Silence - An Lesson in Humility

For a few weeks the Lord has impressed upon me to be silent about a specific situation in my life. This is hard because I was feeling very hurt, angry, betrayed, and even humiliated. I asked “God, where are you in this?” and was quickly reminded of the verses He used to make His presence known while walking me through it.   

The first verse was Psalm 19:14, May my spoken words and unspoken thoughts be pleasing even to you, O Lord my Rock and my Redeemer. (TLB)

It was a response to prayer for an immediate need. I looked down and there it was, the verse of the day on one of my phone apps. By repeating it silently to myself and jotting it down so that it was in front of me, I was able to step through an intense few days. After about a week I started applying this strategy to my words, ALL MY WORDS. Now, every time I start to say or start thinking negative thoughts about any situation, I’m reminded that God is listening. I recite the verse several times a day (some days, many times) reminding myself to keep my words pleasing to the Lord.

The second verse was Exodus 14:14, The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.

I believe the Holy Spirit confirmed that I must be silent about the situation, not in conversation about it, NOT AT ALL. This would only feed fear, pride, and unforgiveness (yes, that was there too).

While sitting at a red light I spotted the license plate on the vehicle in front of me. It was a simple thing God used to remind me that Christ died for ALL of us, so how can I withhold forgiveness FROM ANYONE. That was my breakthrough. I’m still waiting for the feelings to catch up but I’m on my way. In the meantime, I will continue to wait in silence while He works this out for our good (Romans 8:28). 

Check out the Five Minute Fridays Writing Community here: http://fiveminutefriday.com/. Once a week, one word writing prompt, write for five minutes, and post. Unedited flat out writing. The prompt is this week is SILENT.

We Can Have Confidence in the Lord's Endurance

Check out the Five Minute Fridays Writing Community here: http://fiveminutefriday.com/. Once a week, one word writing prompt, write for five minutes, and post. Unedited flat out writing. The prompt is this week is NEED.

Hebrews 10: 35-36 Therefore, do no throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you  may receive what was promised. 

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We can have confidence in the Lord's endurance and thereby ours. 

A few years ago we were going through a very important project at work and for some reason, just never added the enough manpower. It got done but at an unreasonably high price for several key employees. I've always been a hard worker, but this was one of the hardest periods of my career. After a while I just didn't think about it and plodded ahead. The project finally launched. The result for many of those key employees was burnout. 

For about a year after launch, I was just toast. Work and home life suffered. I've been in other high-intensity projects before, but not for this duration. I didn't have the endurance I needed to get through. I didn't make the time to go to God with my needs. My confidence was misplaced in my employer and myself. Not enough rest and hyper-focus on the wrong things, not a good combination. 

We need endurance to do the will of God; to receive our inheritance. Without endurance we don't get to the finish ling He intends. His will, it will get done. If we don't rest in Christ and focus on Him we won't be the one doing it. Run with confidence the race set before you. He gives you what you need.

- Stop

Day 31 - Rest

Rest?

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (NASB)

This Hebrew verse was the guiding light for this 31 day challenge. I didn't run well enough to post daily, but I did find the endurance to make it through to the last day. I feel good about that.

Resting though? Hmmm, I don't think so. I feel like the challenge was my training and now I'm at the starting block to start my race, and it's a long one. A marathon, not a sprint. 

I always wanted to be a runner, but I'm not. I'm a walker one foot in front of the other pushing as far as I'm able or as time allows. I listen to godly teachers, to God's word, I pray, I observe the birds, and squirrels (we have so many in the neighborhood - it's creepy sometimes), and admire my neighbors' landscaping. 

At the beginning of this it was all about the writing, then I went to a writers conference and learned how social media and gaining followers is a must for a writer. I spent the next few weeks trying to set up a new WordPress blog, friending, and following. Doing the things I absolutely avoided, even swore I would never do. I learned a lot too, but I feel like I slowed down. 

Yes, I have to find a better way to establish the tech side so that I can focus on the writing side. I feel energized, happy, and fulfilled when I'm writing, so that is what I'm going to do. I'm not resting yet. It's time for me to establish a steady pace and run my race. I can't see the finish line yet.

Challenge met, my five minutes (maybe a few more) are up.

Thanks  Kate Motaung and Five Minute Fridays. 

Click her for My 31 Days of Free Writing Table of Contents

This is the October Free Write from Five Minute Fridays, that's 31 days of writing with a new prompt each day. My first year and I've taken up the challenge even though I'm starting late. http://fiveminutefriday.com/community/

Day 30 - Refine

Keep Going

Malachi 3:2 For He is like a refiner's fire and like fullers' soap.

Side note: I had to look up fuller to find out what it means. Fullers pressed or scoured cloth in a mill, usually with their feet,  (Anglo-Saxon) fullian means "to whiten". Thank you Biblegateway.

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At first I read refine but thought revise. No, that's not right, the prompt today is refine. 

To refine is to remove the impurities, to make pure by fire, as the verse says. The really hard times in life often seem like trial by fire experiences. Those times can bring out the best in us, and this is God's plan. To always make us better, to refine us into Christ image. To set us apart. To sanctify us. Yes, Lord, but why does it have to be so hard?

Isn't that what we do with our writing. Not revise, but at some point begin to refine.To make it better. To remove the extraneous, the unnecessary. To make it pure. Yes, Lord, but why does it have to be so hard?

I know that I am not where He wants me to be in life or in my writing. Yes, anything worth doing is worth doing well. That's corny but true and how I look at writing. I have to work at it and will keep working. Yes, it will be hard even when it gets better.

I didn't have to work hard to be accepted by Jesus. That was already done, without refining. I only had to say Yes Lord. He made me whiter than snow. It was easy for me, even though it was hard for Him. 

Click here for My 31 Days of Free Writing Table of Contents

This is the October Free Write from Five Minute Fridays, that's 31 days of writing with a new prompt each day. My first year and I've taken up the challenge even though I'm starting late. http://fiveminutefriday.com/community/

Day 28 - Connect

What's in the Meaning of a Word

Psalm 86:11 Teach me Your way, O Lord; I will walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name. (NASB)

The first thing I thought of when I saw connect was the word of the day was a line of people linked arm-in-arm. Since I like to start the post with the scripture verse that inspired the piece, I started a Biblegateway search. I wasn't inspired to write anything from the verses that popped up. So I went to the dictionary and then the online thesaurus, and that's where I finally found an option -- unite.

I went back to search for verses with unite in them, this led me to Psalm 86:11. I wanted to see how the verse read in other translations and that's when I hit the jackpot--the beauty of God's Word. He finds so many different ways to say what He wants us to know. He says it in just the right way so that someone will understand. 

Take this one little verse; really only a part of the verse:

Unite in reverence (TLB)

Undivided mind (CSB)

Undivided heart (NIV)

Put me together, one heart and mind. (The Message)

Make me single-hearted (CJB) (My favorite)

He is so good to us! He wants us to be united in Him, connected with each other, single-hearted for his purpose, to feel His love, and show it to others.

Done!

Click her for My 31 Days of Free Writing Table of Contents

This is the October Free Write from Five Minute Fridays, that's 31 days of writing with a new prompt each day. My first year and I've taken up the challenge even though I'm starting late. http://fiveminutefriday.com/community/