Tag Archives: God

Why Can’t We See God

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 3 February, 2014 None comments

I had a conversation with my mom this afternoon and she kept asking me in the midst of trial where God is? We believe God is with us, we believe God is guiding and protecting us, but where is God shining down revealing himself to us giving us that hope?

Thank you to thebooktart.com for the picture

As I was listening to her it became very clear to me that God has been continually revealing himself to us through our circumstances. It can often be in the little things that God is showing a mighty work. The reality is that our trials wouldn’t seem so catastrophic if we didn’t believe in Christ. Evil wouldn’t be so prevalent if we weren’t fighting for good to overcome and win. Christ meets us in the pit of sin and is reaching down with an outstretched hand asking for us to grab on. We often look for God’s revealing in miracles and drastic change in lifestyle rather than the physical outreach trying to simply help us stand back up on our own two feet. When we live in sin we are still responsible and accountable to our choices, God wont simply take them away because we must deal with them and learn from them but in all reality those mighty changes in life is God’s revealing of himself even through our freewill to choose life or death.

So beloved, you are chosen, adopted, accepted and loved! God is revealing himself to you in the midst of the trial. Look for him in practical ways rather then in miracle form. I’m not suggesting that Christ wont perform miracles over your life as he does often but when life sinks deep, remember Christ is there revealing His precious self to you through ways that wouldn’t keep you believing still.

The simple question, “Where is God, why can’t I see him?” Seems to me to be the essence of Christ trying to get you to take your eyes off yourself and the longing for tragedy to dissipate, but to stay Christ focused so that you can see his hand in the daily routine of what we call life. We need to go deeper still in our faith, trials bring perseverance and Christ says we need to consider them pure joy. The definition of pure is: not mixed or adulterated with any other substance or material, free from contamination, containing nothing else. The definition of joy is: Great pleasure and happiness. The two combined seem to be a happiness filled without anything else, free of any other material or substance distracting the essence of our joy. Consider it pure joy my friends, when you are faced with trials of many kind (James 1:2-4).

Reveal means to make known; previously unknown or kept secret. Christ isn’t a secret to us, he is constantly showing himself through divine or supernatural means. When we ask Christ to reveal himself, I think we ought to ask for us to see the supernatural realm taking place at that present moment. If we feel Christ is hiding Himself from us our perspective needs to get back in tact. Whose hiding, Christ or us? Christ has revealed himself. Let’s not hide in the midst of pain and tragedy and question God’s presense. Instead lets open our eyes and grab on to Christ as He walks with us through our day. Our prayer should be: “let me see You as You are continually revealing Yourself to me. Let my doubt, fear and trepidation not hinder my sight from your glory as You embark this journey hand in hand with me. You have and will continue to reveal Yourself to me, help me from hiding from you glory and keep my eyes pure, uncontaminated by anything other than Yourself so that I may proceed with faith and not let evil conquer me.”

My friends, the reality is we all go through dark times in our life where we can’t find which way is up. Unfortunately we need close brothers and sister in Christ to stand by our side pointing us in the direction of the finish line. I’ve wondered myself many times why God hasn’t preformed that miracle on our family, when I need to remember we all have our own choices and no matter which road we choose God will be faithful to us as we continually choose Him. This doesn’t mean our ‘miracle’ is that the tragedy or hardships get taken away, it simply means resting under His wing for refuge while we continue to endure the path that’s narrow and difficult rather than the worn, wide path.

We think that Christ revealing himself to us is some unknown experience that rarely happens. My friends, Christ is daily revealing himself to you, are you receiving this great gift you have been given? You may question God as at times He can be silent, but when you seek him for guidance He will not fail you and is waiting to unveil the many layers covering your eyes. We tend to let our insecurities, doubts and fears become the essence of how we think God is working. This is all wrong my friends and I’m guilty of this as well. We need to remind ourselves what God’s promises are so that when standing in the midst of the fire you are pure before the Lord, knowing you can and will endure the fire and come out even more refined on the other side.

Moment of Truth: Reveal yourself to Christ, don’t keep yourself a secret from Him as he is reaching down into the pit with His hand outstretched longing to wash away your pride and selfishness and renew your eyes with peace and glory. There is a hope!

Waiting on the Lord

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 23 January, 2014 None comments

The old saying “everything comes in three’s” seems to ring true right now. Although I am not superstitious what-so-ever but currently I am in stage three hoping the 4th isn’t lurking right around the corner. My eyes have been unveiled to a lot of pain and reality the last 7 days. I do not have the right to share some of the tragedy as they are not regarding me to the fullest but the reality is tragedy has hit and hit hard affecting me and those around.

I turned on the TV this afternoon while Cooper was napping and I had to immediately turn it off. Talk shows are feeding our selfish desires and how to act on them. “We deserve” better. This lie is so prevalent within our society and is the essence of self absorption and pride wrapping itself around our brains forcing us to think we deserve revenge.

What has happened to society is we are easily allowing ourselves to be influenced by what we see and hear rather than what we know to be true. My heart is broken! This is the basis of where I am lately.

This song “While I’m Waiting” has been my song of the month and continually reminds me to wait on the Lord as each day these past 7 days has brought three major events of life to light. I currently have the choice to respond with humility asking the Lord to give me strength and wisdom when circumstances as these tend to arise. It’s easy to walk away, sweep our problems under the rug, cope in ways that are dangerous and unhealthy and simply shut down. My deepest desire is to engrain these words from this song on my heart and take my own advice that I share on a continual basis with you all about trusting the Lord. I can tell you tell I get blue in the face to trust the Lord but the outflow of my life needs to reflect this exact thing. While I am human and will forever make many mistakes while I am here on this earth, my deepest desire is to live a life worthy of His calling. To influence those who are in the midst of tragedy themselves. Simply meeting you right where you are; where we all are, if we are honest.

Thanks to “Got Prayer?”

Having a discussion with my husband two nights ago, I was realizing the depth of our sin is beyond powerful and self consuming, even to the point of death at times. When death arises we tend to ask ourselves “why could they never figure it out?” Why do we wait until death knocks at our door to simply attempt to put our lives back together again. Why do we wait? Why do we tend to look at other people constantly hoping and praying they “figure it out” when reality is why can’t we figure it out ourselves. Sometimes death knocks and sometimes the door is open for healing and redemption while other times we turn to coping mechanisms that are even more destructive than where we were before our door was knocked upon. How come we can’t humbly lay our life down and beg for understanding and healing? We tend to resort to the habits of our mind, believing this is who we are rather than accepting our habits are unhealthy and need to firmly be addressed. We can change the patterns of our mind if we truly sought to change them!

We cry for help without accepting the hand reaching down to pull us up from the muck and the mire. We turn a back looking for that “quick fix” in the way we see fit, not the way that’s going to bring about change and healing.

We have a long list of excuses, ways we justify our decisions and thinking we know what’s best. These are lies that need to be unveiled to each and every one of us. What lies are you believing about yourself? Earlier this week in Bible study the discussion was “resolve to resolve.” Set out to resolve our own heartache rather than mask our problems that will only worsen and deepen over time. The enemy tries to come and divide families and friendship and drown out the light. But why succumb to this, Christ already defeated evil on the cross. So with the power of Christ you can defeat any and all of these masks we wear depending on which masquerade party we are currently attending. We wear a different mask with different people around but reality is we need to tear off the mask to allow the ugliness to shine through only to bring about true healing. The more we cover up the deeper our sin goes.

John 11:40 states “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” I don’t really know how else to say to this rather than try it. Test and see that the word of the Lord is true, active and alive. I know you will see His glory.

We pray for blessings, healing, peace, redemption, prosperity and the list goes on. We simply want our suffering to end. I’m not suggesting that trusting the Lord will take away our heartache. Blessings come in many different forms. Trials of this life tend to be God’s mercies in disguise. We hate to admit this as heartache usually tends to bring good from our circumstances. What Satan meant for evil, God turned to good. Again we have freewill and our circumstances will never be delightful but we can choose to seek the good apart from accepting the evil. Sometimes God allows us to be in the ‘pit’ until we have nothing left of ourselves but to seek God. That unfortunately can inflict pain on those around us simply by our choices that seem so small at the time, that actually are dragging us further into the pit. Before we know it our lives are public to those we walk with and eventually you have a choice; let redemption in or run away to the masquerade party wearing yet another ‘different’ mask.

Moment of Truth: Don’t attend the masquerade party, let your light shine. I struggle to find good in these past few days, but I have to trust and have complete faith that something good will eventually shine through. I believe God is trying to heal our relationships in one aspect or another and unfortunately it’s taking a lot of heartache and pain to accomplish this task. I believe when we look back maybe even years from now, there will be an epic journey we will have traveled having not gone through this. I believe it will be turned to good just as Christ says it will.

Waiting on the Lord

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 6 January, 2014 None comments

What does it mean to wait on the Lord? The first resolution should be to be obedient to Christ no matter the cost. This is the decision of being driven by fear or faith. The outcome will take place whether we choose our own direction or let Christ lead. The outcome will be the same, it’s the path in which changes; we can make the path longer and more painful or trust in faith that God will come through.

Gods design isn’t to make us happy but to make us holy. When we are made holy is the moment in which sincere happiness can occur. When we trust on the Lord, we will wait on him in anticipation to fulfill His promises.

We need to be thankful for what God has done and what we have. When doing so our attitude will become that of a thankful heart rather than a vindictive bitter heart. Are we seeking revenge on others or a thankful peaceful heart desiring self growth?

I’ve noticed how quickly it is that one bad thought can lead down a spiraling path of anger, revenge and much more. Allowing these thoughts to even enter in, requires self-focus with a prideful attitude believing we are deserving of something better than whom we seek revenge. I’ve noticed in the work force while talking with a few people who feel betrayed in their positions, how quickly these negative thoughts seek vengeance and bad “Karma” to those who are incredibly difficult to work with. For some reason there is an entitlement within ourselves that these people are below us and we are so much more ‘put-together.’ This attitude comes within our self from a prideful insecure mentality that we ‘deserve’ better. Stop! Think for a second! These people are in the same shoes as us; trying to make it through their day, struggling with lifes circumstances on so many levels. Everyone ultimately wants respect and appreciation. If we treated those around us who we don’t believe ‘deserves’ respect, how would that change their day? How would that change their perspective of you? How can you help change their outlook for that particular day, all by being nice and respectful to those who don’t deserve it.

Yet who are we to judge who deserves what? Our pride seeks happiness, yet again, God didn’t create us to be happy, but to become holy. Our goal should be to understand we are all wandering through life looking for something greater.

Take time today to treat those you encounter with high respect, love and appreciation. Whether that comes in the form of a smile to a stranger you pass, opening the door for a customer walking into Starbucks; paying for their drink as a nice gesture. Or in the work environment, remind yourself of the top three people who make the hair on your neck stand up and ask them how their day is, put a smile on your face and treat them with utter respect even if they toss disrespectful comments your way. Your integrity will shine for who you are when you don’t ‘fight’ back. Your actions do speak louder than words.

Ultimately, does it really matter? We never feel better about ourselves after the revenge takes place. Ultimately we just stooped to the same level as them, lowering our integrity and respect to those who are watching. It is never worth it. A silent heart speaks truth while our mouths seek ourselves. Wait on the Lord, ask Him what he wants from us. Ask Him for a heart like His, and ask for patience and love. RENEW YOUR MIND ALL DAY LONG.

Choose Faith not Fear and watch your life be transformed.

The question we need to ask every day is: Am I driven by faith or fear?

When Faith Seems to be Just a ‘Word’

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 3 January, 2014 None comments

When Faith Seems to be Just a ‘Word’

Sometimes I realize my prayers can start to sound the same. Words flowing from my mouth wondering if Jesus is interceding on my behalf. Sometimes I wonder “if I simply prayed differently, used more powerful words, spoke the right things, than maybe, just maybe my prayers would be answered sooner than they are.”

Waiting can be devastating if you allow it to be. Waiting is the place where God transforms lives. Waiting brings character and perseverance.

As I woke last night startled from a dream and hearing my little man tossing and turning, I hurried to check on him. I placed his blankets over him to help bring the warmth back in. As I laid my head back on my pillow I tossed and turned for quite some time. I rested my hand on my husband as I often do when I awake in the middle of the night and began to pray out loud. As my quite words softly came from my lips, I began to question whether Christ was going to answer my prayers. I have been praying the same prayers for over a year now waiting anxiously for this miracle to take place. Here we are entering 2014 and I’m still pleading and wrestling with the Lord for some relief to set in.

When I woke up this morning I began to replay the concerns I had pondered at 4 in the morning. I began to realize first and foremost, the middle of the night is never a good time to let your thoughts wander. Taking them captive as the enemy knows our weaknesses and is quick to let lies seep in is my goal for this reoccurring late night prayer session. The second thing I realized was Christ was and is for His children. I am his child and he promised to protect me and deliver me. How that looks, may be completely different than I could ever dream up; in fact it is 9 times out of 10. The third thing I realized was waiting patiently is a continual battle of exercising my hearts beliefs. When things come easy I quickly push Christ to the side of every activity in my day. The truth of the morning was “Christ hears ME! He will answer! Wait in expectation!”

Praying doesn’t have to have the proper words, depth of knowledge and scripture to make your prayers be answered more quickly. Though we like to think if we changed something that maybe then God would respond. These are lies we have to wrestle with as we speak truth that Christ only wants a humble heart, relaying our deepest fears and desires allowing Him to than transform us. He simply wants us to pray and read His Word. There is no magical formula!

This afternoon I was headed to Costco with my little son playing and laughing in the backseat. The song “Blessings” came on the radio by Laura Story. It can always bring immense power to my heart as I begin to feel that “okay maybe God really is listening” giving me an ounce of hope knowing we will still struggle. If you haven’t listened to the song, please do so now.

A true test of my patience was a phone conversation with my husband this afternoon that started off great. It quickly transpired into an accusing conversation rather than a selfless conversation. My anger quickly started to boil as I felt misjudged. I quickly hung up the phone and replayed this song as it was currently up on my computer screen…it really couldn’t have been more perfect timing. “What if my greatest disappoints or the aching of this life, is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy. What if trials of this life, the rain, the storms, the hardest nights are Your mercies in disguise.” These words convicted me to my soul. This life isn’t about me nor about my husband. We will mistreat one another, we will justify our actions, we will defend ourselves to the deepest part of our core, but why? We want vindication. We want to be right. It’s simply all about SELF. I’m realizing more and more how marriage has really put a tight reign on my tongue. There are many things I used to say when I first started with my husband, now-a-days, my tongue has a leash and I’m only grateful for this. I have to realize if I fight for vindication or to demean my husband, there is a HUGE problem and my pride needs to be laid down before the feet of Jesus and before my husband. My anger and disappointments need to be held in the hands of Jesus as well. He feels the pain and humiliation we go through. He understands our heart.

Today, I want to remind you all that sometimes we are in a period of silence. We believe God is ignoring us, forgot about us or doesn’t care. This deep lie is a test of our faith. None of us deserve the gift Christ has given us, we are all the prodigal child needing constant reminding that we always walk, run and flee from Christ now and again yet he is there waiting to grow our hearts desire for him. Sometimes our perspective is off. God not answering my prayer when and how I think he should is probably the exact reason I am still in the trial. He is more concerned with my heart rather than the issue. He wants to teach me things about myself I would have never learned having not gone through this trial.

Moment of Truth: Change your perspective from what you think God is doing or not doing, to what we know he is doing. And that is healing our hearts to be more Christ filled rather than self filled.

I heard it once said, that we as believers of Christ are either going into a trial, in the middle of a trial, or coming out of a trial. Oh how this is so very true. Embrace the cycle of life knowing one day this world God has already conquered will soon be justified.

Moment of Truth

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 27 December, 2013 None comments

Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn, whatever state I may be in, therein to be content.
– Helen Keller

Thought to Ponder

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 26 December, 2013 None comments

“Being happy isn’t looking for perfection but looking past imperfection”

I heard this today and it really struck me how we can easily let the little things be “big” things. Habits, routine and self talk can tend to lead you down the path of destruction if you aren’t willing to reevaluate your current state.

Christmas can be a blessing or a curse for everyone. Within our own family both the brothers have an extremely difficult time remembering family and tragedy that has occurred through the years.

The day after christmas can be a massive let down for many reasons. I ask that you look within yourself and motivate yourself to pursue truth today and not look for perfection in those around you but to love them right where they are.

It All Began In A Manger….

Posted by Delightfully Doable on 24 December, 2013 None comments

Christmas Eve began this morning with all the children jumping for joy. “The presents are coming, the presents are coming,” shout the three little children with the wee little toddler scrambling behind. The excitement filled their little tiny minds while they couldn’t wait to see what was to be had below the tree. Could it be, the little gifts I had longed for would fill me with such glee, expresses the confident 8 year old. The four little boys toddled around waiting anxiously for the unwrapped gifts below the tree. As the long day passed, they waited with immense patience checking off their list:

1. Christmas Eve dinner @ 4pm

2. Christmas Eve service at church @ 6:30pm

3. Rush home and pass out gifts, eat snacks and unwrap @ 8pm

The tearing of the Christmas paper began to fill the house with four little boys hovering over each pile of gifts.

This year we decided to not put such an emphasis on gifts for us adults as we want to remember the real meaning of Christmas. “Gifts and stockings are okay, but Jesus is the real reason we have Christmas Day.” As a family we decided we would do more meaningful, thought felt gifts and that is exactly what we did.

We have gifts on Christmas Eve and Santa of course brings the stockings on Christmas morning. Teaching the young, inquiring minds that gifts and stockings are okay is not always an easy distinction for the almost teenager, 8 year old dreamer, and the 5 and 18 month old wigglers. Their priorities are tagged with telling all their friends when they return to school about all the technelogically savy gifts they received. But to their grandparents, it’s more imporant that they pass down a legacy of faith seperating the joy of giving with Christ’s birth. The important disctinction they long to pass from generation to generation has been well established.

My father has always read the Christmas story before we opened gifts to remind us why we have been blessed to give and receive. This Christmas my dad read a snippet of by Max Lucado and this is what is wrote:

It Began in a Manger (Christmas)

by Max Lucado • March 22

Curious, this royal throne room. No tapestries covering the windows. No velvet garments on the courtesans. And, instead of a golden scepter, the king holds a crudely whittled olive-wood rattle.

Curious, the sounds in the court. Cows munching, hooves crunching, a mother humming, a babe nursing.

It could have begun anywhere, the story of the king. But, curiously, it began in a manger. Step into the doorway, peek through the window.

He is here!

The Arrival

The noise and the bustle began earlier than usual in the village. As night gave way to dawn, people were already on the streets. Vendors were positioning themselves on the corners of the most heavily traveled avenues. Store owners were unlocking the doors to their shops. Children were awakened by the excited barking of the street dogs and the complaints of donkeys pulling carts.

The owner of the inn had awakened earlier than most in the town. After all, the inn was full, all the beds taken. Every available mat or blanket had been put to use. Soon all the customers would be stirring and there would be a lot of work to do.

One’s imagination is kindled thinking about the conversation of the innkeeper and his family at the breakfast table. Did anyone mention the arrival of the young couple the night before? Did anyone comment on the pregnancy of the girl on the donkey? Perhaps. Perhaps someone raised the subject. But, at best, it was raised, not discussed. There was nothing that novel about them. They were, possibly, one of several families turned away that night.

Besides, who had time to talk about them when there was so much excitement in the air? Augustus did the economy of Bethlehem a favor when he decreed that a census should be taken. Who could remember when such commerce had hit the village?

No, it is doubtful that anyone mentioned the couple’s arrival or wondered about the condition of the girl. They were too busy. The day was upon them. The day’s bread had to be made. The morning’s chores had to be done. There was too much to do to imagine that the impossible had occurred.

God had entered the world as a baby.

Yet, were someone to chance upon the sheep stable on the outskirts of Bethlehem that morning, what a peculiar scene they would behold.

The stable stinks like all stables do. The stench of urine, dung, and sheep reeks pungently in the air. The ground is hard, the hay scarce. Cobwebs cling to the ceiling and a mouse scurries across the dirt floor.

A more lowly place of birth could not exist.

Off to one side sit a group of shepherds. They sit silently on the floor, perhaps perplexed, perhaps in awe, no doubt in amazement. Their night watch had been interrupted by an explosion of light from heaven and a symphony of angels. God goes to those who have time to hear him—so on this cloudless night he went to simple shepherds.

Near the young mother sits the weary father. If anyone is dozing, he is. He can’t remember the last time he sat down. And now that the excitement has subsided a bit, now that Mary and the baby are comfortable, he leans against the wall of the stable and feels his eyes grow heavy. He still hasn’t figured it all out. The mystery of the event still puzzles him. But he hasn’t the energy to wrestle with the questions. What’s important is that the baby is fine and that Mary is safe. As sleep comes, he remembers the name the angel told him to use . . . Jesus. “We will call him Jesus.”

Wide awake is Mary. My, how young she looks! Her head rests on the soft leather of Joseph’s saddle. The pain has been eclipsed by wonder. She looks into the face of the baby. Her son. Her Lord. His Majesty. At this point in history, the human being who best understands who God is and what he is doing is a teenage girl in a smelly stable. She can’t take her eyes off him. Somehow Mary knows she is holding God. So this is he. She remembers the words of the angel,
“His kingdom will never end.”

He looks anything but a king. His face is prunish and red. His cry, though strong and healthy, is still the helpless and piercing cry of a baby. And he is absolutely dependent upon Mary for his well-being.

Majesty in the midst of the mundane. Holiness in the filth of sheep manure and sweat. Divinity entering the world on the floor of a stable, through the womb of a teenager and in the presence of a carpenter.

She touches the face of the infant-God. How long was your journey!

This baby had overlooked the universe. These rags keeping him warm were the robes of eternity. His golden throne room had been abandoned in favor of a dirty sheep pen. And worshiping angels had been replaced with kind but bewildered shepherds.

Meanwhile, the city hums. The merchants are unaware that God has visited their planet. The innkeeper would never believe that he had just sent God into the cold. And the people would scoff at anyone who told them the Messiah lay in the arms of a teenager on the outskirts of their village. They were all too busy to consider the possibility.

Those who missed His Majesty’s arrival that night missed it not because of evil acts or malice; no, they missed it because they simply weren’t looking.

Little has changed in the last two thousand years, has it?

While my dad finished this story I was sipping my tea in awe of what it would possibly be like in Mary’s shoes. What would it feel like to have a King as your son? Teaching the Creator of the world right from wrong as a young toddler. Holding his hands, knowing they created you yet giving birth to the Son of Man. These questions struck me to the core. The entirety of the story of Christ baffles my mind. “Why? For me? How come?” The unanswered questions reinstate in my ignorant mind that Christ did come as a babe in a lowly manger, suffered persecutation for claiming to be the Risen Son of Man, and dying a painful death suffering ALL the sins of the world upon his lifeless body. Yet he conquored death, saved humanity and gave the free gift of salvation for those who want it…….

What a powerful God we have!

Enjoy your gifts this Christmas and remind yourself this Eve before christmas morning, the journey of Mary and Joseph took on a donkey to bear a child in a stable. The questions and uncertainity they held must have been a story worth hearing….

Merry Christmas!!!