Saturday, July 14, 2007

The perfect recipe

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Isaiah 36, 37; Psalms 105, 106

Isaiah 37:14-15 (NIV)

14 Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord. 15 And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord.

Psalm 106:44 (NIV)

44 But He [God] took note of their distress when He heard their cry.

Good morning!

Do you like to cook? I enjoy trying new recipes, especially when I’m preparing for company. Before I serve my guests a “new dish,” I make time to take the recipe for a dry run. You just never know what you might end up serving if you don’t test the recipe in advance. One summer, my sister sent me one of her favorite broccoli salad recipes by e-mail. It sounded so yummy; I just had to make it for the next pot-luck dinner. In a mad dash, I whipped it up without taking it for a test run. The recipe called for seeds, and I did not realize the seeds needed to be hulled and crushed first. Can I tell just how awful that salad tasted? Not only did I end up scrapping the whole thing just before the meal, I found myself running to the store to buy a prefab salad to serve instead. Sometimes, we learn the toughest lessons in life by rushing through the recipe without testing it first.

King Hezekiah understood the secret to a perfect recipe. If you want amazing results, you must be willing to trust the Lord completely for the result. What did Hezekiah do when Sennacherib, King of Assyria, threatened the cities of Judah? Hezekiah knelt before the Lord in prayer. He knew who held the power, and it wasn’t him. The prophet Isaiah begged the people to pray for divine intervention. King Hezekiah knew the winning recipe would emerge from the hand of God, not from the evil schemes of men. And even when he could not see the outcome clearly, Hezekiah knew God had the power and purpose to deliver His people. So he took the letter from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the Lord and spread it out before Him. Hezekiah knew company was coming, even though they had not been invited, and Hezekiah needed a winning recipe, one that would not fail him.

Sometimes, we just have to stop and lay it all out before the Lord. He commands us to trust Him; to ask Him to provide for our every need and then believe that He will do it! Some people are burdened for the suffering of others. Prayer intercessors spend chunks of time each day lifting up the needs of the sick, those who may have lost their way, and for the ones who struggle to survive. There are others who pray constantly for their unsaved family members. Some people have a heart for little children, and find themselves drawn to pray for their needs. We have His Word that assures us God hears every prayer we pray. The answer may not always be clear; yet, we have a guarantee the solution is on the way. Sometimes when I pray, I find His answer may be silence, and there are moments when His silence becomes sweet music to my ears. For I know that my Lord sees the future I cannot begin to vision, and when I trust Him to take complete control of my life, He releases me from the need to see and understand the bigger picture. Laying it all before the throne of grace brings sweet relief to my heart every single time I pray.

The perfect recipe of grace and forgiveness was prepared for you at the foot of the cross, where Jesus Christ gave His life to save you. Take Isaiah’s advice and follow King Hezekiah’s lead. Do not hesitate to take your petitions, your visions and plans and lay them down at the foot of the cross today. Won’t you join me this weekend at Faith Church to pray?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: the desire to spread it all out before the Lord. He is waiting for you to come to Him today. Why don’t you let God’s perfect plan become the recipe for your life?

___________________________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Friday, July 13, 2007

The highway of holiness

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Isaiah 33, 34, 35

Isaiah 35:3-4; 8

3 Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way;

4 Say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come,

He will come with vengeance; with divine retribution – He will come to save you.

8 And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness.

The unclean will not journey on it; it will be for those who walk in that Way;

Wicked fools will not go about on it.

Good morning!

All of us find ourselves traveling down the highway of life. And while our paths may be different, we are all family here, and there is commonality in our journey.

For those of us who have met Jesus Christ, fallen in love with Him, and have given our hearts over to His forgiveness, grace and mercy, we are compelled to follow Him down the highway of holiness. It begins from the very first time we hear about His love for us. You may have met Him at home, listening to the stories your parents read to you from the family Bible. Or, you may have sung about Him in Sunday School as a young child. One of my earliest recollections and fondest memories was sitting near the piano in Sunday School, and watching the feet of my Sunday School teacher use the foot pedals while she played “Jesus Loves Me,” “Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam,” “I Have the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy, Down in my Heart,” and “Deep and Wide.” Watching her play praises to our King is a memory I will never forget. Where did you meet Jesus? Tell me how you found yourself merging onto the highway of holiness.

As I began to grow in my faith, I found that I could learn best when surrounded by others who were longing to know more about their Lord. So I went to Bible School, and Sunday School, and Small Group Studies, and found places where I could plug in outside of worship, to really begin to explore faith. I discovered that my love for Jesus did not have to happen only one day a week. I could find time to learn and grow every day! This prompted me to press the accelerator and move just a little quicker each day along the road. The view from the highway of holiness is worth the trip alone. The view from the foot of the cross is unlike any other I have ever known.

As I moved down the highway of years, I began to experience a freedom in His presence. I find time each day to sit alone in a room with no noise, no distraction, no television or radio playing in the background. These are special moments when all I can hear is the beating of my heart and the ticking of the clock in our great room. I offer a prayer of thanksgiving to the One who gives me this life, and new life, and life everlasting. I wait for Him to join me there. Jesus always shows up. Sometimes I feel Him brush my outstretched hand. Other times, I can sense His overwhelming love for me, like someone holding me in His arms. In moments of anxiety or unhappiness, as the tears roll down my face, I can feel the light of His love on my face as He catches them in His hands. He speaks, not always in audible words; although sometimes, there are words. In many instances, it is a strange warming of my heart, and I know beyond a doubt, that I have experienced His presence in a real and personal way. It is that presence that heals, forgives and redirects my spirit as I continue down the path.

His holiness is something I long for every day. Jesus Christ was perfect. He was fully God and fully human. He never sinned, no, not once. Yet he chose to carry the sins of the world to the cross to bridge the gap between my imperfections and His total perfection. He loves me! He loves you! In the silence of worship, I can hear Him speak. Can you hear Him this morning?

The highway of holiness is the scenic route home. Driving this highway is like traveling through the mountains, windy and narrow roadways. If you look to the right, you see beautiful wildflowers springing up in the fields below. If you look to the left, you can see the water running off the mountain peaks and forming beautiful waterfalls, flowing gently into the rivers along the valley. If you look up, you will see the snow capped peaks and the sun shining brightly across its white, sparkling hue. If you look down, it is a long way from where you’ve started, and it easier to look ahead, as you continue along the highway home.

Jesus is my home. He is my destination. I run to Him each day as I travel along the path He has carved out for me. There is a place for you on this road. Won’t you choose to enter the highway of holiness? It is easy to get here. All you have to do is invite Jesus Christ to come into your heart today. Ask Him to be the Lord of your life. When you do this, He will take you on the journey you have waited for your entire life. He will bridge the gap between you and God. Come into His holy presence today. And don’t forget to enjoy the view.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: the highway of holiness to become your daily commute. Ask Jesus to take you there. In His presence, you will find all you have ever longed for. His love is amazing. His Word is perfect. Take the journey today. Everything shifts in the presence of His holiness.

___________________________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

The Garden Path

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Isaiah 30, 31, 32

Isaiah 30:10-11 (NIV)

10 They say to the seers, “See no more visions!” and to the prophets, “Give us no more visions of what is right! Tell us pleasant things, prophesy illusions. 11 Leave this way, get off this path, and stop confronting us with the Holy One of Israel!”

Good morning!

In matters of the heart, there are times when we would rather hear a lie than listen to the truth. “Honey, do these jeans make me look fat?” Now, this is a loaded question, and one most of our spouses would rather not have to answer. We know full well whether those britches make us look big, and if they do, it is probably because we are big, and no amount of denim is going to make us look smaller, no matter how much we pay for the privilege of trying to fool ourselves into believing it. But oh, how we long to hear that compliment freely flow from our spouse’s lips. “Oh honey, you look so skinny in those jeans! You should wear them every day.” Poor babies - they are treading across the landmine of truth or dare. They are going to need more than armor to get them across the road in one piece. Hesitant to move one way or the other for fear of being blown to smitherines, they ponder whether to speak the truth in love, or find an easier escape route while verbalizing some sort of complimentary comeback, however untruthful it may be. Oh my! How we would much rather hear a lie from the ones we love than have to listen and deal with the truth.

Prophecy tends to make us uncomfortable. We get fidgety just listening to their words. If we are willing to take an honest look at how we live our life, we know that God has every right to be angry with us. Time and again, we fail to be obedient to His will. We choose to run along our own garden path, rather than walk the narrow way. We get weary of constant harping. How we long to hear something sweet; a kind word that makes us feel just a little bit better about who we are. If we pay the pastor enough money, do you think that maybe they will just shut up and tell us just how wonderful we are? We want to hear about all the good things we are doing and just how much God must love to sit up in heaven gushing over our wonderful congregation. On the other hand, maybe this is exactly why our pastors tend to be overworked and underpaid. The preachers I know certainly don’t preach comforting messages. In fact, most of them give rather pointed sermons, pointed directly at me. It’s as if they know me much better than I really want them to. I used to get angry with my husband for preaching about me every week from the pulpit. I didn’t realize that he was actually preaching about himself, and I just thought he was talking about me!

I don’t think Isaiah was winning any popularity contests in Judah. The people were tired of listening to his rant, and some were seeking out a way to shut him up for good. Does that sound familiar? Isn’t this exactly what we did to our Lord Jesus Christ?

Thank you, dear Father, for not giving up on me. Tell me what I need to hear today. Please don’t hold anything back. More than anything else, I want to learn how to be more like you. You’ve sent me your truth, wrapped up in perfect love. Jesus Christ is the way, He is the truth, and He will lead me to everlasting life, if I’ll just open my eyes, ears, and heart to you. I pray this today, in the name of Jesus, my Savior. Amen.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: the truth to catch you squarely between the eyes! His truth will set you free, and when the Son sets you free, you are free indeed!

___________________________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Deep Do

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Isaiah 27, 28, 29

Isaiah 28:13 (NIV)

So then, the Word of the Lord will become:

Do and do, do and do,

Rule on rule, rule on rule;

A little here, a little there –

So that they will go and fall backward,

Be injured and snared and captured.

Isaiah 29:13: (NIV)

The Lord says:

These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips,

But their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men.

Isaiah 28: 16: (NIV)

So this is what the Sovereign Lord says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed.”

Good morning!

Am I ever in deep do today! I sometimes get so busy doing, that I forget about being. Am I only giving lip service to faith? Is my heart in sync with my mouth? Will following the rules alone pay my admission into His presence?

How I love the Lord’s poetry! He speaks to me today through the words of the prophet Isaiah. There are times when I find myself checking off the line items on my “to do” list in my Outlook calendar. Do you keep a cheat sheet of your daily agenda? When I go to work each day, I have an ever-growing list of daily objectives and goals. There is work to be done as I come prepared with willing hands and a determination to meet the goal! I begin to populate and check off my “to do” list as I move through the hours of the day. Then, I leave my work behind and I head to school, hoping the professor will be able to sweep some of the cobwebs from my hard head and keep me engaged and alert, as we purpose together to expand my brain cells. Have you ever tried to sit through a four hour evening class after working an eight hour day? Lord, have mercy on me.

I leave school, thinking about the dishes in the kitchen sink, the phone calls I need to return to my children and my mother, and the stack of bills to be paid. I’m looking for a block of time to just hang out with my husband and enjoy some precious moments with the one I love. I get home and check the answering machine and e-mail messages from my faithful friends. I’m out there every day, living life large, following the rules, keeping my to-do lists intact, and forgetting that what God wants most of all from me is my undivided attention, love and devotion. Oh, to eek out a few extra hours in a twenty-four hour period!

We get so busy doing all the things we think we must do in order to earn His grace – we lose sight of what it means to simply be in His presence. We cannot earn it, no matter how much we try. We long to be wrapped up in the joy of intimate relationship with the Lord. It’s impossible to be intimate with anything or anyone that we cannot make time for. Many of us are willing, but if you are anything like me, it is probably hard to find a few moments just to escape at the Lord’s feet, just to sit in silence and adore Him.

Our worship and our daily lives becomes one large mess of do. We need to stop doing. We desperately need to be in His presence. It is that longing that makes me want to eek out a secret moment here and there; time when I can simply slip away to enjoy the power of His love over my life. There is nothing more healing than the moments I spend in prayer and praise, worship and study, listening for His still small voice to speak. I live for those precious moments every day, and I’ll do anything to find a little time here and there just for Him.

I’ve been known to crawl under my desk at work and take a thirty-second prayer break. I type best on my knees and the lower I get, the larger He becomes. My lame and meaningless words pale in comparison to His Word. We need to stop doing, and start being. We must find our life not in the things we do each day; rather, in the One who gives us daily bread, our every breath, and everlasting love.

Are you in deep do this morning? Where is your cornerstone – that sure foundation? Take a minute, take several minutes, take an hour if you dare, and let the Word of the Lord speak to you through the prophet Isaiah.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: lip service to become your heart song. How much do you really love the Lord? Stop doing and start being. He is waiting for you to come into His presence, to sit at His feet and worship Him wholeheartedly. Let go of your agenda, and grab hold of the Master. Are you so busy doing that you have no time to stop and simply be in His presence?

___________________________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Rock Solid

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Isaiah 24, 25, 26

Isaiah 26:1-4 (NIV)

1 In that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. 2 Open the gates that the righteous nations may enter, the nation that keeps faith. 3 You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. 4 Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.

Good morning!

Do you like to collect rocks? We used to have quite the rock collection. It was not unusual for my sister and I to collect pretty pebbles whenever we visited my grandparents’ farm in the country. We had a rock tumbler in the basement of our home. Dad would take our newfound treasures and place them with the proper cleaning solutions in the polishing unit, plug it in, and let them spin, sometimes for hours on end. I was always amazed at the smooth and shiny rocks that would emerge from the tumbler after a good, long soak and tumble. Some of those shiny, colorful rocks would go into our fish tank, and others into the garden bed outside. I think we kept a box of our favorite gems hidden under our beds or in the clothes closet. With so many colors, shapes and sizes, our rock collection was a daily reminder to the magnificent, creative work of God.

I have a friend who just returned from a twenty-eight day tour of Europe. We sat together, admiring the pictures she took while walking the public paths along the English countryside. Many of her photographs included some amazing rocks, which she longed to carry with her on the plane back to America. Rocks can be heavy to haul when you are backpacking through Europe. So, she did the next best thing, and memorialized them in her photography. Her pictures are awesome!

The Rock of Ages continues to hold my admiration and fascination today. He is our firm foundation, rock solid, dependable, strong, everlasting and dependable. His Word will last forever and ever. God makes salvation its walls and ramparts. The beautiful gates are grounded in the rock solid grip of His strong and mighty hand. The righteous will enter into His fortress, and the nation that keeps the faith will find itself surrounded within His perfect peace, gazing forever upon their beautiful, everlasting Rock.

We do have to look far to see the devastation occurring all around us. As the temperatures mount, we see wildfires spreading across the west, while flood waters ravage the Midwest. People are losing their homes, businesses and even their lives to this ongoing devastation. It is happening everywhere. Power outages are occurring in large cities where electrical surges are at an all-time high. People are dying to stay cool. The planet is heating up, and many are wondering where they will turn for relief from the storm. Isaiah spoke these words of comfort to a people who were struggling to find shelter from the devastation occurring in their life. He said, “God will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”

If you find yourself caught up in the destruction happening in your life, reach out and grab hold of the Rock of Ages. He will be your perfect peace, when you focus your whole heart upon Him. He is stronger than the disasters you face today. He will not let you go. His foundation will not shatter. Run to Him; enter His gates with thanksgiving, and enjoy the relationship with Alpha and Omega. He can save you, if you will turn away from the things of this world, and cry out to Him with a sincere and humble heart. Jesus Christ, the only sure foundation, the cornerstone of faith. He is the brilliant Rock eternal. Look up! Can you see His glorious appearing today?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: a rock solid assurance that can only come through faith in Jesus Christ. His arms are wide open, reaching out to you today, even in the middle of the storms in your life. Won’t you grab onto the Rock of Ages? He will give you His peace, if you will fix your eyes, your mind, and your heart upon Him. He is beautiful to behold - the awesome Lamb of God!

___________________________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Monday, July 09, 2007

Over exposed?

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Isaiah 20, 21, 22, 23

Isaiah 20

1 In the year that the supreme commander, sent by Sargon king of Assyria, came to Ashdod and attacked and captured it – 2 at that time the Lord spoke through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, “Take off the sackcloth from your body and the sandals from your feet.” And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot. 3 Then the Lord said, “Just as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three years, as a sign and portent against Egypt and Cush, 4 so the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared – to Egypt’s shame. 5 Those who trusted in Cush and boasted in Egypt will be afraid and put to shame. 6 In that day the people who live on this coast will say, ‘See what has happened to those we relied on, those we fled to for help and deliverance from the king of Assyria! How then can we escape?’”

Good morning!

At 4am, this particular scripture passage jolted me awake quicker than the aroma of that steaming cup of coffee sitting on the kitchen countertop. He keeps asking me, “How much of yourself are you willing to expose for my sake?” Oh boy. Isaiah must have felt a variety of emotions when the Lord asked him to remove his garments and run around buck naked for three years. There are some messages in life that cannot be illustrated with words. This is definitely one of those moments.

I don’t know if I could do it! If God called out to me this morning and said, “Lay it all down, expose yourself – I want you to show them what real faith is,” would I not somehow hesitate or try to reason with the Master? “Oh Lord, I’ll run your people off for sure. If I expose who I really am to the ones you are trying to reach, they will take one good look at me and never ever trust you again. Please don’t ask me to do this!”

The naked truth exposes all of us, at some point in life. What if God called you to humble yourself this morning - to expose your human weaknesses and imperfections to your family, friends and neighbors? Would you be willing to do it? If He could use your witness to reach a lost and hurting soul, would you let Him expose you?

I am surrounded by a cloud of amazing witnesses. It is a privilege to be in relationship with the family of faith. Every day, I am exposed to the living witness of those who are called to serve Him, and in many ways, their calling comes with a great price. It is a revealing of who they are and just how far they may go to help someone else experience the love of Christ. A prime example is a pastor who witnessed her faith beautifully last night at Faith Church. She has been a living witness to me for the last two years of my faith walk. As I have observed her witness faith through service and in love, nothing has been more meaningful than what I saw her do last night.

This pastor has an amazing gift of song. When she opens her mouth to sing, the Holy Spirit is released into the air and all those around her are caught up in His holy presence. With virtually no effort, the melody that pours from her mouth reaches deep into the hearts of all who hear her, and everything shifts in the amazing sound of this voice. She traveled many miles to sing for the people of Faith Church last night. However, yesterday morning when she woke up, Pastor realized that singing anything this day would be next to impossible. She had caught a rotten cold. She could barely speak, much less sing. All the way to Faith Church, she prayed for the Lord to help her serve Him, with whatever voice she could muster. Exposed and humiliated, she stood before the congregation and spoke every word to each song she had chosen to sing. Unable to carry a tune, her voice was popping and fading like “a young boy entering puberty” (her words, not mine.) She continued to speak, finishing the entire program, with a humble heart and a willingness to serve Her Lord, even at a great personal sacrifice.

I don’t know about you, but I would have been tempted to call the church and say, “I’m sorry – I can’t make it tonight. I’m ill.” This pastor would never do it; as long as she has breath in her body and could hear Him calling her to go, she would give it everything she has and then some, to share the Gospel message, with or without a voice. She is not the only one who I’ve seen step out in faith. I have witnessed faithful service time and time again through the lives of His children, who sacrifice everything they’ve got to share the Gospel, not only when it is convenient, but especially when it is hard.

So why would anyone run around, exposing themselves before the Lord? The answer is His love. It’s the kind of love that grabs you by your heart strings and pulls you into a relationship that you have never ever experienced before. When Jesus Christ becomes reveals Himself to you – when He covers the naked truth of your life with His forgiveness and grace, there is nothing you wouldn’t do to serve Him. There is no place you wouldn’t go to share the Gospel message – He lives! He reigns! He loves you! He died to save you! Won’t you drop your pretense, pride, and arrogant self-centeredness, allowing His love to expose your heart and heal your soul, once and for all?

Do you know Him? Are you willing to expose the naked truth of your life to the One who sees you and loves you still?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: willingness to lay it all down before the Lord today. He is calling us to expose and humble ourselves before Him. Serving the Lord wholeheartedly, loving Him enough to give it all up, especially when it is humiliating and hard, is the greatest privilege we know in life. How much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice for Jesus Christ today?

___________________________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Sunday, July 08, 2007

Excess Baggage

Grand Sweep Daily Reading: Isaiah 17, 18, 19

Isaiah 17:10-11 (NIV)

10 You have forgotten God your Savior; you have not remembered the Rock, your fortress. Therefore, though you set out the finest plants and plant imported vines, 11 though on the day you set them out, you make them grow, and on the morning when you plant them, you bring them to bud, yet the harvest will be as nothing, in the day of disease and incurable pain.

Luke 10:41-42 (NIV)

41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Good morning!

My husband Jeff laughs at me every single time we pack up to take a trip. I’m always worried we are going to forget something essential. I used to be very meticulous, especially when our children were younger. I would begin to make a list of everything I thought we would need, all the way down to the exact changes of socks and underwear for each child. I would allow the stress of packing to drive me down the turnpike of distraction as I worried myself silly about what we may have left behind. It’s not like we were traveling so far from civilization that we couldn’t find a store to purchase some item we accidentally left sitting on the kitchen counter. I don’t know why I spent so much time fretting about our stuff. Does anyone out there know what I’m talking about?

Life is way too short for this type of silliness. The older I get, the more I do not like to pack. Whether I’m preparing for vacation, or packing up our home to move, I confess - packing is not fun, no matter how I try to spin it. When our children were younger, I did my best to convince them that packing for our new adventure is really cool! Who was I kidding? Moving is hard, hard work, whether you are relocating your tent across the street, or across the country. John Wesley learned how to carry what he needed in the saddle bag strapped to his trusty horse. Now that’s my kind of packing. He probably didn’t even carry an extra change of clothes. Ewwww!

When we reach our final destination, do you think we will have what we really need? Are we carrying heavy baggage around that will do us no good when we reach the end of our earthly journey? Isaiah was not impressed with the people of Damascus, Cush and Egypt. They were spending far too much time investing in meaningless stuff. They had forgotten to pack God into their lives. The people were busy building beautiful cities, planting lavish gardens, and spending all their energy on themselves. They had forgotten about the Lord God Almighty, who remained quiet, while looking down from His dwelling place, watching and waiting to see if someone would remember Him. Isaiah’s people were so self-absorbed in pursuing personal comfort. Could they not see that their personal baggage was weighing them down like the millstone wrapped securely around their neck?

Take a good long look at the stuff you carry around in your life. Do you need to unload it at the foot of the cross today? If you are like me, you may find that you’ve been focusing way too much on the things that will not last. Unzip your suitcase and open the flap. Can you find God inside? How much space have you allowed Him? Did you pack the Lord in that tiny zippered compartment, buried underneath a mound of meaningless stuff? Is He even in there? If God is inside, can you find Him? How much of the Lord are you willing to carry with you through life’s journey?

Listen to the prophet Isaiah. His Word speaks! Jesus Christ is waiting to take the unnecessary baggage of your life, if you are willing to hand it over. Are you willing?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

www.songofdeborah.com

Pray for: the Lord to lighten your load! Have you made room for Jesus in your heart? Is the stuff of your life taking up so much space that you have no room for Him? Here’s the Good News: we don’t have to carry it anymore. You can let it all go at the foot of the cross today. Make room in your heart for Jesus Christ. Give Him your all your stuff; let Him carry your grief and pain. He can empty out the trivial and fill you up this morning with His holy presence. If you will let Him, He will change your life forever. I’ll see you today at Faith Church, where we are dropping the mother load of guilt and shame, once and for all.

___________________________________________

© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding

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