Hunger and Thirst

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied" (Matthew 5:6, New American Standard Bible). 

After a long hike, it's common to crave fruit, water, granola or something to satisfy thirst and hunger. I remember hiking with some friends in Tennessee this past summer, and we were relieved to find a rest spot to try to open a bag of dried fruit someone had brought (we tried, because the bag was stubbornly refusing to open for a while). Yet, more than food or water, we are made to need God and to have a relationship with Him. God gives forgiveness to us while we are still sinners, when we confess our sins, believe in His Son as our Savior, and turn to Him to lead us.

God desires to and has the ability to satisfy our hunger and to quench our thirst. He takes the first initiative, as He reaches out to save, teach, lead, and transform us. Revelation 3:20 says, "'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come into him and will dine with him, and he with Me'" (NASB).  

As we seek to follow God, it helps to remember that God speaks to His people and gives assurance of His words. He does that through the Bible and the Holy Spirit. In His Word, we can learn from the past how He spoke through the prophets and through Jesus, His Son (John 13:15). Plus, we have the most excellent teacher in the divine Holy Spirit (John 14:26).

As we experience this relationship with God, with getting to know Him more, He transforms us and helps us follow Him.  Of course, we are not God, so we will continually need His instruction, wisdom, and grace. Let us ask God what He wants us to learn or do today, and let us remember that He is gracious to forgive us and to continue to help us along the way. 

Lord, as believers, we trust You and want to obey You. Give us hearts that hunger and thirst for You more than anything else. Help us live as witnesses to who You are, for Your glory and honor. Amen.

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from www.summitattempt.com.

Under the Influence

"And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:18, New American Standard Bible).

Do you have a craving? I have a craving for coffee. Although, that is normal for me. If you scroll through any website, you likely will see an advertisement that says it will satisfy some sort of craving or desire. Desires can be important to notice, because they can influence our hearts, minds, and actions.

Our Creator God is the source of life, and He desires to fill us with the Holy Spirit. When someone first believes in and turns to follow Christ, the Holy Spirit enters their life and can work in them and through them. God can bring joy into life that lasts through whatever circumstance, because it is fixed on the unchanging character of God. We can have faith that we are now and forever a part of His family. As believers, we are not exempt from challenges, pain, or sorrow, but we find the greatest hope there is in Jesus.

Now, I confess that I am not resolved to give up coffee. I do pray, though, that my ultimate satisfaction is continually rooted in God and His Son who redeemed me. The Holy Spirit, sent from God and His Son, can fill us up with contentment in Him as we trust in our Faithful Redeemer.

Lord, thank You for filling us up with the Holy Spirit. Help us continue to find satisfaction in You, and help us share with others the joy we find from being with You. Amen.

"Delight yourself in the LORD..." (Psalm 37:4, NASB).

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from skreened.com.

In His Image

"So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience" (Colossians 3:12, New American Standard Bible). 

When I first read about the camera feature pictured, I thought it was pretty brilliant. The idea is that you cut a heart shape out of a piece of paper, then attach it to the camera lens. When you take a picture, the result is the photo is in the image of a heart.

We are created in God's image, so God could be able to shine through us. In our sin, that image is skewed. When we turn to follow Him, He forgives us of those sins and makes us new. As believers, we seek to be more like Christ, and this happens with God's power. When Paul wrote "put on" in verse 12, he explained that our new identities, as believers, take shape as we come to know Christ more (see Colossians 1:15, 2:1-3).

We can see God's likeness come to light when He grows believers in compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, gentleness, and patience. This is a process, as we grow in our relationship with Him. We are given righteousness, not because of our own doing, but because of God's sacrifice for us. God genuinely, passionately loves His creation (John 3:16, Romans 8:32, Titus 3:4, 1 John 4:9, Romans 3:21-26, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 30, Galatians 2:20).

God asks us to be holy, because He is holy. As followers of Him, we are called to live in the world, yet driven by Christ's lead. We are called out to follow Him, not only to be saved ourselves and to be a part of His family, but also to serve others and to love the world with the love and grace He shows us. We can be witnesses who live out the love of Christ.

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from www.thespohrsaremultiplying.com.

Fruitful Faith

"I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5, New American Standard Bible). 

I used to work with kids in arts and crafts often, which made for several great stories and memories. Some teachers and leaders above me helped me see the importance of not only providing materials for the art project, but also guiding the kids as they sought to complete the project. It gives the student a chance to possibly make a better craft, to learn more, and to hopefully trust the instructor more.

In a similar way, God is there to help believers when He talks about bearing "much fruit." He guides us through His Word and through the Holy Spirit that we receive as believers. What sort of fruit is this?  The "fruit" is the change God makes in our lives and in others' lives, as we abide in Him. The ultimate example of the kind of life that produces good fruit is Jesus, God incarnate, the One who died to save us.

As we put our faith in God, He helps us grow. He desires for others to grow closer to Him as well. We can share how that is just who God - the Lord who transforms lives like that - is, and He can produce the same goodness in others.

Lord, thank You for being there to save and transform us. Help us bear fruit with significance that honors You and draws more people to a restored relationship with You. Amen.

"You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you" (John 15:16, New American Standard Bible).

More verses on this include Colossians 3:12-17, 1 Peter 2:9, and Galatians 5:22-23.
Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from www.naparealestatematch.com/blog.

Stronger than Fear

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit" (Romans 15:13, New American Standard Bible).

"Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear," said the character President Snow in the movie The Hunger Games. He said this as he was trying to convince someone to reduce the hope of a people, a people who had rebelled against him in the past. Even though this is a fictional character, I see truth in what the writers had him say about hope - it is stronger than the sort of fear that the character sought to elicit on people.

In contrast to this character, God is real, and just, and He brings hope instead of aiming to crush it. Even though we cannot see the nail marks in Christ's hands and feet like Thomas did (see John 20:24-29), we can have faith in who God is and what He did through Christ, His Son. There is this pattern that the Bible takes in revealing God's identity and how He's worked to free us from the slavery of sin.

We can have a healthy fear of Him, in regards to knowing He is just and in having respect, honor, and trust in Him (Exodus 18:21, Psalm 115:11, Revelation 14:7). This mighty God is also our Counselor (Isaiah 9:6). We can fully trust in God for who says He is through His Word and how He's been faithful to fulfill His promises.

As we put our faith and trust in Him, we put our hope in Him. We can have full confidence in Him, and He will not leave us empty. In His nature, He can make this hope within us flourish.

Lord, thank You for being our hope. Help us increase our hope in You, and help us share the hope we have with others who need You, too. Amen.

"For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline" (2 Timothy 1:7, NASB).

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo from hungergamesmovie.org.

A Psalm of Thanks~Living!

"Praise the Lord!

I will thank the Lord with all my heart

as I meet with His godly people.

How amazing are the deeds of the Lord!

All who delight in Him should ponder them.

Everything He does reveals His glory and majesty.

His righteousness never fails.

He causes us to remember His wonderful works.

How gracious and merciful is our Lord!

He gives food to those who fear Him;

He always remembers His covenant.

He has shown His great power to His people

by giving them the lands of other nations.

All He does is just and good,

and all His commandments are trustworthy.

They are forever true,

to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity.

He has paid a full ransom for His people.

He has guaranteed His covenant with them forever.

What a holy, awe-inspiring name He has!

Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom.

All who obey His commandments will grow in wisdom.

Praise Him forever!"  Psalm 111 (NLT)

Happy ThanksLiving!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gn5CMSSAx_c  (Shout To The Lord - Darlene Zschech)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kta0lv6qpB8  (Thank You - The Katinas)



The Best

"'For I know the plans that I have for you,' declares the LORD, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search with all your heart'" (Jeremiah 29:11-13, New American Standard Bible). 

God's unconditional love is something that reveals His divinity and His unmatchable, pure heart. He encourages us to receive His love. He invites us to trust in Him and talk to Him through prayer.

In Isaiah 46:4-5, God spoke to His people through the prophet Isaiah and said,

"Even to your old age I will be the same and even to your graying years I will be with you! 

I have done it, and I will carry you; and I will bear you and I will deliver you. 

To whom would you liken Me and make Me equal and compare me, that we would be alike?"

The God of all time - past, present, and future (a.k.a. the "I AM") - has a divine plan to save His people. He sent Jesus Christ to show us His love on earth, as He came to speak and live God's Word, as well as sacrifice for our sins.  He did all of that so He could bring us out of the sin that threatens to damage us and into His family, where we are forgiven for our sins, are given the Holy Spirit, and can grow in our relationship with Him.

In Jesus, we can see even more how God loves us and wants the best for us and His kingdom. What's our response to God? Do we trust Him? Have we asked for forgiveness and leadership from Him? Are there ways we can share who He is with others today?

Lord, thank You for Your incomparable love and for wanting the best for us. Help us love You more and to trust in Your plans. Help us share where our hope comes from with others today. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
Photo is a print by Kyle Steed found at steedagrams.com.