20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.
I recently read a blog from my friend, Nancy Arant Williams that I printed out because I despise reading on the computor unless necessary. I quote the very first sentence: "You and I are God's mouthpiece in the world today."
I stand guilty of not being God's mouthpiece in this world. My greatest problem is emotion. Today I listened to Granddaddy Stanley who through the Holy Spirit, examined my heart concerning how I look at my circumstances. Little Miss Victimized was exposed! Yet in his kind, loving speech, he took me to a new found affection for the Apostle Paul and his writings. The Apostle Paul's writings use to be a jaw-tightening experience for me which toned down to an abandoning as I recognized the truth behind his words as God speaking through him. Now this new found affection only impresses me to desire his courage to look past his circumstances in all things and focus on the purpose God called him.
Now is the time of decision which I need to make concerning the words I use in the circumstances. Do I look at the circumstances returning to Little Miss Victimized looking within, or do I move forward focused on God with His opportunity in sight. Admitably, Little Miss Victimized is far easier especially when I am exposed to this characteristic everyday.
Now I will place an example before me. Usually, I would place my mentor, Gay in this position, but this time, I will use Michael J. Fox. He has written books I should read. He has Parkinson's Disease which is an a chronic and progressive degenerative disease of the brain that impairs motor control, speech, and other functions. (Wikipedia) If this man, who has more to loose than I, can see past his circumstances and deteriation, what is wrong with me? ME, Little Miss Victimized!
El-Elyon, LORD Most High,
I stand before you guilty of evil intent in my speech which comes from my heart Little Miss Victimized waiting to become angry at You or anyone else of MY bad attitude toward circumstances surrounding me and those with the same character. I use this confession to not only ask for forgiveness, but to also ask Your help in changing this attitude by looking to You. This is a lesson needed continually for it is a tough nut to crack to get to the fruit. Crack my hard shell developed over years of not thinking, but sharing my feelings. Take away the shell so others may enjoy the fruit of this nut. Take out the dryness of this voice replacing it with the sweet taste nestled in the meat of a hazel nut. Replace the woman of harshness with a woman of Your intention, in the precious name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Heart Words
20 They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name.
Have we ever considered how we talk to God when we pray or even refer to His name in certain moments? I have to think about these things because often God has to convict me of my thoughts and words, especially when I speak these words to others!
Like last night when God had to convict my heart about an evil thought about a co-worker; an thought of an event that would send that disagreeable co-worker packing. I expressed this evil thought to a co-worker with whom I enjoyed working. I get in the car and WHAM! God convicts me of my words; not like a lightning volt, but like a pang in my heart. "Did you just hear what you just said about this person, Nancy? How is this going to help in your prayers for your workplace? Is it your decision with whom you work? How do you think the co-worker you just spoke to sees you now? Was I glorified? Did you show MY love?"
OOPS!
It is so easy to speak against someone we do not like and want to see them gone, but what is not so easy is praying for the person seeking God's love for them. He does love them, you know.
I am including in this writing a prayer I sent to someone I have never met and want to meet one day for they have suffered much. I am including this because this should be the prayer I need to pray for this co-worker with whom I disapprove:
Jehovah-Jireh, LORD our Provider,
Show Your power and love for Your children when we wait on You. As you provided for Your children, Israel food, protection, and shelter, so You do so today. We praise the name of Jesus!! We thank You. We praise You. We cannot but believe. But when we falter, forgive us when do not act or talk like Your presence is not near. Help us in our unbelief in the scary times. And in the times of comfort, let us not alone when we get too comfortable who has provided what we have. Thank you for Elizabeth and Katy who are willing to be transparent about what they are going through so others can be blessed as they pray for them. To God be the glory great things He has done! Amen and Amen!
Jehovah-Mekaddishkem, LORD our Sanctifier,
So have you loved me so much that You sent Your only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins, so you have done the same for those with whom I work, agreeable and disagreeable. Thank you for lovingly reminding me of the way my heart should speak to You and others about Your saving grace, Your provision for their lives, but most of all, what You had to suffer for our sins. Forgive me for my evil thoughts and words revealing my evil heart. I truly do desire to transform this heart to a heart like Yours, but I need to commit this heart always to You, everyday and every moment. Thank You for this lesson. Thank You for Your forgiveness for even this, in Jesus' precious name and for His sake, I commit to glorify Him with my thoughts and words, Amen.
Have we ever considered how we talk to God when we pray or even refer to His name in certain moments? I have to think about these things because often God has to convict me of my thoughts and words, especially when I speak these words to others!
Like last night when God had to convict my heart about an evil thought about a co-worker; an thought of an event that would send that disagreeable co-worker packing. I expressed this evil thought to a co-worker with whom I enjoyed working. I get in the car and WHAM! God convicts me of my words; not like a lightning volt, but like a pang in my heart. "Did you just hear what you just said about this person, Nancy? How is this going to help in your prayers for your workplace? Is it your decision with whom you work? How do you think the co-worker you just spoke to sees you now? Was I glorified? Did you show MY love?"
OOPS!
It is so easy to speak against someone we do not like and want to see them gone, but what is not so easy is praying for the person seeking God's love for them. He does love them, you know.
I am including in this writing a prayer I sent to someone I have never met and want to meet one day for they have suffered much. I am including this because this should be the prayer I need to pray for this co-worker with whom I disapprove:
Jehovah-Jireh, LORD our Provider,
Show Your power and love for Your children when we wait on You. As you provided for Your children, Israel food, protection, and shelter, so You do so today. We praise the name of Jesus!! We thank You. We praise You. We cannot but believe. But when we falter, forgive us when do not act or talk like Your presence is not near. Help us in our unbelief in the scary times. And in the times of comfort, let us not alone when we get too comfortable who has provided what we have. Thank you for Elizabeth and Katy who are willing to be transparent about what they are going through so others can be blessed as they pray for them. To God be the glory great things He has done! Amen and Amen!
Jehovah-Mekaddishkem, LORD our Sanctifier,
So have you loved me so much that You sent Your only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to die for my sins, so you have done the same for those with whom I work, agreeable and disagreeable. Thank you for lovingly reminding me of the way my heart should speak to You and others about Your saving grace, Your provision for their lives, but most of all, what You had to suffer for our sins. Forgive me for my evil thoughts and words revealing my evil heart. I truly do desire to transform this heart to a heart like Yours, but I need to commit this heart always to You, everyday and every moment. Thank You for this lesson. Thank You for Your forgiveness for even this, in Jesus' precious name and for His sake, I commit to glorify Him with my thoughts and words, Amen.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Rocket Tongue
19 If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men!
Sometimes I think about these very words when I watch the news, go to work to hear gossip mixed with observing the idleness in other's work, then to sometimes be left with cleaning up the mess left by co-workers. (I'm not just refering to another shift.) Sometimes this offensive stress is tripled by the fact I am coming in on my fifth day and already very tired only to realize I will be working with fewer co-workers or less experienced co-workers. Then I come home with nothing left to give only to be confronted with the mess of idleness again. This is when I have to eat the inside of my jaw to prevent Rocket Tongue from presenting herself.
Oh, you have never heard of Rocket Tongue. Why she is my fleshly sin! She is quick to judge, short of temper, impatient, gossipy disgruntaled, edgy in action. She has eyes that cut through your soul chilling you to the bone. She is Judge Judy with a very bad disposition and bad hair day waiting for someone to do or say something dumb so she can lash them with her Rocket Tongue thus giving them no defense from the flying debri in the explosion. She will stand there panting watching you bleed. She is a bad as the very people with whom she becomes angry all because she takes this stress personally.
I try desperately hard to avoid this woman at all cost, but she still welds up inside me and tries to justify why I should become her once more. "These things will never change to your satisfaction," she says coaxing my eyes and ears. Unfortunately, she is right, but not to the point I should turn to her ways of handling the situation. She is of no comfort to me, but a hindrance to my relationship with God and others.
How I long to become a woman of gentle spirit like my friend and mentor, Gay. She is such a wonderful example of meekness and the fruit of the Spirit. When she speaks, even in rebuke, she yields fruit with a smile. She is the Proverbs 31 woman I cannot but dream of becoming. She would rebuke me for making that last statement for she would inform me God is not done with me yet and I should not limit myself in such a belief. Alas, she is able to speak to me in my heart without even knowing I have typed these words. And she is absolutely right!
Jehovah God,
I am thankful You are not through with me yet. I am so very thankful for Your Word taught through those You place before me as mentors of my faith in You. From my family, to friends, to church members, members of this community, and even those people at work, You use imperfect people to grow me to the person I want to be instead of living out the person I despise, O' Rocket Tongue herself, the very person I would prefer You to slay out of me so I can be more like Christ who draws all people to You. Don't just shut her up in me, but destroy her will to live in me. Cast her out in the name of Jesus! I hate her with a holy hate. I want to become that Proverbs 31 woman. I need Your help everyday to achieve this goal of a lifetime. Place Your Words always before me as though I am speaking to You instead of what and who triggers my stress, in Jesus' name and for His sake I make this committment. Amen.
Sometimes I think about these very words when I watch the news, go to work to hear gossip mixed with observing the idleness in other's work, then to sometimes be left with cleaning up the mess left by co-workers. (I'm not just refering to another shift.) Sometimes this offensive stress is tripled by the fact I am coming in on my fifth day and already very tired only to realize I will be working with fewer co-workers or less experienced co-workers. Then I come home with nothing left to give only to be confronted with the mess of idleness again. This is when I have to eat the inside of my jaw to prevent Rocket Tongue from presenting herself.
Oh, you have never heard of Rocket Tongue. Why she is my fleshly sin! She is quick to judge, short of temper, impatient, gossipy disgruntaled, edgy in action. She has eyes that cut through your soul chilling you to the bone. She is Judge Judy with a very bad disposition and bad hair day waiting for someone to do or say something dumb so she can lash them with her Rocket Tongue thus giving them no defense from the flying debri in the explosion. She will stand there panting watching you bleed. She is a bad as the very people with whom she becomes angry all because she takes this stress personally.
I try desperately hard to avoid this woman at all cost, but she still welds up inside me and tries to justify why I should become her once more. "These things will never change to your satisfaction," she says coaxing my eyes and ears. Unfortunately, she is right, but not to the point I should turn to her ways of handling the situation. She is of no comfort to me, but a hindrance to my relationship with God and others.
How I long to become a woman of gentle spirit like my friend and mentor, Gay. She is such a wonderful example of meekness and the fruit of the Spirit. When she speaks, even in rebuke, she yields fruit with a smile. She is the Proverbs 31 woman I cannot but dream of becoming. She would rebuke me for making that last statement for she would inform me God is not done with me yet and I should not limit myself in such a belief. Alas, she is able to speak to me in my heart without even knowing I have typed these words. And she is absolutely right!
Jehovah God,
I am thankful You are not through with me yet. I am so very thankful for Your Word taught through those You place before me as mentors of my faith in You. From my family, to friends, to church members, members of this community, and even those people at work, You use imperfect people to grow me to the person I want to be instead of living out the person I despise, O' Rocket Tongue herself, the very person I would prefer You to slay out of me so I can be more like Christ who draws all people to You. Don't just shut her up in me, but destroy her will to live in me. Cast her out in the name of Jesus! I hate her with a holy hate. I want to become that Proverbs 31 woman. I need Your help everyday to achieve this goal of a lifetime. Place Your Words always before me as though I am speaking to You instead of what and who triggers my stress, in Jesus' name and for His sake I make this committment. Amen.
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