Made for His Glory

Can you imagine telling your family, “Sorry, but I don’t have time to feed you today. I’m too busy! I’ve got this deadline at work and I need to go for a jog and check my email, then fold the laundry before my TV show comes on tonight. I just can’t squeeze in time to get you some food, much less get a meal myself.” Well, you get the idea.

Yet many of us go without feeding on the “daily bread” God has given us: His Word. How sad it is that we who are created by God for the glory of God neglect the very purpose for which we exist. We fervently seek the things of this world, only to find that the joys we receive so quickly flee...and then we rush out to do it again! Have you been there? I have, too.

Consider this: Why should we have to “find time” to pray and read God’s Word, when communion with God is the very thing we are created for? That is the only way we will have an abundant and joyful life, yet we so often seek fulfillment elsewhere, or just get “too busy” with things that don’t have eternal value. Don’t get me wrong; I am not implying that Bible study and prayer as having some kind of magical power: “A chapter a day keeps the devil away!” But when we make it our priority to spend time with the Lord, we will begin to understand that He is to permeate all aspects of our life. (For more on that, read my post titled “Why All the God Stuff?”)

Here is my point: Have you ever felt like you are rushing through prayer time or Bible study so you can “get on” to something else? I know I have! Let’s all keep (or make) first things first -- in the true sense of what it means to keep our relationship with God top priority.

We can all get caught up with things that seem to mean a lot to us, but distract us from the true reason God has created and called us to Himself: “Everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed, whom I have made” (Isaiah 43:7). Prayerfully ponder this verse. Ask the Lord how you can focus on making His glory your priority, and what that means in practical terms. I will, too!

Blessings,

Rachel

Peeking Over Fences

You know the statement: “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.” Are you peeking over someone’s fence? Whose grass are you envious of? Let’s be honest: as women we often struggle with contentment in many (or ANY) areas! 

It’s kind of crazy when you think about it:

• A single woman longs to be married...a married woman wishes she were single again.
• A woman who has no children longs for children...a mom wishes for the days gone by without the responsibility of raising children.
• A working woman longs for retirement (or any way to quit working)...a retired woman wishes for the busy work-days again.
• A woman living “here” wishes she were “there” again...and then she gets “there” and longs to be back “here”! (Did I lose you on that one?)
• A woman with straight hair longs for curly hair...a curly-haired woman wishes hers was straight!

Now, this is not to imply that a woman struggling in any of the above areas does not love her husband or children...or the fact that she has hair. But can you relate with any of those situations -- or come up with your own? I can!

Too often we spend so much time looking over the fences of others and what they seem to have, or even looking back over the fences of our past, and longing for what we do not have instead of thanking God and enjoying what we do have right now. Just imagine all of the blessings we miss out on when we expend our energy and time thinking and dreaming about the [seemingly] well-cut grass in someone else’s yard that we long for.

The good news is that we can learn to be content, like the apostle Paul who said: “Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am” (Philippians 4:11). Many of us cannot even compare our “trials” to those he faced; yet Paul learned to be content in the most difficult of situations. Certainly we can, too.

If contentment is a struggle for you in your life, first of all acknowledge what area(s) it is a problem for you. Confess it to God and ask Him to teach you how to be content. Ask Him to help you have a proper perspective on your life and to give thanks instead of longing for something else. Here’s an idea: make a list! Write down as many things as you can think of for which you can give thanks in the very thing(s) you are not satisfied (content) with. It may take some creativity, but you can do it! After all, Scripture tells us to be: “always giving thanks for all things in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ...” (Ephesians 5:20). This is one antidote for discontentment. In fact, this is such a good idea that I think I’ll do this myself right now!

Blessings for the Journey,

Rachel
P.S. In 20 minutes I listed 40 items. How about you?

Intentional Input

I have been thinking lately about what helps us to grow spiritually, to develop that maturity and appetite for the “meat” of the Word and not only for “milk.” The book of Hebrews explains, “But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil” (5:14). 

Notice the words “practice” and “trained.” This is our part! We put what God teaches us through His Word into practice and in doing so, we train ourselves to distinguish between good and evil. Unfortunately, there is a major problem: we are easily deceived. Evil is so often called good, and good is called evil these days, just as in the days of Isaiah: 

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20).  

Have you experienced this in your life? Do people that you work with call evil good and good evil? What about your family? Friends? Other people you are around regularly? There are so many influences we encounter -- sometimes daily -- that we have little control over.

But what about intentional input; things we choose to put into our lives? 

What you put into your your mind eventually influences your heart (perspectives, attitudes, desires, thoughts, etc.). If we are not careful about our own intentional influences, we may unintentionally consider evil good, and good evil! Consider what influences you are intentionally allowing into your life through what you:

• Watch (TV, movies, Internet)
• Listen to (music, teaching, movies)
• Look at (Online, magazines)
• Read (books, websites, articles)

Are you training your senses to discern good and evil? Are you putting things into your mind and heart that are against God and His holiness? Are you accepting whatever ideas and teaching that sounds good or popular? (I ask myself these same questions!) We even have to beware of so-called “Christian” material and teaching, and be like the Bereans, who searched the Scriptures daily to see whether the things they learned from the apostle Paul (and Silas) were accurate (Acts 17:11). If they were examining the truth of Paul’s teaching, certainly we have a responsibility to do so concerning today’s teachers of God’s Word!

If you have taken a moment to examine your choice of input and realize that something needs to change, how will you do it? 

Filling your mind with the things of God will turn your focus upward and help you develop spiritual maturity. You will long for the meat of God’s Word, and not be satisfied by milk only. Such an appetite for God Himself will never be satiated -- and that hunger is good!

Rachel

Words to Live By

I am currently reevaluating my blog. First of all, in my naivety, I had no idea how many other “bloggers” there are out there! Many far more professional looking, more well-written, more widely read than mine. But what is the purpose of this blog, after all? I do not want it to be about me. Even if there is only a handful of you out there reading this blog (“hi, Mom!”), I want it to be something that will turn readers’ eyes upward, toward Christ -- whether there is 1 of you or 100 of you. I hope it is an avenue by which you can be challenged and encouraged to fix your eyes on Jesus Christ; to have a mind that is firmly focused upon the Lord (Hebrews 12:2; Isaiah 26:3). 

In whatever I write or whatever I share, I will try to keep it succinct yet significant.  You need time to read those other blogs, and still keep priorities straight, right?! My goal is to whet your own appetite for a deeper study of the Bible -- or maybe just to get you into the Word at all. His are the Words of life (John 6:63, 68). If you are frazzled, bogged down, discouraged, overwhelmed, or just plain bored, you need those words of life -- abundant life.

What are you living by? Most days I don’t feel like I’d survive very well on three meals a day; I need a couple of snacks (and some chocolate) thrown in there, too! Okay, of course I would survive...but I admit my “flesh” (sinful tendencies) would rear it’s ugly head more quickly. 

What about spiritually? Is it enough to have one “meal” per week and try to survive? Some of us try to do this. We attend church or Bible study once a week, while during the other six days the Bible collects dust. It is neither in our hands nor our hearts during the day. There is no way we can have abundant life in Christ if He is not our life and His Words our very sustenance (see Colossians 3:4 & Matthew 4:4). 

So again, what are you living by -- spiritually speaking? What needs to change? Take a moment and pray for God to give you a burning desire to feed on His Word, make Jesus Christ your life, and experience the abundant joy He offers.

By the way, if you need a place to start with Bible study, check out my previous posts titled “Digging Deeper Into God’s Word,” Parts 1-4 under the Topic of Bible Study.

Rachel

Ringing in the New Year

It’s a new year...a fresh start...a chance for revival and renewal to take place in our hearts and homes.  For many of us it is a time to make “New Year’s Resolutions.”  But how long do those tend to last? 

While making a resolution is a great concept, keeping that resolution is the hard part!  What changes do you want to make this year -- personally (and inter-personally), physically, spiritually?  Maybe you want to eat better...workout more...be more outgoing...mend a relationship...have victory over a particular sin...

I know how I would like to change!  I can identify the besetting sins in my life; I want true freedom from those sins.  But is it enough just to know where and how we want to change?  Of course not.  We need to have a plan in place.  Develop a realistic plan and break it down into “mini-goals” that you can achieve (with the help of the Lord!).  And, of course, the key: stick to it.  Or modify it if necessary.  Ask a friend to hold you accountable to reaching your goal(s) this year.  Check in regularly with her (weekly, monthly) and be honest about how you are doing, what obstacles you face, and how she can pray for you.  If your goal regards issues of overcoming sin, be sure to seek God’s counsel in the Bible or ask a godly woman to help you do so.

Whatever your desires may be for this year, be sure to consult the Lord and seek His wisdom and help first and foremost!  He will help you discern whether your desires match up with His desires for you.

Blessings for the new year,

Rachel

Is Jesus Away With the Manger?

What will you do with Jesus now that the Christmas season is over?  Maybe you will tuck Jesus away along with all of the Christmas decorations that come down after the 25th.  I urge you not to do that this year!  Really, we should be in awe of Jesus‘ coming to the earth as a baby boy every day.  We should be in awe because He came to offer every one of us forgiveness of sin.  

Forgiveness.  A complete cleansing.  A new life.  And it comes not through our own efforts to be “good enough” (see Ephesians 2:8-9)  We can never be good enough to measure up to God’s standard, which is perfection.  

This makes me think about the movie Mary Poppins.  (Another piece of evidence that I have young children!)  There is a point in the movie where Mary Poppins pulls a tape measure out of her bottomless carpet bag.  This isn’t any old tape measure; when she measures the children, each one “measures up” to an accurate description of personality and behavior.  When Mary is measured, it reads “practically perfect in every way.”  Imagine God’s tape measure: the standard is PERFECTION.  Only Jesus Christ “measures up.”  I won’t even tell you what my “height” would read!   Completely perfect in every way.  This is why we need a Savior!  None of us measures up without Jesus. 

The Creator of the world, the entire universe clothed Himself in human flesh and walked the earth (see Colossians 1:13-17).

The King of kings humbled Himself and left the magnificence of Heaven to become a servant and to give up His life for us (Mark 10:45).

The Ruler of all things came to the earth for one purpose: to be the final, ultimate sacrifice for sin, to offer us forgiveness of sin because without the shedding of blood sin cannot be forgiven (Hebrews 9:22).

This is just a sampling of what Jesus’ birth really means, and what those of us who believe in Jesus and trust Him as our Lord ought to celebrate at Christmas time and give thanks for every day of our lives.

Rachel

Are You Building or Demolishing?

“The wise woman builds up her house, but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.” Proverbs 14:1

One of the ways that we can be either building up our homes, or tearing them down with our very own hands is in the way we relate to our husbands. (Of course, our children apply to this as well, but the husband-wife relationship is on my heart lately.)

Are you (and I!) striving to build up our homes by building up our husbands? Consider your words, your attitude, your actions toward the man God has given to you.

• What kind of words proceed from your mouth more often: those that edify him and build him up, or critical words that tear him down? (see Ephesians 4:29)
• What kind of attitude do you express most often: one of disrespect and disdain, or one of humility, gratitude, and lovingkindness? (see Ephesians 5:20-22; Philippians 2:5-8)
• What actions do you demonstrate to your husband: are you self-focused or do you intentionally look for practical, meaningful ways in which you can show your love to him and put him first? (see Philippians 2:3-4)

I admit to you that my natural tendency is to be the critical, fault-finding wife. But the truth is that each moment I choose to live that way, I tear down my own home, piece-by-piece, with my very own hands. I cannot shift the blame to my husband. 

What about you? Are you making choices that will build up your home, or tear it down?

 If you are married, I urge you to ask the Lord: “Am I making a focused effort to build up my house, or am I somehow tearing it down with my own hands?” You can even go a step further and ask your husband this question (gasp!), or a close friend who sees you interact with your husband on a regular basis. 

As God shows you and I where we are guilty of tearing down our husbands (and therefore our homes), by the grace of God, let’s determine to do it no more. Instead, take those very areas and replace the sin with specific effort to build our husbands up. If you are a believer in the Lord Jesus, then you have the power to please the Lord: the Holy Spirit living in you. Tap into that power! “Walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh...if we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:16, 26).

Blessings as you build up your home,

Rachel

Tell of His Wonders

If someone were to ask you, “What is God teaching you lately?” how would you respond? Would you take offense to such a question, or would you welcome the opportunity to share what God is doing in your life? Would you even have anything to share?

I have had just a handful of friends who faithfully ask me that question. Such friends are true gems! They ask me and genuinely want to hear what I am learning, and they willingly share with me as well. Do you have such a friend? Are you such a friend? Maybe it’s time to start asking that question of others, and being willing to share as well.

The question challenges us, don’t you think? Certainly, it may catch us off-guard at first, but then we have to pause and really ask ourselves, “What is God teaching me? Am I learning anything from Him?” In order for Him to teach us, we have to be teachable; we need a spirit of humility before the Lord, a heart open to Him and sensitive to the Spirit as He reveals sin in our lives (sometimes in painful ways!). We also need an attitude of meekness so we can talk about what He is doing in a way that does not come across as pious or prideful. 

If you are a child of God, you can be sure that He is always in the process of teaching you -- about Himself, about your relationship to Him and others, you name it (see for example Psalm 86:11; 119:33-40; 2 Tim 3:16-17). There is always something to share with others. If only we are willing. Are you?

If you do not think that God is teaching you anything right now, then join the psalmist and ask Him to teach you what He wants you to learn -- about Himself, His character, His will, etc. Then dig into His Word and be prepared, because this is a prayer He is certain to answer!

“I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart; I will tell of all Your wonders. I will be glad and exult in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.” (Psalm 9:1)

Share His Blesssings!

Rachel

True or False?

A woman in my Bible study class recently made a statement that made me think. She said, “If we are deceived, then would we even know it?” Hmmm...good point. I decided to look up the definition of “deceived”: to mislead by a false appearance or statement; delude; (Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary); cause (someone) to believe something that is not true (New Oxford American Dictionary). 

To be deceived is to be convinced that something other than “truth” is true. The very nature of deception is to delude us so quietly that we do not realize we believe a lie. It is sneaky...cunning...crafty. We learn from the Bible that people can deceive us, Satan can deceive us, and our own flesh can deceive us. Sin is deceitful (Hebrews  3:13). Our very hearts are “deceitful above all things and desperately wicked” (Jeremiah 17:9, emphasis added).

The most sobering aspect of this is that any of us can be deceived...and not even know it. You may study God’s Word daily, attend Bible classes faithfully, pray fervently, and still be deceived in a particular area. Or you may be on the opposite side of the spectrum and think everything I am writing is a bunch of hooey!  Yet you, too, may be deceived. 

These are some ways that you and I may be misled:

• In our actions
• In our beliefs
• In our attitudes
• In our choices
• In our activities
• In our marriage
• In our parenting
• What we allow into our homes
• What we allow into our minds

The list could go on. My conclusion is that I need to pray.  I must ask God to open my eyes to the ways that I may be deceived. I need to ask Him what to do about it, and be willing to change.  I must pray that I am sensitive to His Spirit as He convicts me of sin and leads me into the truth through His Word (see John 16:8, 13; 17:17).

Will you pray with me that the Lord will remove the scales from our eyes and help us to know if we are being deceived in any area(s)? May we ask Him for the grace and help to follow His truth instead of the lies, whatever the cost.

Find Blessings in His Truth,

Rachel

Rejoicing, Not Regretting

We have all experienced trials or pain to one degree or another.  Sometimes we bring pain upon ourselves by poor choices.  (Particularly when we do not follow God‘s instruction book -- the Bible -- in our decision making!)  I think of a particular situation that has become my “thorn in the flesh.”  It was an unwise purchase that my husband and I made, and we are still experiencing the consequences of it 6 years later...and probably for some time to come.  I realize that compared to some, this trial seems ridiculous.  But it has been real for me.  It has been painful.  However, this trial has taught me many, many things.  

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.  For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren.”  (Romans 8:28-29)

In all trials, if you love God and belong to Him through faith in Jesus Christ, then He is working all things together for your good.  That is hard to imagine when you are in the midst of a trial, especially if you feel like you have brought it upon yourself.  The “good” that He is always working is to make you more like Jesus Christ; “to become conformed to the image of His Son” (v. 29). 

The reality is that God is in control. 

• He “works all things after the counsel of His will” (from Ephesians 1:11)
• “No purpose of Yours can be thwarted” (from Job 42:2)
• “The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord (Proverbs 16:1)

My purpose is not to address the sovereignty of God, but to encourage you that there are times in life (perhaps, many times?) when we make a decision, and it doesn’t turn out as we planned or envisioned that it would.  It may end up bringing us grief and pain. But God allowed it, and He has reasons for allowing it. He has good things to teach us in the process, maybe some things that we would not have learned any other way than to go through that particular trial at that particular time.

I have focused these thoughts on so-called “poor decisions,” even those we pray about but do not gather all of the facts or take the time and effort necessary to make a wise decision.  But here is another thought: Perhaps you have been faithful to pray, study, seek counsel, and confidently go forward with a decision that you were convinced God wanted you to do, and yet that decision has brought great agony and distress.  Remember that obedience to God does not guarantee an easy life free of pain.  Again, the Lord often uses pain or hardship to draw us closer to Himself and teach us lifelong lessons.  Just because things have not turned out the way you had hoped does not mean it was a “bad” decision.

Do you have regrets over any decisions you have made?  Is the regret over making a sinful decision, or because the situation did not turn out as you had hoped?  If it was a sinful decision, God offers forgiveness if you confess your sin to Him (1 John 1:9).  Once you have been forgiven, walk in it!  Either way, rather than living in regret, look at what God has done in your life, specifically through that painful decision.  Maybe even write it down (there’s that idea again!).  Share it with others.  Rejoice in the Lord instead of being a prisoner of regret.

Blessings,

Rachel

Follow HIM Fully

I have recently finished studying the books of Kings and Chronicles in the Old Testament. I am in awe of all that God taught me through these books! Jehoash (also shortened to Joash) is on my mind today. “Jehoash?” you may be saying, “I don’t even know how to pronounce that name, much less have anything to say about him!” I understand! And don’t worry about the pronunciation -- most of us louse up the Hebrew names anyway (which are beautiful when pronounced correctly). I will do my best to give you enough detail to share the lesson the Lord taught me, and maybe whet your appetite to study him as well if you haven’t already.

Jehoash had a blessed beginning: 

• He was hidden and protected from the evil and destructive Athaliah who wanted to secure the kingdom of Judah for herself (as queen) by killing the royal line, to include Jehoash (2 Kings 11:1-3).
• He grew up in the house of the Lord. His formative years were spent there (7 years).
• He was raised by Jehoiada the priest.
• Became king of Judah when he was 7 (yes, seven!) years old, and reigned 40 years.

At first glance, it’s easy to conclude “Wow! With such a beginning, he must have been a strong man of faith when he was older.” But there was a problem with Jehoash. Scripture tells us: “Jehoash did right in the sight of the Lord all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him” (2 Kings 12:2, emphasis added). In other words, as long as Jehoiada was around, Jehoash did what was right. 

Once Jehoiada was no longer around to demonstrate godliness and be a positive influence, Jehoash was swayed by the negative influences around him:

“But after the death of Jehoiada the officials of Judah came and bowed down to the king, and the king listened to them” (2 Chronicles 24:17).

The result was that the house of the Lord was abandoned and the people followed after idolatry. God eventually sent Jehoiada’s son Zechariah to bring a warning. Look at the surprising response: “[Judah] conspired against him and at the command of the king [Jehoash] they stoned him to death” (v. 21).  How heart-wrenching, all because Jehoash succumbed to ungodly influences! 

It is very possible for a person to do right only because of the influences around him or her, and not because it is truly in their heart to love and please God. 

“The fear of man brings a snare, but he who trusts in the Lord will be exalted.” (Proverbs 29:25)

“For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” (Galatians 1:10)

Are you like Jehoash? Do you need to step up your trust in God and do what is right even in the face of potential rejection, criticism, humility, or whatever you seem to stumble over into fear of man? Ask the Lord to help you seek His favor rather than the favor of men.

What about your children? I know I have been writing a lot about and for mothers recently, but that is the chapter of life I am in! Pray for our children NOT to be like Jehoash, but to be so solid in their faith and love for God that they will do what is right even when faced by ungodly pressures.

Blessings as you seek to follow HIM fully--

Rachel

Legacy of Love

I am deflecting from the subject of being “in love” for today, because a most unexpected event occurred yesterday and I must write about it.

The young husband of a new friend of mine died suddenly in a motorcycle accident. My heart is heavy today for my friend and her two little daughters. This is the kind of thing that stops us in our tracks and makes us consider -- really consider -- what kind of life we want to live. How do we want to be remembered? What legacy do we want to leave?

We never know the last day, the final instant that we will be on this earth. Nor do we know the last moment we will see or talk to a loved one. Only God knows; He has ordained our days for us (Psalm 139:16).

Will we be ashamed to stand before Him? Will we be ashamed of the legacy we have left behind?

This husband left a legacy of love: love for his wife, love for his children, love of music and worshiping the Lord through song, and most of all love for the Lord Jesus Christ. This is how he will be remembered. And now he is with his First Love for all eternity in Heaven, only because during his life here on earth he came to understand that he is a sinner in need of the forgiveness of God; forgiveness that can only come through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus, who died and shed His blood to forgive the sins of the world. Jesus, who rose from the grave revealing to the whole world that He has conquered death. Jesus, who is alive in Heaven with the Father right now.

This is the same Jesus who offers you forgiveness of sin and an everlasting relationship with God. Do you have it?

I may write more on this subject as so many things are on my heart and mind. But for now, I will leave you with these thoughts to ponder.

In the grip of His grace alone,

Rachel

Why All the “God Stuff”?

Some of you may be asking this question about my blog.  Why did I chose a verse for my theme?  Why do I refer to God so often?  What is the deal?!  Life can only be properly understood through God’s perspective.  

This may seem like an elementary illustration, but I really like it: Think of life as a pie.  (Any kind you like -- blueberry, pumpkin, chocolate, lemon meringue...)  We divide that pie up into different aspects of life: family, work, leisure, even so-called religion.  Our tendency is to think that God is “one slice” of life -- that He is just a part of life, like on Sundays when you go to church or a day you go to a Bible study, or even just when you read the Bible.  For some, the slice is missing altogether.

Really, God is not to be a slice of the pie of life; He is the filling.  Life is all about Him.  The God of of the Bible is involved in our family life, our work ethics, our leisure activities, whatever we do.  We were created to fellowship with God, to glorify Him in all that we do: “Whether then you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).  From the most basic elements of life -- eating and drinking -- to the most challenging trials we face, we are to do all to God’s glory.  It is from this perspective that I try to view life.  I do not approach this with a “holier-than-thou” attitude, but with the admission that I fail daily to do all to God’s glory.  This is why I am so grateful for the forgiveness I have in Jesus and the changes that He continues to work out in my life.  That explains all the “God stuff.”  

What about you?  Is God the “filling” of your life?  Do you consider Him as just a slice?  Or have you cut Him out completely?  Give Him His rightful place as the “filling” of life through Jesus Christ, and watch Him fill your life.


Blessings, my friends!
Rachel

Lessons from a Preschooler

On several occasions after receiving correction for her disobedience, my 4-year-old has given me a big hug full of smiles and sweetness, and then says to me, “Mommy, I am going to obey my parents!  I am not going to disobey ANY more!”  She is sincere...at least as sincere as a 4-year-old can be.  I think at the moment she really means it!  But, as you can guess, it doesn’t take long for something to happen and she is off and disobeying us once again.  

This reminds me so much of the Israelites.  How many times did they eagerly say that they would obey God: “All that the Lord has spoken we will do!”  (Exodus 19:8; 24:3, 7).  It wouldn’t take long for them to become dissatisfied, unhappy, and angry with their situation.  They would soon turn away from the true God to serve idols.  They never seemed to learn.  

Then I think of myself.  How many times do I determine that I will obey God, only to turn away from trusting and obeying Him when things don’t go my way?

What great opportunities these are to share with our kids (my 4-year-old) why they need Jesus Christ -- and why we do, too.  No matter how adamant we are, how determined we may be to do what is right, we cannot follow through without Jesus.  Even those of us who trust in Him still battle the powerful enticement of our flesh!  

I observe my daughter’s heartfelt cry, “I will obey!”  I want her obedience, but even more than that I long to see her to throw herself upon the grace of God in Jesus someday.  I pray her cry will be, “I will trust Jesus!”  Obedience is born out of loving trust.  Our kids want to obey because they love and trust us (I’ll save comments on this for another time!).  We can only obey the Lord, however imperfectly, when we love and trust Him first.

Rachel