Refined Like Silver

I have been reflecting on family and friends today. I was blessed to have a great conversation with a very good friend who said "God always has a reason, even though it may hurt". How very true!!! I think about growing up and having growing pains. They hurt. When we go through dark valleys. They hurt. When God refines us. It hurts. But............................. through growing pains came growth, through valleys come mountain tops, and through refining comes perfection. Have you ever thought about when a refiner boils down silver. It goes through the fire and then all the "dross" or impurities come to the top and the refiner removes them. Its just like that with the Father. He refines us and purifies us, removes all the impurities, and then He looks down and sees the image of His Son. Thats what a loving God does. Can you think of anyone you would rather be like than Jesus? I cant. 

Will it always be easy........no. 

Will it cost...........yes. 

Is His will always easy to understand............no. 

Is it still perfect................YES!!  

In Malachi 3:3, the Word says, bring offering "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, and they will bring offering in righteousness to the Lord". Isnt that beautiful.The holy God of all creation, the one who spoke and it existed, the one who breathed into dust and created man, sits and refines us to make us perfect! I always want to remember that even though I may go through fire, I will be refined and then my offering will be in righteousness before my loving, deserving, Righteous Father. I dont want to focus on the fire, I want to focus on who is refining me.

 

Righteous Father even though it hurts and is not always easy to understand, purify me. Help me to remember it is for Your glory. I want my offering to you to be in righteousness. You are Holy, You are Holy, You are Holy! I love you Father. I desire only Your will for my life. More of You Father and less of me.

"New" Smell

Have you ever thought about what "new" smells like? There are some things that come to mind for me. I like the new car smell, the new purse smell. Those are things that just smell nice. Then I think about the new baby smell. This is my favorite. I dont know if you have ever experienced seeing a baby come into the world. I have. Aside from my own, I had the privilege of seeing on of my prayer children, Cameron, come into the world and my second cousin, Maddox, make his debut. I am so very thankful to Toni and Allison for allowing me to be a part of this beautiful process. When you watch a baby being born, you think, wow how can they smell so "new" after birth? But you know what........they do! They smell so sweet....even at only a few minutes old.

I have been reflecting with the new year, what new smells like. When we become a new creation in Christ we change. There are times in my own Christian walk that I know the aroma that I send up to my Father is not pleasing to His nostrils. I want to serve and worship my Father in a way that is a pleasing aroma in His nostrils. In order to do this there are things that MUST happen.

1. Ask Him to search and show any wicked way

2. Confess sin

3. Repent of sin

4. Pure motivation in service and worship

The Word says in Revelation 21:5  And He who sits on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said, "Write, for these words ar faithful and true." 

Yes this passage is talking about our new home in paradise with the Father. The message is still the same, He makes all things new. New life through His blood, new mind, new purpose. And one day new earth and new home. 

So I ask myself, with all the new that God gave me, is my service and worship pleasing in His nostrils? Do I give off a pleasing smell or a foul stinch? May I always stand aware, listen to Him and give off a pleasing aroma. May I smell "NEW"!

Father, Most High God, for all the new you have given me I can never thank you enough. Help me to serve and worship You in a way that brings You honor and is pleasing in Your nostrils. Any offering I give You is so small compared to what You did for me on Golgatha. You are amazing and awesome God and nothing or no one compares to You!

"she pondered them in her heart"

This CHRISTmas season has been a great one! God has given me so many reminders of what really matters this CHRISTmas. It's not what I can get, what I can buy, who is getting the most, Santa coming.........it's about CHRIST! It's the time of year we celebrate the coming of our Saviour and Messiah. 

In reading the CHRISTmas story, I stopped to reflect on one passage in particular in the scripture. "but Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart." Luke 2:19

I wonder what Mary pondered? Did she ponder how she heard Messiah was coming? That she would be his mother? How it could happen? How kind the shepherds were? What a big star? I wonder what she pondered that wonderful, holy night.

When Jesus was 33 He was beaten beyond recognition, mocked, cursed, spit on,....and died. I wonder what Mary pondered? Did she ponder back to that wonderful, holy night? Did she know this was God's perfect plan? Did she believe he would live again?

3 days later....Jesus Arose! I wonder what Mary pondered? Did she ponder back to that wonderful, holy night? Did she wonder if she was imagining things? Did she know He had redeemed her? Did she know this was God's perfect plan?

Jesus ascended to the Father. I wonder what Mary pondered? Did she ponder back to that wonderul, holy night? Did she wonder if she would see Him again? Did she know this was God's perfect plan?

I wonder what Mary pondered? 

Are we pondering on CHRIST this CHRISTmas?

I encourage you to take a few moments and reflect on the amazing love of God. The I AM, the Ancient of Days left beauty we can't imagine to come here to die! Why? For us! 

Imagine the King of Kings came here and laid His holy, beautiful head in a feeding trough for animals! Why? For us because He loves us more than we can understand! 

Reflect on CHRIST this CHRISTmas! 

Marveling at God

What do we find ourselves marveling at? I marveled at the ability of Michael Phelps in the Olympics, I marvel at how smart my children are, I marvel at the process of child birth, I marvel at the AWESOME voice of Neil Diamond (yes, shocking as it seems, I am a fan of the jazz singer). These people have all in some way caused me to sit back and say WOW! I can openly, as well as many others, express my "marvel" at these people. How many times do we sit and marvel at the Father? How many times do we openly display that "marvel"? 

In the past three days, I have had the privilege of marveling at my Father. Two times through His amazing creation. Friday evening, I went outside and the moon was so close to the earth you could almost touch it. It gave off the brightest light! It was an awesome sight. Then Saturday evening, the moon had a ring around it! It was amazing just to look at the moon as see a perfect ring around it! Who else but the Powerful Creator could do something like that!?!

I was led to the creation story. What a wonderful account of how God put everything in motion, set up perfect for human's to inhabit, created life, and the most important.....knowing man would fall and the perfect sacrifice would have to be made......and He did it anyway! 

The son was there during creation. He knew too that He would be the sacrifice.....and He did it anyway! 

How unworthy I am of this sacrifice!

During this season that we celebrate the event of the Messiah coming, I have to pause and marvel at what a loving, unselfish, sacrificial, perfect Father I love and serve! I also marvel at the grace and mercy freely shown to me!   

In Revelation 15:3 the Word says "Great and Marvelous are Your works, O Lord God, the Almighty; Righteous and true are Your ways, King of the Nations!" 

Wonderful Father, thank you for the ability to see and marvel at Your creation. Thank you for looking through time and knowing I need You. Thank You for coming. Thank You for being willing to die. Thank You for living. Thank You for loving. Thank You for Salvation. Thank You for rescueing me! Thank You that You are coming again!!

What Matters

It has been quiet a while since I did any blogging. My excuse.............just lazy!!

Over the last few days I have spent some time, to much time, feeling down over life issues. Then my Father in his loving way guides me back to what really matters. I have been reflecting on "what matters". 3 different ways God has spoken on this in just the last 3 days showing me "what matters".

Way 1- The question was asked to me "do you really think God wants His children to struggle"
Answer- Count it pure joy when you face trials of many kind, they are a perfecting of your faith!

Way 2- In talking with my son, I was reminded of just how personal and important a relationship with God is.
Answer- Keep asking, keep knocking, keep seeking!

Way 3- In reading a fellow bloggers post, I was reminded of being Mary in a Martha world.
Answer- Sit at the most beautiful, worthy feet EVER. Sit and rest, learn, and be loved!

I feel so unworthy to be called His. I struggle and continue to fail and He continues to love me. I am so very unworthy of that love and so very thankful for that love. My Father bent down low, whispered sweet, raised me up, restored me, forgave me, and loves me! How awesome is He!
In reflecting on "what matters" I was led to the scripture in Matthew 6:33. "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be provided for you". This tells me clearly SEEK my Father. Seek His guidance in every circumstance. Stop looking at the waves and just look to Him to keep walking on the water!!! My prayer is that I will do this. That I will seek Him. That I will not look at the waves.

During this season, I tend to focus on what gifts to buy. What gifts I haven't bought. More commercial that Christ! I am thankful today for God's wonderful reminders to me of "what matters". His will matters, His direction matters, His love matters, His deliverance matters, His forgiveness matters, His teaching matters, His speaking matters, telling others about Him matters.......................HE MATTERS!!!!


God forgive me for focusing on the things that matter least and not focusing on what matters most! Thank you for meeting me where I am and teaching me. Thank you for reminders!! Thank you for being Jehovah Jireh! Thank you.......................

Obligation or Love?

Have you ever received a gift out of obligation? Not the same as receiving it out of love is it? Wouldn't you say that doing something, receiving something, or giving something out of love is better than out of obligation? I recently had to look at forgiveness in these terms. Sometimes as Christians, we go and do what we are supposed to, kicking and screaming! We smile because we have to, we make a joyful noise because we have to, we say forgive me because we have to, we say I forgive you because we have to.

When we forgive someone out of obligation, have we truly forgiven? I believe that forgiveness out of obligation is not true forgiveness. In Philemon we can see a picture of forgiveness. We dont know all the details of what this man had done to Philemon. We do know that Paul sends him back to Philemon and asks Philemon to forgive him; not out of obligation but out of love. In verse 9, it says "I appeal to you on the basis of love" and in verse 14(b) it says "so that your good deed might not be out of obligation, but of your own free will". If we forgive because we are obligated we havent given true forgiveness. If we are forgiven out of obligation, we havent been given true forgiveness.

In the final verses of Philemon, Paul writes and tells them to prepare him a guest room. This indicates he is coming for a visit. Jesus IS COMING! What will He find us doing? Loving because we have been loved or going through the motions because were obligated?

God forgave us because of LOVE. Shouldn't we forgive each other out of LOVE, just like what we were shown?

Wonderful Father thank You for loving me. Help me to love others the way you love them and see them the way You do. Give me courage to ask for forgiveness, give me grace to offer forgiveness, and comfort when rejected. There is no one who gives like You. I love you because You loved me first. There is nothing good in me. Everything good comes from You Father. I am because You are.

First Fruits

What do you think of when you hear the word "first fruits"? I always think of harvest time. People will gather the fruit and first is always the best. I love to eat just ripe peaches. I eat them fuzz and all! Same thing with cantalope and watermelon (but I dont eat the rind!). I ask myself why do I enjoy the fruit so much? Its how sweet it taste! If it wasn't sweet to taste, I would not want it. Offering and sacrifice is the same way with God. All through the Old Testament, people had to bring a sacrifice to atone for their sin. God ask for the first fruit; the best. In the story of Cain and Abel, God accepted Abel's offering but rejected Cain's. Why did He reject? It wasnt the first fruit; the best.

When God sent the sacrifice that would atone for ALL sin, He sent His first fruit; the best. He sent Jesus. Isn't it amazing that God would send us the best and so many times we give Him second best. Can you think of anyone who deserves our best more than Him? Can you think of anyone who is more worthy of our praise? I can't.

In James 1:18 it says "By His own choice, He gave us a new birth by the message of truth so that we would be the first fruits of His creatures". Wow! God gives us new birth and makes us the first fruits of His creatures. He makes us His best!! He really is sweet and beyond understanding. God gives the sweetest gifts; love, comfort, defense, wisdom, forgiveness, grace, mercy, every need met. I am so unworthy of His best but He gives it anyway. Shouldn't I give my best?

Almighty Great Father You are so good. You are pure and holy and deserve the best. Keep my ways righteous and holy before You Father. May my sacrifice and praise be a pleasing aroma to Your nostrils and pleasant to Your ears. Search my heart and show me any sin that needs to be confessed. Keep me close to You and protected. I love you so much. Thank You for giving me Your best.