As I got to the rehearsal last night, our director complimented me for having all of my parts down. Well, of course, as last night took place, I got to a line where my mind was blank–what do I say here??? So much for having it down! One just can’t be too confident.
It seems to be a daily thing that I need to be refocused on praising God rather than complaining to Him. I started out this morning journaling to Jesus telling Him my concerns and my weaknesses along with my selfishness. When I was done and asked Him what He wanted me to know for today, He wasn’t quiet about the reminder of praising Him instead of complaining to Him. Yesterday’s telling me this seemed to be only good for yesterday. I needed this again today. Breaking an old–very old habit of worry/angst over details out of my control and even some I don’t control well, is not easy. But, I do say that when I turn this around and praise Jesus for what He’s going to do with these details ahead of time, the angst disappears and I have this sense of assurance that all will be just fine. Let it go!
I don’t know what I’d do if God weren’t so patient with me/us. His Grace and Love are so superior to that of the world. How I love and thank Him for this!
It seems God was not done yesterday helping me to believe that I’m a new creation who believes each and every day. Last night’s rehearsal was a little over 3 hours, but it went well for the most part. The next two nights should easily bring the loose ends together. When I arose this morning I started my journaling telling Jesus I needed some help this morning. I feel wiped out and it’s just the first trial run. He reminded me that praising Him works better than complaining to Him. Praising Him falls in line with BELIEVING. My devotional stayed right on this same topic. It pointed out that picturing in my mind the beauty of what I hope for developing into fruition is what God wants me to do. Along with this, praise Him for this outcome ahead of its actualizing.
I really needed this spiritual insight. I’ve been picturing my screw-ups and dance stumbling. Instead, God is asking me to picture what I hope for. Taking a moment to do this is nothing less than fun. It takes me immediately into a mindset of–I can not only do this, it is fun too! How faithful and nurturing our God is. I PRAISE HIM this day!
Today starts the week of our Christmas program at church. These next three nights are dress rehearsals and then Thursday – Saturday are the productions. My part is not major but the angst I’ve had has been very MAJOR! It sounds silly, but it is nonetheless true. As I began my journaling this morning and confessing all of this to Jesus I found myself feeling bad for not being thankful about all of this rather than so concerned. It wasn’t until I asked Jesus what He wanted me to know for today, that He reminded me about believing.
This entire year I’ve had one major goal–Believe I’m a new creation. That first word–believe–is not to be used only as the start of being a new creation. It is to be at the start of all God provides and asks of us. Do I believe I’ll mess up or do I believe God placed me in this part to complete my piece as He wanted? Do I believe I can memorize lines and remember them at the right time? Do I believe the dance steps can be done without looking foolish? Until this morning I’ve been looking forward to this coming Sunday when all of this is behind me. Today, Jesus wants me to look forward to being part of His Story as portrayed. Along with this looking forward to it, He wants me believing I will do it just fine.
I’m not just a new creation and that’s it. I’m a new creation that no longer believes the lies fed to me and Satan wants to keep alive in me. I choose to believe this new creation is one for now and then for eternity!
It is amazing to me to work in a world of spiritual warfare as biblical counseling brings to you. One person I’m meeting with believes in God but doesn’t believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He was a good human not different than other good men in the Old Testament. I know where his belief came from since I’ve know the religion he was raised in. Little did I know ahead of this counseling how much I rely on the truth that Jesus Christ is the One Great Healer. How does one find healing for his past abuse and current lies and habits when he doesn’t believe in our Great Healer? I introduced him to the true Jesus Christ yesterday and left it with the seed being planted. It pains me to find one struggling with the Greatest Truth I have to offer as a counselor.
As I went to see my niece I found that she is not worried about her relationship with Jesus. She has a trach so she can only mouth her words. Her concern is for her kids and grandkids. She wanted to know how to talk to them about accepting Jesus in their hearts? I had brought the 4-Spiritual Laws so I gave this to her. This brought a smile. That’s what she needed.
Of all the things our earthly life has to offer, there is none as great a gift as Jesus Christ. I know His Holy Spirit is working. I want to put a timeframe around this work but I do know better. I want God’s patience to be mine. TO GOD BE THE GLORY, GREAT THINGS HE HAS DONE AND IS DOING!
This morning I will start with a counseling appointment. Afterwards I’m headed to Boise with a niece to see her sister, another niece, who is in the hospital battling lung cancer. We know it is terminal and my niece does too. She is unsure about her relationship with Jesus so this morning we are going to address this so she can rest knowing Jesus didn’t leave her out of His fold.
While we were doing our shopping yesterday I got a call from my niece in California. She wanted me to know that my sis Alice, her mom, passed away yesterday morning. Alice had been peacefully declining and was very ready to be with her heavenly family for eternity. Eternity has been on my mind a lot lately knowing Alice’s time was close and knowing we were going to pray with Debbie later this morning.
God is amazingly good and patient waiting for us to know Him and understand that He is not waiting to judge us for our sin–yes, that time comes. However, God is waiting to redeem us from our sin by our accepting His Gift of Love–Jesus Christ, His Son, asking Him into our heart and accepting Him as our Savior and Lord. It is as simple as that. How much I love our Father in heaven and thank Him for the Gift of eternity with Him and our loved ones.
Yesterday was the day of thanks and today is the day of giving. In less than an hour I’ll have 4 grandsons with me hitting the Black Friday sales to get their Christmas shopping done. This is an annual event for us. I take the grandsons and Kathy takes the granddaughters along with their moms. We guys go to breakfast in the midst of the shopping and are back home by 10:00 am. The girls make much more of a day of it. Their arrival home isn’t usually until darkness has hit the day. All of us are happy this way!
There is always something to be thankful for and today it is the joy of being grandpa!
It is Thanksgiving and I praise God for the Freedom only He can give to us. It is one thing to be thankful for our country and our freedom here in America. It is another thing completely to know the Freedom we have no matter what country we reside. Man cannot take this away from us and only God can give it to us. No matter our circumstances, today, let us each rejoice in the freedom of being a new creation!
There is so much about being a new creation I didn’t expect. Things like being tempted–I wanted them gone. Things like thoughts that go through your head–I wanted them to gone. Things like problems brought to you–I wanted them easily resolved. There are so many more! In each case I now see, “I wanted”. The selfishness of flesh is always part of us even when we are a new creation. The ugliness of flesh I’d experienced as a kid I thought was what flesh looked like for everyone. How could one be a new creation and still have flesh like I had known? The reality of acting on flesh was what I was missing. Abuse is the acting on fleshly desires. Having temptations is of the flesh and being a new creation gives one the motivation to step away from them and God’s Strength to do so.
One of my most precious realities I’ve found is that being a new creation brings a longing to be more and more Christ-like. We will never be perfect as Christ is, but knowing the future has this in it, makes me smile and know it is all worthwhile!
Living the life of a new creation truly does have a new way to live one’s life. My most recent experience is dealing with someone’s problems as in this arena of counseling. Yesterday was a day where I had on my mind the issues brought to me then or the ones from the weekend. In my old self I would take these areas of need and set them aside or stuff them when I didn’t have a way to deal with them in my own self. Today I’m needing to learn what it is to give them to God without stuffing them, Keeping myself open to hear God’s voice regarding these is new. When I discipline myself to not stuff the needs, I want to go to solving them. This is where I’m continuously reminded that solving is God’s part. My role is to help others keep their mind and heart focused on God.
Being a new creation and believing it to be true is the start of an entirely new life. No wonder scripture calls it–being born again. I am finding that one can stay in the infant stage of this new life if we don’t believe it is true for you. I was stuck there much of my adult years. One of my greatest discoveries has been to live each day with God’s Spirit being in control of my life. At this point I’m only awakening to my need for this truth. I’ve got to take you to my devotional message for today in order for this to make sense.
“The Answer You Need Is Found in Me”
The reason you’ve been heavy and overwhelmed is because you’ve been seeking the answer for your problem in multiple places. …You’ve been stuck in your head trying to reason things out allowing your thoughts to drag you around in vicious circles. Instead, let your spirit lead you to me. …This means you must fix your attention on me and me alone. When all of your attention is on me, you’ll tap into the breakthrough….
I have thought I was doing the right thing “in my mind”. But, this morning God has made it clear that it is His Mind He wants me seeking and I do that by keeping my mind still so His Spirit can speak to me. The length of the pause this takes is sometimes found in the length of time it takes for me to bring my mind to stillness. God is the One and only Great Healer. I am to only do my part as He directs. Big Lesson!
Earnie Lewis 