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Stay in One Place

 Don’t move around from home to home. Stay in one place, eating and drinking what they provide. Don’t hesitate to accept hospitality, because those who work deserve their pay .”
Luke 10:7 (NLT)

17204849201_06b9193a06_zThis passage shows Jesus encouraging His disciples to “stay in one place.” This was to guard them from unnecessary distraction and to keep them focused on the task at hand. In view of eternity, our lives here on earth are very short, and we need to make sure we are intentional with the time we have been given. Let’s plan to spend our lives bonding with those around us, pointing them to Christ, and encouraging them in the Truth. Today, pray that God will keep us eternally focused and away from fruitless distractions.

Prayerfully,

Madison

 

photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/yutakaseki/17204849201

IT’S HARD TO GO HOME AGAIN

house-961401_640, it's hard to go homeWith heart pounding in my chest, mouth dry as a bone, and drowning in absolute fear, I stuttered out the words, “Vote… for… Elizabeth… Carter.” Embarrassed, ashamed, and defeated, I scurried off the stage, whispering, and “I’ll never speak in public again!” High school freshmen can be pretty brutal. Walking the halls of the school for the next three days confirmed my vow about speaking publically. “Not gonna happen,” I said.

That is why, back in 2001, when the Lord first called me to write and teach, the answer was a resounding NO! Lord, I can’t do that!” However, our Mighty God has a great sense of humor! In the years since that call He has sent us in a direction we never dreamed possible, to speak to groups of two to two thousand, across six countries.

You would think that by this time I wouldn’t be afraid to speak anywhere. Mostly that’s true, because this heart is fully aware that the Lord gives the message and the passion with which to share it.

Then, THE call came.

Brenda, this is Kay DeBerry. From Roanoke Rapids. We graduated high school together and I’ve seen you on FaceBook and read about your ministry. I’d love to go with you to Nicaragua, and our church would like you to come and… SPEAK… and share your message with us. We’d like you to…SPEAK… and tell us all about your missions work. 

With heart pounding, the fear returned. Just like it was yesterday, condemnation screamed from within. Seeing the side-ways glances of pity, and hearing the ugly thunder of laughter, it was 1964 all over again.

“No!” I wanted to scream. “No, I can’t do that,” I wanted to say. However, God wouldn’t let me. More than the fear of failure, this heart’s desire is to share God’s message of redemption and family restoration with anyone wanting to hear it. “Of course, we’d love to”, the words escaped through determined lips.

I’d love to tell you that fear and apprehension went away after hanging up that phone, but it would be a lie. In the weeks since that phone call, excitement, fear, apprehension, and dread have played volleyball in my head.  Practically sucking my thumb, I’ve complained to the Lord, “Don’t You remember the humiliation? Seriously, of all places, Roanoke Rapids?” In response to those complaints, He has said absolutely nothing.

Until today.

During quiet time this morning, He reminded me to focus on Jesus instead of ghosts from the past. He brought back to memory Hebrews 12:1-2, a message we shared with 150 pastor’s wives, just three short weeks ago.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith…”  

Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that without faith it is impossible to please God. More than anything else, in this life I want to please God. Therefore, these eyes need to focus on Him, and this heart needs to have faith in Him.  As usual, whatever success comes will be by His Spirit, not any human efforts, likely to fall short. That’s ok. He knew that already.  He said so in I Corinthians 1:25-29 (NIV)

25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

26 Brothers and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. 28 God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,29 so that no one may boast before him.

Well, that certainly describes me. So, if the message resonates with old friends, He will be the One that speaks to their hearts.  My responsibility is to move forward in faith, trusting Him to deliver.

What are the ghosts from your past that threaten to rob you of your future? Let God put them behind you and give you freedom. Together let’s cling to the promise He gives us in I Corinthians 15:58,

So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable.

Always work enthusiastically for the Lord,

for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.

And in I Thessalonians 5:23,

The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.

That is His promise. So together, let’s allow Him wipe away our failures with His successes!

 

Until Next Time,

Your Traveling Partner,

Brenda

Our Great Shepherd: Dwelling Place

Psalm 23 is one of the most recognizable passages of Scripture. Its words have been sung, prayed, and illustrated in countless ways, but if we’re not careful we can become so well acquainted with these verses that we forget the power these words hold. To recognize God as our Shepherd means we also have to accept that we are indeed like sheep: dirty, defenseless and helpless. Without a shepherd, the sheep are left to their own devices, which ultimately will lead them to starve, wander off, or be attacked. This week, let’s slow it down, remind ourselves that we are sheep in need of a loving Shepherd.

 

Dwelling Place

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Psalm 23:6

FridayI’ve lived in a lot of places in the past couple of years, and I’ve found a way to call them all “home.” I like to credit it to the fact that I’m a laid-back, easily adaptable kind of person, but in reality my ability to call so many places “home” and mean it was rooted in the people around me. They were the ones to help make all of those places home.

Dwelling in the house of the Lord forever is not something I take lightly. Forever is a pretty huge concept, one that implies that it has been going on since the beginning and it will continue going on, well, forever. Which means that not only will we be dwelling in the house of the Lord after our time on earth is over – we are to be dwelling in the house of the Lord now. 

That’s one of the great things about sheep: they don’t know any home apart from their shepherd. Where the shepherd calls home is where the sheep call home. “Home” for a flock of sheep is defined by being with their shepherd. Remember Monday when we touched on those three things sheep need before they are able to rest? The first one was that sheep have to be able to see their shepherd. They don’t lie down somewhere where they can’t see the face of their shepherd.

Our concept of home shouldn’t be rooted in a number of bedrooms, a finished basement or a spacious yard. Our concept of home should be rooted in our Shepherd.

Sometimes a shepherd may call his flock to move on from a location to seek another, and other times He may have a restless flock remain where they are. He may take his sheep to a field that doesn’t seem as green as one they can see up ahead. His sheep trust him, and they remain with Him.

We must learn to do the same. His goodness and His mercy follows us and are reflected in the dwelling place He offers to us in Himself. Dwell in the land the Shepherd brings you to, trusting that His goodness and His mercy remain there with you as well!

Chelsey