What Thorn Is Proving You?

"But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you; then it shall come to pass, that those which ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes, and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell."
Numbers 33:55 

I wonder if the Apostle Paul had this verse in mind when he wrote:

"And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure." II Corinthians 12:7

 Before the Israelites passed into the Promised Land God gave them a number of instructions, to which they agreed to abide. God warned them of what would happen if they didn't.

The Israelites crossed the Jordan  River into a new life. There would be worldly things and people they would need to get rid of in order to have "Promised Land Living." God promised to prosper them in this new land flowing with milk and honey, but first they had a job to do. They'd need to prove their faith by obeying God. They'd have to endure warfare before peace would come. They'd have to make sacrifices before they partook of the bounty.

The Bible overflows with wisdom. You want to live well with your spouse? The Bible tells you how. You want to have a successful career? The Bible teaches you what kind of a work ethic you need. You want to have good friends and peace with your fellow man? The Bible instructs you on how to build quality relationships. The precepts and principles taught in Scripture on how to live can be used by anyone - Christian or not. In fact, many principles taught in the best business management and personnel management texts mimic what is said in Scripture.

The problem is, we tend to follow our hearts, which almost always leads us down roads that end in disaster. I confess, one of my pet peeves is the saying, "follow your heart." I cringe when I hear someone who claims to be a Christian say it.

A couple of things happened after some success in the Promised Land. Israel forgot to inquire of God before making an allegiance with a people group and that led to heartache. Then later, they began to see the enemy rather than God's leading and became fearful. Their fear meant they were no longer trusting God, and it prevented them from expanding their borders to the extent that God promised them.

In the end, the old inhabitants remained and caused them trouble.

"I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died: That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not." Judges 2:21-22

When we call upon the name of the Lord to be saved (when we ask Jesus into our hearts), if we have truly humbled ourselves before Him, over time we will be convicted of things in our lives. Our love for God will grow as we grow in our knowledge of Him. As we grow in love our desire to please Him will grow, and that will lead us to desire to eliminate, or drive out, those things that do not please Him.

I wonder, when Paul penned those verses in II Corinthians 12, if he was thinking about the Israelites inability to remove the inhabitants of the land. I wonder if he saw something in his life he couldn't have victory over, some recurring fault that shamed him whenever it took hold of his life.

"...My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in  weakness." II Corinthians 12:9a

The further I get along in life, the more things I find to regret. Words spoken I will never be able to take back. Actions done that I wish I had not committed. Feelings evolved that I wish I had never allowed to develop. These regrets remind me of those nations the Israelites failed to drive out of the land. Yet, God in His abundant mercy, took those nations and used them to prove Israel.

As a child of God, I am thankful for His grace. I still live in this world and in this flesh. I still do things I shouldn't do. I'm still human. And yet, God's forgiveness abounds. His grace that saved me stands and reminds me even when I've sinned that He has covered it. In my weakness, His strength is made perfect because His grace is sufficient. Thank you, Dear Lord.

After God's Own Heart

Have you ever wondered what really made Saul different from David?

Saul was chosen by God to be king. So was David.

Saul was anointed by Samuel. So was David.

The Spirit of God came upon Saul. The Spirit of God moved David to write the psalms.

Saul sinned to save himself. So did David.

But God rejected Saul and called David a man after His own heart. God had given Saul another heart (I Samuel 10:9). So what was the difference?

The elders of Israel saw that Samuel was old and that his sons did not walk in his ways. They looked around at the other nations and saw that those nations were ruled by kings. The time was coming when Samuel would die and Israel would need another ruler.

Samuel was the last judge that led Israel through many difficulties. Each time a judge died, the Israelites fell away from God and did what was right in their own eyes. They would then be led into captivity, God would give them another judge, and they'd be saved. I'm sure the elders looked at their history and decided they didn't want this to happen again, so they'd forgo waiting for God to raise someone up after they'd gotten themselves into trouble. They would start a royal line.

But they were not looking to God. They saw the judges, mere men, instead of God. They assessed the situation and came up with a solution that still left God out of the equation.

God told Samuel to hearken to them and make them a king. He told Samuel the man would be Saul.

Saul was a man of Benjamin, the son of a mighty man of power. Saul was a 'choice young man', in Hebrew bakhur, which refers to a young man of mature age and often implies beauty of form. Saul was a goodly man, which means he was pleasant, agreeable. He might even have been considered upright. We get the picture that he was a cheery person, easy to get along with and kind. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Saul was his height. He stood head and shoulders above anyone else.

In fact, from the outward appearance and surface personality, Saul seemed the perfect pick for a king.

The Israelites wanted leadership. They wanted to show the nations around them that they were not a people to be trampled upon or to be taken advantage of. Saul, from appearances would do nicely. And God gave to them what they wanted.

But Saul had issues. Saul belittled himself:

"Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou to me?" I Samuel 9:21

We might think of this answer reflecting his humility, but humility isn't about thinking of yourself lower than you are. Humility is seeing who you really are, even as God sees you.

I'd venture to say that even at this point, Saul was fearful. Certainly we see his fear through the rest of his life.

To confirm that Saul would be king, God turned him into another man (I Samuel 10:6). He gave Saul another heart (note that I Samuel 10:9 doesn't say a new heart). God gave Saul another will, another understanding, another inner man with a different set of emotions, passions, appetites. Saul's first heart, his original inner man, was not after God's heart, and this would cause him problems.

And the Spirit of God came upon Saul at times then Saul would prophesy.

But Saul had a lacking that made him distinctly different than David. Saul did not trust God. Like the Israelites, Saul put his trust in Samuel, the judge. When Samuel didn't come on time in I Samuel 11, Saul turned to the ritual of sacrifice to draw the people back to him.

Later, Saul again obeys God and trusts his own wisdom.

"...It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments...." I Samuel 15:11

When Samuel confronted him, Saul admitted his sin, but he didn't ask God to forgive his sin. He asked Samuel to and asked Samuel to join him so that he could worship God. Saul was not interested in a personal relationship with God. He looked to Samuel instead. Saul grew to love his power as king and began to see God as someone to get him out of trouble.

David, on the other hand, loved God. He sought an intimate relationship with Him. His heart was after God's. David gave God the glory for his victories. He was confident in what God could do and that gave him self confidence. He wasn't perfect. He made mistakes and he sinned, but he sought God for forgiveness, not seeking the forgiveness of some spiritual leader. And David accepted the consequences of his sin with a humble heart, seeking God's mercy and passionately desiring God's intimacy once more.

Through my life I've come across many people. Some of them great, some of them small. So with plenty of self-confidence. And some pridefully ashamed of themselves. In studying these two men in the Bible I've asked myself who do I most closely resemble? I suppose I have a bit of both in me.

One thing I do know, I burn inside to know God more. Like Saul, I live in this flesh, but praise be to God, through Jesus Christ, I live by His faith, and I am a new creature.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new." II Corinthians 5:17.

I now have a heart after God. My passions, my affections, the essence of my understanding of life, my determinations and resolutions, all these parts of my inner person are after God, desiring to please Him. That is the new creature. That was David's heart.

To Avenge or Not to Avenge

While my daughter was in the hospital in March, I pulled down several journal apps to use on my iPad. I had this big idea that I would use different ones for different sections of my life. At that time (in the hospital watching my daughter's oxygen levels go up and down and pulse race like a thoroughbred's), I had a lot on my mind and the time to write. It was both practical (I took notes of what every hospital staff member did and said) and therapeutic.

Gardening season has begun...actually I'm a couple of months late this year. Gardening is also therapeutic for me. I can dig and think, and think and dig. Or pull weeds and muse, and muse and pull weeds.

"In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul." Psalm 94:19

I must confess that far too often my thoughts turn to, "How I would like to say..." or to contriving ways to inflict vengeance on the one I have decided brought the offense I think I've endured. Yes, I'm nasty. 

"O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth; O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, show thyself."  Psalm 94:1

Perhaps one of the most difficult things I've had to learn in life is to turn the other cheek. I'd much rather be a vigilante. In junior high school I tried this. Once a boy stole my best friend's hat. I stood toe to toe and nose to nose with him and told him to give it back. He, of course said, "No." I and my friend were taken to the principal's office (much to my friend's horror) to receive a tongue-lashing. Of course I took the role of a martyr, jutted out my chin and believed the principal was a fool. Poor man. I laugh now, but the desire to hold up the arm of justice still resides in my spine. I feel it exercise its clout on a regular basis when it sends its iron rod down my back at the slightest hint of offense.

My study of David, however, is grabbing ahold of that rod and wrestling with it. David absorbed many injustices done to him, determining to rely on God to avenge him. Oh Lord, how I need to do the same.

"How long shall they utter and speak hard things? and all the workers of iniquity boast themselves?" Psalm 94:4

 Have you ever noticed how difficult determining the difference between a real offense and the bruising of your pride can be?

Pride lies to us. It tells us what so-and-so thinks...without finding the truth. It tells us we are better than we are. It tells us we have a right to stand up for ourselves, even if it means stepping on another person's feelings (usually the person we think has caused us such great harm).

Pride has us read passages like Psalm 94:3 ("how long shall the wicked triumph?") and use it to justify our taking offense at another person's words or actions. We begin to "villianize" the offender by applying the words of the psalmist figuratively.

"They slay the widow..." Oh, I heard she did such and such to that person. That is just like slaying that poor person. Ah, she is just as wicked as this psalmist's enemy.

We see this happening in politics: one side attempting to demonize the other.

Perhaps you all are much better than I. Perhaps you all do not struggle with your thoughts the way I do. I hope you can forgive me for my fault.

Do you know what God says about our thoughts?

"The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity." Psalm 94:11

How true.

So now I am attempting to identify the vengeance monster before it overtakes my thoughts. I know that it usually incubates in my pride and feeds on my lack of trust in God. Kill the heat of pride and I'll kill the monster. Keeping my trust sealed in God's faithfulness, goodness, and mercy (amongst His other great attributes) will keep any bit of that monster from overpowering me.

Because the psalmist called upon God to avenge and did not take things into his own hands, he was able to say:

"When I said, my foot slippeth; thy mercy, O LORD, held me up. In the multitude of my thoughts within me thy comforts delight my soul." Psalm 94:18-19

When I call on God to avenge or make things right--when I call on Him when I am tempted to take offense-He will answer me. And when He answers me, I will find His comforts delight my soul.

 Oh Lord, help me to say:

"But the LORD is my defence; and my God is the rock of my refuge." Psalm 94:22

And Lord, help me to walk in that trust in every trying moment.

Joab's Fire Now Available on Kindle and Nook

I'm thrilled to announce that Joab's Fire is now available for the Kindle or the Nook.

Can they find a path through tragedy and loss to the grace and bounty of God's love?

"Joab's Fire will ignite a flame of hope and faith within you..." --Debra Shirley, author and speaker.


Joab Black and his wife Sarah overcame the worst of pioneer hardships in order to establish a prosperous farm in Alberta, Canada. But those challenges never prepared them for the tragedy they now faced—a staggering loss and intense pain causing them to doubt everything they had ever believed. In the midst of their sorrow, even their closest friends interpret their sufferings as a result of God’s judgment. Has God abandoned them?
Sergeant Dixon, the local North West Mounted Police officer, investigates the events leading to the Blacks’ plight. While his work gives them a ray of hope, his probing into the activities of a certain stranger possibly connected to the case may cost him his job and even his life.

Click Here to read more reviews of Joab’s Fire.

Your Secret Faith--Are You Ready to Suffer for It?

I often contemplate what to write on my blog or post on Facebook. Only about a tenth of what I think I'd like to post actually makes it...probably should be less than a hundredth.

"For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid that shall not be known and come abroad." Luke 8:17

In this era of technology this verse takes on a new meaning. Jesus says this after explaining the meaning of the parable of the sower to his disciples. In context, this verse is about receiving the word of God and sharing it. Interesting though, the manifesting of that 'secret' and that 'hidden thing' is not directly connected to the disciples...it implies the hand of God.

Today I listened to the media raise the question of Mitt Romney's faith. I don't really want to get into a political discussion, but I will say that I am much troubled by our options for president.

Last night at the supper table we talked about Rick Santorum suspending his campaign. I wanted my children to understand that God is in control. "...the powers that be are ordained of God." Romans 13:1b. God does have a plan.

Throughout history we can see the rise and fall of empires. In those empires existed people of faith. In the western world in particular, we can find born again believers. Not a century has passed that true Christians have not experienced some persecution. So it has been and will be in the 21st century.

I confess that as a parent I tend to worry whether my children are ready to suffer. We do so much to protect them, shelter them from the world and from harm, with the intent of grounding them in a Biblical worldview. We often talk about their faith being what will take them through those times. But really, it isn't their faith that will. It is Christ's faith in them, God's faithfulness, His mercy, and His grace.

In times of testing, we may fail. But God promises to pick us up. "The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand." Psalm 37:23-24.

That is a promise we can cling to.

On one hand, I want to keep 'bad' from touching my kids. On the other hand, I realize that during the 'bad' God reveals himself like no other time. Enduring hardship has far greater rewards than creating a false sense of security in riches and government or any of man's devices to make a perfect world free from suffering.

After our Bible reading last night, I said that I am so grateful for the value God has placed on me - value enough to sacrifice Himself for me. My eldest daughter agreed with great conviction. On one hand, I felt sad that she should know the sorrow of not being valued...that is part of growing up. On the other hand, I am so glad that she knows that God values her. She clings to the same hope I do. The hope God gave us when He died in our place, was buried, and rose again.

I fear the future will include more suffering and more persecution in this country that once claimed to be Christian. I know people say that faith shouldn't have anything to do with who you vote for, but if your faith is real, it should have everything to do with your politics. To say that a politician's religion has nothing to do with his political views is to say that politician's religion is not real to him. A person's religious beliefs are foundational to his decision making process, his motivations, and the precepts and principles by which he acts out his life.

So can church and state be truly separate? No. Not as long as people are running the state. That is why laws were put into place. That is why the constitution was written. But in this age, people want to 'rewrite' (both figuratively and literally) the constitution and the laws. And that is why I am concerned about the future state of this country.

Americans have left God. Yes, there are a few faithful that believe in the One True God, as He presents Himself in Scripture. But those people are few and far between. Most people who claim to be Christians have developed their own god (just as the Mormon religion has - and please understand Mormonism is NOT Christianity) and those people pick and chose what they want to believe from the Bible. In essence, they have left God for a god of their own choosing--they've chosen lies instead of truth.

So what does this mean? It means the opportunity to be counted worthy to suffer for Christ is increasing. Acts 5:41 "And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name."

Some day each one of us will be faced with making a stand either for or against what we profess to believe. In that day our secret doubts or secret faith will be made manifest. We will either be ready to face death (literally or figuratively) for our faith in Christ, or our lack of faith will be revealed.

Paul encouraged the Corinthians to watch, stand fast in the faith, be a man (be brave), and be strong. (I Corinthians 16:13).

Now is a time when we need to watch. The political scene we see unfolding before us will have great bearing on our freedom to express our faith. Now is a time for us to stand fast in the faith. Why are Christian men not standing up and saying, "I will not be bullied any longer into silence by the liberals"? We need real men for politicians--men willing to stand firm on Biblical truths. We need to be strong, willing to suffer shame for Christ's name.

If we do not stand here, in this time, declaring our faith, then the truth of that faith will be revealed to all at the time of judgment. I, for one, long to hear my Master say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."

I'm Back!...Kind of. Why Did I Stop Blogging Anyway?

The number one rule of blogging is being consistent and regular....

I knew when this year began I would not be either. I knew that this year would throw me a lot of curve balls, and so far I have not been wrong.

But first, let me apologize to you all for...dropping the ball. And if you allow me, I wish to be vague in why. Vague because I am a very private person, and that part of me works actively against the need for a writer to be very public.

So, one of those reasons for not blogging recently is family health. After my husband and I returned from our anniversary trip to Texas, life has been one run on sentence of health issues, climaxing with my daughter spending a week in the hospital. Are we back to full health? No. I'm not...but that's another story for another day (part of that "I'm a private person" clause).

Another reason pertains to God's work in my life. I'm so thankful that He continually works to reveal more of Himself to me, molding my perceptions and understandings, challenging my weaknesses, ...loving me. Taking a step away from blogging allowed me time to seek God's direction.

Toward the end of January, I had wrapped up my extensive personal study on Psalm 51. What a deeply moving and challenging psalm. During that study, I had felt as though God sat down beside me and pointed things out, with His arm around me, His voice soft and gentle, always loving me through it. Just to know who I am without Christ--where I was heading before I was saved; who I could have been had God not revealed Himself to me as a child and called me to Him--having these things revealed to me while I studied this psalm made the beauty of His sacrifice on the cross that much more precious and valuable.

Humbling. That is the key word that came from my study. I've known for years how much pride I have. To read and study and get insight into my own sin....and yes, I have led what people would typify a good Christian's life--but I'm not good at all, not without Christ's righteousness.

And this perhaps leads me to a third reason why my blogging stopped. I hate confrontation. I hate competition. I hate criticism on any level (a symptom of how deep my pride is). For me, there is no greater joy than to be surrounded by like-minded people who agree with the things I believe or think and who understand who I am...at least enough to not think evil of me (or what I perceive as evil).

Now, before you jump to conclusion that some reader was nasty to me, that's not true. My readers are wonderful, and I wouldn't change them for the world...even those that stumble upon my blog and freely state any disagreement to what I've written. Truly--believe me, I welcome this exchange.

However, I cannot deny the emotional toll that comes when someone jumps to conclusions about me, misinterprets what I say, or misjudges one of my generalizations, assuming I do not have all the facts and needed to be corrected. Normally I would deal with this and move on...but life sent me so many curve balls all at once that I couldn't handle confrontations and criticisms all at the same time...best I back off blogging and re-examine.

So I stepped back until I felt God gave me leave to return.

In February, I began my study on the life of David. Loving every minute of it. God is showing me so much about myself and what He wants from me.

For example, the last few days I have been looking at David's interpersonal relationships with his family. He didn't always get along with his family, not just his immediate family, but brothers, nephews, and perhaps even in-laws (King Saul, his father-in-law chased him all over the country-side determined to kill him).

What struck me was David's great ability to love. He mourned the death of Saul and Saul's sons. He mourned the death of his nephew, Amasa, who became Absalom's captain of the host. He mourned Absalom, the son who tried to steal the kingdom away from him.

David loved his family, and he loved God's anointed--even when they did him wrong (sound like a country music song?).

This struck me. You see, sometimes I come across cold...at least that is what I figure is the only explanation for how people react to me.

I don't mean to be cold and heartless. I tend to approach hardship like a steam engine - full steam ahead, don't stop to examine how difficult things are, just keep chugging up that hill - and with a giddy kind of smile on my face. The doctor in emergency told me I seemed very relaxed and comfortable while my daughter struggled to breathe. That calm, cool exterior really didn't reveal the rising tension and the adrenalin running through my veins.

I have trained myself over the years to push aside all thoughts of fear or revulsion or anxiety when faced with a not-so-pleasant situation. As a child, I was known to be fearless because I had that ability to push fear aside to leap off the swing at the greatest height or some other stupid stunt. Or to push revulsion aside to accept a dare to clean the drains in the barn with my bare hands - pulling up straw, urine, manure, and all sorts of nasty stuff.

But what happens to me when the not-so-pleasant situation passes is a meltdown. All that energy I used to push aside fears, worries, etc. is gone and I breakdown in tears, usually end up sick, and desperately need space between myself and others until I recover.

So what does this all have to do with David and his love for others? In that meltdown, I become very self-centered. I push people away and if I am not careful, can become bitter toward anyone who hurt me during the adrenalin rush. But more than that, in this last go round, I began to question my ability to love. Love is more than affection. Love is a way of living. And when the last of my energy was sucked out of me, I felt even "loving through action" was difficult.

To study David and see how he did not seek revenge, even when everyone else could think him totally justified, challenges me to consider my reactions to situations and people. Lord, help me to love the way David did--to have a heart like David's and so please You.

David loved like Jesus, like God. Before we are saved, we are God's enemies (Romans 5:10) because of sin. Yet, God loved us. He sought to have reconciliation and took upon Himself our sin. He paid a hefty price. He loved to the point of death.

David cried, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!" (II Samuel 18:33b).

This is very similar to God's cry for Israel in Ezekiel 33, and Christ's cry for Israel in Matthew 23:37. Paul was willing to be cursed for Israel (Romans 9:1-3). Peter stated that God is not willing that any should perish (that any includes everyone) (II Peter 3:9).

Oh to have that love. Was David blind to what Saul wanted to do? No. Was he blind to Absalom's actions? No. Yet, he loved them despite what they did to him.

What does all this have to do with blogging? As I stated earlier, I hate confrontation or criticism. Yet, 90% of a writer's life is wrapped up in receiving criticism.

• Your critique partners chop up your work with the intention of helping you make it better. Sometimes those critiques are hard to accept, yet almost always they are exceedingly helpful.
• Then you go through seemingly endless amounts of rejection letters waiting for someone to see some value in what you write.
• Your editors put red all over your manuscript, leaving you feeling completely unfit to write - and rarely do they ever feel obliged to tell you what you've done right. The fact you have a contract theoretically should be enough for you to know you are good enough.
• Then you have the reviewers. A bad review can be like a cannonball dropped on your head or a sword through the heart. The negative input continues.

So the question becomes, why write if you receive so much negativity? For me, I desire to serve God, to bring Him glory, honor, and praise and to please Him. And I feel compelled to write, to put down on paper all those thoughts and imaginations and words that float around in my head needing to be contained and measured against God's Word. That is the crux for me - the measuring of those thoughts and imaginations against Scripture. Writing helps me to do this.

My quiet time with God requires I have a notebook by my side. I write everything down. I diagram. I draw maps. I chart. I circle, put arrows, put brackets and parentheses, and all other sorts of things to sort out what God is telling me through His Word. And when I catch on to what He is trying to tell me, I'm so excited that I want to share it with others...hence why I blog or write.

Sure, some of my writing is purely to meet deadlines (I write a monthly column for the Ready Writer and Sunday devotionals for Colonial Quills as well as a few other articles), but even those cannot escape the heart of what God is teaching me.

So yes, I did step away for awhile to focus on family and life, and to take time to re-examine God's direction for me. Am I back? Yes, as God allows.

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. For that ye ought to say if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that."

James 4:14-15

Dressage and My Walk with the Lord

Psalm 51:9 "Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities."

I accepted God's gift of salvation as a child of about seven or eight. I don't remember exactly because it was around my birthday. However, I do remember having a great sense of urgency to be sure I was saved. At that young age I hadn't committed murder or adultery or any of those big sins. Yet, I was aware that I was a sinner in need of saving.

Through my life I kept fairly close to God. Yes, there was times when I listened to the tempting songs of the world and danced to its tune, but in human measurements, I was no wretched sinner.

And yet, I am.

But I am a sinner saved by grace.

There have been moments of great chastening in my life. I look at those spots in shame and humility. I knew better. I grew up in a Bible-believing family with Godly parents and attended church on a regular basis. Even at a young age, I began reading and memorizing Scripture. You'd think that I should have lived a perfect life.

But I still live this life in the flesh.

I know to some people I seem rigid, legalistic, without grace. But those people are blind to the work God is doing within me. Those people do not hear my prayers, "Oh God, I love You. Help me to love You more. Help me to serve You with all of my life. Help me to please You, Lord. "

They can't see taped on the wall above my laptop are these verses:

"Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face." Psalm 5:8

"Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies." Psalm 27:11

"Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." Psalm 37:5

"Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God?" Psalm 77:13

"Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known." Psalm 77:19

I love dressage, the fine art of horseback riding. At its highest level the rider and horse meld together to perform the perfect dance. I love the feeling of that dance. I love the feeling that this 1500 pound beast is submitting to the slightest contraction of my pinky finger muscles or my calf muscles or my abdominal muscles. When I ride a horse I've trained to the highest level it can attain, I immerse myself into the movement of the horse, feeling each step, each contraction and stretch of its back muscles, abdominal muscles, jaw muscles, neck muscles, leg muscles...To reach perfection a constant communication and submission must be maintained between myself and the horse.



I strive for the same relationship with God.

When my mount stiffens its jaw, I need to react with correction to restore the smooth and beautiful movement. When my mount takes a step off pattern, I must redirect it back to the course, sometimes with crop or spur. Sometimes I must ask my horse to lengthen its stride or shorten into collection. Each of these require the horse to listen to my leading. If it doesn't respond with the lightest of touch, then I must increase the "volume" of my leg or hand or weight...sometimes using the touch of a spur or whip.



In my walk with my Lord I sometimes stiffen my jaw. Doing so creates an unpleasant feeling between God and me and steals the beauty of the movement He is asking me to perform. Sometimes I become distracted and step off pattern. God often gently puts me back on course, but there have been times when I've refused to go, and He's had to use a "spur" or a "whip" to put me back there.

But when we are moving together, the picture is beautiful, the feel of union incredible....and that is why I work to rein in my desires that are not consistent with God's will. That is why I willingly submit to correction by Him. That is why I am quick to confess and repent of my faults, because I want to give God that perfect ride.

So let others judge me. Let them think I'm legalistic, lacking in understanding of God's grace, overly sorrowful for my sins, held hostage by my strong sense of right or wrong...I'm still in training and I'm doing my very best to feel the quiver in God's pinky finger on the reins or the tightening of His calf muscle or the tension in His abdominal muscle so that I can perform the pattern of life He has asked me to perform.

"But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." Romans 13:14
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Just had to share one more video (because this is so neat).

Are You Calling Someone a Judgmental Pharisee When He Is Using Discernment?

Luke 23:40 "...Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?" This said by one of the thieves that hung on the cross with Jesus to the other thief.

Condemnation/Krima (Greek) - a decision for or against a crime. Often used in reference to damnation:

Matthew 23:14 "Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hyprocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation."

Or judgment.

Matthew 7:2 "For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged..."

Krisis (Greek) is also translated condemnation. It is a decision often made by a tribunal. It implies justice and even divine law.

John 3:19 "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."

Then, in Romans 8:1 "There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit."

"condemnation" in the above verse is the Greek word "katakrima" and it means an adverse sentence or verdict.

Today, we often throw around "Do not judge" and neglect the actual meaning. Yes, we shouldn't judge, meaning to sentence a person, counting their action a crime.

However, we do need to use discernment. I often see discernment marked by some as judgmental. The person using discernment is labeled "legalistic" or "a Pharisee". Usually such labeling is done by someone who is under conviction or in rebellious state of mind. I know, because I've been there.

Hebrews 5:14 "But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

Discern here is the Greek word "diakrisis". Did you notice that the last part of this word is the same as above in reference to the justice executed by a tribunal? The root of this word, however, is "diakrino"--a verb which means to separate, withdraw from. "Diakrisis" means an inclination to critically think.

We need to think critically about what is good and what is evil. If we go around, not judging (aka not discerning) we are unable to separate or withdraw from evil because we aren't evaluating.

I think it is important to note that discernment here relates to actions. Judging is directed toward a person.

When a person uses discernment and then separates himself from those who do evil, his actions can convict others. That is when those from which he separates cry, "Judgmental Pharisee!"

The fact is, as Christians we need to live separate from the world. No, I don't mean we live in colonies and never interact with other people. What I do mean is that we do not partake in the things the world does that God calls evil, and that we are careful to not "yoke" ourselves to those who do things contrary to Scripture.

This is a hard truth. Are you prepared to let go of the world, the things your 'flesh' enjoys, in order to live a victorious life in Christ? We have victory already when we believe in Christ to salvation. We'll not lose our position as God's children. However we can, through Christ, live free from the bondage of the world, of sin, of the flesh. That separation from the world enables us to do just that. We can live after the Spirit, who will never call us to live contrary to the Bible, God's Holy Word.

And the key here, is to live after the Spirit. The fruit (note not plural) is:

"...love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance..." Galatians 5:22

If we are living after the Holy Spirit, i.e. if we are Spirit-controlled, we will exhibit all of the above list because it IS the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

So be careful when you think someone is judging you. The only person you need to concern yourself with is God. Are you, at the moment you feel judged, living after the Spirit and exhibiting the fruit of the Spirit?

Thou Desirest Truth in the Inward Parts

In Psalm 51, David shares his earnest request with God. Blot out my transgressions. David acknowledges and is troubled by his sin. Knowing God's desire for truth and that God can make him know wisdom, David begs for not only the removal of sin, but for God to change his sorrow to joy and gladness. David needed God to restore the fellowship he once knew and the result would be David's praise and desire to teach others about God's ways.

Shame brought David to his knees. His love for God made him plead for mercy and forgiveness. His commitment to God gave him the desire to serve by telling others. And he submits to God's good pleasure.

"For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom." Psalm 51:3-6

Lord, I know that but for the shed blood of Christ, I would be no good. Even as I live daily, I am split between what my human desires are and what I desire in the spirit You made alive when You saved me. Thank you, for Your abundant mercy that is new every morning. Thank you that Christ's blood covers it all. Help me to never forget what You have done for me. My life is Yours. Do with it what You will.