My devotional this morning reminded me again of the truth that God is never done pruning us. It is as though the author of it knows my life history. He writes that the areas of past struggles which left wounds and scars will be pruned away if we allow God to do His work in us. He wants us to be productive for Him which means obedient to His nudges. Well, God has been pruning me for many, many years and I know He isn’t done. The author says it may be painful at times, but the aftermath is well worth the temporary pain.
It is amazing to read something as though it were written by you or by someone who knows you intimately. This author is actually in heaven I believe. But, the real author who inspired this writing does know me intimately and He also knows you the same. The message that fits me to the tee is, I’m sure, fitting any reader the same. I love how God never gives up on all of us for He created us “fearfully and wonderfully” and He wants us fearfully and wonderfully productive for Him. So, pruning becomes critically important for this kind of productivity to take place.
I am reading through the Psalms presently in my devotional time. Today I came to Psalms 20 where I have kept a note sent to me almost 45 years ago. A dear friend had sent it to me in early August. It was simply these two verses from the chapter, Ps 20:4&5. “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed. We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests.”
This friend was in another state working a summer job. He had no idea my wife at the time had just informed me of the news she was divorcing me. I thought someone had to of informed him even though at that point no one even knew of this except my wife and me. Weeks later when he was home I asked him how he knew? He just said he was driving the combine when God put it on his heart to send me these two verses so he did it. The note was just the two verses and his signature.
I have kept this note along with a few others God has used this friend to support me at those moments when one feels so alone. I was 29 years old at the time this took place. No one knew anything about my past or about my soon to end marriage. Yet, God knew a faithful friend who would be obedient to His nudge. There was a sliver of hope given to me the day I opened this letter and read the short but powerful message. I didn’t have any substance at the time supporting this hope other than God knew and He must care, maybe a little?
This tiny sliver of hope has turned into a ministry of using all God has done to plant seeds of hope for others who are caught as I was in the lies of disbelief. How loving our Father God is and how grateful I am for this!
Yesterday I wrote about a situation I was addressing and it was just as Jesus would have it. The other person joining me and I prayed together over this home and its occupants. Jesus did all of the rest and what a touching experience it turned out to be. I went into the afternoon thinking it would be the same as the morning had been with Jesus taking care of each client as they came.
The first couple of sessions in the afternoon were good ones and Jesus was very present. As the next was approaching (which was a reschedule from the day before) I saw another client in the hall which triggered something I’d set aside. This client was there because her parents were coming so we could address some abuse which had been hidden for years. I had double booked the time! I hadn’t put the one client on my calendar because she wasn’t sure her parents would come so I was waiting to hear. She had contacted me a couple of days later they were coming, but I neglected to then put it on my calendar. I quickly told the rescheduled man I’d have to see him next week which he seemed fine knowing he’d forgotten his actual time the day before.
The session with the parents was difficult at best and I had nothing prepared for it except my thoughts. The father wanted to hear “loving forgiveness” and the daughter needed to express 25 years of squelched hurt. Mom sat quietly for the most part. It did end with an understanding that reconciliation was going to take time and we needed to accept the truth that childhood abuse is not a one session event. Everyone walked away agreeing to continue.
This morning I was lamenting to God my blunder in calendaring this session. Yet, when I asked Jesus what He wanted me to know for today, He immediately reminded me He wanted to be in charge of yesterday’s session. I know if I’d remembered I’d have prepped very differently for the way it turned out. Jesus needed to be in charge, not me. It was another good wake-up. What I called my blunder, Jesus said was on purpose. What parents heard, He can now work with them on it. All I can say is that JESUS IS AMAZING!
Today’s journey is taking me into a situation I’ve not done but a very few times and never led. A young mother who comes for counseling is seeking freedom from an evil presence in her home. There is a story behind this which I won’t go into here. So, a co-leader in Celebrate Recovery and I are going to this young lady’s home this morning to pray deliverance from this evil.
Last night as I was going to bed I anticipated I would sleep fitfully due to today’s assignment. However, as I got into bed I prayed for Jesus’ to go ahead of us and cleanse this home with His Presence. That is the last thing I recall of the evening. I awoke this morning at 4:22 having slept 6+ hours without any awakenings. I almost always awaken at least a couple of times before this even though I go right back to sleep. It was as though God just brought a deep sleep coupled with a deep assurance of Him taking charge.
Not so long ago I would be willing to do something like this as long as there was someone else leading who I saw as worthy of leading. Today, I wouldn’t say I feel worthy of doing this. Instead, what I know for sure is the worthiness of Jesus Christ to cast out all evil in His Name. We do not go alone into this assignment for Jesus has already declared Himself as Victor of all evil’s attempts to discourage a young mom of 4 kids. Jesus Christ is LORD of all–our assignment is to BELIEVE.
Yesterday was a remarkable day. I met with a gentleman who was new to Celebrate Recovery last Thursday. He wanted to meet and “talk through” some things on his mind. As I had met with him and two others last Thursday in the 101 class, we take a moment to tell anyone in the class a brief testimony of what brought us to CR. In so doing, he said yesterday as we met that he had some similar past experiences. The greater part of the time we met (2.5 hrs) was talking about his beliefs from being brought up in a different religion that I’d call a false religion.
As this gentleman began to expound on his beliefs I challenged him to put them along side what scripture tells us. I am not one to enter into a debate for I don’t like doing this at all. In this case, all I did was tell him what he was taught as a child is a lie. Satan’s deceptions of who he is and who Jesus Christ is can be easily misled when we are taught as children that what the lessons teach is all truth. In my younger years I’d heard what he was telling me from others. In those days I would only say that my beliefs were different from theirs. I must say that Celebrate Recovery and biblical counseling have brought me to the point where I no longer quietly walk away from these false teachings.
Jesus is our One and only Savior and Lord. He is the One and only Son of God Almighty–The Great I AM. Upholding this truth is not debatable. Amen.
There was a song written 40+ years ago entitled “Praise the Lord”. It was sent to me as a cassette tape by a dear friend when I was going through a very tough time during the years after my divorce. The words in part say:
When your up against a struggle that shatters all your dreams and your hopes have been cruelly crushed by Satan’s manifested schemes; and you feel the urge within you to submit to earthly fears; don’t let the faith you’re standing in seem to disappear—Praise the Lord! He can work through those who praise Him, Praise the Lord for our God inhabits praise, praise the Lord. For the chains that seem to bind you serve only to remind you that they drop powerless behind you when you Praise Him!
The second verse goes on to say: Now Satan is a liar and he wants to make us think that we are paupers when he knows himself we’re children of the King. So lift up your mighty shield of FAITH for the battle has been won. We know that Jesus Christ is risen so the work’s already done! Praise the Lord! and the chorus repeats.
God often brings this song to mind when I am personally struggling or working with someone else who is. I love these words and how often I forget the simple act of Praising God because I do know He will see us through any and all struggles. I (we) can praise Him ahead of time because this is true!
The life of a bachelor. Kathy is with 3 out of 4 siblings this weekend in Oregon. Her sis had been with us for a couple days and they left yesterday to join two of their brothers for some family time. I’m so glad for them and love that they enjoy one another’s company. 3 of the 4 of them have been experiencing health issues in the past couple of years and they are making good use of the time they actually have and I love this. So, I am an old bachelor until next Thursday. Life is pretty full of activity so it’s not as though I’m wondering what to do. I enjoy periods of time alone especially when I know it is temporary and for good reason.
Yesterday started with a couple of counseling sessions early in the day. The second one is a small group of men (5 actually). However, for various reasons it was only one of the 5. This particular young man is the only one of the 5 I hadn’t known very well when I started this group several months ago. He is quite well grounded in his disciple but wanted to address some habits he struggles to keep at bay. We were able to talk with one another very openly with only the two of us. I thanked God for the opportunity and for this young man. I can see God using him greatly as the days and years go on. It is such an honor to be part of God’s Work and see Him working in lives. The struggles can be great, but there is nothing that comes close to God’s Strength when we are surrendered and patient. I have to remind myself of these two needs quite often!
God is always working and the more I get to know Him the more I see this. I can’t get over how much He is aligning all of each day so I see Him in each aspect of it. It daily starts with my devotions. Right now my devotional is focusing on how well we know Jesus. If we know Him as our Savior, that’s the first step. Getting to know Him as our Lord, our Friend, our Great Healer, our Guide, our Rock, our Protector, our Leader and more, takes confidence called Faith/Trust. The more I’m learning to put all things into His Hands, the more I am realizing just how much He cares and how thorough His Caring is. Even more than this, it is also how He carefully and gently uses all of the tragic parts of our lives for His purposes.
Yesterday a young man called me troubled by some things which have gone sour in his life. He was wanting to know my thoughts. As we talked and he began to see how God was working in what he called “sour” he started to see that maybe God was using this time to show him his need to better rely on God rather than on himself. Relying on God was to trust Him with the present situation. Being patient in times of turmoil is never easy for any of us, yet it is always worthwhile in the end.
Someday when I get to see Jesus, God my Father and The Holy Spirit face to face, I will never stop thanking them for their relentless love and pursuit for each one of us! How I LOVE THEM!
Yesterday was an amazing day. The counseling sessions went well, but even more was last night’s Celebrate Recovery meeting. There were 3 new men who came and I was the one to spend the last hour with them in what we call the 101. This is the introduction to CR and all that it can offer someone. The last part of the hour is spent with the leader sharing briefly their story and asking the newcomer/s to share what brought them that night to the degree they are willing. My goodness, all three of them opened up and we were there beyond the hour. All three had intense stories very different from each other, but all seeking help coming out of their powerlessness (lesson 2) and hiding the problem as though it didn’t exist (lesson 1). I pray they will stay committed to this. It is so easy to step back into “I can do this on my own–I don’t need to share my burdens with the world and then reap the consequences of its judgment”. I sure know this for I practiced it for almost 60 years.
I am reading a book I ordered when I was with the kids in Oklahoma. My son-in-law told me he was going to be using it for the content of his Sunday School class he teaches. The book’s title is, What’s so Spiritual About Your Gifts? It is written by Henry and Mel Blackaby. I’ve read many of their works and I respect them a great deal. What was a big awakening for me is the statement made early in the book. It says, “Believers often ask each other what their spiritual gift is. The true answer to that question is this: The Holy Spirit is the gift.” We so often talk about the fruits of the Spirit being the gift/s. However, the true gift is God’s Holy Spirit Himself. The fruit is the manifestation of God’s Spirit within us. It is God’s Gift to us at work in us as we obey His nudges. It is a simple, yet profound truth which I want to spend more time awakening to.
God is never done growing us. I will never be too old to be a student of the Greatest Teacher!
Today is my oldest grandson’s birthday. He is living his life for Jesus Christ and how proud this makes grandpa! He is flying in next Tuesday and it will be such a treat to have him with us for a few days.
I hadn’t expected that being gone from the counseling work for a couple of weeks would “lighten the load” as it did. All of a sudden this week and having a couple of full days with counseling, I sense the tension that I hadn’t noticed before. This morning as I was journaling I simply needed to release this to Jesus. He has truly been working with me on better trusting of our relationship and how deeply He wants to always be the wisdom of counsel. I want this too, but I do find myself responding to a counselee and saying that what I am telling you is just from me. I need to sense Jesus voice in this before you act on it. Learning to hear the voice of God’s Holy Spirit within is critical. My own emotional response can easily cloud this Voice and I sure don’t want that happening.
It has taken me a lifetime to understand what to do with God’s desire for this close relationship. For so long I would sort through what I thought God was doing or asking me to do as though He would lead me into turmoil. Boy, was I ever wrong! The trustworthiness of God is IMMENSE and I want to always be a trusting son. HE is so WORTHY!
Earnie Lewis 