday morning.
Then I remembered a few things our Pastor said while preaching his fourth sermon in a series called "The Movement" about Daniel. Pastor Nick shared that he had once heard another pastor say that the devil may be a lion roaming to and fro, but he's a lion without teeth. Basically, all growl and no bite. He might be able to bite down and "gum" you but he can't really bite you. I thought on this for a little while this morning as I was eating my oatmeal.
I literally felt like my heart was thumping out of my chest with pride as I thought about what "satan lion" really looks like to me this morning because God and his army (that's all of us who believe and follow Him). It's much different than what I had pictured before.
For some reason, I pictured him as a strong, healthy lion with muscles and giant teeth that he flashed at me all the time to scare me and keep from doing what God wanted. Here I am this morning, though, seeing satan as a pretty beat up beast….
I see him with no teeth; no way to tear me apart.
I see him with spots of hair missing; hair that I have pulled out as I yanked him off of my family through prayer.
I see him with swollen black eyes; the eyes I punch when he's throwing out his lies to my face.
I see him limping; limping from the church knocking his legs right out from under him by joining in corporate prayer to see healing and restoration to those he has attacked.
I see him skinny with his ribs showing; so frail from the lack of a feast of victory because God always wins. Period.
The Bible tells us in James 4:7 to resist the devil and he will flee. I don't think I have ever really grasped the power in that verse until now. It tells us to submit ourselves to God and then when we resist the devil, he's gonna leave…. FLEE. What does flee mean? Merriam-Webster defines it this way: "to run away from danger"… ha! Just picture it! You have the ability by submitting yourself to God and His ways to make the devil run, not casually walk away from, BUT RUN because he senses danger… just by resisting him!!! That's a beat up, scared lion running away from you!!!!!!!!!
I say this with warning though. Satan is a sly guy. He wants to attack our minds and get our focus off of submitting to God. Remember if you are submitted your gonna be able to make him run away scared and not allow him to stay around filling your mind up with filth and feelings of worthlessness and doubt. Don't let your guard down just because he's a pretty weak, sad looking, already defeated foe. He wants to distract us so that we don't work to win anyone else into God's kingdom… he might be beaten up but he keeps fighting for that losing case of his.
BE ON GAURD! STAY SUBMITTED AND AWARE OF GOD'S DIRECTIONS!!! RESIST HIM SO HE WILL FLEE!!!
And remember this last little bit of goodness from Pastor Nick's sermon: Daniel's enemies thought they were setting him up for death and defeat by having King Darius sign a decree banning Daniel from praying to his God. They thought they would do away with him. But all they did was set Daniel up for prosperity and a promotion. Daniel stayed submitted to God. Daniel 6:28 tells us that Daniel prospered! Not only that, but King Darius made a new decree declaring his kingdom was to reverence and fear the God of Daniel.
As Pastor Nick said, "It's a set up!! God's plan is always victorious!"
Remember it's a set up of a different kind. Satan thinks he's setting you up for failure and defeat. But really, he's setting you up for the miracles of God to be performed so that you can prosper and grow.
I hope you are encouraged today to stop picturing yourself as the beat up warrior and instead see satan as a beat up lion who runs scared when you resist him and call upon God! I know that some days it feels like we are nothing more than satan's chew toy, but remember the decree (a good, true revelation) that King Darius had…
"…For He is the living God,
And steadfast forever;
His kingdom is the one which
shall not be destroyed,
And His dominion shall endure to the end.
He delivers and rescues,
And He works signs and wonders
In heaven and on earth,
Who has delivered Daniel
from the power of the lions." -Daniel 6:26-27
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)