30 Days in The Word with Jesus

Wow! I’m having such a phenomenal journey with Jesus. I’m 24 days in to reading the Bible in 30 days. Derek asks me periodically how it’s going and if I’ve been able to keep up. Yesterday when he inquired I said, “Yes, I’ve not missed a day. It’s been wonderful.” “Wow!” He said. He was amazed and impressed. Then he went on to ask how many times I’ve read the Bible in the past few years. I had to think…I read the entire Bible in 2006, read it in 90 days at the end of 2008, 90 day again in the summer of 2009 and now doing 30 days. He knows I love to read, but I told him and his girlfriend there really is no place I’d rather be than in God’s Word.

I’ve always loved when they “catch” me reading the Bible. It’s been quite easy for them to do so this month…breakfast, lunch, evening…almost anytime during the day, I’ll be sitting there with my Bible open in front of me. And I can’t think of a better image to have planted in their sweet little minds.

As a side note, they also get a kick out of “catching” me praying. They’ll knock on my bedroom door and ask to come in. When they open the door, I’ll be sitting in bed with no book and a deep reflective look on my face. “Were you praying?” Zach will ask with a smile on his face. “Yes.” I say. “But that’s okay. God will know where I left off. Come on in.”

Anyway, back to my journey. It’s amazing how spending 3+ hours a day with Jesus has invigorated my faith. Everywhere I go, I bump into Him. He is teaching, guiding and encouraging me with such vibrancy that I sometimes have to breathe in deeply and slowly and then go to my knees just to take it all in.

The Bible has come alive in a way it never has. His words leap off the page, dance in front of me and then wash over my entire being. It’s remarkable. As I’m reading and meditating, I keep a note pad nearby to jot down revelations and encouragement that comes directly from Him. Here are just a few of them:

-- I love all the firsts in Genesis…1st born—Gen 4:1; 1st revival—Gen 4:26; 1st covenant—Gen 9:12; 1st tithe—Gen 28:22
-- Exodus 31:12—the 10 commandments were “inscribed by the finger of God.” I was so moved by the thought of how powerful it would be to hold something like that in my own hand and then I realized I was.
-- Deut 4:24 He is a consuming fire and a jealous God. I meditated on how differently my life unfolds when I put something between God and me.
-- Deut 28—Disobedience is a very bad thing. I need to have reckless obedience.
-- Deut 30:1-10—very encouraging section of the Bible…His goodness…His grace.
Deut 29:18—What poison do I need to get rid of in my life?
-- 2 Sam 15—David wept in the same garden as Jesus. The presence of Jesus in the OT was more powerful than ever.
-- As I read through Kings, I was reminded of how powerful generational sins are. So often it said, “he did not turn away from the sins of his father.” What legacy do I want to leave my boys?
-- Ezra became my new hero—so humble; truly lived out his faith; felt deeply for his people…I want his humility; his compassion; his strength.
-- I loved basking in the majesty of God as He rebuked Job. It took my breath away!

Ecclesiastes 5 sums up my journey best…I stand in awe…let my words be few.

Rings, Sunglasses & Miracles

Last Monday I thought I lost my tanzanite/diamond pinkie ring that Jim bought for me years ago in St. Martin. I wear it almost every single day and remember putting it on that morning. I recently had it re sized and it fit a bit more loosely than before. I was drying my hands and when I was done, looked down and my ring was missing. I began to panic. This is way more than just a ring to me.

I started looking through the garbage and retracing my steps. My heart was palpitating and I was working myself up into a full-blown tizzy. I left work and drove home to look for it there. On the drive home, I kept repeating, “It’s just a ring. It’s just a ring.” That wasn’t helping. I prayed and ask God to help me find it, since He knew where it was.

I rushed into the house, went right to my jewelry drawer and there it was. I thought, “Oh, I didn’t put it on after all today.” But thought that was odd since I wear it every week day. Anyway, I was telling a friend that I found it. I said I guess I didn’t put it on like I thought. Her first comment was, “Or God took it out of the garbage and put it in your drawer before you got home.” Wow!

I pondered that statement the next few days. Why do I not immediately look for the miraculous in my every day life? Why do I assume God takes the easy way? Why is my mind not even trained to think miracles? I have some growing to do. God had a lesson to teach me and He wasn’t done.

I was headed east Thursday morning just like always as I was driving Zach to school. The sun was piercing my eyes. I flipped down my sunglasses holder in my car to grab them and they weren’t there. Hmmmm….I looked through my purse…not there. I looked around the car…not there. I flipped down the holder on my ceiling once again…STILL not there. I remember wearing them to a church meeting the night before, so I get to work and e-mail a lady at church and ask her to scan the area where I was…no glasses.

It’s lunchtime now and I can’t imagine where they are. So I get in my car and figure they must have fallen out in the church parking lot, so I head up there to look for them. As I’m pulling out of my parking spot, I pray for God to help me find them, since once again He knows where they are. I was drawn to flip down the holder in my car for the 4th time. There they were! My eyes popped out of my head. I heard Him say, “I am who I am.”

I’m convinced now that I did put my ring on and God put it back in my drawer for me. I don’t know where my sunglasses were Thursday morning, but at noon they were miraculously put back in the proper spot. Miracles do occur in the midst of the smallest details of our life. But we have to be looking for them.

What a wonderful God we serve that He reveals Himself and His power in something as simple as sunglasses. He is beyond my understanding!

A Revival is a Comin'

I’m feeling a revival coming on. I can’t wait. Several weeks ago, God began to lay some things on my heart. He wanted to draw me closer…deeper. I began to think about all my heroes of the faith and all the marvelous time they spent daily in total devotion to their Lord. I wanted that. I wanted a revival of my soul and I could hear Him calling. So on Saturday, I decided to read the Bible in 30 days. That’s 3-4 hours a day with God!

All last week, I prayed daily that my heart would be prepared to move into these next 30 days with eager anticipation to receive all that He had in mind. By Friday night, I was beside myself with joy. I kissed my Bible, laid my head on my pillow and was gone.

I’m 3 days in and loving every minute of my time in His Word…already getting filled with His teaching and wisdom. Ah, it is very, very good. Reading so much in such a short span gives such wonderful insight that it’s almost hard to put His wonderful Book down. Yesterday, I read 9 chapters into today.

And I needed this time with Him. I was not having such a good day yesterday. Derek knew I was acting funny and not quite myself, so he asked what was wrong. I just looked at him with sadness in my eyes and he said, “Are you having a daddy day?” I said that I was. He then said, “Well, why don’t you just go in your room and open up the Bible?” I smiled and thought he was exactly right. And he knows his mother too well. He knows what I need.

As I struggled though my pain yesterday, God revealed to me this morning that that is exactly why I need a revival. I need to stop struggling and allow Him complete control. My faith must be complete. That means that the certainty of His presence in my life gives me a peace that moves me through rough spots in complete reliance on Him. I do rely on Him, but sometimes I forecast and speculate in the midst of my pain, thus adding to it. This additional pain gives way to fear and fear assumes God is not all I need. I’ve run this circle before…I hope to jump off very soon.

I think it’ll take a revival…stay tuned!