Where are you safest? {Run to Him – Psalm 27}

February 3, 2012 by Lisa Burgess 23 Comments

It’s been almost one year since tornadoes ripped through neighborhoods hauntingly close to mine. The weathermen had warned April 27 would be bad, but until my own trees and fence blew down, I didn’t believe them.

By the end of the day, it was a war zone. Wind versus everything else. On the outside, it appeared wind had won.

But on the inside—for those hidden in shelters—there was safety.

Who is the enemy?

David knew wars. Enemies surrounded him. Yet he had the audacity to ask, “Whom shall I fear? Of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).

Um, I could make a list, David. A long list.

And not just for him, but for me, too. I’m leery of new situations, confrontational people, even hints of danger. And that’s not even counting “evildoers assailing me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes” (Psalm 27:2).

So what do we do in times of danger, or perceived danger? In Alabama, many are buying tornado shelters. Our instinct is to protect ourselves from vulnerability.

But what did David ask?

David did one main thing. He asked the Lord, “Can I stay in Your presence?” (Psalm 27:4). There was safety. There was shelter.

In God’s presence, he could sing with joy, he could cry for guidance, he could learn His ways.

Can we be that dependent? Can we be vulnerable enough to stop striving after stronger fortresses, and instead trust the One already built for us?

Can we let go of trying to be more—if I pray more, study more, mop my kitchen floors more—and instead let God be more?

He didn’t tell us to build a spiritual storm shelter. He said He would hide us in His.
He didn’t say to bring our own tents. His can cover us just fine.
He didn’t even point toward a big rock and say climb up. He lifts us up and places us on top.

So what do we do?

Let’s start by repenting. Instead of wasting resources building our own walls of protection, let’s ask His forgiveness for our attempts at self-sufficiency. And become dependent instead.

Then let’s stand firmer in our faith. Can we let down our guard in a relationship that needs more authenticity? Perhaps we can try a new ministry, trusting He will lead us. Or maybe “waste” more time with Him, simply delighting in His presence.

If we want more peace, more rest, more confidence—and God to receive more glory—let’s live and love out of the home base of His shelter.

We don’t have to design it.
We don’t have to manufacture it.
We don’t even have to pay for it.

We just worship in it with joy. God is our shelter. Nowhere else can be safer.

For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
he will lift me high upon a rock.
Psalm 27:5

Is it easy or hard for you to abandon self-sufficiency? In what areas do you most realize your dependency on the Lord?

Please share something that helped you this week from Psalm 27.

How to Live the Successful Christian Life

January 30, 2012 by Katie Orr 14 Comments

I want to be prosperous and successful. Don’t you?

Specifically, I long to see success in my spiritual life. I want to experience spiritual growth and abundant fruit. I want to look different next month than I do today—I desire for more of Christ to be seen in me.

My assumption is that you do too!

How to Live the “Successful” Christian Life

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. -Joshua 1:8

Prosperity and “good success” is the promise in this passage. It is a conditional promise, and the condition is that we do according to all that is written in the Book of the Law, God’s Word. So if we are intentionally obedient to God’s Word, then we are promised a prosperous way.

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If you have been a Christian for more than a week, you know that obedience is a struggle. We cannot go out and just “be good”—it doesn’t work. There is a way and a purpose for which God has designed our growth to occur, and we learn His way in His Word. That is why the promise hinges on the first part of this verse, where we see the command. Do you see it?

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. -Joshua 1:8

The direct command is not to be obedient, though that is certainly an expected by-product. The command is in the first part of the verse. At first glance it looks like two commands:

This Book shall not depart from your mouth
You shall meditate on it day and night

I believe this is actually one command, restated. Let me explain how I got there.

How to Meditate

The Hebrew word for meditate is “hagah” which is also translated in a variety of ways, including speak, imagine, study, mutter, utter, roar, talk. To meditate is not something to be done quietly in your head. What we meditate on should be on our mouths. Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks! (Matthew 12:34) Like the movie you can’t stop talking about because it was that good; or the giddy teenage girl in the midst of a huge crush where everything reminds her of him (and she is going to let everyone know about it!)

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall SPEAK it (MUTTER it, STUDY it, UTTER it, TALK it) day and night…

So, it is the same command: Meditate on the Word. As we meditate on it, it will not be able to leave our mouths, because when the Word of God penetrates our hearts it will affect the rest of us. It is only then we will have the ability to be obedient, because we will know His way, His plan—and we will want to do it. It is then we will make our way prosperous, and then we will have success.

I’ve seen this hold true in my own life, haven’t you? The more I understand God’s ways, through the studying of His Word, the better equipped I am to live out this life as He intends for me to, and the more my heart longs to be right in the middle of His plan for me. And as I am obedient to follow His Word, I see fruit. I see life change. I see Christ in me!

This is the success we are promised.

An Invitation to Abide

Joshua 1:8 is just one of the many passages in the Bible which communicate this truth; that the Christian life is best lived as we center our lives on the Living Word of God. Transformation happens as we remain; as we abide in Christ; as we do not depart from the one who loves us most.

Do Not Depart exists to encourage and equip you to abide the Word. Our desire is to give you the inspiration and tools you need to spend time in the Bible in such a way that you (like that giddy teenage girl) can’t help but see Him everywhere you go—so much so that you just can’t stop talking about Him.

Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. -Psalm 119:97

What are you meditating on? What can’t you stop talking about?

What encourages you to meditate on the Word of God?

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Which Bible Translation Is Right for You?

January 23, 2012 by Sandra Peoples 15 Comments

Last year I worked at a popular Christian bookstore chain. We were asked more questions about Bible translations than anything else.

“What are the differences in all these translations?”

“Why are there so many different Bibles?”

“How do I know which one to get?”

Here’s the basic information about different Bible translations and how to choose the best one for you!

The types of Bible translations are referred to as “word-for-word” and “thought-for-thought.” Word-for-word translations try to remain as close as possible to the early manuscripts. Thought-for-thought translations seek to communicate the original thoughts of the biblical writers.

Here are the most popular versions on a scale, beginning with word-for-word, and moving to thought-for-thought:

Word-for-word

New American Standard Bible
English Standard Version
King James Version
New King James Version
Holman Christian Standard Bible
New International Version
God’s Word Translation
New Living Translation

Thought-for-thought

(The Message is a paraphrase version of the Bible, not a translation.)

When choosing which translation of Bible is right for you, consider these questions,

Will I be using this Bible for devotional reading? If so, you may want an easier to read, thought-for-thought translation.
Will I be using this Bible for inductive study? If so, you may want a word-for-word translation.
Will I be taking this Bible to church? If so, what version does your pastor use? You may want to get the same one so it’s easier to follow along.
Will I be using this Bible to teach others? If so, you may want to pick a popular translation so more people in your audience will have the same version.
Will I be using this Bible with my children or to teach children? If so, consider getting a translation that is easier for children to understand. (Two translations specifically for children are the New International Reader’s Version and the International Children’s Bible.)

Knowing what you will use your Bible for and understanding the types of Bible translations will help you choose the right Bible translation for you.

What’s your favorite Bible translation? Why do you like it?

The Danger of Compromise {Run To Him – Psalm 1}

January 20, 2012 by Lara 42 Comments

Compromise slowly progresses to full on rebellion. We see it in Psalm 1.

First we walk in the counsel of the world, turning one ear to society and pondering its perception of love, marriage, sex, or money. Like when I decide to watch some TV show that completely slanders my God. And I wince at the blasphemy. Until I linger. Until I watch it again.

Then our feet stop. We stand for a while, both ears listening to the world’s definition of truth. And what used to be preposterous now holds our attention. It boosts our self-ego and pets our pride, encouraging us to take a seat.

flickr photo credit: wonderlane

And if we continue to run from His arms of mercy, then we sit. We point and belittle what we once held dear. We turn our face from the One who designed us. And in the end we look like the scoffers hurling insults at that One being nailed to a wooden beam. And it can began with a single compromise.

I desire to be like that tree that bears fruit even in the midst of drought. I want my kids and husband to see His reflection in me. But unless my mind stays fixed on His Word and His ways I will become like the chaff that the wind drives away. (Psalm 1:4) Unless I delight in His Word, I will rebel. We will rebel.

So how do you remain diligent to delight in God’s Word?
What “rewards” have you seen in your own life as you choose to meditate on true things?
For those who participate in the “Run To Him” study, what did you glean from the text this week?

What’s in your mirror?

January 16, 2012 by Julie 5 Comments

"Morning face" while camping ... NO mirrors allowed!

The Saturday morning sight caught me a little by surprise. Looking in the mirror I couldn’t help but utter an “Ew!” when I saw myself. Knowing my husband was gone to a meeting, I decided to ignore “the face,” throw on a robe, and answer the coffee pot’s call. I left my baggy eyes, dark circles, and dry skin at the mirror and settled into my comfy kitchen chair.

What do you do with what you see in the mirror? You could be the kind of gal who gets to work with her toolbox to cover up and enhance. You might be the kind who exfoliates down deep. You may even be the kind to up your water intake, back up your bedtime, and offload cares through prayer. We all respond to what the mirror shows us.

God’s Word is like a high magnification mirror. We all respond to what the mirror shows us.

James 1:23-25

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

God’s truth exposes us for what we are. To hear what God wants and then walk away without action would be foolish. Instead, as we learn the Word and implant it in our memory, we’re called to act on it. Doing something about what we see in the mirror of God’s truth leads to blessing. That blessing overflows to those around us.

I was just getting a refill to freshen up my coffee breath when the garage door opened and my husband walked in. With a look of concern, he came to me and tenderly asked if I was okay. “I’m fine. Why?” I responded.

“You look like you’re really upset, like you’ve been crying,” he said in a slightly nervous tone.

Nope. Just morning face that I ignored, forgot about about, and got comfortable with. Shoulda been a “doer” and done something about it! The next morning when I looked in the mirror, that same gal met me, but I dealt with her. I think we were all better for it; you could even say we were blessed!

How will you respond to what you see in God’s word today?

Will you walk away and forget about it, or will you deal with it?

Barely Scraping By {Run to Him}

January 13, 2012 by Katie Orr 38 Comments

Buried deep as you can dig inside yourself
And covered with a perfect shell
Such a charming, beautiful exterior
Laced with brilliant smiles and shining eyes
Perfect posture, but you’re barely scraping by
But you’re barely scraping by

Buried deep as you can dig inside yourself
And hidden in the public eye
Such a stellar monument to loneliness
Laced with brilliant smiles and shining eyes
Perfect make-up, but you’re barely scraping by
But you’re barely scraping by…

The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most —Dashboard Confessional

These lyrics have resonated with me for years. I often try to put on this perfect shell—the appearance that all is great.

Don’t we all long to look a certain way, even if our emotions don’t match the way we perceive?

Even if we’re barely scraping by?

I am weary with my moaning;
every night I flood my bed with tears;
I drench my couch with my weeping.
(Psalm 6:6 ESV)

For my soul is full of troubles… (Psalm 88:3 ESV)

My heart is struck down like grass and has withered… (Psalm 102:4 ESV)

Weary from weeping.

Forsaken.

Full of troubles.

Struck down.

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The Psalms are full of raw, honest—sometimes scary—emotion.

What is it about us that we like to hide our true feelings? Wear the spiritual makeup; put on a pretty front.

What are we afraid of?

What am I afraid of?

Through the example of the psalmists, we are given quite a different model to follow, when it comes to how we handle our emotions, especially in how we approach God.

Well this is one time, well this is one time
That you can’t fake it hard enough to please everyone
Or anyone at all…or anyone at all
And the grave that you refuse to leave
The refuge that you’ve built to flee,
The places that you’ve come to fear the most,
Is the place that you have come to fear the most.

The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most —Dashboard Confessional

When we bury our emotions, we deny who we are, and the need we have for a Savior.

Why do we bury our feelings when we are already known?

He knows the deepest secrets and the darkest emotions—and He loves anyway.

So, instead of burying, ignoring, and faking it, let us open up, fess up, and run; crying out to the One who longs to soothe, heal, and forgive.

Let’s run to Him.

I love the Lord, because he has heard
my voice and my pleas for mercy.
Because he inclined his ear to me,
therefore I will call on him as long as I live

(Psalm 116:1-2 ESV)

Are you barely scraping by? Do you have spiritual makeup on? What (or who) are you hiding your emotions from? What keeps you from running to Him?

Let’s chat in the comments…

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We start up the Run to Him study on Monday. We’ll be studying a collection of Psalms over the next 13 weeks. We would love for you to join us! Click here to download the free printable Bible Study of the Psalms, and join us back here each Friday afternoon for a commentary on the Psalm we have studied all week.

If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to get posts delivered to your inbox, so you don’t miss a beat!

Run to Him Study Guide

January 8, 2012 by Katie Orr 34 Comments

The Study Guide is here!

This study guide includes a 5-day weekly quiet time plan, studying one Psalm a week, with options to add on scripture memory and 2 additional days of study. There is also a printable bookmark for easy access to the study schedule.

Anyone is welcome to join us in this study of the Psalms. We will be posting a supplemental Bible study on each Psalm on Friday afternoons. The study guide plan starts Monday, January 16th.

Click here to download the free Bible study printable.

Praying He uses this study to help us run to Him.

Announcing…Run to Him

January 2, 2012 by Katie Orr 16 Comments

Run to Him, our winter Bible study, will start up Friday, January 13. We will be diving into a selection of Psalms; searching for how to relate our emotions, fears and challenges to the God who knows; digging for promises we can cling to when our soul cries out.

Maximize Your Mornings

Once again, we will be hosting this Bible study in partnership with Inspired To Action’s Maximize Your Mornings challenge. If you are looking for encouragement and accountability toward getting up early to meet with the Lord, this is the challenge for you! Check out the details here, but go quickly, as registration ends January 3rd!

Anyone is welcome to participate in the study, regardless of whether you are a part of the HelloMornings challenge. Be sure to stay tuned for a Run to Him study guide and more details about the study!

Abiding Fruit :: The Great Truths of Romans 6

December 19, 2011 by Katie Orr 8 Comments

I was a slave

Dominated. Defeated. Hopeless. I had no choice but to sin. It was my master.

I died

At the cross my iniquities—all of them—were placed on Jesus. When he was tortured and crucified on calvary a part of me died too. The part of me that could do no good. The part that separated me from a holy God. It was dealt a mortal wound.

I was baptized

When I acknowledge my separation from God, and asked Him to be Lord of this sinner’s heart, I was given the Holy Spirit—God came to live inside of me. He baptized me and sealed me as His own.

I was buried

It was in His burial and resurrection that Christ displayed His power over sin. Through the baptism of the Spirit, in that first moment of grace-led faith when I entered into the Kingdom of God, I was baptized into His death and burial.

I have been given new life!

I was joined with Christ not only in His death and burial, but also in His resurrection! I have been brought from death to life. I have been enabled to walk in newness of life.

I have been set free!

I have been set free from the slavery of sin. It no longer my ruler. My chains are gone. I now have a choice to walk in obedience.

I have been given a purpose!

I am to be a tool for righteousness, to bring glory to the one who holds me in His hands. I have been made alive to God.

Applying the truth

Romans 6:1-14 is filled with deep, deep truths. But these truths were not meant for us to read and nod in approval. They are to transform our living. It is in knowing who we are in Christ, and what we’ve been through with Him (burial, death, and resurrection) that we can begin to hope for any change in our lives.

Change comes only through the work of Christ on our behalf. The work we need to focus on is in believing:

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11

It is finished

With His dying breaths Christ said, “It is finished.” Do you believe that? That your sin nature is dead? That there is nothing left to do to obtain right-standing with God? That God sees you through the perfection and obedience of Christ?

It is in abiding—remaining in Christ and resting in His completed work on our behalf—that we experience fruit in our lives. It is not in trying harder, but through pursuing Jesus and allowing Him to bear fruit in us.

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised…Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15, 17 ESV)

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. (1 Peter 2:24 ESV)

What did you see this week in Romans 6? Have you seen the fruit of the Spirit more evident in your life over the last few months, as you’ve leaned into Him as your source?

Abiding Fruit: Self-Control

December 12, 2011 by Do Not Depart 9 Comments

I quickly get discouraged when I feel certain areas of my life become unruly. I feel it lately, as I am surrounded by sweet treats that are so hard to say no to. I experience it every morning as I try to get up early to meet with the Lord, and more often than I would like, I choose to snooze.

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I don’t need to teach a lesson today on what self-control is. We all know what it is, and most of us would say we lack it. Whether it be in regards to the way we eat, what we say and do, or our maybe our thought-life; there are probably at least a few areas in each our lives in which we lack self-control.

Although, I did find something very interesting in my study of self-control this week:

Enkrateia.

That’s the greek word for self-control.

It’s used four times in the New Testament. (Acts 24:25, Galatians 5:23, and repeated twice in 2 Peter 1:6)

That’s it. Four times.

So as I came to this week of study, a bit discouraged and defeated, I was comforted that I didn’t find a bigger list of things for me to control in my life.

Isn’t Self-Control Just Trying Harder?

I find it incredibly fitting that self-control comes right in the middle of our Believing Better series. This series was a bit of a last-minute leading from the Lord, and here we are studying self-control, something which can easily be mistaken with the Cycle of Try Harder.

So, is self-control just another way of saying “try harder”?

Remember what our series is all about? It is about the FRUIT of the SPIRIT. Self-control is a FRUIT. It is a PRODUCT of being a Spirit-led, healthy Christian.

And, when we get down to the nitty-gritty of 2 Peter 1:3-8, we see a similar message we’ve been learning all along.

An All-Powerful God Has Granted

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue… (2 Peter 1:3-5 ESV)

Did you catch the amazing truths of what God has given us?

All things that pertain to life and godliness.
Precious and very great promises.

And do you see why?

So that you may become partakers of the divine nature—to escape sinful desire .
To fuel our efforts towards maturing our faith.

Remember the Central Command

Most of the commands in Scripture are surrounded by the truths of what Christ has done for us. Here in 2 Peter, amidst the list of qualities that should be increasing in our lives, the commands are preceded by the reality that even our best efforts are worthless with out the power of God in our lives.

Earlier in our Abiding Fruit studies we looked at the central command of Galatians 5—the secret to experiencing fruit-filled living. The central command: walk by the Spirit. Keeping in step with the Spirit brings forth the fruit of self-control.

We aren’t to mainly pursue self-control, but to pursue Jesus. As we do, self-control will come.

Do you struggle with self-control? How do you think pursuing Jesus and yielding to the Spirit will help you live a more self-controlled life?

There is so much more to learn from this passage! What did you see this week in your studies?

Abiding Fruit :: Faithfulness :: Just stand

November 28, 2011 by Lisa Burgess 18 Comments

It was Pompeii.
AD 79.
As the story goes, the Roman sentry heard, saw, and smelled all of life crumbling around him. Vesuvius had erupted.

Yet he hadn’t been dismissed from his post.
So he stood.
Just stood.

Should we do any less?

There’s only one way—stay near the throne. It’s there we’ll receive mercy and find grace to stand firm (Hebrews 4:16).

Jesus showed us how. He was faithful to do his Father’s will (Hebrews 3:1-2). Tempted yet was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Endured the worst to secure the best (Hebrews 12:2-3).

God keeps his promises.

So our confidence is in him. In his faithfulness. The only reason we can be faithful is because he is.

And our faithfulness—in big things and small things—will encourage others to stay in his presence too.

To be bold.
To love.
To do good works.
To do his will.
To receive rewards.

If we’ll stand.
Just stand.

What did you learn in your study of faithfulness? How can we encourage each other to be faithful?

Eternal Treasure Boxes

November 24, 2011 by Patti Brown 4 Comments

Did you have a treasure box when you were a child?

I had a special box just for my rock collection, a plastic box with a bow on top. Even more precious to me was a carved wooden box that had been my grandmother’s. It had a tiny padlock on it, and in this box I kept only my most cherished treasures.

Now I have a special drawer which I fill mostly with letters and pictures from those dearest to me. Sometimes when I am struggling, I will open my drawer and pull out a handful and soak up the love written and drawn just for me.

If you have spent much time here at Do Not Depart, you are surely familiar with this verse:

I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (nlt) Psalm 119:11

Many of you have joined in the Hide His Word challenges to memorize scripture. And many of you have dug deep into the Word in bible studies with us.

But did you know that the word translated “hide” doesn’t just imply study and memorization? Some versions actually translate it as “treasure.”

Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You. (nas) Psalm 119:11

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A treasure, to be tucked away in my most tender and precious place… my heart. God’s Word is a sweet gift to be delighted in.

I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. (esv) Psalm 119:16

How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! (esv) Psalm 119:103

The scriptures are a God-sized, holy version of the drawer of precious letters written full of love and encouragement just for me. This treasure is a free offering, given for each one of us, accessible at all times!

Today is Thanksgiving in the United States, and families around the country will be sitting down to share a meal and count their blessings. As believers, we know that we are to joyfully give thanks every day and in all circumstances.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Certainly, one of the greatest blessings and joys for which I am thankful is God’s Word. While I was raised in a Christian home, I didn’t really read and study God’s Word until I was an adult. It is not an exaggeration to say that it completely transformed my life.

As we head into the days after our Thanksgiving holiday, much time and money will be wrapped up in pursuing earthly treasures. Gift shopping has become so deeply a part of our culture at this time of year that we have special names for the days after Thanksgiving… Black Friday… Cyber Monday.

But you and I, children of God, have the privilege and joy of pursuing heavenly treasure.

Let us delight in His Word, and make our hearts eternal treasure boxes!

Abiding Fruit :: Goodness :: Tasting the Real Thing

November 21, 2011 by Katie Orr 3 Comments

I am not a big fan of sugar-free food. I cannot stomach diet soda (as much as my love-handles would love for me to make the switch.) And fat free dairy? Blech.

Give me the real thing.

Even if you do “like” diet soda or non-fat milk, you can taste a difference. Advertising companies would love us to believe otherwise, but the bottom line is: diet soda, skim milk, and fat-free snacks just do not taste like the real thing.

Good Stuff

The fruit of the Spirit is…goodness. Galatians 5:22

We looked at another portrait of the fruit-bearing life this week, through Proverbs 31:10-31. I love the picture painted in verse 12, “She does him good and not harm, all the days of her life.”

Whether married or not, I think all of us desire to be one who does good to those around us.

The greek word used in Galatians 5:22, from which goodness is translated from, is agathosyne, which means: uprightness of heart and life; goodness; kindness

There are only three other places this particular Greek word is used in the New Testament.

One is in Romans 15:14. Paul talks of the Roman believers as being “full of goodness.” Then, in Ephesians 5:9, Paul teaches that the “fruit of life” is found in all that is good, right and true.

Good. Right. True.

The fruit of the Spirit filling our hearts will result in that which is good, right and true to His character. So, as we keep in step with the Spirit, we will become just like Spirit; we will become just like the real thing.

The Taste Test

When my husband Chris and I were engaged we were invited to have dinner with Dan and Sue. Dan would be performing our wedding ceremony, and they wanted to have us over to talk through the big day. We enjoyed a yummy meal and great conversation.

Being good coffee-lovers, they brewed a pot of dark brew, to go with our dessert. I watched as Dan pulled out the cold, white cream from the fridge and a sugar bowl from the cabinet. I put some sugar in my and Chris’ coffee, added some half-in-half, and just as the warm goodness was reaching my lips, I look up to see Chris’s puzzled expression.

“It’s not sugar.” he ekes out, trying to catch me before I take by own swig of caffeinated sea water…

Too late.

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It looked like sugar, but it most certainly was NOT. Dan had grabbed a bowl of SALT, and offered it to us as sweetener for our coffee!

By His Power, By His Grace

I don’t think any of us want to be like that hot, salty nastiness to those around us—repulsive. We want to bring good to those around us, so how do we obtain goodness? How can we taste like the real thing?

Psalm 34:8 declares, “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” He is the only one who is good, right and true. He is the good shepherd (John 10:11). His goodness is declared all throughout the Old Testament.

So, if God is the only source of all that is good, how do we access that?

Enter 2 Thessalonians 1:11, the forth time agathosyne is used, where Paul offers a prayer for the people of God:

To this end we always pray for you,

that our God may make you worthy of his calling

and may fulfill every resolve for good

and every work of faith

by his power,

so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you,

and you in him,

according to the grace of our God

and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I love this! God is the one who makes us worthy. He gives us the resolve for good, by His power, according to His grace! His desire is for us to be the real thing; for people to encounter us, His children, and taste a bit of Him—the all-good God. And this is all for His glory.

People can tell the difference. They can see right through our games of trying to be a good person. They know when we are faking it. But a child of God, who is walking in the power of the Holy Spirit? Fruit is dripping off of that dependent one. Good fruit—the real stuff.

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What did you learn from your study this week?

(As we consider the goodness of God…I am having a giveaway over at Living Devotionally. Just hop over and declare God’s goodness in the comments, for a chance to win! Giveaway ends on Tuesday!)

Where is your peace?

October 31, 2011 by Lisa Burgess 22 Comments

Don’t we all just want a few minutes of peace?

No bickering between the kids. No stress with the husband. No to-do list left undone in a clutter-free house.

So if peace is a fruit of the Spirit, why do I often feel I lose mine? And where did mine go last week when my computer died—the very week I was studying peace?

Shalom

The Jews in the Old Testament called it shalom. They used it as a common greeting (Judges 19:20) and still do today. Deeper than our typical “How are you?” shalom was more a blessing of “May you be prosperous in all things.”

But in the New Testament, peace (eirene) took on even greater depth. (Did you know peace is mentioned in every New Testament book except 1 John?) The apostle Paul coupled it with grace in his greetings—“Grace and peace to you.” And rightly so.

Through grace, we receive the gospel of peace (Ephesians 6:15) from the God of peace (Philippians 4:9). Christ not only left His peace with us (John 14:27), but He is Himself our peace (Ephesians 2:14).

More than a feeling

So when our circumstances turn chaotic and our sons are sent to war and hearts are troubled from broken laptops, don’t look for your peace there. Our peace was never meant to rest in those things anyway.

Because our peace—peace the world can’t give—is more than a feeling.
It’s a person.

And in the person of Jesus Christ, our deepest peace can’t be disturbed (John 16:33). It’s secure. If we’ve come into relationship with Him, we have a wellness in our soul beyond our understanding, even when our outside is stressed.

Peace in the presence

God’s peace is above our intellect—don’t try to figure it out (Philippians 4:7). You won’t succeed.

But you can trust that it’s there. That He is there.

Because peace isn’t the absence of trouble.
Peace is the presence of God.

Even when the dog is barking and the car is overheating and the laptop is dying, God’s peace runs deeper still.

Trust Him to guard it for you. So you can worry less; worship more. Think on good things, not on figuring things out.

God’s got you covered.
He’ll keep giving you grace.
And He’ll always be your peace.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:2

What did you glean from studying peace last week?
Please share any insights from Philippians 4:4-9.
How do you see the fruit of peace in your life?

Walking in the Spirit {Book Review}

October 14, 2011 by Katie Orr 2 Comments

It wasn’t until my freshman year in college that I began to understand the role of the Holy Spirit in my life. Fifteen years later, and I still have much to learn.

So when the opportunity came along to review Walking in the Spirit. I jumped at the chance. Walking in the Spirit, by Kenneth Berding, is a great resource for those who long to know better how to keep in step with the Spirit of God.

Walking in the Spirit provides solid, Biblical teaching with helpful application tips to help us understand exactly what walking in the Spirit is to look like in our own lives.

Walking in the Spirit is the central metaphor for describing what it means to live as a Christian. Life lived according to the Spirit is not simply trying to do the right thing. Nor is it simply trying to live according to God’s Law. Life as a Christian is cooperating with the Holy Spirit in a daily walk. p. 19

Filled with real-life examples and other great analogies, Kenneth Berding teaches on practical doctrines like how to be led by the Spirit, how to put to death the deeds of the flesh, and how to set your mind on the things of the Spirit, to name a few.

If you want to be someone who brings glory to God (and I pray that there is nothing you desire more!), you must learn what it means to walk according to the Spirit. p. 16

If you are, like me, desiring to figure out how you can better depend on the Spirit of God on a daily basis, this book is for you. It is also a great complement to our Abiding Fruit study!

You can head over to Crossway to purchase your copy.

You can also enter for a chance to win a copy of Walking in the Spirit over at Inspired to Action, where I am sharing about how to experience the abundant life Jesus promised.

Disclosure: I was given a copy of Walking in the Spirit, in exchange for my review. Opinions stated are mine.

Abiding Fruit :: Romans 7:15-24 :: The Reality of Our Struggle

October 10, 2011 by Katie Orr 15 Comments

I identify with Paul in Romans 7. There are so many moments in which I feel completely confused and helpless.

For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Romans 7:15

I want to live a disciplined life. Yet I find myself eating way too many cookies, letting the laundry get completely out of control, and staying up hours past a decent bedtime.

It is my desire to be a good mom, but then I do the very thing I hate. I yell at my kids. I act demanding and impatient towards them.

I set out to be a better wife only to find myself creating excuses to avoid connecting with my husband. I put my desires over his needs. Instead of being his biggest helper, I become a nagging leech.

For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Romans 7:19

This is a completely defeating reality.

I. Am. Wretched.

Photo Credit

But, this is not the end of the story! Did you catch the hope Paul finds in the mess of his struggle? I see three glimpses of victory amidst the first-glance defeat.

It is no longer me.

Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. Romans 7:20

If I am in Christ Jesus I am a new creation. (2 Corinthians 5:17) I was dead in my sin, a child of disobedience, and an object of wrath. But God chose me, rescued me from my sin, adopted me as His child, lavished on me grace, given me new life, and sealed me with His Spirit. (Ephesians 1 & 2)

Before I came to Christ I had no choice but to sin. I was a slave to the passions of my flesh, a follower of the law of sin. Now, though my flesh still lingers in me, I have a choice. The Spirit has set me free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2) By the power of the Holy Spirit in me, I can choose obedience.

I have a powerful weapon.

For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, Romans 7:22

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:1-2

The law of God, the sword of the Spirit is my offense against the flesh. (Ephesians 6:17) A sword is no good if it sits at home, lying on a shelf. We are bombarded by our flesh ever corner we turn. The word of God must be readily available for us to kill the flesh.

There is a relationship between delighting in God’s law and not walking in the way of the wicked. Our only offense against the flesh is reading, studying, knowing and delighting in the truths of the Bible.

…that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life… Philippians 2:15-16

I have already been delivered, but not yet.

Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! Romans 7:24-25

In a sermon on Galatians 5, John Piper describes our flesh like a dragon, to whom Christ has given a mortal blow. Although it is destined for death, it is still living; our flesh is thrashing it’s tail and spewing fire at us in hopes to do as much damage in it’s final days.

Christ has taken possession of our soul. Our old self has been dealt a mortal wound and stripped of its power to have dominion. The Christian life, the fruit of the Spirit, is a constant reckoning of the flesh as dead (piling stones on its tomb) and a constant relying on the present Spirit of Christ to produce love, joy, and peace within. – John Piper, Sermon: Walk by the Spirit

Though my dragon of flesh lashes out and tries to take me down as it breathes it’s last, I have hope amidst the struggle. My sin nature is dead…it is just a matter of time before I am completely delivered from it’s presence.

So, yes, you and I struggle. The Christian life is not easy. But it is important to understand why we struggle, keep a tight grip on the truth of our victorious destiny, and fight the dragon.

What did you learn from this week’s study?

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