DAY EIGHT: Planned for God's Pleasure

"You created everything, and it is for your

pleasure that they exist and were created.

Revelation 4:11



God takes pleasure in me.  I was planned for God's pleasure.

God takes pleasure in you.  YOU were planned for God's pleasure!

God created each and everyone of us for his own enjoyment.  He loved us from the moment He conceived of us in His mind.  Therefore, we are to bring enjoyment to God.  Living for His pleasure is our purpose in this life.  But not only does God love us, He wants to keep us with Him for all eternity.  Even after the fall of man, God worked out a way for us to be with Him forever.  "Because of his love God had already decided that through Jesus Christ he would make us his children - this was his pleasure and purpose."  (Ephesians 1:5) 

God wants the best for us, even when we don't want it for ourselves and rebel against Him.  He gave us a way to be with Him for eternity - through His Son, Jesus Christ.  We simply need to seek His forgiveness, Believe in Christ His Son - His death and resurrection on the cross, and ask Christ to live in our hearts. 

But God also wants us to be able to enjoy this life as well.  He created us to enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch of our surroundings.  We were created with emotions that help us to love and feel in ways His other creatures can not.  We were created in His image.

The most poignant idea conveyed in today's devotion was that God has emotions, too.  Quite frankly, I can get so wrapped up in myself and my emotions that I totally forget that God has emotions and feelings.  He feels things very deeply.  He is love therefore He loves us with a perfect love.  And when you love someone as deeply as He does, all of the other emotions come into play as well...joy, gladness, happiness, compassion, sorrow, and sympathy just to name a few.  God FEELS deeply...and we can bring either disappointment or pleasure to Him.  Just the thought of disappointing my loving Heavenly Father floods my heart with pangs of guilt and sorrow.  He deserves so much better than that.  And though I am imperfect, my goal is to live from this point on in such a way that I bring Him pleasure.

And how can we live to bring God Pleasure?  Psalm 147:11 says, "The Lord ispleased only with those who worship Him and trust His love."  This verse outlines the two ways we can bring God pleasure - through worship and trust.  Rick Warren writes, "Bringing pleasure to God is called 'worship.'"  Most people think that the worship of God involves music.  However, there is far more to worship than just that.  When it boils down to it, worship is living your life in a way that honors God.  Worship doesn't happen just on Sunday mornings at church.  To be truly pleasing to God, we worship Him throughout each day.  Sure, prayer, singing spiritual songs, reading the Bible, attending church and Bible study, giving, serving are all facets of worship.  But true worship goes beyond just these activities.  True worship is loving God so much that you are not only aware of Him throughout each day, you are doing everything as if it were for Jesus.  1 Corinthians 10:31 says, "So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."  And Colossians 10:23 says, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."  We are to also "pray without ceasing."  That means we should be talking to God continuously throughout our day.  Everything we do, no matter how mundane, can be worship if we do it for God's glory!  EVERYTHING!  It's a matter of our heart being in tune with Our Father's.  Worship is a 'life-style' (for lack of a better term).  Our lives are to be an act of worship!

Trust is another key to pleasing God.  No matter the relationship, if there is no trust, there is no relationship.  We must trust completely in God in everything and with everything.  Everything we have belongs to Him anyway, so we can trust Him with what is already His.  We can even trust Him in our circumstances.  His plan is for our good, and not for evil.  And His plan WILL prevail in the end.  It takes a lot of faith to trust in the unseen.  God understands this about us.  That is why He sent His Son.  That is why He's sent men and women of faith before us, to show us how to trust Him.  That is why He's given us His Word, the Bible filled with Truth about His character and the testimonies of those before us.  He answers our prayers with awesome deeds, He bends down to hear our cries of mercy, and He sent His very own Son - His One and Only Son to save us.  How can we not trust a God like Him after all He's done for us?  1 Peter 1:7-9 says of those who love and trust God, "You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy. The reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls."

He loves us so very deeply! I imagine it hurts Him deeply to know when I don't trust Him.

I want to bring God pleasure instead of pain. To do so my life must become an act of worship and my heart must trust God implicitly.  I won't be perfect at it either.  But then again, none of us could be.  It's a matter of having our hearts set right.

I was planned for God's Pleasure.

Verse:  The Lord takes pleasure in His people.  Psalm 149:4a

Question:  What common task could I start doing as if I were doing it directly for Jesus?

In His Love, Cathy
(Warren, Rick.  The Purpose Driven Life.  Zondervan. 2002. Print.)

DAY SEVEN: The Reason for Everything

Everything comes from God alone.

Everything lives by His power,

and everything for His glory.

Romans 11:36 (LB)

The LORD has made everything for His own purpose.

Proverbs 16:4 (NLT)



There is a reason for everything...it is all for Him.

I was asked to do something today.  I was asked to consider playing a role in a summer children's ministry.  Although I 'retired' from children's ministry about two years ago, here I was being asked once again to get involved.  But not only was I asked to get involved, I was asked to help pull it together.  My first reaction surprised me.  I was excited!  Had I been asked a year ago, I probably would have bolted.  I was still exhausted from the years I served as children's pastor.   

About a month ago, I was asked to step back into children's ministry as a volunteer teacher - a host.  I was excited about that offer as well, but at the time, after much prayer, did not think the timing was right for me to step back into such a role.  But yet here, less than a month later, I'm being asked once again to get involved in children's ministry.

My gift is teaching.  Whether that be young or old, that is the gift God gave to me.  But I have a confession to make, other than being a high school math teacher, I haven't really used my teaching gift for God since I 'retired' two years ago from children's ministry.  Sure I've emulated Christ's love for others as best I can, even toward my students...but I haven't used my teaching skills specifically to teach others about God and His Truth since I left the children's ministry.

Here's my confession...I've not adequately used my gift of teaching in direct service to God since.......

So today, after prayerfully reading Day Seven of The Purpose Driven Life,I am convicted of holding out my abilities and talents.  In this chapter, Warren talks about our reason for being is all for God's glory.  And one way of bringing God glory is to serve others with our gifts.  Warren writes, "Each of us was uniquely designed by God with talents, gifts, skills, and abilities.  The way you're "wired" is not an accident.  God didn't give you your abilities for selfish purposes.  They were given to benefit others, just as others were given abilities for your benefit."  In fact, 1 Peter 4:10-11 says,

"God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts.  Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow through you...Are you called to help others?  Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies.  Then God will be given glory." 

I had been holding out on God.  I had not been using my talents fully God's glory.  But this conviction came grudgingly over time through a series of events which culminated with a heartfelt discussion with a concerned friend last week.  The conviction was further affirmed with today's reading and a second request to use my gifts for ministry.  You see, God has been working on me for a while about using my talents for Him.  I just thought I wasn't of any use anymore.  I had made too many mistakes and wasn't good enough.  I felt my health situation limited my ability to serve.  You see, I had excuse after excuse.  The enemy had fed me lie after lie.  And I believed every one of them!

But what's more is that I was in sore need of being reminded that my very existence and how I live are to be in response to and reflect His glory! And THANK GOODNESS He is also a God of great love, mercy, and FORGIVENESS!  Even though we mess up, He forgives and offers us each opportunities to serve Him again! 

We don't have to be perfect in order to serve our perfect God!  He takes care of our imperfections, shoring up our weaknesses with His power.  Our job is simply to go about loving Him and living for Him! 

But there is more to bringing glory to God than just serving Him with our gifts and abilities.  We bring God glory by doing everything He tells us to do.  Jesus said to the Father, "I brought glory to you here on earth by doing everything you told me to do." (John 17:4)  Fulfilling the purpose for which we were created brings God glory.  Warren says that:

• We bring God glory by worshipping Him.
• We bring God glory by loving other believers.
• We bring God glory by becoming like Christ.
• We bring God glory by serving others with our gifts.
• We bring God glory by telling others about Him.

I am once again at a crossroads.  I have a choice to live for my own purpose, or live to fulfill God's purpose.  Living to fulfill God's purpose will not be easy.  It will mean sacrifice.  It will mean discomfort at times and maybe even pain.  But it also means serving Him by serving others with my abilities and talents. 

I need to get off my backside and start using my gifts for His purpose.  I've been stagnant for far too long. 

And as I prayerfully consider some things, I must remember that it's all for Him.

VERSE:  "For everything comes from God alone.  Everything lives by his power, and everythingis for his glory."  Romans 11:36

Question:  Where in my daily routine can I become more aware of God's glory?
   
In His Love, Cathy

(Warren, Rick.  The Purpose Driven Life.  Zondervan. 2002. Print)

DAY SIX: Life Is a Temporary Assignment

LORD, remind me how brief my time

on earth will be.  Remind me that my days are

numbered, and that my life is fleeting away.

Psalm 39:4

I am here on earth for just a little while.

Psalm 119:19



"Life on earth is a temporary assignment." (Warren)

Life is temporary.  When compared to eternity, life is oh so very brief.  At this point in my life, I can see just how true both of these statements are.  We are only on this earth but for a little while.

This life is our temporary residence...not our permanent home.  We are but traveler's, aliens in a foreign land.  For those of us who belong to Christ, our home isn't of this world.  So we shouldn't get too comfortable here.   But we become acclimated to living only for the things of this life without a thought of the eternal impact our choices and actions have on the eternal.  So often, I place such priority on the temporal things of life instead of investing in the eternal things that will last.  Jesus said to store up our treasures in heaven where we are ASSURED of their eternal value in lieu of temporal riches which moth and rust can destroy.  It's hard to keep that eternal focus sometimes when in the pressure cooker of life.  Things go wrong, problems arise, and it's as if our world will come crashing in.  Life has a way of making it's demands, rudely interrupting any good thing we are doing for God, distracting us from our eternal purpose.  Our enemy knows how to cause the temporary to crowd out the eternal in my life...and I seem to fall for it far too often than I should!

Our lives are brief.  The Bible says our lives are but a mist...gone in a moment of time.  I'm about at the halfway point of my life, at least I hope I've got at least another 44 years to go.  I've reached middle age.  Yet, deep down inside, I still feel like I'm that 16 year old girl who was excited about life.  It seems like it was only yesterday that our oldest son, Mathew, was born.  Now 21 and in the Air Force, I wonder where my little blond hair, blue-eyed baby went off to.  I wonder why time seemed to pass so slowly during the years our children were in diapers, yet travel at warp speed once they hit high school. My sister has recently become a grandmother (ha ha, sis, you beat me to grandma status), I have several friends who have also recently become grandparents or who are about to...and I taught their children who are married and having children!  I know that I'll be next, but I still hope that grandmotherhood is a little bit away...no, a LONG time away.  What I'm trying to say here, is that life is BRIEF!  When I was younger, time seemed to pass so slowly.  Now that I'm older, my perception of time has sped up.  I hope the next 44+ years passes a little more slowly than the last 20 have!  

Life is temporary.  Life is brief.  We'll never feel completely satisfied on this earth because this world is NOT our permanent home.  We're only passing through...hopefully leaving it a little better than we found it.  Lighting a fire for Jesus Christ on our journey through it.  

No major revelations for me today as I read Chapter 6 of The Purpose Driven Life.  Just a big reminder that I need to keep my gaze upon the eternal, not the temporal.

Here are just a few of my favorite quotes from today's devotion:

• Your identity is in eternity, and your homeland is heaven.  When you grasp this truth, you wills top worrying about "having it all" on earth.
• In order to keep us from becoming too attached to earth, God allows us to feel a significant amount of discontent and dissatisfaction in life - longings that will never be fulfilled on this side of eternity.
• You will never feel completely satisfied on earth because you were made for more.
• Eternal values, not temporal ones should become the deciding factors for your decisions.
• It is a fatal mistake to assume that God's goal for your life is material prosperity or popular success, as the world defines it.  The abundant life has nothing to do with material abundance, and faithfulness to God does not guarantee success in a carrer or even ministry.
• In God's eyes, the greatest heroes of faith are not those who achieve prosperity, success, and power in this life, but those who treat this life as a temporary assignment ans serve faithfully, expecting their promised reward in eternity.  

I must remember that this world is NOT my home.

VERSE:  So we fix our eyes on not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.  For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."  2 Corinthians 4:18

Question:  How should the fact that life on earth is just a temporary assignment change the way I am living right now? 

In His Love, Cathy

(Warren, Rick.  The Purpose Driven Life. Zondervan. 2002. Print.)

We Are What We Eat

Finally, brethern, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,  whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virture, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

Philippians 4:8



I'm on a diet.  I'm not on this diet necessarily to lose weight, though I could stand to lose a few pounds.  I'm on a diet to help control my high blood pressure and osteoperosis.  Over the past year, my blood pressure has been slowly creeping up, with the systolic pressure running between 120 to 140 and the diagnostic pressure consistently running between 80 and 100.  A couple of months ago I was finally diagnosed with high blood pressure when it reached 168/116.  I'm on blood pressure medication - a beta blocker that is supposed to also help migraines.  This newest health development along with being diagnosed with osteopenia (early stage  of osteoperosis) prompted me to make some serious life changes beginning last summer.  I began exercising regularly last summer for the sake of my bones.  I also began watching what I ate, trying to ensure I ate foods that would build up my bones and not eat foods that were notorious for interfering with bone development.  I did lose about 9 pounds in the process.  However, I didn't completely eliminate junk food from my diet.  I LOVE my junk food.  And what didn't seem to hurt, I ate. What I realized was it wasn't enough to minimize the foods that were detrimental to my bones.  I also had to select foods that were all around healthy...for all of me. 

When I was diagnosed with high blood pressure, I took drastic measures.  I realized that if I wanted to remain healthy and live to see my grandchildren (which I hope is a VERY long time away) then I would have to change my eating habits.  But not only that, I realized my family needed to eat healthier too.  So I began buying fresh fruits, vegetables, whole graines and meats.  I am relearning to cook with minimum canned or sodium/sugar laced foods.  We are drinking healthier at home as well- no sodas - juices, milk, water are the drinks of choice around here.  And you know what?  I have begun to feel so much better!  And you know what else?  My family LOVES it!  Scott has lost a few pounds without trying.  I think it's simply due to switching from eating processed foods prepared with processed products to the fresh foods.  Brittany especially loves it.  She's always been my little health nut - she's always exercising (running, lifting weights, playing basketball, badminton, etc...) and she's always careful about eating healthy.  Michael is adjusting.  He still loves his Mac N Cheese, but now I make it using whole grain macaroni.  He's never been much for sweets - he's always chosen fresh fruits for snacks over junk food.  In fact, from the time he was little, he was the odd ball kid who would eat the cake and leave the icing. Not me, I ate the icing and left the cake!  

As I pulled out my Kashi Heart Healthy Cereal instead of the Fruit Loops for breakfast this morning, I began thinking on how much my eating habits have changed in recent months. To this day, I am a junk food junkie...that will not change even though my eating habits have.  The difference is that I am deliberately making much healthier choices about what I eat.  The temptation will always be there for me to chose junk food over the healthy.  However, I know that it's not what is best for my body's health.  I must choose what is best if I'm to remain healthy, strong, and live a good life.  

Then I realized that this is also true of our spiritual lives.  It's so easy for us to reach for the 'junk food' of this world...the carnal influences are always around us pressing upon us.  But we must make spiritually healthy choices so that we can remain strong in our faith and live a good life according to God's plan for us.  We must choose to reach for heart healthy spiritual foods (praying, reading the Bible, fellowshipping with other Believers, listening to Christian praise and worship music, watching appropriate shows or movies, choosing Godly friends, etc...) instead of reaching for the junk food of life (songs that encourage ungodly behavior, shows or movies that are inappropriate, trash romance novels, etc...).

Remember, this life is a TEST...the temptation to eat junk food will always be there.  We just need to determine up front to make more spiritually heart healthy choices. 
        

In His Love, Cathy

Intermission

This blog series has been temporarily delayed due to a badly needed trip to Publix. 

The cupboard was bare...that's DEFCON 1 in the Denny home!

We are now restocked and ready to go.  All is now right in Scott's world. 

I'll be posting Day 6 either later tonight or tomorrow afternoon.

Blessings!

In His Love, Cathy

DAY FIVE: Seeing Life From God's View

What is your life?

James 4:14b



I don't even know where to start today.  As I read Chapter 5 it was if I was reading recent events in my own life.  I was able to relate to so many of the points that were made.  So let me just go ahead and dive in.

First, let me begin by saying our own perception of life is limited to our finite view.  We are who we view ourselves as.  Our perception of life determines so many things about our lives - our morals and values, our beliefs, our priorities, our expectations, and our relationships just to name a few.  In other words, our lives mimic our views of life.  If we think life is a party...well, guess what?  We'll live the partying lifestyle.  In psychology, there is a term for this - it's called self-fulfilling prophecy.  We live according to what we perceive life is. 

Warren asks if you were to picture life, what image would come to mind?  Whatever image that comes to mind is your life metaphor.  So right now, before you read any further, close your eyes and picture what life looks like to you.  Whatever you pictured just now is your life metaphor...it's a glimpse of how you view life.

I don't know what your image is but I'd love to share mine with you.  It even surprised me.  When I pictured life, I pictured a young Mom in a white dress swinging a young child around in a green lawn next to a lake.  (I know, I had a very detailed image but it was the image that instantly popped into my mind.)  What I felt as I pictured that scene was love, joy, and laughter.  Yep, that's the image of life that immediately came to my mind.  I bet psychologists would have a field day with that one!

But God's perception of our lives is quite different from ours.  His view isn't limited by the here and now.  He has infinite perception across all of eternity.  He knows that life is so much more than what we often make of it.  Unlike us, His view of life is undistorted.  He sees the true picture.  Our life image is influenced and often tainted by this world - the experiences we have, the influences all around us, and the people in our lives can distort our perception of life - thus creating a faulty view.  To fulfill our purpose, we must get a proper perception of life.  We can turn to God's Word to find that proper perception.  Paul writed in Romans 12:12 "Do not conform yourselves to the standard of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind.  Then you will be able to know the will of God."

Whatever your view of life is, according to Warren, the Bible outlines three life metaphors: 

• Life is a test.
• Life is a trust.
• Live is a temporary assignment.

For me, these three things are not really new concepts.  I've heard these concepts before I ever read The Purpose Driven Life.  However, I just never heard them stated together quite so succintly and quite from this 'view.'  

Life is a Test:  "God withdrew from Hezekiah in order to test him and to see what was really in his heart."  2 Chronicles 32:31 

As I read this verse I was convicted.  This past year has been no joke for our family.  Money is very tight - the tightest it's been since we first married.  I've had ongoing health issues.  Our first child left the nest.  And Scott's Dad is declining rapidly.  And to make matters worse, during a majority of this time I felt that God was so far away and I was all alone.  I can pointedly remember one occassion in particular where I was so overcome by it all.  I simply couldn't take it anymore.  I curled up in a ball, my body wracked with grief, sobbing incessantly, and crying out to God - yet I felt nothing.  I knew that God had promised to never leave nor forsake me.  But I just didn't sense Him there like He's been before.  It could have been my own spiritual state that caused Him to withdraw.  But then He does withdraw from us at times to test our hearts.  In retrospect, I now know that this past year has been one BIG, FAT, HAIRY MOTHER of a test.   The Bible says, "God keeps his promise, and he will not allow you to be tested beyond your power to remain firm; at the time you are put to the test, he will give you the strength to endure it, and so provide you a way out."  (1 Corinthians 10:13)  I'd love to say that I think I passed this test with flying colors, but that simply would not be true.  I failed...and I failed miserably.  When I couldn't sense Him there for me, I fell back and leaned on the visible - the things of this world.  In other words, I returned to my 'Egypts.'  God had provided the grace, but this weakling little sissy girl just didn't have the guts to step out on faith!  Looking back, I know I must have disappointed my Lord and Savior.  That grieves my heart to no end.  But the wonderful thing about our God is that He is the God of infinite chances...He has FORGIVEN me, given me additional opportunities to 'get it right', and in recent months, things have started to finally turn around.  I guess it's taken a year for me to finally show signs of the character He was trying to develop in me to begin with.  I'm just so hard headed that it took a long time to relearn how to TRUST Him even in seasons of drought:) 

Which leads to the next life metaphor...

Life is a Trust:  "The world and all that is in it belong to the LORD; the earth and all who live in it are His."  Psalm 24:1

God has entrusted you and me with all that we've been given.  Everything you and I 'own' is not ours...it all belongs to God.  He's just loaning it to us during our time here on earth.  We are only stewards of what He has given us.  And as stewards of God's property, we are to be responsible, wise, and care for that which we've been given.  God has trusted us.  But we must trust Him in return.  Boy, did this really hit home to me.  I can't say that I've exactly been a good steward with anything lately - though I've tried to be, past mistakes and bad decisions undermined the stewarship side of things.  But what I've got to realize is that everything I have is not mine to begin with.  So in essence, when I don't trust Him with money, relationships, jobs, etc...I'm acting like a little child who won't return his friend's toy.  I am hanging on to things for dear life shouting, "Mine!  Mine!  MINE!"  when all along it belongs to HIM!  I stand convicted! 

Life is Temporary:  

I've written to this life metaphor in a previous post.  This life is temporary.  It is the preparation for eternity.  What we do in this life will carry over into eternity.  So I must live wisely, being a good steward of that which I've been given, and living a life of character, faith and integrity.          

One day, we will be evaluated and rewarded according to our life here on earth.  I may not had done so hot on this last section of the test, but I pray that with God's help, I will do better from here on out.

Life is a test and a trust.

Verse:  "Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won't be faithful in large ones."  Luke 16:10a

QUESTION:  What happened to me recently that I now know was a test from God?  What are the greatest matters God has entrusted to me?

Grace and peace, friends!

In His Love, Cathy

(Warren, Rick.  The Purpose Driven Life.  Zondervan. 2002. Print.)